The vineyard : converting to organic agriculture

summary

In 2024, Château Lilian Ladouys unveiled its first organically grown vintage.

We embarked on an official conversion to organic farming in 2020.

Located on a plateau of deep clay-gravel soils, along the axis linking Château Lilian Ladouys to Calon Ségur, our vineyard extends over more than 40 hectares. Our vines draw their strength and character from the clay and limestone subsoils, true geological treasures of the appellation

Since the Lorenzetti family bought the property, we have engaged in a massive programme of land consolidation. This has enabled us to create coherent clusters of plots, planted with carefully chosen grape varieties, in the manner of the 19th-century vineyards, and so to recreate the ideal conditions for these vineyards to achieve their full potential.

Key points of our vineyard

ACREAGE

80 hectares

GRAPE VARIETIES

47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc

SOILS

80% de sols graveleux, 20% de sols argilo-calcaires

ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH

Commitment to organic agriculture, HVE3

Environmental approach

In 2020, Château Lilian Ladouys committed to converting its entire area under vine to organic agriculture. Today, 100% of the plots are farmed organically. In 2024, the Château will be officially certified.

At Château Lilian Ladouys, we encourage everyone who works on the estate to prioritise the aeration of the soils and the maintenance of their microbial life. By doing this, we have made mycorrhizal networks central to our viticultural approach. By working the soil, we stimulate these microorganisms, which develop in symbiosis with the vines and allow them to extract from the soil all the nutrients they require. We also alternate between farming the soil and planting it with grass, and make use of compost or green manure, and these processes also contribute to the success of our approach. We make use of a compost created especially for us, in a joint venture with a Médoc farm.
In 2018, the effort we had invested in protecting the Estate’s ecosystem and nurturing its terroir were rewarded with HEV (High Environmental Value) certification at Level 3. This, the highest possible level of certification, indicates a viticultural approach that is deeply concerned with the environment and encourages biodiversity.

And, because we want to push our ecological approach further still, Lilian Ladouys also follows the precepts of the Natura 2000 Charter.

These environmental considerations are part of our unswerving determination to ensure that each year, Château Lilian Ladouys produces better wines than the year before.

A vineyard restructured

Creating an outstanding Saint-Estèphe wine begins with selecting the finest terroirs for the blend.

Since 2008 the Domaine has undergone extensive restructuring works in its vineyards. It made the decision to bring the focus back to its finest, primarily gravel terroirs with the objective of taking quality to new levels and producing some of the appellation’s finest wines.

The 2018 acquisitions of parcels from Châteaux Clauzet and Tour de Pez, adjoining those of Château Lilian Ladouys, strengthened this strategy, further enhancing the estate’s vineyard potential.

The 2018 vintage, which included grapes harvested from these new plots, stands as a benchmark of distinguished power and balance, a brilliant confirmation.

From 2020 onwards, an active restructuring phase began, with the ambition to replant high-quality vines after allowing the soils time to regenerate.

Craftmanship

Precision is the byword in the vineyards. Man’s hand carries out the same perfectly orchestrated rituals, vintage after vintage.

Pruning, cutting, trellising, binding and sexual confusion techniques are carried out prior to the first tillage. These practices are followed by shoot removal, vine lifting, a second round of shoot removal, careful leaf stripping and, very early on in the year, a second round of vine lifting. Green harvesting is carried out where necessary as well as 4 to 6 cuttings, 4 to 8 tillages and 4 samples are taken in order to assess ripeness levels. This equates to no less than 40 different interventions each year and for each vine stock by our winemakers.

The planting ratio

The planting ratio has been carefully selected in order to provide the most suitable balance for our terroirs: 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Sauvignon, the appellation’s emblematic varietal, remains a well loved friend in our newly planted vineyards and is well-suited to the deep gravel, sand and clay soils here. It is used in high proportions in our wines in order to give them their distinctive and complex characters.

Merlot is used in high proportions at Lilian Ladouys compares to other Saint-Estèphe states. It thrives in these clay-limestone and gravel soils which lend it its incredible freshness. It imparts structure and a sensation of depth to the wines.

Petit Verdot, a quintessential Médoc grape now favored in new plantings, brings that extra soul—a subtle spicy note that deepens the wine’s identity.

The vineyard : converting to organic agriculture

In 2024, Château Lilian Ladouys unveiled its first organically grown vintage.

Key points of our vineyard

The history

The cellar