Thanks to the fact that it has the hands of Ausone winemaker Alain Vaultheir at the till, modestly priced (at least in comparison to Ausone) Château de Fonbel is often referred to as the ‘3rd wine of Ausone’. While that may be a subject of debate, in St Emilion terms, it represents good value for money, especially in great vintages such as 2005 (a case was procured en-primeur in the UK for less than GBP150 in-bond).
On paper, seven years on from vintage seems as good a time as any to check out what is a relatively modest wine in terms of the St Emilion hierarchy. On this showing, it seems that these 2005’s are going to need a good long slumber and plenty of patience. The colour has barely moved since bottling, and both the nose and palate are tight as the proverbial. The wine’s structure is very much carried by the tannin, although there’s clearly enough depth of fruit to ensure that the wine will come around. On this showing, it needs at least another 3-4 years before seeing the light of day.
If a modest St Emilion Grand Cru is so unevolved, one wonders just how long it will be before the Cabernet-dominant Médoc superstars are ready to drink?!
Producer: Château de Fonbel
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Region: Bordeaux, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: N/a
Date tasted: 21 July 2012
Tasting Note:
Deep (near impenetrable) crimson. Tight on the nose; graphite, woodsmoke, black cherry. Dry, medium bodied, quite elegantly composed, but framed by savoury tannins at present. Quite tight and unyielding, but there’s sufficient depth to suggest a good future lies ahead. The only concern is hat the alcohol is slightly warming on the finish. Leave for 3-4 years.
Score: 16+/20
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