80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Château de Candale has been a fixture of the Saint-Émilion landscape for centuries. It was originally founded by Lady Margaret, Countess of Kendal, sometime in the 1400s. Lady Margaret was a descendant of Edward III, who was King of England and Duke of Aquitaine. She married the Castelnau-de-Médoc born Jean de Foix, whom became the Earl of Kendal. Their titles in the French form were Comte de Candale and Comtesse de Candale, which gave the name to the château.
As with so many Bordeaux châteaux, Château de Candale would change hands many times throughout the centuries. In modern history, the Adams family and owners of neighboring Chateau Fonplegade sold Château de Candale to Jean Louis Vicard in 2010.
The Vicards are well known in the Bordeaux wine region and Cognac for their barrel making company, Cooperage Vicard, which was founded in 1875. But in this venture into wine-making at Château de Candale, Jean Louis increased the size of the vineyards to the current 13 hectares.
It was only recently purchased by Magali and Thibaut Decoster in 2017. Not new to producing wine, Château de Candale is one of four Saint-Émilion châteaux owned by the Decoster family.
The Decosters weren’t always a wine producing family, though. It was Thibaut that developed a passion for wine and dreamed of owning a château. His family encouraged him to go work in the vineyards to realize the level of work involved. And Thibaut did just that, working in Léognan for more than three years.
He and Magali purchased their first château, Clos des Jacobins in 2014. And over the course of more than 15 years in the wine industry, they have also purchased Château La Commanderie and Château Roc de Candale.
With their total of four Saint-Émilion châteaux, two of which are prestigious Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé estates, and a restaurant added in the venture, we’d say Thibaut’s experiment has been a sheer success.
The current project is to expand the wine making facilities at Château de Candale, so you’ll find a bit of construction happening when you visit in 2020.
