To say that Chateau Larose-Perganson has had a chequered history is rather an understatement! It was founded in 1719 by Jean-Pierre de Pontet who was the advisor in Bordeaux to King Louis XV, and a pioneer in the planting of the Médoc with vines. He chose land at Perganson, on the border of Pauillac and Saint-Julien to establish his vineyard, and the wines were known as Pontet-Perganson. In 1815 Henry Delaroze inherited the property, together with the neighbouring estate of Trintaudon, and the wines took the name of Larose-Perganson. Count Ernest De Lahens inherited the properties in 1858, but the phylloxera epidemic ravaged the estates at the end of the 19th century and the vineyards were abandoned. Whilst many Châteaux began the slow, but steady wine path to recovery, in 1923 Larose-Perganson was acquired by the White Russian Count Tchernoff, whose dream was industrial dairy farming. He converted the estate into an ultra-modern dairy not realising that although the land was perfect for growing vines, it was useless for growing grass! The cows therefore produced no milk and the whole venture went bankrupt. Over the ensuing years Château Larose was progressively stripped bare until all that was left was a ruin, although Château Trintauden was left standing. Rescue came in 1963 when the dilapidated estates were bought by the great wine connoisseur Forner family, who resurrected Trintauden and brought the vineyards of both estates back to life, evolving them to one of the largest in the Médoc. It was sold to the Allianz Group in 1986, one of the largest insurance and financial services groups in the world. They produce a range of wines under the name of Larose-Trintauden, but also continue to make wines under the Larose-Perganson label to honour the history and perpetuate the memory of Jean-Pierre de Pontet's vision. At Larose-Perganson they follow organic principles and the vines are planted on what is the oldest gravel outcrop in the Médoc, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The vines are about 15 years old and the wines are aged for between 12 and 16 months in oak, 50% new. Larose-Perganson is a Cru Bourgeois estate, and the wines produced are a creative range of “new French clarets”, and are of exceptional quality, representing excellent value for money.