2009 Château Fombrauge

Blackish crimson. Sweet and soft and not enough freshness. Picked too late? Great raw ingredients messed up. Tarry finish. (JR)

The 2009 Fombrauge has the potential to be the finest wine ever made at this property. Michel Rolland is the consulting oenologist in the vineyard, which sits in the southern sector of St.-Emilion known as St.-Christophe des Bardes. It was picked very late in 2009, and the result is a powerhouse wine with an inky blue/purple color and the smell of pen ink, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries and cassis. The wine hit 15% natural alcohol, which gives it lots of glycerin as well as a full-bodied intensity, while the low yields of 27 hectoliters per hectare have provided a striking level of concentration and length. This is very serious wine from an estate that is on the upswing. It should benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring and keep for two decades. Fombrauge is the flagship St.-Emilion estate of Bernard Magrez.

A blend of 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, cropped between 6th and 22nd October at 27hl/ha, this has a super ripe nose of cassis, creme de menthe and kirsch. Exotic fruit in the background, becoming more intense with time. The palate is full-bodied with dense tannins, real weight here, firm grippy tannins, very polished and a nice edginess coming through towards the finish. A symmetry here that is very appealing. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.