Château Fonplégade

Identity

Château Fonplégade is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. It is owned by Denise and Stephen Adams, who acquired it in 2004, with Denise Adams also managing the estate. The technical team includes Romain Gonzalez as technical director and cellar master. Oenological consulting is provided by Stéphane Derenoncourt, alongside Corinne Comme, who advises on biodynamics. Hakima Dib joined as co-director in 2019. Stephen Adams passed away in March 2024.

History and Philosophy

The estate's name, “Fonplégade”, derives from the Latin “Fontaine Plaine”, evoking the numerous natural springs found across its terroir. Originally fragmented among several smallholdings, the estate was consolidated under the leadership of Jean-Pierre Beylot. First planted with vines by the Romans in the 2nd century, the current château was built in 1852. Over the course of its history, notable owners have included the Duc de Morny (half-brother to Napoleon III), a banking institution, and the Moueix family.

Denise and Stephen Adams acquired Château Fonplégade in 2004. Under their guidance, a complete renovation of the vineyard, cellars, and château was undertaken. The estate embraced a dedicated environmental approach, converting to organic farming in 2010 (certified in 2013). Biodynamic conversion began in 2017, culminating in Biodyvin certification in 2020. In 2007, Denise and Stephen Adams also acquired Château L'Enclos.

Appellations

The wines of Château Fonplégade are produced under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé appellation. The estate also produces wines under the Pomerol appellation for Château L'Enclos.

Practical Information

Address: 568 ROUTE DU CASTELLOT, 33330 SAINT-ÉMILION

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 74 43 11

Email: chateaufonplegade@fonplegade.fr

Visits to the estate are available by appointment. Cellar-door sales and mail orders are also available.

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The Château Fonplégade estate covers 45.5 hectares, of which 18.5 hectares are under vine. It is situated on the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion and the clay-limestone upper slopes near the village of Saint-Émilion. The soils consist of limestone and clay. The vines are distributed across 27 plots, with an average age of around thirty-five years. Harvesting is carried out by hand.

The vineyard's grape variety breakdown is dominated by Merlot (91%) and Cabernet Franc (7%).

The estate practices organic and biodynamic viticulture, preparing biodynamic treatments directly on the property. It is certified in both Organic Agriculture and Biodynamics (Biodyvin).

Château L'Enclos, also owned by the Adams family, features gravelly topsoils over iron-rich clay subsoils and achieved organic certification in 2017.

Flagship Cuvées

The estate's iconic wine is Château Fonplégade, a red Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. Crafted from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with a Merlot dominance (around 90% for the 2019 and 2020 vintages), this wine is known for its richness and complexity, designed for cellaring between 5 and 20 years.

The estate produces an average of 48,000 bottles of its grand vin per year.

Vinification and Ageing

Harvesting is manual. Vinification takes place in tronconical wooden vats and concrete tanks, alongside micro-vinification in amphorae. Maceration for Château Fonplégade lasts around 30 days.

Ageing for Château Fonplégade extends between 16 and 20 months across various vessels: 50% in new French oak barrels, 30% in one-year-old French oak barrels, 10% in ovoid concrete tanks, and 10% in amphorae. For Château L'Enclos, ageing takes place in oak, stainless steel, and concrete tanks.