Discoveries and alternatives
Château Le Grand Verdus
- Fruit kept ahead of oak: Génération gives Cabernet Franc a substantial role alongside Merlot. It matures in previously used French oak barrels rather than new ones, a deliberate choice to keep the fruit clear. The result is a compact, taut expression, distinct from a cuvée built around prominent new-oak flavour.
- An internship with Mondavi: During his internship with Robert Mondavi in California, Antoine Le Grix de la Salle learned about wine and also became his tennis instructor.
- Twenty years of father-and-son work: In 1975, at twenty-four, he joined his father Philippe at Grand Verdus. They would share the same office for twenty years.
- Three generations in one cuvée: The family connects its “Génération” cuvée, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with the three generations who built the estate.