| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Fombrauge
Tiny yields, malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees and no fining or filtration produced an exotic, full-throttle St.-Emilion boasting an explosive nose of blueberry pie, lead pencil shavings, black truffles, camphor, incense and toasty oak. Made in a borderline extreme style, the wine is extracted and full-bodied with enormous quantities of fruit, extract, tannin and glycerin. The alcohol of just over 14% is not as high as I would have expected. I purchased the 2000 Magrez-Fombrauge and am thrilled by the way it is developing as it is displaying more complexity and nuances now than it did when it was released. I suspect the 2009 will do the same thing, but on a slightly faster evolutionary track. Wines such as this tend to transform from blockbuster fruit bombs into far more civilized, elegant and streamlined wines. The 2009 should be forgotten for 5-6 years and drunk over the following 25-30.
A modern-styled St.-Emilion from the stable of Bernard Magrez-s properties, this limited production (500 or so cases), 100% Merlot cult wine is made from the finest parcel of the Fombrauge vineyard.
The 2009 Magrez-Fombrauge has a deep garnet core with little ageing on the rim. The bouquet is attractive with melted red berry fruit, black olive compote and light desiccated orange peel aromas, nicely defined and elegant in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, gentle grip, quite savory with Chinese 5-spice and white pepper sprinkled over the finish. It feels like some ripe Cabernet Franc here (even though it is 100% Merlot) and the aftertaste is commendably long. Very fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. 2019 - 2035
A blockbuster, with loads of concentrated fruit and coffee bean and toasty oak on the nose. Full-bodied, with velvety, chewy tannins and a long finish. Big and powerful.
This opaque blue/purple-tinged 2009 (100% Merlot from the best parcel of the Fombrauge vineyard) possesses a bouquet of creosote, truffles, graphite, smoke, blueberries, and assorted black fruits. It is an extreme, super-extracted, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated St.-Emilion boasting massive levels of extract, tannin, and glycerin. It needs 8-10 years of cellaring, and should last for 25-30 years. The fruit was harvested between October 5 and 8. While this is clearly the modernist approach to winemaking, the 2000 tasted recently was showing fabulously well, giving all indications of being a 30-year wine. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2018-2048.
