Château Fonplégade: Remodelling & Revitalisation
If Paul Boisard suffered any financial difficulties as a consequence of phylloxera his work on the domaine does not make this apparent. Before the end of the 19th century the château was extensively remodelled, the central house now flanked by squat towers (of which, today only the one on the left, as pictured, still stands) with tall, pointed roofs, its overall appearance rather more typical of a left-bank commune such as Pauillac or St Julien than St Emilion. The vineyard had indeed been hit by phylloxera but it was soon reconstituted, Boisard replanting with grafted vines probably obtained from Albert Macquin. This included not only Merlot and Cabernet Franc, but also some Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1893. With time, Paul Boisard would come to be regarded as a champion of this variety in St Emilion. He was also the régisseur at Château Laroque, as well as mayor of Saint-Christophe des Bardes.
Paul Boisard died sometime during the last decade of the 19th century, and the property was therefore passed to his widow. Under her direction the domaine seems to have prospered, as by the time the 1908 Cocks et Féret was published the production was a very handsome 40 tonneaux. Veuve Boisard remained at the helm for some time, and was noted as proprietor in the 1922 Cocks et Féret. The estate seems to have still been highly regarded at this time, and production had slipped only a little now 35 tonneaux per annum on average. It was noted that the widow was also the proprietor of Château Tauzinat L’Hermitage.
The 20th Century Decline
The estate then passed to Pauline Marie Magdelaine Boisard, who was the adoptive daughter of Paul Boisard. She was the ward of a local priest named Bergey, but seems to have been taken in by the Boisard family. She had married Siméon Elisée Ruben Rochefort, and the couple maintained the running of the estate during the ensuing decades. It was far from a golden era for the estate, however, and the decline that progressed during this time has surely contributed to the low profile endured by Château Fonplégade today.
