Where does the name "Mont-Joye" come from ?

   The name Mont-Joye would have been given to the property with reference to the ancient term "mont-joie" which applied to a mound of stones marking the side of the roads which lead to Saint-Jacques de Compostelle.

Nature of the soil

   Located on the west side of the commune, the property has a soil composed of chalky clay over a calcareous subsoil containing "astéries" (blocks of stone which can weigh several tons). These blocks of stone are characteristic of this terroir. They play a regulating role for temperature and constitute an important factor of warming for the soil. Some of them are also extracted from the earth in order to facilitate the culture of the vine. Thus, the Haut-Barsac is to visitors like a labyrinth made of dry-stone walls built from generation to generation. These stones surround the whole vineyard of the Château Mont-Joye.

Vinification

  Tradition is respected for the harvest : grapes are hand-picked several times to select only the rotten ones. Then about 24 months are necessary to make a Sauternes. Fermentation and ageing are first done in vats, then in oak barrels.

The wines of the castle

  The Barsac-Sauternes du Château Mont-Joye is powerful and characterized by a flowerish smell (acacia). It is fine, elegant, fragrant and balanced.

  The Château Jacques-Le-Haut which is made from some lands of the property is a lighter and very scented wine. These wines must be served cool : 4 to 6 °C, and get warmer in the glass.

  The Grand Vin Sec du Château Mont-Joye is quite a paradoxical product in the Sauternais. In the area of controlled appellation "Sauternais", only a few Castles make dry white wine with this prestige qualification. The picking of the grapes (with a high proportion of sauvignon) is made about one month before the harvest for the Barsac-Sauternes. The wine has a scent which blends floral notes with more "sauternais" tonalities such as honey, wax and exotic fruit. To the mouth it has a frank and firm taste. This wine must be served at a temperature of 9 to 11°.

   Our wines must be kept at constant temperature, ideally between 10 and 15°. The possibility of a sediment is a natural phenomenon as we avoid excessive filtration which may change the character of the wines.