Critic Notes
Dense and fresh red with lots of blackberries, blueberries and walnuts. Hints of chocolate. Full-bodied, tight and refined yet always showing muscle. Mar 2017, www.jamessuckling.com
Score: 93-94 / 100James Suckling
Dark raspberry, black cherry, plum, chocolate, smoke, wildflowers and exotic spices are some of the many notes that infuse the 2016 Fombrauge. Ripe, powerful and voluptuous, it offers a striking interplay of intense dark fruit and aromatic freshness. The purity of the flavors is compelling. A move toward fermenting more of the juice in cement and using less new oak during aging is having a noticeable influence on the evolution of Fombrauge away from a wine of pure power and toward a Saint-Émilion that displays more finesse than in the past. Apr 2017, www.vinous.com
Score: 91-94 / 100Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2016 Fombrauge is a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc picked from 30 September to the 22 October, clearly more expressive on the nose compared to the 2016 Magrez-Fombrauge with attractive blackberry, raspberry coulis and cold stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, linear but fresh with a grippy, slightly tarry finish that lingers in the mouth. It needs to find a little more "lightness" in terms of personality rather than intensity, perhaps not take itself quite so seriously. But I still find much to enjoy here and I look forward to tasting it in bottle. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Apr 2017, www.robertparker.com, Drink: 2020-2040
Score: 91-93 / 100Neal MartinDrinking Window: 2020-2040
Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Fombrauge sings of lively kirsch, baked black cherries and warm plums notes plus touches of potpourri, cigar box and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with decadent red and black fruit preserves, structured by velvety tannins and finishing with fantastic length. Nov 2018, www.robertparker.com
Score: 92 / 100Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
93% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc. 45% new oak. Very dark purple. Very complete and creamy on the nose. But with excellent drive. Rather opulent and verging on showy but very successful. Real savour here. Apr 2017, www.jancisrobinson.com, Drink: 2025-2040
Score: 17 / 20Jancis Robinson MWDrinking Window: 2025-2040
Here we are with Bernard Magrez, and his are big, structured, powerful wines. Extremely clear coffee toast on the nose, with deep black fruits and cinnamon and clove spicing through the palate. There is no questioning the quality of the black cherry and cassis fruit, liquorice and slate, but it needs to breathe. Planted to 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Apr 2017, www.decanter.com, Drink: 2025-2040
Score: 89 / 100DecanterDrinking Window: 2025-2040
A bit bulked-up in feel, with a warm cocoa frame around plum skin and warm currant confiture notes. More breadth than depth. Apr 2017, James Molesworth, www.winespectator.com
Score: 87-90 / 100Wine Spectator
