Château la Garde

La Garde is already mentioned on the first map of the general kingdom of France, made in 1756 by the geographer Cassini. The pretty chartreuse of the ” Bourdieu de Lagarde “, built in 1732, was then surrounded by valleys and woods. Passed down in the Blanchard family from generation to generation, it was acquired in 1877 by Lacoste, a Bordeaux négociant, who then developed the vineyard on this magnificent terroir of deep gravel. An imposing cellar was built in 1881 and enlarged in 1882, testifying to the importance of the estate at that time. After the First World War, Louis Eschenauer, a renowned négociant of the Bordeaux Place in the Chartrons, was looking for quality vineyards. He bought Domaine de La Garde in 1920, thus becoming the main promoter of the wines of the commune of Martillac, where he also owned Château Smith Haut Lafitte.
It was in 1990 that Dourthe acquired Château La Garde, seduced by the exceptional quality of this terroir.
An exceptional rise, called ” Le Plateau “, made up of gravel that can reach up to 4 m in depth and benefiting on the flanks from a layer of clay, provides a magnificent base for the Cabernet and Petit Verdot that bring the wine ripeness, complexity and the typicity of the great Pessac-Léognans.
In the north, the property is crossed by a very deep clay-limestone vein, quite original in this appellation, a later-ripening terroir suited to the production of concentrated Merlot.
This limestone vein continues on the other side of the stream, with a greater presence of clay and a north exposure: a cooler terroir perfectly suited to the two white varieties, Sauvignon and Sémillon.
At the foot of the slopes, a layer of sandy gravel hosts fine and aromatic Merlot.
The viticulture practised at La Garde matches its qualitative ambitions : a perfect adaptation of the rootstock/grape variety pairing to the nature of the soils is guaranteed thanks to systematic soil studies at planting. The estate was one of the first to adopt a sustainable production approach, which makes it possible to produce high-quality grapes while respecting the environment and people.
The most attentive care is given to the vineyard, from rigorous pruning to the many meticulous green operations, adapted as precisely as possible to each zone according to water constraints. The harvests, by hand, are determined by plots or micro-plots of identical ripeness. The care given to the vines continues in the cellar – protection of the white grapes against oxidation, sorting systems for the reds. The ageing of the lots, for 12 to 14 months, takes place in the vast underground cellar renovated in 2012.
The reds, powerful and rich in colour, are long-lived wines thanks to their structure and concentration. Round and supple, seductive, they express all the elegance and finesse of the great terroir of La Garde.
The white wines display an original personality among the great Pessac-Léognans. They develop a rare expression of the aromatic qualities of Sauvignon, the château’s dominant variety, enriched by the breadth of Sémillon.
Confidence in the terroir, determination, time and passion are rewarded today : the wines of Château La Garde rank among the great wines of Pessac-Léognan.