2016 Chateau Fonbadet Bordeaux Red

2016 Chateau Fonbadet

94 WE

Featured Review

This 50-acre, family-owned property is surrounded by some of the most famous names in Pauillac. The wine shares some of the same fine Cabernet Sauvignon flavors, ripe with intense black-currant fruitiness that partners with dusty tannins and acidity. It's a wine for aging. Do not expect to drink before 2025. Wine Enthusiast

Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2016 Fonbadet is absolutely lovely. Soft curves and a good dose of sweet red cherry jam make a strong opening statement. Lavender, rose petal, spice, leather and chocolate all flesh out as this effortless, racy Pauillac shows off its alluring personality. A wine of total seduction, the 2016 will prove impossible to resist pretty much upon release. Tasted three times.

Vinous Media | 93 VM

Château Fonbadet has turned out an incredibly successful 2016, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot raised in 50% new oak. It has outstanding notes of tobacco leaf, graphite, and some earthy black and blue fruit as well as medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. While I never feel this cuvée hits the highs of its neighbors, the estate certainly seems to have all the right materials, with high density vineyards consisting of 60-year-old vines planted in the classic gravelly soils of the appellation. Yields are miniscule, everything is hand harvested (in 2016 harvest occurred between the 3rd and 25th of October), vinification occurs all in concrete, the wine sees malolactic in barrel, and they use judicious yet high-class oak. I suspect this is an estate to keep on your radar.

Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

This is very Pauillac with blackcurrant, lead-pencil and blueberry aromas and flavors. Full body, round and chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. A blend of 60 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 15 per cent cabernet franc, 20 per cent merlot and five per cent petit verdot and malbec. Needs two or three years to soften. Try from 2023.

James Suckling | 92 JS

A great wine, with well judged extraction that is tight without being rustic. It takes you right up to the edge and could perhaps have let in a little more juice on the finish, but I love the complexity on the nose, the cassis and menthol on the finish and the brushing of Petit Verdot spice. This is a recent change to a Michel Rolland consultation, overseen by Julien Viaud for the past two years. 33% new oak following vinification in cement, from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038

Decanter | 91 DEC

Aged in 50% new French oak barrels and blended of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Fonbadet offers up expressive notions of warm plums, blackberries and kirsch plus unsmoked cigars and spice cake scents with a waft of dusty soil. Medium-bodied and laden with juicy black fruits plus loads of spicy accents, it has a finely grained, approachable texture and great length.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Type of Wine	Bordeaux Red : Picture in your mind a combination of cedar, lead pencil, blackcurrant, plum and mineral aromatics, and texture that caresses your palate like a playful lover. The experience is thrilling from the first whiff to the final seconds of a tannic, generous finish - that is what you'll get from a Bordeaux Red
Varietal	Bordeaux Blend
Country	France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.