Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Chateau Larose-Perganson is an Haut Me'doc of masterful tradition. It recounts the story of the pioneer planters of the Médoc, like Jean-Pierre de Pontet who chose this terroir to found Château Larose-Perganson in 1719. He discovered that the ancient bed of the Garonne, composed of round river pebbles carried here from the Pyrenees in the Quaternary period, created a miraculous terroir for the vines and the quality of the grapes. The wine they produced developed power and structure that enabled it to undergo lengthy ageing, and be improved by cellaring. More than a simple thirst-quenching wine, this was wine of another dimension altogether. And the better the terroir was adapted to the grape, the more the wine gained in quality and ageing potential.
Larose-Perganson figured amongst the “new French clarets” – wines of exceptional quality that are now legendary. For as long as its terroir is respected the estate will continue to produce a classic Haut-Médoc that is timeless and immutable. That is why, in spite of the disappearance of its château in the aftermath of the war, it continued to live. Today it is chateau bottled in the Vignobles de Larose cellars at Larose-Trintaudon, its neighbor. The absence of its own chateau building and status as an independent legal entity precludes it from ever being classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel or obtaining organic accreditation. However, it was designated a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur in 2020 and its production adheres strictly to the organic specifications charter.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.