2018 Chateau Fombrauge Saint Emilion Grand Cru

About the Wine

Where do you find consistent critical praise (93-95 points across the board) and a price under $49 for a "best ever" St. Emilion Grand Cru from a top vintage? Here, at Bighammerwines.com

Chateau Fombrauge is a classified Saint Emilion Grand Cru. This Château is not only the largest Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Emilion with more than 144 acres of vineyards but its also one of the most important and ancient Châteaux dating back to more than 6 centuries. Today, this emblematic Grand Cru is owned by Bernard Magrez. 

Bernard Magrez's many successful wine ventures, besides Fombrauge, include the acclaimed Cru Classes classified Châteaux: Pape Clément, La Tour Carnet, and Clos Haut-Peyraguey, or as he likes to call them “The winning quartet .”

Bernard, aka “The man with 40 châteaux” (although today, he has more) is the owner of these “winning quartet,” and other 43 estates distributed around the world, in countries like France, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and the USA.

He started his wine journey in 1961 when he joined the Cordier group, a renowned Bordeaux wine merchant house, and only 3 years later, he created his first business, called William Pitters, a spirits producer and distributor. This led him to become a major player in the French wine and spirits business. Today, he’s considered one of the most influential people in the wine industry, and his wineries are a continuous reference for quality wines around the world.

Chateau Fombrauge winemaking is led by no other than Michel Rolland. This Rockstar, also known as the “Spielberg of Wine,” is a consultant in more than 13 countries around the world including some of the most recognized Châteaux in France.

2018 was an amazing year for the Right Bank. Vinous Media gave this vintage a 96-point review. They said "The 2018 Right Bank wines are opulent, flamboyant reds. It is a very strong vintage that falls just short of being truly epic."

Aging: 16 months: 40% in new barrels, 60% in one-wine barrels.

Tasting Notes: The nose is flattering with a deep fruity and floral frame. You'll experience notes of red fruits such as black cherries, and elderberry in this Chateau Fombrauge Rouge 2018. In the mouth, the wine is immediately deliciously perfumed. The taste is very fruity and the texture is soft. Gradually, the aromas develop for an increasingly intense and deep tasting.

Reviews

A gorgeous wine that shines on all accounts, the 2018 Château Fombrauge sports a dense purple hue to go with loads of blackcurrant and black cherry fruits as well as tobacco leaf, damp earth, chocolate, and cedary herbs. With full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, silky tannins, and outstanding length, this rock star Saint-Emilion can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years or more. It's hands down the finest vintage I've tasted from this estate.  ~95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck. 

Ripe-plum, black-cherry, milk-chocolate, walnut and vanilla aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with plush, velvety tannins. Creamy and polished. Very tight now. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2023, when it will begin to open up. ~94 Points, James Suckling.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Fombrauge needs some swirling to unlock notions of preserved plums, blackberry compote, and Black Forest cake, with wafts of tree bark, tar, and licorice in the background. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers impactful black fruits with a firm, grainy framed, and soft acidity, finishing on a lingering aniseed note. Give it a good 2-3 years in bottle to spread its wings and drink it over the next 15+ years. ~93+ Points, Robert Parker.

A successful vintage for Fombrauge, showing good balance and rich texture. This will develop into a full-bodied, enjoyable wine majoring in berry fruit with a few more years in bottle, although there is a flash of heat through the finish. Michel Rolland is the consultant. There is Malbec in the vineyard here now, but not yet in this wine. Aged in 40% new oak. ~93 Points, Decanter. 

The nose is fresh, and fruity and offers a beautiful definition, power, elegance as well as a beautiful finesse and intensity. It reveals notes of blackberry, peony/flowers, and small notes of cassis associated with touches of crushed black fruits, blueberry as well as hints of licorice and a very discreet hint of nutmeg. The mouth is fresh, fruity, well-balanced, and offers a good definition, a juicy/mineral frame, a small tension as well as a very slightly tight and fine grain. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of blackberry, raspberry, cherry, fleshy cassis, and small notes of red fruits associated with small touches of flowers (cornflower, peony) as well as discreet hints of licorice, sweet blond tobacco, and very discreet hints of vanilla. Tannins are elegant and well-built. There are very slight hints of dark chocolate and an imperceptible hint of coffee on the finish. ~93 Points, VertdeVin. 

The 2018 Fombrauge has an intense nose of black cherries, iodine, and raspberry preserve, and touches of tobacco following through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins matched by a keen thread of alcohol. I appreciate the balance of this Fombrauge; it tones everything down on the finish when it could have been more bombastic. Less turned out to be more. ~92 Points, Vinous.

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