2016 · Fronsac

Château Haut-Lariveau is a family-run estate in Fronsac, Bordeaux, owned and farmed by Bénédicte and Grégoire Hubau, who also make the wines. Coming from outside the wine world, they have built the estate around certified organic farming, with cover crops, sub-soiling, hand harvesting and parcel-by-parcel vinification. The vineyard is planted entirely to Merlot. In the cellar, the approach is low-intervention, with indigenous-yeast fermentations, no fining or filtration, and ageing in barrique for 12–18 months with a modest proportion of new oak. The result is a clearly artisanal Fronsac producer with hands-on ownership and a natural-minded winemaking philosophy.