Chateau Larrogue.jpg
Chateau Larroque
(courtsey of Ducourt)
Unlike large wine businesses in the New World, Europe's system of appellations creates a paradox of requiring everyone to think small, no matter how big they get.
Unbeknownst to Pierre Ducourt when he began his winery in 1885 in France's Entre-Deux-Mers region, his tiny 9 hectare vineyard would spawn a family enterprise of 13 chateaux, covering 440 hectares (1,074 acres) of vineyards.
The expansion began in 1951 when grandson Henri Ducourt assumed control and began purchasing vineyards; and with the assistance of his three children, bottled the wine for the bulk market.
The three great-grandchildren bought more property throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and their children, the fourth generation, joined the business in this millennium
In February, fourth-generation member Jonathan Ducourt presented a selection of the family's wines at The Modern restaurant in Manhattan.
Jonathan Ducourt at The Modern
Ducourt explained that in 1979, his grandfather bought a chicken farm that was once a notable vineyard. In 1348, the English king Edward III Plantagenet gave permission to his Knight de La Roque to develop a vineyard and build a chateau named, Le Chateau de la Tour. Later, it became Chateau Larroque. In 1651, the chateau was partially destroyed during France's Civil War.
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While the Ducourts created a large wine company, the appellation system limits its size to that of each property. At Chateau Larroque, the estate has 128 acres of red wine grapes and 35 acres of white wine grapes.
Ducourt poured the 2009 Chateau Larroque red wine, made by his brother, Jeremy. Its blend of 80 percent merlot and 20 percent cabernet sauvignon yields an appealing ruby color, and herbaceous and black cherry scents. Very tasty black cherry and black tea flavors are bound with noticeable tannins in the finish-it's unusual for the 2009 vintage, which is filled with ripe, supple fruit--but its ideal for paring this wine with grilled meats.
The 2013 Chateau Larroque white wine is a blend of 80 percent sauvignon blanc and 20 percent semillon. This classic Bordeaux blend captured sauvignon blanc's lemon-thyme aroma and flavor, while semillon's soft texture brings body and balance to sauvignon blanc's natural high acidity. Serve the refreshing 2013 Chateau Larroque white wine with chicken salad, or your favorite New Jersey Shore fish dish.
The Chateau Larroque wines are distributed by BNP Distributing in Manhattan; both wines retail for about $13.
Chateau La Rose du Pin is located in the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation; under its regulations, only white wine is entitled to the appellation designation, the 2009 Chateau La Rose du Pin red wine carries the general Bordeaux Superior label.
Winemaker Jeremy Ducourt employs nearly the same blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon as in the 2009 Chateau Larroque. Culled from a 101-acre red grape vineyard, the 2009 Chateau La Rose du Pin combines a slightly smoky black tea and black fruit aroma, with ripe, black fruit flavor and mellow tannins, which reflect the character of the 2009 vintage.
La Ville Imports in Garden City Park, N.Y., distributes the 2009 Chateau La Rose du Pin wine; it retails for about $11.
A Glass of Wine appears every week in Today. John Foy may be reached at johnfoy@thewineodyssey.com
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