Welcome to Chateau De Monfaucon
We are an independent producer of organic white wines within the region of Bordeaux, 10 minutes south of St. Émilion, and where our vineyard sits quietly alongside the banks of the river Dordogne.
All our wines are produced from our own hand picked grapes at Monfaucon, being Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon & Chardonnay, where we are fastidious about our grape selection, as only the best grapes from each year become our bottled wines.
We allow the wild yeasts in the winery work their magic to produce our end product, thus extracting all the good flavours from the grapes. From the vine to the bottle, all processes are completed within the estate boundaries.
We do not believe in " typicity", preferring each year to produce hand made wines that are naturally good, and free from the restraints of making white wines that taste just like all the others.
We believe that high levels of alcohol can mask the true fruit flavours of the wine so all of our wines are lighter in alcohol (abv), which makes for a perfect anytime of day wine to be enjoyed, without the after effects of a heavier wine.
We call them our "no hangover" wines.
Healthy Vines Make Great Wines
Certified Organic
We are certified Organic, both in the vineyard and in the winery. We believe that the spraying of pesticides and chemicals strips the soil of vital nutrients and has a negative lasting effect on the vine, the grapes, and ultimately the finished wine, and so instead, we use an environmentally friendly alternative, by growing cover crops of flowers and herbs between the vine rows that attract animals and insects which predate on vine pests.
Vegetarian & Vegan
Naturally our wines are suitable for both vegetarians and vegans alike, as we use no animal products in the winemaking process.
Biodynamics
We follow Biodynamic principles, which has much in common with other organic approaches – it emphasizes the use of composts and various herbal and mineral additives for field sprays that are intended to "restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony and excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants." Indeed we grow our own biodynamic plants on the estate. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include its treatment of animals, crops, and soil as a single system; an emphasis from its beginnings on local production and distribution systems; and the use of an astrological sowing and planting calendar.
Maximum Potency Harvesting (MPH)
MPH is concerned with optimizing the quality of all plant produce, including food and medicinal plants, by harvesting at precisely predicted and specific times. The technology recognizes and reflects the profound influence of a combination of lunar and solar cycles on the earth's biosphere in general and plants in particular. Our Chateau is a centre of the principle research in this field, focusing on the optimisation of grape and wine quality on a regular and predictable basis , adding very significant quality .
Winemaker
A Profile on Dawn Jones-Cooper
"In a wine trade that is often still dominated by middle aged men in pink chinos, it's massively important that we make every effort to champion 'inspirational women in wine'. I've met incredible people with incredible stories, but few can rival Dawn Jones-Cooper, owner and winemaker at Château de Monfaucon.
First up, she's a fantastic winemaker. Her commitment to organics and biodynamic principles have helped her extract the maximum flavour out of her vines and into the bottles. I loved the wines before I met her. That's important to say before you start hearing about the person and the journey behind them.
Dawn is a force of nature. I met her first at in her salon in Mayfair. That's right, you heard it, Dawn was (and still is) one of the finest hair stylists in London. But a late night dare from husband Jay started a journey that saw her complete some of the WSET courses, and took her to Plumpton College to study as a winemaker. The couple then sold up in London to buy Château de Monfaucon, a wine estate in Entre-Deux-Mers in Bordeaux with huge potential, but in need of no small amount of TLC.
There is nothing to be done on that estate that Dawn will not have a go at herself. Initially seen by many locals as a curiosity, this 'crazy English woman' has forged a solid reputation within her community and the wider wine world as one of the winemakers to watch. Her very first vintage scooped medals at the prestigious Decanter Wine Awards and she's never looked back.
The best thing for us is that there's a very simple way of showing our support. It involves a glass, a corkscrew, and buying a bottle of her brilliant wine."
Mike Turner, The Buyer, April 2020
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