Château de Montfaucon

The history of Château de Montfaucon dates back to the 11th century when the castle’s first tower was built. The castle’s role in history was strategic; the Rhône River was the border between the French Kingdom and the Holy Roman German Empire. Montfaucon was one of a line of castles and fortresses along the Rhône River constructed to guard the border, and later to tax ships carrying goods up and down the River. The first eleven towns forming La Côte du Rhône (including Montfaucon) on the right bank of the Rhône decide to protect the quality of their wine by forbidding grapes from outside the towns to enter the blends. In 1737 the King's Council orders the wine barrels from Côte du Rhône to be marked with letters C.D.R. This can be considered as the first appellation. Following his agriculture studies in France and California (UC Davis), Rodolphe de Pins makes wine at the renowned estates of Henschke in Barossa and Vieux Telegraphe in Châteauneuf du Pape. He takes over Montfaucon estate in 1995. He rebuilds the winery and makes his first vintage in Montfaucon in 1995.