winery

Château La Rame

Bordeaux, France

Philosophy

Manual harvest in successive tries over weeks, with temperature-controlled fermentation and minimal intervention. Sweet wines spend two years in cuve or oak; dry whites receive six months on fine lees; reds employ selective élevage with one-third new oak for 12–18 months. Every decision made in family council, guided by terroir expression.

Reputation

Steeped in history since 1766, Château La Rame commands a clay-limestone slope overlooking the Garonne in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, blessed with a substratum of fossilized Tertiary oyster beds. Once the property of the Baron de Vertheuil after the French Revolution, the estate was purchased by Claude Armand in 1956 and has since become the cornerstone of the Armand family's eight-generation commitment to restoring the appellation's reputation.

AllocationFounding date 1766 found in Wine&Earth source; Claude Armand's acquisition dated 1956 via multiple sources. Succession: Yves Armand (took over 1980) managed until 2009 when sons Grégoire and Angélique (with husband Olivier Allo) took helm. Grégoire died suddenly in 2019, Angélique now leads estate. Total vineyard holding: 20 ha Sainte-Croix-du-Mont plus 6 ha Monprimblanc (Cadillac) = 26 ha. Production estimate ~150,000 bottles annually based on individual cuvée allocations (30,000 Tradition, 18–24,000 Blanc Sec, 12,000 La Charmille, 40,000 Bordeaux Rouge). HEV certification verified; no organic or biodynamic certification found in sources. US importer confirmed as Neil Rosenthal/Rosenthal Wine Merchant since 1989 vintage. Ownership clearly family-operated across eight generations per Olivier Allo interview (2018). Female leadership assertion based on Angélique's 2019 assumption of management post-brother's death. All data cross-checked against Rosenthal merchant site, Bordeaux.com official entry, and Wine&Earth UK retailer descriptors. | Importer overflow captured (importer_us): 'Rosenthal Wine Merchant (Neil Rosenthal)' | Importer overflow captured (importer_other): 'Domaine des Grandes Maisons (distribution since 1995)'

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