Château Labastide Orliac : 1780 Royal Héritage 2009

Tasting characteristics and advice for 1780 Royal Héritage 2009 from Château Labastide Orliac

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep ruby-red color with intense violet highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals lovely aromatic complexity, with notes of red and black fruit (blackberries, blackcurrant, blueberries), accompanied by floral nuances of violet. Hints of licorice and a forest-like minerality round out this elegant bouquet.

Palate

On the palate, this wine charms with its full-bodied structure and perfectly integrated, silky tannins. The balance between power and finesse is fully expressed, with a lovely roundness through the mid-palate. The remarkably persistent finish reveals aromas of black fruit, violet and licorice.

Food and wine pairings

This wine is an ideal match for roasted red meats, duck breast, wild game, as well as blue cheeses.

A Brulhois wine with a historic legacy

The estate

Château Labastide Orliac is an estate in the South-West, founded in 2007, when sisters Catherine and Isabelle Orliac rediscovered a decree from Louis XVI attesting that its wines were served at court. The estate covers around 10 hectares on the right bank of the Garonne, between Agen and Moissac. The terroir is based on clay-limestone soils, comparable to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion.

The vineyard

The vineyard of 1780 Royal Héritage is planted on the right bank of the Garonne, at the heart of the Brulhois appellation. The estate’s oldest vines benefit from an exceptional clay-limestone terroir, where surface limestone layers allow roots to reach deep clays. This distinctive geological composition, similar to the great Bordeaux terroirs, gives the wine its characteristic minerality and aromatic complexity.

The vintage

The 2009 vintage is recognized as an exceptional year in the French vineyard. After abundant winter and spring rainfall replenished water reserves, summer was marked by intense, sustained heat. These climatic conditions allowed for extraordinary physiological ripening of the grapes, particularly favorable to old vines with deep roots, producing fruit of remarkable concentration and balance.

Winemaking and aging

1780 Royal Héritage 2009 is vinified according to ancestral methods, with fermentation in concrete vats. Aging takes place in demi-muids for twelve months, allowing harmonious integration of oak while preserving the purity of the fruit.

Grape varieties

A blend including tannat and abouriou, a rare grape variety surviving from the 18th century, complemented by other traditional varieties from the South-West.