When we started out with Bordeaux-Undiscovered our idea was to bring good wines to the UK that French preferred to keep. So many little chateaux were making beautiful, high quality, wines that were totally unknown over the Channel here in the UK. Snapped up by locals ‘in the know,’ these wines were made by unsung heros following family tradition and innovating when and where they could. You’d often find these chateaux on fabulous terroir, sitting on ancient estates that had been worked generation after generation. With Nick’s insider knowledge of the fine wine market and willingness to track down hidden gems we stood in good stead to begin bringing you a treasure trove of wines kept under the radar.
Many wine merchants have followed in our path but none go to the lengths we do to promote our discoveries. We have always believed that the story behind the wine is part of its enjoyment and with wine lovers wanting to know more and more about what they are drinking, how it is made and who made it, storytelling is vital. It’s also crucial for the little chateaux – they simply don’t have the money (or time) to tell their own story. Their budgets go towards their vineyards and equipment, not marketing and advertising. You will find that a wine maker is much more interested in making good wine than in selling it.
My visit to Chateau Lamothe Vincent is a case in point. Nick discovered them in 2007 and we introduced their Bordeaux Rose to the UK. We were the first to bring their wines over here. Once introduced we found that other wine merchants soon caught on and followed our lead. Unlike some of our competitors we have no financial tie up with any chateau – we simply hunt for great wines for our customers and let the story telling do the rest.Word of mouth is important but when it doesn’t stretch beyond your own backyard you are stuck with a niche market. Getting the word out is our job and it’s one we take on with great pleasure.
Lamothe Vincent is a small chateau that lies between Montignac and Castelviel in the Lieu Dit of Laurencon. With Saint Emilion to the north and Sauternes to the south Lamothe Vincent sits right at the heart of the Entre Deux Mers. This is a quiet, rural region steeped in antiquity and packed with hidden promise.
When we first found Lamothe Vincent no one really believed that good roses and reds could come out of the Entre Deux Mers. As far as the UK was concerned this was traditionally a white wine producing area. However, we speak as we find. We pioneered the introduction of some lovely Clarets and Clairets from this area – and still do. It has since caught on as a tremendous source of good value, quality wines.It’s a Bordelaise version of the ‘land that time forgot’.
The family’s love of the land lead them to adopt a ‘back to nature’ approach very early on; long before organic and bio dynamic techniques became fashionable bywords in Bordeaux. The Vincents are innovative and constantly quest to perfect their mix of modern and traditional techniques. For a small chateau they are remarkably in tune with keeping up with new developments in the industry whilst maintaining their principles in the vineyard. If you’d like to learn more about Lamothe Vincent check out our blog written in 2007 here.Lamothe Vincent is owned by the Vincent family who have been making wine since 1873. It has consistently produced distinctive, award winning wines.
Jumping forward to 2016 the chateau has pushed ahead on all kinds of fronts. In 2013 the chateau was awarded the HEV Certification of ‘High Environmental Value Farm’ – the highest French ecological recognition. The certificate takes account of the chateau’s biodiversity conservation, management of water resources and waste recycling, low dose organic fertilizers, photovoltaic electricity production etc. New winery buildings are currently under construction.
You can check out Chateau Lamothe Vincent’s website here.
The biggest story is its success in the UK. Already making waves back in France with their awards (several Coups de Coeurs in the Hachette Guide and mentions in Le Figaro); since its introduction over here it has been well reviewed by Jancis Robinson, Steven Spurrier, Decanter and Wine Enthusiast magazines. The awards have kept on coming and at the end of May they had gathered no less than 27 medals, 15 of which were Gold, for the 2014 vintage alone. Not bad for a back water estate that we discovered all those years ago!
