Château Fontenil Winery
"An estate that has helped to establish the reputation of Fronsac wines."
Dany and Michel Rolland
With the wines of Château Fontenil, Dany and Michel Rolland renewed the reputation they had earned.
There is probably no other oenological advisor who has had a greater influence on the Bordeaux wine region and modern wine worldwide than Michel Rolland. Together with his wife Dany, an oenologist, Michel Rolland, a native of Pomerol, acquired a vineyard in the commune of Saillans in Fronsac in 1986, along with a small château. It took them until 1999 to completely renovate the vineyard and move into the château. They named it Château Fontenil after a parcel of land within the vineyards.
Today, the vineyard comprises ten hectares of Merlot and one hectare of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle and Chardonnay. One parcel has vines more than 100 years old, which are used for a mass selection. A larger part comprises 70-year-old vines. The vineyard is characterised by limestone and the Molasse du Fronsadais typical of Fronsac. Dany Rolland produces the wines, which ferment spontaneously in various wooden and stainless steel fermenters. The first wine, called "Château Fontenil", is aged for 18 months in barriques with 40% new wood. The Vin de France "Le Défi de Fontenil" comes from 80-year-old vines and is matured in 100% new wood. The white Vin de France "Le Blanc de Fontenil" is a blend of the aforementioned white grape varieties that mature in concrete eggs.
photos: Château Fontenil
