- Colour Red
- Producer Château de Fonbel
- Region St Emilion
- Drinking 2027 - 2040
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available En Primeur
2023 - Ch de Fonbel Grand Cru St Emilion - 6x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer Château de Fonbel
- Region St Emilion
- Drinking 2027 - 2040
- Case size 6x75cl
- Available En Primeur
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuiswaddesdon.com.
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Neal Martin, April 2024, Score: 88-90
The 2023 Château de Fonbel was picked from September 12 to October 5. It has a straightforward bouquet with predominantly black fruit, hints of licorice and subtle gravel scents. It’s finely delineated if missing a little power. The palate is medium-bodied and fleshy with pliant tannins, closing with a gentle and lightly spiced finish. Drink it over the next decade. Drink 2026-2034.
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Wine Advocate, April 2024, Score: 89-91
A slightly reduced, elegant bouquet of iris, gentian, licorice and spices intermixed with exuberant notes of violet preface the 2023 Fonbel, a medium to full-bodied, elegant and tense wine with a juicy core of fruit and a long, ethereal finish characterized by vertical energy. This is a blend of 64% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Carmenère. It’s a great bottle in the making.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2024, Score: 90-92
The 2023 de Fonbel is an exotic wine, perhaps because of its varietal blend of 64% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Carménère. Rose petal, mint, lavender and dried herbs open in the bouquet. I find the tannins a bit severe on the finish, but perhaps élevage will take care of some of that. Drink 2028-2043.
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James Suckling, April 2024, Score: 92-93
Very pretty with pure cassis and sliced orange character. Medium body, fine tannins and a polished finish. Balanced and fresh. Some stone and salty undertones. 64% merlot, 28% cabernet sauvignon and 8% carmenere.
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Goedhuis Waddesdon, April 2024, Score: 93-95
Two thirds Merlot, this is a delightfully drinkable Fonbel, with bright, intense strawberries, redcurrants, and delicate herbal notes. The palate displays more structure, with powdery tannins and a strong backbone of acidity, while a touch of Carménère in the blend provides a lovely dark chocolate density to the finish. A sweet-talking St Emilion.
Producer
Château de Fonbel
Owned by Alain Vauthier of renowned Château Ausone, Château de Fonbel's vineyards lie directly below those of its most illustrious neighbour. The same care is taken into its vineyard management and winemaking which is discernible in its wine style. Yet, it is a mere fraction of the price making it very good value year-in and year-out.Region
St Emilion
South of Pomerol lies the medieval, perched village of St Emilion. Surrounding St Emilion are vines that produce round, rich and often hedonistic wines. Despite a myriad of soil types, two main ones dominate - the gravelly, limestone slopes that delve down to the valley from the plateau and the valley itself which is comprised of limestone, gravel, clay and sand. Despite St Emilion's popularity today, it was not until the 1980s to early 1990s that attention was brought to this region. Robert Parker, the famous wine critic, began reviewing their Merlot-dominated wines and giving them hefty scores. The rest is history as they say. Similar to the Médoc, there is a classification system in place which dates from 1955 and outlines several levels of quality. These include its regional appellation of St Emilion, St Emilion Grand Cru, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé and St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is further divided into "A" (Ausone and Cheval Blanc) and "B" (including Angélus, Canon, Figeac and a handful of others). To ensure better accuracy, the classification is redone every 10 years enabling certain châteaux to be upgraded or downgraded depending on on the quality of their more recent vintages.
