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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.7 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 71 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by df1988 on 4/4/2023 & rated 89 points: Not bad, expected a little more from the vintage as this wasn’t much better than the 2012. (1001 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 4/18/2022 & rated 91 points: 9th bottle from a case bought en primeur. Same ownership as Ausone. Drinking a bottle a year whilst waiting for the left bank wines to be fully ready. Big nose of plums, blackcurrant and cedar with some sous bois in the background. Quite full bodied. A gap mid palate yet a very long finish. The cepage is 80% merlot. Smooth on the palate with loads of soft tannins. A pointe now yet still plenty of life ahead. Very enjoyable. Interesting that far more comments than usual are from France - this is excellent value at c.£26 duty paid. (1781 views) | | | Tasted by dannyg on 9/19/2021 & rated 90 points: More structured and complex than the Laroque. This has all the elements and pleasure to drink. Always impresses at a party with "Wow that's a nice wine!" (2092 views) | | | Tasted by CME67 on 9/12/2021 & rated 84 points: Not great. (2139 views) | | | Tasted by djhammond on 8/31/2021 & rated 90 points: This is highly approachable and easy to drink with or without food. It is good value for money and should drink well for a good few years. (2352 views) | | | Tasted by stephru on 8/7/2021 & rated 90 points: Beaucoup de couleur et de caractère bordelais. Un peu joufflu, généreux au nez et en bouche avec une petite pointe d'austérité toute bordelaise. Beaucoup de charme, puissance et équilibre. Très satisfaisant. (1808 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 8/6/2021 & rated 91 points: 8th bottle from a case bought en primeur. Drinking a bottle a year whilst waiting for the left bank wines to be fully ready to drink. Big nose of plums, blackcurrant and cedar with some sous bois in the background. Quite full bodied. The cepage is 80% merlot but the character has more cabernet blackcurrant than its 10% weight. Smooth on the palate with loads of soft tannins that still have some maturing to go. Still plenty of life and some improvement ahead. Very enjoyable. (1670 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 4/26/2021 flawed bottle: Bouchonnée! (2053 views) | | | Tasted by cugel_saga on 4/4/2021 & rated 92 points: After 2 hours in the decanter this really softens and is very good.
Plush, velvety mouth feel. Ripe plums, understated, on the fruit side. Soft leather emerges with pleasant, grippy tannins on the finish.
Improves marvellously over several hours and the last glass is the best.
Nicely balanced and quite sumptuous to drink. (1221 views) | | | Tasted by Hschmitz on 4/3/2021 & rated 90 points: nydelig st. emilion..........drikker fint nu (1147 views) | | | Tasted by Vince_chip on 4/1/2021 & rated 90 points: Très bon mais aurait pu attendre encore quelques années, gros depot au fond. Assez profond comme saveur. (1214 views) | | | Tasted by gwilliams68 on 3/31/2021 & rated 90 points: This was a better bottle than the last one some 6 months back. Graphite/pencil shavings noticeable. Evolving nicely and happy to add a point to my last score.
This is good value wine. (1094 views) | | | Tasted by mat600 on 3/9/2021 & rated 90 points: Un vin costaud qui donne une bouche typique de bordeaux. Nous retrouvons du cuir, des bleuets, une trame serrée. 90 sur 100. (1236 views) | | | Tasted by CME67 on 12/26/2020 & rated 89 points: Very good but still tastes a bit youthfull. Ill be trying the other bottle i hve in a couple of years time. (1151 views) | | | Tasted by gwilliams68 on 10/26/2020 & rated 89 points: Energetic and powerful for a modest wine. Grainy tannins and oak still to the fore. Quite spicy. Tails off with no great length. Will provide interesting drinking over next couple of years. (1258 views) | | | Tasted by ManuKey on 9/13/2020 & rated 89 points: Un St-Émilion qui semble entamer son plateau. Sur des notes de fruits noirs très mûres, de réglisse, de mine de crayon, ainsi que quelques épices. Il démontre une concentration solaire avec des tanins encore présents mais assouplis. Le tout, appuyé par une acidité juste et une vigueur / amertume de bon aloi. Équipé d'une ossature conséquente, il tapisse le palais, avec droiture tout en étant charnu et gourmand. Jolie bouteille à table! (1535 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 8/9/2020 & rated 91 points: Drinking a bottle a year from a case bought en primeur whilst waiting for the left bank wines to be fully ready to drink. Big nose of violets, plums, blackcurrant and charred oak. Quite full bodied for Bordeaux and more Merlot in character than CS. Super smooth on the palate with loads of very soft tannins. On its plateau of maturity and pretty unchanged in the last three years. Still plenty of life ahead. (1749 views) | | | Tasted by denibela on 4/12/2020 & rated 89 points: Un vin encore assez jeune, malgré les 10 ans ! Could go a while.
Très intense et foncé, opaque tellement la densité y est. Un nez riche comme on aime les St Emilion, une qualité irréprochable, un vin généreux et complexe.
A very dark st-émilion, dense and complex. Equilibrium but rich and impressive, complex and typical.
Avoir d'autres bouteilles, j'attendrais. Mais on ne se trompe pas à le savourer. (1759 views) | | | Tasted by Winefeld on 2/16/2019 & rated 90 points: One hour decant. Rubber, fig, camphor, plum, black currant, cola, Earth and liquorice. Good minerality to back the integrated tannins. Started boldly but the intensity faded over the course of the evening. Peaking currently and for the next five years. (2802 views) | | | Tasted by BigGDaddy on 12/2/2018 & rated 91 points: Drinking well now. Very smooth Bordeaux with excellent finish. Good balance —has come together nicely. (2848 views) | | | Tasted by Muledog71 on 9/13/2018 & rated 92 points: Opaque in rhe glass, dark red ruby colored. Some oak on rhe nose, tobacco too. Full bodied with dark black fruits. Full on tannins but well behaved, medium plus finish (2949 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 8/15/2018 & rated 87 points: Bu en succ.
Bien mais simple et terreux.
Fruit discret, de la terre et du cuir avec des tannins serrés.
Longueur moyenne. (3382 views) | | | Tasted by philmtl on 7/28/2018: Toujours bien. Elle évolue tranquillement. Agréable maintenant mais la prochaine dans 2 ans. (3007 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 7/27/2018 & rated 91 points: Mostly a repeat of my previous note but today in very hot conditions. I’ve had a bottle a year for several years and it’s improving steadily. Violets, plums, blackcurrant and oak on the nose. This is full bodied for Bordeaux and more Merlot in character than CS. Super smooth on the palate with loads of very soft tannins. Drinking well now and will continue to improve for at least a few years. A real bargain. (2458 views) | | | Tasted by LeChapeau on 2/22/2018 & rated 92 points: A classic Bordeaux with a nose of dark fruits, rich forest floor, and a bit of cedar and leather. A lush palate, good structure and a long lingering finish make this a wine that begs you to come back for more. Well balanced, with just enough acidity to perfectly complement the fruit. I had this with a grilled Filet Mignon first, and it was an excellent companion, adding dramatically to the enjoyment of the meat. But sipping it afterwards let the wine's subtleties come out, and it's definitely worth drinking on its own. I'll be going back for more of this gem. (2474 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château de Fonbel Producer website - read more about Chateau FonbelRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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