Michel Rolland's Second Wine for Château Fontenil
Fronsac is the appellation just west of Pomerol and the city of Libourne, port city on the Dordogne river. Château Fontenil and its second label are in the village of Saillans, 5 kilometers north of the village of Fronsac. The soils are unusual for they have a limestone soil that is composed mainly of starfish, which gives the Merlot a spicy character that you don’t find in other right bank Bordeaux.
This wine has a deep purple-red color, with a spicy nose and rich red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Very round, with excellent mouth-feel, this wine has excellent texture and spice, with a fat mid-palate full of ‘matière’ or ‘stuffing’ as the Brits would say. A long, lingering finish with integrated tannins and that lovely spice. What a deal!
As you would expect from one of France’s most renowned oenologists, the wine is vinified in the modern fashion for maximum color extraction with a temperature-control system to preserve the fresh fruit flavors. After color extraction, the fermentation and aging occurs in oak barrels and stainless tanks for a year before bottling. Named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ at Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Michel consults or makes wine at over 100 wineries world wide, including Château l’Angélus.
