Château Plantier Rose, a magnificent 10 hectare property, is found in the village of Leyssac, in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. A solidly-built Médoc style mansion overlooks the estate and is easily remarked, since it stands on the edge of the prestigious “route des châteaux”.
Records indicate that even before 1870 and until the present time this estate has belonged to the same family, although surnames have changed because the property has regularly been passed down to female members of this lineage. Françoise Conte, the current owner of Château Plantier Rose, along with her husband Michel, represents the fifth generation of direct descent. A jurist, with a postgraduate diploma in law from the Institute of Business Administration (I.A.E.), she decided to take over the management of the estate with the assistance of her husband, who is also a jurist. But running a 10-hectare vineyard is not something that can be improvised, even though it is marvellously situated on a plateau comprised of clay and gravel, which ensures the finest potential. Françoise Conte therefore went back to school to take a vocational diploma in viticulture and oenology. Family heredity strongly influenced her motivation and her father, former founding-president of the Saint-Estèphe Wine House, helped the couple enormously in their preparation, even assisting them with managing the vineyard. With 8 000 vines per hectare, it is planted with Merlot (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (52%) and Petit Verdot (8%).
As soon as they arrived at the estate, Françoise and Michel Conte began to modernise. Their main investments concerned equipping the fermenting area with a membrane-horizontal pneumatic press and new stainless steel vats that can hold 1 200 hectolitres. They also purchased a tractor and a first-rate, extremely versatile harvesting machine, which can therefore be used in the best conditions. The couple also renovated the wine storehouse, improved the vineyard, by re-trellising and re-planting 6 500 vines each year, amongst vines that were on average more than 30 years old. They bought new barrels, in which the wine is matured for a period that varies from 12 to 18 months, depending on the specific characteristics of each vintage. Christophe Coupez, from the oenology laboratory in Pauillac, provides his valuable recommendations. All these efforts are rewarded by flattering comments written by expert tasters in wine reviews and magazines: “a well-balanced wine, with good length” … “Robust, elegant, with concentrated and slightly spicy tannins” … “Velvety on the palate, it lengthens with delicacy”
Château Plantier Rose currently produces 60 000 bottles, which are sold in all types of distribution channel. For the majority of export sales they establish direct contacts, they also deal with wine merchants, brokers, restaurants, wine shops and sell wines from the estate too, thanks to numerous visits from tourists travelling through the Médoc.
Michel and Françoise Conte are keen to preserve their autonomy, so they have no exclusivity contracts and work with representatives they select themselves. They wish to cultivate their independence as they cultivate their vines. Autonomy does not mean being withdrawn however. They belong to the board of the Union of Médoc Winegrowers, founded after the announcement of the new Crus Bourgeois classification, which has since been cancelled. Michel Conte is also administrator for the Saint Estèphe Winegrowers’ Association and treasurer of the Oenological centre in Pauillac.
Géraldine de Roques
A globally recognized oenologist, François Huré developed an early interest in viticulture,
Château Belmar is run by a man and a woman who set themselves a crazy challenge: producing wine in the northern Sarthe region.
In the spring of 2022, Champagne Philipponnat celebrated its 500th anniversary during two exceptional dinners, in Reims and in Paris. Charles Philipponnat, the 15th generation, who has been...