The Chateau
An exceptional terroir
Parcel goldsmithery
in the heart of Margaux
45 hectares shaped by Quaternary glacial meltwaters. A consistent parcel layout, virtually unchanged since the 1855 classification, spread across the communes of Margaux and Cantenac. Beneath our feet: deep gravel beds of quartz and quartzite, a clay subsoil that ensures natural water regulation, and roots that extend up to six meters deep. It is from this unique geology that the graphite and mineral signature of Marquis de Terme emerges—a hallmark of identity that has endured through the decades without ever wavering.
Precision viticulture
Blending and ageing take the wine into another dimension, where time does its work, revealing the terroir’s deepest secrets.
Revealing without imposing
The excellence of a Grand Cru is not only based on exceptional soil. It is the result of the encounter between this soil and the know-how of the men and women who work it. At Marquis de Terme, wine isn’t a commodity. It’s a revelation. We don’t create a wine, we reveal the terroir. Revealing without imposing, respecting the natural expression of the terroir and the uniqueness of each plot: this conviction guides our work, so that each soil gives the best of itself.
THE
MARQUIS DE TERME 2035 PROJECT
Under the leadership of Sébastien Esquerre, Technical Director, and with full support of Paloma Sénéclauze, the estate embarked on an in-depth restructuring of its vineyards. Our ambition is to go even further in our understanding of each plot, to refine the match between grape varieties and soils, and to continue gaining in precision and regularity. A long-term project Looking ahead to 2035 – because the precision of a grand cru is built over the long term.
Our
CSR approach
Putting people first
The sustainability of our vineyard and the well-being of our teams are not constraints, but our priorities. We defend a reasoned and responsible viticulture, that of agronomic common sense: observe, understand, decide. No dogmatism, no fads. Three complementary certifications attest to the comprehensiveness of our commitment.
HVE
Level 4
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
High Environmental Value certification validates our daily efforts in the vineyard in four areas: reduction of phytosanitary products, preservation of water resources, maintenance of biodiversity, and rational management of fertilization. Obtained as part of a collective Bordeaux approach that places continuous improvement at the heart of its management system – because collective intelligence preserves the industry.
Terra
Vitis
Global Transparency
This pillar of our sustainable vision guarantees complete traceability of our practices, from vine to bottle. Certification tailored to the specific challenges of winegrowing, with a commitment to the entire production chain in a transparent and responsible manner.
Bee
Friendly
BIODIVERSITY IN ACTION
Our practices protect pollinators, the first indicators of the health of our vineyards. We adapt every intervention to preserve bees and useful insects. And we produce our own honey – 5 beehives on the estate, a commitment that can be tasted.
All three certifications share the same objective: continuous improvement. In concrete terms: zero herbicides, 100 fruit trees planted, 900 linear meters of hedges. A living vineyard, for living wines.
Company
du Patrimoine Vivant
French excellence
vinification
The art of infusion
The winery begins where the vines end – with the same respect and the same requirement. Each bunch of grapes is sorted by hand, each berry vatted by gravity to arrive intact in the vat. Thirty-one vats of wood, concrete and stainless steel – all tools at the service of a parcel-based vinification that respects the singularity of each terroir. This attention to gesture, this precision of detail – this is what gives Marquis de Terme wines their chiseling, their elegance, this taut graphite minerality that marks the identity of the domaine.
OUR TRADITIONAL
METHODS
It is then the blending and aging processes that take the wine to another level—one where time works its magic and reveals the terroir’s deepest essence.
ASSEMBLY
Blending, the cornerstone of great Bordeaux wine, demands uncompromising precision. Every spring following the harvest, the technical team, accompanied by Paloma Sénéclauze and Julien Viaud – who have accompanied the domaine’s wines since 2009 – work on each batch, seeking balance, building the wine by successive strokes, with the acute awareness that each decision will commit the wine for decades to come. The challenge is twofold: to allow the unique potential of each vintage to express itself, while at the same time preserving the quality of the wine. The singularity of the château, this common thread and that rare continuity that fonthe strength of great vintages.
BREEDING
Barrel ageing, an ancestral pillar of our expertise, is the stage at which the wine finds its depth and fullness. Length of ageing, proportion of new wood adjusted to each vintage, choice of coopers: every parameter is thought out to allow the fruit to express itself freely, the structure to melt away, complexity to take hold – without ever masking what the terroir has taken years to build. These wines don’t open up all at once. They unfold slowly, growing richer with age, developing the aromatic complexity and depth that make great Margaux wines great – and the pride of those who make them.
The Domain's
History
260 years of shared conviction
There are places that hold people in their grasp—that bind them for a long time, sometimes forever. Since 1762, the Château Marquis de Terme has been home only to families determined to leave their mark on it for generations to come. This estate cannot be understood solely through its geology or its classification. It is understood through the collective efforts of those who, generation after generation, have chosen to give it their very best—and to keep alive, over time, a family spirit that has become the soul of the place.
1762
The Birth of the Vintage
The history of the vintage truly begins with a founding union. On December 16, 1762, François de Péguilhan, Marquis de Terme, married Élisabeth de Ledoulx. It was her dowry that provided the land for the estate. The wine produced on these lands was officially named Marquis de Terme, sealing the birth of an identity that would endure for centuries.
1787
Thomas Jefferson's Recognition
During his visit to Bordeaux, Thomas Jefferson, then U.S. ambassador to France and a wine connoisseur, cited Marquis de Terme as one of Margaux’s finest. An early recognition that testifies to the already established reputation of the cru, more than half a century before the official classification.
1809
the Feuillerat family
For 125 years, first as employees and then as owners, three generations of Feuillerats shaped the modern identity of the estate. An extraordinary social ascent, driven by absolute loyalty to the terroir and a sense of innovation that was rare at the time – they revolutionized trellising techniques, laying the foundations that continue to this day.
1855
a Grand Cru Classé
Under the administration of the Sollberg family and management by the Feuillerat familyChâteau Marquis de Terme confirms its excellence. In the famous 1855 Imperial Classification commissioned by Napoleon III, the estate was officially designated the 4th Grand Cru Classé.
1935
The Sénéclauze family
Pierre Sénéclauze, a wine merchant originally from the Drôme and now based in Oran, acquired Château Marquis de Terme with a clear ambition: to invest in the Médoc and establish his name there for the long term. An audacious gamble that marked the beginning of a family adventure that would never end. Four generations. The same conviction: this terroir deserves the highest standards, constant attention and a long-term vision.
1962
Modernization
After the family returned to France, Pierre’s three sons – Pierre-Louis, Philippe and Jean – took up the torch with a clear ambition: quality. A new winery in 1981, the introduction of thermoregulation in 1999, and a policy of regrouping the vineyards: the estate entered a new technical era without renouncing its identity.
2017
Doors open
2017 marks the beginning of a new era. Château Marquis de Terme opens its doors – with a conviction long held by the family: to truly understand what happens in a grand cruyou have to live it. First of all, a boutique, a direct point of contact with those who love our wines, the first invitation to enter the world of the estate.
2018
A tool to match the terroir
In their quest for the highest standards, and to reveal the full potential of this unique terroir, the Sénéclauze family undertook a complete renovation of the vat room. Thirty-one wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats, entirely gravity-fed, plot-by-plot vinification made possible on a large scale – a tool worthy of the ambition.
2021
A lively domain
The adventure continues. First, a restaurant, born of a conviction shared with Grégory Coutanceau – because a great wine is best understood around a table. Then, in 2023, guest rooms for those who want to go even further – to experience the estate from the inside, to the rhythm of the seasons and the work. Step by step, Château Marquis de Terme becomes what the family has always wanted it to be: a lively, open place, where the highest standards of craftsmanship are shared as much as they are drunk.
2024
A new generation
Arriving on the estate in 2021, Paloma Sénéclauze, the fourth generation, takes full charge of Château Marquis de Terme. With her comes a conviction: to honor the heritage and continue to implement all the means necessary to reveal the exceptional terroir of Château Marquis de Terme. More precision in the vineyards, a new technical team, an intact family spirit – and the certainty that the greatness of a Grand Cru is built over time.
The
family spirit
PER SPIRITUM FAMILIAE AD EXCELLENTIAM
At Château Marquis de Terme, the lasting success of a Grand Cru Classé is based on people, transmission and teamwork – in the service of time and terroir. Our château is a place to live, an open house where the demands of the winegrower’s trade are matched by the warmth of our welcome. Our mission: to make the 1855 classification accessible, by proving that the greatness of a wine lies as much in its aromatic complexity as in the simplicity of the moments shared around a bottle.
THE SOUL
OF THE ESTATE
a name, a team
and a shared passion.
At Château Marquis de Terme, excellence is built collectively – by the men and women who make this terroir their daily imperative. A family in the broadest sense, uniting the land, the craftsmen, the partners and the wine-lovers around the same passion. From vineyard to cellar, from reception to sales, it’s the sum of their know-how, rigor and intuition that brings this estate to life – and gives each vintage its raison d’être.
Paloma Sénéclauze
- General Manager
There are places where you work. There are others where you put down roots.
Myriam Ruer
- Sales Manager
Passionate about every aspect of winemaking—from the vines to the craftsmanship involved—I share this passion by promoting our wines and our philosophy to buyers in Bordeaux and around the world.
Laurence Baradat
- Oenotourism and event manager
I accompany our customers & partners and orchestrate tailor-made experiences to give everyone a true “Marquis de Terme moment”.
Christine Favrau
- Accountant
I’ve been in charge of Château Marquis de Terme’s accounts for 35 years: in other words, numbers and I know each other.
Marcelle Hamel
- Administrative Manager
When it comes to wine, you have to put pleasure before prestige – borrowed from Paul Claudel
Séverine Huet
- Human Resources
Strength comes not from physical ability, but from indomitable will.
Margot Touzeau
- Wine tourism officer
Pierre Duguet
- Wine Tourism Coordinator
With a passion for wine, a love of the Médoc and the pleasure of entertaining, I strive to create memorable experiences for every visitor.
Tahamida Maoulida-Saïd
- The Château Rooms Team
I’m committed to providing every customer with an attentive welcome and a stay that lives up to the experience we want to offer.
Silvia Robalo
- Maintenance agent
Chantal Muller
- Maintenance agent
I take care of the reception area and the store to give visitors a good impression of the estate.
Susana Da Silva Costa
- The Château Rooms Team
Sébastien Esquerre
- Technical Manager
They didn’t know it was impossible, so they did it – borrowed from Marcel Pagnol
Solana Rey Siceles
- Wine Master
In the cellar, it’s my passion that guides me in accompanying each wine to its fullest expression.
Chloé Michel
- Assistant Technical Manager
Each vintage is a renewed promise: from the moment it is born, we carefully nurture it to reveal its full uniqueness, and we learn to be patient to discover its full potential.
Agnès Nogueira
- Vineyard Quality Manager
Marine Larrée
- Winemaker and winemaking team leader
Where there’s no wine, there’s no love
Gregory Ringuet
- Workshop Manager
Baptiste Savignac
- Vigneron Tractoriste
Johan Pontillon
- Vigneron Tractoriste
Christophe Dulas
- Vigneron Tractoriste
Chadia Amouri
- Winegrower
Happiness is in the vineyard, I blossom with the seasons
Carole Entor
- Winegrower
I smile at life
Baptiste Combes
- Tractor and cellar worker
Laurent Pometan
- Green Spaces Manager
Jorge Fraga Coimbra
- Maintenance of green spaces and buildings
