The BITURICA group of wines are produced in an exceptionnal "terroir" - that unique combination of soil and climate - located ine the southern Médoc.

Here, the gravel-rich soils accumulate and reflect the heat of the sun back up to the grapes during the ripening period. The physicals characteristics of these gravelly soils contibute largely to the concentration and the aromatic complexity of the wines produced therein.

Moreover, these gravelly soils, often severals meters deep, facilitate the supply of a limited, but constant, amount of water to the vines thanks to the deep penentration of their root systems : as a result, the vines are stressed, and their branches hardly vigorous. Vine growth slows early on thereby facilitating the production and accumulation of sugars, polyphenols, and aromas in the grapes, and subsequently in the wines.

The climate, a primordial factor in what we call the "terroir", is especially favorable in the southern Médoc, a peninsula that stretches more than 80 kilometers (50 miles) from north to south. The "terroir" of the southern Médoc is quite unique, by virute of its soils and the local weather patterns, elements tahat are so often crucial to the quality of a vintage, namely the precocious ripening of the fruit.

While maintaining a traditionnal appearance little changed since the late 19th century, the Biturica vineyards benefit from the latest viticultural research, especially in the fields of varietal and rootstock selection, yield management, trellising systems, and canopy management.

The winegrowers of the Biturica group, thanks to their professional training, their experience and above all their enthusiasm, are united by a common goal : to demonstrate through their wines the enormous potential of this southern Médoc microclimate.

It is by virtue of this "terroir" and the winegrowers who cultivate it, that the Biturica wines hold a unique place among Médoc wines.

Jean CORDEAU

Agricultural Engineer, Jean Cordeau is a consultant to many
wineries throughout Bordeaux and abroad.
For 30 years, he was the head of the Vineyard
Department at the Agronomical Laboratory
of the Department of Agriculture for the Gironde.
He is the author of Creation of a Vineyard published by Editions Féret.

We created the club called Biturica in 2002 as a result of a simple observation : along the southern rim of the Haut-Médoc, notably along an imaginary line that stretches from Macau in the east, at the southern edge of the Margaux appellation, to the tiny town of Sénéjac, near Pian-médoc, to the west, there is a remarkable similarity of soils composed mainly of white gravel, stones and pebbles mixed with fine sand. These soils have a real potential for the production of high-quality wines with aromas that are often as much floral as fruity and whose silky tannins are amazingly supple even in their youth.

It is in the vineyards planted in these similar gravelly soils that a young generation of winegrowers has only recently begun producing their respective wines. Driven by a same dynamic, they all share a same desire : to produce quality wines, of course, but also wines with real personality. Rare in the relatively closed viticultural world of the Médoc, these young winegrowers get together on a regular basis to taste and discuss each other's wines. They share ideas and analysis, techniques and equipment, so that entire group might progresse in its search for everhigher quality !

For a decade now, the qualitive renaissance that has occured on the Right Bank, notably in and around the appellations of Pomerol and Saint Emilion, has left no wine lover indifferent. On the other hand, during this same period the Médoc has remained largely outside of this phenomenon. That is why these winegrowers, all relative newcomers to their respective wineries, got together ti show that they were not about to rest on their laurels... or on their vines for that matter ! Without necessarily being "garage" winemakers, these six growers have sounded the qualitive reveille in the Médoc.

Thus, these six winegrowers got together and created Biturica, the historical name of the first grape variety cultivated in the Bordeaux region as early as the first century A.D. It probably came from the Epire region, located between Greece and Albania. It is thought to be the distant ancestor of our Cabernet Sauvignon as we know it today !

In vini bituricae veritas et qualitas !

Jeffrey DAVIES

American and former wine journalist, Jeffrey Davies has been a fine
wine merchant based in Bordeaux since 1987. His company, Signature SelectionS,
distributes wines from Bordeaux and other French and Spanish viticultural
regions in France and export markets, notably in the USA.
Above all, he is driven by discovery of a new winegrowing talents like those who form Biturica.