Château Fombrauge St. Emilion 2019

93-95. Barrel Sample. While this wine is tightly structured, it also has plenty of generous black fruits that give succulent ripeness. The wine should certainly age well.

The 2019 Château Fombrauge is terrific and has a good mix of richness, concentration, and elegance. Giving up notes of mulled ripe cherries, Asian spices, blackberries, tobacco, and cedar pencil on the nose, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered, pure mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and just beautiful overall balance. It's already drinking beautifully today yet will evolve positively for 5-7 years and hold for another 15-20 years. It's another brilliant Saint-Emilion in the vintage. This seemed more modern and polished from barrel but shows a very classic style now from bottle.

Fombrauge is super-expressive in 2019. Supple and nuanced, with lovely aromatic brightness, the 2019 has a lot to offer. There is plenty of the richness that is such a signature of Bernard Magrez's wines, and yet all the elements are so nicely balanced. Sweet red cherry, mocha, espresso, dried flowers and leather are some of the many aromas and flavors that give this silky Saint Émilion so much appeal. Tasted two times

Frankly ripe and forward, with a broad swath of dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry compote flavors that course through, supported by light licorice root and alder threads. Reveals a warm earth note that drapes over the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2035.

The 2019 Fombrauge exhibits rich aromas of cherries, dark chocolate, plum preserve, licorice and new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's soft and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, ripe acids and rich, powdery tannins. This is a generous, front-loaded Saint-Émilion from Bernard Magrez.