Château Larose Perganson

Château Larose Perganson sits next to the vineyards of Château Latour in Saint-Laurent-Médoc, on the border of Pauillac and Saint-Julien. In the hands of Winemaker Franck Bijon, the estate produces a ‘Cru Bourgeois Supérieur’ to rival many Classed Growths. A decade before 1855, Château Larose Perganson commanded the same prices as Growth estates. Unfortunately, between 1845 and 1855 the Château fell into disrepair causing it to be left out of the classification system.

After years of neglect, the property was purchased in 1986 by the owners of Château Larose Trintaudon, who worked hard to return Château Larose Perganson to its former glory. In 1999 the estate was certified by the sustainable development programme ‘Vignoble Responsable’ and in 2010 they were the first European vineyard to be rated ‘exemplary’ in sustainable development.

The estate comprises 35 hectares of vineyards, with an average age of 35 years, planted on well-draining gravel soils. Combined with high-density plantings of 10,000 vines per hectare, this results in very low yields, lending great flavour intensity to the final wine.

Château Larose Trintaudon is a blend of 53% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. Before fermentation, it undergoes cold maceration for colour extraction, followed by lengthy skin contact to create supple tannins. The wine is then aged 50% new French oak barriques, 50% of which is new oak, for 14 months before bottling. The result is an intense, balanced expression that’s remarkably approachable in its youth while being capable of ageing for up to five more years.