Château Larmande 1996

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Château Larmande 1996

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays a deep garnet hue verging on ruby, with subtle brick-red highlights. It retains a fine visual richness without any marked browning, while offering a delicate translucency.

Nose
The bouquet is remarkably complex and evolved. It exudes aromas of dried red and black fruits, such as cherry and plum, harmoniously intertwined with woody spices. With aeration, subtle, savoury tertiary notes emerge, recalling meat juices and broth, along with delicate vegetal touches.

Palate
On the palate, this wine offers a silky texture and a medium body. The attack reveals a lively acidity that supports firm tannins, beautifully softened by time. The tasting experience lingers on a long, savoury finish marked by aromas of juicy black fruits, olives and subtle meaty notes.

Food and Wine Pairings

This mature red wine pairs wonderfully with rich, flavourful dishes. It will elevate a braised shoulder of lamb, a wild boar civet or traditional slow-cooked dishes such as boeuf bourguignon. It is also an excellent match for hard cooked cheeses and blue cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

To fully appreciate the complexity of this vintage, it is advisable to uncork the bottle at least an hour before serving, possibly with a very gentle decanting to allow the bouquet to open up. The ideal serving temperature is between 17 and 18°C. This wine has now reached a fine maturity and is ideal for drinking now.

The Elegance and Maturity of a Great Saint-Émilion Wine

The Estate

Mentioned in the archives as early as 1585, the estate is one of the oldest properties in the Bordeaux region. This historic 20-hectare estate is now owned by the AG2R La Mondiale group, which acquired it in 1990. Under the current management of Claire Thomas-Chenard, Château Larmande combines a rich heritage with modern, environmentally friendly practices, recognised by HVE 3 certification. The estate stands out for its constant pursuit of quality, pooling its technical resources to bring out the best in every vintage.

The Vineyard

Located around one kilometre north of the medieval village of Saint-Emilion, the vineyard extends in a single block across the plateau. The vines flourish on a mosaic of terroirs made up of clay-limestone and clay-siliceous soils, as well as ancient sands, sometimes rich in iron. The estate places great importance on biodiversity and sustainable viticulture, favouring horse-drawn soil cultivation and strictly limiting inputs to preserve the natural balance of the plots.

The Vintage

1996 is recognised as a classic vintage. While the weather conditions generally favoured the Left Bank, they also gave rise to wines with fine structure and excellent ageing potential on the Right Bank, provided that viticulture was rigorous and winemaking perfectly controlled.

Winemaking and Ageing

Vinification was carried out traditionally in stainless steel vats, with measured extraction to preserve the balance of the juice. The wine was then aged for an extended period of around 15 to 18 months in French oak barrels. The use of a majority of new barrels brought structure and great aromatic complexity to this cuvée.

Grape Varieties

Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%)