Capian · Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux

Château de Potiron

Célia Caule puts her own stamp on a family estate

When Célia Caule joined her mother Marlène at Château de Potiron after four years working as a maître de chai in Provence, she brought more than cellar experience back to Capian. She also brought ideas of her own.

Since becoming co-manager in 2025, Célia has increasingly been putting her own stamp on the family estate. Some of the changes have been relatively quiet; others have challenged the established way of doing things. There are now Italian amphorae in the cellar, a 100% Petit Verdot that her parents initially questioned, and a way of looking afresh at the role of oak.

It is the latest chapter in a relatively recent family history at Potiron. Célia’s grandfather, Danish merchant Jørgen Schmidt, bought the property in 2001 and developed the vineyard until his passing in 2016. His daughter, Marlène, subsequently took charge and today runs the estate alongside Célia. One of their established wines, Cuvée Passion, was created to honour Jørgen’s memory and dedication to the estate.

The setting itself feels considerably older. The family lives and works in a 17th-century château, perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the vineyards around Capian. Following a recent restructuring, 13 hectares remain under vine, predominantly on the clay soils that Célia repeatedly comes back to when talking about the character of the wines.

For her, that clay is closely associated with freshness. She describes it simply as “cold soil” – referring to the naturally cool, moisture-retentive character of clay – and sees the resulting freshness as a thread running through the Potiron range.

Making room for something different

In the cellar, Célia works with stainless steel, French oak and, more recently, amphora. Two Italian Tava amphorae arrived in 2022 and have provided one of the clearest examples of her willingness to experiment.

A Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, sourced from four hectares of clay soil in Capian, was fermented in tank before being transferred to amphora for 24 months. Unlike oak, the vessels allow the wine to mature without contributing oak flavour.

Célia’s approach once the wine went into them was strikingly uncomplicated:

“I have not touched them one bit for 24 months. Really. Not one bit.”

A barrel-aged version of the same blend provides a useful comparison, allowing the effect of the different maturation vessels to be seen in the finished wines rather than discussed simply as theory.

Her 100% Petit Verdot goes further. Petit Verdot is more commonly encountered as a supporting variety in Bordeaux blends, but Célia believed that fruit from one particular plot deserved to stand alone. Her parents were not initially convinced.

She, however, persisted.

Around 3,000 bottles are now produced, matured for approximately 15 months in tank without oak, and even the presentation breaks with the château’s conventions. The wine is bottled outside the traditional Bordeaux shape, with a label inspired by the topography of the vineyard.

It is perhaps the clearest expression of Célia finding her own voice at Potiron – not rejecting what came before but being prepared to question it and adapt.

Tradition still has its place

That willingness to experiment sits alongside a decidedly patient approach to the estate’s more traditional wines. Potiron continues to make its established cuvées, including long-aged reds that spend 24 months in new French oak followed by several years in bottle. They are then only released when the family considers them ready, rather than simply when their cellar ageing is complete.

The estate has also broadened what it offers beyond wine. The château was renovated in 2018 and its eight bedrooms, three kitchens, shared living spaces, swimming pool and stone terrace overlooking the vineyards can now be booked for group stays and private or corporate events.

But it is in the cellar that the next chapter of Château de Potiron is becoming most apparent. Three generations after Jørgen Schmidt bought the property, Marlène provides the continuity while Célia is beginning to decide what she wants to carry forward – and where she is prepared to do things differently.