The women
While Château Laroze has a profile worthy of the greatest Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés, what stands out most when you visit the property, is the family culture that you feel even before you hear it. You are aware of this all-pervasive atmosphere, as soon as you set foot on the Laroze estate, and Guy Meslin is delighted to tell you all about it.
It all began in 1882 with Pétronille Aimé Nelly Gurchy, née Chollet, who initiated the building of Château Laroze. This of course was extraordinary for a woman in that period, when men were largely in charge of business affairs. But as well as being bold, Pétronille invested the property with an undeniably feminine soul that appears indelible to this day.
Having influenced the birth of a natural gem, Pétronille went on to embrace the role of diligent mother. She tirelessly made sure the young generation was aware of the virtues of taking good care, of the need to offer support, of the relevance ofgood listening, of patience and tenderness, hoping that these would unshakeably unite a family around the duty of perpetuating the life and history of Laroze.
With her immense heart, she inspired generation after generation, providing a model of bravery, perseverance, gentleness and benevolence that Andrée Gurchy fervently defended, when the property ran into serious difficulty during the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
Like a protective mother, Andrée worked tirelessly and took far-reaching decisions, brilliantly ensuring the property’s future, which without her woman’s determination and tenacity, would not be part of the family’s heritage today.
Clearly inspired by Pétronille’s historic values, Andrée never backed down. The Gurchy-Meslin story began.
Since then, our women, men and children have felt that they have a mission to fulfil: to nourish rather than possess. To nourish a soul, a philosophy of life and perpetuity. To nourish a soul, a philosophy of life and perpetuity.
The Laroze philosophy
To look after and nourish, to observe and communicate, to share and connect. At Château Laroze, there reigns a real union of peace and harmony that we would like to bask in continuously and forever. As if, as soon as you come in the gate, time stops and you focus on the only thing that matters: Love.
Like the Love of a mother for her child.
Love of a place and a story. The Love of Man and Nature. And remembering that all this in fact is connected.
A sudden, exhilarating sense of fulfilment that you wish would go on forever, and which the family has chosen to share through its three wines.
“Laroze doesn’t belong to us – we belong to it.”
“Laroze doesn’t belong to us – we belong to it.”