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Wine Tasting Adventure

2022 Château de Fontenille, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux - Liberty

£19.99 GBP
£19.99 GBP

Stéphane Defraine bought Château de Fontenille in 1989 and has gradually renovated this historic estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers. Vines have been grown at the property since the 13th century, with a UNESCO-protected pilgrimage route running through the vineyards to neighbouring Abbaye de la Sauve-Majeure, whose monks tended the vines for hundreds of years.

Stéphane is hugely passionate about the Entre-Deux-Mers region and is notably president of the local ‘syndicat’, representing the interests of the AOC’s estates and growers. Château de Fontenille now comprises 63 hectares of vines divided into 67 individual plots. Planted at an elevation of 110 metres, between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, the vineyard’s free-draining gravel and clay soils, coupled with the area's high winds, ensure healthy, balanced grapes packed with flavour at harvest.

Château de Fontenille’s Bordeaux Rouge is a classic Bordeaux blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, half aged in oak barrels (one-third of which were new) and half in stainless steel tank. The unoaked Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc, made from vines with an average age of 17 years, is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Semillon and 10% Muscadelle. It also undergoes some lees ageing to add texture and richness to the wine.

Château Fontenille’s Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, grown on south and south-east facing slopes which benefit from maximum sunlight exposure. The final wine is aged in new oak barrels for 12 months before bottling, providing a generous, rounded texture and notes of sweet spice and cinnamon. Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux is an appellation for excellent value red wines solely made in the area around Cadillac, at the southern end of the Entre-Deux-Mers.

The grapes for the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux are grown on 15-year-old south to south-west facing vines, which benefit from maximum sun-exposure. The soils are made up mostly of gravel and stones, which have good drainage and heat-retention properties, ensuring the Cabernet Sauvignon can ripen fully. Since 2005, the emphasis at Château de Fontenille has been on working the soils rather than using chemicals for pest control, disease protection and weed killing.

The 2022 growing season began with a mild, dry winter leading to early bud break, followed by a wet spring and rapid flowering in late May under warm, dry conditions. Despite intense summer heat and drought, the vines demonstrated exceptional resilience due to substantial 2021 water reserves, producing healthy grapes with excellent acidity-freshness balance. Red grape harvest ran from September 19th (Merlot) through October 12th (Cabernet Sauvignon), yielding grapes in perfect health though with reduced berry weight and lower overall yields.

Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 28°C. The wine was then transferred to oak barrels where it remained for 12 months before bottling and release.

On the nose, the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux offers aromas of black cherry, bramble and sweet spice. The palate is elegant yet full-bodied, with lovely acidity and concentrated flavours, soft ripe tannins and a long, lifted finish.