clos fontaine

The History of Clos Fontaine

Clos Fontaine belongs to the legacy of the Thienpont family, founded in 1842 and which today lists nearly twenty properties in the Bordeaux region. That year, Camille Thienpont founded a wine trading company, far from the Bordeaux region, in Hof te Cattebeke, in the Flemish Ardennes.

It was not until 1921 that his descendant, Georges Thienpont, settled in Saint Emilion, buying Château Troplong Mondot. This property would be resold about ten years later, but in the meantime, in 1924, Georges acquired Château Vieux Certan, which remains one of the family's jewels today.

In 1946, George - no S - son of Georges, moved to the Château de Puygueraud, a 15th century property, located at the top of the commune of Saint Cibard. He and his wife Monica found the space they needed to raise their thirteen children there.

In 1979, Jacques, the cousin from Belgium, joined the family business by settling on the Château du Pin estate which includes one and a half hectares of vineyards in Pomerol. The Château du Pin vineyard quickly became a reference in the appellation and remains today one of the most prestigious references of the Thienpont family.

François and Nicolas, George's sons, joined the family business, as did their cousins, Alexandre (son of Léon) and Jacques (son of Marcel), who manage the family's other estates. The children of this generation are now in training or already installed to take over.

In 1995, François Thienpont founded the Wings house which groups the various properties of the family, all in the Bordeaux region, and takes care of the distribution of the wines.

The Clos Fontaine vineyard

The Clos Fontaine vineyard covers 5 hectares planted exclusively with Merlot. The parcels are located east of Saint Emilion and Pomerol, on a clayey limestone and marl soil. They are among the highest in the Gironde.

The Clos Fontaine estate produces wines belonging to the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. This appellation is the most continental of the Bordeaux region, due to its location to the east of the Libournais. Its wines are reputed to be full-bodied and tannic, with good ageing potential.

Clos Fontaine produces an average of 25,000 bottles per year.

The Clos Fontaine wines

Chateau Clos Fontaine is a red wine with a clear, deep color. Its nose is elegant and complex, imbued with the aromas of ripe fruit including blueberry, mixed with notes of vanilla, toast and undergrowth.

The attack on the palate announces a full-bodied wine with a robust tannic development that brings a nice structure. It continues through to its long finish which remains fruity, without losing any of its fullness.