Château de Fonbel 2016, St Emilion Grand Cru

£34.95 per bottle

ABV 14%

Merlot (85%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Petit Verdot (5%)

Château de Fonbel, St Emilion Grand Cru 2016

"Merlot dominates the blend here (85%), along with Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Petit Verdot (5%), but have no fear that this will be at all jammy or soft: it's a structured wine of tension and a certain raciness, the sweet and ripe black fruit finely etched with graphite and tobacco, the palate walking a fine line between plump black berries and a sinewy, steely core of tannin and acid very successfully. This has cellaring potential, but is just entering a window of very pleasurable drinkability."
Wine-pages.com, Tom Cannavan
Score 91/100

"The 2015 Fonbel has a delightful bouquet with raspberry and blackberry fruit and hints of pencil lead that I did not notice out of barrel. It's quite tight at the moment and will require bottle age to open. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy, caressing opening. There is a mixture of red and black fruit here with graphite and allspice, a finely proportioned Fonbel with quite a sustained finish. Very fine. Anticipated maturity: 2021 - 2032."
91
Neal Martin, March 2018

A superb and relatively unknown treasure, owned by the Vauthier family of Chateau Ausone fame. The 19 hectares of Chateau de Fonbel vineyard sit on the sandy gravel soils immediately below the slopes of Chateau Ausone and support predominently Merlot and some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Region
St Emilion and Pomerol sit next to each other on the right bank of Bordeaux. St Emilion is home to some of the most prestigious wines in the world such as Cheval Blanc and Angelus. Only red wine qualifies for the appellation and is predominately made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Pomerol is located in the east of the Bordeaux region, near Saint-Émilionl. While most appellations are named after a village or town within their boundaries, Pomerol has no such epicenter. Pomerol is an 800ha gravel bank with boasts the famous names of Petrus and Le Pin and produces wines made predominantly out of Merlot.

Producer
A superb and relatively unknown treasure, owned by the Vauthier family of Chateau Ausone fame. The 19 hectares of Chateau de Fonbel vineyard sit on the sandy gravel soils immediately below the slopes of Chateau Ausone and support predominently Merlot and some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Tasting Notes
A superb undiscovered treasure from the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. The Fonbel vineyard sits on the sandy gravel immediately below the slopes of Château Ausone and grows Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the classic Bordeaux blend. This is complex, aristocratic wine, succulent and ripe with a pervasive bouquet and rich raisined fruit supported by harmonious tannins and lingering complex finish.

Food
Will complement lamb, beef, steak, casseroles and hard cheeses.