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Chateau de la Rivière

Chateau de la Rivière in Fronsac has an impressive history, tracing back its origins to the 8th Century. In fact, it is something of a surprise to discover what history there is that concerns what is now a backwater of the Bordeaux region, languishing in the shadow of the exalted properties of the Medoc, Graves, Pomerol and St Emilion. The site of Chateau de la Rivière was originally a fortified camp, built on the orders of Charlemagne - although there is archaeological evidence of a pre-existing Gallo-Roman settlement before that. Over the centuries that followed the quality of buildings increased, with the most notable addition being a fine turreted chateau, parts of which date back to the 13th century.

The impressive turreted chateau at Chateau de la Riviere From a vinous point of view, Chateau de la Rivière becomes of interest in the 18th Century, when the wines were much sought after in the French court. At this time the wines of Fronsac were much more highly prized than they are today, with prices exceeding those of the top wines of St Emilion. This situation wasn't to last forever, though. The region went into decline following Phylloxera in the 19th century. Fronsac disappeared into obscurity, and it has remained there to this day.

Chateau de la Rivière is the largest estate in the appellation of Fronsac, with over 50ha of vineyard planted up, whereas most other estates stand at less than 10 ha. One other exception to this is Chateau La Vieille Cure, which stands at 20 ha. The estate also includes an array of old quarries, which provide a vast storage facility for maturing bottles. Following the restoration of the estate by Jacques Borie in 1962 quality was already on the up, and after its purchase in 1995 by négociant Jean Leprince standards continued to improve. Tragically, Jean Leprince was killed in a helicopter crash in 2002. As a consequence the estate has been purchased by James Edmond Grégoire, manager of Grégoire in Cognac, a leading manufacturer of grape harvesting machines; only time will tell what effect these events will have at La Rivière. It is notable, however, that the Grégoire family also run a number of other very minor Bordeaux chateaux, with some success, and so hopefully quality will be maintained at la Rivière.

The vineyards at Chateau de la Rivière are planted mostly with Merlot, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the area planted to vines, with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon, a decent quantity of Cabernet Franc and some Petit Verdot. The terroir is a mixture of clay, sand and limestone, arranged in a south-facing amphitheatre. There is a cold maceration of three to four days for the grand vin; the fermentation is temperature controlled, with pumping over, and a cuvaison of between three and six weeks. The owners take advice from consultant Michel Rolland. There is no second wine here, only the grand vin, labelled as Chateau de la Rivière. There is however, a super-cuvée called Aria de Chateau de la Rivière, a recently introduced innovation. This is made from a 1.5 ha plot of 35 year-old Merlot vines. The must is cold-macerated for six or seven days, then fermented in oak. The wine is held on the lees for six months, with batonnage, before spending twelve months in oak. (29/1/02)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau de la Rivière, 33126 Fronsac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 55 56 56
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 24 94 39
Internet: www.chateau-de-la-riviere.com

Chateau de la Rivière - Tasting Notes

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2001

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 2001: An exotic nose, with dark black, oaky fruits. Plump palate, with oak still evident, but lovely style. Moderate concentration. Nice grip. This is lovely, and I prefer it to the 2000. Needs three to four years. 16.5+/20 (November 2004)

Aria de Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 2001: A super-cuvée. A dark, inky hue. A choco-fruitcake nose. Full, creamy, primary black fruit palate. Rounded feel, this is classic iron fist in a velvet glove. A solid core of tannins resides within this voluptuous outer coating. Moderate acidity. Very different style to the grand vin. I like it. Drink over the next four to eight years - maybe longer. 17+/20 (November 2004)

2000

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 2000: Great concentration of fruit on the nose, with some smoky, charred meat aromas. This is lovely. Fat palate, with moderate concentration and an elegant, stylish mouthfeel. Decent flavour. Full. Finishes well. This is good. Needs four to five years. 16+/20 (November 2004)

1999

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 1999: Smoky fruit nose. Good balance on the palate. A little less concentration and impact than the 2000 or 2001. Smooth, silky mouthfeel though. Firm tannin and correct acidity. Good. Needs three to four years. 15+/20 (November 2004)

1996

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 1996: Showing rather obvious maturity now, with a beefy, claretty nose with notes of smoky cherry. This has clearly moved on a lot since I last tasted it, which was surprisingly three years ago now. Rather lean presence on the palate now, taking some time to open out, showing a very reserved style through the midpalate, leaner than I recall, but certainly savoury and firm, in all a rather traditional style. It has a good flavour and is certainly fresh and food friendly. Rather short finish, but otherwise good. From a 1996 Cru Bourgeois tasting. 15/20 (April 2007)

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 1996: A good deep colour, displaying just a tinge of earthy mahogany. Smoky black fruits on the nose, with notes of liquorice and violets. On entry it is medium to full bodied, with firm, ripe tannins that still need to fully integrate. Quite good concentration, good, slightly cedary fruit and correct acidity. Nicely structured stuff which will do well in the cellar for another two to three years. From a blind right bank tasting. 15+/20 (July 2003)

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 1996: This wine has a great depth of smoky, cedary blackcurrant fruit on the nose. There's a suggestion of fresh acidity to the fruit aromas, with an appealing charcoal edge. The palate bears rich and creamily textured fruit, with thankfully good acidity providing some backbone to this almost luscious character. The tannins play a role, providing lovely structure through the midpalate, but developing real grip on the finish. This is a classically styled wine with great potential. 15+/20 (January 2002)

1995

Chateau de la Rivière (Fronsac) 1995: A fairly classic nose of cedary, stony blackcurrant fruit here, with a smoky edge. The palate is very approachable, with good structural tannins and moderate acidity supporting some great fruit. Lovely depth of concentration on the palate, with a lush, almost hedonistic texture. Another wine with potential for further improvement. 15+/20 (January 2002)

Associated wines

There follow a selection of tasting notes on other minor wines from the Gregoire stable.

Chateau Vieux Dominique (Bordeaux Supérieur) 2001: Good colour, moderate density. An appealing oaky raspberry nose. Medium bodied, firm and still a little oaky on the palate too. A little polyphenol influence on the texture perhaps? Good tannic backbone, correct acidity. Tangy, blackcurrant and raspberry fruit. Short finish. Has plenty of structure and should improve over the next two to three years. 14+/20 (October 2004)

Chateau Bois Noir (Bordeaux Supérieur) 2000: Deep, almost inky colour. Toasty blackcurrant fruit nose, with a juicy character, and a touch of pencil lead. The palate is soft and rounded, with a sweet plumpness and gentle acidity. Quite a bit of oak evident here too, with blackcurrant and damson fruit. Nice chewy tannins from midpalate onwards. An approachable, fruit and oak dominated style. Drink over the next two to three years. 14.5+/20 (October 2004)

Chateau Puynard Premières Côtes de Blaye 2002: Very good depth of colour. Raspberry and black berry fruit leads the way on the nose; a column of very nice smoky, ripe, plump, crunchy fruit. Some oak too. Full and firm on the palate. There is an astringent edge to the tannin. Fresh, acidic, with forest fruit flavours. Oak on the nose and palate needs a little time. Still has sufficient tannin for a year or two in bottle. Short finish. 14.5+/20 (October 2004)

Chateau Puynard Premières Côtes de Blaye ‘La Chêne’ 2002: A bright, vivacious colour. Delightful aromas on the nose, full of polished oak and smoky cherries, with little blackberry nuances. Approached blind I would have put this in Piedmont not the Premières Côtes! Medium bodied, fresh, packed with clean, oaky fruit. Mildly tannic, creamy edged texture but has elegance too. Drinking well now if you like the style, but will keep well for 3-5 years. 16.5/20 (October 2004)