Nose

The 2015 Fonreaud offers impressive, engaging blackberry and briary scents on the nose, well defined and focused.

Palate

It has a good structure with soft tannins foreshadowing. The palate is medium-bodied with firm but fine tannin, plenty of spice-tinged black fruit mixed with graphite and cedar toward the structured finish.

Growing Conditions

The months of May, June and July were among the hottest and driest on record, what favorized purity of the aromas. The flower took place very quickly on the beginning of June. Then, the ripening has been uniform from early August. Second half of August was a bit cooler and a few rains allowed the vines to get the energy they needed. In September, the grapes enjoyed sunny days and cool nights to finish ripening.

- Sustainable viticulture: Terra Vitis
- Soil type: Gravelly Pyrenean soil covering a limestone subsoil.
- Area: 32 hectares

The vines are cultivated according to environmentally friendly growing
practices, respecting both the plant and its environment. Vine care constantly
ensures that a balance is maintained between the plant and its environment in view
of achieving well-aired foliage and a regular load of grapes, which gradually ripen in
the sunshine. Depending on their nature, the parcels are ploughed or grassed over
between the rows.

Harvest

The harvest of Merlot began on September 25thfor the earliest plants and lasted until September 28th. The homogeneity of maturity was remarkable. Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested between the 5th and the 8th of October, then Petit Verdot was picked up between the 7th and the 8th of October.

Winemaking

A strict selection of the parcels and the grapes takes place
during the harvest. After a gentle crushing and destemming of the grapes, the must
is put into small-thermoregulated vats ensuring that the fermentations are perfectly
controlled, bringing out the expression, the richness and the nuances of each plot.
The vatting period lasts 20 to 25 days depending on the vintage.

After a light crushing and de-stemming of the grapes, the harvest is directed to small temperature-controlled vats that allow full control of fermentations, thus respecting the expression, richness and nuances of each plot. Alcoholic fermentations were carried out by promoting the extraction of the fruit.

Aging

-Maturing lasts around 12 months in merrian oak barrels, a 1/3 of which are
replaced each year. We then undertake the final blending before bottling at the
chateau.

30% new oak barrels

Appearance

The wines are very colorful. Dark purple red with violet hue and almost black core.