Château Fonroque 2012
Run by d’Alain Moueix
Technical Director Laurent Nougaro
Vintage weather conditions
The spring was cold and rainy. The vines were late to get going, and there were difficult conditions for flowering. July was exceptionally cool, but the second half of the month was dry. Warm weather set in during August, with a period of searing heat from 15 September was summery and autumn did not appear until the last few days of the month.
Harvest area*
17,59 hectares
Harvest terroir*
Limestone plateau and limestone-clay hillside
Grapes harvested*
85% Merlot – 15% Cabernet Franc
Harvest dates
2 to 10 October
Winemaking
Cultivation methods
Estate certified organic since 2006 and biodynamic since 2008 – member of Biodyvin.
Maturation
30% new barrels and 70% that have contained at least one previous wine
Yield
34,7 hectolitres / ha
Production
62.400 bottles
* For this Vintage.
Tasting notes
A deep garnet colour. A complex nose marked by black fruit combined with floral aromas. These are supplemented by very subtle touches of oak. Beautiful in the attack, soft yet vibrant, before developing a juicy, fleshy and refined body with a velvety feel on the palate. A very fresh, smooth, lingering finish with radiant fruit and mineral notes. The fruit is precise and crisp, the structure is dense, the finish is lingering, and the wine is very well balanced.
Notes updated by Alain Moueix – 2017
‘The 2012 has always been very full-bodied with a lovely smooth structure. This is a surprising characteristic for a vintage that was rather cool until mid-August, owing these qualities to the heat at the end of the growth cycle. It is as if the tannins were clad in warm finery to help us forget the coolness of spring. This pleasing roundness shone through even when the wine was young. Even so, it seems to have closed down slightly in the last few months. This withdrawal, though subtle, is without a doubt a sign of excellent ageing potential.’