Fombrauge 2009

The 2009 Fombrauge has the potential to be the finest wine ever made at this property. Michel Rolland is the consulting oenologist in the vineyard, which sits in the southern sector of St.-Emilion known as St.-Christophe des Bardes. It was picked very late in 2009, and the result is a powerhouse wine with an inky blue/purple color and the smell of pen ink, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries and cassis. The wine hit 15% natural alcohol, which gives it lots of glycerin as well as a full-bodied intensity, while the low yields of 27 hectoliters per hectare have provided a striking level of concentration and length. This is very serious wine from an estate that is on the upswing. It should benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring and keep for two decades.

Fombrauge is the flagship St.-Emilion estate of Bernard Magrez. Drink: 2015 - 2035

A blend of 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, cropped between 6th and 22nd October at 27hl/ha, this has a super ripe nose of cassis, creme de menthe and kirsch. Exotic fruit in the background, becoming more intense with time. The palate is full-bodied with dense tannins, real weight here, firm grippy tannins, very polished and a nice edginess coming through towards the finish. A symmetry here that is very appealing. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.

Cool and racy, with floral and berry character. Medium-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and a delicate vanilla and berry character. A friendly young wine.

Maintains the consistency set in recent years. Attractive red-berry fruit. Round and supple on the palate but with structure and length. Ch Magrez Fombrauge (16.5 points) is richer and has more precision and finesse, the tannins silky and long. Better balanced and less extracted than in the past. Drink 2014-2024.

From yields of 27 hectoliters per hectare, the fruit for the uber-concentrated 2009 Fombrauge was harvested between October 6 and 22, very late in 2009, thus the super ripeness, concentration, and density. Notes of truffles, graphite, blackberries, and blueberries jump from the glass of this full-bodied, unctuously textured, thick, juicy St.-Emilion. The abundant tannin is largely concealed by the extravagant fruit and richness. The final blend is approximately 3/4 Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It should drink well in 3-4 years, and last for 15-20. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2013-2033.

Robert Parker added an asterisk to this wine score to signify that it is a wine he considers has the finest potential of all the offerings he has ever tasted from this estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux.