To understand L'Hêtre, you first need to understand the Thienponts. This Belgian dynasty has been at the heart of Bordeaux's Right Bank for over a century, their story beginning in 1921 when patriarch Georges Thienpont acquired his first Bordeaux estate, followed three years later by Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol—a property that remains the family's shared anchor to this day. But it was Georges' grandson Jacques who truly elevated the family name to legendary status, purchasing the tiny Le Pin estate in Pomerol in 1979 for one million francs and transforming it into one of the most sought-after and valuable wines on earth. Today, the Thienponts are widely regarded as the first family of Right Bank winemaking—masters of Merlot and Cabernet Franc on clay and limestone terroirs, operating a network of prestigious estates across Pomerol, Saint-Émilion and Castillon.

It was the pursuit of that same terroir-driven excellence that brought Jacques and his sister Anne to a hillside Castillon estate in 2015. Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux sits immediately east of Saint-Émilion along the Dordogne's north bank—an appellation increasingly recognised for delivering Saint-Émilion-quality terroir at significantly more accessible prices. Merlot dominates across its clay-rich soils, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon adding structure and ageing potential from vines that frequently average 50 years of age. The resulting wines are aromatic and generous, with red and black fruit, silky tannins and outstanding value, precisely the kind of hidden-gem terroir that has long attracted the Thienpont eye.

“You hardly need me to tell you that this is one to watch.” Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux 

Immediately captivated by the estate's beauty and potential, Jacques and Anne acquired the property, renamed it L'Hêtre (the Beech) continuing Jacques' longstanding tradition of naming his estates after trees, and installed their nephew Maxime Thienpont as manager. The estate has since been further strengthened, with renowned Bordeaux winemaker Antoine Mariau taking over management in 2025. As Jane Anson wrote in her entry on Château l'Hêtre in her definitive book Inside Bordeaux, “You hardly need me to tell you that this is one to watch.”

Today, L'Hêtre spans 27 hectares of organically farmed vines across a compelling mosaic of terroirs: deep clay soils on the edge of the Saint Philippe plateau lend body and structure, while the fossil-rich limestone at Saint Genès delivers the estate's characteristic floral aromatics, energy and saline minerality. A new winery, completed in time for the 2022 vintage, reflects the family's long-term commitment to the property. The wines—rich, round and chalky, built on Merlot and Cabernet Franc—showcase the very best of Castillon: intense, expressive and honest, with the structure to age and the accessibility to drink young. 

We are delighted to introduce these wines to the Bibendum portfolio with the 2023 vintage: the flagship L'Hêtre Côtes de Bordeaux, a blend of impressive class and energy, and La Raison d'Hêtre, its organically certified second wine—both outstanding expressions of a top Right Bank vintage at a price point that makes the Thienpont name genuinely accessible.