Château Lanessan

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Detail of a Château Lanessan 1975 label
Detail of a Château Lanessan 1975 label

Château Lanessan is a Bourdeaux wine from the appellation Haut-Médoc rated Cru Bourgeois. The winery is located on the Left Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Cussac near Fort Médoc.

Although ranked among Bougeois wine, the consistency in production of quality wine has lead many to state it ought to be elevated to a higher classification.[1][2][3]

Château Lanessan has since 1999 produced a second wine, Les Calèches de Lanessan (English: The Carriages of Lanessan), emphasising the château's ties with horses.

Contents

[edit] History

The earliest doccumentation indicate Dame Paironne la Montagne, the widow of Henry de Lanessan, sold the estate on January 15, 1310 to Sieur de Blaignan. It was acquired in 1793 by Jean Delbos, previously a ship owner. In the 19th century Lanessan (then named Dubosqc) was listed as a Quatrieme cru by Lawton in 1815 and received highly favourable mentions in Cocks & Féret.[3] Following a decision by Jean Delbos' son Louis, Lanessan did not to submit samples to the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, in the belief that the World's Fair ranking would add nothing to the estate's already sound reputation, and that the selection amounted to "beurocratic nonsense".[3]

Château de Lanessan was built 1878 by André Delbos, in a mock-Tudor style, and its cellars built in traditional Médoc style. Additionally the estate was expanded to include stables that are the foundation for the Musée du Cheval, to date a tourism destination.[1] Following the marriage between Marie-Louise Delbos and Etienne Bouteiller in 1907, the family shifted name, and in 1961, Jean Bouteiller, started to expand the family's holding, initially acquiring Château Lachesnaye, and Château de Sainte Gemme in 1962.

[edit] Production

The vineyard area extends 40 hectares with the grape varieties of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Of the Grand vin there is an average production of 220,000 bottles per year.

[edit] Château Lachesnaye

Also classified a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur,[4] Château Lachesnaye is produced at a neighbouring estate, currently owned by the Bouteiller family as well.

Domaine de Lachesnaye, a former seigneurial land in the parish of Sainte Gemme, belonged in 1793 to the Caupène family, who had inherited it from Sire de La Chesnaye. The estate was bought by Frédéric Exshaw in 1880, and had a château built resebling that of Lanessan. Weakened by the economic crisis of 1929, and frosts of 1945 and 1956, the estate was acquired by Jean Bouteiller in 1961, and a great proportion of the plants were replanted. Château Lachesnaye resumed wine production in 1971.

The vineyard area extends 20 hectares, planted with the grape varieties of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot. Lachesnaye also produces a second wine, Sire de Lachesnaye.

[edit] Château de Sainte Gemme

Situated east of Château Lachesnaye, south of Château Beychevelle, and north of the vineyards of Château Ducru Beaucaillou, Château de Sainte Gemme is located on what was a parish in the 18th and 19th centuries, and formerly the property of the owners of Château Lachesnaye who sold its wine under the Lachesnaye name. The estate was acquired in 1962 by Jean Bouteiller, who began production under the Sainte Gemme label in 1982.

The vineyard area extends 10 hectares with the grape varieties of 50% Cabernet sauvignon and 50% Merlot. There is annually produced on average 65,000 bottles.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Lichine, Alexis (1967). Alexis Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits. London: Cassell & Company Ltd., p.318. 
  2. ^ Johnson, Hugh (1971). The World Atlas of Wine. London: Mitchell Beazley Ltd., p.82. ISBN 0-85533-002-3. 
  3. ^ a b c Peppercorn, David (2003). Bordeaux. London: Mitchell Beazley, p.267-268. ISBN 1-84000-927-6. 
  4. ^ Kissack, Chris, thewinedoctor.com. Cru Bourgeois Classification.

[edit] External links