The vineyards feature the gravelly soils that characterise the better vineyards of the left bank of the Gironde, although there are also areas of sand and clay. There are approximately 30 hectares to the estate, with vines aged over 25 years on average, these being 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, the remainder mostly Merlot at 39% and a mere 1% accounted for by Cabernet Franc. The fruit is hand-harvested before going to a sorting table positioned in the vineyard, from where it travels to the reception area where the grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and then fermented according to the plot of origin. During the fermentation the must is pumped over to submerge the cap, and the temperature regulated to around 30ºC, with subsequent maceration of the solids at about two degrees below this figure. Following this the wine is run off into fresh vats for malolactic, tasting and assigning the wines to either the grand vin, Château Desmirail, or the second wine which goes by the name of Château Fontarney for the French market and Initial de Desmirail for export and for the French restaurant trade. The grand vin goes into oak for 12-18 months, with one-third of the barrels new each year; racking is performed every three months, and the fining is achieved with egg whites prior to bottling.