Portrait of Rodolphe de Pins
i. Biography
Rodolphe de Pins is owner and winemaker at Château de Montfaucon. His career has a clear line: UC Davis, a winemaking-staff post, and a 1995 handover at the family estate.
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The Path
Rodolphe de Pins trained at UC Davis. Rodolphe went on to work as member of the winemaking staff at Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Today, Rodolphe is proprietor of Château de Montfaucon.
The Work Today
At Montfaucon, he crafts its Côtes-du-Rhône to express the appellation’s intense fruit, using blending to achieve harmony and balance. His eye for overlooked material is direct: "I see a block of 60-year-old Carignane that no one wants, so I buy it."
Signature
Rodolphe's signature wines include Baron Louis.
In Their Words “I don't want to be so big that the pressure to sell outweighs the ability to maintain quality and control.”
Acclaim
The standard he names is control, not scale: "I don't want to be so big that the pressure to sell outweighs the ability to maintain quality and control." That sentence gives the operating measure behind the wines: growth is secondary to maintaining the work.
FAQ
Asked of Rodolphe
What is Rodolphe de Pins's current role?
As of 2026, Rodolphe de Pins is Owner and Winemaker.
Where did Rodolphe de Pins train or study?
Rodolphe de Pins trained at UC Davis.
What is Rodolphe de Pins known for?
He crafts Montfaucon's Côtes-du-Rhône to express the appellation's intense fruit, using blending to achieve harmony and balance.
The Sunday email
Read about winemakers like Rodolphe de Pins in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.