Château de La Dauphine: Vineyards
Château de La Dauphine sits just on the edge of the town of Fronsac, the side gates into the property looking out to one of the tiny streets that wind their way through the heart of this settlement on the banks of the Dordogne. The château itself sits at the end of a long driveway, perfectly positioned so that from one facade looks out across the lower vineyards, on alluvial clay soils, and to the waters of the Dordogne beyond. The other facade looks back to the rising limestone and plateau behind.
The vineyard accounts for 53 hectares, and of these it is the south-facing slopes behind the château that are most prized. The slope has a very gentle curve to it, inviting comparisons with amphitheatres (although this might be pushing it a little). The land rises 60 metres above the river here, and the soils here are dominated by limestone, including the famed Calcaire à Astéries at the very top, with a mix of Molasses de Fronsadais and a silty clay on the midslope. The combination of slope, drainage, limestone soils and south-facing exposure are responsible for this vineyard’s status.
