2016 Château Fontana

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 86.8 points

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  10/4/2023 - Michael Scalzo wrote:

  luygl

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  1/12/2021 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 86 Points

  Once again reinforcing the thought that buying your value wines produced in Europe, in this case France, and of course at Trader Joe’s is a wise decision. Pop the cork, swirl, smell and taste results in almost a tie between the earthy mineral stuff and red fruit and floral stuff. Textbook reddish to purple color, by no means opaque, we can easily see our two fingers. Ripe and close to rich but not necessarily explosive and expressive red, cherry and raspberry, and dark, black cherry and blackberry fruit. Not full bodied. Lingering tannins. The satisfying, sort of complete balanced finish leaves a nice hint of cocoa powder with the red fruit.

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  12/27/2020 - Stephen.Somm wrote: 87 Points

  Decent weeknight Bordeaux for the $8 price tag. Balanced, medium bodied, and dry. Blackberry, cherry, black currants, plums, earth, herbs, tobacco, and oak.

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  9/21/2020 - Vinimus Likes this wine: 86 Points

  Rare to find a budget-priced bottle at TJs that is more than 3 vintages old. This branding is a bit odd since the same Chateau Fontana branding is used in multiple wine labels varying from Chateau bottled wines to negociant varieties. The listing here itself has two different label designs for this same vintage and the one at TJs is a different third. Likely they are all sourced and made at the same place but differentiated for different tiered sales channels. The TJ label has an obscure wine merchant and a negociant no longer operating under that name.
  
  Nevertheless, it is a very good value Bordeaux. A right bank style Merlot dominated blend reminiscent more of St Emillion than Medoc. Not a complex wine by any means but a good example of an easy drinking budget claret from Bordeaux in the old world style. New world style drinkers may find this disappointing if used to fruit bursts but it has enough fruit. If you like budget light-medium bodied right bank Bordeaux clarets with a good tannic finish, there is plenty to like here.
  
  Notes of oak, cedar from French oak and bottle aging, cherry and dark fruit on the palate with faint notes of dark chocolate and well balanced smooth tannins and acidity for the finish that cleanses without destroying the palate notes for a tasty experience.
  
  While it can certainly complement pizza and pasta and soups as everyday wine, it is robust enough to go with roasted vegetables and meats (white or red). Would look for a more robust wine for a good steak. A little bit of airing when opened is a must and can be refrigerated and imbibed over a week with good results.

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