Ch. Fonroque

Chateau Fonroque was a somewhat down-at-heel estate when it was purchased by Jean Moueix in 1931, but has seen much improvement ever since, especially when its management was taken over by Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix, the major Libourne negociant which also handles Ch Petrus and a clutch of other top Bordeaux Right Bank wine properties.

Investment has been poured into vineyard and cellar, and the estate is now in the hands of Alain Moueix, who runs it along biodynamic lines. The fruit is hand-picked and after sorting is fermented in temperature-controlled cement vats. Most is then run off into barrel for ageing but 20% remains to be aged in cement vats. 40% of the wine is aged in new wood and 40% in one-year old barrels.

Alain Moueix’s philosophy is very much to make wines which are in harmony with nature, rather than forcing the vineyard to produce something too extracted and not reflective of its terroir.