2023 Château de Montfaucon Lirac Comtesse Madeleine

Product Description

From the top of a rocky spur on the right bank of the Rhône, the château of Montfaucon faces the hills of Châteauneuf du Pape on the opposite side of the river. The first tower was built in the 11th Century, then enlarged to create a triangular fortification. The ancestors of Rodolphe de Pins acquired the estate in 1756, but it was a century later, in 1880, when Baron Louis completed its restoration.

The first documentation of wine being commercialised by the property was in 1829. During this period there was only a single cuvée, sold under the Le Baron label and mostly to export clients. A vaulted wine cellar was built at the foot of the château in the 16th Century. However, it stood, unutilised, for many years during the last Century, since its 20 hectares of grapes were delivered to the local co-operative in Roquemaure.

Rodolphe took over the family estate in 1995, having worked apprenticeships at Vieux Telegraphe across the river in Châteauneuf and at Henschke in South Australia, restructuring and expanding the vineyards to the sixty hectares that exist today, thus continuing the legacy started by his great-great-uncle Louis.

The vines fall within the appellations of Côtes du Rhône, Lirac (where the family controls three large parcels and where Rodolphe spent an eight year tenure as the President of the appellation), and Vin de France (the commune of Montfaucon falls just outside the Côtes du Rhône appellation).

There are also two more recently purchased parcels in Châteauneuf du Pape. In 2014, Rodolphe acquired a small, 1.3ha vineyard in Les Escondudes, which is located next to the fabled lieu dit of La Crau on the plateau. The parcel consists of 80 year old Grenache vines, combined with some younger Mourvèdre.

Then, in 2019, the cellar took control of Clos Bimard, a historical estate in the Armeniers sector of the appellation, down by the river and surrounded by forest. This 3.5 hectare parcel is made up of 70 year old Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre on a bench of limestone overlaid with galets roulés.

Succession in the estate comes by the way of Léon who joined his father after studying agronomy in Toulouse and working harvests in Bordeaux, Barolo, Tasmania and Santa Barbara. Everything owned by the family was certified organic in 2010, although not the entire range of wines is certified, since two of the red wines are from bought-in grapes. Vine age ranges from sixty to 150 years, with everything harvested by hand. Vinification and ageing are carried out in oak vats or concrete tanks (which were installed by Rodolphe), each adapted to suit a specific parcel.

‘Comtesse Madeleine’ Lirac Blanc
A blend of Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Picpoul from vineyards located throughout the appellation. Soils here range from the classic galets roulés to sand and clay. Fermentation starts in tank and is completed in barrel, then aged for nine months on the lees before bottling. The wine is named after Rodolphe’s grandmother who managed the estate for over 70 years.