It's hard to miss the Château de Fontblanche when you arrive in Cassis. The children of Nicolas Bontoux, Émile, Louise and Joseph, who accompanied their father in the management of the estate, describe the history of the estate. In the 18th century it belonged to the Garnier family, then by marriage to the Marquis Louis César de Fontblanche who left his name to the estate. In 1921, Émile Bodin bought it from the Villepeys family so that it could become a winery.
He had, thanks to a rootstock imported from Texas, contributed to the reconstitution of the Cassidine vineyard affected by phylloxera. He will also be the first winemaker in the region to take his wine out of barrels and put it in bottles. In 1974 his grandson Jean-Jacques Bontoux took over, he developed and expanded the areas.
Technicality and marketing
“Our father Nicolas brought modernity to the technical aspects of production and marketing. After many years of work, he now hands over the reins and responsibilities of this estate to Emile who takes care of the cultivation of the vines and the production of wines.“, expresses Emile.
In total, the estate has 30 hectares on three properties, 12 hectares at the Château de Fontblanche, 10 hectares at Les Janots, 8 hectares at the former Lafarge quarries and a part leased. “I perpetuate the old recipe for Cassis wine with a desire for innovation and the return of muscat which was the renowned wine of Cassis before 1901. There are several grape varieties: ugni blanc, marsanne, clairette, sauvignon blanc, cinsault and mouvedre. And the harvest is manual at the end of August, beginning of September“, continues Émile.
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