Chateau Fonbadet 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling - Decanter
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Beautiful dark red presentation with brilliant purple reflections. On the nose Fonbadet 2018 expresses intense aromas of cassis, black cherries interwoven with more floral notes such as violet but also finely roasted of toast and spices. The palate is elegant and delicate with a velvety texture. All supported by a freshness giving length to the whole.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Château Fonbadet is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes 25% Merlot, all brought up in 50% new French oak. It has a closed, tight, yet promising style that carries lots of darker berry fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and mineral-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's beautifully balanced and has lots of fine-grained tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Still holding things relatively close to its vest, it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. Rating: 92+
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James Suckling
Aromas of dark fruit, herbs and some sandalwood. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine tannins. Savory ending. A little in reserve and tight now. Try after 2024.
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Decanter
This really is a successful Fonbadet full of rich dark liquorice that feels extremely typical of the appellation. The tannins are present but not rustic with a sense of vibrancy and uplift through the finish alongside a quickening feeling of slate minerality.
A yield of 55hl/ha suggests there was such natural ripeness in this vintage that low yields were not necessary to get this intensity of flavour. No need to wait too long to get going on this.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot and aged in 50% new oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Fonbadet rolls effortless out of the glass with evocative scents of stewed black plums, blackcurrant cordial and chocolate-covered cherries, with wafts of cedar chest, star anise and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate coats the mouth with spicy black fruits, supported by grainy tannin's and just enough freshness, finishing savory. Rating : 91+
Other Vintages
2016-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
Since its creation in the 1800's, the estate has been owned by different families whose names are still notorious in the region today. Since 2000, the winemaking process is carried out by Pascale Peyronie, who took over from his father Pierre.
The 50 acre vineyard of Chateau Fonbadet is planted with the traditional Medoc grape varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot and an additional 5% Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine is aged in 100% new French oak barrels.
Strongly typed Pauillac, round and full-bodied with aromas of Havana tobacco, the wine deserves to be better known as in the great years of 1962, 1982, 1986 and 1990, it equals the best.
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.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.