Rêverie Rive Droite
On Bordeaux’s famed Right Bank, our dream first took hold at Château Fonplégade. Woman-owned and run, we are winemakers and Biodynamic farmers, drawn to the wild, growing earth and moved by the art that captures its beauty. Today, we tend vines and craft wines across three extraordinary terroirs, each shaped by its own light, its own soil, and its own season. Explore our world, one estate at a time.
From France
to California,
with Love
Our home is Château Fonplégade, on the storied limestone of Saint-Émilion’s Côte Sud. Nearby, in hallowed Pomerol, old vines and iron-rich soils give rise to the fine wines of Château L’Enclos. And an ocean away, high above Napa Valley’s fog line, ADAMVS climbs the volcanic slopes of Howell Mountain, wrapped in forest and mountain air. Three estates, two nations, one family.
Our Story
A passion for fine wine and gracious hospitality brought Denise Adams to this majestic spot, where pilgrims once flocked to a stone “fountain of plenty,” or Fonplégade. Centuries after the first vines were planted here, the power of this place endures. Sheep graze the hillsides, bees hum among the vines, and the fountain’s promise of abundance still holds true.
Our Bordeaux Vineyards
Our Saint-Émilion and Pomerol vineyards were first planted centuries ago. For more than two decades, we have steadfastly worked to restore and revitalize them, vine by vine and season by season. Following the lead of the land, we tend each plot by hand, drawing out the character of every parcel’s ripening fruit until the vines tell us that the moment has come to harvest.
Our Living Terroir
Biodynamics is the art of nurturing the life force of the earth, in step with the rhythm of the heavens. Animals, herbs, and wildlife weave together to form a living system that feeds our vines and gardens alike. Guided by this natural balance, soil, farm, and forest heal in concert, yielding vines of resilience and wines of resonance.
Our Wines of Place
Using traditional and modern techniques, we honor each of our exceptional terroirs until every glass reveals a pure expression of its home ground. Native yeasts, small-lot fermentations, and a multi-faceted élévage bring forth radiant wines of structured elegance and silken depth, more alive and energetic with every vintage.
A Piano, and an
Open Door
Denise Adams is a longtime pianist, and the sound of her Steinway often drifts through our Orangerie, spilling out through open windows and into the vineyard beyond. Musicians perform here often, and now and then a guest, lingering over a glass, is drawn to the keys to play. To hear one of the many melodies that fill the air at Château Fonplégade, please enjoy this selection of music.
Un Sospiro — Franz Liszt
An Invitation
Allocations & Experiences
We invite you to join the Château Fonplégade & Château L’Enclos Allocation List for access to our limited-production wines and our Saint-Émilion estate. Those on our list are the first to receive new releases, special invitations, and opportunities to experience our sister estate, ADAMVS, on Napa Valley’s Howell Mountain.