2016 de Fonbel
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James Suckling
Wine Enthusiast
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The 2016 Château de Fonbel from the team at Ausone is a brilliant Saint-Emilion in 2016. Tons of black raspberry and cassis fruits, notes of spice, and dried flowers, medium body, and a balanced, elegant texture all make for beautiful wine. It has the purity of elegance of the vintage front and center, and while it’s already hard to resist, it’s got 15 years of prime drinking ahead of it.
The 2016 de Fonbel, ostensibly the entry label to the Vauthier portfolio, has an attractive bouquet of blackberry and briar aromas that develop a light estuarine scent with time. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannin, black fruit and a saline note toward the finish. Enjoy over the next six to eight years.
This has a spicy edge with black and red fruit, as well as a reductive edge, leading to a succulent and juicy array of bright raspberries and red cherries. 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.