Château Fombrauge 2020

A Grand Cru from Saint-Émilion by Bernard Magrez

The estate

With origins dating back to the 16th century and harvests first carried out in 1599, the Château Fombrauge is one of the oldest crus of Saint-Émilion. The magnificent estate features a chartreuse dating from the 17th century. Under the impetus of the Dumas de Fombrauge family, Château Fombrauge became a true model for Bordeaux viticulture. Today, Bernard Magrez’s property shines among the finest crus of Saint-Émilion.

The vineyard

Situated around Saint-Christophe des Bardes, the vineyard of Château Fombrauge covers 58 hectares of vines averaging 37 years old. They are planted on clay-limestone soils with Fronsadais molasses typical of Saint-Émilion. The vineyard, certified High Environmental Value Level 3, is maintained parcel by parcel with grassing of the vine rows and plowing.

Winemaking and aging

The cuvées of Château Fombrauge undergo a parcel-by-parcel selection by terroir and grape variety, respecting the vines’ age. The estate has been equipped with drones that allow the creation of maturity maps. Once the manual harvest is carried out in small crates and after a sorting table handled by 20 experienced people, the berries are vinified in small-capacity wooden, stainless steel and concrete vats by gravity with a pre-fermentation maceration and fully manual punch-downs. Aging lasts 16 months in barrels, 40% new and 60% once-used.

Blend

Château Fombrauge 2020 is made from a blend of Merlot (96%) and Cabernet Franc (4%).