Christian LeSommer

Christian LeSommer, perhaps the preeminent winemaker in the world today, is making his mark in the Walla Walla valley. For the past two and a half years, he has been working with Chateau Rollat Winery on a series of Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The first, Rollat 2005, was released this summer. Edouard 2005 is scheduled to be released in December and Sophie 2006 will be released in late 2008 along with the 2006 vintages of Rollat and Edouard.

LeSommer is best known for his work as general manager and wine master at Chateau Latour during the 1980s and 1990s. Before joining Chateau Latour, he managed Vignobles Ducourt and Vignobles Henri Maire. Early in his wine making career, LeSommer was also assistant manager at the famed Sauternes maker, Chateau d’Yquem.

After leaving Latour, LeSommer began working as a consulting manager for Domaines des Barons de Rothschild (of Chateau Lafite fame.) He continues to manage their Los Vascos (Chile), Quinta do Carmo (Portugal), Caro (Argentina), and Rocca de Frassinello (Italy) programs.

LeSommer also consults for Le Pupille and Castellare di Castellina in Italy and three other wineries worldwide.

Bowin Lindgren

Owner and winemaker. The winery is named in honor of his Great Grandparents and forefathers from France. Edouard Rollat, Bowin’s Great Grandfather, was one of the Foremost Wine Authorities in New York at the turn of the last century. He was the sommelier at Café Martin and a broker at the Vendomme. The family was prominent in the wine business in France in the 1800s and early 1900s. Mr. Lindgren is very happy to be able to have his family reenter the wine business after two generations.

Matthew Loso

Matthew began his career in winemaking in his late teens, volunteering in a small Woodinville winery in 1992.  Over the next 8 years, he used his opportunities and skills to develop his own style of wine, founding Matthews Cellars in the process.  Matthew has always striven to improve wine quality and and incorporate the best technology in winemaking, pioneering the use of concrete fermenters in Washington State, garnering critics' praise in the process. 

Matthew continues to push to bring the best that the industry has to offer from around the world to our front door.  Many of the technologies and techniques that we use at Chateau Rollat are a result of the hard work and innovation that Matthew has devoted to the art of winemaking.