2015 de Fonbel
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Tasting notes
This property is owned and managed by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Fonbel—composed mainly of Merlot with splashes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and Petit Verdot—is scented of warm black plums, blackberry preserves, tar and bay leaves with touches of scorched earth and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied with very fine, silky tannins and amazing freshness, the palate offers stacks of red and black fruits, going minerally on the long finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Tim Atkin MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The entry-level wine from the Vauthier Family (Château Ausone) and made from 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the rest Carmenere and Petit Verdot, with 30% raised in barrel, the ruby-colored 2015 Château de Fonbel gives up medium to full-bodied notes of Asian spices, white pepper, and damp herbs to go with a pretty core of strawberry and cherry fruit. Charming, layered, and elegant, with impeccable balance, it’s already hard to resist yet is going to keep for a decade.
Mid crimson. Fresh, relatively simple but very pleasing. Lively and lightish. (JR)
The 2015 de Fonbel is another intense wine from the Vauthier family. Plum, crème de cassis, menthol, violet and lavender notes are fused together in this super-expressive, unctuous Saint-Émilion. The 2015 is rich, exotic and super-concentrated, yet it has also retained striking freshness. This is yet another 2015 Bordeaux that is pure pleasure. The blend is 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Carménère and 5% Petit Verdot, done mostly in stainless steel, with about 30% oak.
About the producer
Owned by the same family as Ch. Ausone, Ch. de Fonbel is one of the best-value Saint-Emilion estates. It has a long history stretching back to the Roman era, however its story really begins when Alain Vauthier purchased the property in 1971.