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Chateau Fonroque
The modern story of Chateau Fonroque begins with the arrival of the Moueix family, in this case Jean Moueix, at the property in 1931. Jean Moueix, originally from farming stock, had settled in Paris with his wife, and there they had set up a successful chain of shops selling dairy produce. But having seen his brother Antoine purchase Chateau Taillefer in 1923, Jean decided that this was also the life for him. He and his betrothed Adèle purchased Fonroque and then settled at the estate, and the property has remained with their descendents and relatives long after their deaths. First their son, Jean-Antoine, took control, but with his passing in 1979 the running of the estate fell to Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. Although the style of management naturally changed, this was a much needed boost for the estate; new investment meant that the somewhat downtrodden property, which had seen few changes over many decades, could be brought up to scratch.
And so in just a few years the vineyards saw the installation of a new
drainage system, and there was significant replanting. Vineyard management also
changed. And in the cellar there was new oak, new equipment and, in fact, in
1993, a new cellar, together with bottling and tasting rooms. There was much effort to improve
the wines of Fonroque, and much had already been achieved when the property came
to Alain Moueix in 2001. Alain is a dynamic and motivated winemaker with strong
ideas who has, it seems, quickly stamped his mark on the wine of Chateau Fonroque. This is
perhaps hardly surprising as
his family includes 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 Pétrus in
Pomerol and Dominus in California's Napa Valley. Alain, 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 trained as an agricultural engineer and then as an oenologist, before broadening his horizons with experience working two vintages in New Zealand. Then came further experience in Bordeaux, but more recently, in 1998, he has also established a 40 hectare vineyard in South Africa. During this time he has come to see 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, the 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 indeed this is the case.
Before any biodynamics could take hold here, however, there was much other work to be done. Despite the efforts undertaken under the auspices of Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, there were many missing vines and some replanting was necessary. A rolling program was started, although old vines are protected and cherished; these include some Cabernet Franc vines some of which were planted as long ago as 1936. The soils were deemed to be in generally good condition, nevertheless some organic compost and biodynamic preparations were added. Most importantly, perhaps, the use of chemicals - be they insecticides, fungicides or herbicides - came under due inspection
The vineyard here, which in the St Emilion classification is ranked as Grand Cru Classé, account for 22 hectares of the appellation, although only a little more than 17 hectares are planted up. In 2003 the vineyards began a program moving towards organic farming, and by 2005 they were fully converted to biological agriculture, as certified by Agrocert. But the process did not stop there; full biodynamic certification followed, starting with 6 hectares in 2002, and the whole estate was accredited by 2005, with Biodyvin certification provided by Ecocert (I even have a copy of the certificate, signed by Biodyvin representative Eric Saurel in January 2007). The soils underfoot include three of the four main terroirs of St Emilion, led by limestone on the plateau, with some vines also on the côtes and also at the foot of the slopes, where clay dominates, with more silt and sand at the bottom, as well as the iron-rich crasse de fer. The vines are predominately Merlot, accounting for 88% of the vineyard, the remainder is Cabernet Franc. Today they see leaf thinning and bunch thinning, and there is grass planted between the rows to increase competition for water at the surface. Once picked the fruit is sorted on a vibrating table and then by hand, before fermentation in temperature-controlled cement vats, with a maceration between 15 and 30 days. Most of the wine is then run off into oak, half of which is new; so 40% goes into new oak, 40% into one-year oak, and the remaining 20% remains in vat. The grand vin is Chateau Fonroque, of which there are 6500 cases produced per annum. It is fined with egg white but not filtered before bottling. Those aliquots destined for the second wine account for up to 25% oft the harvest, and are bottled as Chateau Cartier.
Perhaps the wines of Chateau Fonroque are best summed up by Alain Moueix himself, who says "I don't want to make big, impressive wines at Fonroque that stand out at tasting competitions. On the contrary, my goal is to produce wines that reflect the harmony I am working so hard to create in the vineyard...". This philosophy is indeed present on tasting the wines; these are not rich, seductive, fleshy or indeed flashy wines. Rather they are more elegant, perhaps a little firm and austere in some vintages, but nevertheless attractive. They have a certain style that will appeal to some but certainly not all. In good vintages such as 2005 I find the extra richness thus imbued does much for the character of the wines; in lesser vintages, the wines are not so successful, but still have many admirable qualities. (20/4/04, updated 20/3/08)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Fonroque, 33330 St-Emilion
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 51 78 96
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 51 79 79
Internet:
www.chateaufonroque.com
Chateau Fonroque - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 2005: This isn't showing too much on the nose at first, but on the palate it clearly
displays a fine weight and texture. It remains true to form for the estate,
possessing a smoothly composed polish, but with a good amount of tannin and
acidity underneath, providing some power. There is both substance and potential
here. This has very good potential. From my tasting of
2005 Bordeaux at two
years of age. 16.5-17/20 (November 2007)
Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 2004: This has a lovely presence of fresh fruit
on the nose, vibrant with good fruit complexity already shining through, with
notes of dark liquorice. Full, creamily supple and gently weighty on the palate,
and overall this is really nicely put together. I think this is an under-rated
vintage for Bordeaux, and Alain Moueix was certainly in agreement with this
sentiment. From a Bordeaux 2004
tasting. 16.5-17+/20 (November 2007)
Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 2003: This has more power immediately
apparent on the nose in comparison with the 1998. There is dense fruit, and a
good weight here. It is rounded out, but not flashy or too deeply textured, and
the composition is well matched with the tannic background and good acidity.
This is nice. It has a rather strong tannic grip, firm tannins being a feature
of this vintage. It seems to have a good balance, but on second taste I see
again just how all encompassing these tannins are. Soft acidity too. Good wine
though. 16+/20 (November 2007)
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. 17.5+/20 (November 2003)
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. 17+/20 (November 2003)
Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 1998: This has an open, rather meaty and
iron-bound nose with little animalistic notes, and overall it has a nice, evocative
character. A beautiful freshness of fruit on the palate, showing redcurrants and liquorice,
in a supple and composed fashion. It is very elegant in style, and is rather smoothly
textured. Approaching drinkability. Very good indeed. 17+/20 (November 2007)
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. 17+/20 (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. 15.5/20
(November 2003)
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