quiet scale and uncompromising dedication to craft
Château Meylet is a small, family-run estate located in the heart of Saint-Émilion, within the Bordeaux wine region, on the limestone-rich slopes near the Grandes Murailles of Saint-Émilion. Passed down through five generations, the estate covers just 2.3 hectares, with old vines averaging 70 to 80 years of age. This part of Saint-Émilion is known for its clay-limestone and sandy-calcareous soils, producing wines of depth, structure, and longevity. Château Meylet stands out within the appellation for its quiet scale and uncompromising dedication to craft. Founded on family land first acquired in the late 19th century, Château Meylet remains a deeply personal, multigenerational estate shaped by patience, observation, and respect for nature. David Favard, now at the helm alongside co-manager Laurence Chrétien, carries forward this lineage as a craftsman-winemaker, vinifying gently by gravity and allowing each wine to find its own balance with minimal intervention.
biodynamic farming and gentle vinification
The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, guided by close observation of nature and a belief in balance between soil, vine, and wine. All work is carried out by hand, from meticulous grape-by-grape sorting at harvest to gravity-fed vinification that avoids pumps entirely. Since the 1990s, Château Meylet has vinified without sulphur, extending this philosophy to ageing in 1998. Fermentations take place in wooden truncated-cone vats inspired by Burgundian methods, including pigeage, allowing for a gentle, precise extraction that respects the character of each vintage.
why bbi chose château meylet
Bogie’s Best Imports chose Château Meylet for its rare combination of heritage, humility, and conviction. With extremely small production of around 4,000 bottles per year, the wines are shaped by vintage rather than recipe, aged according to their needs in oak barrels, jars, or glass dame-jeannes, and bottled by hand. Château Meylet represents Saint-Émilion at its most human scale, producing wines that are deeply rooted in place, expressive of terroir, and made with nothing added except care, patience, and time.
From a tiny 0.5-hectare estate farmed by fifth-generation vigneron David Favard, Château Meylet is one of the rare fully biodynamic properties in Saint-Émilion, certified organic since 1982 and cultivated biodynamically since 1985. The vineyards, planted on clay, sand, and limestone soils, include remarkable parcels of pre-phylloxera vines, some reaching up to 140 years of age (far exceeding the regional average of 25 years).
The 2019 vintage is a field blend of all five Bordeaux varieties—led by 60% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec completing the blend—all harvested by hand at the same time to preserve harmony. Yields are extremely low (around 14 hl/ha), contributing to the wine’s concentration and depth.
The nose is deep and expressive, showing ripe black cherry, plum, and cassis layered with graphite, cedar, and crushed stone. On the palate, the wine is structured yet poised, with fine but slightly grippy tannins that quickly soften into a supple, elegant texture. Dark fruit is balanced by mineral freshness and savoury complexity—tobacco, spice, and a gentle oak influence. Despite its concentration, the wine remains lifted and precise, with a natural energy that carries through a long, characterful finish.