The 7.5 hectare Saint Emilion vineyard of Chateau La Confession is planted to 72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc. On average the vines are 40 years of age, while some Cabernet Franc vines are more than 70 years of age.
The vineyard is situated just outside the Saint Emilion village, close to Ch. Beau-Sejour Becot.
The terroir is clay, chalk, and siliceous soils. Vinification takes place in open wood tanks. The wine is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for between 15 and 19 months, depending on the vintage. Interestingly, for the aging, Jean Philippe Janoueix uses a combination of different shaped, oak barrels. 50% of the barrels are in the traditional shape and the other 50% are in the shape of a cigar.
Janoueix likes the cigar-shaped barrels because they offer better digestion of the lees by the wine, owing to a wider surface of exchange brought by their shape.
2001 was the debut vintage for Chateau La Confession for the new, young owner, Jean-Philippe Janoueix, who owns several vineyards in the Right Bank including Chateau La Croix St. Georges and Sacre Coeur in Pomerol, as well as Croix Mouton and Cap St. George in St. Georges St. Emilion.