Château La Garde Rouge

A solid La Garde with aromas of blackberries, black cherries, crushed stones and spices. It is sophisticated and chic.

Super precise fragrance on the nose, crystalline and pure. Smooth and silky, this is delicious from the off, sappy and dense with bright acidity and cool blueberry fruit alongside really chalky, powdery tannins. Characterful. Maybe a bit more tense and firm than in the past couple of years but there’s plenty of depth and complexity on offer. I love the juiciness. Elegant yet still packing power and intensity.

Well structured fruits and tannins, nothing too intrusive, enjoyable balance, good length and grip, unfussy and easy to recommend. A clear example of how much work is being done at La Garde right now. 3.5ph, 39hl/ha yields, 30% new oak. Penelope Godefroy's first full vintage at Dourthe as director (a great year to read the difference between the terroirs). Harvest September 8 to 24.

Fleurs, fruit subtil et menthe fraîche composent un bouquet élégant. La bouche harmonieuse, portée par un grain soyeux et une belle tonicité, conserve de la salinité qui prolonge la finale.

The 2025 La Garde is a very beautiful wine with lovely forward fruit and fine balance. Pretty bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, pomegranate and blood orange all meld together seamlessly. Ripe, silky tannins and a closing floral burst extend the finish effortlessly.   One of the fine choices for readers in search of budget-friendly options.

Less introverted and more approachable than in recent vintages, the 2025 La Garde reveals aromas of dark berries, cassis, mulberries, flowers and spice. Medium- to full-bodied, juicy and enveloping, it’s built around a tense, structuring mid-palate framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, ethereal and perfumed finish. This is a strong effort.

Deep dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Inviting heart cherries, fine cassis touch, a hint of orange zest, inviting bouquet. Good complexity, delicate plum fruit, firm, round tannins, mineral and persistent, some nougat in the aftertaste, shows development potential.

Château La Garde has shown clear progress in its expression of Cabernet Sauvignon in recent years, and the purity displayed in the 2025 vintage is particularly striking. Blackcurrant aromas unfold in layers, accompanied by notes of iris and rose bud, clean and precise. The palate follows with a supple, finely textured touch, revealing a confident control over ripeness and extraction. Most pleasing is the gentle character that wraps around the structure, oftening its edges and allowing the wine to hold its balance and poise, even under the heat of the 2025 vintage.

Le bouquet de La Garde se révèle progressivement et avec précision. Il gagne en pluralité et en éclat à l’aération avec des notes de mûres et de framboises. Dense en attaque, le vin suit un cheminement précis. Ses tannins, puissants, forment une excellente assise et atteignent leur amplitude vers la fin du palais. Ils sont secondés par une acidité structurante qui assure les côtés incisifs et rafraîchissants. Un grand vin !

Avec ce millésime, La Garde joue la partition de la gourmandise fruitée et du charme. Rond, suave, enveloppant, ce vin aux notes dominantes de cerise mûre prend appui sur des tanins de belle définition, reflets d’une extraction maîtrisée. La dégustation s’achève sur une agréable pointe réglissée.