Bordeaux Château de Lamarque & Château Cap de Haut

There are two different sorts of ‘petits’ châteaux in the context of Bordeaux – second wines from grand names and more modest, less well-known properties whose wines deserve much greater exposure; either way, they offer great value for money and excellent drinking. Here, the fun factor is at the top of the scale, quality is exceptional and prices eminently reasonable.

Between Lamarque and sister property Cap de Haut, we have been tasting – and, more importantly, drinking – these wines since the 1980s. Lamarque has a Margaux vibe, with a decent percentage of Merlot but with lots of Cabernet too, resulting in delicious deep fruits with a fine spiced structure behind.

The Eleventh Century castle, which sits on the western bank of the Gironde, was originally built to defend the town of Bordeaux from maritime depredations. The property has been in the extended family’s hands ever since, bar the odd hiatus such as English ownership during the Hundred Years War and the French Revolution, and has had many ups and downs, including almost total abandonment of the vines in the early Twentieth Century. Under Pierre-Gilles and Marie-Hélène Gromand d’Evry’s guidance, the vineyards are now in superb shape, run on organic principles under the patented Méthode Cousinié, with the cellars overseen by Eric Boissenot, one of Bordeaux’s top oenologists.

Winemaking: Pierre-Gilles has swapped punch downs for the air pulse system which increases the concentration of fruit but avoids over extraction, giving a beautiful texture.

This is where we traditionally hunt for great value future drinking and it’s the best place to stock up for big birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, shoot parties … the list goes on. These wines are made for drinking, after all, and this is the only time you’ll be able to order the quantity of magnums or bigger formats that you need at opening prices.

Have a look at their website here: http://www.chateaudelamarque.fr/

Click here for current availability or call us on 01353 721 999. For marketing queries, please contact Laura Taylor at laura@privatecellar.co.uk