This product is no longer available. Please choose another vintage above.

Chateau La Gurgue label
Chateau La Gurgue bottle

Chateau La Gurgue 2012

Red Wine

Log in to view pricing and order online

Don't have an account? Register here

Item# 1505-12

Technical data

Owner: Claire VILLARS LURTON
Production manager: Gerard FENOUILLET
Winemaking consultant: Eric BOISSENOT
Surface of the wineyard: 10 hectares
Soil: Deep gravels and coarse sands on limestone
Plantation: 50% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot, 5% petit verdot
Average age of vineyard: 30 years
  Density: 10 000 plants/ha
Yield: 750 g/plant
Growing: Traditional and sustainable wine-growing
Harvest: Hand picking. Main sorting on the plant and additional sorting on table
Vinification: Traditional. In concrete and wood vats whose volumes are proportional to the
Fermentation on skins: plots
Blending: 18 to 24 days
Aging: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
Production: In oak barrels during 12 months. New ones at 25%.  

Estate

The history of Chateau La Gurgue is closely linked to the village of Margaux. Successively, two owners of the vineyard raced for the Town Hall of Margaux and won. The first was a wealthy Portuguese banker, Mr. Peixotto. In 1871, he added to the vineyard some beautiful lands, which were located around the Parish of Margaux. Later, another mayor of Margaux, Mr Camille Lenoir became the owner of Chateau La Gurgue. He gave his name to the Chateau and enriched it with some valuable plots surrounded by the vineyard of Chateau Margaux. They are located at Curton, on the best croups of Margaux. The Chateau then returned to its original name "La Gurgue", which is a locality of the village.
Claire VILLARS LURTON is the architect of this revival. Year after year, she works with the upmost delicacy to express in her wine the unique terroir of Chateau La Gurgue.

Vintage

In 2012, after an especially difficult Spring and beginning of Summer, the weather conditions were very favorable for the plants from mid-July. The Winter was very cold and dry, with an important deficit of rainfall. When the temperatures became warmer at the end of Winter, the budburst began but was long. The phenological shift also delayed the flowering, which was very disrupted by rainfall. At the berry set, there was sagging of the merlot and the yields were rather low. Generally, Spring was very wet with a heavy pressure of mildew. Prophylaxis and the balance of the vines played an important role in the control of fungal diseases. The rains stopped in mid-July for more than 2 months, which is extremely rare.
From this date, more favorable temperatures allowed to catch up but the high temperatures of August and especially the lack of water locally slowed the ripening of the young vines that do not have a sufficiently developed root system. Finally, in late September rainfall led to the development of the skin and accelerated the maturation. We started the harvest on October 1st to end on October 10th, 2012. But we had to hurry to get healthy harvest because the rains came back on October 7th. The distribution of the harvest on the foot (low yields) and the good condition of the vineyard, combining with a very precise work of sorting, were capital to optimize the quality of the vintage.
Quickly, the merlot showed a remarkable flesh that we haven't tasted for a long time. As the cabernet sauvignon, they did not disappoint us and were faithful to our land of Medoc. They are soft and rich of elegance. We will have powerful wines, tender and digestible. 2012 is a very good vintage and many successes are waiting for us ahead.