A Confidential Haut-Médoc

On the left bank of the Bordeaux wine region, bordered by the Gironde river on one side and the Landes forest on the other, the renowned Médoc is home to many treasures, reflecting the history of the Bordeaux vineyard. To the south is the Haut-Médoc appellation, at the gates of Bordeaux and its historical monuments. Near Saint-Estèphe, in the town of Vertheuil, is where Château Victoria and its two other vineyards, Château Le Bourdieu Vertheuil and Château Picourneau are located.

Why Victoria?

The anecdote of the name can be traced back to two Englishmen.

In June 1875, as they strolled through the Médoc, they fell under the spell of the Château de Coutelin in ruins surrounded by its vineyards. They decided to have a picnic there and toast in honor of their queen. They made sketches of the castle, which they nicknamed Victoria, of course. Since that day, the pediment of the castle has been decorated with the English coat of arms.

One Team, Two Castles, Three Vineyards

This is Château Victoria today.

Mr. Ernest Barbe is at the origin of the bringing together of these three entities. In 1943, he first bought Château Le Bourdieu Vertheuil (castle and vines), one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc, then Château Victoria (castle and vines), and the Château Picourneau vineyard. As soon as the Richard family purchased them in 1989, they formed an ensemble managed by a single team. They were merged under the common identity of Château Victoria, bringing together three Haut-Médoc, two of which are classified as Cru Bourgeois.

Château Victoria and Château le Bourdieu Vertheuil are both Crus Bourgeois

Formerly called “Crus des Bourgeois”, this classification originated in the Middle Ages with the merchants of that time.

Thanks to the wine trade, they became bourgeois and purchased the best plots in the Médoc. This hierarchy appeared in the 19th century and evolved from year to year. Today, it consists of a five-year classification on three levels, starting from the 2018 vintage. However, Château Victoria has been classified as Cru Bourgeois since 1931. Château Le Bourdieu Vertheuil became as such in 1936.