Chateau de Fonsalette
Réservé Côtes du Rhône Red Rhône Blend
Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rhône, France
About to go outside and grill some Christmas lamb chops. I cannot tell you how many times bottles of various vintages of this special wine purchased on secondary markets—which is the only way worker bees like me can score Fonsalette—have disappointed. But, in a Christmas Miracle, this one’s pristine and sooooo good. Cork intact, very little saturation. High fill. A little amber at the rim, but no more than to be expected for its age. Lovely nose is opening with air (I double decanted) and is showing sultry, inviting scents of wet loamy gravel, pink grapefruit flesh, rich, oozy red berries, and well cared-for leather. So packed with flavor but in a frame that seemingly floats, it’s still got some tannin to shed but it’s quite soft textured. What balance! Quite long.
This is the wine I chose (the ‘83 iteration) in March 1987 when I invited a then-new friend over for grilled (on my fire escape ) lamb chops and Italian green beans (like my Nonna made them). That night turned out to be a first date with my wife of over 36 years. So we try to replicate that dinner at least once a year, and this is the first time in quite a while that the Fonsalette delivered and was not the victim of careless storage!!!! I’m a happy boy!
About to go outside and grill some Christmas lamb chops. I cannot tell you how many times bottles of various vintages of this special wine purchased on secondary markets—which is the only way worker bees like me can score Fonsalette—have disappointed. But, in a Christmas Miracle, this one’s pristine and sooooo good. Cork intact, very little saturation. High fill. A little amber at the rim, but no more than to be expected for its age. Lovely nose is opening with air (I double decanted) and is showing sultry, inviting scents of wet loamy gravel, pink grapefruit flesh, rich, oozy red berries, and well cared-for leather. So packed with flavor but in a frame that seemingly floats, it’s still got some tannin to shed but it’s quite soft textured. What balance! Quite long.
This is the wine I chose (the ‘83 iteration) in March 1987 when I invited a then-new friend over for grilled (on my fire escape ) lamb chops and Italian green beans (like my Nonna made them). That night turned out to be a first date with my wife of over 36 years. So we try to replicate that dinner at least once a year, and this is the first time in quite a while that the Fonsalette delivered and was not the victim of careless storage!!!! I’m a happy boy!
