People
Anthony
ESTATE MANAGER
Anthony's experience with wine started on the family vineyard in St Emilion. After studying viticulture and oenology, he held a number of posts including 'chef de culture' at prestigious Bordeaux chateaux.
Since 2011, he has been an independent consultant - advising wine estates on both the left and right banks of Bordeaux and abroad on all aspects of vineyard management from a technical audit before purchase to utilising new technologies such as drones.
Anthony has a natural affinity with the land and the vines along with a strong interest in technology and how it can enhance viticulture and wine making. He is driven by how best to balance nature and technology in the pursuit of excellence. With his feet firmly in Bordeaux tradition, he always has an eye to the future and he has well-grounded points of view on how best to ensure that the vineyard is truly sustainable for the long term.
"Experience is important, but an affinity with the land and intuition for winemaking really make that all important difference. I am excited about helping Château George 7 develop its true potential and our approach is simple - the greatest respect for the vines and for the terroir combined with attention to detail in the vineyard and in the winery."
Bruno
OENOLOGUE
Originally from Dax in Eastern France, Bruno's interest in wine started young and so studying oenology was a natural step after getting his first degree in Biology and Earth Sciences at the University of Bordeaux.
His first professional experience was at Le Bon Pasteur, a Michel Rolland property in the renowned Pomerol appellation on the Right Bank. He then worked in Argentina at a number of wineries and on his return, he joined the Rolland Laboratory where he discovered a passion for wine consultancy.
Currently, he advises a number of prestigious wine estates on the Right Bank and in the Entre Deux Mers regions of Bordeaux, as well as some domaines in the most highly-reputed wine regions of Spain. His philosophy is to keep learning and travelling in order to remain open to new approaches and innovations and to stay at the forefront of his profession.
"Helping a new estate develop their wine profile - to be the best the terroir offers - is always satisfying. Our mission at Château George 7 is a wine that captures the essence of the exciting potential of Fronsac today: fruit-forward, fresh with a touch of minerality from the limestone plateau along with great structure that is not over-bearing. The result is an elegance and length of finish with silky tannins that we hope you will enjoy. "
Sally
ESTATE OWNER
I have lived and worked in France for nearly 30 years. After a career at a global consulting company in Paris then Nice, and with the family having flown the nest, I felt that the time had come to have a new adventure. I started studying WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) wine courses and travelled to Bordeaux to explore the city and its appellations.
That is when I discovered Fronsac - an appellation with a fascinating history and the potential for top quality wine. It's a hidden gem that should not be hidden! It happens to be beautiful to boot. So, 5 years later, I had gained the WSET Diploma, and created a new château in the village of Saillans with a renovated and newly-equipped winery nestled in a parcel of sustainably-farmed vines.
Bringing wine together with my passion for training and communicating, I was accredited as a tutor of the Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux in 2019. The last piece of the puzzle was food and hospitality which stems from growing up in an Inn in the New Forest and running one in the Cotswolds, England. Sharing food, wine and special moments with good friends has always been important to me so in 2020, I transformed a dilapidated tractor barn into a wine tourism venue to coincide with the bottling of my first vintage and by late 2021, it was recognised with a Best of Wine Tourism Gold Award.
I now share the wines born of this labour of love - next-generation AOC Fronsac: Château George 7 and Prince along with AOC Bordeaux Blanc Château George 7 Blanc while drawing on my journey so far during visits, workshops and speaking engagements. So why not come by to have a chat while having a glass of wine on the terrace or read articles where I have been interviewed.