The estate goes back to the 16th century, which makes it one of the oldest châteaux in the Saint Emilion region. The first harvests were carried out in 1599. The origin of the name “Fombrauge” comes from the old Occitan terms “fons brogiera”, which means “spring surrounded by heather and bushes”. The spring and its fountain still exist today, powerfully masonry in cut stone in the heart of the estate's vines. Originally spelled “Fontbrauge” or “Fonbrauge” interchangeably, it was in the 19th century that the current spelling “Fombrauge” was formalized.
The beautiful 17th century old country manor was originally the cloister of the town’s Carthusian Monastery. Owned by Jacques de Canolle in 1466, the estate later belonged to the Dumas de Fombrauge family, who implemented the first quality winemaking in the estate in the 18th century. Jacques François Dumas inherited the estate in 1758 and the Taffard Saint-Germain family took it over in the 19th century and continued to develop the vineyards.
Bernard Magrez bought the estate in 1999 and made the necessary investments to improve the property by restructuring the vineyard and the layout of the cellars, and restored the charterhouse and the gardens to magnifiy the reception venues. These renovations elevated Chateau Fombrauge to the highest level of quality and produce one of the greatest wines of Saint Emilion. In 2012, Château Fombrauge was promoted as Grand Cru Classé, rewarding the efforts of modernization and continuous improvements.
Fombrauge Saint Emilion is made from 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
Château Fombrauge 2020 has a dark red hue, intense fruit aromas and elegant tannins that offer a generous mouthfeel rarely seen in wine so young.
The nose reveals aromas of cherries, blackberries and raspberries, along with spicy notes.
On the palate, the wine i round, soft and silky. Its deep richness, matched with a nice freshness and a long and mellow finish, make it already a great Château Fombrauge, with a long ageing potential.
Chateau Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru's food pairing
Copain Edmeades Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
This wine embodies everything you love about Anderson Valley Pinot; flavors of strawberry, Rainier cherries with hints of spice.
VINTAGE NOTES:
The 2017 vintage began with significant rainfall prior to bloom, refilling the state’s reservoirs and ending California’s five-year drought. We saw a sudden spike in temperatures just prior to harvest, leading fruit to ripen quicker than anticipated. This sped up our harvest schedule, but due to our team’s vigilance, the fruit was still able to be picked at optimal ripeness. Temperatures then cooled back down by mid-September, allowing the remaining vineyards to complete ripening at an ideal pace. The rest of harvest was finished as planned, with yields coming in at their typical levels.
The historical Edmeades Vineyard sits along the western side of the small town of Philo in what’s known as the “deep-end” of Anderson Valley. Flanked by the Navarro River, there is a diversity of sandstone soils throughout the vineyard. The Edmeades vineyard is planted with vines facing southwest, allowing this vineyard to receive warmer afternoon weather. This helps to balance the prolonged cool fog influence this vineyard sees throughout the growing season.
Aromas: Raspberry, dried cherries, pennyroyal, orange zest.
Palate: Medium weight palate with soft tannins. Notes of cherry, pomegranate, and clove with light delicate cola notes on the finish.
Review:
The first vintage for this cuvée from Ryan, the 2017 Pinot Noir Edmeades Vineyard comes from mid-valley and was brought up in 27% new French oak. It's a beautiful wine with blueberry and wild strawberry fruits as well as complex spice, dried flowers, and some loamy soil notes. Medium-bodied, seamless, and silky on the palate, it's a lovely, layered wine that shines for its texture and balanced.
Pearmund Cellars Viognier Vinecroft Vineyard is made from 100 percent Viognier.
Explosive tropical fruit flavors: Pineapple and peach with hints of grapefruit. Powerful, yet feminine.
Sweet and ripe on the palate with peach, apricot, pineapple, and mango notes. Long and flavorful finish.