See more wines from Chateau Fonplegade

ABOUT THE WINE
For centuries, the vine rows of Chateau Fonplegade have been the source for some of St. Emillion's most coveted grapes. Since 2004, new owners from California, Stephen and Denise Adams, have invested time and passion to elevate the wines of Fonplegade to new heights.

TASTING NOTES
Lots of fruit, already showing an appealingly soft roundedness. Incredibly smooth tannins supported by a wonderful acidity that provides a remarkably long finish. Deep purple colour. A modest amount of grapes from somewhat younger vines is also incorporated in the blend, adding voluptuous black fruit notes and tannic structure.

FOOD PAIRING
Roast beef, stews, lamb chops, barbecue.

FRIARWOOD SAYS
This is an absolutely brilliant wine, and probably the best to date from this American-owned Chateau, which has been completely renovated and is now enjoying a resurrection/renaissance in quality.

See more wines from Chateau Fonplegade

ABOUT THE WINE
For centuries, the vine rows of Chateau Fonplegade have been the source for some of St. Emillion's most coveted grapes. Since 2004, new owners from California, Stephen and Denise Adams, have invested time and passion to elevate the wines of Fonplegade to new heights.

TASTING NOTES
Lots of fruit, already showing an appealingly soft roundedness. Incredibly smooth tannins are supported by a wonderful acidity that provides a remarkably long finish. Deep purple colour. A modest amount of grapes from somewhat younger vines is also incorporated into the blend, adding voluptuous black fruit notes and a tannic structure.

FOOD PAIRING
Roast beef, stews, lamb chops, barbecue.

FRIARWOOD SAYS
This is an absolutely brilliant wine, and probably the best to date from this American-owned Chateau, which has been completely renovated and is now enjoying a resurrection/renaissance in quality.

ABOUT THE WINE
Château Marquis d'Alesme is a distinguished wine producer that has been tending to an exceptional terroir in the heart of the Bordeaux region since 1616. With a unique combination of mystique and classicism, the estate is a land of culture and passion that consistently delivers premium Margaux wines.
The vineyard, spanning 15 hectares, is managed in a meticulously individual manner, much like a beautiful garden, with utmost care and craftsmanship by the team.

TASTING NOTES
The grapes of this wine were carefully selected by hand and underwent rigorous sorting in both the vineyard and cellar. Fermentation took place in 80 hl truncated wooden and stainless steel vats, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrels. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, consisting of 65% new and 35% first-fill barrels, with 3 months spent on lees. This Margaux wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. The nose is complex and rich, with fragrances of black fruit such as dark mulberries, liquorice, and smokiness. The palate has a lively vibrancy, followed by powerful yet, silky and elegant tannins. This wine is not shy but provides lush exuberance with layered, deep fruit notes with savoury complexity, which linger in the long, showy finish.

FOOD PAIRING
Juicy and tender grilled lamb chop with a balsamic reduction with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, and mushroom duxelles

FRIARWOOD SAYS
The vines, averaging 40 years of age, are planted on clay-limestone, silica-gravel and silica-marl soils.

Also available: 2008 Vintage

ABOUT THE WINE
Chateau Batailley is Borie-Manoux’s and the Castéja-family’s flagship winery. One of the oldest estates in the Médoc the name is derived from the battle (“bataille”) that took place during the Hundred Years’ War and where the chateau and vineyard are sited today. The estate is currently experimenting with biodynamic farming techniques on a 5- hectare parcel. Overall vinification is pretty standard, with hand-harvested grapes fully de-stemmed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place partly in the tank, and partly in the barrel, and the wine is then aged in 60% new French oak for about 16 months before bottling. Since 1995, subtle changes have seen the wines achieve more delicacy and purity of fruit character, resulting in wines of greater finesse which still remain true to their Pauillac roots.

TASTING NOTES
A rare, but beautiful blend of fresh red berries of raspberry and rose hip married with the savoury meatiness and cigar box with a sweet vanilla undertone, not to mention the charming crushed violets. A truly elegant and complex claret, which shows power in a restrained way, but still managed to have polished and gripping tannins that are dazzling and promising facing forward. This wine is now in its drinking window, and will stay there until the late 2040s…

FOOD PAIRING
Roast mallard with radicchio and pear salad, braised veal shank with winter root vegetable purée. Any seared & dry-aged beef cut should also pair impeccably. 

FRIARWOOD SAYS
This wine will never cease to surprise, glass after glass, and is unquestionably moreish. Drinking beautifully now but still retains some solid ageing potential.

ABOUT THE WINE
Legend has it that Chateau Talbot takes its name from a British soldier, Connetable Talbot, who was killed in a battle at Castillon in 1453; the estate was named in his honour. Since 1917, Talbot has been owned by the Cordier family. The family has invested heavily in Talbot to ensure that it achieves the quality levels of which it is capable. With 102 hectares of vineyards, Talbot is one of the largest estates in the Medoc; wines see 50-60% new oak, for around 15 months.

TASTING NOTES
Medium-bodied, dense fruit, extremely youthful, with plenty of potential for long-ageing. Red and black fruit, tobacco leaf and a stony mineral-character which will soften with time. Quite charming at this early stage; time will add polish to the long, smoky finish.

FOOD PAIRING
Strong flavours; lamb, beef stews, cured meat.

FRIARWOOD SAYS
A fabulous Talbot to drink at 10-15 years from vintage, somewhat forward, but for the moment one to store rather than consume.

ABOUT THE WINE
Château Palmer is named after a British officer, Colonel Charles Palmer (later Maj. General), who settled in Bordeaux in 1814. It is located in the centre of the Margaux appellation, and its vineyards lie on a plateau of clay and gravel soils. Historically the estate has always prided itself on the exceptional quality of its wines, declassifying whole vintages (as in 1963 and 1968) when conditions weren’t conducive to the usual high standards of the property. Classified as a 3ème Cru Classé, it punches significantly above its classification. Since the 2017 vintage, they have been certified 100% biodynamic.

TASTING NOTES
Composed of 52% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot, this vintage produced a sensational wine characterized by purity, beauty and aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, walnuts, cedar and lavender. Medium to deep garnet-purple colour with a gorgeous nose of ripe plums, cassis and crushed cherries with touches of incense, lavender and chocolate box. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and vivacious in the mouth, finishing with great elegance and finesse. Ripe tannin, solid mid-palate depth and ample sweet fruit make it a great second wine of Palmer. Requires five to six years of bottle age to come together. Enjoy between 2020 - 2034.

FOOD PAIRING
Brilliant with grilled pork chops with apple chutney or seared duck breast with cherry sauce.

FRIARWOOD SAYS
This vintage’s production was 50/50 divided between the Grand Vin de Chateau Palmer and the Second Wine ‘Alter Ego’ de Palmer, a testament to its quality.

ABOUT THE WINE
Classified as a 5eme Cru Classe, own by the Tesseron family also owner of Lafon Rochet in St Estephe. Today, Château Pontet-Canet is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron.  The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and fine tannins with great aging potential.

TASTING NOTES
The wine has an impressively intense colour and a complex nose dominated by fresh fruit aromas. It is huge on the palate, powerful, vibrant and incredibly smooth, sustained throughout by a freshness which imparts a deliciously succulent finish. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.

FOOD PAIRING
Try dishes such as a tournedos of duck Rossini, a roasted wild boar leg, a stew of marcassin confit with peppers or a beef tenderloin with morel sauce. If pairing with cheese uncooked cheeses are best.

Discover more wines from Château Pontet-Canet

ABOUT THE WINE
Chateau Palmer is named after a British officer, Colonel Charles Palmer (later Maj. General), who settled in Bordeaux in 1814. It is located in the center of the Margaux appellation, and its vineyards lie on a plateau of clay and gravel soils. Historically the estate has always prided itself on the exceptional quality of its wines, declassifying whole vintages (as in 1963 and 1968) when conditions weren't conducive to the usual high standards of the property. Classified as a 3ieme Cru Classe', it punches significantly above its classification. Since the 2017 vintage they are certified 100% biodynamic.

TASTING NOTES
Maraschino cherries, cassis and tobacco characterise the bright, youthful aromatics; medium-bodied on the palate, with a succulent core of cassis and blackberry fruit. The tannic structure is super-fine, beautifully integrated into the oak character on the finish. This is a remarkably elegant wine, which has developed superbly, and will continue to do so until 2040.

FOOD PAIRING
An excellent wine for venison.

FRIARWOOD SAYS
Merlot at Palmer is planted on both the clay and gravel soils of the estate; the extra drainage provided by the gravel gives Palmer its elegant opulence, hence the unusually high proportion of Merlot (often 45-50%) in the blend for a left-bank wine.

ABOUT THE WINE
The largest Saint-Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classe, with some 37 hectares under vine. Vines were originally planted on the property by the Romans in the 4th Century CE; and the estate was famous in the 1800s as one of the finest wines to come out of Saint-Emilion. However, when the estate was purchased in 1998 by Gerard Perse, extensive work was required to revitalise the estate, work which paid off, first in an extraordinary renaissance in wine-quality from the early 2000s, and then, in 2012, with official recognition as the estate was elevated from 1er Grand Cru Classe B to 1er Grand Cru Classe A. The estate is also 70% organic, and working towards becoming 100%. The wine is fermented in new-oak vats, and aged in 80% new oak for 18 months.

TASTING NOTES
Almost opaque, darkly-coloured, with intense flavours of blackberry, plum, liquorice, spice, truffle and chocolate; balanced perfectly by a crushed-rock, cedar, coffee-bean mineral character, and a lengthy, violet-edged finish. Opulent and compelling.

FOOD PAIRING
Rich meat stews, mushrooms, braised venison.

FRIARWOOD SAYS
Chateau Pavie is a wine which rewards and requires age, 15 years is a recommended minimum for a wine of this power and majesty. For this vintage, 2025 is perhaps when it will begin to show at its finest.