critic reviews
The 2020 Château de Fonbel has a light and airy bouquet of blackberry, bilberry, cedar and cigar box scents. The palate is medium-bodied with scrawny tannins and balsamic-tinged black fruit, leading to a rather monotonous finish. This is a disappointing showing, which could be due to the bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Fully 70% of the Vauthier family's 2020 Fonbel was aged in tank, and that no doubt helps to explain its appealing purity of fruit. Bursting with notes of cherries, berries, petals and anise, it's medium to full-bodied, lively and charming.
A blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Carmenere, the 2020 de Fonbel is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes bounding out with notions of boysenberries, stewed plums, and fresh blueberries, plus suggestions of pencil shavings, lavender, and tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant and expressive, with very soft tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with lots of energy.
Clay-sand soils with areas of gravel, more of a challenge than Ausone and La Clotte in the conditions of 2020, but this is extremely well handled, with sweet red cherry, redcurrant and raspberry fruit, ripe with touch of smoked oak (although no new oak used) and coffee beans. In conversion for organic certification since this vintage 2020, this is showing a little less density than the other Vauthier wines in the range, but it is unfussy and well made, easy to recommend.