Chateau Fonroque

The history of Chateau Fonroque began when in 1931, when Jean Moueix and his wife Adele acquired the property and settled there. Their first son Jean-Antoine took control later and upon his passing in 1979 the estate was passed to Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, bringing in new investments.

There was installation of a new drainage system, significant replanting, new oak and equipment in the cellar, and in 1993 a new cellar with bottling and tasting rooms was put in place. The property came to Alain Moueix in 2001, and his family includes some of the most significant winemakers in the right bank, like his cousin Christian Moueix, who is the man behind Petrus and Dominus in Napa Valley. Alain was also running Chateau Mazeyres in Pomerol.

He has a high respect for terroir and his vineyard, with training as agricultural engineer and oenologist, as well as experience working in New Zealand, he sees the vineyard as an ecosystem, and believes that keeping the system healthy can avoid many of the pests and diseases that plague the vines. He began to practice organic in 2003, certified by Agrocert by 2005. Full biodynamic preparations followed and the whole estate was accredited with Biodyvin in 2005.

The vineyards is ranked a Grand Cru Classe and account for 22 hectares. There are limestone on the plateau, with some vines on the cotes where clay dominates and at the foot of the slopes with more silt and sand. The vines are predominantly Merlot, with 88% of vineyard, and the remaining is Cabernet Franc. There is leaf and bunch thinning, as well as grass planted between rows to increase water competition.

Once picked the fruit is sorted on a vibrating table and then by hand, before fermenting in temperature control cement vats, with maceration between 15-30 days. Most of the wine goes into oak of 40% new, 40% one-year and 20% are in vat.

The wine is fined with egg white but not filtered before bottling. The grand vin is Chateau Fonroque, of about 6500 cases per annum, with a second wine Chateau Cartier accounting for 25% of the production.

I have recently tasted the 2005 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, this wine is of medium ruby color and with legs.

Nose

Clean, the nose shows medium (+) intensity aromas of pungent spice of liquorice, black fruit of black cherries and blackberry, oak notes of cedar, mineral notes of earth, sweet spice of cloves, maturity notes of wet leaves. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannin of ripe but a bit powdery in texture, the wine has medium alcohol and is of medium (+) body with medium intensity flavors of black fruit of dark cherries and blackberry, oak notes of vanilla, red fruit of plum, sweet spice of cloves. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Good quality St-Emilion with a good intense nose of fair complexity, the wine has a good robust structure, but the tannin is a bit too strong with a powdery texture and not as integrated as I would prefer. The palate is reasonably concentrated and complex, with a similarly fair length on the finish. Ready to drink now, the wine can benefit from further ageing of another 3-5 years.