Dear friends of Mayne Lalande,
I have always enjoyed sharing my passion for Chateau Mayne Lalande. The creation of this beautiful property, its emergence, and finally its recognition have been the passionate issue of my entire life as a Listrac winegrower.
Share my thoughts as an artisan winemaker
A fantastic saga, 38 vintages in constant search for the improvement of the wine. In the light of this Medoc trip, I now want to share my thoughts as an artisan winemaker. Also, every month, I invite you here to follow the life on the property. Over the seasons of the vineyard and the cellar, events in the world of wine, my joys, my questions, sometimes my rants, hot, you will live this incomparable adventure: making wine in Bordeaux.
I followed the call of the wine
To start this monthly series, I want to tell you about my wedding, with wine of course. But it is first of all a heritage that is involved. The cultural heritage of 5 generations of wine-growers before me, settled in the Listracais moor. I participated very young in the life of the small family farm. From all these activities, I learned that in order to receive from nature, you had to give it so much. You had to know how to love him. Some people become farmers, I was born a farmer. When it came time to make professional choices, I followed the call of wine.
The joyful conviviality of wine
Instinctively, what attracted me to wine was this indefinable alchemy which fixes all the pleasures of nature. There is beauty in wine. But a beautiful one who does not put a distance in his creation. On the contrary, it brings us all together. I am fundamentally Gascon, and the joyful friendliness of the wine matches my character. In this idea of sharing and welcoming, I opened the house on the estate, a magnificent building, to receive my guests.
This earthy family atmosphere, all aromatic and colorful, was the best sensory learning I could receive. Mom’s cooking was a big part of that too. This natural experience allowed me to work on my taster ranges. I had a clear idea early on of the style of wine I liked. I have never strayed from it.
A flamboyant score of all the notes of the fruit
In short, I had all the cards in hand to start a winegrower’s journey. It just lacked a castle. It only took 40 years. In 1978 I started this adventure by taking part of the grapes to a cooperative cellar. In 1982 I took the plunge, left the cooperation and created Mayne Lalande, which only had a castle in name. Over the years, the estate has grown with around fifty plots to form a whole of 22 ha. A part is in natural agriculture. By dint of hard work, the property is equipped with all modern technical means.
This collection of terroir is a perfect synthesis of Listrac. Its fragmentation leads to long harvests, but is a factor of complexity. It allows you to play a flamboyant score of all the notes of the fruit of the vine. My friends say I am a real Cabernet Sauvignon. By dint of running through the rows of vines, it is a very normal mimicry. The idea suits me, from our great Médoc terroir, it makes an elegant and generous wine.
Thanks for reading,
If you don’t mind, see you next month.
Until then, be well
Bernard Lartigue, artisan winemaker