AMA Vertical Tasting
Château La Garde

This summer, upon returning to China, I discovered that everyone in the wine industry was discussing the topic of “cost-effectiveness.”

To be frank, when it comes to cost-effectiveness, no region can rival Bordeaux, where you can find “daily wines” that rival the quality of Grand Cru Classé in abundance. Given the demand for cost-effective options, as a wine critic rooted in the origin, I’ve decided to dive deeper into this topic. Over the next period, I will focus more on wines that embody this topic, introducing you to what many refer to as “affordable daily wines.”

Today, let’s start with Château La Garde from Pessac-Léognan.

The red wines from this winery are commendable, but the white wines are truly exceptional. It has only begun to emerge in the market in the last three years, making it a genuine potential star that few in China are familiar with.

From a terroir perspective, Château La Garde is indeed challenging to tame. Within its 57 hectares of vineyards, a complex mix of gravel, clay, limestone, and sandy soils creates an exaggerated variety of 27 different soil types. However, aside from the gravel highlands in the northeast corner, suitable locations for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon are limited.

Frédéric Bonnaffous, Technical Director at Dourthe, explained that the vineyards to the west and south, whether due to an excess of clay or limestone, consistently uneasy to provide the ideal soil temperature for ripening late-harvest Cabernet Sauvignon. As a result, Merlot has taken center stage at Château La Garde, with the 2022 and 2020 vintages featuring Merlot proportions of 63% and 65%, respectively.

The significant presence of limestone soil, combined with a relatively high proportion of Merlot, can make a Left Bank wine seem somewhat light, usually leading to a hollow mid-palate before. Simply increasing tannins by cannot resolve this issue, and excessive extraction can leave a “rough” impression.

However, starting with the 2019 vintage, Château La Garde began to shift its style. It maintained the smoothness and softeness while incorporating high-quality tannins, enriching the body and resolving the hollow sensation. Even in the less warm vintage like 2021, I could distinctly perceive a rare richness.

What factors have led Château La Garde to transform into a standout? I have summarized the following key reasons:

First, the winery has increased the proportion of grapes from the gravel highlands in its Grand Vin. This change enhances the riper characteristics without losing elegance. As a result, the aromas are richer, and the body has a smoother texture.

Second, only fully ripe Merlot grapes are retained. According to the technical team, if the local terroir is characterized by slim body-texture, they focus on ripeness and tannins. Ripe Merlot naturally brings a smooth palate, while high-quality tannins contribute to a soft and velvety sensation. This creates a richness that envelops the slim body, seamlessly integrating the meticulously polished tannins.

Finally, the winery has reduced the proportion of new oak barrels from 50% to 30%. When the ripe tannins of the grapes can construct an ideal structural framework, there is less need for excessive new oak. Alongside decreasing the proportion of new oak barrels, they also optimized the expression of fruity aromas. This characteristic is even more obvious when Château La Garde is at a young age.

Of course, all these changes are made possible by the significant investment from Dourthe’s director, Valentin Jestin, and the support of the entire technical team led by Frédéric Bonnaffous. In 2021, Château La Garde embarked on an ambitious project, taking three years to rebuild a modern winery that rivals those of Crus Classés. I believe all who have tasted the 2022 vintage will remember Château La Garde’s impressive performance; a new star in the Pessac-Léognan has undoubtedly been born.

After this comprehensive upgrade, the winery launched a groundbreaking single-variety terroir set, titled “Mosaic du Château La Garde.”

While I firmly believe that blending is the soul of Bordeaux, we cannot deny that this terroir set helps consumers intuitively appreciate the impact of different soils on varietals, enabling more people to understand how Bordeaux expresses its terroir.

Here, I will share some of my tasting impressions from that day for interested readers:

1. Merlot sur Graves Profondes (Merlot from Deep Gravel Soil): The fruit aromas are more mature, with a pronounced structure, delivering a full and gentle palate that creates a broader space. The finish carries a hint of graphite, accompanied by classic roundness.

2. Merlot sur Calcaire (Merlot from Limestone Soil): The aromas are more straightforward, with fresh and elegant expressions of orange peel and floral notes. The palate is restrained, with elongated lines and a finish that features a unique salinity—while lacking intense energy, it is light yet distinctive.

3. Merlot sur Argilo-Calcaire (Merlot from Clay-Limestone Soil): Compared to pure limestone soil, its aromas are richer but not as mature as those from gravel soils. It combines tight mineral and saline notes with additional roundness, resulting in a fuller palate. Compared to my first tasting, the tannins quality have noticeably softened.

4. Merlot sur Argile (Merlot from Clay Soil): In terms of aroma, pure clay is more fragrant than limestone soil. The palate is solid and rich, with powerful tannins and a deeper body, exhibiting a slight wildness. The grapes from this plot are typically harvested later than Cabernet Sauvignon. This style closely resembles Château La Garde’s previous version.

5. Cabernet Sauvignon sur Graves Profondes (Cabernet Sauvignon from Deep Gravel Soil): Exhibiting a typical Left Bank style, it is tense yet restrained in expression. It features structure and roundness, with layers of graphite and refreshing pine notes. The characteristics of this terroir have become more pronounced in Château La Garde since the 2019 vintage. Compared to the gravel-clay soil, the palate is softer.

6. Cabernet Sauvignon sur Graves sous Argileux (Cabernet Sauvignon from Clay-Gravel Soil): Both in aroma and flavor, the clay-gravel’s expression is deeper than that of Cabernet Sauvignon from deep gravel soil. The pine freshness is slightly gentler, but the mature black fruit aromas are more pronounced. The clay’s distinctive strong tannins are polished, showcasing clear layers and significant power.

If Château La Garde’s red wines are the rising stars, its white wines are like the unsung heroes. In the 2019 vintage, the winery replaced some new oak barrels with 2000-liter large oak barrels, and in 2020, they intentionally downgraded part of the already nice wines to the Second Label.

The 2020 white wine features clear aromatic lines, with the scents of white flowers and pear delicately illuminating the palate. The previously rich oiliness has disappeared (since 2017, 50% of Sauvignon Gris was eliminated), replaced by a more candid and pure expression, with an enhanced limestone character.

This concludes my insights into Château La Garde’s transformation. For details on its architectural design and wine tourism aspects, I invite you to experience it at the winery yourself.

And here’s a fun little secret: Château La Garde and Château Smith Haut Lafitte were once both properties of the Négociant, Louis Eschenauer. Back then, Château La Garde’s vineyards were merely a “parcel” of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Therefore, if you find an antique bottle of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, it might very well contain a glimpse of Château La Garde!