Chateau Fonroque

[Chris Kissack]

Chateau Fonroque is one of fifty-five Grand Cru Classé properties of St Emilion, as dictated by the St Emilion classification of 1996. Chateau Fonroque came to the Moueix family in 1930, when it was purchased by Jean Moueix. His son, Jean-Pierre Moueix, joined Établissements de Jean-Pierre Moueix that year and took control of mainly the lesser known right bank wines. The business expanded to become a major force in the sale of Bordeaux wine, and Chateau Fonroque - among numerous other properties - was handed down from generation to generation. By 2001 it had come into the hands of Alain Moueix, a dynamic winemaker who has, it seems, quickly stamped his mark on the wine of Chateau Fonroque.

This is hardly surprising as his family includes, without doubt, some of the most significant winemakers to emerge from the right bank. In particular his father's cousin, Christian Moueix, who now heads up the family firm, is the man behind both Chateau Petrus in Pomerol and Dominus in California's Napa Valley. Alain Moueix, who also runs Chateau Mazeyres in Pomerol, has set about producing a wine which reflects both the quality of the terroir and the history of the property. The methods which he has employed in order to achieve this, however, are not entirely straightforward. Moueix is a man that respects terroir and his vineyard, and as such believes that a balanced vineyard produces the best wine. He sees the vineyard as an ecosystem, and keeping a healthy, finely tuned ecosystem avoids, according to Moueix, many of the pests and diseases that might otherwise plague the vines. This involves having not only an intimate knowledge of the terroir and soils, but also of the individual needs of the vines and, of course, knowledge of what role the planets and 'electromagnetic currents' may play. All this sounds a little like biodynamics, as practised by Loire Valley stalwart Nicolas Joly and many others, and Moueix admits to having taken some of the concepts of biodynamic viticulture and trying them out at Chateau Fonroque.

The vineyards at Chateau Fonroque are predominantly limestone, and the vines are approximately two thirds Merlot and one third Cabernet Franc. The grand vin is Chateau Fonroque, of which there are 6500 cases produced per annum. The wine is aged in oak, 25% new each vintage, for up to 18 months. It is fined but not filtered before bottling. There is no second wine produced. The following notes are actually from a few months ago, but I have just written them up and thought that they might be of interest to someone.

The following wines were tasted in November 2003.

Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 1996: Some very mature aromas on the nose, with plenty of character. The palate is big, a touch oily, but lacks a little finesse of interest if the truth be told. The components are beautifully integrated, however, and the acidity is delightfully fresh. Ready for drinking now. Good.

Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 1998: Very restrained dark fruit on the nose. There is an earthy, slightly rustic character to the aromas. It is still in a backward phase, with a firm presence of tannin that demand more time in the cellar. Moderate amount of fruit, with more rustic, earthy notes, but some appealing flesh developing through the midpalate. Leave another three to four years at least. Good, potentially very good.

Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 2000: A sweet, exuberant, black fruit nose. Plenty of texture and rich fruit on the palate. There is very good structure underpinning it all. Another example of what is clearly an excellent vintage. Balanced. A delightful, characterful finish. This needs time though. Leave for six to eight years. Very good, excellent potential.

Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 2001: A gorgeous nose here, of brilliantly fresh fruit and exotic coffees. Similar appeal on the palate, which has a baby-fat texture but with a balance of tannins and acidity. This is adorable, and a represents a step up in quality compared with older vintages. Drink now or cellar for up to eight years. Excellent.

BWs

Chris