Chateau Fonplegade St. Emilion Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Fonplegade St. Emilion with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn all the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Fonplegade History, Overview

Chateau Fonplegade is located close to the southeast portion of the St. Emilion village. What we know of as Chateau Fonplegade today, is one of the oldest vineyards in Saint Emilion.

Proof of this is easily seen. If you’re visiting Chateau Fonplegade and looking at the historic Roman pathways still visible today, it’s easy to see how Fonplegade could be one of the oldest Bordeaux vineyards in the Right Bank. Ancient Roman ruins date the birth of the estate as a vineyard to about 400 AD.

The name Fonplegade was inspired by the terroir. Fonplegade means full or bent fountain. It was derived from the natural fountain, located close to the center of the vineyard which supports numerous, small, running springs in various bent and twisted shapes that are located on the estate.

Skipping ahead about 1,500 years, in 1852, Jean-Pierre Beylot purchased Chateau Fonplegade. Beylot built the magnificent chateau that is still on the Fonplegade property today. In 1863, Chateau Fonplegade was sold to the Duke of Morny. Morny was the stepbrother of Napoleon the 3rd.

The Moueix family purchased the estate in 1953. Things changed again most recently in 2004 when Denise Adams and Stephen Adams bought the Right Bank vineyard of Chateau Fonplegade for 30 million Euros from Armand Moueix. This was not the first vineyard owned by the Adams family. Their initial investment in Bordeaux was Chateau Lagarosse, located in the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux appellation. Next, they bought Chateau de Candale in 2002. From that moment on, they set their eyes on a Saint Emilion Classified Growth, which turned out to be Chateau Fonplegade.

The Adams family were able to realize their dream with Chateau Fonplegade. However, at the time of the purchase, the property needed a lot of work. It took a few years to finish their complete, and expensive renovation of the chateau, cellars, and wine-making facilities. They also replanted large portions of the vineyards, as well as rebuilt many of the vineyard terraces. Next, the Adams family started taking a different approach with their vineyard management techniques.

They converted to a biodynamic, farming program starting with the 2009 vintage. They were certified organic in 2013. Michel Rolland was the first consultant they hired.

In 2015, they also brought in the team of Stephane Derenoncourt to help consult in the vineyard management and winemaking along with Corinne Comme. Stephen Adams, and Denise Adams own other vineyards in the Right Bank including Chateau LEnclos in Pomerol. In 2020 the estate was officially certified as 100% Biodynamic. Along with biodynamic farming, they only use native yeasts in their vineyard as well.

Sadly, after a long illness, Stephen Adams passed away in March, 2024, at 87 years of age. I really liked him, and will remember our time together. He will missed. He left behind 4 sons, and Denise Adams, his wife of more than 20 years. Denise Adams remains in charge of all the Adams family estates.

Chateau Fonplegade Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 18.5 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Chateau Fonplegade is planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The remaining Cabernet Sauvignon vines were removed in 2010.

The goal is to slowly increase the amount of Cabernet Franc planted in the vineyard to as much as 20% of the plantings over time.

The terroir is limestone and clay soils. The south-facing vineyard has most of their vineyards ideally placed on the slopes, with some vines being planted on the plateau and a minor portion of their vines are planted at the bottom of their hillsides. They also have a parcel of vines north of the village, off the road to Libourne.

The Fonplegade vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,500 vines per hectare in the front of the chateau. Behind the chateau, on the hillsides and slopes, the vines are planted to a higher vine density of 8,500 vines per hectare with their newer plantings.

The program to increase the vineyard density began in 2004 after the Adams family took control of the vineyard. On average, the vines are 30 years of age. They have old vines, some of which date back to an average of 50 years of age. They have even older vines that are more than 75 years of age.

The vines are not all that is old in their vineyards. Some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Bordeaux are found at Chateau Fonplegade in their verdant, hillside landscape on the Fonplegade plateau.

A complete renovation of the chateau was finished in 2015, which included a restoration of the chateau to its original design, which once again features matching towers on both sides of the chateau.

To produce the wine of Chateau Fonplegade, the fruit is whole berry fermented, following a cold maceration for 5 days. The wine is vinified in 6, thermoregulated, large, 95 hectoliter oak vats and 2, 55 hectoliter oak tanks. 5% of the wine is barrel fermented in 500-liter oak barrels using the micro vinification process. 30% of the wine is vinified in conical-shaped, cement vats.

90% of the Malolactic fermentation takes place in 60% new, French oak barrels, with the remaining 10% going through malolactic in cement, egg-shaped tanks.

The wine is aged in a combination of 50% new, French oak barrels and egg-shaped tanks for an average of 18 months, depending on the quality and character of the vintage.

In late 2013, Chateau Fonplegade was certified as being 100% organic in their vineyard management techniques.

The certification was awarded by Ecocert. Notice of the organic certification was placed on all future vintages starting with 2013. Starting with the 2017 vintage, Chateau Fonplegade moved to use biodynamic farming techniques. They were certified as biodynamic in 2020.

The best vintages of Chateau Fonplegade are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2005. While 2009 and 2010 are quite good, clearly, the 2015 and 2016 vintages are a big leap up in quality for the estate, which jumped up again in 2018, 2019, and 2020! All you have to do is taste these wines yourself, to know what I’m talking about.

On average the production is close to 7,500 cases of Chateau Fonplegade per vintage. There is a second wine, Fleur de Fonplegade.

When to Drink Chateau Fonplegade, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Fonplegade is much better with at least 10-15 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for 2-3 hours or more.

This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Fonplegade offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 10-30 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Fonplegade with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau Fonplegade is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Fonplegade is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Fonplegade is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, and pasta.

The Adams family also owns vineyards in Napa Valley, located on Howell Mountain. They produce a California Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine and Sauvignon Blanc which are sold under the name of ADAMVS.

www.fonplegade.com