【Legendary 2010 Bordeaux vintage】
【Right Bank Treasure Trove】
【Old Vine Merlot】
ZF1067 - Chateau Chadenne La Fleur Fronsac 2010
Price：$165/bottle
Special price for six bottles: $750 (Average $125/bottle)
Type：Red Wine
Grape Varieties：92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region：Bordeaux, Fronsac
ABV：14.5%
Volume：750ml
Winery
Château Chadenne is one of the oldest wineries in Fronsac, its label bearing the inscription "DEPUIS 1881," telling its over 100-year history of winemaking. Its legend extends beyond its wines: the estate belonged for a long period to the family of Max Linder, a pioneer of French cinema and a master of silent film comedy, until the mid-20th century. This filmmaker, hailed as the "King of Silent Comedy," imbued this highland winery with a cinematic aura.
The winery is situated in the Fronsac highlands, its vineyards situated on the edge of the plateau overlooking the Dordogne Valley, facing south-southwest, boasting diverse terroir and an excellent orientation. In 1999, Philippe and Véronique Jean, a husband-and-wife team from the Corrèze department—fellow countrymen of many renowned winery owners in neighboring Pomerol and Saint-Émilion regions—took over the winery. Philippe is a packaging entrepreneur, while Véronique personally tends the vineyards and cellars daily. They invited Christian Veyry—a renowned consultant hailed as the "right-hand man of the genius winemaker Michel Rolland"—to revamp the winery to the standards of a prestigious estate, equipping it with state-of-the-art facilities. Strict pruning, controlled grass cover, green harvesting, and meticulous processing at each region level resulted in the winery's inaugural vintage of 2000, which immediately garnered recognition as one of the best in the region. Their philosophy was simple: to create a "food-friendly" Bordeaux that could accompany everyday meals.
In 2014, the winery changed hands again, becoming part of Château Plain Point, owned by Chinese entrepreneur Shi Yuzhu. The current owner is located in St-Aignan, Fronsac.
Region
"La Fleur" is a wine from the winery's independent plot, comprising approximately 9 hectares of independent vineyards, rooted in clay-limestone above a limestone base, with vines averaging 30–35 years old. Old vines, high density (5,000–7,000 vines/hectare), and low yield (30–35 hectoliters/hectare) contribute to the concentration of flavors.
Winemaking
2010 was a truly exceptional vintage for Bordeaux. In authoritative vintage ratings, Pomerol on the Right Bank received 95 points, and Saint-Émilion received 94 points; the concentrated fruit resulting from the diurnal temperature variation dictated that this vintage would require a longer aging period.
La Fleur 2010 is a blend of 92% old vine Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol content of 14.5%. The fruit was hand-harvested, sorted bunch by bunch, and 100% destemmed before fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for up to four weeks of maceration. It was then aged in 70% French oak barrels and 30% stainless steel tanks before bottling.
