Château Roquefort

A unique heritage carried by a passionate family

The history of Roquefort begins more than 6,000 years ago in the Neolithic period. The oldest archives attest to the continuous presence of man on this territory, which is conducive to all types of culture. Men have therefore practised both agriculture and livestock farming, taking advantage of this arable land. During the Middle Ages, castles were built here, which were destroyed and then re-erected until today. The present castle has thus evolved over the years and its various buildings bear witness to the rich activity that took place there.

In 1976, when Jean and Christiane Bellanger acquired the estate, they brought it back to life by gradually replanting the vineyard which had disappeared during the 20th century. Jean Bellanger collaborated with the faculty of Bordeaux to allow his vineyard to prosper and to adopt the best methods of vinification. In 1995, the couple's eldest son, Frédéric, took over the management of the estate from his parents.

Driven by the same family energy and accompanied by his wife, he will continue to develop the vineyard by adopting environmentally friendly practices in order to integrate it into the whole that it forms with nature.

An authentic Entre-Deux-Mers vineyard

Located in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, Château Roquefort enjoys a rich palette of terroirs that it exploits to perfection. The vineyard stretches over hills and steep slopes with a limestone plateau as subsoil, ideal for growing vines. The vineyard covers a beautiful diversity of terroirs, the plots being very complementary to each other.

In fact, on the one hand, there is a limestone plateau similar to that of Saint-Émilion, and on the other hand, clayey silts and clay-limestone soils. As far as the grape varieties are concerned, the vineyard is divided in two for the creation of red and white wines. 71 hectares are allocated to red wines with 85% merlot and 15% cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, typical of the region.

As for the white wines, 26 hectares are dedicated to them with 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon. Finally, the blending is in the hands of the loyal and passionate team that accompanies the Bellanger family and that works to produce fine and balanced wines.

An ecological commitment at all levels

Frédéric Bellanger's mantra: preserve an admirable biodiversity. Despite Château Roquefort's 100 hectares of vines, the estate actually extends over 240 hectares. The aim is to make it a sort of nature reserve to protect the trees that grow there and the fauna that evolves there.

Thus, the Bellanger family has put in place an ambitious policy to safeguard this diversity, mainly by limiting the impact of the winegrowing activity on nature. This is evidenced by the various labels acquired by the house, such as the High Environmental Value (HVE) certification, which confirms the family's commitment.