Skip to content Skip to footer
Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.
Close

Wines of the Médoc

Château Laffitte Laujac

L de LAFFITTE LAUJAC

CHÂTEAU LAFFITTE LAUJAC

The Laujac terroir 

Laujac wines are created by assembling wines produced from different geological formations.

Limestone clays from the Tertiary era nourish Merlot grapes allowing especially good expression on these relatively heavy soils. The resulting wines are full, generous, and very concentrated.

The second part of the Laujac soil consists of Pliocene-Quaternary formations and is characterized by fine gravels. Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme on these well-draining soils although we also find Petit Verdot. This is the oldest part of the vineyard and produces very fine, complex wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety of Laujac, giving a wine full of finesse and a bouquet with substantial keeping power. Perfectly at home on gravelly soils, Cabernet Sauvignon endows the Laujac wines with remarkable structure.

Merlot thrives on gravel and chalky-clay soils. With its fruity, tasty character it brings fullness to the wines of Laujac.

The sweet violet fragrance of Petit Verdot mingles – in small quantities – with the blend to add finishing touches to the charismatic complexity of Laujac wines.

 

More Information

About Laujac

The huge estate of Laujac is located in the heart of the Médoc region. It covers some 400 hectares in total, of which 75 hectares are planted to vines. It encompasses two vineyards classified Crus Bourgeois in 1932: the Laujac vines are beautifully sited on filter gravels, providing excellent natural drainage. While the Laffitte vines grow in chalky-clay soils near the village of Bégadan.

The proximity of the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean provide very favourable conditions for the vines and good ripening of the grapes. Below the vineyards lie the lush meadows of the lands created by the polder dam where Limousine cattle graze peacefully along with the French saddle horses bred in Laujac.

Owner:
Vanessa Cruse Duboscq & Manager: René-Philippe Duboscq

Six generations of the Cruse family have followed each other on the Laujac estate over 2 centuries. The knowledge of the soil, the shaping of the plots, the selection of grape varieties and their rootstocks have been transmitted from generation to generation. These choices are consciously made in order to respect the estate’s eco-system…as men may go but the Laujac soil remains. Generations of winemakers have therefore contributed to the development of our wines.

Due to the “phylloxera invasion” at the beginning of the 20th century, 2 world wars and the terrible frosts of 1956, there were only 8 hectares of vines remaining when Bernard Cruse took over the management of the estate in 1957.

He undertook the revival of the vineyards, modernization of the technical tools and renovation of the buildings. After 55 vintages, this passionate winemaker transmitted management of the Laujac estate to his daughter Vanessa and his son-in-law, René-Philippe Duboscq, in 2012. The vineyards now spread over 60 hectares.

This new generation has made large investments in the vineyards and in the winery in order to raise quality levels and to enable continuation of the vineyard reconstruction while respecting the environment. Their goal is to produce the best wines possible and to demonstrate the uniqueness of this terroir.

A team of 15 people works closely with us today – and with the same standards of excellence.

In the vineyards

    • At Laujac, the culture of the vine is both traditional and innovative; it changes according to the different climatic conditions and soils.
    • We use double-Guyot pruning and de-budding to evenly distribute grape bunches on the fruit-bearing canes.
    • During the summer we practice leaf-thinning and green-harvesting to allow the remaining grapes to develop in the best possible health.
    • We respect our land and have adopted sustainable methods such as soil tillage, the use of cover crops and natural fertilizer from our cattle.

In the winery

    • After rigorous upkeep throughout the summer, the grapes are picked when ripe. It’s harvest time…Les Vendanges
    • The grapes are de-stemmed, sorted and put into temperature-controlled vats where they are vinified according to the plots and vineyards they come from.
    • After alcoholic fermentation the fruit remains to macerate in the vats for a period of 3 to 4 weeks.
    • The wines are tasted daily with our oenologist, in order to find the optimum moment to draw off the wine and send the pulp and skins to our vertical presses.
    • Maturing in French oak barrels lasts 12 months, during which time the wines are racked once or twice.
    • Then they undergo assembly and fining before being bottled at the Chateau.
    • Our wines are elaborated in order to maintain the flavor of ripe fruit throughout their development.
    • Aging in oak barrels perfects the structure and balance.
    • The maturing process is adapted to each of our wines and will give them aptitude to age and become more refined as time goes by.