Château Laulerie’s vineyards stretch out on the right bank of the River Dordogne in the Western part of the Bergerac wine appellation. This prized area, known as Montravel, is characterized by its calcareous-clayish hills, facing in an ideal southerly direction.
The vineyard is made up of 50% white grapes (Sauvignon and Semillon) and 50% red grapes (Merlot, Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec).
The vines are closely planted (around 5000 vines per hectare), and trellised using the Guyot system, typical throughout the Bergerac and Bordeaux region. Quality root-stocks, specifically adapted to the varying soil types, are carefully chosen at every planting.
Yield control, the mainstay of quality, consists of a series of operations run throughout the year, such as bud removal and canopy management, in order to maintain and to improve the quality potential of each year’s crop. We also perform leaf plucking and green harvesting when the grapes begin to change colour, allowing the better-developed grapes ripen even more fully.
To obtain healthy grapes whilst preserving the environment, we have developed an extensive knowledge of vine parasites and the various sprays available. We used this knowledge in conjunction with a close-up observation of the vines, resulting in rational and environmentally-sensitive pest control.
The cellar is set in XVIIIth-century stone buildings typical of the Perigord region. These old stones nowadays contain the highly efficient, modern winemaking equipment - temperature-controlled stainless tanks, pneumatic press, bottling line, cold generator, etc. - essential to make high quality wines.
Depending on the “cuvée”, the ageing is carried out either in French oak barrels (225 litre) or oak vats (50hL) in our underground cellar, which provides them with an ideal cool and damp atmosphere.
Thus it is this blend of tradition and modernity which enriches both the character of our estate and the wines we produce.
