Country: | France |
Region: | Bordeaux |
Winery: | Larroque |
Grape Type: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Larroque Bordeaux Blanc is made from 73% Sauvignon Blanc and 27% Colombard.
No oak.
Color : Pale yellow with green tints.
Nose : Complex aromas of white flowers, exotic fruits, citrus and boxwood, with a touch of minerality.
Mouth : Aromatic, with a nice richness and freshness. Predominant flavors of tart, crisp fruit.
Marie-Christine, the daughter of Henri Ducourt, purchased this prestigious left-bank property in 1979, which lies on the border of the Graves appellation.
The 60-hectare vineyard was rapidly replanted and the château building, which dates from 1348, was restored.
Our family now produces three different-colored wines there: red, white and rosé.
Grown on loamy-clay soil.
Harvest : Machine harvesting in the cool, early morning
Maceration : Skin-contact maceration for several hours, depending on ripeness, and pressing
Fermentation : Beginning of the cold alcoholic fermentation (12°C / 53°F) then an increase in temperature to finish the fermentation at 20°C / 68°F.
Enjoy this wine as an aperitif or during the meal with fish, seafood or chicken salad.
Larroque Bordeaux Blanc is made from 73% Sauvignon Blanc and 27% Colombard.
No oak.
Color : Pale yellow with green tints.
Nose : Complex aromas of white flowers, exotic fruits, citrus and boxwood, with a touch of minerality.
Mouth : Aromatic, with a nice richness and freshness. Predominant flavors of tart, crisp fruit.
Marie-Christine, the daughter of Henri Ducourt, purchased this prestigious left-bank property in 1979, which lies on the border of the Graves appellation.
The 60-hectare vineyard was rapidly replanted and the château building, which dates from 1348, was restored.
Our family now produces three different-colored wines there: red, white and rosé.
Grown on loamy-clay soil.
Harvest : Machine harvesting in the cool, early morning
Maceration : Skin-contact maceration for several hours, depending on ripeness, and pressing
Fermentation : Beginning of the cold alcoholic fermentation (12°C / 53°F) then an increase in temperature to finish the fermentation at 20°C / 68°F.
Enjoy this wine as an aperitif or during the meal with fish, seafood or chicken salad.
Le Blanc du Chateau des Landes Bordeaux Blanc is made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillion.
Le Blanc du Chateau des Landes Bordeaux Blanc is a very fruity style of Bordeaux Blanc AOC. It has great aromatic intensity with white peach and citrus aromas.
No oak for this wine. The wine was aged on the lees for a few month in stainless steel tank.
Malolactic fermentation was completed as well in the process .
Excellent as an aperitif, it also goes very well with poultry and salads. If you have a chance to have access to fresh oyters, it is a great match as well.
The first vintage of this wine was made in 2018 as Nicolas Lassagne wanted to create an easy drinking wine that will be perfect as an aperitif in the summer time or to compliment salads and seafood in the winter time.
Le Blanc du Chateau des Landes Bordeaux Blanc is made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillion.
Le Blanc du Chateau des Landes Bordeaux Blanc is a very fruity style of Bordeaux Blanc AOC. It has great aromatic intensity with white peach and citrus aromas.
No oak for this wine. The wine was aged on the lees for a few month in stainless steel tank.
Malolactic fermentation was completed as well in the process .
Excellent as an aperitif, it also goes very well with poultry and salads. If you have a chance to have access to fresh oyters, it is a great match as well.
The first vintage of this wine was made in 2018 as Nicolas Lassagne wanted to create an easy drinking wine that will be perfect as an aperitif in the summer time or to compliment salads and seafood in the winter time.
Ambre de Maltus Bordeaux Blanc is made from 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillion.
Malolactic fermentation.
The wine was aged in French Oak barrels for a few month (between 6 and 8 months depending on the barrel's toastiness and cooper)
Delicious with grilled fish or grilled vegetables
Ambre de Maltus Bordeaux Blanc is made from 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillion.
Malolactic fermentation.
The wine was aged in French Oak barrels for a few month (between 6 and 8 months depending on the barrel's toastiness and cooper)
Delicious with grilled fish or grilled vegetables
Review:
"The wine is young, full of vivid white fruits. Fermented in wood, it has a toasty edge that adds an extra dimension of complexity. The wine with its tight texture will be ready from 2024. - Roger VOSS."
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2022), 92 pts
Larroque Bordeaux Blanc is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc
No oak.
Color : Pale yellow with green tints.
Nose : Complex aromas of white flowers, exotic fruits, citrus and boxwood, with a touch of minerality.
Mouth : Aromatic, with a nice richness and freshness. Predominant flavors of tart, crisp fruit.
Marie-Christine, the daughter of Henri Ducourt, purchased this prestigious left-bank property in 1979, which lies on the border of the Graves appellation.
The 60-hectare vineyard was rapidly replanted and the château building, which dates from 1348, was restored.
Our family now produces three different-colored wines there: red, white and rosé.
Grown on loamy-clay soil.
Harvest : Machine harvesting in the cool, early morning
Maceration : Skin-contact maceration for several hours, depending on ripeness, and pressing
Fermentation : Beginning of the cold alcoholic fermentation (12°C / 53°F) then an increase in temperature to finish the fermentation at 20°C / 68°F.
Enjoy this wine as an aperitif or during the meal with fish, seafood or chicken salad.
Marie Christine, the daughter of Henri Ducourt, purchased this prestigious left-bank property in 1979, which lies on the border of the Graves appellation. The 60-hectare vineyard was rapidly replanted and the château building, which dates from 1348, was restored. The family now produces three different-colored wines there: red, white and rosé.
In 1858, Ducourt family settled at Château des Combes in Ladaux, a small rural village in the south east of Bordeaux, in the heart of Entre-Deux-Mers area. Over time, new generations have followed in their footsteps; a passion for wine has become a profession, and their knowledge and the estate have grown ever greater as they have been passed down the line.
Pierre Ducourt, then his children and his grand-children farmed several hectares of vines that belonged to the estate. The arrival of the grandfather, Henri Ducourt, at the property marked an important turning point in the family business. He, with the help of his three children (Marie Christine, Philippe and Bernard), decided to drastically revitalize the company and turned the family vineyard into one of Bordeaux’s largest winemaking facilities, with 450 hectares of land and 14 chateaus in 6 different AOC's.
The crocodile is the emblem of Henri Ducourt’s vigorous business spirit, which lives on today, as strong as ever, in each family member. And what better ambassadors could exist to remind people that Entre-Deux-Mers is where this family adventure began?
In 1962, Henri Ducourt, a young winemaker, used to work 14 hours a day managing the 20 hectares of vines he had inherited from his father. He had a good friend, his neighbor, who owned 14 hectares and used to work with his two sons. At this time, suffice to say that running a vineyard was not the career that parents wished for their children, preferring instead to steer them towards more stable jobs. Some though, including Henri, were obstinate and unwilling to part from the vineyard. So, hard-working and hard-headed, Henri Ducourt slowly but surely bought the land and the vines of the neighboring producers and found himself by the mid-80’s at the head of almost 300 hectares of vineyards! One day, as much to poke fun as through admiration, the son of his friend drew a crocodile on a sign to represent the tenacity, lucidity and cold-blooded business spirit of Henri Ducourt, then planted this sign among the far-reaching vines of his neighbor.
Amused by the gesture, Henri Ducourt was inspired by the crocodile when he rebuilt the winery and asked that the new vats were decorated with this symbol. Today, Henri’s children and grandchildren manage 450 hectares of vineyards, always persistent, ready for new challenges, and faithful to what their parents have built. The crocodile has since become the emblem of the family.
Graduated as Oenologist in 2002 (University of Toulouse).
Before joining Ducourt in 2014, he worked for various estates :
- Domaine de l’Hortus in Pic Saint Loup
- Les caves de Sieur d’Arques in Limoux
- Chateau Carbonnieux, Grand Cru Classé in Pessac Léognan
The Ducourt's have always known that quality grapes are essential for making a good wine. Therefore they take the utmost care in the vineyards, to get the best from every plot of land. The size of the business also allows them to make numerous investments in the latest tools, which enable to unite traditional knowledge with the latest technologies, and therefore become ever more precise and respectful of the environment in their work.
The latest equipment
They regularly invest in new equipment for two main reasons : a desire to constantly evolve and improve quality while reducing the amount of strenuous and dangerous work undertaken by their co-workers.
With the development of the vineyard's surface, the harvests are now carried out with the help of the latest generation of harvesting machines, which make it possible to collect the grapes in the cool of the morning. Harvest is quicker offering more flexibility and quality improvement.
Among the latest acquisitions is a machine that allows to plant using a GPS guidance as well as an innovative and precise spraying system and flexible frames that allow to reduce waste and the amount of treatment products used.
A Grand-Cru-worthy setup
The family invests in equipment that is worthy of a Grand Cru, and therefore push further in the constant quest for quality, which applies to the entire range of wines.
The new pressing system allows them to press the grapes in a completely inert environment to prevent any oxygenation of the juice and to preserve the aromas of each varietal, to obtain more intense and fresher wines. The wineries and the stainless-steel vats are thermo-regulated in order to keep the juice in the best conditions possible and to maintain complete control over the entire fermentation process. They have also invested in a cross-flow filtration system for filtering wines before bottling, which ensures optimal quality and no waste. Finally, to improve safety for the co-workers they also regularly invest in new equipment such as carbon-monoxide detectors, helping to prevent accidents including asphyxiation during the cleaning of the vats. The most recent investment to date involves the bottling line that was set up with the collaboration of the employees in order to reduce their workload.
6 generations of shared experience
They have the good fortune to be able to build on several generations of winemaking experience and produce wines that respect their local typicity. They frequently organize tastings of two old vintages so as to improve their understanding of the wines’ evolution over time, and so as to be able to really tell people when is the best time to drink the wines.
Castelmaure Corbieres Vin-Gris (Rose) is made from 80% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Cinsault.
Pale pink rose color, a classic gris de gris wine with salmon hues. Delicate strawberry nose, seamless and fine pointed.
Review:
Light pink-hued, the 2018 Vin Gris Rose from the Corbières has a juicy, fruity bouquet of ripe strawberries, violets, and white peach to go with a clean, balanced, deliciously gulpable style on the palate. It’s well done and I suspect a good value."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2020), 90 pts
My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 2% Petit Sirah, 1% Syrah
A homage to Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery became an obsession. Sourced from exceptional vineyard sites around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and south to Edna Valley, this wine is cultivated meticulously by the farmers who have become My Favorite Neighbors. With their dedication to the land, we are able to craft a world class wine without any shortcuts or compromises. Welcome to our Neighborhood. 2020 abundant winter rain and a long, moderate growing season allowed for extended hang times and exceptional fruit quality.
The 2021 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon fills the glass with a seamless culmination of black cherry, cassis and warm spice. On the palate, you are rewarded with a full body displaying blackberry and plum with underlying notes of tobacco. An additional layer of red fruit and a pop of acid, combined with well- integrated tannins and a beautifully crafted structure, leave nothing to be desired. This is a serious wine that can be enjoyed and respected by all.
Review:
Dark berries, cedar, walnuts, sweet spices and pencil shavings on the nose. Full-bodied and so polished and linear, with a chalky texture to the tannins. Wide and layered. Beautiful fruit. Lingering and refined.
-James Suckling 94 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is smoking good, with a full-bodied, rich, opulent wine that has classic cassis and darker blue fruits as well as leafy tobacco, baking spice, and bouquet garni notes. This textured, ripe, sexy wine stays nicely balanced, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's another awesome value.
- Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
At the foot of Spring Mountain, the vineyard produces soil and mineral-driven cabernet sauvignon with aromas of ripe blackcurrant and damp earth. A dense palate of blackberry and cassis flavors harmonize with intense mineral expressions bolstered by soft, lush tannins.
Review:
Superb aromas of blackberries, currants, crushed stones, conifer and wet earth. Menthol, too. Full-bodied with a dense center-palate, yet it remains agile and persistent. Lovely character and richness at the finish, but not overpowering. Another three or four years will make it better, but already gorgeous.
-James Suckling 98 Points