GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Producer: Famille Neel-Chombart

Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Founded: 1956
Annual Production (of all wines): 400,000 Bottles
Farming: Sustainable
Website: www.chateau-lamothe.com

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Located in the commune of Haux southwest of Bordeaux’s city center, Château Lamothe has actively produced estate-bottled wine since the 16th century. Its renovation in the 19th century yielded the distinctive façade now pictured on the label of each of the Lamothe cuvées. It is currently run by The Néel-Chombart family who’ve owned the property since 1956. Succession passes through on the mother’s side of the family which accounts for the three generations of changing family names: first it was the Perriquets, then the Néels, and now, the Chombarts.

Château Lamothe currently spans 80 hectares of clay and limestone slopes in prime Right Bank Bordeaux growing conditions. Over the past fifty years the family purchased more hectarage under vine and converted what were underground galleries below the chateau into cellars ideal for aging wine. Winemaking technology was also modernized and vastly improved. 

Today Château Lamothe’s distinctive label is recognized, and enjoys quite a following, all over the world. Their white, a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon and 20% Muscadelle, is unique in today’s white Bordeaux market as it contains a significantly larger percentage of Muscadelle than most. This accounts for the wine’s intensified aromatic profile. It also sees a period of fermentation time on the skins, which gives the wine its unusual texture and body. It sees no oak and is bottled 11 months after harvest. 

As for the reds, both the Cuvée Traditionelle and the Première Cuvée are a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Traditionelle is aged in stainless, which gives way to immense purity of fruit for this entry-level bottling. The Première is aged one year in French oak (30% new) – which give depth and body to the cuvee. Chateau Lamothe also produces a light, dry, fresh rosé. 

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In an effort to increase sustainability, Château Lamothe is working toward ISO 14001 certification, which sets out the criteria and maps out a framework that a winery can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.​