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Our original Vineyard Partner of 1984 - Château La Clarière
Château La Clarière
6 bottles – £180 £114 (£19 per bottle)
12 bottles – £360 £228 (£19 per bottle)
Château La Clarière
Château La Clarière is a small, 30-hectare estate in the Right Bank's Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, next door to the more famous Saint-Émilion. Until 45 years ago, it belonged to Monsieur Cassin, a key figure in the wine of the area.
This gentleman and his wife, Madame Cassin, gave accommodation to the then student Tony Laithwaite back in 1965. Here Tony learnt all about wine with a passion. So much so that he later returned and started his life as a wine merchant.
Then in 1980, Tony Laithwaite received a call from Monsieur Cassin, his mentor, the man who taught him everything about winemaking. The question was simple yet profound: would Tony take over Château La Clarière and prove to the world that Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux wines could rival those of the renowned Saint-Émilion? After all, both regions share the same prized limestone ridge, the same grapes and the same climate.
Today, with over 90 Gold medals and four Trophies won by the estate, Tony believes he has succeeded in his life's mission. But this success has not been achieved alone. It is thanks to the unwavering support of his loyal customers, his Vineyard Partners. He achieved it first with this red wine, and now is also blazing a trail with an award-winning white.
Côtes de Castillon … frequently knock the spots off swanky left-bank names”
– The Times
a british man walks into a bordeaux Château
It’s not the set-up of a joke. It’s the chance encounter that led to this incredible wine.
Before Tony Laithwaite revolutionised the British wine industry, he was just a college student with an affinity for the French countryside. When the opportunity arose to go on an archeological dig in Bordeaux, Tony took it. That decision changed the course of his life, and Castillon, forever.
The year was 1969…
As a college student on a trip to Bordeaux, Tony washed bottles at the local co-op and learned that Castillon lies on the same limestone ridge as Saint-Émilion.
A man on a mission
In 1980, Tony’s former employers and wine mentors, Monsieur and Madame Cassin, asked him to take over their estate and prove to the world what Castillon was capable of.
The rest is history
40 years later, Château La Clarière is one of the top estates in Castillon — even after many of the big names in Saint-Émilion followed Tony over the border!
The vineyards
Château La Clarière started out in 1980 as a 4-hectare estate but, over the years, as growers have retired and well-sited vineyards in the village of Sainte-Colombe have become available, Tony and his family have bought them up. Today, they have 30 hectares, split over 18 vineyards. Four hectares of those are for white grape varieties, all the rest for the red grapes – mostly Merlot, with some Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
They tend the vines very sustainably, painstakingly nurturing the soils to encourage maximum microbial life, even using the age-old method of Shire horse to work the best, steepest plots.
As a Vineyard Partner, you will...
Receive a guaranteed allocation of your chosen, exceptional wine(s) — always with its special Vineyard Partner saving. Help a vineyard or grower thrive and, in some cases, survive.
Support a great wine and its vineyard, winemaker or estate. Every one within our Vineyard Partner ‘family’ is truly exceptional and its wine is of the highest quality.
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