Château Fonroque 2021

Chateau Fonroque is a right-bank estate in Saint-Emilion, worked biodynamically across some 20 hectares planted roughly 70 percent Merlot with the balance Cabernet Franc. Held by the Moueix family from 1930 for three generations, it passed to the Guillard family in 2017. The wine is classified Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe. The vineyards lie on the clay and limestone of the plateau, soils that retain water in dry spells and lend Merlot its plush dark fruit while the limestone underpins freshness and structure. Merlot brings roundness and plum fruit, Cabernet Franc a lift of red fruit and a leafy, savoury edge. The wine is aged in oak barrels, the slow oxygen exchange through the wood softening the tannins and adding cedar and spice. Expect a deep red with plum, blackcurrant and red cherry, cedar, dried herbs and a tobacco note, framed by fine, firm tannins and a long savoury finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It is built for roast lamb, beef and game.