Château Fonplégade

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

9.245 ratings
9.18 pro ratings
St. Émilion, Libournais, Bordeaux, France
Red Bordeaux Blend
Chili & Hot Spicy, Potato, White Rice, Mushrooms, Pasta, Pork, Salami & Prosciutto, Pungent Cheese, Lamb, Tomato-Based, Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Beef, Hard Cheese, Venison
Top Notes For
Saman Hosseini

Writer Maison Abattoir

9.0

Shows very well already, endowed with juicy black fruits, licorice, espresso, great freshness, well integrated funk and massive, ceaseless tannins.

Shows very well already, endowed with juicy black fruits, licorice, espresso, great freshness, well integrated funk and massive, ceaseless tannins.

2 people found it helpfulFeb 23rd, 2016
Will Stanley

The 2012 Chateau Fonplégade is a lush, textured wine with bags of charm from a poor vintage, unmistakably right bank Bordeaux but with more than a nod, somehow, to the ripe and succulent wines of the southern Rhône.

Tasted immediately on opening, it was rather large on all fronts - really quite a ‘wow’ moment in fairness, and a splendid nose, but asking for time in the decanter (side note: actually preferred it after this pop’n’pour!)

Classical aromas of cigar box, cassis and kirsch dominate the nose; the palate is then quite concentrated with fruit that leans toward the riper side of freshness but carries through to a long and generous finish.

Overall, this is a big, showy Saint Emilion - perhaps a little over-extracted but a terrific wine nonetheless considering the vintage. I prefer the 2011 by comparison, but look forward to trying this again in a few years’ time.

The 2012 Chateau Fonplégade is a lush, textured wine with bags of charm from a poor vintage, unmistakably right bank Bordeaux but with more than a nod, somehow, to the ripe and succulent wines of the southern Rhône.

Tasted immediately on opening, it was rather large on all fronts - really quite a ‘wow’ moment in fairness, and a splendid nose, but asking for time in the decanter (side note: actually preferred it after this pop’n’pour!)

Classical aromas of cigar box, cassis and kirsch dominate the nose; the palate is then quite concentrated with fruit that leans toward the riper side of freshness but carries through to a long and generous finish.

Overall, this is a big, showy Saint Emilion - perhaps a little over-extracted but a terrific wine nonetheless considering the vintage. I prefer the 2011 by comparison, but look forward to trying this again in a few years’ time.

1 person found it helpfulJul 24th, 2022
Ivonne Nill

Deeper and more brooding than many other right bank wines, powerful tannins full bodied, yet surprisingly approachable blackberry/cassis/black plum fruit with moderate oak impression. 14% ABV. Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend. Winemaking program: concrete vats and French oak. Estate received organic certification in 2013, although not certified in 2012.

Deeper and more brooding than many other right bank wines, powerful tannins full bodied, yet surprisingly approachable blackberry/cassis/black plum fruit with moderate oak impression. 14% ABV. Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend. Winemaking program: concrete vats and French oak. Estate received organic certification in 2013, although not certified in 2012.

1 person found it helpfulJan 18th, 2019
Lauren Dickson

Easy drinking bordeaux, st emilion produces great reds with a lovely minerality and this one will trend towards the less mineral side. Drank on its own with an indie folk record (Houndmouth)

Easy drinking bordeaux, st emilion produces great reds with a lovely minerality and this one will trend towards the less mineral side. Drank on its own with an indie folk record (Houndmouth)

1 person found it helpfulApr 25th, 2018
Damien Bielle

Cassis, mur, bien fait

Cassis, mur, bien fait

Dec 14th, 2014
Michael Hone

Outstanding glad I cellared it

Outstanding glad I cellared it

May 4th, 2024
James Ghent

Fruity aroma, smooth taste

Fruity aroma, smooth taste

May 31st, 2019
Carol Sigman

Silky smooth sweet cherries and vanilla with a hint of espresso. One of the oldest vineyards in Saint Emilion. Call out to the man, lovingly called “The Boogeyman”, for the great Left Bank/Right Bank 2012 horizontal tasting recommendation this evening.

Silky smooth sweet cherries and vanilla with a hint of espresso. One of the oldest vineyards in Saint Emilion. Call out to the man, lovingly called “The Boogeyman”, for the great Left Bank/Right Bank 2012 horizontal tasting recommendation this evening.

Apr 15th, 2018
Pierre And Paula Soler

Light and tasty. Very smooth tannins

Light and tasty. Very smooth tannins

Jan 22nd, 2018
Gary Phillips

Balanced fruit forward with pleasant tannins; very accessible

Balanced fruit forward with pleasant tannins; very accessible

Jun 7th, 2017