At one with nature

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The terroir at Château La Garde is its greatest asset, and showcasing its splendours is only natural.

It is these prized viticultural and human riches that elevate both the red and white wines to the world’s exclusive sphere of fine wines.
The estate is a thriving wine destination, where life in the vineyard can be experienced through a packed, bespoke wine tourism programme.

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A unique visual spectacle

Château La Garde is a unique visual spectacle to behold. Panoramic views across the vineyard from the winery provide visitors with just a taste of the magnitude and diversity of the soils, teeming with a diverse, burgeoning natural world of flora and fauna. A haven immersed in nature, from its orchard, spring, pond and forest to the gravel plateau offering sweeping views of a rare biodiversity in this single, seamless expanse of vines.

In this natural setting and from the grapes lovingly nurtured by the men and women working on the estate, a wine at one with nature is born.

Terroir Winery Cuvees

Alongside this diversity of living organisms, our modest, expert teams are hard at work, driven by the singular belief in creating a great Pessac-Leognan wine.

And to elevate the terroir, Château La Garde can rely on a team of passionate, expert yet modest individuals led by Chief Winemaker Frédéric Bonnaffous.

Frédéric Bonnaffous

A qualified agricultural engineer and oenologist, the estate has been in his capable hands since 2011.

Each morning, he awakes to views over the spectacular gravel plateau and a vineyard ‘garden’ consisting of the estate’s 54 hectares of vines.

Valentin
Jestin

Following in the footsteps of his father, the estate’s joint owner, Valentin is playing his part in writing the next chapters of the history of Château La Garde.

Valentin Jestin, Directeur de la Marque Dourthe

Reaping all the benefits of the urban buzz of the city, just a few kilometres away, Château La Garde offers a packed programme of visits, and is the perfect venue for corporate and private events at the very heart of the vineyard.

Visits Venue & reception spaces Private Dining
Château La Garde - Grand Vin - rouge - Pessac Leognan

A brief history…

1756

‘Lagarde’ already featured on the first general map of the kingdom of France drawn up by the Cassini family in 1756. At the time, the picturesque 'Chartreuse', or country house, built in 1732, was surrounded by valleys and woodland, and vines were already planted on the plateau. The ‘Bourdieu de Lagarde’, or Lagarde farm, was then under the ownership of the Blanchard family.

1877

Château La Garde was acquired by the Lacoste family, who were negociants in Bordeaux and owners of Grand Puy Lacoste in Pauillac. The Lagarde vineyard, which had been dramatically hit by the phylloxera crisis, once again thrived on this magnificent terroir. The wine was sold under the name ‘Clos La Garde’.

1881

The former agricultural building adjoining the country house was extended and renovated, now bearing the 'L' of the Lacoste family.

1920

After the First World War, Louis Eschenauer, a well-known negociant, began to take an active interest in La Garde, which he went on to buy in 1920. From this period onwards, the emblem of a lion-headed leopard, inspired by the coat of arms attributed to Aquitaine since the Hundred Years’ War, featured on Clos La Garde wine labels.

1990

Dourthe acquired Château La Garde in June 1990, unable to resist the exceptional quality terroir, which is arguably one of the finest gravel outcrops in the Pessac-Leognan appellation.

2021

The estate would be totally modernised by Maison Dourthe, specifically to reveal the truest expression of each micro-parcel. Since then, a new winery and visitor centre have been added, marking a new era in it’s the estate’s ambitions.

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