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| 5 of 23 | © 2002 Aaron Brown |
Chateau Labegorce, Margaux
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We spent quite a bit of time in the Margaux region of the Medoc, the
upper part of the Bordeaux wine region. Out of sheer luck we stumbled
across this interesting chateau winery, the Chateau Labegorce. The
Chateau Labegorce is one of the oldest wine-producing chateaux in
Bordeaux, in operation since 1332 (!). Unfortunately, it had been let go
during the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, so it produces only a
cru bourgeois, although it is still a Margaux AOC. In 1989 it was
bought by a new owner who completely revitalized the vinicultural
side of things, updating the winemaking facilities, bringing in an
expert winemaker, and restoring the vineyards. Today, it makes an
excellent (and still little-known, unfortunately) bottle of Margaux.
We were very lucky to arrive when the regular tasting-person was still at lunch; as a result, we got a private tour and tasting from the master winemaker himself. He took us through the entire process from grapes to bottled wine, explaining how a good Margaux is made, how the technical side of the winemaking progresses, what choices are made in terms of aging and blending, and so forth. At the end, he let us taste both the 2000 and 2001 vintages, the first fresh from the blending tanks and the second still in barrels. They were wonderful. I can't even express what a special and unique experience this was! |
Thu Apr 25 2002 01:11:40 PM
Technical data: Canon EOS D30, EF28-135/3.5-5.6IS at 41mm (65mm equiv), 1/250 sec. at f/10, ISO 100, -0.6 EV