Questions & Answers

LaSuite aux Conseillans is run by Marc Ruhland (founder of the All-in Group, formerly myposter) and the concert pianist Ellen Ruhland-Seidel. The two took over the estate in 2023 and combine entrepreneurial experience with a love of music here — guided by the idea of “New Bordeaux”.

The Domaine aux Conseillans is the historic estate — the place, the buildings and the vineyards, with a long tradition in the Bordeaux region. LaSuite (in full, Château LaSuite aux Conseillans) is the wine brand that Marc and Ellen founded in 2023. We make our wines at the Domaine aux Conseillans, under the name and the signature of LaSuite.

New Bordeaux describes how we work: with transparency, ecological responsibility and the courage to sell wines only once they have reached drinking readiness in our cellar. We see it as an open attitude that any estate in Bordeaux can adopt for itself. More on our New Bordeaux page.

The Domaine aux Conseillans has a special history: for decades it belonged to Jean Ribéreau-Gayon, one of the co-founders of modern oenology, who shaped the estate himself over many years. That heritage carries our work to this day. We vinify each parcel separately, are certified organic and hold the highest level of the HVE environmental label. You will judge best in the glass — the Coffret Dégustation is a good start.

The name comes from the musical suite — a work of independent movements that together form a whole. Our estate is built the same way: each cuvée is a movement of its own, with its own character, and together they form a picture of our terroir. Read how we mean this on our page about the suite.

Yes, music is part of our everyday life. LaSuite is an open house that regularly hosts concerts, and we actively support young musicians. We also play quiet classical music to our vines every day. More on our music page.

Sustainability is our foundation. The estate lies in a landscape protected as a Site classé since 1975. We began converting to organic farming in 2016 and have been certified since 2023; in addition we hold the highest level of the French environmental label HVE. Our goal is to farm regeneratively within a few years. More on our ecological commitment page.

Yes, we welcome visitors. As a working estate, we ask you to arrange your visit in advance by email or phone — then we take the time for a cellar tour and a tasting.

From the 2022 vintage on, we bottle in the lightest bottles available — this lowers weight and CO2 in transport. From 2022 our corks are 100 % organic and biodegradable. Shipping cartons and wooden cases are recyclable. This keeps the footprint of every delivery as small as possible.

Yes. Concerts take place regularly at the château, and we host private soirées by invitation. Members of Le Cercle are especially welcome. You will find an overview and the next occasions on our concerts page.

On a small area we bring together a rare diversity: 16 parcels spread across four terroir types — gravel, red clay, mineral sand and a clay-gravel mix. We farm and vinify each parcel separately so that these nuances stay perceptible all the way into the bottle. We show the whole map on our terroir page.

Because quantity and character rarely go together. We deliberately leave fewer grapes on the vine so that each berry develops more concentration, aroma and depth. It costs yield and gives us the clarity we look for in our wines.

We focus on the classic varieties of Bordeaux's right bank. Merlot plays the lead, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as well as smaller shares of Malbec. Among the white wines there is Sauvignon Blanc and — for the Caprice — Alvarinho, among others.

Louré is a single-variety Sauvignon Blanc with a pronounced line and serious grace — a food wine that looks for substance on the plate, such as quail, veal or a rich fish dish. Caprice is a single-variety Alvarinho on Bordeaux sand, floral and Atlantic-fresh, a small special cuvée. Both stand on their own, without ranking.

Like a musical prelude, this wine is the light, fresh opening: playful, fruit-driven, ideal as an aperitif or for summer. A Bordeaux rosé may be elegant and light and still have tension — that is what Prélude stands for.

Both are classic Bordeaux blends of Merlot and Cabernet, raised with modern precision — and yet fundamentally different. Gigue is lively, full of energy and approachable; Sarabande darker, deeper and calmer. Two independent movements of our suite, each with its own place.

Our wines are made in the New Bordeaux signature: elegant, with moderate alcohol. Depending on cuvée and vintage it ranges roughly between 12.5 and 14.5 % vol. They only go on sale once they are ready to drink — which makes them approachable and easy for everyday enjoyment.

Our wines reach you ready to drink. We keep them in our cellar until they have reached their first drinking readiness — so you do not have to wait for years. If you like, you can age the red wines Gigue and Sarabande in particular for many more years.

Our wines reach you ready to drink and at the same time keep well — cool, dark and lying down. The red wines Gigue and Sarabande in particular last many years; the Allemande is built for decades. The exact drinking window is given for each wine on its product page.

As a guide: rosé and white wines at around 8–12 °C, the red wines at 16–18 °C. A young, dense red such as Sarabande benefits from being decanted an hour beforehand; Gigue and Caprice also gain from a little air. Exact figures are given on each product page.

In short: Prélude as an aperitif or with seafood and summer cooking; Gigue versatile with poultry, charcuterie and grilled dishes; Sarabande with lamb, game and braised dishes; Louré with substantial dishes such as quail or veal. You will find matching recipes with precise recommendations in our recipe overview.

The easiest way is the Coffret Dégustation: three wines — Sarabande 2015, Gigue 2016 and Louré 2024 — in one evening, for 100 € including shipping. That way you get to know three movements of our suite at once. If you prefer to start with a single bottle, the Gigue as an approachable red or the Prélude for summer are good choices.

Yes, in small quantities we bottle magnum (1.5 l), double magnum (3 l) and special formats up to the Melchior (18 l). Because these formats are rare, they are reserved above all for our members of Le Cercle; you will occasionally find individual bottles in the online shop.

We deliver to all euro countries of the EU as well as Switzerland, Great Britain and Denmark; for other countries please get in touch. The minimum order is four bottles, freely combinable. Shipping costs depend on weight and destination and are shown to you before purchase. For deliveries outside the eurozone, import duties may apply, which the recipient bears.

Orders placed by Thursday 11:00 (CET) are shipped the following Friday, later ones the week after. Which carrier delivers depends on the destination country. As soon as your parcel is on its way, you automatically receive a tracking link in the shipping confirmation by email.

You pay conveniently and encrypted via Shopify Payments: credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Klarna, SEPA direct debit as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. After each order you receive an invoice with VAT shown, by email.

In extreme heat we reserve the right to postpone shipping briefly in order to protect the quality of your wine. In that case we inform you and ship as soon as the weather allows. If a wine ever arrives noticeably warm, simply get in touch — we will find a solution.

As long as your order has not yet shipped, we can usually still adjust the address, quantity or desired date, or cancel the order. Please write to us as early as possible. After dispatch, the right of withdrawal and return applies.

Gladly. We will introduce dedicated gift packaging soon; until then, just send us a short message and we will arrange it for you. A different delivery address can be entered directly during checkout anyway. As a ready-made gift, the Coffret Dégustation is especially well suited.

Our quantities are small, and every vintage is a story of its own. Once a wine is sold out, that exact vintage does not come back. So it is worth not waiting too long with a favourite. As a rule, though, a new vintage follows, and members of Le Cercle get first access when stock returns.

Simply get in touch with us. Should a bottle unexpectedly be faulty — for instance due to cork taint — we replace it without fuss. Quality comes first for us.

Should something break despite the shatterproof packaging, please note the damage at delivery if possible and get in touch with us with a few photos. We reship or refund the amount — exactly as you prefer.

You have a statutory right of withdrawal of 14 days; beyond that we grant you 30 days to return unopened, resalable bottles. The return is by post, and you bear the cost. Once the goods arrive, we refund the amount promptly. All details are in our return policy.

We use your data to process your order and to inform you about it when needed. We do not pass it on for sale. What exactly we store and how you can exercise your rights is set out in our privacy policy.

Yes. With Le Cercle LaSuite we open a special access to the estate for our members: twice a year a curated parcel directly from the château, price advantages and access to rarities not available in open trade. You will find everything else on the Le Cercle page.

As a rule we sell our wines only once they are ready to drink. We offer a subscription (en primeur) only for individual wines — for example the Allemande, our Cabernet-based red whose first vintage appears in 2027. Such pre-orders are reserved for our members of Le Cercle, so that the small quantities go first to our most loyal customers.

Fully flexible: you can pause individual deliveries, switch model or change your address — conveniently in your customer account. Membership can be cancelled annually, and when you pause, your status and seniority are retained. The detailed terms are on the Le Cercle page.