Wine Words & Video Tape

Wine, Words and Videotape

Fine Wine Review site

Château Fonréaud

Address: 33480 Listrac-Medoc

Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 58 02 43

E-mail: vignobles.chanfreau@wanadoo.fr

Website: www.chateau-fonreaud.com

The derivation of Fonréaud comes from the French, font-réaux, or royal fountain. There is a tale that back in the twelfth century the King of England, Henry Plantagenet, quenched his thirst from a spring on the property.

Château Fonréaud is well made and modern. The wines have plenty of flesh and grip and for me are best drunk when the fruit is still ascendant. 2009 is an especially attractive wine here and drinking well already.

Vineyard/Terroir: 38 hectares planted on gravel with clay-limestone subsoil with 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

Winemaking: Plot by plot fermentation followed by 12 months in oak, one-third new.

  • 2015 Deep and saturated; some stone fruit and pain grille elements; black cherry and cassis notes beneath; sturdy; black chocolate tones; chew on the mid-palate so pretty gutsy. Should be goodish. [51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 13% alc 33% new oak]. Drink 2021-2026. 86-88
  • 2014 Deep looking; fragrant aromatics; spices and some oak influence; soft entry on the palate; good texture; supple; not too grippy but has bite and freshness. Elegant Listrac with fresh finish.[55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot]. Tasted 31 March ’15 at UGC. Drink 2019-2025. 86-88+
  • 2013 Lightish colour; purple rim; spicy cherry notes with blackcurrant; cool but attractive black fruits; some flesh in the middle with vigorous sap; little chewy and puckering on the finish. Tasted 3/4/14 UGCB. Drink 2017-2023. 83-85
  • 2012 Mid depth; dark core; inky; some liquoirce and chocolate; spicy blackcurrant fruit tones; lacks a little concentration and a little astringent on the finish. Drink 2015-2020. 83 UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and dense; more oak lift, some resin, some layers, quite seductive almost, meaty and oak palate; oak tannins, feels a liitle overdone. Dry palate. Tannic. Some length but oak and tannic at present. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot 13.5% alc 30% new oak. 84-86 UGC Tuesday April 9, 2013
  • 2011 Deep and dense looking; attractive spicy, blackcurrant nose with some leaf and undergrowth; earthy blackcurrant flavours. Chewy on the finish. Pretty traditional Listrac and good effort from this property in a tricky vintage. Drink now to enjoy the vigour but will obviously improve. Drink 2014 – 2021. 86 Tasted Oct ’13 UGCB London [Earlier note] Deep and saturated core; earthy, blackcurrants with a mealy edge; oak overtones; some pefume and rose hip lift; quite attractive; palate nimble, tannin not overdone; structured and grippy but refreshing finish. Feels nimble. Good effort here. Tasted UGC. 85-87+ UGC Primeurs April 2012
  • 2010 Deepish; earthy blackcurrant fruit and some dusty tannin notes on the nose; little chunkiness; some lift; mid weight palate; inky fruit with grip and acid. Pretty chewy overall as you’d expect. Will work out. 86/100 UGC Nov ’12 [Earlier Primeurs note] 2010 Deep and saturated; creamy, ripe fruit; some mineral and wet rocks; blackcurrant beneath; good density, some herbs and concentration; tannic but ripe. Gutsy and tannic but just the right side. 85-86+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011at UGC. [Second tasting] Deep and dark, but healthy looking; smoky nose; earth; some spices with blackcurrant; quite meaty; spicy, grippy palate; some herbs; grippy finish but flesh and pretty good. 85-87+/100 Tasted 7 April 2011 at UGC
  • 2009 Mid red; nice meaty savoury edge here; full chewy and dense palate – Listrac’s tannins tamed in this vintage; lots of ripe fruit and a great mouthful. 89/100 UGC Oct ’11 [Earlier Primeurs note] 2009 Deep, intense colour; attractive nose; some new oak here, some vegetal notes but also blackcurrants; palate sweet entry, up front fruit and attractive [almost Chateau Charmail style here]. Quite grippy and toughness but lots of fruit here too. Good 86-88/100 Tasted 30th March 2010.
  • 2008 Mid red; some purple; some resin and density on the nose with chocolate and blackcurrants; palate more open than Fourcas Dupre; quite agreeable; some savour and meat and lift on the palate; some length. Goodish wine and tannins not drying and overdone. 86+/100 UGC Oct ‘10
  • 2005 Very bright; blackcurrants and some cassis; at last some fat here on the palate; blackcurrants; but still pretty tannic. Fruit seems enough to cover the tannin. 84/100 May ’10 Wine Trade Fair.

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