You brought in your second harvest at Château Lascombes. What were your first findings?

Axel Heinz: The two vintages came in the right order for me. 2023 reminded me of Tuscany with a few heatwaves. I had the feeling that it wasn't that different. I was lucky that the harvest lasted five weeks. This gave me time to observe things, focus on certain plots and sort out details. You can't do that if you have to harvest quickly. 2024 was a vintage with an Atlantic climate and a lot of rain, which is typical for Bordeaux. It was an interesting experience for me because the ripening dynamics were completely different to what I was used to in the past 18 or 20 years.

How did you deal with that?

Axel Heinz: I had to develop a greater sense of the minimum level of maturity that we need to achieve. In the past two decades, my challenge was: how ripe can the grapes be before the wines lose their balance and drinkability? 2024 was exactly the opposite: How little ripeness is necessary to produce high-quality wines full of character?

Did you change anything or provide any impetus?

Axel Heinz: I wanted to find out where the centrepiece lies on this rather extensive estate. Château Lascombes has over 80 hectares of vineyards. We looked at the various terroirs and records to see where the vineyards were located when Lascombes was classified as a Deuxième Cru in 1855. We have now defined a main vineyard from which the first wine must come. We then created the logistics for harvesting each individual parcel at the perfect time and processing it separately. We have to work in as much detail as possible and not say: if we start now, all the grapes have to be brought in over the next few days. You have to be able to wait.

Have you changed anything in the vinification process?

Axel Heinz: At Lascombes, we cultivated a rather opulent, extracted style. I wanted a little more classicism, a little more Margaux character. I'm very careful with generalisations like that. Otherwise you're not open to what the vintage or the vineyard has to offer. Of course, a Margaux should ideally be fragrant and offer a lot of mellowness, but it is also possible to have power and fullness in the wines. We mustn't get bogged down in the idea that everything has to be delicate and not end up making the best possible wine of the vintage. Fortunately, when I arrived, the new winery at Lascombes was already finished.

There are similarities between Ornellaia and Lascombes: the grape varieties, the proximity to the sea. What were you able to take with you?

Axel Heinz: From Ornellaia I have the experience of dealing with drought and heat waves, i.e. finding a balance even with high alcohol levels. Even a grape with a potential alcohol content of 14 per cent by volume does not have to be perfectly ripe. I know from Bolgheri the balancing act of not allowing the alcohol content to spiral out of control when the grapes are sufficiently ripe. With the degree of ripeness of the grapes we have today, we can vinify much more easily than ten or 15 years ago. We now work with as little intervention as possible. We are convinced that this is better for the transparency and drinkability of the wines. Because if you step on the accelerator a little too hard, the wines lose that natural balance that makes really great wines. The third thing is that it's not just about making the best possible wine. The way you present and market yourself is also enormously important. This is the only way for a winery that produces great wines to be recognised as such.

As a Merlot specialist, what do you think of the theory that it will soon be too hot for this grape variety in Bordeaux?

Axel Heinz: There will be less Merlot. The image we had of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 30 years ago is changing completely. Back then, people expected more regularity from Merlot. It was always sufficiently ripe with good yields. In today's climate, Cabernet Sauvignon has become a more regular variety because it is better able to cope with the drastic climatic fluctuations. I have to treat Merlot today as I did Cabernet 30 years ago. We should only plant it where there is enough limestone and loam, without too much sunlight, and where it does not suffer from drought stress. We have to adapt the rootstocks, the planting density and the orientation of the rows of vines. We have to work much more precisely and get used to high alcohol levels. But after all, I have been cultivating Merlot for almost 20 years in a place where, on paper, it shouldn't have been possible back then.

Will you be making adjustments in the vineyards?

Axel Heinz: Yes. Like all wine estates in Bordeaux, we have a programme for new plantings. However, we are not necessarily focussing on renewing the oldest vineyards. Because they are our "signature" vineyards and they are still quite fit. We are more likely to renew where the grape variety is not perfectly adapted to the location. For a long time, Merlot was the most important variety at Château Lascombes. But we will have less of it in the future. In some areas we will plant Cabernet Sauvignon and also Cabernet Franc.

What are the plans for organic and biodynamic cultivation at Château Lascombes?

Axel Heinz: This is a medium-term issue. Around 40 hectares of our vineyards are cultivated organically. But in the past two years, the priority has been to secure yields. This means that we still have a few other things to organise before we switch over completely.

Bordeaux is going through a difficult phase. How should the region change?

Axel Heinz: There should be less speculation. We need to ensure that the whole world drinks Bordeaux regularly and with great pleasure. We should also market the wines that are not expensive better. In a certain price segment, there is hardly any other region that can offer such stable and high-quality wines as Bordeaux - and at absolutely competitive prices.

Many Bordeaux wineries are focussing on white wine. Do you do the same?

Axel Heinz: I would like to do that. But we have to find the right timing. On the one hand, the wave of white wines in Bordeaux has been going on for some time. We don't want to be the last to start when everyone else has already firmly established themselves on the market. We would therefore be in a bit of a hurry. On the other hand, you also have to be sure that you do things in the right order. Our central project is to make Château Lascombes what it should be: a recognised reference in Margaux and beyond. A wine that fully lives up to its status as a Deuxième Cru. This means that first we have to revitalise the prestige of Château Lascômbes, then we will make white wine. But we know that we don't have too much time. We should have a white wine in five years at the latest.

Unsurprisingly, there is now also a premium Merlot from Château Lascombes.

Axel Heinz: There are so many interesting terroirs for Merlot here. It was important for me to understand how to make a wine with its own identity and personality. This wine should be completely independent and have something to say. I am looking forward to exploring its personality beyond the character of the vintage.

This wine is probably constantly compared to Masseto.

Axel Heinz: Yes, but I'm not afraid of that. I can't and don't want to escape my reputation as a Merlot specialist. So why shouldn't I produce a single-varietal wine from it with these possibilities? The terroirs of Bolgheri and Margaux are so different. And I will endure comparisons.