Château Janon

Vignobles Landié

 4, Grands champs

33540 Saint-Martin du Puy

Tél. : + 33 (0)5 6 71 61 22

Vignobles.landie@free.fr

Château Janon, vignobles Landié

Find out more about Château Janon from the Landié vineyards in Entre-Deux-Mers

A family winegrowing adventure like no other, the Landié vineyards cultivate the family's passion for earthy wines. At the head of 80 hectares spread over 5 communes, the Landié family has been offering accessible, well-crafted wines for over 30 years, under the Château Janon and Château Les Sept Chênes brands. From refreshingly fat Entre-Deux-Mers to generously fruity Bordeaux, a range of three delicious colors to discover at Saint-Martin Du Puy.

The story of Landié vineyards.

The Landié vineyards are located in the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers region and spread over 5 communes, within a radius of 20 kilometers north of the town of Langon (south of Libourne and 50 kilometers southeast of Bordeaux). The history of Landié wines is first and foremost that of a family united by a passion for the land and wine since the 1970s, when Jean-François Landié, after a career as a simple worker in the vineyards, decided to buy his first 30-hectare property in Cantois, located on the former hunting estate of the Benauges nobles. A family that didn't hesitate - in more opportune times for winegrowing - to take the plunge and set up on its own. Where cooperation would have been easier, more reassuring and more straightforward, Jean-François Landié chose less straightforward, more “tortuous” paths. He is clearly a born entrepreneur. Between the 80s and 90s, he bought a second 45-hectare property in Saint Brice. Initially selling his wine in bulk to the wine trade, Jean-François Landié decided, after careful consideration and solid experience as a farm worker in viticulture, to embark on a solo adventure from the 1996 vintage, to become independent and produce his own wines for bottling at home from 1998 onwards. To be self-employed, to set up from scratch - with his wife and children - a structure where nothing exists, where everything has to be invented, valorized and bought back hectare after hectare: a talent and a merit that this man of the vine does not usurp. A man of the soil, as it were, with a serene face that reveals his deep love for the Entre-Deux-Mers region, which knows how to be grateful to him when the vintage looks promising. He has come a long way through his tenacity, with the help of Cédric and Damien, his two sons who joined him in 2004, and his wife, Maryse. Today, Jean-François oversees 80 hectares in the Bordeaux and Entre-Deux-Mers appellations. Tastings show that the results are convincing, vindicating the choice he made in settling in the appellation. An appellation from which he has invented a well-thought-out range of red, white and rosé wines. With, it must be said, a predilection, indeed a specialty, for vinifying the Entre-Deux-Mers in which this estate excels.

A company on a human scale, managed with the serenity of a close-knit team.

Nothing is more complicated than bringing together multiple skills at every stage of wine-making. Knowing how to delegate and choose your people is one of the secrets of success - along with management - for any business. Jean-François understands this, and pushes Cédric and Damien, without having to force them, to work alongside him. The bequest of heritage in these parts has its importance. In times of crisis, family cohesion is essential to the survival of such an adventure. At the Landié family, everyone has their own skills, which they exercise without interfering with those of others. Maryse is in charge of personnel management, while Damien is in charge of the vines, Cédric the cellar and Jean-François the overall management. A touching, human-scale business, managed with coherence, equipped with a production tool in which the investments necessary for the smooth running of the structure have been made patiently and with discernment.

Making good, impeccable wine involves a few key precepts. Care of the vine is one. The capacity of a good terroir is another. The efficiency of the production tool, yet another.

Progressive investments characteristic of thoughtful development.

Of course, the Landié vineyards - which include Château Janon, Château Le Roc and Les Sept Chênes, each with a surface area of 20 hectares - don't have the image of sumptuous or precious châteaux. Here, as is often the case in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, châteaux are disguised as estates and estates as châteaux. Winegrowing here is profoundly human and unvarnished. It's the content that counts, while ensuring that the environment and infrastructure respect the wine from grape to glass. The technical facilities are recent. And in the interests of autonomy and responsiveness, Jean-François has equipped himself with a home bottling line, ensuring step-by-step control of bottling at the estate. This is an important factor when it comes to ensuring traceability for customers and end consumers. The new storage cellar preserves the bottles before they are shipped to the various markets in France and abroad (95% of sales in France, 2% in Great Britain, 2% in Russia and 1% in Japan). Sales are handled by two operators: Les Halles de Carcan and Château en Bordeaux in Saint-André de Cubzac.

Surprisingly, however, and one that will hardly escape the visitor's eye, there is a large open-air presence of what might aptly be called a “stainless steel cathedral”. Of imposing size, each vinifying 250 hectolitres, for a total capacity of 6,000 hectolitres, the classic thermo-regulated stainless steel vats share the limelight with truncated cone-shaped vats: a type of vat usually seen in the Saint-Emilion or Médoc appellation. The choice of these winemaking tools is part of an ongoing drive to improve both vinification - with deliberately short vatting periods - and blending, by achieving an ideal marc/juice ratio. The gentle extraction of color and tannins is done with respect for the grapes. All of this goes towards selecting the best grapes for subsequent vinification.

Wines in a variety of styles, with an emphasis on white tones.

Bordeaux is traditionally associated with the color red. To specialize in whites would run counter to a trend that has been widespread in Gironde for decades. Of course, red wine lovers will delight in the prestige cuvées from Châteaux les Sept Chênes and Le Roc en Bordeaux. These are carefully-crafted, charming wines characterized by suppleness and long, coated fruit: attractive, in other words! It's the fruit that dominates, the expression of the different grape varieties planted in equal proportions on the three properties. But the Entre-Deux-Mers mass is said in white, never in cardinal red. So it's the dry white - a technical and technological wine by definition - where we find the white versions of Les Sept Chênes and Le Roc. But Château Janon is the culmination of the Landié family's passionate work. Here, they haven't waited for the new trend in Entre-Deux-Mers since 2003, to give more fat and volume to whites that in the past were fundamentally lacking in seduction: too acidic, too angular, too dry. A reputation to be avoided. Sauvignon and Sémillon were poorly developed on these marly, clay-limestone soils. As Cédric explains, “ten years ago, we decided to give more flesh to our whites out of conviction”. There's no doubt that this will appeal to consumers looking for Entre-Deux-Mers that are more gastronomic than aperitif or seafood wines.

Entre-Deux-Mers winegrowing region revitalized.

Jean-François is a team leader and knows how to encourage his children, even in the face of crisis. “The harder it is, the harder you have to work,” he says. Knowing how to try your luck, the terroir is there! With Cédric and Damien, a new generation is taking over, a refreshing change for the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation. Among the younger generation, there's no hesitation in consulting, exchanging and tasting each other's wines. The future is here. A healthy emulation to form a quality cluster, something that previous generations failed to foresee here. Cédric Landié has bought a property in Sousac (25 hectares of promising plots) to further expand the entity. Confidence reigns in a family spirit where love of the profession, the land and the wine. We want to believe with them and follow their lead.

Château Janon 2020, Bordeaux rouge

In this fine Bordeaux vintage, which has produced some very fine wines in all appellations, Château Janon 2020 is also benefiting from the vintage effect. Made from Merlot (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) grapes grown on clay-limestone plots, this Bordeaux red is a deep garnet color with purplish highlights. The nose is pleasantly generous, with cherry and blackberry aromas. The palate is delicate in structure, with well-coated tannins, a clean attack and a lingering finish of black fruits. A delicious, gourmet Bordeaux.

Château Janon, Entre-Deux-Mers (blanc sec)

The Entre-Deux-Mers region produces dry whites that are well worth a visit. The Landié family is particularly expert in this type of wine, offering airy, greedy whites that hold up well over time. Château Janon is made from 40% Sauvignon, 40% Sémillon and 20% Muscadelle. The wine has a beautiful, crystalline golden-yellow color, with pure aromas of citrus and white-fleshed fruit on the nose. The wine is complex and seductive, as confirmed by the notes of white flowers when shaken. The palate is full-bodied and fleshy, held together by a fine acidity that ensures great balance. This Entre-Deux Mers is invigorating, crisp and fragrant. 

Château Les Sept Chênes 2019, Bordeaux rouge

This red Bordeaux, bearing the stamp of the great 2019 vintage, is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Les Sept Chênes is a reference to the seven oak trees that were planted long ago on the property. Château Les Sept Chênes 2019 has a dark, dense ruby color. The nose expresses rather easily, without too much restraint, aromas of black fruits and cedar. The palate is velvety, with well-coated, creamy tannins offering a delicate sensation on the tongue and palate. The attack is quite frank. The finish delights us with expressions of spice and fruity flavors of blackcurrant and wild blackberry. A well-crafted Bordeaux, with good volume and pleasure.

Château Janon's great vintages :

1982-1985-1988-1989-1990-1995-1998-2000-2001-2003-2005-2009-2010-2015-2016-2018-2019-2020-2022-2023