This Bordeaux wine comes from Chateau Laniote that is owned by the de la Filolie family in Saint Emilion. The family have owned this property for 200 years and was established by Pierre Lacoste, who was a wine merchant who bought a plot of land and grew it over the years to be the vineyard it is today.
One of the most fascinating things about Chateau Laniote is that it has been passed down in a direct line from mother to daughter for eight generations, and has therefore changed its name each time.
The chateau is in the Saint E’milion region of France and has the grand cru distinction, meaning that the grapes are produced under tighter restrictions than the rest of the region in order to distinguish the quality of the wines from the rest of the wine in the region.
Right in the heart of Saint-E’milion also sits the historic 13th century chapel where Saint-Emilion himself lived. They own this and if you notice on the label, you will see its picture.
2015 Chateau Laniote Wine Notes
2015 was called a dream year for Chateau Laniote. They have had four exceptional vintages, each of the years ending in 5. Their 2015 wine scored a 95 rating, which was a victory for the Right Bank. The Left Bank and Right Bank are two Bordeaux wine regions in France that are separated by two rivers. Because of the environmental differences, Right Bank wines are more merlot-balanced with less cabernet while Left Bank wines are more cabernet sauvignon-balanced with less merlot.
At the Chateau Laniote vineyards in 2015, the merlot was the first grapes picked for this wine. The cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon varietals were picked a couple of weeks later. It was a good year that produced beautiful, black fruit. The wine went into oak barrels for approximately 4-5 months.
This Bordeaux wine has soft tannins with hints of vanilla on the nose. It is rich and intense with blackberry notes on the palate. You definitely will taste the richness of black fruit and spice. I recommend that you decant it for 30 minutes. Enjoy this alone or with red meats or hard cheeses.
