| Score: |
97 RP.
"Tiny yields, malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees and no fining or filtration produced an exotic, full-throttle St.-Emilion boasting an explosive nose of blueberry pie, lead pencil shavings, black truffles, camphor, incense and toasty oak. Made in a borderline extreme style, the wine is extracted and full-bodied with enormous quantities of fruit, extract, tannin and glycerin. The alcohol of just over 14% is not as high as I would have expected. I purchased the 2000 Magrez-Fombrauge and am thrilled by the way it is developing as it is displaying more complexity and nuances now than it did when it was released. I suspect the 2009 will do the same thing, but on a slightly faster evolutionary track. Wines such as this tend to transform from blockbuster fruit bombs into far more civilized, elegant and streamlined wines. The 2009 should be forgotten for 5-6 years and drunk over the following 25-30 . . . . . this limited production (500 or so cases), 100% Merlot cult wine is made from the finest parcel of the Fombrauge vineyard." Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012 |