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  • Weather

    13° C Moderate rain
  • Time

    09:47 AM
  • Wine average?

    92 Tb
  • Country Ranking?

    419
  • Region Ranking?

    234
  • Popularity ranking?

    239

News

Robert Parker  Monday, May 4, 2015

Château de La Dauphine 2012 got the score of 90 by Robert Parker.

 

“The acquisition of this well-known, beautiful estate in Fronsac by proprietor Jean Halley has raised the level of performance dramatically. The 2012, which tips the scales at a whopping 15% alcohol, is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. This is a major sleeper of the vintage. Dense ruby/plum/purple with sweet black cherry and blackcurrant fruits, underlying minerality, a plump, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and lush, heady texture and length, this is one of the best La Dauphines I have tasted. Drink it over the next 10-15 years, although it is capable of lasting longer.”

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History

The oldest archives retained at the château date back to 1670. The name “Dauphine” first appears in a transfer deed dating from 1684.. J-F Proteau sold La Dauphine to the Olivier family in 1709. Jean Olivier was an adviser to the King and in charge of the finances of the Guyenne region. La Dauphine was to remain in the same family for nearly three centuries.


The château was built between 1744 and 1750 by Jean-Baptiste de Richon, lawyer to the Paris parliament and a civil and criminal judge in the Duchy of Fronsac. Princess Maria-Josepha of Saxony, the Dauphine of France, wife of Louis, Dauphin of France and mother of the last kings of France including Louis XVI, spent several days at the château soon after it was built. Her visit contributed to the development of the property’s reputation.
 

In 1985 François-Régis Marcetteau de Brem, the last descendant of the Olivier family, sold La Dauphine to the Moueix family of Libourne (Pétrus, Châteaux Trotanoy and Magdeleine). In turn, Jean Halley acquired Château de la Dapuhine from the Moueix family in 2000.

 

Jean Halley (former director and co-founder of the Promodès Group) bought the property from the Moueix family in 2000. New technical facilities were built in 2001, in time for the 2002 vintage, the vineyard was restructured and the château was restored to its original form.
Since his death in 2011, Jean’s son Guillaume has been in charge of the property.


The domain has been built up gradually over its 350-year history and today there are 40 hectares under vine. This makes it one of the largest properties in the Libourne region.

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Vineyards

The southerly exposed vineyard, 40 hectares total, takes the form of an amphitheatre, with a 60 metre height difference separating the highest and lowest parcels. The 14 different soil types fall into three main groups:

– clay-limestone plateaux on a limestone subsoil containing starfish fossils;
– clay-limestone slopes on a shallow subsoil of Fronsac molasse;
– clay-silt-sand on a clay subsoil at the foot of the slopes.

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Winemaking

The reception of the grapes at the winery was the starting point for the design of the circular tank hall. The winemaking process respects the integrity of the fruit: there are sorting tables before and after destemming, and filling the tanks is done by gravity. The 26 concrete tanks and 16 stainless-steel tanks of 50hl allow each vineyard parcel to be vinified separately.

 

Particular attention is paid to hygiene and functionality in the 600-barrel cellar: partly underground, double insulated, ventilated with air conditioning, and the OXOline system for stacking the barrels.

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Inside information

The Libourne region (Saint-Emilion/Pomerol/Fronsac) was one of the major cradles of viticulture in the Bordeaux area, dating back to Gallo-Roman times. The first vines were planted in Fronsac two thousand years ago. The emperor Charlemagne built the tertre de Fronsac, a mighty fortress, in 770. It was at this time that the name “Fronciacus” appeared, the origin of the name Fronsac.


The Duke of Richelieu bought the lands of the Duchy of Fronsac for his family in 1663. Since then, the wines of Fronsac have not ceased to improve in reputation. In the 18th century the quality revolution in Libourne wines had its roots here and the boom in global sea trade played a big role in establishing Fronsac as one of the finest wine regions of Bordeaux.

In the 18th century the wines of Fronsac enjoyed the best reputation in the Libourne region, selling for higher prices than their neighbours in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol.

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