Admittedly, the Jeep driven by Aymeric de Gironde is not very eco-friendly, but it is undoubtedly one of the rare machines on the property to run on diesel. If Château Troplong Mondot has made the environment a central axis of its development for thirty years, this desire was reinforced when Aymeric de Gironde became Chairman of the Management Board of the Premier Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Emilion, during the harvest. 2017. A real commitment for the man, but also for the shareholder – the reinsurer Scor, managed by Denis Kessler. “To continue to exist, we must preserve nature, of course, but also the social and economic balances of our environment”, explains the leader.
Replanting of hedges, construction of dry stone walls, eco-responsible viticulture… Everything is done to be virtuous. The estate has also just obtained the status of Silver Member of the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), just four months after joining this non-governmental organization which encourages wineries on all continents to act for the climate. The ambitious objectives consist of significantly reducing carbon emissions and adapting viticulture to the effects of climate change.
“Being a Silver member of the IWCA encourages us to manage the property even more sustainably and to significantly limit our environmental impact, specifies Aymeric de Gironde, who considers this distinction as a lasting incentive to action. The program is demanding, but it is the future of the planet and our children that is at stake. We all have a role to play and Troplong Mondot is very happy to carry the convictions of the IWCA in France so that this movement becomes general .”
At the same time, the estate’s table, Les Belles Perdrix, which reopened in 2021 after three years of closure due to works and the pandemic, has regained its Michelin badge, accompanied by a green star awarded during the last awards. Created in January 2020, this star “rewards restaurants and chefs who show responsibility for their ethical and environmental standards”, according to the gastronomic guide.
Something to delight chef David Charrier, who strives to make maximum use of organic products from the house vegetable garden, which has taken the place of a parking lot: 800 square meters in permaculture, next to chickens, ducks and two pigs black-bottomed Gascons baptized, not without humour, Toulouse and Morteau. Without forgetting a work on the reduction of garbage with the recovery of bio-waste to make compost. David Charrier welcomes this: “We work with many local suppliers who, too, are ready to make an effort.”
