Chateau fontenil 2015 (Michel Rolland Mariflor)

Cellar for up to 15 years. Decant for an hour before serving. This is the flagship wine of Chateau Fontenil, a big and bold Right Bank blend from the heart of Bordeaux. Composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine bursts with scents of swollen blackcurrants, cherries and blackberry jam, underpinned by hints of lavender and liquorice. It is a deep purple-red in colour and an excellent choice for anybody who enjoys serious, fruit-forward reds. Chateau Fontenil is the personal project of esteemed Bordeaux wine-makers Michel and Dany Rolland, located in the appellation of Fronsac. It is a land of loose, rocky clay and limestone croppings, with deep layers of chalk that impart power and strong minerality to the grapes that grow here. Chateau Fontenil’s Fronsac is a full-bodied red wine, with a wonderful texture and dense layers of fruit. On the palate, you can detect a mingling of black hedgerow berries, plum, fresh herbs and tobacco, elevated żeby a racy acidity that courses through each glass. The finish is defined żeby a chalky minerality. The wine spent 15 to 18 months ageing in French oak barrels, before bottling and it can easily age for over a decade past its vintage. Consider pairing Fronsac with roasted game, aged cheese or confit.