Roc de Cambes

Château Roc de Cambes

The Story of a Renaissance on the Heights of Bordeaux

Upon arriving at Château Roc de Cambes, one is struck by its extraordinary setting. The wine estate seems suspended between earth and sky in the heart of the Côtes de Bourg, stretching across hillsides that slope down toward the Gironde. The landscape forms a natural amphitheater that captures the sun while benefiting from the tempering coolness of the sea breezes. This exceptional site, already renowned for its 14th-century cellars, experienced a true renaissance in 1988, when François Mitjavile and his wife Émilie settled there. Their arrival marked the beginning of a unique adventure: transforming this overlooked terroir into a leading name in Bordeaux wines.

François Mitjavile: A Visionary Who Swims Against the Current

An atypical figure in the wine world, François Mitjavile does not come from one of Bordeaux’s great wine-making dynasties. A passionate winemaker and, above all, a visionary, he forged a reputation through rigorous work, intuition, and a keen sense of the long term—particularly at Château Figeac. After shaping the identity of his Château Tertre Rotebœuf in Saint-Émilion—which he quickly renamed Tertre Roteboeuf—he applied the same philosophy to Roc de Cambes : prioritizing the authenticity of the fruit and respect for the terroir rather than following passing trends. François and Émilie have thus built a family-centered vision where people, patience, and observation take precedence over the pursuit of yield.

A winemaking philosophy in harmony with time

What stands out about the Mitjaviles is their relationship with time. The wine estate always waits for the grapes to reach full ripeness, even if it means delaying the harvest well beyond the average. This pursuit of ripeness—sometimes pushed to the point of overripeness—gives the wines a unique depth and warmth. The vines are managed using sustainable viticulture and permanent grass cover, practices that respect biodiversity and natural balances. Pruning, which is light and precise, promotes uniform ripening on each vine. In the cellar, ageing is a long and meticulous process, characterized by the rigorous use of high-quality barrels. Here, the wine gently “matures,” eventually offering a rich and unadulterated aromatic profile.

Terroirs and Grape Varieties: The Duality of Roc de Cambes and Domaine de Cambes

Château Roc de Cambes is situated on 12 hectares of south/southwest-facing clay-limestone hillsides, home to vines averaging 45 to 50 years of age. While Merlot makes up the majority (85%), it is complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a small amount of Malbec. The exposure, combined with the breeze from the estuary, allows for gradual and healthy ripening of the berries.

It is important to distinguish Domaine de Cambes, a separate entity also owned by the Mitjavile family. Located in the Bordeaux appellation, on the marshes at the foot of the hillside, the wine estate expresses another facet of the terroir: more supple, more immediate, with different sunlight exposure and sandy-clay soils.

The cuvées: two facets of the same vision

While the Roc de Cambes cuvées emphasize depth with wines meant for aging, those from Domaine de Cambes offer immediate enjoyment, all while retaining the Mitjavile family’s unique signature. The Domaine de Cambes cuvée offers immediate pleasure and captivates with its roundness, notes of ripe fruit, and suppleness. Delightful even in its youth, it illustrates the Mitjaviles’ ability to bring out the best even in more modest terroirs.

In contrast, the Roc de Cambes (Côtes de Bourg) cuvée requires patience. It is a more serious, structured wine, where the depth of Merlot meets the freshness of Cabernetand the power of Malbec. After a few years in the cellar, it reveals its full maturity, with intense aromas of black fruit and spices. In both cases, the same philosophy shines through: sincere wines, crafted to age well, but also to move the soul.