Lagrezette Blog

When ADP tackles the Bordeaux…

By Alain Dominique Perrin

A recent interview in the magazine Vin de France caused a stir in "le Landerneau bordelais"… Alain Dominique Perrin stood up and pointed out the outrageous rates at which the "Great" Bordeaux wines are being sold today, including vintages that are, after all, qualified—out of kindness—as rather mediocre.

Whether they like it or not, I often stand up against the astronomical prices now charged for what they are calling the "great Bordeaux” wines. We should not forget that they were purchased in bulk 40 years ago… I remember very well buying magnums of Petrus, new wines, in 1975. I had paid 60 francs for them at the time. That might be 500 francs today, let’s say €80… Now, you can expect to pay €2,000! So there is a problem, right? Admittedly, quality has a price but beyond a certain amount, we are no longer talking about wine.

At Lagrézette, we work every day to produce an excellent wine but we will never produce a luxury item. That would be contrary to what I have believed in since the start: viz., offering a wine we are proud of at an honest price. I know luxury; I devoted the largest part of my working life to it. But I am fighting—and will continue to fight—to make sure wine remains a pleasure accessible to the greatest number of people.

Two Gold Medals for Lagrézette

By Jean Courtois (Managing Director of Lagrezette)

While we were busy, last Wednesday, bottling the 2005 Pigeonnier and the 2007 Blanche de Grézette vintages, we received good news from the Agricultural Show: these two vintages—one red, one white—were each honored with a Gold Medal in the 2008 All-around Farming Competition.

It is better to put things into perspective—and into oak barrels—than to engage in hollow platitudes. Our wines have often been praised, and yet, there have been other years when we’ve produced fine wines that were nevertheless overlooked. And vine-grower is a profession in which you also have to expect some criticism. Still, let’s not be overly modest. In a world where the obstacles are many, there is an obvious, deep satisfaction in receiving such rewards. It is a recognition of the work that we have done and it attests to the fact that we are on the right path.

As we see it, winning medals is not an end in itself. The real reward is the success that our wines enjoy among consumers—the very wines that we were hard at work bottling when the goods news broke!

This 2005 Pigeonnier is a highly complex wine; spectacular! It just spent 28 months in new oak barrels and can age up to 25 years.  And the Blanche de Grézette comes from Rocamadour vines that we have been tending since 2001. The medal for this wine also honors the work of our new Cellar Master, Cédric Blanc. After just a year at the vineyard, he has succeeded in demonstrating his many skills.

So, we have all gone back to work… not yet having found the time to open a bottle and celebrate!

Our 2007 red wines: outlook on a good year

Throughout this year, the press has duly reported the worries of the wine growers, faced with the unusually fickle weather. Global warming and unpredictable climate have been topics on everyone's lips. But finally, this summer finished on a positive note.

September: a comprehensive inspection tour of the Lagrézette vineyard allowed us to develop an initial understanding of its condition and to predict the qualitative prospects for the October harvest. The final tasting report states: "The grape skins are thick, allowing us to predict a wine with a good constitution. We have not noticed any aggressiveness. Absence of pronounced astringency and of vegetal notes. At this stage, we can already anticipate wines with an attractive color and heightened aromatic qualities. "

At the beginning of October, we began the harvest – by hand, of course – of the Malbec and Merlot, two varieties that we will vinify separately. Their blending will not take place until early 2009, after the ageing in oak barrels has done its work. One third of the wine will be aged in new barrels, which are reserved in priority for the Dame Honneur and Pigeonnier cuvees. The profile of these forthcoming wines is already predictable. The 2007 red wines will be well-rounded; soft yet powerful, with a good constitution. They will be expressive and fruity, with notes of ripe fruit and harmonious tannins. They promise a combination of suppleness, charm and elegance, as well as fullness.

Hugh Johnson compliments Lagrézette's 2004 vintage

The Englishman Hugh Johnson is unquestionably one of the top writers in the world of wine. Decorated with the Order of the British Empire, he is probably the best-selling wine writer in the world. His judgments have set the standards for over forty years.

His "vigorous" exchanges with Robert Parker, the other top international name in wine reviews, are also well known. It is obviously a pleasure for us to know that a person of his stature has tasted our wines. Moreover, it is a point of great pride that he enjoyed them. His laudatory comments on the 2004 Château Lagrézette speak for themselves: “Purple-stained dark red. By no means an old fashioned ‘black’ Cahors, mulberry and blackberry – scented, grainy and almost soft, but with gently abrasive tannins, scrubbing the palate without a bite. Beautifully-made wine, carrying its aromas all the way to a long finish’. We are delighted to read this expert's analysis. Frankly, we're not overly thrilled with the strategy of some of our colleagues, who promote Cahors as a "black wine". We prefer to emphasize the finesse and subtlety of our wines, as affirmed by Sir Johnson, glass in hand. His tasting notes are available on-line, along with those of other international specialists, on the website "The World of Fine Wine"