Winemaker Notes
On a hillside at the entrance to Margaux, in the heart of the Médoc, Château Lascombes is a Second Growth from the 1855 classification with a long history, characterized by pioneering owners and a terroir that reflects all the characteristics of the appellation. Since 2022, an ambitious family-oriented renewal has been underway with new owner Gaylon Lawrence, Jr., a lover of Bordeaux wines, and Axel Heinz, a highly respected winemaker who excelled in Tuscany for almost twenty years.
The Lascombes range of wines reflects the incomparable diversity of the estate’s terroirs. A collector’s Grand Vin, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon from gravelly soils, refocused on the historic terroir, offers a graceful, powerful expression of the classic Bordeaux style. The second wine, Chevalier de Lascombes, presents the freshness and vibrant fruit so dear to Margaux lovers. The latest addition to the Lascombes family of wines is La Côte Lascombes, a wine that showcases a new perspective from a single vineyard block of Merlot with soils of blue clay.
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.
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.