2025 Vintage: precision and adaptation at Château La Garde

At Château La Garde, the 2025 vintage is taking shape during a time of transition. After a challenging 2024 for the technical teams, a new chapter begins with the arrival of Pénélope Godefroy as General Manager of Maison Dourthe. A fresh momentum, driven by a shared ambition to keep raising the bar with precision and high standards.

A team ready for climate challenges

Spring brought a series of storms, mostly affecting the southern part of Bordeaux.
“We’re right in the storm corridor, we got all the rain this season,” explains Pierre Estorge, Estate Manager.

In these conditions, the vineyard demands constant responsiveness and adaptability. Pruning, thinning, leaf removal, every action aims to support the ripening process in the face of increasing dryness.

A promising outlook: dense, well-balanced wines

Despite the pressure from the weather, the vines have remained remarkably consistent: even and fast budburst, strong growth, and excellent plant health, all signs of good potential for the months ahead.
Although the weather remains unpredictable, the team is well-prepared. The work carried out in recent years, combined with the experience gained during 2024 – a tough but rewarding year – provides a solid foundation to approach 2025 with confidence.
“An early and warm vintage. As veraison begins, the water conditions remain favorable, raising hopes for dense and well-balanced wines that highlight the winemaker’s precision” says Pénélope Godefroy.

Clear and steady ambition

With Pénélope Godefroy now leading both the estate and winemaking, the focus for the coming years is clear: keep improving quality, vintage after vintage. The goal is not to do more, but to do better.

In the coming weeks, attention will turn to managing young vines and adjusting yields, with the aim of harvesting grapes at full maturity and in excellent condition.

Our mission remains the same: to bring out the depth, complexity, and elegance that make Château La Garde wines stand out in their appellation.