Pauillac Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Pauillac Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste ranks amongst the most respected château in Pauillac, both in terms of the quality of the wine it produces and its classic elegance.
I have visited many chateaux in Pauillac over the years as a journalist. But this is the first time I visited this Pauillac estate along with current wine management students with the OIV MSc program.
Greeting us in the crisp winter air was fellow OIV MSc alumni Emeline Borie, co-owner with her parents and brother. She is also in charge of PR and Marketing.
Warm and approachable, she exudes the quiet confidence of someone who has grown up steeped in the family tradition and modern-day wine education.
A Personal Tour
Emeline began the tour, offering us a concise history of the Pauillac estate, blending personal anecdotes with a clear understanding of the property’s importance within the Médoc.
The Borie family has owned Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste since 1978, when her grandfather Jean-Eugène Borie purchased the estate.
Following his passing in 1998, Emeline’s father François-Xavier Borie took the reins and undertook an ambitious and ongoing program of investment and modernization while maintaining the property’s long-standing reputation for elegance, balance, and longevity in its wines.
Though François-Xavier remains at the helm, Emeline and her brother Pierre-Antoine are active in all aspects of the estate’s operations.
In the Vineyards
The estate’s soils, composed primarily of Garonne gravel, are perfectly suited to the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, which dominates the blend of their wines.
Standing at the edge of the vineyards, it was easy to see why this terroir is considered special—the well-draining gravel soils and the gentle plateau shaped a landscape that has been refined by centuries of winemaking expertise.
Emeline described how much her father has invested in enhancing both the vineyards and the winemaking facilities to ensure that Grand-Puy-Lacoste remains among the finest in Pauillac.
In the vineyard, increased attention to detail includes parcel selection, precision viticulture, and careful harvesting—grapes are now picked into smaller containers to limit damage. In the cellar, a 1997 renovation introduced thermoregulated vats, allowing their team to carefully manage fermentation, and further upgrades included the construction of a new barrel cellar in 2003.
While technological innovation has been key to progress, the family upholds a deep respect for heritage, ensuring that the essence of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste’s terroir and winemaking philosophy is never compromised.
The signature Cabernet Sauvignon backbone lends itself to structure, freshness, and longevity, while Merlot provides finesse and approachability.
Young vintages showed vibrant black fruit, fine-grained tannins, and pronounced minerality, while older wines exhibited tertiary notes of cedar, earth, and leather, emphasizing the estate’s capacity to produce age-worthy wines.
Tasting the Wines
Tasting these wines in the very place they were made, surrounded by the vines that produced them, gave me a deeper appreciation for the seamless connection between terroir and tradition.
Formal Tasting & Lunch
After the tour, we returned to the château for a formal tasting. Set in an elegant room with a view of the vineyard, we enjoyed tasting refined samples based on individual parcels before tasting through classic vintages over a delicious 3 course lunch.
The wines of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste are quintessential Pauillac—concentrated yet balanced, refined yet powerful.
The atmosphere grew more convivial when we sat down for lunch.
The Borie family’s hospitality was as generous as their wines. The meal featured classic French dishes designed to pair harmoniously with the wines.
The Wines
Over lunch we enjoyed the Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac Cru Classe vintages 1985, 1995, 2015.
We started the meal with the Lacoste-Borie 2015, Pauillac, Second vin du Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste
As we lingered over lunch, Emeline shared more about the challenges and rewards of leading a family estate in the modern era.
She spoke candidly about balancing tradition with innovation and maintaining the estate’s identity amidst growing competition in the wine world.
Her pragmatic approach to the family legacy was apparent—this is not a château content to rest on its laurels, but one that continually strives for excellence.
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a prime example of how a family-driven approach can sustain and enhance an estate’s reputation over generations.
