2023 de Fonbel
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Tasting notes
Based on 64% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Carmenère, the 2023 Château De Fonbel offers juicy red and black berries, peppery herbs, graphite, and spice nuances on the nose. It's medium-bodied, supple, and beautifully textured on the palate, with ripe, soft tannins and a great finish. Drink this charming Saint-Emilion over the coming decade. Drink 2026-2035.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 de Fonbel is a very pretty, delicate Saint-Émilion. Rose petal, mint, blood orange, dried herbs, cedar and pipe tobacco give the 2023 a good bit of complexity to play off its mid-weight structure. All this needs is a bit more persistence on the finish. Then again, most of this is young-vine Merlot planted on lower slopes with sandy/gravelly soils.
The 2023 Château de Fonbel is quite a steely bouquet, a bit reserved upon first pour, opening gradually in the glass with blackberry, iodine and light marine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive concentration in context of the vintage, a sweet core of black plum and hoisin that segues into a dense, rounded finish with a healthy sprinkling of black pepper. Give this two or three years in bottle.
Bright blueberry and chalk aromas with a hint of white pepper follow through to a full body that’s tight and compact, with cool fruit and a long, crunchy, tannic finish. There’s limestone character in both flavor and structure. A blend of 64% merlot, 28% cabernet sauvignon and 8% carmenere. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
About the producer
Owned by the same family as Ch. Ausone, Ch. de Fonbel is one of the best-value Saint-Emilion estates. It has a long history stretching back to the Roman era, however its story really begins when Alain Vauthier purchased the property in 1971.