COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2010
GRAPE
Merlot
PRODUCER
Château Fontenil
REGION
Bordeaux
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Full
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Château Fontenil is the personal estate of the world-renowned consulting enologist Michel Rolland and his wife Dany, who acquired the property in 1986. Le Défi (The Challenge) was born out of defiance during the 2000 vintage. To protect his oldest Merlot vines from autumn rains, Rolland laid plastic sheets on the soil between the rows. The INAO deemed this an illegal modification of terroir and stripped the wine of its Fronsac AOC status. Rolland proudly embraced the decision, downgrading the wine to Vin de France and naming it Le Défi, creating a highly sought-after, limited-production cult wine.
ALCOHOL
14.5%
AVG. PRICE
€95
STYLE
Classic
SULPHITES
YES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
15-17°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Downgraded to Vin de France because Michel Rolland used plastic sheets to protect old vines from rain.
Fact 02
Sourced from a tiny 1.66-hectare plot of extremely old Merlot vines, some over 80 years old.
Fact 03
Fermented and aged entirely in 100% new French oak barrels using micro-vinification.
Fact 04
Extremely rare with only 5,200 bottles produced for the 2010 vintage.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
Sourced from a tiny 1.66-hectare parcel of vines over 80 years old grown on clay-limestone soils. The grapes are hand-harvested with meticulous double sorting. Vinification is done entirely via micro-vinification, where fermentation and maceration take place directly inside 100% new French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is completed in the same barrels with no pumping over to ensure gentle extraction. The wine is then aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels.
