Château Saïkouk
Meeting with Latifa Saïkouk, winegrower in the Medoc
Château Saïkouk is a young and dynamic property created, carried out and embodied by Latifa Saïkouk.
This young winemaker is the daughter of agricultural workers who arrived from Morocco in 1972 is a lover of her terroir, wine and epicureanism. She bathed from her earliest childhood in the world of wine spending her holidays in vineyards or cellars.
V.d.V.: Why did you decide to become a winemaker? L.S. : I grew up among the vines of Château Verdignan. Every Wednesday after school we went to pull the wood, take out the branches at the end of the row … The wine and the vine have always attracted me a lot. Mr Dupuy who was my neighbor and winegrower in love with his terroir gave me his passion. I would see him all the time after school. He gave me his wine virus and when I was old enough to be able to taste he brought me to my first tastings at the wine competition of Bourg. I did this for 4/5 years focusing mainly on white wines.Then I stopped going to this competition to taste the thirty wines that are here in Saint-Seurin. When he retired in 2001, I naturally took over his vineyards and set up the Château Saïkouk. I also wanted to keep the label Château Le Mont Du Puit as a tribute to this man. In 2003 I vinified my first harvest in the cellar. At present I produce, most years, between 9,000 and 10,000 bottles.
V.d.V.: What is the signature of the wines of Château Saïkouk? What makes it possible to recognize them in blind tasting?
L.S. : I do not try to make a hard, austere wine but wines that can be enjoyed from the aperitif until the end of the meal; wines that you can drink young, on any occasion… The only exception is the cuvée «Le O de Saïkouk» which is best made to be a wine of gastronomy, to drink with a food pairing.
Generally speaking, we are more likely to sense black ripe fruits than fresh red fruits and they will not be overloaded with woody aromas.
V.d.V.: For my part I would add that the wines of Château Saïkouk are characterized by a fine minerality and a «pleasurable / accessible» side. These are balanced wines that offer freshness. Very often there are fine licorice notes at the finish.
V.d.V.: If you had to summarize your passion for wine in a few adjectives what would you say?
L.S. : For me, wine is the story of my life. It is sharing, conviviality, love…
V.d.V.: Do you have a project in particular for the years to come?
L.S. : Yes, I would like to make a white wine. I recently planted 40 acres (60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon) in the town of Ordonnac to eventually make a white cuvee.
Another project I also have is a house nearby that I would like to transform into a guest house and tasting room.