2001 Fombrauge

Dark purplish crimson with some evolution at the rim. Good attack and concentration on the mid-palate. Better than the 2000. Very positive and vigorous. Good balance of fruit and tannin for evolving wine. (JR)

This blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is, once again, a sleeper of the vintage. An authoritatively rich, sweet nose of white chocolate intermixed with black fruits, espresso roast, and toasty oak is accompanied by a sumptuous, smoky, fruity, medium-bodied, pure, beautifully textured 2001. There is a seamless integration of acidity, alcohol, tannin, and wood in this forward effort. It is meant to be drunk over the next 10-12 years.

(bottled in September of 2003) Bright red-ruby. Superripe aromas of currant, leather, tobacco and earth. Fat, sweet and full, with an almost truffley ripeness. The most exotic and surmuri of the four vintages of this wine made to date, but at the expense of some of its freshness. Finishes with major ripe tannins.