2015 Chateau Fombrauge Grand Cru Classé is as classic as it gets. The bottle came from the estate in the Saint Emilion area of Bordeaux and had two things we come to expect from Bordeaux: the story and the character.
Chateau Fombrauge Story
Six centuries-long Fombrauge’s history is intertwined with the story of six families, including the Canolles, the Dumas, and the Taffards.
The first time Fombrauge was mentioned 1466 when the knight Jacques de Canolle became a master of Fombrauge after acquiring the estate. He quickly started to farm the estate and planted the first vines.
Jacques was an important figure and an educated man who contributed significantly to the business development of the city of Bordeaux.
Six families have succeeded in owning and running Château Fombrauge, consistently producing wine since the first documented harvest in 1599.
Today Chateau Fombrauge, with vineyards covering 145 acres, is the largest estate in the Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé area. Thanks to its size, the estate encompasses the diverse set of soils and terroirs that gives the wine of Fombrauge its complexity and identity.
Bernard Magrez, the owner since 1999, both follows the ancestral savoir-faire and embraces modern viticulture and winemaking advancements.
2015 Château Fombrauge Grand Cru Classé
In the Bottle
2015 Chateau Fombrauge Grand Cru Classé is 77% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc.
2015 was the best vintages the string of challenging vintages since superb 2010. Growers, winemakers, and wine critics universally loved the vintage because of its perfectly ripe fruit.
When we tasted Fombrauge, we had to agree with an excellent assessment of the 2015 vintage.
In the Glass
The aromas of black plum, ripe black currant, coffee beans, toast, and cedar almost jumped out of the glass, waiting to be enjoyed.
We knew right away that we were in for a treat, and the palate delivered on the promise with dark chocolate-dipped plums, prunes, and cassis liqueur.
Aftertaste
The aftertaste lingered for a while with dark berries and cocoa nibs. We were very impressed and cellared a few bottles.
2015 Chateau Fombrauge was among the most impressive under $50 Saint Emilion wines of this vintage we tasted so far. While Fombrauge and others from this region are ready to be enjoyed now, many can benefit from additional ageing.