Vignobles Lacoste

Donzac sits on the right bank of the Garonne, on the gentle slope that gives the area its characteristic gravelly limestone soils. The Lacoste family has been making wine here since 1839, and today Vincent Lacoste (representing the family’s seventh generation), has been running the show after returning from Paris in 2004. The family operation now covers 44 hectares across two estates—Château de Cranne and Château Jeandebout, brought together in 2008—and has been certified organic since the 2013 vintage.

Although the right bank of the Garonne is undoubtedly a less heralded part of Bordeaux than the great Médoc estates across the river, it still has its own deep practical traditions. Donzac was historically known for its white wines, but the post-war years saw many vineyards planted with the Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon the markets demanded. The Lacoste vineyards reflect both eras, with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon for the whites and the standard Bordeaux varieties for everything else.

Vincent’s classical AOC Bordeaux wines from Château de Cranne work within the regional rules and accumulated great reviews and recognition. But the more interesting work sits alongside, in cuvées with deliberately playful names, such as Garder l’Equilibre (keep your balance), an organic Bordeaux Rosé. Jardiner is an organic Vin de France sec, while Dompter la Bête (tame the beast) is an organic Bordeaux Rouge. 

For these wines, Vincent moved early to direct sales models and has spoken publicly about the financial pressures facing Bordeaux’s mid-tier estates; his answer is that smaller estates have to communicate in their own voices to survive, and the wines speak in the voice they have chosen.