NC 

Maturing / Ageing : NC

A Return to the source - 2023 marks my first vintage at Lascombes. It was a deep dive into the estate’s origins and rich history. Like artisans embracing a living material, we have begun to work with this exceptional terroir to shape the future. As soon as I arrived, in the almost tropical atmosphere of the growing season, and after an excellent flowering, we made some meticulous choices in the vineyard with careful management of the foliage to counter the risk of disease by aerating the bunches while also protecting them from too much sun, and an adjustment of the harvest load to allow the grapes to thoroughly ripen while preserving the fruit’s freshness. The harvest began on 7 September and was spread over five weeks, enabling us to harvest each plot at optimal ripeness. For me, after a long detour through Italy, the time had come to return to the source and listen to the raw material to decode the pure, natural expression of a unique terroir, which I know will require patience, humility and perseverance to explore and understand. The charm and vibrant fruit of the Cabernet Franc quickly won me over. The Merlot required careful sorting. After vinification, it was crisp and very elegant. Gentle extraction allowed the Petit Verdot to express its fruity yet tannic character. As for the Cabernet Sauvignon, its complexity, elegance and distinguished tannins are a tribute to Lascombes’ historic terroir. They guided us, almost as if it were obvious, to the Château Lascombes 2023 blend, characterized by straightforwardness, classicism and silkiness. Isn’t that the definition of the Margaux style I’ve come to rediscover? Axel Heinz