Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux Blanc 2019 (750ml)

 

Wine Enthusiast

 

This ripe blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon brings out tropical pineapple and mango as well as lively citrus acidity.  The wine is fresh, already attractive to drink.  (RV)  (10/2020)

 

The wines of Château Roquefort reflect the extraordinary diversity of the Entre-Deux-Mers terroirs.  Our red wines express the roundness and power of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The white wines possess the freshness and minerality of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, whilst the rosés are harmonious gourmet wines designed for pleasure.  The Roquefort spirit is first and foremost a taste for work well done, combined with a desire to protect the environment and to produce sustainable wines with the “Haute Valeur Environnementale” certification.

 

Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux Blanc 2019

 

AOC Bordeaux

Grape Varieties: 85% Sauvignon, 15% Sémillon

 

Owner:  Frédéric Bellanger

 

Winemaker:  Samuel Mestre

 

Tasting Notes

 

Intense, very aromatic bouquet with a mixture of floral hints of jasmine, hawthorn and lemon blossom.  Full of fruit on the palate – mandarin, pear, lychee, pineapple… Lots of body and length with this wine which fills the palate.  Wonderful combination of sweetness and liveliness.  A very successful vintage.

 

Soil:  Chalky-Clay

 

Yield:  55 hl / ha

 

Size:  20 hectares

 

Production:  150 000 Bottles

 

Average Age:  25 Years

 

Density of Plantation:  4500 row of wines / ha

 

Training of vines:  Guyot double pruning, early leaf removal, green harvesting

 

Harvesting:  Selective sorting system

 

Vinification:  Nertness of harvest, maceration on the skins, low temperature fermentation

 

Ageing:  Temperature-controlled stainless steel vats

 

The Roquefort Vineyards

 

An array of magnificent terroirs at the heart of Entre-Deux-Mers

 

The Château Roquefort estate covers 240 hectares (including 100 hectares of grape vines) at the heart of Entre-Deux-Mers between the Garonne and the Dordogne, in a magnificent region known by some as ‘little Tuscany’.  Hills and steep slopes around a limestone plateau offer the perfect setting for grape vines to flourish.  The Bellanger family has long opted to preserve national biodiversity with a collection of forests, meadows and pasture.  This balance is one of the particular features which make Château Roquefort a remarkable Entre-Deux-Mers estate.  The vineyards cover a wide range of terroirs with very complementary plantation plots:

• The Roquefort plateau, a limestone plateau of the same geological origins as its Saint-Emilion neighbour
• The Saint Brice plot offering cooler clay loam for white wines
• The Castelviel site with limestone-clay soils which are perfect for enhancing fruit and giving red wines power and structure

 

 

Château Roquefort

 

Château Roquefort, A Family Affair

 

Château Roquefort and the Bellanger Family

 

40 years of passion and exacting standards

 

In 1976, Jean and Christiane Bellanger fell in love with Château Roquefort and breathed new life into this magnificent Entre-Deux-Mers vineyard.  Together they understood the terroir and were captivated by the charms of this estate steeped in history.  At the time, Château Roquefort belonged to the painter Alain de Condé, a descendant of the House of Condé and friend of Maurice Druon.  The vines disappeared during the 20th century and the artist primarily maintained the chartreuse house, preserving an 18th-century spirit and perfect harmony.  Maurice Druon later said that “an artist is someone with enough soul to be able to lavish upon things, with a calm abundance.”

 

Jean and Christiane Bellanger

 

Jean Bellanger is a man of action, with a passion for things well done and an entrepreneurial spirit.  That same year (1978), he also bought the lingerie brand Lou which he would develop in a remarkable fashion, transforming it into one of the market leaders for “Made in France” lingerie during the 1980s.

 

In order to revive Château Roquefort, he gradually replanted the vineyard and worked with the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology to quickly adopt the best winemaking methods.  30 hectares were planted in 1983 and the first winemaking activities began in 1987.

 

His wife Christiane (originally from Bordeaux) is an art lover with excellent taste: keeping with the spirit and history of the location, she took charge of restoring the thousand-year-old estate’s many history buildings.

 

Frédéric and Anne Bellanger

 

Their son Frédéric is driven by this same family energy: he took over the reins of Château Roquefort in 1995 and continued developing the estate, which now covers 240 hectares.  He sought to expand the vineyard, but above all to integrate it within its exceptional setting of forest, fields and meadows.  Highly committed to biodiversity, in his view, the only way to enhance heritage is by listening to the terroir and respecting the generosity of its nature.  Surrounded by a faithful professional team, he works to constantly improve the quality of the wines and to create exceptional new cuvees.

 

He was recently joined by his wife Anne…  Together they have succeeded in strengthening the estate’s soul by paying tribute to its history and traditions but also by pushing towards a modern era of responsible and expert winemaking.  They share a passion for wine and the products of nature, products which tell our history and culture and allow us to enjoy unforgettable tasting moments and emotional experiences.  They both want to introduce the world to these unique terroirs where good living, history and heritage all merge together to create excellence.

 

The authors of the future could be Victoire, Inès, Eva and Raphaëlle… The four daughters of Anne and Frédéric are each learning how to produce and share good wine in their own way.  They will soon be ready to contribute to this unique historic heritage with the ambition to continue keeping the Roquefort spirit alive…