Winemaker Notes
This wine has a deep color with garnet tints. On the nose it offers red fruit aromas, licorice and toasty notes. In the mouth, the entry displays volume and structure, the palate is fleshy and dense, full of finesse. The supple, precise finish boasts tasty tannins that bring length and elegance. Château Fontesteau 2015 is expressive, fruity and delicate, a true image of this beautiful vintage.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois annual tasting, the 2015 Fontesteau has a generous bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and sous bois scents that are nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, quite fine tannin, plenty of edgy red fruit and impressive delineation on the finish that shows focus and length. This is recommended. Bravo. Tasted September 2017.
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.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.