Château L’Enclos
The origins of Château L’Enclos really seem to begin in the mid-19th century, with the Larroucaud family, although some authors have attempted to delve further back to look for an earlier or alternative origin for the estate. In particular, writing in Grands Vins (University of California Press, 1995), the late Clive Coates raised the possibility that the estate originated from L’Enclos du Presbytère, a plot of vines in the possession of a local priest which was cited in the earliest editions of the Bordeaux bible, Cocks & Féret. Even Clive admits, however, that this appears to be a distinct estate from that we know today as Château L’Enclos.
Indeed, the origins of the estate seem to be strongly associated with the aforementioned Larroucaud family, who were propriétaire-cultivateurs in the region long before L’Enclos was born. The family tree can be traced back to Joseph Larroucaud, who was probably born in the latter years of the 18th century. He married Jeanne Arnaud in 1816, and together they had six children. Three were daughters, strangely all called Claire (I assume some died in childbirth or infancy, and the name was subsequently reapplied) but they also had three sons. Of these three sons just two, Jean and Barthélemy, are relevant to the story of Château L’Enclos.
