Chateau La Garde Pessac Leognan Bordeaux, Compete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau La Garde Pessac Leognan with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau La Garde History, Overview

Chateau La Garde has a long history in what was then known as the Graves region, In fact, Chateau La Garde dates back to at least 1732, when the chateau was built. The property was sold multiple times eventually passing from the Lacoste family, (who gave their name to the Pauillac estate, Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste) to the Eschenauer family.

During the period of the 1950s and 1960s, the wines were sold under the name of Clos La Garde. However, the modern era for Chateau La Garde begins in 1990, when it was purchased by the Dourthe group. The Dourthe group owns several vineyards in Bordeaux. They are also one of the more powerful, successful negociants with their CVGB company.

In 2022, a full renovation of Chateau La Grade was completed. Now, in the cellar, you find all gleaming, stainless steel, truncated, and reverse conical vats. Plus the cellar has been configured with much smaller vats allowing for a true parcel by parcel vinification.

Chateau La Garde Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The large, 54-hectare vineyard of Chateau La Garde is planted to 62% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot for the red wine grapes. That is the majority of the vineyard, as you will see.

For the white wine, 4 hectares of vines have been reserved for white wine grapes which are planted to 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon. All of their Sauvignon Gris has been removed and replaced with mostly Sauvignon Blanc, and a small amount of Semillon.

The vineyard averages about 25 years for the vines. The vine density is quite high, with some plantings as dense as 14,000 vines per hectare. The terroir is gravel with clay soils for most of the vineyard. There is a smaller parcel of vines with a cooler terroir and a bigger proportion of limestone which is where the grapes for the white wines are planted.

To produce the wine of Chateau La Garde, the red wine is whole berry fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tanks. The wine is aged in 35% new, French oak barrels for between 12 and 15 months.

The white wine of Chateau La Garde is vinified in barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels. After malolactic fermentation, the lees are removed and placed in tanks for one month, before being returned to any barrel that is deemed light. The wine is aged in 15% new, French oak barrels for 10 months.

There is a second wine, La Terrasse de La Garde. The average annual production of Chateau La Garde is close to 14,000 cases per year.

The best vintages of Chateau La Garde France are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2005. Although it is important to note that there are vintages when the red wine is much better than the white wine, as well as years when the whites are better than the reds.

Aside from Chateau La Garde, Dourthe owns several other Bordeaux vineyards including: Chateau Belgrave Haut Medoc, Chateau Le Boscq St. Estephe, Chateau Rahoul Graves, Chateau Reysson Haut-Medoc, and in the Right Bank, Chateau Grand-Barrail-Lamarzelle-Figeac St. Emilion, and Chateau Pey-La-Tour Bordeaux Superieur.

When to Drink Chateau La Garde, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau La Garde can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau La Garde is usually better with at least 3-6 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau La Garde offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 6-15 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau La Garde, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau La Garde is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The red wine of Chateau La Garde is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau La Garde is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese. The white wine of Chateau La Garde is a perfect wine to serve with shellfish, sashimi, sushi, all types of seafood, chicken, veal, and cheese.

www.dourthe.com