Château Richelieu, AOC Fronsac

The property and region
Château Richelieu was one of the wine estates in Bordeaux of the famous Cardinal. The Cardinal also owned Château Haute-Brion, one of the left bank first growth’s and the only one outside of the Médoc. Château Richelieu is today a property of 11.3 ha with a vineyard of 10.2 ha. The quality of its soils and the perfect exposure got the attention of Bordeaux’s renowned wine maker Stéphane Derenoncourt only a few years ago. 2003 is the 1st year under his responsibility and even Robert Parker is keeping a close eye on the property ever since. The wine estate has the potential to be a leader of its appellation and to build strong brand equity thanks to the historical heritage linked to the famous Cardinal Richelieu. Château Richelieu lies just at the border of the commune of Fronsac almost in front of the “Maison de Vin de Fronsac”. The property is part of “le tertre du fronsac”, a historic landmark. Fronsac is only two minutes away from the beautiful old city centre of Libourne and 10 minutes away from the medieval town of St. Émilion.

The vineyard and wines
The terroir of Château Richelieu is blue clay and calcareous mixed with fossilized shell banks. 70% of the vineyard is planted with Merlot and 30% with Cabernet Franc with a density of 6000-6500 vines/ha. Very intensive vineyard work (from optimal preparation of the soil with a bio-dynamic strategy to a labour-intensive green harvest) is the basis for the healthiest grapes of the appellation and the basis for a great wine. Traditional wine making in thermo-regulated tanks combined with state of the art know-how and techniques transforms the grapes to the best possible expression of its terroir. The premium wine is named after the great heritage of the wine estate: Château Richelieu. A unique and very special cuvée is made with additional love and care and is baptized: La Favorite de Richelieu. Our second brand is Trois Musketeers. This brand stands for an excellent wine with loads of fruit and very easy to appreciate immediately after its bottling.

The main Château

The central part of the main Chartreuse is built in the 16th century and later extended by the Richelieu family. The higher wing side is attached in the 17th century. The total size of the main building is around 400 m2. Overall the building is in good shape and has a lot of charm and character. The main house will be split in 5 luxurious bedroom apartments, which are for the use of the shareholders and are also sold as high-end Bed & Breakfast rooms.

The critics

Robert Parker:
2003 Château Richelieu La Favorite. A sleeper of the vintage, this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc is another top-notch effort from Fronsac. The winemaking consultant is Stéphane Derenoncourt, which no doubt explains the wine’s wonderful texture, sweetness, seductiveness, and broad flavour profile. Drink this fleshy 2003 over the next 7-8 years.
88-90 Points

Jancis Robinson:
2004 Château Richelieu la Favorite. Very Dark crimson. A rather green herbaceous note on the nose. Gently sweet on the palate then quite tight tannins. Very ambitious, and that gentleness on the palate suggests this may be one of the best Fronsac 2004s.
16 points

La Revue du Vin de France:
2004 Château Richelieu La Favorite. Très sombre, doté d’une robe pratiquement noire, il montre une bouche très concentrée, très longue et finement boisée. Belle réussite.
8 Points

More information
Please check www.chateau-richelieu.com for further information or send your request to WECM.

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