For François-Xavier Borie, wine is “a way to communication. A kind of universal language, like music or sport” and, after a lifetime of work at Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, he has just one aspiration: that his children understand this and learn to speak the same language.
Like François-Xavier Borie, his father, Jean-Eugène Borie, also had this same drive; and before him, Raymon Dupin, former owner of the estate and one of the most important figures in the Médoc, who was also concerned about who was going to inherit the 90 hectares of thisCinquiéme Crû. And no wonder. Not just anyone could take over this very special property, right in the A.O.C. Pauillac, (north of the road linking Pauillac to Saint-Laurent), where the location on a mound at an altitude of 20 metres makes it a good site for vineyard drainage. This detail determines the whole nature and raison d'être behind Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. So much so that it is even included in the name (puy in French means mountain). And the characteristic gravelly soils and the oceanic climate, with its maritime and Gironde influences, have an indisputable influence on the vineyards.
As for François-Xavier Borie, he has lived up to expectations. Not only has he managed the business magnificently, but he has also made Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste his home, a place where he feels settled, where the family has moved, and where they have enjoyed some of their most significant moments, like christenings, which are celebrated in the Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste chapel. Today, this family-owned company produces two wines: the eponymous Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and the second, Château Lacoste-Borie.
Château Lacoste-Borie is made in the same way as its older sibling. The Borie family is supported by a great team of winegrowers and workers who understand the vineyard to perfection. To make Château Lacoste-Borie, two harvests are always carried out: a first green harvest, before ripening, where yields are limited; and finally a second harvest, where the fruit is fully balanced and ready to be harvested. This work, carried out annually by the same team of Spanish grape harvesters, is done by hand and is the result of experience passed down from generation to generation.
The Château Lacoste-Borie grapes are brought to the winery, where they are again double sorted before and after destemming. After being placed in thermoregulated vats, Château Lacoste-Borie ferments and macerates for a few days in these same tanks, ensuring that the resulting wine is full of colour and flavour. After malolactic fermentation, it is time for blending, where the different Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc cuvées are blended, in different proportions, until the perfect blend is found that reflects the best expression of the vintage.
Once this has been decided, which is by no means easy, Château Lacoste-Borie is aged in new, fine-grained Allier oak barrels, where the wine is racked by gravity every three to four months. Finally, it is time for bottling. The time has come to find out more. What do you think? Do you dare to learn to speak the language of Château Lacoste-Borie?