Château Roquefort
Château Roquefort and the Bellanger family, 40 years of passion and exacting standards
In 1976, Jean and Christiane Bellanger fell in love with Château Roquefort and breathed new life into this magnificent Entre-Deux-Mers vineyard. Together they understood the terroir and were captivated by the charms of this estate steeped in history. At the time, Château Roquefort belonged to the painter Alain de Condé, a descendant of the House of Condé and friend of Maurice Druon. The vines disappeared during the 20th century and the artist primarily maintained the chartreuse house, preserving an 18th-century spirit and perfect harmony. Maurice Druon later said that
‘an artist is someone with enough soul to be able to lavish upon things, with a calm abundance.’
Jean and Christiane Bellanger
Jean Bellanger is a man of action, with a passion for things well done and an entrepreneurial spirit. That same year (1978), he also bought the lingerie brand Lou which he would develop in a remarkable fashion, transforming it into one of the market leaders for ‘Made in France’ lingerie during the 1980s.
In order to revive Château Roquefort, he gradually replanted the vineyard and worked with the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology to quickly adopt the best winemaking methods. 30 hectares were planted in 1983 and the first winemaking activities began in 1987.
His wife Christiane (originally from Bordeaux) is an art lover with excellent taste: keeping with the spirit and history of the location, she took charge of restoring the thousand-year-old estate’s many history buildings.
Frédéric and Anne Bellanger
Their son Frédéric is driven by this same family energy: he took over the reins of Château Roquefort in 1995 and continued developing the estate, which now covers 240 hectares. He sought to expand the vineyard, but above all to integrate it within its exceptional setting of forest, fields and meadows. Highly committed to biodiversity, in his view, the only way to enhance heritage is by listening to the terroir and respecting the generosity of its nature. Surrounded by a faithful professional team, he works to constantly improve the quality of the wines and to create exceptional new cuvees.
He was recently joined by his wife Anne… Together they have succeeded in strengthening the estate’s soul by paying tribute to its history and traditions but also by pushing towards a modern era of responsible and expert winemaking. They share a passion for wine and the products of nature, products which tell our history and culture and allow us to enjoy unforgettable tasting moments and emotional experiences. They both want to introduce the world to these unique terroirs where good living, history and heritage all merge together to create excellence.
The authors of the future could be Victoire, Inès, Eva and Raphaëlle… The four daughters of Anne and Frédéric are each learning how to produce and share good wine in their own way. They will soon be ready to contribute to this unique historic heritage with the ambition to continue keeping the Roquefort spirit alive…
