SEVEN GENERATIONS OF WINEMAKING EXPERIENCE
The story of the Bayle-Carreau vineyards is the story of two families.
The Carreau family and the Bayle family, who share the same passion for wine and excellence.
Year after year, the Carreau family has developed a profound knowledge of the vine. Passed down from generation to generation, this expertise is the basis for a range of unique and aromatic wines.
The Bayle family represents the winemaking side of things, with a clear focus on wine production, marketing and sales.
The two families perfectly complement each other and manage a remarkable combined estate, whose beginnings take us back to the 1850s.
The origins
In 1852 Antoine Carreau acquires Château Barbé. This south-facing ten-hectare estate provides ideal sun exposure, which allows the grapes to ripen early.
A few years later, Antoine’s son François Carreau takes over the estate. After the Phyloxera crisis from 1875 to 1880, the entire vineyard is completely replanted to revitalise the business.
Following in François Carreau’s footsteps, his successors Ernest and Paul Carreau takes the helm and Château Barbé grows from 10 to 20 hectares. The estate is then handed over to Claude Carreau, Paul’s son.
In 1910, the Bayle family buys Château la Carelle. This 15-hectare estate located in the heart of the Blayais region is operated by Émile Bayle, assisted by his son from 1922.
From 1922 to 1956, André Bayle focuses on building a strong portfolio of clients around Normandy.
The birth of the Bayle-Carreau estate
In 1952, Jeanne-Marie, daughter of André Bayle, marries Claude Carreau.
The union of these two families also entails the merger of their respective vineyards’ know-how and a significant improvement in both production and sales.
In the following years, each estate also increases its scope. Château Barbé expands from 20 to 28 hectares and Château la Carelle grows from 15 to 25 hectares.
In 1971, Château Pardaillan’s 12 hectares are added to the thriving estate. The entire vineyard is completely remodelled to optimise resources and enhance quality.
Jeanne-Marie and Claude’s son Xavier joins the team to support his parents and leads a new sales push in Normandy.
Their daughter Chantal marries Alain Jourdan, a young agricultural engineer whose expertise becomes yet another asset for the vineyard’s wine production.
1976 is another milestone. It is the founding year of the Bayle-Carreau vineyards. Claude Carreau, Xavier Carreau and Alain Jourdan start a joint venture to integrate the Barbé, Carelle and Pardaillan estates.
This is the start of a completely new dynamic. Xavier focuses on sales development, Alain is in charge of production, and Claude continues to smoothly run day to day operations.
In 1977, success is in sight. The combined production of the vineyards is no longer enough to supply the ever-increasing demand in Normandy.
That same year, Bayle-Carreau becomes the proud owner of Château Eyquem. With its magnificent location overlooking the Gironde, this south-facing estate enjoys a beautiful sun exposure.
The vineyard includes newly planted vines, the winery features modern facilities and the main building is fully renovated. At the beginning of the 1980s, the estate gets a complete makeover and becomes a reference point for customers from Normandy coming to visit the Bordeaux region.
A new generation
In the 1990s, the Bayle-Careau vineyards continue to expand with the acquisition of Château Landreau in 1995, a 15-hectare estate in the Côtes de Bourg appellation.
8 hectares belonging to the Calet estate are added to the growing vineyard in 1997.
1998 is a record year for Bordeaux wine sales worldwide, but the early 2000s see a sharp drop in numbers. In order to keep growing, Bayle-Carreau vineyards export some of their production abroad. The first objectives are the Netherlands and Belgium, followed by China, which becomes the main focus from 2004 on, with the creation of a local sales office.
Around the same time, Alain Jourdan’s son Cyril Jourdan, who graduated in Oenology, joins the business as Viticulture Manager.
In 2010, Château Gontier, a 20-hectare estate, becomes the newest addition to the Balye-Carreau vineyards.
In 2014, Charlotte Carreau, daughter of Xavier Carreau, takes on a new position as export manager.
In 2019, Aurélien Broly joins the team and brings his valuable experience to the estate’s solid organisation.
