2 0 1 6 P R E S S PA C K
Contents
p. 3
Editorial by Paz Espejo
p. 4
History
p. 5
The Bouteiller Estate
p. 6
Things have changed at Lanessan since 2009!
p. 7
A new graphic identity
p. 8
The 3 wines. Le Château Lanessan
p. 9
Les Calèches de Lanessan
p. 10
Le Château de Sainte Gemme
p. 11
The estate, apart from the wine
2 0 1 6 P R E S S PA C K
p. 12
Appendices
p. 13
Paz Espejo’s curriculum vitae
p. 14
Contact details
EDITORIAL
Paz Espejo,
Directrice du Château Lanessan
The 2015 vintage,
blessed by nature…
It is now clear that this 2015 vintage will be remembered by Bordeaux wine
lovers. Cosseted by the generosity of nature, it displays great purity and
elegance. It is remarkably fresh and drinkable.
It is true that after a few ordinary years, we needed a vintage that would
infuse new confidence in the market and catch tasters’ attention. We were
heard by generous nature, and we were able to show the very best of what our
fine estate can produce. The wines of this vintage are distinctively graceful,
delicious, fresh and generous.
We are confident and enthusiastic as the new cultural year approaches and
look forward to what are budding vines are preparing to offer in 2016.
3
A cultivated island at anchor
since the 14th century
HISTORY
Steeped in history
The history of the estate began in 1310 under the reign of Edward
King of England and Duke of Guyenne. In 1793, Château Lanessan’s
24 hectares (59 acres) of vines were bought by Jean Delbos, a former
ship owner, who wanted to grow wine with the help of his son Louis.
Château Lanessan sits on top of a mound of deep Garonne gravel
on the edge of the Saint-Julien appellation area in the territory
of the Haut-Médoc AOC. The view over the vineyards is what makes
this place so unique.
Between 1878 and 1887, the estate really took off under the management
of André Delbos, who gave Château Lanessan a new lease of life by
building a pioneering vathouse and stables, which today house
the magnificent saddlery and the family collection of period carriages.
Horses have always been another passion on the estate.
The beautiful 8-hectare (20-acre) park was also designed at this time,
featuring a really picturesque garden made up of Dutch greenhouses
and a profusion of flowers. The park is wonderful for walks as well as
for riding on horseback or in a horse-drawn carriage.
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THE ESTATE
The Bouteiller Estate,
all in the family
“We don’t inherit land from our parents,
we borrow it from our children.”
Antoine de Saint Exupery’s famous quotation takes on real meaning
here. In 1907, Mr. Delbos’s daughter, Marie Louise, married Etienne
Bouteiller. In the 1960’s, one of her sons, Jean, was offered a fantastic
opportunity and bought Château Lachesnaye and Château de Sainte
Gemme in the commune of Cussac-Fort Médoc. These two acquisitions
enabled him to develop the estate substantially and to build a solid
foundation for a family entreprise.
Today the Bouteiller estate is a uniform island of 75 hectares (185 acres)
of vines in a single plot in the middle of 145 hectares (358 acres)
of woodland. For two centuries, the Bouteiller family has confirmed its
ambition by producing every year wines with a clearly asserted personality
that are elegant and harmonious and have remarkable keeping qualities.
Château Lanessan and Les Calèches de Lanessan
are the Bouteiller estate’s leading products
On this little Medoc island three wines are produced that fully respect
this superb gravel terroir and today the team is focussing all its energy on
making and promoting them. They are Château Lanessan, its second wine
Les Calèches de Lanessan launched in 1999 and Château de Sainte Gemme.
New winegrowing and winemaking techniques have been implemented
to ensure that these wines are of uniformly faultless quality, guaranteeing
our customers’ enjoyment, while faithfully representing the values of this
terroir and remaining characteristically Medoc.
5
TODAY
Paz Espejo awakens
the sleeping beauty
For eight generations, Château Lanessan
has been at the heart of the Bouteiller family.
To allow Mr. Hubert Bouteiller to enjoy a well-earned retirement,
the family did not think twice about hiring someone in. They chose
a woman, Paz Espejo, to introduce a little new energy and a modern
approach. Since August 2009, she has been managing the property
with masterly skill.
Things have
changed at
Lanessan
since 2009!
Having followed a career both in winegrowing and sales and displaying
a personality that certainly stands out, Paz Espejo has no difficulty in
taking the lead in this very male-oriented world. Paz Espejo is a true
epicurean and very passionate about wine and the Bordeaux area.
With Eric Boissenot, the established oenologist of the property, who took
over from his father Jacques in 2004, at her side, she took responsibility for
the harvest and making the wines from the 2009 vintage onwards. In 2015,
she decided to strengthen her team by calling in the owner of Château
Angélus, Hubert de Boüard, alongside Eric Boissenot to benefit from all his
expertise and knowledge in vine husbandry.
See Paz Espejo’s curriculum vitae in the appendices.
6
A graphic identity to suit
the new-found vitality
of the estate
2010 was a year of significant change for Lanessan in terms of its image.
The new management’s challenge and ambition was to highlight the positive
characteristics of the wines produced here, while developing a new, more
modern feel to the property. Paz Espejo has readily stepped into this role.
To heighten its profile, Château Lanessan decided to use orange as a
basic colour for all its promotional materials. Orange, of course, symbolises
energy, sociability and a modern creative approach, which is a way of
highlighting the values which drive the estate’s team in its approach.
A new graphic identity conceived by the Bordeaux-based designers
Pomelo, which expresses elegance, sobriety and a modern feel was applied
to the labels of Château Lanessan and Les Calèches de Lanessan starting
with the 2009 vintage.
THE IDENTITY
A new identifying logo DB, standing for “Domaine Bouteiller” - Bouteiller
Estate - has been adapted for use on the labels, capsules and other
promotional materials in order to build a sense of a consistent whole that
emerges from its terroir.
For the label of Les Calèches de Lanessan, a horse-drawn carriage in
reference to the magnificent family collection of carriages that is on public
show will be used for its sleek elegance.
To add new prominence and vitality to the estate’s image, its website has
been re-designed. From the press page, journalists can download press
releases, press kits and graphic materials related to Château Lanessan.
The reworked site acts as a virtual showcase of the newly promoted sources
of value for Lanessan: the sheer beauty of its location and the landscapes
that surround it, the new undertakings, etc.
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The Bouteiller Domaine’s winning
trio in the Bordeaux marketplace
This unique insular estate, next door to the Saint-Julien appellation
area, covers 300 hectares (740 acres) with a single 80-hectare
(200-acre) plot of vines surrounded by 145 hectares (360 acres)
of mixed woodland. The vines grow on mounds of deep Garonne
gravel, where the best classed growths grow.
THE 3 WINES
The family masterpiece,
Château Lanessan
Château Lanessan, Haut-Médoc, produces around 220,000 bottles
per year. With its typically Medoc grape varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot and Petit Verdot - this wine is the pride of the appellation
and the family estate. It is typically elegant and harmonious
and a great keeping wine. Today, Château Lanessan is mainly sold
by Bordeaux merchants.
AOC: Haut-Médoc
GRAPE VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot
TERROIR: 32 hectares (79 acres) of vines growing in deep Garonne gravel
AVERAGE AGE OF VINES: 30 years
WINE MAKING TECHNIQUES: Mechanical harvest at optimal ripeness.
Since 2012, the best fruit has been selected in the cellars using a hi-tech
optical sorting system. Fermentation in coated concrete tanks at
controlled temperatures. The wine making techniques, pumping over,
vatting periods and rack and return are adapted to the vintage and the fruit.
AGEING: 12 months in French oak: 1/3 new, 1/3 one-year-old and
1/3 two-year-old barrels.
TASTING NOTES: Complex, subtle bouquet. Lovely mouthfeel with fleshy
tannins and a persistent finish. Good ageing potential.
Smooth balance, subtle, rich
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The new second wine,
Les Calèches de Lanessan
Every vintage since 1999, Château Lanessan has made a new blend
of wines from top quality plots of younger vines. This lovely second wine,
Les Calèches de Lanessan, is made to be extremely tasty and fleshy.
Its elegance, its intense, very expressive fruit and its crispness on the
palate make it an excellent, yet affordable second wine that comes from
a great terroir. Today, Château Lanessan is mainly sold by Bordeaux
merchants and exported, especially to Asia.
AOC: Haut-Médoc
GRAPE VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc
TERROIR: 13 hectares (32 acres) of vines growing in deep Garonne gravel
AVERAGE AGE OF VINES: 20 years
WINE MAKING TECHNIQUES: Mechanical harvest at optimal ripeness.
Since 2012, the best fruit has been selected in the cellars using a hi-tech
optical sorting system. Fermentation in coated concrete tanks at
controlled temperatures. The wine making techniques, pumping over,
vatting periods and rack and return are adapted to the vintage and the fruit.
AGEING: 30% in one-year-old barrels
TASTING NOTES: More-ish, fruity bouquet. Silky, chewy tannins.
Attractive fresh, aromatic finish.
More-ish, chewy, fresh
9
Château de Sainte Gemme
for immediate enjoyment
The choice of grape variety, the soil type and the winemaking method
used, produce fruity, supple wines for more immediate enjoyment.
Beginners and connoisseurs alike find this a delightful wine to start
gradually getting to know more complex, great Medoc wines.
Today, Château de Sainte Gemme is sold by Bordeaux merchants
and exported.
AOC: Haut-Médoc
GRAPE VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
TERROIR: 13 hectares (32 acres) of vines growing in Garonne gravel
and sandy clay
AVERAGE AGE OF VINES: 20 years
WINE MAKING TECHNIQUES: Mechanical harvest at optimal ripeness.
Since 2012, the best fruit has been selected in the cellars using a hi-tech
optical sorting system. Fermentation in coated concrete tanks at
controlled temperatures. The wine making techniques, pumping over,
vatting periods and rack and return are adapted to the vintage and the fruit.
TASTING NOTES: Expressive and fresh, this wine features fruity,
compote aromas on the nose and a silky smooth feel on the palate.
Fruity, smooth, instant enjoyment
10
The Bouteiller Estate,
apart from the wine
APART FROM
THE WINE
Get away for a good meal, visit the magnificent collection of period
horse-drawn carriages, the cellars and vathouses or admire the architecture
of the property and its chateau: enjoy these and many other wine break
experiences with the whole family and/or friends at Château Lanessan
just off the Medoc chateaux route.
The architecture of the château
The château is sited on the highest part of the estate and is surrounded by
a park. Château Lanessan has a neo-classical Tudor-inspired style and is a
remarkable reminder of English architecture at the end of the 19th century.
The house overlooks a park with its trees and idyllic English gardens.
It is an impressively large, striking structure, designed by the Bordeaux
architect Henri Duphot, for whom the house and stables were the last
project in an outstanding career. Overall, the estate has a number of atypical
architectural features, which have been maintained and enhanced over the
generations. All the magic and history of this place have been faithfully
preserved and continue to amaze visitors like they always have.
Beautiful gardens
Château Lanessan overlooks an 8-hectare (20-acre) English-style park,
which was laid out at the time the house was built. What were very popular
at the end of the 19th century were very natural, lush gardens. Visitors are
free to wander through this picturesque flower-lover’s garden with its bowers,
rose garden and hedges that highlight volumes, areas and colours.
The Lanessan stables bear witness
to a generations-long passion
In 1880, André Delbos, who loved horses, had Henri Duphot build
stables in the shape of a horseshoe. Today, 8,000 visitors from the four
corners of the world come to see this museum every year.
These stables were ultra-modern in their time and were especially designed
to facilitate the care and comfort of the horses. They feature marble feed
troughs, an oats distribution device fed from the store, special boxes for
foaling mares and mechanical ventilation.
The museum boasts a collection of about ten carriages dating back to the
“Belle Epoque” period at the turn of the 19th century that are exhibited
in perfect condition. There is also a magnificent pine-panelled tack room
featuring a wide range of items such as saddles, harnesses, driving lines and
reins, whose elegant sophistication never fails to amaze visitors.
The property is open all year round and by reservation. Visitors are offered
estate tours in horse-drawn carriages with a professional driver.
This is a great opportunity to explore the vineyard, the gardens, the stables
and a little Tudor-style architecture. Visits are concluded with a tasting
of Bouteiller Estate wines led by the Lanessan team.
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Appendices
12
p. 13
Paz Espejo’s curriculum vitae
p. 14
Contacts details
Focus on the professional career
of Paz Espejo, the new Director
of Château Lanessan
Born in Madrid, she went to primary, then secondary school at the
French Lycée there. Having studied for a biology degree in the same
city, a stroke of luck took her to study oenology in Bordeaux in 1991.
After pocketing her oenologist’s diploma in 1994, she went off to make
wine in different parts of Spain, in Italy and in Tuscany.
In 1997, Paz Espejo started work for Calvet the Bordeaux merchant firm,
which has since disappeared, where she was Technical Manager and Wine
Purchasing Manager. For six very informative years, she made brand wines
with modern, well-defined styles. She approached different international
markets to present and sell the wines she was making in Bordeaux and in
other French regions: Burgundy, Languedoc and Côtes du Rhône.
The direct contact with foreign consumers was a golden opportunity for
her to compare her wines with those from the New World. This experience
led her to modify the winemaking and ageing techniques, while remaining
true to the spirit of Bordeaux wines, to adapt the wines to these markets
and new consumer expectations.
CV
From 2003 to the spring of 2009, she worked for Cordier, another reputed
merchants. This vibrant, modern company where she was Purchaser and
Technical Manager, also helped her to develop a much deeper knowledge
of French and foreign consumers, to continue to travel, to confront the
competition, to develop techniques and to strive to promote and defend
a whole range of Bordeaux wines that deserve to be recognised and liked
because of the enjoyment they provide.
Because of the close relationship that Cordier maintains with the great
Bordeaux estates, she was fortunate enough over a period of 2 years to
manage wines such as Château Rayne Vigneau in Sauternes, Château Grand
Puy Ducass in Pauillac and Château Meyney in Saint-Estèphe, where she
had the wonderful opportunity of making the excellent 2005 vintage.
At the end of 2006 when she was back with Cordier, she continued to
make brand wines and chateau wines, to promote products and travel.
In August 2009, she came to Château Lanessan to take over the position
of Director from Hubert Bouteiller, who retired after 30 years at the head
of the estate. Her objective is to get the very best out of this beautiful
property’s magnificent terroir of deep gravel and make the finest wines
possible year after year.
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Press Contact: Hémisphère Sud
Corinne Hennequin and Maïtena Idiart
21, place de Grandjean - 33440 Ambarès
t. 00 33 (0)5 57 77 59 60 - f. 00 33 (0)5 57 77 59 61
[email protected]
[email protected]
2 0 1 6 P R E S S PA C K
Château Lanessan
33460 Cussac-Fort-Médoc - www.lanessan.com
t. 00 33 (0)5 56 58 94 80 - f. 00 33 (0)5 57 88 89 92
[email protected]
DESIGN POMELO /PHOTOS LUCKY STUDIO