Chateau Fombrauge Saint Emilion GCC, 2015

Description

The estate goes back to the 16th century, which makes it one of the oldest chteaux in the Saint Emilion region. The beautiful 17th century old country manor was originally the cloister of the towns Carthusian Monastery. Owned by Jacques de Canolle in 1466, the estate later belonged to the Dumas de Fombrauge family, who implemented the first quality winemaking in the estate in the 18th century. Soil Clay and limestone with Fronsac molasses. Vineyard management Parcel based management grass covering, ploughing. Shoot removal at beginning of June. 1st thinning out of the leaves in July. 2nd thinning out of the leaves in September. Winemaking Parcel selection per terroir, grape variety and age of the vines. Selection inside the parcels thanks to relevant information on maturity and vine strength provided by the drone. Harvest in small crates/ Sorting on a table before and after destemming by 20 qualified people. Vatting in small capacity wooden tanks 70 hectoliters by gravity flow. Pre-fermentation maceration for 4-8 days at 8C. Manual punching down. Maceration for 28-32 days for the Merlot, 26-28 days for the Carbernet. Aging for 18 months in 45% new oak barrels, 45% one year-old barrels, 10% in state-of-the-art ciment tank. The signature Bernard Magrez provides the garanty from a great owner whos been involved for 40 years, giving his energy and determination for the quality of his wines. This signature is also substained by a national and international media campaign which makes Bernard Magrez the first wine advertiser in France.

Grape Varieties Bordeaux Blends

Award and rating
94 points James Suckling
A vivid and bright red with plum and spice plus hints of cedar and sandalwood. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a flavorful finish. The plush tannins to this give it weight and opulence. Needs a year or two to soften.

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Fombrauge offers up aromas of baked berries, dried mulberries and preserved plums with touches of Indian spices and game. Medium to full-bodied with loads of expressive fruit, it has firm, grainy tannins and finishes with a lively lift.

92 points Vinous
The 2015 Fombrauge is very pretty. Succulent red cherry, mint and rose petal give the wine an attractive upper register and a good deal of freshness to balance the overt fruit. Powerful and rich, the 2015 has quite a bit to offer. Raspberry jam, mocha, espresso, rose petal and spice add the closing shades of nuance. Readers should expect a fairly bold style - as is the case with all of Bernard Magrez's wines - but Fombrauge is not quite as opulent as Magrez-Fombrauge.

91 points Wine Spectator
Gently steeped plum and black currant fruit melds with a smoldering charcoal note, while hints of bay leaf, tobacco and warm cast iron lurk. Offers a rounded, energetic structure, as a loamy echo lingers at the very end. A bit fresher than previous vintages. Best from 2020 through 2030.

90 points Jeb Dunnuck
Outer quote mark Bottle in a seriously heavy bottle, the 2015 Château Fombrauge sports a ruby/plum color to go with lots of ripe black fruits, truffle, licorice and hints of chocolate. It's a rich, dense, almost chewy wine that has moderate tannin, plenty of stuffing, and a good finish. It should keep for two decades. This cuvee is 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 45% new French oak.