The team

At Château L’Insouciance, the arrival of Caroline and Fabien Rycroft marks a new beginning.
Nothing had seemingly prepared them to become estate owners—nothing, that is, except, upon closer reflection, a certain constancy.

They met in the late 1990s while studying at a business school in Caen. Drawn to finance, economics, and the human dimension of advisory work, they both specialized in wealth management: Caroline within the banking sector, and Fabien as an entrepreneur. Twenty years later, he remains alongside his original partner at the helm of what began as a regional Norman firm and has since grown into a national enterprise. Meanwhile, driven by a desire to transmit her knowledge, she chose to turn toward higher education, training future wealth management advisors.

This fidelity to their vocation reflects both perseverance and a capacity for rooted commitment. Mirroring this determination is their enduring exploration of the world of wine. From their earliest shared moments onward, wine has been ever-present: as a couple, as a family, among friends—for times of relaxation, conversation, and hospitality. Over the years and through meaningful encounters, they have built their cellar while refining their taste and enriching their memories. In their recollection, there is scarcely a significant meal, celebration, or exchange that is not associated with a wine that sealed the moment in memory. Each estate name recalls a time, sensations, and people. For them, wine is the crucible of emotion and remembrance.

As Director of Operations, Jean de Laitre ensures the smooth and effective management of the estate. While he values the full confidence and autonomy granted to him by Caroline and Fabien Rycroft, he prefers to remain discreet and avoids personal prominence.

His career path is as unexpected as it is remarkable, transitioning—initially for personal and later for family reasons—from medicine to entrepreneurship and the management of wine estates. Through each experience, he has identified and embraced his true passion.
In his managerial role, he focuses on optimizing and enhancing the estate, integrating environmentally responsible practices. Efficient resource management, combined with the overarching objective of producing wines of excellence, forms both his guiding principle and his long-term vision. Today, he also incorporates an oenotourism dimension, which he considers essential in the historically more reserved Bordeaux region.

Within this framework, collective effort is paramount. Building a cohesive team has been a fundamental step in the new life of Château L’Insouciance. Following the essential expansion of the vineyard to 3.5 hectares, he oversaw the recruitment of a vineyard and cellar manager—now a resident master winegrower—and subsequently selected an expert oenologist to design and guide the creation of the future grand vin.

At Château L’Insouciance, his ambition is to contribute to a meaningful, distinguished, and shared project, grounded in values of sustainability and conviviality inherent in the estate’s renewed philosophy and essential to the future of Bordeaux.

Conductor and pilot, Jean de Laitre is the conscience of L’Insouciance.

When Sébastien Fontaneau joined Château L’Insouciance, he was already an accomplished winegrower, having devoted 17 years to developing and elevating a Haut-Médoc estate. Deeply attached to the property he helped build, he consistently championed meticulous work and attentive oversight at every stage—from vineyard to cellar—in order to craft a premium cru in harmony with its terroir.

A native of the region and from a family rooted in the wine world, he chose the path of viticulture at an early age, both out of conviction and passion, with a particular affinity for harvest time and cellar work.
Independent and deeply committed, he also manages a small personal estate cultivated organically and vinified without added sulfur. This experience has taught him the complexity of viticulture, the importance of moderation and long-term perspective, and the analytical precision essential to guiding a vineyard successfully.
At Château L’Insouciance, it was the terroir’s potential, the opportunities for development, and the prospect of contributing to the promising renewal of a property that convinced him to join the project.

The quality and complementarity of the parcels, the owners’ trust, the environmentally respectful vision, the capability of the technical tools, and the expertise of the people involved all converge toward a shared ambition of precision and distinction.
The team spirit he encounters is both supportive and collaborative: no compartmentalization, no confrontation, but open dialogue allowing expertise and innovation to emerge naturally.

Resident at the estate, vigilant and assured steward of the land, Sébastien Fontaneau is the heart of L’Insouciance.

Although not from a winegrowing family, Thomas Duclos grew up in Margaux, surrounded by friends and neighbors involved in viticulture.
Over time, this proximity to wine merged with an upbringing centered on the appreciation of taste and gastronomy. From an early age, he absorbed both the cultural and familial life of the vineyards.

This familiarity naturally influenced his career choice. After a brief period at university, he redirected his studies toward a degree in viticulture and oenology, which revealed his vocation. Field experience, rigorous theoretical and practical training, and the strong camaraderie among students—still united today—shaped his professional path.
At the same time, his involvement in a handball project taught him project management and collaboration.

His desire to work in consultancy led him to OEnoteam, where he has applied his passion, adaptability, and dialogue skills alongside numerous estate owners. Now a co-owner of the firm, he believes more than ever that “working with people who, every day, contend with the forces of nature compels us to uphold the highest standards.”

His commitment to Château L’Insouciance stems from a genuine human connection with both the owners and the team, the estate’s distinctive wine identity, and the promise of an authentic and innovative project.

To craft a wine of place—faithful to its terroir and to those who have chosen it—by combining respect for tradition with a contemporary perspective. To foster a collaborative approach that prioritizes precision and sincerity in producing a wine for today: accessible, yet consistently compelling.
Here, Thomas Duclos envisions a promising and immediate future: a distinctive Saint-Estèphe—approachable yet great, generous and ripe—where freshness and complexity coexist.

In the trust and dialogue that enable the greatest achievements, Thomas Duclos embodies the taste of L’Insouciance.

Initially trained in pharmacy before turning to oenology, Florian Fresselinat has long been driven by a passion for organic chemistry. It was Bordeaux — the city, its wines, and its vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see — that gently redirected his path. Yet perhaps the roots run deeper still: to a grandfather in Charente, a farmer, to childhood holidays spent among cattle and vines, to those early hours on a tractor that shaped an intimate connection to the land.

From his background in chemistry, Florian has retained a deep commitment to precision. From the living world, he has developed an appreciation for the unexpected. What truly defines his approach is this singular balance between scientific rigor, human connection, and intuition. Each vintage is a new material to work with, each terroir a different dialogue. Nothing is ever repeated in quite the same way — and it is precisely this that fuels his conviction.

At Œnoteam, alongside Thomas Duclos, Florian oversees the day-to-day management of Château L’Insouciance, with the attentive presence of someone who understands that the most important decisions are built through the smallest, everyday gestures. The two oenologists are in constant exchange, grounded in a relationship of transparency and mutual trust. Their collaboration is open and direct, with decisions made jointly — a true dialogue shaped as closely as possible by the nuances of the terroir.

What drew him to this project? First, its human scale: the opportunity to work closely with a mosaic of parcels, each with its own distinct character — gravel and clay-limestone soils. Then, the clarity and quality of its ambition.
As for the name of the Château, it evokes a certain lightness of spirit — a touch of boldness, even — the kind that refuses to be hindered by obstacles when embarking on such an undertaking. Sometimes, one simply has to move forward with conviction.