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Chateau Laulan Ducos
The origins of Laulan Ducos can be traced back to at least 1460, when it was part of the Loirac seigneurie, Bordeaux being under feudal rule. At the opening of the 20th Century, however, it was in the ownership of Marguerite Cruon, who bequeathed it to Paul Meynieu in 1911. In 1983 it came to his grandson, Francis Ducos, but since his untimely death the mother-and-son trio of Brigitte, Frederic and Julien Ducos have been in charge. The family have control over 30 hectares in all, of which just over two thirds are, at the time of writing, planted up.
The Laulan Ducos vineyards are located in Jau-Dignac-Loirac, within a mile or two of many other popular Cru Bourgeois properties, the area of vineyards north of the Haut-Médoc communes, including La Tour de By, Patache d'Aux and La Tour St Bonnet. The vines demonstrate a typical Médoc mix, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon which accounts for 65%, with 34% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Although the terroir of the Médoc features heavier soils with less gravelly relief than is found further south, there are still patches of gravel lightening the soils here, particularly on higher ground. One such patch of ground bears the vineyards of Laulan Ducos. Vineyard practices include a green harvest and leaf thinning, so there is a leaning towards quality here, although I note harvest is by mechanical means. But it must be difficult to do otherwise here in the Médoc, where wines can not command the high prices that are found elsewhere in Bordeaux. After all, manual labour does not come cheap.
Vinification is in stainless steel, and there is up to 25 days of maceration to extract tannin and colour. There follows a year in oak, of which one third of the barrels are new. The aim is for a classic left bank style, and the Ducos family have enjoyed some success. The wines have featured in the popular French wine bible, Le Guide Hachette des Vins, in several vintages. With the most recent vintages, Frédéric Ducos tells me he has aimed for greater extract, with more density and texture to the wine. In my opinion he has succeeded, and the results really show on tasting the 2002 and 2003. More recently the 2005 vintage displays all the class that one would expect, and there is much to commend in the 2004 vintage also. In the Cru Bourgeois spectrum these are excellent wines, with an obvious ratcheting up in quality in the last few vintages; they are worth seeking out. (10/5/05, updated 15/8/07)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Laulan Ducos, 33590 Jau-Dignac-Loirac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 09 42 37
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 09 48 40
Internet:
www.laulanducos.com
Chateau Laulan Ducos - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Laulan Ducos (Médoc) 2005:
A deep, glossy but dense hue, and an array of pure and spicy aromas are released
from the glass, a melange of liquorice and cassis fruit backed up by smoky
cherry, sweetly composed but also serious and gritty. On the palate a similar
purity comes across, carried by a rich texture underpinned by a fine grip. There
are just piles of ripe tannins, within a core of lipsmacking savoury quality
which carries through to the finish. Fresh and balanced, this is approachable
now, but will certainly give yet more pleasure in a few years time. Excellent
potential. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week
write-up. 17+/20 (August 2007)
Chateau Laulan Ducos (Médoc) 2004:
The fruit goes crunch, crunch, crunch when this wine is first poured into the
glass. It starts off with a crisp, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, with a
similarly fresh and light palate, but it soon fleshes out through the midpalate
to give a wine full of fruit but with an appealing although moderate impact and
light texture. With a little more time in the glass it hunkers down, leaving a
very firm, classically styled, slightly hard claret imbued with a little twiggy
wood, which is a great food wine. I think this is how this wine will ultimately
perform in the future. Very nice for the vintage. 15.5+/20 (August 2007)
Chateau Laulan Ducos (Médoc) 2003:
An exceptionally rich, deep colour. Gorgeous nose, showing ripe black cherry
fruit with nuances of finely tanned leather and chocolate. Beautiful texture and
weight on entry, which is rich, mouth-filling and quite opulent, but with an
excellent backbone of ripe yet grippy tannins which peer through on the
midpalate, and provide a lovely grip through to the finish. This has great
impact on the palate, although it remains unmistakeably left-bank, and has a
tannin-derived sense of balance, despite lower than usual acidity. Very good
indeed. 17+/20 (April 2005)
Chateau Laulan Ducos (Médoc) 2002: A lovely and surprising purple edge to the colour here. But what really delights
is the nose, which reeks of classic mineral, iron, blackcurrant, left-bank
Cabernet Sauvignon. With time it shows a little more exotic, with black cherry
aromas and liquorice coming to the fore. The last time I picked an aroma profile
like this I was tasting the 1989 vintage, although 2002 doesn't have the same
texture or ripeness. Very nicely structured palate, infused with red and black
berry fruits, but with ripe tannins and correct acidity making for a pleasant
structure. Good. 16/20 (April 2005)
Chateau Laulan Ducos (Médoc) 2001:
Young but opened up with an hour or two in the decanter. A bright, vibrant
purple hue. A lovely nose, redolent of black summer fruits, especially black
cherry, with a touch of nuts and sandalwood. Medium bodied with plentiful fruit,
and ripe, svelte tannins. Poised and elegant, well balanced acidity, and plenty
of flavour. Lovely effort. Also warrants a year or two in the cellar, but lovely
now. 15+/20 (June 2004)
Chateau Laulan Ducos (Médoc) 2000:
Plenty of youthful colour here, fairly deep as well. The nose has plenty of
ripe, almost tarry, but certainly stylish, mineral Cabernet fruit. There's also
an exotic nuance of cashew nuts. Full, textured, with an early showing of
fragrant and mineral fruit on the palate, although this soon disappears - this
wine is closing down I think. Good firm tannins. Demands another two or three
years in the cellar before drinking. 15.5+/20 (June 2004)
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