2020 Fonbadet
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Jancis Robinson MW
Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
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A Pauillac that has been over-delivering from some time now, the 2020 Château Fonbadet reveals a healthy ruby/purple hue as well as textbook aromatics of blackcurrants, cassis, graphite, tobacco, and a kiss of background oak. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's balanced, has the vintage's straight, focused style, and enough tannins to warrant 4-6 years of bottle age. It will keep for two decades.
The 2020 Fonbadet was cropped at 55hL/ha. This has a delightful, pure bouquet with blackberry and briary, hints of raspberry emerging with time flanked by cedar and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. Not the most complex Pauillac, yet displaying fine structure with a touch of pencil lead on the finish.
The 2020 Fonbadet is a soft, succulent Pauillac. Fruit and forward, but with bright acids, the 2020 has a lot to offer. I admit, I wanted a bit more complexity here, but the 2020 is nicely done and very easy to like. Red fruit, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco linger.