2006 de Fonbel
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Tasting notes
A sleeper of the vintage from the perfectionist proprietor of Chateau Ausone, Alain Vauthier, this elegant St.-Emilion offers up scents of lead pencil shavings intermixed with blueberries, black currants, and boysenberries, and plenty of minerality. This 2006 should drink nicely for 10-12 years. Good value.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Alain Vauthier of Ausone’s petit vin – not such a charmer as usual this year. Blackish crimson. Really toasty and lively on the nose. Slightly green and brutal on the palate though. Not the charm of some vintages. Maybe this will take on flesh? (JR)
Bright, full ruby. Black cherry, licorice and violet on the nose, along with a hint of fresh herbs. Juicy, fruit-driven and lively but on the lean side, with a faintly green component. Finishes with somewhat drying tannins.
A sleeper of the vintage from the perfectionist proprietor of Chateau Ausone, Alain Vauthier, this elegant St.-Emilion offers up scents of lead pencil shavings intermixed with blueberries, black currants, and boysenberries, and plenty of minerality. This 2006 should drink nicely for 10-12 years. Good value. Feb 2009, www.robertparker.com
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.