Château de la Dauphine Winery

The wines from Fronsac near Libourne already enjoyed an excellent reputation in the 18th century and found a loyal international audience thanks to the flourishing maritime trade. The price level at the time was even higher than that of Saint Émilion and Pomerol.

The Château de la Dauphine was built around 1750 by Jean-Baptiste de Richon - a lawyer in the Parliament of Paris and civil and criminal judge in the Duchy of Fronsac. The brief stay of Maria Josepha of Saxony, "Dauphine of France", helped the estate to achieve early fame and gave it its name.

The winery has been in the hands of the entrepreneurial Labrune family since 2015. It has 53 hectares of vineyards, making it one of the larger estates in the region.

The topography of the vineyard is reminiscent of an amphitheatre, with a difference in altitude of up to 60 metres between individual plots. A total of 14 soil types can be categorised into three groups: a clay-limestone plateau on a limestone subsoil, a limestone hill on flat Fronsac molasse and sandy clay at the foot of the hill.

In recent decades, the quality level has been steadily raised through a variety of investments and reorganisations. Consequently, this has included organic production. Since 2015, the vineyards have even been cultivated according to biodynamic standards. Soil treatment, fertilisation and vegetation, pruning, structuring and harvesting are individually tailored to each plot.

Since the early 2000s, the château has also been setting standards in terms of technical equipment. In the ultra-modern circular fermentation room, stainless steel and concrete tanks await the grapes, which are selected twice after the harvest. All transport is carried out gently, without pumps, by gravity. The grapes from the individual parcels are vinified separately to optimise terroir expression.

The ageing cellar, which holds 600 barriques, is half underground, insulated, ventilated and air-conditioned. The wines mature here for 12 months before bottling.

photos: Château de la Dauphine