Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 de la Huste has a deep purple-black color, bursting from the glass with flamboyant notes of crushed blackberries, blueberry pie and ripe black raspberries, plus suggestions of violets, mocha and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of juicy black and blue fruits, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and impressive freshness, finishing long and perfumed. A beautiful powerhouse! Barrel Sample: 92-94
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Decanter
Fairly subdued right now, this has broad shoulders and some touches of reduction on the nose. Good quality, great texture really feels deep and rich, with bitter black chocolate streaking through the black cherry compote. Reserved though, these are big tannins.
Barrel Sample: 90 -
James Suckling
Fresh dark cherries and plums to the nose with some fine spices and hibiscus. This is simple yet crunchy and sappy on the palate, showing some nice, immediate appeal. Concise and fruity.
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Wine Spectator
A fresh and unadorned style, this red offers a pure beam of damson plum and floral notes that are carried by fine, chalky minerality through the finish. Reveals a pretty tobacco echo. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home of the very first remarkable Right Bank wines, dating back to the 1730s, Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac actually retained more fame than Pomerol well into the 19th century. Today these wines represent some of Bordeaux’s best hidden gems.
Fronsac is a very small region at an unusually high elevation compared to other Bordeaux appellations. Its vineyards unroll along the oak-dotted hills bordering the river’s edge, making it perhaps Bordeaux’s prettiest and most majestic countryside.
Merlot covers 60% of the vineyard acreage; the rest of the vines are Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac appellations are limited to the higher land where soils are predominantly limestone and sandstone. Lower vineyards along the Dordogne River mainly qualify for Bordeaux AOC status
The best Fronsac are deeply concentrated in ripe red and black berry; they have a solid mineral backbone and are rich and plush on the finish.