Vignobles

In 1719, Jean-Pierre du Pontet became the owner of the Perganson estate when he bought the property at auction.

Between 1815-1817, Henry Delaroze, Mayor of Saint-Laurent, inherited the Perganson estate.

In 1838, he created a new 15.95 hectare vineyard on the ''tènement de Trintaudon''.

In 1841, he marketed his vintage wine under two brand names: 80 barrels of Larose Perganson and for the first time 60 barrels of Larose Trintaudon.

In 1858-1859, Count Ernest de Lahens came into possession of the estate and in 1884, within sight of Château de Perganson (now in ruins), he built the Château de Trintaudon, just as we see it today, set among  greenery and topped by its distinctive tower which sits like a lighthouse, looking out over a sea of vines.

The estate was mentioned in the very first edition of “Bordeaux et ses Vins”, published by Féret (1850), under the name of "Trentaudon". In another earlier work on wine, the vineyard could already be seen on the map and was referred to in the pages on the village of Saint-Laurent. It was classified in 1st position, proof of its excellent quality, and at that time was producing 20 to 30 barrels. (For comparison, note that most of the Crus Bourgeois, local producers and peasants produced 10 to 20 barrels on average.) In the second edition of Féret (1868), the wine is listed as a Cru Bourgeois, then in the third edition (1874) as a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, the classification that it was to retain in the future.

Winning several medals (Gold and Silver at the Bordeaux Universal Exhibition in 1882, the Paris Exhibition of 1889, the Amsterdam Exhibition of 1884), the "Grand Vin de Larose" was very highly appreciated by connoisseurs.

In 1872, Count Ernest de Lahens enlarged his estate when he incorporated the Pateau property, and his estate now covered 345 hectares.

In the mid-19th century, phylloxera appeared and seemed to put an end to the estate’s future in wine production.

Mildew also contributed to the havoc wreaked on the area, as in particular it affected the quality of the wines. An unprecedented crisis erupted, causing a great deal of harm to the reputation of the great Médoc wines. And so began the game of “musical chairs” as Médoc châteaux were sold on a regular basis.

In 1923, Count Tchernoff, a White Russian émigré, inflicted the deathblow on the estate. This extravagant gentleman-farmer (he had married a rich American who was one of the Morgan family of bankers, led a luxury lifestyle, and drove, so it was said, a Rolls Royce) pulled up a large number of vines in order to create a modern industrial dairy farming enterprise. Unfortunately this plan led to his ruin as he had not realised that only the robust roots of the vine can find a way through the protective shield of gravel to draw out the best from this harsh landscape.

In 1963, after belonging to an important Spanish figure, Duke Del Infantado, a general in the Spanish Army, the Trintaudon estate was bought in a state of near-abandon by the Forner family. After a long-term period of restoration (restructuring the vineyard, equipping the cellars, returning the château to its flamboyant bourgeois style), the vineyard started up again and was able to recover its former glory. Under the scientific guidance of Professor Émile Peynaud, an eminent specialist in vines and wine production, 175 hectares were planted with some of the best grape varieties.

In 1986, the insurance company Assurances Générales de France came into possession of the estate, now one of the largest vineyards in the Médoc in terms of area and production (over one million bottles a year on average). They were counting on the château’s tremendous potential and their sound management skills based on the expertise of the best specialists and the hard work of a solid and successful team. Since this time, the château has acquired an excellent reputation over the years, placing it among the best Crus Bourgeois.

In 1994, in association with their subsidiary insurance company in Chile, AGF set up a partnership with Château Larose Trintaudon to run a vineyard south of Santiago of about 100 ha producing one million cols.

In 2007, Château Larose Trintaudon acquired the Château Arnauld Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Haut-Médoc, situated at Arcins, on the “Route des Châteaux”. This 76 hectare property has 40 hectares planted with vines and produces about 250,000 cols per year.

In January 2009, in order to adapt to the rapid changes taking place at this time and exploit the two major brands to the full, Châteaux Larose Trintaudon and Larose Perganson, the company decided to group all its estates together under a single new corporate name, “Vignobles de Larose”.