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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 26 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Lcoppes on 6/11/2023 & rated 93 points: Lovely juice with jumpy juicy fruit and lovely dark secondaries. Cherry, blackberry, bramble with dark chocolate, black pepper, vanilla, licorice, clove. Med + tannins def with some heft, so better after long decant and best day 2 with double decant. Dense voluptuous body with ample fruit. Lovely juice that has the potential to age a great distance. (2955 views) | | | Tasted by Fraxinus on 2/7/2023 & rated 92 points: give it 2-3 hours of air in the bottle or so. (3225 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 2/4/2023 & rated 91 points: It’s good for the price. Plush and round with plenty of ripe dark fruit. Slight green note with plenty of acid/tannin that need time to mellow. (3212 views) | | | Tasted by La Cave d'Argent on 1/25/2023 & rated 92 points: Château Fombrauge's 2028 iteration is an opaque ruby blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. From a bottle that was decanted through a Vinturi aerator, it serves up a plentiful load of black currant and dark cherry fruit that is accented with allspice, loamy earth, pipe tobacco and sorrel. Medium-bodied, fresh, seamlessly alcoholic (14.5%), judiciously oaked and with plentiful fine-grained tannins, it stays dense on the mid-palate and finishes long. This is a beautiful reflection of the vintage and the appellation. Allow an hour or more in decanter if possible. Drink now-2038. (3497 views) | | | Tasted by TempleRock Cellar on 12/26/2022 & rated 95 points: Had at Metro Bistrot. Amazing. 95 score (3333 views) | | | Tasted by Huh on 10/29/2022 & rated 93 points: Jeff had this right back in 2021. Read his note. In Oct ‘22 it is singing. Very ripe cedar cherry. Full bodied (for Bordeaux). Some other tasters called this elegant, light. Not so - not on this bottle from B-21. it’s big, juicy, almost an overripe component. My wife bought it so I don’t know the price point. But it being B. Magrez I’m sure it’s up there. If I were tasted blind I’d say A Merlot dominated wine and European because of the elevated acidity and tannin. I’d pay $45. It’s exciting. (2642 views) | | | Tasted by Psdycp on 7/30/2022 & rated 89 points: Elegant and floral fragrance with ripe plums, tobacco and earthy spices. The palate is spicy, graphite and cumin on an open structure. Medium-bodied. Clean and lingering finish. Ready to drink now. (2549 views) | | | Tasted by DavidWong168 on 10/3/2021 & rated 91 points: Medium purple with a ruby rim. Slightly green aromas of cut cedar, light vanilla, cured tobacco and plums. The palate is broad and refined, boasting ripe red plum and raspberry. Grippy fine-grained tannins and a long, seductive finish. Very much a baby and firmly in the red end of the fruit spectrum. (5620 views) | | | Tasted by beatles on 9/8/2021 & rated 91 points: sexy, juicy, seemless and well made - one the - maybe THE best of this tasting. Business Class customers only
#LaDauphine (5648 views) | | | Tasted by xyc on 7/5/2021 & rated 92 points: Impenetrable color, light, interesting floral, smoky nose. The first sip grabs you with intensity and depth. Concentrated blackberry, coffee, balanced by tingling fresh fruit acid. A mouthful and some. Difficult to assess given the contrast between bright fruit acid and deep dark layer of ripe fruit.
It is overwhelming, an awesome taste and likely overwhelming, as a dinner wine for many years.
Buy, Age, Enjoy in its prime.Or in your prime. Whichever comes first/last. (5264 views) | | | Tasted by vvWine.ch on 5/22/2021 & rated 92 points: 92 vvPunkte Tiefgründige, noch vom Holz geprägte Nase, sehr qualitativ, feiner Duft, wirkt modern, zeigt rote und dunkle Beeren, Schokolade, getrocknete Gräser. ein Mix aus roten und dunklen Früchten, dazu Gräser. Im Gaumen zugänglich weich, umgarnt die Zunge mit feinen Gerbstoffen, eine gut integrierte Säure schwingt mit, das ist durchaus elegant und vor allem herrlich frisch. Endet langanhaltend und rotfruchtig mit zitrischen Noten. Ein gelungener Fombrauge mit Finesse. 2024-2038 (April 2021) (5052 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 3/9/2021 & rated 92 points: Smoky, with a strong dose of licorice, espresso, chocolate fudge, black cherry and plum, this is a concentrated, full-bodied, rich, supple textured wine with layers of ripe, juicy, mouth-filling fruits. Give it at least a few years in the cellar for the oak to better integrate. The wine was made from blending 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. (5061 views) | | | Tasted by Hawk94 on 2/9/2021 & rated 88 points: It is way too early to tell if it has some potential. I was hesitating to give 88pt, but giving 92pt now is something I would not do. it is simply not there. An okay Bordeaux, nothing special to mention, but not bad either. It has some dark fruits, some funky taste showing a bit of out of balance, earthy, leathery, muddy, lack of focus and sharpness, not a lot of depth, but where is its freshness? Still young, I was a bit disapointted after seeing CT 92pt average rating, however, the price is right. I hope I was wrong on this one, since I have invested in other vintages of this wine. (3491 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 4/19/2019 & rated 92 points: Clearly the most concentrated vintage of Fombrauge ever produced, the wine is round, supple, sweet and charming. The fruit offers freshness with licorice, smoke and just an accent of cocoa. The amount of oak used to age the wine has been dramatically reduced. The wine was made from blending 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and is aging in 40% new, French oak barrels. 91-93 Pts (6192 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/18/2022)
(Ch Fombrauge St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, September 2021 (9/1/2021)
(Château Fombrauge St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, The Future’s Definitely Not What It Was: Bordeaux 2018 (Mar 2021) (3/21/2021)
(Fombrauge Fombrauge Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, 2018 Bordeaux From The Bottle (3/11/2021)
(Chateau Fombrauge) Login and sign up and see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (1/6/2021)
(Château Fombrauge St.-Emilion , France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Bordeaux 2018 in bottle (11/10/2020)
(Château Fombrauge, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, The Future’s Not What It Was: Bordeaux 2018 (Nov 2019) (11/1/2019)
(Fombrauge Fombrauge Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Bordeaux Rising: The 2018s En Primeur (5/1/2019)
(Chateau Fombrauge Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Bordeaux En Primeur 2018 St-Émilion Part 2 (4/3/2019)
(Château Fombrauge, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Bordeaux 2018: Back in Black (Apr 2019) (4/1/2019)
(Fombrauge Fombrauge Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2019 (4/1/2019)
(Château Fombrauge St Emilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/31/2019)
(Ch Fombrauge St-Émilion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (3/26/2019)
(Château Fombrauge St.-Emilion, Red, France) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and Vinous and JebDunnuck.com and JamesSuckling.com and Decanter. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Fombrauge Producer website - Read more about Chateau FombraugeRed 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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