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Wine Description
The Story
The name of Grand-Puy-Lacoste is one of the vineyards selected in 1855 by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, to figure in its famous classification.
This classification only recognized the well established reputation of the properties it listed, and because the first half century before listing were not the best times at Grand-Puy-Lacoste, it “failed” to make a noteworthy impression in terms of prices and reputation, achieving only a lowly 5th Growth classification. The reputation of Grand-Puy-Lacoste has improved a lot since then and today the quality and prices of Grand-Puy-Lacoste can often easily compare with 2nd Growth.
The origin of the property is very old, since its first mention in official documents appears at the beginning of the 15th century. The estate extends over 225 acres in a single unit to the south of Pauillac, on a rise, which is the origin of its name "Grand-Puy". Monsieur Lacoste gave his name to the Château when he bought the property and kept it until the epidemic of phylloxera at the end of the 19th century.
However Grand-Puy-Lacoste´s was built by Monsieur Raymond Dupin, a legendary figure in the Medoc wine world and president of the “Union of Médoc Classified Growths”, who bought Gran-Puy-Lacoste in 1932 and was the proprietor until 1978. He sold half of the estate’s shares to Jean-Eugène Borie, who took over the responsibility for the wine production.
Nowadays, François-Xavier Borie manages Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. He renewed the cellars of the château just before producing the great vintage of 1982.
There are currently around 110 acres of vine producing approximately15.000 cases on a soil planted with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The grapes are picked always by hand and the wines are matured in oak barrels for 14 to 18 months.
Wine Information
2010 Vintage Date of harvest:29th of September to 12th of October 2010
Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon - 17% Merlot
Tasting notes
Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2010 compound of a very high majority of cabernet sauvignon (83%) offers a deep red color. The bouquet reveals very ripe blackcurrant perfumes, slightly spiced revealing the beautiful maturity of the grapes. The attack on the palate grows louder and louder, suave then dense, it continues with a powerful well balanced tannic structure. The unit: precise and complex coated with a beautiful freshness and a very long aromatic persistence gives much class to this great vintage. 2010 will be registered without any doubt in the beautiful story of the mythical years of our vineyard.
Total vineyard surface
90 hectares around the Château
Vineyard surface under production
55 hectares in one block around the Château
Average age of the vines
38 years
Soil - Terroir
Very deep coarse gravel
Vineyard grape varieties
75% Cabernet Sauvignon - 20% Merlot - 5% Cabernet
Franc
Density of planting
10 000 vines/hectares
Rootstock
Riparia gloire & 101.14
Growing of the vines
Mechanical ploughing of the soil Viticulture practices: Spraying kept to the absolute effective minimum
Harvest
Exclusively hand picked
Grape sorting
Two successive selections before and after the de-stemming process
Vinification
A long period of maceration (about 3 weeks)
Ageing
In French oak barrels (75% new barrels each vintage) for between 16 to 18 months depending on the vintage.
Owner
M. François-Xavier BORIE
Cellar Master
M. Philippe GOUZE
Vintage 2010
Drought and cool temperatures contribute to optimal ripeness
The sum of summer temperatures in 2010 was close to that of summer 2009 (962°C compared to 982°C), but significantly colder than those of 2005, which totaled 1052°C. These cool temperatures had a substantial influence on the balance of our wines, preserving a good level of acidity and an attractive aromatic freshness.
Very little precipitation (only 267 mm) from March to August 2010 generating a drought of similar intensity to that of 2005, when only 227 mm of rain fell.
Another characteristic of the 2010 vintage is the low temperatures especially during the first three weeks of August, which allowed good acidity levels to be preserved in the grapes while maintaining an attractive aromatic freshness.