Located in the northeast corner of the Saint-Chinian appellation is Château Fonsalade, a property of the Barbe family.
Château Fonsalade represents, with its 25 hectares, a real patchwork of soils with 6 different kinds of land, going from argilo-calcareous, marls and schist. Nine grape varieties are combined on this patchwork to best develop their individual potential. All of this, as well as the combination of different altitudes and an exceptional climate, allow them to obtain a range of complex and very different wines, from the fruity and lighter Petit Bonheur range to the rich and powerful Chateau Fondalade Rouge that we have selected.
THE VINEYARD
LOCATION: The northeast corner of the Saint-Chinian
APPELLATION: Château Fonsalade
PROPRIETOR: Jean-Jacques Beaumet
WINEMAKER: Jean-Jacques Beaumet
SIZE: 25 hectares (62 acres)
SOIL: Limestone, clay and sand
VINIFICATION:
Petite Bonheur: Château Fonsalade cultivates and vinifies Petit Bonheur with experienced pickers, organic nutrition, and hand-harvesting at night or dawn. Fermentation starts below 14°C to preserve maximum aroma.
Cuvée F: Château Fonsalade hand-harvests at night, ferments below 14°C to preserve aromas, and benefits from limestone and schist soils for structured and velvety wines.
AGING: Barrels