Perched on the clay and limestrone plateau of Saint-Emilion, Château Rochebelle is the proud holder of a family tradition that dates back 1847. Today Philippe Faniest and his daughter work hard for the preservation of their wines in the sphere of excellence. The recognition came in 2012 with the classification of Château Rochebelle at the rank of Grand Cru of Saint-Emilion.
It is a warm and pleasant man who welcomes you. The visit begins with a curiosity: the monolithic cellars of the 18th century of 2,500 sqm hidden under the house and the vines, nicely lit. They are at the origin of the château. The Philippe Faniest's grandfather was a quarryman. With the money earned with the stones, he bought some plots of vines.
Nowadays Château Rochebelle based its quality on only 3 hectares, but what a terroir! Surrounded by the greatest Premier Crus Classés of Saint-Emilion, Rochebelle has all the natural assets to create wines with a great finesse and powerfulness. 45 years old on average with a density of 6,000 foot/hectare, the vineyard of Rochebelle is planted with 85% of Merlot and 15% of Cabernet Franc. Facing East-Southeast, it also benefits from a natural sunshine and draining that induce a specific work all year long and enable to push maturity at the most without risk of rot.
In parallel of the qualitative efforts implemented on the domain, the family developed wine tourism with an obvious success. Rochebelle is well-known in the neighbourhood thanks to the small train of Saint-Emilion that goes round the village. Philippe Faniest was the one who created it to bring the visitours to his chateau. An original way to stand out among the greatest!
The management of the vineyard is undertaken sustainably. They leave grass every two rows, pruning is accurate to the nearest row. They practise thinning and thinning-out of the leaves manually. The yield is maintained at 40-45 hl / hectare. The harvests and the sorting are manual of course.
Philippe Faniest and his daughter worked a lot on the aftertaste. At Rochebelle the extraction is soft and not too long, and the filtration is supple. Wines mature 18 months in new barrels in the monolithic cellars, at a temperature that is ideal for the elevage but also for the ageing of the old vintage.
Château Rochebelle produces 18,000 bottles a year. Wines of Rochebelle are recognised for their fine balance and their ageing potential. Philippe Faniest likes speaking about his wines, his eyes gelam when the amateurs are tasting, but also likes to hear what the professionals think of it. In April, he invited Paolo Basso for an lovely vertical tasting in the reception room with a view over the plain. From 2005 till 2014, the vintages are scrutinized by the palate of the Best Sommelier of the World who recognised the richness, the volume, the complexity and the intensity of Rochebelle's wines.
Although wines of Rochebelle already had a beautiful fame, the consecration came in 2012 with the new classification of Saint-Emilion: Château Rochebelle enters at the rank of Grand Cru Classé. Philippe Faniest writes his happiness and his desire to share this news with his oldest and most faithful customers to whom in turn he promises his loyalty in spite of the numerous requests which he received from his classification. Because Philippe Faniest is a man of heart and knows thanks to whom he arrived at this level.
Very ripe fruity side of cherry, plums, chocolate, nice balsamic note which brings complexity. Rich and moreish thanks to a beautiful sucrosity, evolved with a beautiful alcoholic richness which make it warm, powerful tannins although a little dry, long and savoury finish, with a note of beautiful intensity and richness. A real success. Ageing: 2020-2035.
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