Château La Prade: Vineyards
Château La Prade is located on the limestone plateau of Saint-Cibard, one of three communes eligible for the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. The little building which sits among the vines and which graces the label is clearly of ancient origin; looking at the architecture, tall, square and feudal, I placed it in either the 15th or 16th centuries. Indeed, on reading further it seems it was built during the Hundred Years’ War, by the English, which dates it to at least the early 15th century, if not earlier.
Interestingly, this little property at the heart of the vines has been ‘repurposed’ over the years. This ancient building was originally the heart of the estate, created in 1985 when Nicolas Thienpont (pictured) purchased a few hectares from his own father, the vines having originally been part of the estate of Château Puygueraud. This was one of Nicolas’ first forays into making his own wine, having started out working alongside his father just two years before. Today the building appears on the Château La Prade label, and I don’t recall seeing a release of Château Laclaverie since the 2015 vintage.
