Chateau Fontenil
2020 – beautiful intensity and purity with crushed berries, blackberry, cherry, chalky notes, fine oak-derived spiciness. Dense and concentrated with fine vigour, ripe but present tannin a lively acidity and crushed dark berry flavours. Long and powerful finish yet in an elegant and finely tuned style. 93/100
2019 – more evolution than 2020 in a positive way, that is, darker fruit, truffle, chalk, just a hint of oak, mild spice, liquorice and pepper. Dense and meaty palate, grainy tannin, a bit finer than above today with dense and dark fruit, lively and vigorous freshness in combination with dark modern fruit, well-balanced oak and a long persistency. 94/100
2018 – The fruit is a bit sweeter, with some jammy plum and red berry notes, and an aromatic herbaceous reminiscent of sage and bay leaf. Concentrated palate, still a slight tannic presence, less fine and silky than the two above yet with good grip and lush fruit, muscular and long finish, still youthfully structured and powerful. 91/100
2017 – forest floor, truffle, dried fruit notes, smoke and dry spices. Supple, medium weight, polished with sweet but not jammed fruit flavours, more vigour on the taste rather than aromatically, soft and supple but not with the structure or persistency of the best. 89/100
2016 – pure and intense, starting to mature, blackberry, plum and dark cherry with dark chocolate notes, delicate spice, perfectly integrated wood. Vigorous and fresh palate with bright acidity, grainy tannin adding freshness, crunchy dark berry flavours, more classic with cabernet vibes even if it was only a small part of the cuvée. Long, pure, and refreshing finish, still built to last for many more years. 93/100
2015 – pure and intense, riper year is certain, but still ripe, not jammed fruit, dark plum, cherry, chocolate notes with a hint of mocha and toast. Dense and concentrated, with good polish in terms of extraction and age, this wine boasts a voluminous yet supple texture with layers of finely spiced dark fruit, culminating in a long, lingering finish. 93/100
2014 – classic profile, a slightly cooler fruit, wild berries, red plum with an approaching maturity, mild spice, a hint of vanilla and wood. Firmer texture, yet with no hard edges, slightly higher acidity, but well-balanced with sweet berry flavours, good length, and a slight austere hint on the finish. 89/100
2013 – more Burgundian profile with fresh red berries, cherry, red currant, some herbaceous, good purity, medium weight, a slightly lighter structure and volume, a hint of green presence but rather subtle fruit and sweetness on the finish. 88/100
2012 – fine maturity and development, classic vintage characters, modest ripeness and red fruit notes, plum, cherry with mild spice and a mature spiciness, slight truffle and forest floor. Fresh and medium-bodied on the palate, with integrated but still present tannin, sweet berry flavours, and fine length, making for good drinkability today. 91/100
2011 – aromatically warmer and riper with an aged maturity as well, yet within the frames of purity and modern fruit with sweet plum, blackberry, chocolate, mild toast and sweet spice. Dense and ample, with good polish and modest extraction, sweet dark berry flavours, without being overly sweet, a hint of truffle and chalk, and a vigorous and long finish. 92/100
2010 – first mature wine where I get an indication of oak, some butterscotch and toast with ripe dark fruit, cassis, cherry in a more classical year without any indication of sweetness. Dense yet fresh, with good polish and harmony, this wine boasts vivid freshness, pure dark berry flavours, and a long, vigorous finish. 93/100
2009 – exotic and intense nose, more Mediterranean with garrigue, bay leaf and sweet red fruit, notes, jammed plum, kirsch and liquorice. Round and lush palate, sweet fruit flavours, modest extraction and mild tannin, leading to a long, warm finish. 92/100
2008 – rather developed, the most mature so far, a bit similar to the 2017, dried fruit and spice with some floral hints and cherry jam. Good vigour and density on the palate, with a cool year in terms of acidity, but good ripeness and no indication of greenness. Fine length, just a slightly approaching oxidative nose. 89/100
2007 – pure, intense and complex with truffle and smoke, paired with wild berry notes. Dense yet fresh, this is certainly a cooler year, with a Burgundian texture and mature complexity, fine length, and polish – a great surprise to enjoy today. 92/100
2006 – mature nose, yet younger than the 2008 a hint of forest floor and smoke with sweet plum wild berries, liquorice and mocha notes. A ripe palate with a fresh backbone, present but integrated tannin, and pure red fruit flavours with fine length. 90/100
2005 – quite similar ripe year character as the 2009, garrigue, bay leaf, mint and riper dark fruit. Dense and concentrated, with intense ripe fruit notes that lack sweetness, a fresh backbone, and polished, finely tuned in a modern, bold style. It features a refreshing herbaceous spiciness, lush and crunchy berry flavours, and a long, powerful finish. 94/100
2004 – fine maturity and aromatic complexity like the 2007, with smoky truffle notes. Classically built with higher acidity and present tannin, yet finely softened by age, with nice aromatics, refreshing red fruit, and an aged sweetness, culminating in a harmonious finish. 91/100
2003 – mature nose, intense with ripe and sweet fruit notes, a hint of bay leaf and mint, jammed plum and red berries, with some mocha and butterscotch. Vigorous palate with fresh acidity, present but not harsh tannin, mature and sweet fruit flavours, long and vigorous finish. 92/100
2002 – intense, mature and harmonious with forest floor, truffle, smoke and wild berry notes. A classically built medium-bodied example with fresh acidity, polished tannin, moderately ripe red fruit, yet with an aged sweetness, fine length, harmony and drinkability. 91/100
2001 – Pure, ripe and intense with fine maturity, chalk truffle and wild berry notes. Dense and fresh palate, with a classical profile featuring fine aromatic complexity and harmony, fully developed and showcasing good layers, complexity, and a long, harmonious finish. 93/100
2000 – warmer and riper than 2001 but with age they appear more similar, with truffle, smoke and chalk, slightly darker fruit like blackberry and cassis, still with a presence of wood. Good volume, with a bit less polish and slightly more power than 2001. Fine layers of fruit, spice, and aged complexity are present. 93/100
1999 – more classical profile, mature with a slight greenness, plum and red fruit. Medium weight with a slight austerity and tannic backbone, sweet fruit flavours, modest concentration and length. 87/100
1998 – classic profile with fine maturity, truffle notes, sweet red fruit, and spice. Denser and rounder than the 99, the freshness of a cooler year less overall polish than the 2000s but a nice mature wine. 89/100
1995 – slight oxidation and high maturity, another era, dried fruit and spice. Some vigour and texture on the palate but has reached its prime. 86/100
1990 – fully mature in a lighter more classical profile. Red fruit, some oak, mature complexity. Elegant and well-kept palate, a lighter style but harmonious and structured for its age, wouldn’t be ashamed of itself next to other 90s of a higher pedigree. 89/100
Defi de Fontenil
2001 – high maturity and ripeness, bolder and darker style with Napa-vibes, mint, sage, black cherry, blackberry and liquorice with some new oak-derived spiciness. Dense and concentrated, with plenty of flesh and volume, a rounded texture and silky tannin, layered complexity, and still some oak presence in an assertive and decisive style with great length. 96/100
2008 – aromatically more nuanced than 2001, perhaps not the same power but good layers with violet, rose, wild berries, crème de cassis, chalk and a hint of truffle. Dense palate, a cooler year in terms of acidity, but with nice polish and freshness, combining red and darker fruit with delicate spice and a long, lingering finish. 93/100
2009 – riper and darker than 2008, yet distinctly Bordeaux than 2001s Napa feeling, a hint of oak and toast with pure dark berry notes, mocha, smoke and truffle. A bit more tannin and bite than the 2008, with a long and powerful finish. 94/100
2010 – a hint of volatility like found in many 2010s more than in the classic Fontenil. High ripeness, floral dark fruit, blackberry, kirsch and crème de cassis. Dense and concentrated with a relatively high extraction, less nuance and development than the ones above today. Impressive power and length, but it needs to calm down. 90/100
2011 – more classic profile, cooler year, combining chalk, wild berries, cassis, violet, delicate oak-derived spiciness. The palate boasts a high concentration, modest extraction, with fine grain and freshness underneath, savoury dark berry flavours of good purity, intensity, and persistence. 94/100
2012 – aromatically rather Burgundian with wild berries, red fruit, chalk and truffle in good proportions, less evident oak. Dense and voluminous, yet with a supple texture, this wine exhibits good purity and intensity, featuring crunchy red fruit notes with fine layers and spice, leading to a long and supple finish. 95/100
2014 – intense, pure and perfumed with chalk, truffle, ripe dark fruit, yet in a cooler profile with fine oak-derived spice and liquorice. Dense and vigorous palate with good freshness and refreshing, yet ripe tannin, good layers and nuance with fine length and finish. 92/100
2016 – darker and ripe fruit, yet less sweet style, classic notes of chalk, violet, cassis and blackberry with less oak impact. Beautiful, pretty, and dense with modest extraction, yet rich in finely grained tannin, layers of crunchy dark fruit, and delicate spiciness, with a very long and muscular finish. 96/100
2018 – aromatically less open, yet brooding dark fruit, indicating high ripeness without sweetness, dark plum, cherry and cassis with modest oak, still youthful without the truffle or spice of the previous versions. Rigid and powerful, a high concentration, slight Napa-vibes like the 2001, still needing time to develop nuance and complexity, but good cornerstones with bright purity and great persistence. 95/100
2019 – pure, intense and ripe with bright cassis, cherry, blackberry, toned down oak, just a hint of butterscotch, violet and chalky notes. Dense, warm, and concentrated, yet with a hint of chalky freshness, layers of delicately spicy dark fruit, a muscular and very long finish, and still with a long life and potential for development ahead. 95/100
2020 – intense, pure and nuanced, high ripeness yet an almost Burgundian expression, with wild berries, violet, chalk, truffle, delicate spice and balanced oak. Excellent grip without heaviness, with good grain and tannic freshness, featuring layers of ripe but not overly sweet fruit, culminating in a seriously long finish. 96/100
Blanc de Fontenil
2021 – intense and pure, indicating almost a sweet wine with lush yellow fruit, apricot, fresh pineapple, ripe lemon with a refreshing herbaceous, lemongrass, lime zest and grassy spiciness. Dense and fresh with fine oak integration, a vivid acidity, finely-tuned with a pure and long finish. 93/100
2022 – flinty nose with fine toast, not from oak but from reduction/lees-ageing, vivid yellow fruit with citron confit, grassy and herbal notes, lemongrass and mild oak. Vivid and crisp, well-paired with a rounded texture, bold yellow fruit, fresh butter and a long vigorous finish. 92/100
2023 – moderate ripeness, cooler with more chalk, citrus, almond and lemongrass than the bolder fruit of 21 and 22. Excellent freshness on the palate, with mouth-watering acidity, fine extract, and a slightly less aromatic expression today, but finely tuned with a crisp and lingering finish. 93/100
2024 – youthful and energetic with great purity, chalk, lemongrass, and pale stone fruit. Lively and vigorous, one size lighter than the above but with excellent clarity, tension and definition, still in a youthful stage but with great harmony and length. 92/100
For the white: Vinif in egg for semillon and muscadelle, the rest of the varieties in new barrels and 4 months of batonnage
