Chateau Labégorce Zédé, Cru Bourgeois from Margaux, will disappear from the 2009 vintage.
It will instead become part of Chateau Labégorce, creating one 55ha estate. This has been the intention since the late Hubert Perrodo – founder of the Perenco oil group – bought first Labégorce in 1989, then its neighbours Chateau de l'Abbé Gorsse de Gosse in 2002, and Labégorce Zédé in 2005.
The three had been combined before the French Revolution, and split into separate properties in the ensuing centuries.
Perrodo also bought underperforming third growth Chateau Marquis d'Alesme Becker, a few months before he died in a skiing accident in 2006.
After his death, the plans were put on hold, but his 27-year-old daughter Nathalie has now taken over the property, splitting her time between Bordeaux and London. She is carrying out her father's wishes.
'We have talked about this for years,' technical director Philippe de la Laguarigue, who worked previously at Chateau Montrose, told decanter.com, 'but nothing has happened. Now we are moving forward with the original plan.'
There will now be just one estate: Chateau Labégorce, with its second wine Zédé de Labégorce.
Chateau Marquis d'Alesme will drop the 'Becker' from its name, but continue to exist separately.
'It will also remain at 15ha,' said Laguarigue, 'but some of the better plots from the other estates will be used in Marquis.'
Construction of a new winery for the reworked estates is due to begin in June 2010.
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The elimination of the famous Zédé name represents a seriously dysfunctional attitude to the history and tradition of Bordeaux and will no doubt be of serious concern to Zédé lovers everywhere, not to mention the noble Zédé family, who can count on my support should they decide to challenge this decision and decide to take legal action in support of the maintenance of the cultural status quo, my fee open to discussion. The noble Abbott of Gorsse de Gorsse is surely turning in his grave. Anthony Rose
When the Thienpont Family sold Labégorce Zédé to Hubert Perodo in 2005 it was clear that there would eventually be a rationalization of the estates. Now we know that the Zédé name will disappear forever we should remember fondly the excellent wines that Luc Thienpont produced there for almost thirty years. But Anthony Rose needn't fret because it's not actually the end of the road for those many Zédé lovers - Luc has moved less than a kilometer away to his new winery at Clos des Quatre Vents, just a hop over the garden wall round the back of Château Margaux. and he has three small old-vine vineyards all producing very interesting stylish AC Margaux Villa des Quatre Soeurs and Clos des Quatre Vents (imported in the UK by Justerini & Brooks) are en primeur sellouts already after their first few vintages but the Zédé zealots should get hold of Château Tayac-Plaisance which made its début in the 2008 vintage (see 2008 tasting notes on www.decanter.com). This is available in the UK through Corney & Barrow*. Ben Kennedy
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