The style of Grand-Puy-Lacoste can be considered classic Pauillac, delivering that signature taut structure and muscular fruit, yet with bags of freshness and finesse. The focus here is not on making powerful, behemoth wines but on those with energy and vivacity. This estate is valued for its remarkable restraint and quiet intensity. Never tiring on the palate, the wines are of the type that keeps you reaching for another sip.

The Rabbit With a Gun

However you may feel about guns, hunting, or rabbits hunting people, it is refreshing to visit a grand Pauillac estate with a sense of humor. A cultural treasure that does not take itself too seriously, this grande maison makes you feel at home because it is someone’s home. Welcome to Grand-Puy-Lacoste.

When I visit Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, co-owner Emeline Borie leads the way to the tasting room. We pass through the hallway of the historic château, which never fails to inspire a smirk. Perched in pride of place on a table at the entrance is a fabulously kitsch, taxidermized hare holding a rifle and wearing a belt holstering a couple of buckshot cartridges. A Grand-Puy-Lacoste drip stop has been stuck on the base of the gun.

“My brother thought it was funny,” Emeline said once, rolling her eyes as I took a photo of the gun-toting bunny-mummy. “So, we must keep it there.”

François-Xavier Borie, Emeline’s father, has managed Grand-Puy-Lacoste since his father purchased it in 1978. He has owned the estate since 2003, his brother Bruno Borie having taken over Château Ducru-Beaucaillou.

Emeline shares fond memories of playing with her siblings and cousins in the extensive gardens behind the house when she was a kid. These days, the garden features a pond with a pair of aggressive swans that once chased a rival critic out of the garden. (A fence has since been constructed around the pond to keep the swan bullies from attacking the critics.)

In July this year, I tasted a vertical of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste going back to 1986. The 1986 is a classically styled, sturdy claret that has aged remarkably well. Likewise, the 2003 through 2014 vintages are refreshing, expressive, and delicious representations of their years and commune. Yet the wines from 2015 onwards kick the intensity, layers, and fine-grained texture up a notch. I asked Emeline if there were any recent improvements to account for the quality uptick I’m finding in the last few releases.

“From 1997, everything is vinified in stainless steel for greater purity. Since then, we have been looking to make our selection and blending processes more precise. Our smallest tanks used to be 110 hectoliters. In 2015, we added 15 smaller vats (9 x 97 hectoliters and 6 x 72 hectoliters) to better correspond with our parcels. In 2018, 4 more 97 hectoliter vats were added. We also have two 55-hectoliter vats. These all make a big difference in what we can do. Blending is easier, and the results are better than before.”

After the tasting, we headed out the back door to look at the south-side block of vines. Past the vines sits Pontet-Canet, which sure makes you think. You don’t get much bang for under $100 anymore when it comes to classified growth Pauillac. Grand-Puy-Lacoste is one of the few remaining estates in this commune that has over-delivered in recent years at around the $70-90 price point.