We are delighted to welcome the wines of Château Biac to Direct Wine Shipments

Owned by the Asseily family Château Biac has 10 hectares of vineyard, where they grow Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

The vineyard is situated in Langoiran in the Cadillac area of Bordeaux on a bend of the Garonne River. This stunning location gives beautiful views, but more importantly, gives the vines the influence of the river, which moderates the temperature and an excellent diversity of soils. This terroir and the attention to detail in the vineyard and winery leads to elegant and long-lived wine.

I was lucky to visit this visit this Chateau in July on a visit with a group arranged by the CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council). When we arrived in the early evening it was about 30C and we were greeted by Gabriel Asseily at the top of the vineyard. He was fresh from planting Merlot, admittedly crazy in the heat, but what choice was there is a summer of heatwaves! However, he explained the variety of soils in the vineyard and the importance of having the correct vines paired with the right soils. Since the family bought the Chateau in 2006, they have carefully mapped the land, showing a distinct areas of more gravel or clay based soils, and planted accordingly.

The winery is old on the outside and thoroughly modern on the inside. Here Gabriel explained the importance of the correct barrels. As 40% of the wine can spend up to 14 – 16 months in barrel, some new barrels are bought each year from a number of makers, these are chosen to enhance the wine and not to overpower the fruit.

We tasted the wine back up at the Chateau along with a lovely meal. It was a wonderful setting and the wines should beautifully. I know, the setting and the hosts stories can influence the perception of a wine. However, we visited a few Chateaux over 3 days and these wines stayed with me. When I returned to Belfast, we requested samples so other members of the buying team could try them on a suitably cold dull day. They were as impressed as I had been and we hope you will be as well.

“Biac stands out head and shoulders against so many in the appellation.” (Jane Anson, Bordeaux expert)

Gilles Rey, spent 18 years with the legendary Mouton Rothschild is a consultant on the Chateau Biac wines.

Try their wines:

RED
Château Biac 2015, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux  £39.99
68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc
Complex and precise. On the palate it is very appealing with its freshness. The well-integrated tannins give this wine a lot of voluptuous attraction without diminishing its solid structure. Extremely long finish.

“92/100…concentrated cassis & black cherry fruits, well integrated tannins, confident & enjoyable…trace of heat on the finish, reflecting the warmth of the vintage…great quality – the chocolate & grilled almond character that I get in many of these adds depth ” (Jane Anson, 03.12.21) “SILVER” (Decanter 2021)

Felix de Biac, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux  £23.99
65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot
“Already quite open with hints of discreet toasting meddling into cherry notes.
Mouth Very pleasant and fruity. The well rounded tannins give Felix 2018 a lot of softness. Good length which can easily be left to open.” June 6 2022, Bertrand Léon

WHITE
Felicie de Biac 2020, Bordeaux  £32.99
72% Sauvignon Blanc & 28% Semillon
This is a fresh and vivavious Sauvignon Blanc dominated white Bordeaux. The wine spends 7 months on its lees. It shows minerality with spicy notes following the fruity aromas.  A lovely fruity complexity lingers, making this a perfect aperitif.

DESSERT
Secret de Château Biac 2013, Cadillac  £36.99
88% Semillon & 12% Sauvignon Blanc
A golden dessert wine with aromas of gingerbread and dried apricots. On the palate it is silky, generous and fruity with candied prunes and quince jelly notes. A beautifully balanced harmonious wine, smooth and vivacious. (50cl bottle)