Chateau Herve-Laroque boasts a long and distinguished history. Its 16-hectare vineyards feature some of the oldest vines in the Fronsac appellation (over 100 years old Malbec and over 70 years old Cabernet Franc), with an average vine age of over 45 years. The winery employs entirely hand-harvesting and sorting of grapes, and ages them in oak barrels for 14-18 months depending on the vintage. With the assistance of world-renowned winemaking consultant Michel Rolland, only about 5,000 cases of this rare vintage are produced annually! For many years, it has consistently received high scores and praise from leading wine critics and magazines (Robert Parker, James Suckling, Wine Spectator, Decanter, etc.).

Fronsac, located a few miles west of the town of Libourne on the right bank of Bordeaux, near the north bank of the Dordogne River, is a renowned wine region in eastern Bordeaux. The vineyards of Fronsac, covering 1200 hectares, are situated on sunny, sloping hillsides with ample sunlight. The soil is relatively diverse: alluvial soil at the foot of the slopes, and calcareous clay on the topsoil. In some areas, the topsoil consists of sea reef rock. The subsoil is composed of "Fronsac sandstone," a mixture of clay and sandstone blocks. The excellent drainage makes the soil ideal for Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes, resulting in excellent ripeness.

One-third of the vines in the vineyard are over 50 years old, and some plots are even over 80 years old. The winery employs extensive manual labor in the vineyards, controlling yields through methods such as thinning flowers and leaves, and pruning branches. Although time-consuming and labor-intensive, this ensures that the yield per hectare is within the target range, resulting in significantly improved quality.

After harvesting, the grapes undergo rigorous manual selection. The selected grapes are then transported to the winery for destemming and further refinement. During winemaking, the winemakers employ different fermentation and maceration methods based on the characteristics of different grape varieties. To avoid damaging the grapes, they undergo direct fermentation in large, temperature-controlled vats, followed by at least 14 months of aging before bottling.

This delivers a swathe of ripe dark berries and plums with a very plush, succulent palate that carries great depth and freshness. The length here is impressive. A blend of 80 per cent merlot, 15 per cent cabernet franc and five per cent cabernet sauvignon.