Portraits of winemakers

CHÂTEAU VIEUX MOUGNAC: ORGANIC WINES IN THE CELLAR OF THE ÉLYSÉE PALACE

"Sylvie Bessard-Milhard and Jérémie: A Legacy of Traditional and Organic Winemaking"

Meet Sylvie Bessard-Milhard and her son Jérémie, who represent the 4th and 5th generations of winemakers in their family.

"I Was Once Seen as a Hippie for Making Organic Wine!"

At Château Vieux Mougnac, everything is a family affair. It all began in 1870 when Félix and Élisabeth Milhard purchased a building near Saint-Émilion and decided to plant vineyards around it. A century later, Yves and Maria Milhard took over the family estate and introduced a major change: winemaking on-site. It was under their guidance that their daughter Sylvie learned the trade. “When I took over the estate in 1991 with my husband Michel, my parents were already cultivating the vines organically. My father used to say he didn’t want to poison his customers with pesticides marked with skulls. As a young person, I thought his approach was a bit old-fashioned and not cost-effective, but I eventually realized it was a skill that would disappear if I didn’t carry it on. So, I continued this tradition,” says Sylvie.

Since then, organic practices have become second nature at Château Vieux Mougnac. “Back then, people thought I was a hippie, but now we’re rolling out the red carpet!” Sylvie reflects, both surprised and amused. Her son Jérémie, who now manages the estate with his sister Laetitia and describes himself as a “farmer-winemaker,” supports these methods. In 2012, Château Vieux Mougnac received organic certification. Despite this forward-thinking stance, Jérémie remains deeply respectful of traditions. He even uses ancestral techniques, such as plowing with horses.

Château Vieux Mougnac: “Rare, Unique, and Authentic Wines”

Located 50 kilometers from Bordeaux and ten kilometers from Saint-Émilion, the Château Vieux Mougnac vineyard spans 10 hectares of 45-year-old vines planted on loamy-clay-sandy soil. The estate offers a diverse range of wines, including sweet white, dry white, rosé, and red wines produced under the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation. “We don’t produce technological wines but unique, rare, and authentic wines that are unfiltered,” Sylvie proudly asserts. Over the years, Château Vieux Mougnac’s wines have risen to a premium level, with several even making their way to the exclusive Cave de l’Élysée!

Thematic Lodging Opening in 2017

Aiming to attract an international clientele, the Milhard family organizes wine tourism events throughout the year: yoga in the vineyards, themed dinners, concerts, art exhibitions, painting workshops, and more. Laetitia, who manages her own wine tourism business in parallel, actively contributes to the development of these activities. Currently, Château Vieux Mougnac is working on a themed lodging project in collaboration with foreign travel agencies. “The idea is to offer visitors the chance to rent lodges with spas on the estate and provide a comprehensive program during their stay. This includes tasting dinners with the winemakers, estate tours, exploring Bordeaux, and more,” Sylvie explains. The lodges are expected to open in 2017…