Glorious discovery of Château Fontenil with Dany Rolland

I have tasted Château Fontenil during primeur for more than a decade, but I have rarely seen them in bottle, and even rarer tasted them. Boy was I in for a treat! On a relatively misty morning I turned up at Fontenil and I did not expect anything near this amazing lineup. I am a big fan of Fronsac, these wines are so undervalued, and here we are, another big tasting confirming that exact same thing. Gorgeous wines. 

What are you waiting for? And yes, you can still get some of the odler vintages from the estate. 

2022 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, fruit driven, blueberries nose, detailed, nuanced. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward, intense, long. 93

 

2020 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Dark fruits, blackberries, fruit forward, detailed, nuanced, spices, liquorice, layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, blackberries, dark fruits, intense, energetic, somewhat saline finish. Lovely 94

 

2019 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, anise, spices, fruit forward nose, scented and lifted nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red and dark fruits, detailed, nuanced, energetic, fruit forward, long. 94

 

2018 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, spices, blackberries, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, detailed, juicy, lively for the vintage, long. 93

 

2017 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Dark fruits, blackberries, anise, spices, fruit forward, detailed and layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, minerals, detailed, starting figs and dates, long finish. 92

 

2016 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, blueberries, fruit forward, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, spices, dark fruits, liquorice, firmer, tighter finish. 93

 

2015 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Dark fruits, blackberries, nuanced, fruit forward nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, red fruits, detailed, energetic, saline, juicy, wonderful body, long. 94

 

2014 Château Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. Blackberries, dark fruits, nuanced, detailed, minerals, scented nose, lifted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, detailed, minerals, nuanced, juicy, playful, minerals, long. 93

 

2012 Château Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. Scented, blackberries, fruit forward, detailed, elegant and nuanced nose. Floral high notes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, detailed, nuanced, minerals, red berries, detailed, somewhat lighter body, long finish. 92

 

2011 Château Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. Figs, dates, tobacco, maturing nose, dark fruits, bit more evolved bottle. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, figs, dates, juicy, blackberries, leaner finish. 91

 

2010 Château Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. Figs, dates, lifted, fruit driven, nuanced, layered, minerals, bright nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, detailed, nuanced, juicy, blackberries, detailed, minerals, saline, drinking superbly now, gorgeous. 94

 

2020 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby. Around 3200 bottles made. Dark fruits, liquorice, blueberries, fruit forward nose, layered nose. Fresh acidity, silky texture, blackberries, fruit forward, layered, and intense, nuanced, almost creamy texture, long.95

 

2019 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby. Around 2800 bottles made. Blackberries, blueberries, fruit driven, nuanced, intense, fruit forward nose.Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, nuanced, layered, fruit forward, long finish. 95

 

2018 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby. Around 2600 bottles made. Cassis, blackberries, blueberries, nuanced, minerals even if rich, layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, lifted, juicy, detailed, minerals, nuanced, hides the alcohol very well. 95

 

2016 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby. Around 4200 bottles made. Intense, dark fruits, blackberries, fruit forward, layered nose, made from Merlot at 60-70 years old. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, liquorice, juicy, nuanced, bright, intense, layered, minerals, saline, layered and gorgeous. 96

 

2015 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby. Around 3500 bottles made. Dark fruits, anise, spices, blackberries, fruit forward, intense and layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, detailed, minerals, saline, layered, intense and long. Gorgeous. 95

 

2010 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. 4200 bottles and 300 magnums made. Dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, fruit forward and detailed nose, intense. Tobacco and figs. Gorgeous nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, firm texture, layered, intense and deep, this will soldier on for a long time still, long finish. 96

 

2009 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. 3400 bottles and 250 magnums made. Dark fruits, scented, layered and lifted nose, detailed, fruit forward, intense and rich. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, layered, fruit forward, wonderful mineral note, yet rich and deep, intense. 96

 

2005 Le Defi de Fontenil

Ruby, thin garnet rim. Liquorice, dates, figs, spices, tobacco nose, layered and deep, leather. Complex and deep. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, detailed, nuanced, juicy, blackberries, figs, dates, tobacco, minerals, deep.95

 

2021 Le Blanc de Fontenil

Pale lemon yellow. 2400 bottles made. Intense nose, fruit forward, nuanced, detailed, elegant, some vanilla, layered nose. Fresh acidity, saline, candied lemons, detailed, fruit forward, intense, nuanced, wonderful, long. 93

 

2020 Le Blanc de Fontenil

Pale lemon yellow. 5000 bottles made. Citrus, apples, peach, nuanced nose, fruit forward and elegant nose.Fresh acidity, apples, lemons, minerals, detailed, elegant texture, citrus, long finish. 92

 

2019 Le Blanc de Fontenil

Pale lemon yellow. 2200 bottles made. Citrus, fruit forward, nuanced, lemons, some pears notes nose. Fresh acidity, apples, citrus, detailed, saline, nuanced, intense, lovely freshness, long. 93