The anatomy of our wines

The bottle

Bottles have aesthetic value and are functionally well-designed, and they also play a key role in how the wine ages. At Château Laroze, we chose the Bordeaux bottle, the classical shape associated with Bordeaux wines that is recognised for its smart, glamorous appearance.

But that is not all.

Its dark green colour enables the wine to continue to develop, protected from the light, following on from its time in the barrel, and ensures the best conditions in which to age.

The depression in the bottom, or punt, is where the sediment that forms throughout the life of the wine, collects and is prevented from mixing back into the wine.

The shoulders serve the same purpose, trapping any sediment as the wine is poured and preventing it from falling into the glass.

And the neck, also designed with great precision and an optimal diameter to promote the exchange of air between the glass, cork and wine.

Every detail is therefore important.

The cork

All our wines are bottled on the property and closed with stoppers made of natural cork. The cork is both a barrier, protecting the wine from outside influences and a lung, enabling the wine to breathe. Its pores are essential, and this is demonstrated by the fact that corks are individually weighed. Those that are deemed too light or too heavy are removed in order to reduce variation in porosity and thereby limit the extent to which each bottle evolves differently over the years of being cellared. The cork could be said to be the finest gift for a long-keeping red wine: together they embark on a long journey of exchanges.

The capsule

The capsule is said to be the last skin that protects the wine and cork from the outside environment. It is the final barrier before the walls of the cellar or wine cooler, shielding the wine from all outside aggression.

The wine

Wine is fundamentally a living product. It matures over time, even if its silky balance is enjoyable in its early years.

The best time to enjoy Château Laroze is when it is between 6 and 15 years old and time has polished its tannins, mellowed the wood flavours from the barrel and the fresh and fruity notes have been able to gain their full expression.

For those who like “old” wines, Château Laroze has the stature to navigate time beyond 20 years.

The fragrance

Château Laroze has not one, but several notes, like a perfume. Blending is the way we play with this palette of fragrances. The predominant grape variety is Merlot (60%), but Château Laroze is made with a blend of 5 varieties in all: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and a large proportion of Cabernet Franc (30%), which is quite unusual for a Saint-Emilion wine.

It is in fact this significant presence of Cabernet Franc, made possible by the profile of our terroir, that gives Château Laroze its intense aromas, structure and character that make it so different from its neighbours. The high percentage of Cabernet Franc makes the wine well-suited to be laid down. It enjoys going on long journeys with the Merlot, like a time traveller!

The engraving

The engraving depicts the family home. which has watched continuously over the vines since 1884. It was built in the Napoleon III style under the auspices of our family ancestor Pétronille Gurchy. It was immediately decided that it would sit within a large natural setting as a source of real inspiration for the way in which the vines would be tended. This setting became a 2-hectare (5-acre) park with magnificent trees sheltering a rich diversity of species.

The crest

At the heart, a grapevine flower evokes nature, its beauty and its fragility, as well as the association with wine. The red of the shield corresponds to the colour of the wine. The shield is supported on either side by two rampant lions, which guard the treasure of Château Laroze.

400 years of family history are preserved in its soul, surviving all the changes that the property has undergone; a living heritage that has cleverly combined timelessness and modernity.