Fronsac

The Fronsac vineyard is located at the confluence of the Dordogne and the Isle. At the tip of the appellation, the Fronsac knoll offers an exceptional view of the two rivers and all the vineyards of the region. On its top stands an ancient fortress, built by Charlemagne to control the river and land routes to Bordeaux. It was transformed into an extravagant Italian-style residence by the Duke of Richelieu, the cardinal's grandnephew, and was the venue for many festivities, helping to make the wines of the region known at the court of Louis XIV.

The proximity of the Dordogne and Isle rivers allows Fronsac to benefit from a very mild microclimate, which can be seen in the vegetation where the vines give way to woods of holm oak and arbutus on the rocky mounds. Set in a singularly rugged landscape for the region, this "little Tuscany of Bordeaux" extends over seven communes. The complexity of the relief generates a great diversity of terroirs, and the soils present numerous nuances. They are mainly clay-limestone, and are composed of asteriated limestone at the top of the knolls and on the central plateau, while the Fronsadais molasse marks the slopes and the more clayey valleys.