Château Fonplegade

Located on Saint-Émilion's prized limestone plateau, Château Fonpléade has been owned by Stephen Adams, an American investor and his wife, since 2004 (he also owns property in California's Dry Creek Valley, as well as Château L'Enclos in Pomerol). It has been previously owned by the négociant Armand Moueix. When Stephen took over, he replanted the vineyards, increasing their density to 8,000 vines per hectare, he also renovated the cellar, replacing cement vats for wood. To top it all off, he hired Bordeaux's most famous oenologist, Michel Rolland, to oversee the winemaking. From their 18 hectares, they produce two wines from a majority of Merlot - Château Fonplégade and Fleur de Fonplégade, its second wine.