Fonsalette

One of Emmanuel Reynaud's stars

Château de Fonsalette wines: buy at the best price

Owned by the Reynaud family since 1945, Château de Fonsalette covers around ten hectares of vines, woodland and olive trees. It was taken over by Emmanuel in 1997 following the sudden death of his uncle Jacques, who had previously managed the estate. Grenache, cinsault, syrah as well as clairette and marsanne are cultivated here. From these varieties, wines are produced under the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation — both white and red — which are not without echoing the finesse of their elder siblings from Château Rayas (also owned by the Reynaud family). Although sourced from different terroirs and blends, they are vinified in the same place by the same team.

Read more
See more
Filters

Price

€300.00 - €620.00

Color

Volume

Parker WA rating

86 - 94

Burghound rating

No choice available on this group

Revue du Vin de France rating

No choice available on this group

Bettane & Desseauve rating

15 - 18

Prices drop

Download this list
There are 8 products.
Download this list
  • Name, A to Z
  • Name, Z to A
  • Price, low to high
  • Price, high to low
  • By quantity
  • Latest Arrivals
Fonsalette 1988
Last one !
1 in stock
71187
Red
75cl
Damaged
87/100
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 1988

€480.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€400.00 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 1989 -5% DISCOUNT !
-5%
Last one !
1 in stock
93804
Red
75cl
Slightly Damaged
92/100
88/100
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 1989 -5% DISCOUNT !

€456.00 inc-VAT per bottle €480.00 inc-VAT -5%
€380.00 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 1978 - PROMO -15% !
-15%
1 in stock
128320
Red
75cl
-4,5cm
89/100
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 1978 - PROMO -15%!

€612.00 inc-VAT per bottle €720.00 inc-VAT -15%
€510.00 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 1981 - PROMO -10% !
-10%
2 in stock
128321
Red
75cl
Slightly Damaged
-3cm
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 1981 - PROMO -10%!

€495.00 inc-VAT per bottle €550.00 inc-VAT -10%
€412.50 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 1998 - PROMO -10% !
-10%
1 in stock
128555
Red
75cl
Very Damaged
90/100
16/20
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 1998 - PROMO -10% !

€486.00 inc-VAT per bottle €540.00 inc-VAT -10%
€405.00 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 2013
New
1 in stock
132473
Red
75cl
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 2013

€300.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€250.00 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 2014
New
1 in stock
132474
Red
75cl
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 2014

€300.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€250.00 ex-VAT
Fonsalette 2015
New
1 in stock
132475
Red
75cl
Add to cart
Rhône | Côtes du Rhône

Fonsalette 2015

€390.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€325.00 ex-VAT
The TOP winemakers of Rhône

History of Château de Fonsalette

The history of the estate is intertwined with that of the Reynaud dynasty, one of the most fascinating in the Rhône Valley. It all began in 1880 when Albert Reynaud, a notary from the environs of Avignon, acquired a property at the lieu-dit Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. His son Louis continued the venture and expanded the family estate: after Château des Tours in Sarrians in 1935, he purchased Château de Fonsalette in 1945, drawn to this isolated site in the Massif d'Uchaux, then far removed from the most frequented wine routes.

In 1978, Jacques Reynaud succeeded his father and managed Rayas and Fonsalette together, imposing an unmistakable signature built on patience, discretion and an absolute refusal to follow trends. His sudden passing in 1997 marked a turning point: his nephew Emmanuel Reynaud, already established at Château des Tours since 1987, took over the reins of both properties. A discreet winemaker, averse to publicity, he has since perpetuated a viticulture of extreme rigour, today supported by his son Benoît. The grapes from Fonsalette continue to be vinified in the historic cellars of Rayas, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which explains the striking kinship between the wines of the two estates.

Terroirs and Vines of Château de Fonsalette

The estate extends over a vast property of approximately 120 hectares, of which only around ten hectares are planted with vines. The remainder is occupied by oak and pine woodland, olive trees and garrigue, a forested setting that preserves remarkable biodiversity and plays a decisive thermal role. The plots present themselves as sheltered clearings, ventilated by the mistral and cooled at night by the surrounding wooded mass. This microclimate accounts for the aromatic freshness and restrained alcohol levels of wines that are nonetheless born in the Southern Rhône.

The terroir combines sands, gravelly soils and some rounded pebbles, over a clay-limestone subsoil that provides structure and depth. This sand, a cousin of that found at Rayas, gives the wines their silky texture and an almost floral elegance that sets them apart. The red grape varieties consist of grenache (approximately 50%), cinsault (approximately 35%) and syrah (approximately 15%), while the white blend brings together grenache blanc, clairette and marsanne. The vines, often old, are managed in an ecological manner, without herbicides, with deliberately very low yields and rigorously sorted manual harvests.

Winemaking at Château de Fonsalette

The winemaking here follows a philosophy of deliberate non-intervention, passed down from generation to generation. The grapes, harvested at full ripeness, are partially destemmed depending on the vintage, with a proportion of whole clusters adding tension and aromatic depth. Fermentations begin spontaneously using only indigenous yeasts, without the addition of commercial yeasts or any correction, in concrete vats and old enamelled tanks. Macerations are long but gentle, without heavy extraction, so as to preserve the fruit, the finesse of the tannins and the precision of the terroir.

Ageing then takes place in the cool cellars of Rayas, in old large barrels, demi-muids and used Burgundy barrels, generally for twelve to eighteen months. No new oak is used: the wood must never mask the expression of the terroir. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, and bottling takes place late, when the winemaker judges the wine to be ready. This artisanal approach, combined with very limited volumes, yields cuvées of rare purity, capable of evolving over several decades in the cellar.

The cuvées of Château de Fonsalette

Château de Fonsalette Rouge (Réservé): the estate's flagship cuvée, a blend of approximately 50% grenache, 35% cinsault and 15% syrah from the old vines surrounding the château. The colour, often of moderate intensity, heralds an enchanting nose of wild strawberry, cherry, garrigue, black tea and gentle spices. The palate favours delicacy over power: silky texture, fine tannins, fresh acidity and a saline finish of remarkable length. Regularly compared to Rayas, this exceptional Côtes du Rhône can be kept for twenty to thirty years and pairs beautifully with duck with figs, feathered game or aged cheeses.

Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah: a true rarity from the Southern Rhône, this wine is produced from the blending of two plots of syrah on the estate — a bold choice in a region dominated by grenache. Aged in old barrels, this cuvée develops aromas of violet, black pepper, olive and dark fruits, with an aromatic intensity and a precision reminiscent of the finest northern syrahs. Its structure is tighter and deeper, its freshness intact, and its ageing potential readily reaches twenty-five years. Produced in very small volumes, it ranks among the most coveted bottles from the estate.

Château de Fonsalette Blanc: crafted from approximately 80% grenache blanc complemented by clairette and marsanne, this confidential white is one of the best-kept secrets of the Rhône Valley. Its golden colour precedes a bouquet of ripe white fruits, fennel, honey, almond and dried flowers, lifted by a smoky note with age. The palate, broad and rich, is sustained by an acidity and a noble bitterness that give it a surprisingly saline length. Unlike most whites from the South, it improves over ten to twenty years and pairs magnificently with cream-sauced poultry, rockfish and aged goat's cheeses.

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT US

5 good reasons to buy wines on V&M

...

EXPRESS DELIVERY

In a secure polystyrene packaging

...

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Find out more about VAT-EX sale for outside EU deliveries

...

COLLECTION NEAR PARIS & VAT REFUND FOR TOURISTS

Free collection in our warehouse near central Paris (92)

...