Château Lamothe-Guignard: Vineyards
Compared to its neighbour, the rather diminutive Château Lamothe-Despujols, this domaine is something of a giant. The estate is spread over 32 hectares of the Sauternes appellation, not quite five times the size of Château Lamothe-Despujols. Of this 32 hectares, 18 hectares are dedicated to vineyards, in two distinct parcels situated close to the château.
The first section is planted on the limestone and clay slopes which run away from the château to the Ciron. This river is a defining feature within the Sauternes landscape. It runs in a roughly north-easterly direction here, heading towards the Garonne. The waters that it carries originate many miles away, in distant forests, and they remain very cool despite flowing out onto the vine-covered landscape. As a result the river is known for generating morning mists that are considered vital for the development of botrytis (a tale I repeat here, although the truth is botrytis really needs a shower or two of rain to really get going). This section of vines is planted at 5,500 vines per hectare.
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