Marc Vandenbogaerde has given himself the means to fulfil his ambitions; it is not too much to say that in four years the château has completely changed its face. Since 2012, considerable work has been undertaken: a new cellar and vat room built in place of demolished older buildings.
The stone house has been entirely renovated with noble materials, with respect for the original architecture dating from the end of the 19th century. Where once there was a neglected, almost abandoned property, the vines have been restructured, and several parcels drained. It is not finished: the planting of Cabernet Franc to replace some of the Merlot is being studied.
“Badette is surrounded by classed growths on all sides. I want the wine to express the terroir. With power, but also with elegance, finesse.” To reach this balance and the elegance he is looking for, Mr Vandenbogaerde used the right methods from the outset: grass-cover in the vineyard and leaf removal, the land worked in the traditional way without herbicides, hand picking into small crates, a sorting table, small tanks of 40 to 70 hectolitres, careful ageing with temperature control... Nothing is left to chance, and the hand of man is involved at each stage in the cycle. Part of the harvest is fully vinified in new barrels.
