[Visiting] Chateau Lascombes 2nd Grand cru

~ Chateau Lascombes ~

(Margaux AOC)

(2nd Grand Cru Classe)

Whenever you go to Margaux town, you can see a castle like witch's castle or Dragon's tower.

This is "Chateau Lascombes"!!!

If you look at it in front of the castle, the castle is just normal and beautiful chateau.

1. History

The name of "Lascombes" is caused from the first owner, Chevalier de Lascombes. (Knight Lascombes)

The first floor of chateau was built in 17th century. 

Other 2nd and 3rd floors were added in 19th century. 

The chateau shows an natural English style. 

In the early 19th century, Alexis Lichine was a proprietor of the chateau. 

His efforts gave a big influence of the prestige and world-wide fame to Chateau and wine. 

The biggest changes were happened in 2001.

They changed all the vine yard and wine cellars. 

At last, Chateau was purchased by MACSF(Mutuelle d'assurance des professionnels de la santé) in 2011.

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2. Vineyard

Scale: 132 hactares

Grape vines: 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot

Soil: more clay

Harvest would be started at the end of September. 

It's all hand-picking by 150 people for 4 weeks.

Most of people who participated in harvest are Portuguese and Spanish.

Rose is a tradition to check some diseases of grape vine.

Today, it is just decoration. 

Grape vines are 35years or 60 years old.

The young vines and old vines are planted together. 

This mixed planting gives a competition among the grape vine to lead better quality of wine.

Once a week, they cut the leaves on the top of grape vine by tractors.

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3. VAT house

There are 3 different types of VAT(tanks): Concrete, Stainless and wooden(oak).

Also they have an optical machine to sort berries. 

This optical machine sort berries according to colour and so on by laser. It's brand-new technology.

They use 2 ways to get wine: Free-run and Press wine. 

First of all, the wine is let out by gravity (Free-run wine) on the top, 

after that, the sediment in the tanks is pressed to get wine. (Press wine).

Finally, both of wines are mixed for final wine.

There are almost 40 tanks. 

Between wine cellar and Vat house, there are the pipes to transport wine.

a funny warning. I cannot understand.

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4. Wine cellar

Today, the wine, vintage 2015, is keeping in oak barrels.

They produce 2 wines: Chateau Lascombes (Grand vin: First wine) and Chevalier de Lascombes (second line)

"Grand vin" needs 18 months of maturation in oak barrels (70% new oaks)

and the Second wine needs 16 months.

You can see the wheels among barrels.

This is for stirring inside (to move lees).

I have seen it last year in chateau Larrivet Haut-brion (Pessac-Leognan).

Whenever you open the oak barrels to stir inside, the wine must meet oxygen. 

This wheel system is considered to minimize bad impact of oxydation.

On the floor, you can see a cover. This is a concrete tank under the floor.

These concrete tanks were installed under the floor for blending. (after Malolactic fermentation)

I've never seen this kind of thing. I believe that it is really nice idea but it must be very expensive.

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5. Private cellar

Chateau Lascombes also has a private cellar. 

I found the wines, vintage 1989(My birth year.LOL)

There were a lot of magnum size bottles. 

Even though it is same quantity, the impact of bottle aging is different depends on the bottle size.

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6. Wine tasting

First of all, wine tasting room is very very beautiful.

This is nice place to taste wine!!!!! with natural light!!!!

(1) Chevalier de Lascombes (2012)

Margaux AOC

50% Merlot and 50% cabernet sauvignon

Clear / Deep / Ruby

Clean / Pronounced / Black currant, spices, prune

Dry / H Acidity / H tannin / F body / L Finish

Hot (Pimente), black pepper, + Fresh 

Easy to drink,

and definitely it is for MEAT!!!! I LOVE MEAT!!!

★★★

(2) Chateau Lascombes (2012)

Margaux AOC

2nd Grand Cru Classe

48% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot

Clear / Deep / Ruby (darker than chevalier)

Clean / Pronounced / 

lack currant, spices(Black pepper, Cinnamon, cloves, Liquorice...), moss, game ( a lot of aromas)

Dry / H Acidity / H tannin / F body / L Finish

Hot (Pimente), black pepper, Dried Prune, humidity, farm yard, mineral things like soil, metal 

It is hotter than chevalier de lascombes and "Delicious".

the colour of Chevalier Lascombes

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6. short stories

Alpachi-Teok is happy. 

It knows that the reason why it is rainbow colour.

It loves wine, drinking and drunk.

Chateau Lascombes has a huge garden.  

It is really nice to take photos.

Pam-Teok became an evil again.

But it is NATURE that the rabbits love plants, shoots, and fruits!!!!

beautiful tower

The symbol of chateau Lascombe is "Lion".

Oh, such as "Lanisters" in Game of Throne.

The lion holds out its tongue, but it also seems like cigarette pipe.

Anyway, I like Tyrion Lanister, so I like Lion symbol.

~ Lannister always pays his debt ~

LOL

As usual, the visit and tasting in Chateau Lascombes was very instructive.

I have learned about Margaux appellation and the oak barrels as well.

I had many questions and the guide answered me very well. 

Thank you so much.

http://www.chateau-lascombes.com/

[Visiting] Chateau Cantenac Brown 3rd Grand cru

~ Chateau Cantenac Brown ~

(3rd Grand cru classe, Margaux AOC)

1. Background story

It was quite long time ago when I visited Chateau Cantenac Brown.

After visiting, I fell down a cup of hot tea on my laptop. 

So I spent a lot of time with stress.... 

Now everything is okay. My laptop has been well dried and it works well.

I visited Chateau Cantenac Brown on 8th August.

The weather was not good at when I left my home, but it was better when I arrived in Chateau.

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2. Boutique

I has arrived there much earlier than the appointed time.

As waiting for my turn, I took some photos.

Pampi has not known yet who it will be....

A small bottle is so cute. 

The oldest Chateau Cantenac brown wine bottles.

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3. Vineyard

Scale :48 Hectares

Their vineyard is located on a gentle slop although medoc(margaux) area is very flat in general.

The vineyard is designed in order that the rainwater is gathered at the low part.

The soil is poor. 

The tractor cuts some leaves on the top regularly.

Harvest: Septembre and octobre by hand. 

Each branch's cut, delivered to VAT house and assorted by berries. 

The spoiled berries are threw away.

Grapevine: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 

30% Merlot

5% Cabernet Franc

They also produce white wine (not in Margaux AOC), the surface for white grape is 1.5 hectares.

Cabernet Sauvignon

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4. Proprietor

Today, an English family, who is the origin of Syria, owns this Chateau.

The first family who was an owner of the chateau was Brown family, who came from Scotland at the beginning of 19th century (1806).

In 1840s the son of the brown family sold the chateau to a banker in Paris market. 

In 1855, Chateau Cantenac Brown acquired "3rd Grand cru classe".

After that the Chateau was handed over to a Bordeaux wine merchant, Louis Armand Lalande. 

He renovated the building in 1860s.

This is backyard

The chateau has British style building with a huge garden and forest of British style.

Until 1980s, the chateau was used for seminars or events. 

Today, however, the current family Simon Halabi is living in the chateau. (It means that it is closed for visitors)

This is front

This is English garden. The English garden is more natural than French garden. 

There are a lot of trees (20 hectares) 

Also, there are some animals such as fox, swan and deer in the forest.

This is just decoration neither for living nor guarding. JUST DECORATION.

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5. Vinification

Harvest period:  from 20-25th Septembre to the middle of Octobre

To control well, the tanks (VAT) are changed to stainless.

Even though the tanks has both inside pipe and outside pipe, only inside pipe is used these days.

Between the harvest and Christmas, Alcoholic fermentation and maceration are processed. 

After Christmas, they do malolactic fermentation of the "grand vin" (First wine) in oak barrels.

The second line of wine is kept in tanks for it. 

In the wine cellar(Barrel house), the temperature is always 16 degrees.

They are all french oaks.

Chateau Cantenac Brown buys diverse oak barrels depends on the producer and year.

This is a purpose to give diverse aromas and flavours.

The wine maturation needs 15 months for "Grand vin(First wine-Chateau Cantenac Brown)" 

and 12 months for second wine "BriO"

The vintage 2015 wine is going to finish maturation in June, 2017.

During the maturation, "Soutirage" is implemented for cleaning inside of oak barrels each 3-4 months.

(60% of new barrels for Grand vin, 25% for BriO)

The producer and toasted degree of oak barrels are organized as to be invisible to people. 

This is a decision of wine maker to focus on the only wine.

The reason why barrel house is built by stone is that the oak barrels would be dried if there is not enough humidity.

If it isn't a stone wall, the oak barrels would absorb too much wine. 

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6. Wine tasting

(1) Chateau Cantenac Brown 

AOC Margaux

Vintage 2008

3rd Grand cru classe

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot

Ideal time to drink: in 8 ~ 10 years

Strong Alcohol

Black Current, Spices, Black pepper, Mushroom

H acidity, HH Tannin, Full body, L finish

Would be nice with chicken or duck food. (beef as well)

(2) BriO 

AOC Margaux

Vintage 2011

49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Clear / Deep / Ruby

Clean / Pronounced / moss, stone, mineral, farm yard, forest...

H acidity, H tannin, F body, L finish

Fruitiness, Black current, prune, mure(black berry), spicy(hot)

Would be nice with game, cheese

According to my note, I mentioned that:

This wine is really nice. Even it was better than the last wine. 

This wine let me find some foods.

It is not exactly what I'm looking for, but it is really NICE.

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Pam-Teok: "I'm the evil... for the new grape vine....! I'm eating everything...."

I've heard that the enemy of grape vine is rabbit recently!!!!

It is neither people nor wild pigs!

Rabbits eat all the small shoots so they are dangerous. OMG 

Even if they are enemies of wineries, omg, they are toooooo cute.......

hoo hoo hoo.... 

It was a nice visiting! 

Especially the castle was very special (British style) and the scenery was so beautiful.

Fortunately, when I took photos, it was getting sunny. 

I bought a post card for souvenir. :-)

http://www.cantenacbrown.com/

Visiting and Tasting 12 euros