Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby with bold purplish tints. Floral hints, blackberry and cherry aromatic scents, lightly spiced by the subtle presence of fresh citrus. Powerful attack with a silky and fresh mouthfeel. Generous tannins are supported by a light and graceful mineral and salt finale.
Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
Gorgeous aromatics include cherry, aniseed and menthol freshness, in a medium-bodied palate evoking Burgundian refinement. There is a whiff of oak in the initial, powerful attack, but then the wine broadly coats the palate with violet, plum, cherry and lead pencil aspects, exhibiting fresh notes in its vinous palate. A long finish. Clearly of high calibre.
-
James Suckling
Plums, dark cherries, blueberries, cedar, amber, dried herbs and baking spices on the nose. Full-bodied with plush tannins. Structured, balanced and intense. It has a polished, rich core of dark and blue fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Wait for the oak spice to integrate.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
From a great terroir on the south-facing hillside just outside of the village, the 2019 Château Fonplégade has pretty notes of ripe black cherries, cassis, spring flowers, sandalwood, and classy oak. I love the nose, and while it's still young and relatively unevolved, it already has hints of complexity and nuance, and the purity is spot on. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a great mid-palate and sweet, velvety tannins, it already offers pleasure yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age, and I'd be shocked if it didn't evolve nicely for at least 15-20 years.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A fine texture with rich tannins and powerful structure give this wine its richness. The wine, under the ownership of Californians Denise and Stephen Adams, is concentrated and juicy, superripe, a sign of the high proportion of Merlot in the blend, and full-bodied. Organic and biodynamic.
Editors' Choice -
Wine Spectator
Shows the thickly textured dark fruit of the vintage, with steeped plum and blackberry notes cruising through slowly, carried by alder, loam and tobacco threads. Gains nuance as it airs in the glass, showing light chalky minerality for energy and balance in the process. Approachable but no rush. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2036.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aromas of ripe cherries, licorice, crème de cassis, burning embers and loamy soil introduce the 2019 Fonplegade, a medium to full-bodied, muscular wine that's rich and powerful, reflecting its clay-rich soils. It's a fleshy, generous wine that represents a fine success in a more impactful style.
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.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.