You’ll know by now, even if you only read this blog occasionally, I’m a big fan of Cru Bourgeois. The history, the concept, the rebirth of a classic and the all important value for money represents for me, what Bordeaux does so well, taking the classics and adapting them to the current market.

Many of the individual chateaux in this ‘classification’, have the same philosophy and Chateau Lamothe Bergeron, a Cru Bourgeois in the Haut Médoc appellation, is firmly in this category.

The vines here go back to the Middle Ages but the chateau became famous thanks to its owner Jacques Bergeron who inherited it from his father in the 1800’s. His innovations in all things agronomic after the French revolution included the creation of a style of grafting that still carries his name. The prestige of his name was such that the next owners added it on to the property in the 19th century.

Improvements to the property have continued through various owners including the Bordeaux Negociant house Mestrezat, under whose ownership in the 70s and 80s the vines were replanted and the winery modernised. But it is under the current ownership that the property has come resolutely into the 21st century.

Having sold the Vodka brand Grey Goose, Cognacs H. Mounier and Hardy had some spare cash in their pockets and in 2009 they invested in this classic Medoc property, another example of the cliché that if you want to make a small fortune in the wine business start with a large one…..

Cognac producers know a thing or two about marketing and it’s clear to see here when you visit this beautifully renovated estate. Opened to the public last summer the elegant château, which dates from 1868, has been restored to its former glory, having been more or less abandoned after a fire in the 1950s. It has been cleverly renovated to blend the old with the new included fourguest rooms, a dining room and a conference facility under the eaves.

The tour is high tech too. The Chateau was awarded the recent ‘Discovery and Innovation’ Best of Wine Tourism award. As you visit the chateau, paintings come to life to tell the history of the Chateau, there’s a wooden cabin/look out post from where you can see the replanting of the vineyard and take in the blend of 58% Merlot grapes, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that make up the 67 hectares, of the vineyard.

But it’s not all show; serious investment has been made in wine making including appointing Hubert de Bouard, of Château Angelus fame, as their consultant. Visitors are treated to a detailed video explanation of the stages involved in wine making and another more humorous video projected on to the glass panels of the wine cellar of the blending operation showing de Bouard and the director Laurent Mery in action. The visit ends with an underground tasting room, cellar and shop. The difference being the tasting is not limited to just the château’s wine but also an excellent range of the company’s Cognacs.