Château Dauphiné-Rondillon
| Vigneron | Sandrine and Jean-Christophe Darriet |
| Location | Loupiac (Gironde) |
| Size of Domaine | 9 ha |
| Terroir | Atlantic climate, morning fog in Autumn can induce botrytis. Clay-limestone soil, limestone bedrock. 100m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Lutte raisonnée |
| View Château Dauphiné-Rondillon wines ↓ |
Siblings Sandrine Darriet-Froléon and Jean-Christophe Darriet are the eighth generation to take charge of this 9ha estate located in the heart of the Loupiac appellation. They are fortunate to be working with some incredibly old vines (many of them are 90yo or more), biodiversity is important to them and trees were planted throughout the plots, limiting the amount of mechanisation possible.
Their estate is situated on the upper slopes of the appellation, where the soil is mainly clay and limestone. Late into the autumn and encouraged by the mists that follow the course of the Garonne river, the vines yield tiny amounts of grapes affected by botrytis cinerea (noble rot). While the conditions may not be quite as favourable for its development as they are across the river in Sauternes, a strict sorting process sees each plot harvested in five tries ensuring that only grapes in perfect conditions go into the press.
The wines of the estate have gained a strong following amongst sweet wine aficionados for their sumptuous fruit balanced by a refreshing vein, and for anyone looking for top quality botrytized wines, these are an absolute bargain.
Château Dauphiné-Rondillon Wines
LOUPIAC 2010
Cuvée d’Or
75% Sémillon, 25% Sauvignon
75% Sémillon, 25% Sauvignon (13.5% alc, 160.7g/l of rs)
Loupiac is an appellation on steep gravelly banks of the right bank of the Garonne, opposite Sauternes. This is the château’s top cuvée from 70yo sémillon and 20yo sauvignon. It has a rich gold colour, intense fruit on the nose and fine concentration on the palate – nuts, honey, marmalade and a touch of vanilla, with excellent relief and balance.