The Producer
At the gates of Bordeaux, on the historic route to Santiago de Compostela, Château L'Isle Fort draws its identity from a place rich in history. Once a stronghold associated with the Knights of the Order of Malta, the estate experienced a long slumber after the phylloxera crisis before being reborn in 2001 under the impetus of Sylvie Douce and François Jeantet. Their restoration work has revitalized this unique landscape, where heritage, biodiversity, and vine culture coexist in rare harmony.
The vineyard, covering an area of 9 hectares, rests on a terroir of gravel and clay-limestone hills facing south, providing an ideal setting for the expression of merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. Managed with a precise and respectful approach to nature, the estate claims a viticulture where biodiversity plays a central role. Controlled yields and careful vinifications — with gravity-fed fermentation, parcel work, and partial aging in barrels — give rise to wines of depth, characterized by freshness, fine tannins, and a beautiful floral and fruity expression.
Today, Château l’Isle Fort stands out as a unique signature of Bordeaux Supérieur, recognized for the elegance of its wines and its sensitive vision of the terroir. The château combines technical rigor with the poetry of the place, producing cuvées that reflect both their origin and the philosophy of the estate: precision, naturalness, and balance. A characterful Bordeaux, both refined and accessible, that captivates with its authenticity.
The Wine
Vinification techniques:
- Alcoholic fermentation in concrete tanks
- Duration of maceration: 21 to 28 days
- Malolactic fermentation in partial barrels
Vinification and/or aging specifics: manual sorting table and gravity-fed fermentation grain by grain, then whole cluster vinification; punching down with alternating small pump-overs and manual wetting of the pomace; use of a pneumatic press with selection of press wines; aging in separate lots until final blending.
Aging: 100% barrels 1/3 new - 1/3 one wine - 1/3 two wines. Duration: 12 to 14 months
Coopers: Taransaud, Ana Sélection
Average production of 10,000 bottles
Tasting
The Cuvée Précieuse of Isle Fort is a structured wine made from the aromatic riches imparted by its terroir without artifice. The true vegetal expression of the soils in the fullness of their aromas.