Château de Fontenille Bordeaux 2009

One taste of the 2009 Château de Fontenille Bordeaux and you’ll know why this classic red Bordeaux has garnered Gold at prestigious wine tasting events and why many in the press and trade believe Château de Fontenille provides tremendous bang for the buck. Supple, silky and deeply colored, the 2009 Château de Fontenille reflects the beauty of the highly acclaimed 2009 vintage. Savory scents of cassis, cedar, and mulberry permeate the nose and fold gently into the wine’s palate profile. Bolstered by smooth, ripe tannins, this delightful red Bordeaux finishes fresh, but with nary an edge. How we wish more of Bordeaux’s Petits Châteaux could offer the simple elegance and charm that one encounters in Château de Fontenille. Enjoy this amiable red now at cool room temperature (60°-64° F), after ten or fifteen minutes of aeration. A votre santé!

Red Bordeaux is perhaps the world’s most celebrated wine. It enjoys a vaunted reputation for rich, long lasting wines, which far too often are undrinkable in their first few years of life. Consequently, such wines are often paired with rich, spicy dishes, which is much to their detriment at any stage of development. However, only a fraction of this sprawling appellation’s red wines require five, ten, or more years in the cellar. Moreover, in our experience, simple well-prepared meals bring out the best in red Bordeaux, including the 2009 Château de Fontenille, regardless of the wine’s age or pedigree. With that said, we have found that loin lamb chops, lean cuts of beef topped with a mushroom sauce, whole roasted chickens with a savory sage stuffing; and tender veal chops, provide some of our favorite accompaniments to Château de Fontenille’s elegant, flavorful red wine. Roast duckling, served with a simple orange or blackberry glaze, provides another choice accompaniment. Fine un-crusted French cheeses such as Port Salut make good companions to this classic red Bordeaux as well. Bon Appétit!

Château de Fontenille sits upon hallowed ground, literally and figuratively. This ancient Bordeaux estate dates to the 13th century and dozes in the shadow of the venerable Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure. For centuries the monks of the abbey tended the vines at what is now Château de Fontenille, and the UNESCO protected pilgrimage route still runs through the château’s vineyards to the neighboring abbey. The property’s soil, a mixture of limestone, clay, and gravel, has been acclaimed since the Middle Ages as among the finest in the region, which no doubt accounts for much of Château de Fontenille’s success. The other part of the quality equation is the arduous renovation of this revered property by Stéphane Defraine.

Stéphane Defraine, President of the regional Syndicat, purchased Château de Fontenille in 1989 and methodically restored the property and its vineyards, which now comprise 104 acres. Approximately 74 acres are planted in red varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc), while the remaining 30 acres are cultivated with four of the five white varietals permitted in Entre-Deux-Mers (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. Both the red and white wines of Château de Fontenille consistently receive high critical acclaim and merit serious consideration from those seeking quality Bordeaux at an affordable price.