Château Capion is located in the Languedoc, between the towns of Gignac and Aignan in the Gassac River valley, near the medieval village of Saint Guilhem le Desert.  The wines would qualify for the more prestigious AOC of Coteaux du Languedoc, except that the winery has chosen not to use the permitted grape varieties, and instead use Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc along with Syrah.  The vines face Northwest (to limit direct sun exposure in this very hot region) and are further benefitted by the cooling influence of the nearby forest and the Gassac River.  All of these factors allow them to keep the grapes on the vines for longer and produce more balanced and complex wines.

Though Château Capion dates to the 16^th Century, the first record of ownership dates to 1873, and a Monsieur Louis Keittinger who is reported to have built “massive cellars” and erected “multiple outbuildings”.  In 1888 Cardinal Monseigneur du Cabrieres consecrated a Chapel on the property, which is still used by the current owners.  In 1996, the Swiss Buhrer family purchased Château Capion, and spent the next ten years updated the facilities and vineyards with the goal of creating a state of the art winery.  The Buhrers also lovingly restored the impressive château in which they now live.  The farm occupies over 186 acres, of which about 111 acres (45 ha) are planted to grapes and farmed organically, with thoughts towards preserving the natural yeast on the outside of the grapes to use for natural fermentations.  The yields in the vineyards are particularly low, from 1.5 to 3.2 tons per acre.

Another great wine, 2006 Château Capion Cuvée 1C provides a perfect balance between rich fruit, supple oak, spice, and earth.  The wine is made from 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Merlot, with an average vine age of 25 years.  The wine is aged for 14 months in a combination of new, one and two year old French oak barrels.  A wonderfully flexible wine, try this with pork chops, grilled or roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, or blue cheese (actually, any cheese).