Winemaker Notes
The Barrel Sample for this wine is above 14% ABV.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
I continue to love this wine, and the 2019 Château Magrez Fombrauge is one seriously good, opulent, super rich 2019 that does everything right. Loads of crème de cassis, blueberries, tobacco leaf, candied violets, and chocolate all soar from the glass. Deep, full-bodied, and just beautifully balanced on the palate, it's another stunner in the making.
Barrel Sample: 96-99 -
Wine Enthusiast
From a small parcel of an exceptional vineyard within the larger Fombrauge estate, this wine is luscious and rich in juicy black fruit and supported by firm tannins. It definitely has great potential to age further with its richness and structure.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
James Suckling
Lots of intense blackberries, dark chocolate, toasted oak and black olives follow through to a full-bodied palate with layers of pretty fruit and plush tannins. Yet, it shows tension and focus. Richer style for 2019, but I like its lavish character. Needs four or five years to come together even more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Magrez Fombrauge charges out of the gates with exuberant notions of blueberry pie, Black Forest cake and licorice plus hints of spice cake, clove oil and eucalyptus. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with ripe, concentrated black and blue fruit preserves, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with a minty kick.
Barrel Sample:91-93
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.