Château Grand-Puy Ducasse’s story began when Arnaud Ducasse bought a “modest“ house on the banks of the river in Pauillac in 1675. Little did he know that it would become a large estate that would remain in his family for almost three centuries. Pierre Ducasse, a lawyer with a passion for wine, considerably extended the land over three parishes - Pauillac, Saint-Lambert and Saint-Sauveur - and three seigneuries: Lafite, Latour and Beychevelle. In 1820, his son built the Château’s winery facing the Gironde estuary. At the time, this was a daring decision: Grand-Puy Ducasse would be the only Château in the area to vinify its
grapes for 200 years. In 1855, the property was included in the prestigious classification of great growths; with 40 hectares of vines spread over 11 different types of soil, its vineyard can be considered as the most representative of the diversity of Pauillac’s terroirs. Since the 1990s, major investments have been made in restructuring the vineyard. In 2004, CA Grands Crus, a subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole Group, has embarked on an ambitious optimization plan. The subsequent construction of a new vat room and barrel storage facilities completed the “Renaissance” plan. The guiding principle of Château Grand-Puy Ducasse and its teams lead by Anne Le Naour and Benjamin Cassoulet is to push rigorous standards even further.
A detailed knowledge of the terroirs made it possible to enhance the adequacy of the plant material to the terroirs. The varietal breakdown of the vineyard consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (36%) and Petit Verdot (5%). Pruned in double guyot, the vines have an average age of 25 years.
At Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, they strongly believe that it is necessary to combine quality and sustainable development. In 1996, they decided to stop weeding the vineyards and returned to tillage on 100% of the surfaces. In 2012 an Environmental Management System was implemented. 2014 marked the first experiments in organic farming and 2016 was the first Iso 14001 & HVE3 normed certified vintage. Since then, the agroecological infrastructures have been traced every year and the action plan updated to keep up with their preservation and development.
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse will seduce lovers of great red wines from Pauillac with its exceptional quality marked by a very beautiful aromatic richness. A classic vintage, complete, complex, rich and unctuous, this cuvée promises superb aging potential.
Aging 18 months in French oak barrels (35% new for the 2020 vintage).After manual harvesting in crates and an initial sorting in the vineyard, the grapes are sorted again using the latest generation optical sorting system. Vinification is then carried out in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks however for some of the batches, malolactic fermentation is also carried out in new barrels.
Gaja Costa Russi Nebbiolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
Costa (Italian for the side of the hill facing the sun) Russi (the nickname of the former owner) is ruby red in color, with a captivating aroma of blackberries, violets and roasted coffee beans. The purity of the palate is layered with dark fruit flavors and complex tannins.
STYLE: Complex, Elegant
FLAVOR: Blackberry, Violet, Roasted Coffee Beans
Review:
The 2016 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a more floral, sappy Barbaresco, offering textbook notes of black cherries, rose petals, sappy herbs, and violets. It's one of the more vibrant, juicy, and perfumed wines in the lineup and has medium to full body, bright yet integrated acidity, and the same incredibly polished yet certainly present tannins found in all these 2016s. This is another elegant 2016 that never puts a foot wrong.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points
The 2016 Barbaresco Costa Russi is ripe, creamy and enveloping, as it so often is, and yet also preserves the super classic sense of structure that runs through all these wines. In 2016, Costa Russi has an extra touch of mid-palate sweetness that gives the wine its sense of immediacy. Succulent red cherry, rosewater, kirsch, mint and dried flowers meld together in the glass. Soft and sensual, with tons of allure, Costa Russi is another winner from Gaja. Time in the glass brings out the wine's density and tannins, both of which it has in spades.
- Antonio Galloni 98
This delicate red features floral, strawberry, cherry, currant and loamy earth aromas and flavors, showing terrific balance. A line of firm tannins adds support, and the finish is long and expansive. Best from 2023 through 2045. 175 cases imported.
-Wine Spectator 97 Points
2020 VINTAGE: The harvest 2020 in Vaudevey started on September 1st. The harvest yields were impacted by drought, particularly for the certain plots that were well exposed to the sun. The ripening of the grapes was slow, which helped aromas to concentrate and acidity to be kept.
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Chardonnay
VINEYARD: Domaine Laroche is one of only three proprietors in Premier Cru Les Vaudevey, owning 24.61 acres of the 102.13 acres premier cru vineyard. Planted on steep slopes of 30-50% at 640 to 771 feet with an eastern to southeastern exposure, the vines enjoy morning to early afternoon sun. The coolest valley of the Domaine Laroche vineyard—always the last one to be harvested.
VINE DENSITY: 5,880 vines per hectare (2,380 vines per acre); massal selection from Laroche old vines for the new plantings VITICULTURE: One man, one plot: There are more than 30 people who are dedicated to caring for the 90-plus hectares (222.39 acres) of Domaine Laroche vineyards, with each person responsible for only one plot. This tailor-made approach allows them to manage the vineyards with precision, speed and accuracy.
PRESSING: The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand. Whole bunches are pressed in a pneumatic press, and then the must settles for 12 hours at 10° C to 12°C (50° F to 54° F) in large vats.
FERMENTATION: The must ferments for 3 weeks, 74% in stainless steel vats and 26% in French oak barrels.
MATURATION: Nine months in 72% stainless steel tank, the rest in barrels. only 5% new oak in total. FILTRATION: Minimal filtration is used to preserve and maximize the natural character of the wine. ALCOHOL: 12% TASTING NOTES: Bright gold in color. Hints of minerality layered with citrus notes of lemon peel. Nervy, racy and lively. You can enjoy it by the glass, with oysters, seafood and smoked salmon. Also, pairs well with Asian food and light cheese.