Château Rouquette

                                                  History                                       

Early History and Position

Rouquette is one of the oldest vineyards in the Entre Deux Mers area of the Gironde: the area in SW France between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. This is the most scenic part of the Bordeaux wine area with gently rolling hills, fortified towns, some beautiful châteaux, and a romantic and turbulent history. It is an hour east of Bordeaux.

The site was a Gallo-Roman settlement. The château was first built in the 14th Century. The nearby village of Pellegrue was besieged by the English in 1345 during the 100 Years War between France and England. During the French wars of religion in the 16th century, the château was burnt. At that time Pellegrue was an important Protestant center. The château was rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries in its present form, and at one stage the estate was the largest in the region, extending for more than a thousand hectares (2500 acres). It is reputed to have been owned  by the Knight Templars.

Recent History

The size of the vineyard was reduced over the years, presumably by selling off parts. In the 1980s, the property was owned by Monsieur Collas, who replanted vines and renovated the house. Rouquette enjoyed an outstanding reputation and won many awards during this period. The only book to have been devoted to Bordeaux Supérieur gave Rouquette its highest grade. It described Château Rouquette as "Un Bordeaux très supérieur" (‘Bordeaux Supérieur, 200 Château’ by Jacques Legrand, published in 1988)

The property changed hands again in 1989. During the early 1990s the vineyard was neglected.

In May 1997 my French wife and I bought the property . In April 1999 I gave up my job as chief investment officer for an asset management firm in London and  we moved full time to Rouquette. We have carried out a major renovation of the property. In particular a new chai for vinification has been built. The wine is now aged in new oak barrels and the concentration  and quality has increased by introducing lower yields and hand picking. Only the best 10-15% of the grapes are kept for the Rouquette label, the rest being sold by a negotiant under our Bel Air de l'Orme label.

This major investment paid off from the 2000 vintage. Rouquette won several prizes, including a  Grand Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial at Brussels -one of only 25 out of 3851 entrants from around the world to win this coveted award. The 2000 Cuvée Merigot gained 4 stars from Decanter magazine: their "highly recommended" award. We have achieved our objective of  returning  Rouquette as the leading Bordeaux Supérieur, but are continually striving to maintain that attention to detail and willingness to innovate and take risks that makes a great wine.

Michael Banton