Located in the commune of Haux, on top of a round hill, Château Manos is a neighbour of Château Lamothe, which took over management starting in 1991. The Néel-Chombart family is in charge of viticulture, winemaking, and sales of this wine, which takes advantage of the fame of its older brother, Sauternes.
The owner, Monsieur Niotout, was cellarmaster for 20 years at Château Coutet in Barsac, and is an acknowledged specialist in sweet white wines. For many years, Château Manos has been one of the leading wines of the Cadillac appellation.
A mythical car, a golden wine... It is no accident that the name Cadillac makes people dream. In the 16th century, a certain Antoine de Lamothe de Cadillac left his native Southwest France to conquer the New World. After many adventures, he founded the city of Detroit – which is also where the legendary Cadillac, named after the pioneer, is made.
THE UNDERGROUND CELLARS
Thirty-five million years ago, the Aquitaine region was covered with water. As the aeons passed, with profound changes to climate and geology, the water receded and left a deposit: layers of limestone (in which mammoth fossils have been found!). This limestone was naturally used as a building material by our ancestors. In fact, there are traces of troglodyte homes at Lamothe dug out of solid rock during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, quarries were excavated on the estate to construct the château as well as other buildings in the vicinity of Bordeaux. It was only logical that the underground galleries should be used as an ageing cellar. Why build one when there was one already there? It is not only full of history but also features a cool, even temperature all year round. Located some 30 metres under the surface, the humidity is perfect. There is also a total absence of light and a profound silence...
The first gallery has an almost religious atmosphere. It contains 300 barrels in which the red wine ages for 12 to 18 months. Another, larger gallery houses bottles for slow, gentle ageing.