Château Larose Perganson
In my profile of this estate’s neighbour, Château Larose-Trintaudon, I describe the occasionally encountered disconnect between château and wine. Some of Bordeaux’s most famous and most expensive wines come from humble domaines, tiny vineyards surrounding unprepossessing farmhouses (this is certainly true historically, even if some of those houses have since been extended, or simply demolished and rebuilt). Meanwhile, some of the most consumer-friendly cru bourgeois wines of the Haut-Médoc appellation come from vineyards overlooked by the most ostentatious buildings, some of which could put even the grandest classed growth château to shame.
Not all such châteaux have been so fortunate though. Some have not survived the trials that the 20th century threw at them, falling into dilapidation and ruin. A number have been rescued – the aforementioned Château Larose-Trintaudon is a good example – but in others the state of ruin is simply too advanced, and this is the case with Château Larose Perganson. Once a grand residence, home to Comte Lahens and his family, today it lies in complete ruins, there being little left here other than a few walls, empty doorways and naked window frames.
In this profile I look at the history of this estate, some of it shared with its neighbour Château Larose-Trintaudon, as well as describing how it was reborn – even if in name only – during the early 21st century, before I proceed with details on the vineyard, winemaking and my tasting notes.
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