Château
Paloumey
A Unique Place
Paloumey literally means in Gascon:
« The place where the wood pigeons pass » during their autumn migration, from central Europe to the Iberian Peninsula.
Like these migratory birds that fly over our Médoc vineyard every year, Château Paloumey seems to exert a particular attraction on the people who frequent this unique place.
The Beginning of Our Story
In the early 19th century, Château Paloumey, a 35-hectare estate located in Ludon-Médoc, belonged to the wine merchant Octave Dupuy. Surrounded by classified grands crus – Cantemerle, La Lagune – the estate has an excellent terroir and its wines enjoy a very good reputation as evidenced, in 1868, by the guide Bordeaux and Its Wines published by Féret. But the phylloxera crisis, followed by the two World Wars, brought down this Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, to the point where its vineyard was uprooted in the middle of the 20th century and the property was left abandoned.
When Renaissance Rhymes with Excellence
When the Cazeneuve family arrived at Château Paloumey in 1989, the challenge was considerable: there were no vines or cellars. The château, a beautiful bourgeois house in the Médoc, was the only remnant of the domain’s glorious past. Martine Cazeneuve, in partnership with the Savare family – owners of Château Franc Mayne in St. Emilion-, started from scratch to replant and shape Paloumey with a vision of a classified grand cru. Soil and subsoil cuts were made to define the viticultural potential of each plot and plant the best-suited grape variety.
The construction of a cellar dedicated to parcel vinification was completed in 1993, followed in 1997 by a barrel aging cellar. From 2004, a tasting room was built to develop wine tourism on the property.
Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Château Paloumey has been part of the Crus Bourgeois of the Médoc family since the 19th century. The Bourgeois, inhabitants of the town of Bordeaux, have been, since the 15th century, the proud owners of the best lands of the Médoc peninsula to produce wine and sell it. Three major official classifications have marked the history of Crus Bourgeois: 1932, 2003, and the latest in 2020, integrating 250 Crus Bourgeois across 7 of the 8 Médoc appellations. As a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, Château Paloumey has always been actively engaged in the life of the Crus Bourgeois Union to promote its family of chateaux – representing nearly a third of the Médoc vineyard.
THE CAZENEUVE FAMILY
Owners of a vineyard in Blayais, the Cazeneuves left the right bank at the end of the 80s before settling in the Médoc region. Working for the rebirth of Château Paloumey was a somewhat crazy, demanding adventure but above all a certainty.
Family DNA
At Paloumey, even more than elsewhere, the authentic personality of those who run the estate is inscribed in its DNA. It is in this respect one of the essential components of our terroir. The Cazeneuves are dynamic, determined, welcoming, sensitive, and visionary entrepreneurs. They have always lived, as a family, in this bourgeois house, the historical heart of Paloumey, in order to be as close as possible to the vineyard.
Pierre Cazeneuve
An agricultural engineer trained in Purpan – Toulouse, Pierre Cazeneuve did not immediately dedicate himself to winegrowing. The early stages of his professional life led him to the United States, Mexico, Madagascar and then, upon returning to Paris, he developed a soil decontamination activity with his brother, as well as a consulting firm in the evaluation of the carbon footprint of agricultural companies.
But Château Paloumey holds a special place for this nature enthusiast who, from the age of 12, lived and grew up in this place which he considers his garden.
Returning for the first time in 2013 to help during the grape harvest, he succumbs to the call of Paloumey and thus decides to return to live there permanently with his whole family in 2015 to take over the management of the property.
Building on the work carried out by Martine Cazeneuve and the long-term vision that she was able to instill in Paloumey, Pierre brought a new dynamic upon his arrival. His training as an agricultural engineer made him particularly interested in the vineyard, which he converted to organic farming as early as 2016 and obtained certification for the 2019 vintage.
Our Team
Dans tous les aspects de notre activité, que ce soit dans le vignoble, les chais, les bureaux ou lors des dégustations, Paloumey bénéficie d’une équipe dévouée, passionnée et hautement qualifiée. Nous attachons une grande importance à la formation et à la fidélisation de nos collaborateurs, car ils sont essentiels à notre réussite. Château Paloumey est reconnu pour son environnement de travail stimulant, son engagement environnemental, son attachement au terroir et son attractivité en tant qu’employeur du territoire Médoc.
Pascal Lamarque
Responsable technique
Marie Saby Lefort
Administration des ventes
Patrice Debrais
Tractoriste
Corinne Gouverne
Fée de Paloumey
David Andrieux
Ouvrier de chai
Nathalie Lamarque
Comptable
Juan Carbonell
Vigneron/Tractoriste
Marie Isabel Gonzalez-Ruiz
Vigneronne
Ludovic Sancey
Vigneron tractoriste
Pauline Renesson
Responsable des ventes B to C
Jeanne Foucaud
Coordinatrice Marketing & Communication
Maxime
Oeneotourisme
