There are still thousands of little things we could improve, but however efficient the various facilities and however great our know-how, it is the quality of the grape alone that determines the quality of the wine.   

Planting high numbers of vines per hectare forces them to fight for water by developing competing root systems.
In fact, the greater the density, the fewer the grapes produced by each vine and the smaller and more concentrated the bunches and their fruit.
The foliage is therefore lower, allowing the sun to penetrate better, through to the grapes.
Vigour is reduced. Since the vines bear less fruit, less green vine management is required. They are also less prone to the development of botrytis for the same reasons.

For these and other reasons, we believe we have a domain of experimentation which could enable our wines to progress with the ever-present aim of achieving the best expression of our terroir.

Our wine should gain in density and concentration while retaining all its subtlety.


Today our business is becoming increasingly competitive and we expect production costs to increase by about 15% per hectare. It requires courage to take the difficult decision to manage an estate with three different distances between the rows, which will clearly complicate vineyard work. We invest in a special tractor and all its specific equipments for such narrow vines.

"But I have chosen to look far beyond today’s difficulties, to prepare for the future, for only very high quality wines will ensure better market positioning and true recognition."

And as a vine is planted for 40 to 50 years, you can’t afford to make a mistake. 

This first plot of Cabernet Sauvignon covers 0.86 of a hectare. The following one measuring 1 hectare will be planted with Merlot in spring 2007 at 10 000 plants per hectare, then in 2008 and 2009 with Cabernet Franc to reach around three hectares, which is at least 10% of the total area under cultivation.  

"Then we will see the impact on quality that these batches have on the final blend of Château Laroze wines."

"At the same time as it leads us into the future, this project draws us closer to our ancestors who grew their vines as bushes on poles."
 
 
We will gradually increase the density of plantation to a width of 1 metre between the rows and 1 metre between each plant, giving us 10 000 vines per hectare.