Grande Maison

About the Winery

La Grande Maison is a historic wine estate in Monbazillac, near Bergerac in southwestern France, centered around a fortified manor originally built in the 13th century. The estate has been in the Darnajou family for four generations, with Philippe Darnajou and his daughter Camille currently at the helm. The property spans 30 acres of south-facing vineyards on clay-limestone soils, surrounded by wild forest that promotes biodiversity. A man-made lake on the property encourages the development of botrytis cinerea (noble rot), essential for the great sweet wines of Monbazillac. The estate has been certified organic and biodynamic since the 2018 harvest, with yields that often dip lower than those at Yquem. The wines are a blend of Sémillon (60%), Sauvignon Blanc (20%), and Muscadelle (20%), hand-harvested in multiple passes and aged in French oak barrels for two years.

“Historic 13th-century estate in Monbazillac, biodynamic since 2018, producing exceptional botrytized sweet wines.”