CHÂTEAU LA GARDE
2023 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
| Grapes | Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, Merlot |
| Colour | Red |
| Origin | France, Bordeaux |
| Village | Pessac-Léognan |
| Classification | Cru Classé |
| ABV | 13% |
A step change for La Garde this year with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Floral and fragrant, really alive on the nose, expressive and so energetic. Fruit forward and lively, I love the finesse and the construction, really well made, layered with lots of minerality, crunchy red fruits, great acidity and focus on the crushed stones, graphite and pencil led. It has a smooth body, with a grip to the tannins but lots of focus and definition to the elements. Quite a serious take but all harmonious, nothing sticking out with plenty of underlying power. Polished and accomplished. A top value pick and exciting project to follow. Axel Marchal consultant. No Petit Verdot in the blend this year. 4% press wine - more so than in previous vintages. 35% grand vin production reduced from 50%. Rating: 94 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (May 2024)
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Lots of vineyard restructuring work going on here, following terroir studies. Delivers the confident Pessac Léognan swirl of smoky oak, well balanced, enjoyable and easy drinking but high quality wine, lip smacking, excellent bright blueberry fruits with grilled oak. Dourthe Vignobles. Axel Marchal and Chrstophe Ollivier consultants as of the 2023 vintage (they began in 2022 but not across the reds) - half the usual production of 1st wine, as selection becomes more drastic. Great value, a buy. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 La Garde has a lifted bouquet that is nicely defined, with plenty of blackberry and bilberry fruit and subtle loamy scents percolating through. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, good body and ample structure, but it delivers more fruit than some of its peers. La Garde has been an improving estate in recent years, and this is another fine wine to add to that roster Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2024)
Owned by Maison Dourthe, this estate has strategically chosen to concentrate on cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on the central plateau, renowned for its gravelly soils. The 2023 La Garde reflects this focus, exhibiting a deep, complex bouquet of dark wild berries, mulberries, flowers and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, tense and layered palate with a structured but elegant mid-palate that segues into a long, mineral finish. This is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot Rating: 91-93 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)
Château La Garde
Château La Garde is a medium-sized property with 47 hectares of vineyards in Pessac-Léognan, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The Cabernet-dominated red wines are soft, well structured and packed with smooth, ripe fruit which makes them very attractive young, though they also possess good medium-term cellaring potential. Bought by the dynamic Bordeaux merchant Dourthe in the 1980s, this gem of an estate displays the true Graves minerality underneath an exuberant cassis-and-plums aroma. After huge initial investment in the vineyard and cellar immense care is now lavished upon the wine itself, and any re-assessment of the Pessac-Léognan classification would surely see this wine elevated to Cru Classé status
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