Overview

To the north of the little village of Saint-Lambert, the Chateau Fonbadet vineyard boasts a choice location, amidst the most reputed estates of the Pauillac Appellation, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Lynch Bages, Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Chateau Pichon Baron de Longueville.

Fonbadet, the place that gave its name to the estate, is a combination of the Gascon words meaning fountain (fon) of the little valley (badet). In the Middle Ages, the estate was part of the Chteau Latour domain and all the evidence dating back to that period shows that vines were planted very early on. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was purchased by Pierre de Gres de Loupes, son of the Lord of Camarsac, who was the Vice-Prefect of Lesparre and Justice of the Peace in Pauillac, it was subsequently owned by the Clarke and Chancel widows at the end of the Second Empire. A century later, the other Mdoc growth owned by the Clarke family, Chteau Clarke in Listrac, was linked to the Rothschild name.

The 20-hectare vineyard of Chteau Fonbadet is planted with the traditional Medoc grape varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot and an additional 5% Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wines are aged 18 months in barrels, with 30% new oak.