Primeurs 2009 Pessac-Léognan
Château Larrivet Haut-Brion…,
New dimension, new ambition
Dans une région bénie des Dieux…
In a god blessed region... historical cradle of the Bordeaux wines, the Château Larrivet Haut-Brion comes back to its authenticity, its heritage and its wines.
Cited in 1840 as Château de Canolle then La Rivette, Brion-Larrivet then Haut-Brion, laudatory comments have been published about the 50 hectares of vines included in the 127-hectare domain in the Bordeaux wines bible by Ch. Cocks of the 'Editions Féret' in 1898... "This vineyard owes its old and great reputation to its happy location... The red wines have a lot of sap, vigor and long life, and are classified among the best Léognan red wines...". The Château will definitively be named Larrivet Haut-Brion in 1949.
Sols : Graves de Bordeaux.
AOC : Pessac-Léognan.
Cépages : rouges (45/hecto/ha) 55% Merlot,
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc.
En 2009 : 2/3 cabernet et 1/3 merlot
(zen, fumé, trame fine, serrée).
Cépages : blancs (35/hecto/ha) 60% Sauvignon,
40% Sémillon (assemblage 2009 : 75% sauvignon).
With the hazards of History and successions, this almost forgotten vineyard of hardly 17ha was bought in 1987 for its own good by the family Gervoson (Andros group). With huge qualitative, financial and personal investments, Christine and Philippe Gervoson gathered little by little 60 hectares with two colours of wine. A first bend in quality can be noticed thanks to JM Arcaute and Michel Rolland's support in 1995. In these dynamics and this spirit of undertaking, they ask an expert, but still friend, Bruno Lemoine to become in 2007 the Managing Director and to take the vinification of the domain in charge. Passionate, challenge-taker having started his career in great houses like Cognac Martell, Château Lascombes, Château Montrose... he believes in the terroir he sets foot on everytime he arrives at the domain, and in the development of the qualitative potential. An adaptation of the care, of the follow-up of the vines and of the redivision in plots... for three wines and two colours... followed a pedological survey.
Bruno Lemoine et Emilie Gervoson, chargée du développement.“The 2009, great vintage in gestation, carries all my ambitions. Globally we can compare it to 2000 or 1982 with the qualitative advantage of lower yields. This wine reveals all the fundamental work and improvements that have been fulfilled during the last years. The white wines are particularly followed up by Patrick Méraz, cellar master, who I analyze with, for the stirring of the lees in barrels, some coopers from Burgundy to get more fatness and sap in our wines. As for the red wines that I "pamper" more particularly in the recent and performant winery of 2008, I aim to test for the 2010 vintage: 1/3 from tun of Alsacian shape, 1/3 from barrel and 1/3 from tank, to gain fruityness. 2009 is also a significant vintage for Château Larrivet Haut-Brion as, before the harvest, we bought a set of plots neighbouring our property on a surface area of 11,5 ha. To date, the domain has 72,5 ha of producing vines - 61 ha dedicated to red wines and 11,5 to white wines. The brand new shop, inaugurated in June, will permit to discover the wines of the domain with projects of 'oenotouristic' trips under our belt...” Bruno Lemoine explains. “I try to instil a slightly different style of wine with more flesh in the middle palate, more length, less extraction: a better built wine. We have to perfect our knowledge of the potentials of the terroir, to adapt our work to the valorisation of our wines while retaining their accessibility for our consumers-wine lovers.” he ads.
According to the family-oriented spirit of this Pessac-Léognan cru, member of the ‘Union des Grands Crus’, Emilie Gervoson, one the owners' three daughters, after
an experience in communication and event organization, takes in charge the development. As for one of her sisters, Charlotte, she is interested in oenology...
To be continued...
Firstly these important investments undertaken in the vineyard as well as in the winery by the family Gervoson, complemented by Bruno Lemoine's experience, permitted the elaboration of this superb 2009 vintage in red as well as in white. Today, Emilie Gervoson's integrating the team will most certainly reinforce this trend and develop the image of Larrivet Haut-Brion.
Florence VARAINE
Château Larrivet Haut-Brion
33850 LÉOGNAN Tél. : +33 (0)5 56 64 75 51
www.larrivethautbrion.fr
