2014 Fonplegade

The 2014 Fonplégade has a dense blackberry and briary scented bouquet with a touch of tobacco coming through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with gritty tannin, hints of blue fruit filtering through the black but there is just a touch of greenness that nags away on the finish. I suspect that will dissipate with bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Tasted blind. Intense, well-balanced nose. More evolved than most with nicely polished tannins and some real freshness as well as ripe fruit. Real energy. (JR)

The 2014 Fonplegade has an almost opaque bouquet that demanded continuous swirling of the glass before it reluctantly offered blackberry, raspberry and cedar wood aromas, just a touch of fireside hearth in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, the acidity finely tuned with a voluminous and vigorous finish of redcurrant jam, raspberry and black pepper. There is a lot going on in this Fonplegade and the persistence suggests that it will age over a decade or more.