LES CADRANS DE CHATEAU LASSEGUE SAINT EMILION GRAND 750ml 2022

The phrase ‘hidden gem’ is sometimes overused by wine writers and critics but certainly apply here. Château Lassègue was purchased from the Freylon family in 2003 by Barbara Banke, the late Jess Jackson, and Pierre and Monique Seillan. The quartet had already created Vérité in Sonoma, and began the rejuvenation of Tenuta di Arceno in Toscana. Pierre, whose roots lay in Gascogne, had long been a proponent of a ‘micro-cru’ approach to viticulture, and this philosophy was to become the heart of the three estates. Château Lassègue is located on the hills (Côte) of the Saint-Émillion appellation. Pierre describes this as an ‘exclusive’ belt of land facing south and southwest. 

“Saint-Émilion is about elegance; it is about the expression of the Cabernet Franc, and we have ways to respect these objectives by avoiding heavy extraction and making too muscular wines. That being said, we do have the expression of the sun, and some power that Lassègue expresses, along with the elegance, balance and finesse. We do have up to 10%, sometimes 15%, of Cabernet Sauvignon. We are extremely meticulous to make sure we retain the elegance; we want to make wine to be enjoyed anytime." 

-Pierre Seillan