Pauillac château with gravelly northern ridges, clay and limestone, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in two vineyard sectors.
The producer
Château Fonbadet is a Pauillac château with Peyronie family ownership across four generations. Its vineyard combines gravelly northern ridges with clay and limestone to the south, and its two sectors are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon in one area and Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot in the other. The wines show black fruit, tobacco and spices, powerful velvety tannins, and releases after 2015 with more richness and concentration.
Known for
Pauillac gravel and Cabernet Sauvignon
Notable facts
Château Fonbadet dates to the early 1800s.
The vineyard covers 11.5 hectares.
The wine remains on its skins for four to six weeks before entering barrel.
The wine ages with 50% new oak for 18 months.
The story
A 2014 Consulting Appointment
In 2014, Pascale Peyronie brought Michel Rolland in as consultant at Château Fonbadet. Consulting is an advisory role, so the estate stayed under Peyronie family ownership while Rolland joined the wine work. The Peyronie family has owned Château Fonbadet for four generations. Releases after 2015 show more richness and concentration than earlier vintages, emphasizing dark red fruit character. The appointment added an outside adviser to an established family estate. The wine remained Château Fonbadet under the family name.
From the atlas
Château Fonbadet
A Pauillac château with two vineyard sectors, gravelly ridges to the north, and clay and limestone to the south.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Appellation
Pauillac
Main grape varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Signature wine
Château Fonbadet
Defining feature
Northern gravelly ridges and southern clay and limestone
The Producer
Château Fonbadet is a Pauillac château producing approximately 8,000 cases each year. Its red wine comes from two planting patterns. One vineyard sector is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, while the other combines Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot.
Place
Ten hectares lie to the north of the Pauillac appellation, surrounded by the vineyard of Château Mouton Rothschild. Another 1.5 hectares adjoin Château Latour. The holdings place Château Fonbadet among named vineyards within Pauillac.
Soil And Site
The terroir has gravelly ridges to the north and clay and limestone to the south. The ground is made up of sandy, well drained Garonne gravel. Gravel sheds water quickly, while clay and limestone can retain more moisture, changing the water available to vines and the pace of ripening.
Story
Château Fonbadet dates to the early 1800s. Pierre Peyronie was manager of Château Lafite Rothschild before taking over Château Fonbadet. The Peyronie family has owned the château for four generations.
Vineyards And Cellar
The wine remains on its skins for four to six weeks before entering barrel. It then ages with 50% new oak for 18 months. This barrel ageing gives the wines roundness and silkiness.
Wines
Château Fonbadet is the named red wine in the range. Current releases have extended ageing potential, with drinking windows of 20+ years in premium vintages.
In The Glass
The wines show black fruit, tobacco and spices, with spearmint, flowers and currants also present in the aromatic profile. Powerful, velvety tannins accompany the aromatic richness. Recent releases bring layers of ripe, juicy, sweet cassis with a soft, fresh and lively texture. With age, the wines gain harmony and keep good length.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Château Fonbadet 1996. The vintage gives one dated release of the estate wine, with a slightly earthy, dark nose dominated by black berries and marked by black olive notes.
Anecdote
In 2014, Pascale Peyronie brought Michel Rolland in as consultant at Château Fonbadet. Consulting is an advisory role, so the estate stayed under Peyronie family ownership while Rolland joined the wine work. The Peyronie family has owned Château Fonbadet for four generations. Releases after 2015 show more richness and concentration than earlier vintages, emphasizing dark red fruit character. The appointment added an outside adviser to an established family estate. The wine remained Château Fonbadet under the family name.
Final Word
Château Fonbadet is a Pauillac château where gravelly northern ridges and southern clay and limestone sit behind one red estate wine.