Château Fontesteau

The discovery of a large deposit of foundry residue near the lake is proof that Fontesteau was an important centre of activity during the Iron Age. The proximity of the Bernet tumulus and the roman villa of Villambis links Fontesteau to this area known to have been inhabited for many centuries. In this area, a little winding brook called the Jalle du Bernet is fed by 7 springs (FONT in old French) : hence the name Fontesteau.

1277 : construction of the Château itself ( see “le Feret et ses vins”) The salamander carved over the dungeon door is thought to be a sign that King Francis the First visited the castle. The scallop shell decorations remind us that the pilgrims walking the Saint James Path passed through on their way to Santiago de Compostela. During the French Revolution, Fontesteau is known to have sheltered an “irascible man” who hid his arms in the castle.

Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde River, the Médoc offers an ideal temperate climate, allowing the grapes to ripen beautifully and guaranteeing balance and finesse in the wines. The gravelly soil of Fontesteau, with its deep limestone base, allows the traditional Médoc grape varieties (particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon) to express their full potential.

Total area under vine: 32 ha

- Average age of the vines: 25 years old

-  Grape varieties:

- 58%  Cabernet Sauvignon

- 37%  Merlot Noir

- 5%  Cabernet Franc

- pruning method : Double Guyot to limit yield (6 buds per plant)

- Attaching with three ties per plant

- Trellising: Wires lifted 3 times during growth cycle.

- Trimming: 4 foliage trimmings per year

- Sucker removal : May, June, selection of fruit-bearing shoots.

- De-leafing : sunrise side in July, sunset side in August.

- Thinning out: during colour change, elimination of superfluous or imperfect bunches.

The Fontesteau vineyard has been using integrated agricultural methods for the last 30 years,  exploiting the plants’ natural defence system and avoiding where possible the use of synthetic products to protect the vineyard.

The harvest generally begins from mid-September, first with the Merlot and then the Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Sauvignon. The use of our harvesting machine allows us to pick each plot at its optimum maturity: the grapes are then carefully sorted before being crushed and gently pumped into 14 temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. We are thus able to manage each plot individually, adapting the vinification to the content of each vat.

The alcoholic fermentation lasts around one week, during which we perform daily ‘pump-overs’ and ‘rack and returns’ as often as necessary to extract the colour and polyphenols from the grape skins. The temperature is maintained at a maximum of 26°C, to preserve the aromas characteristic of each variety. Once the alcoholic fermentation is completed, the vats are closed for 2 or 3 weeks, giving the skins time to free more colour and subtle tannins. Daily tastings are carried out to decide the end of this maceration period and the right time to perform the ‘running off’:

The ‘free run wine’ is run out of the vat by gravity. The ‘press wine’ is made by carefully pressing the different layers of pomace (skins and pips) and is sent directly into the barrels. The malolactic fermentation then takes place, mostly in vats, and after this step we can organise the blending of the different grape varieties. In December, Eric Boissenot, our consultant œnologist, accompanies us in this delicate operation that will lead to the birth of the vintage’s wines : Château Fontesteau, our flagship product, Château PIMORIN, Messire de Fontesteau and ‘Variation de Fontesteau’.

Each of these wines will undergo a different ageing process in our beautiful barrel cellar. 20 to 30 % of our barrels are renewed each year. After maturing in the oak casks, the wines rest three more months in vats. Following the ‘fining’ (with egg white), the bottling is carried out on the property from may.