Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Lacoste Borie: The gift of time

Published 12 December 2024 In Features

For this family-run fifth-growth estate in Pauillac, history is still alive: Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste has been making its exemplary wines from the very same vineyard parcels since the 1855 classification.

A name that tells a story

One of the oldest estates in the Médoc, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is more than just a famous name: ‘Grand Puy’ refers to one of the defining features of the estate’s terroir, the gentle ridge of land rising 20m above the flat Bordeaux landscape. ‘Lacoste’, meanwhile, commemorates its owners at the time of the 1855 classification, who did so much to shape the estate as we know it, including building its magnificent château.

The impressive château, recently renovated by current owners the Borie family, can be traced back to the 18th century.

Timeless wines from a historic estate

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste’s wines have always championed the classic Pauillac style: they are powerful yet elegant, with fine-grained, velvety tannins. At the same time, they express their particular terroir, which particularly benefits from the moderating influence of the nearby Gironde estuary.

In addition to the carefully tended vineyards, the estate encompasses 30ha of parkland, bringing a genuine biodiversity to the area. Although it is a rare thing in Bordeaux, François-Xavier and Marie-Hélene Borie choose to live in the château all year round.

New year’s resolutions

Looking to the future, the estate is making numerous improvements for 2025, continuing to bolster the efficiency and precision of its winemaking, including introducing gravity-fed equipment for the first time. The winery is also reducing the overall volume it produces each year, to reinforce its commitment to quality over quantity.

Since the 2020 vintage, the Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste has offered its Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Lacoste Borie wines in ‘Variation Cases’.

A Christmas gift to savour

The Château’s ‘Variation Cases’ present its Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Lacoste Borie wines in a novel and interesting format – instead of 12 standard-sized bottles, these special presentation cases combine a double-magnum, two magnums and four bottles.

These different bottle sizes reveal how wine can age differently – at faster or slower paces – in different formats, so a Variation Case allows wine lovers to explore how their favourites develop in bottle. For connoisseurs who wish to experience how these complex, layered wines evolve, there can be no better Christmas gift!

To purchase a case or request specific vintages, contact the winery via dfxb@domainesfxborie.com