One of the most recognized and respected names amongst the great winemakers of Bordeaux, Jean-Philippe Fort combines art and science to make exceptional Grand Cru Classe wines

Roberto spoke with a variety of winemakers and in July 2008 met with Jean-Philippe Fort, a member of the Michel Rolland consulting team in Bordeaux, where they spent hours sampling the world’s top wines. They found that they were both attracted to the same style: powerful and intense, extremely complex but also perfectly balanced. Still, Roberto had to convince Jean-Philippe to consult for a winery outside of France, something which Jean-Philippe had never done. What persuaded him, he says, were the essential elements of superior quality (terroir, vines, philosophy and vinification) that the winery already possessed, along with the knowledge that the winemaking venture was still in concept phase, a blank sheet of paper that invited him to experiment with different approaches and influence the wines from day 1.
Born in Bordeaux, Jean-Philippe has a master’s degree in biology from the University of Bordeaux. He has worked with Michel Rolland’s team for more than 20 years and is known as a specialist in St. Emillion wines. Today, more than 40% of his winese are “Grand Cru Classee” and include Chateau Angelus, a Premier Grand Cru.