Chateau Fombrauge 2017
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This wine is immense, dense in powerful, solid tannins and dark, black fruits. It has great concentration, a dusty texture and final notes of chocolate, black plum and spice. Drink from 2024.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, mushrooms and wet earth with some bark follow through to a full body and firm, silky tannins. Some chewiness at the finish from the slightly austere tannins. But it should come around nicely with some bottle age. Better after 2021.
-
Wine Spectator
Rich in feel, with warm plum, cassis and raspberry compote flavors layered with singed vanilla and black licorice notes. A gloss of mocha coats the finish. A bit obvious in style but will certainly have fans. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2021 through 2030.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Falling under the Bernard Magrez umbrella, the 2017 Chateau Fombrauge is a soft, plush, sexy wine that shines in the vintage. With medium to full-bodied richness and depth as well as ripe, supple tannins, it has lots of cassis and blackberry fruits, a touch of tobacco and earth, nicely integrated oak, and outstanding length on the finish. This 2017 is already hard to resist, yet I suspect it's going to evolve beautifully for 10-15 years. Tasted twice.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Fombrauge leaps from the glass with notes of baked cherries, plum preserves and raspberry pie plus wafts of tobacco, cedar chest and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate has a soft, plush texture and lovely freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
-
Decanter
I enjoyed the Magrez wines during En Primeur in 2017, and this shows both character and confidence, if a little overwhelmed by liquorice and chocolate. Trying its absolute best against the natural austerity of the vintage. Plenty of St-Émilion typicity, and clearly constructed layers of cassis and bilberry fruit that give you no choice but to succumb. Heavy bottle. Drinking Window 2025 - 2042
Other Vintages
2022-
Jeb
Dunnuck - Vinous
-
James
Suckling - Decanter
- Decanter
-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Vinous
-
Wine
Spectator - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling
-
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Robert
Parker
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.