Chateau Fonroque 2018(Ex Chateau arrival time 4 months)

Deep cherry red. Intense Ribena-like blackcurrant aroma and ripe cherry. Very sweet and pure. Chewy but velvety texture. Rich, soft and supple, though everything is up front. Thick with tannins but not in the least astringent. Needs to slim down with some time in the bottle but it is nicely done with a relatively light hand in this vintage and plenty of vitality. Just a little bit simple overall but should gain interest with time.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Fonroque (82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc) gives up notions of preserved plums, baked blackberries and dried herbs with hints of raspberry pie, underbrush and black tea. Full-bodied and laden with black fruit, it has loads of red fruit brightness in the mouth with soft, rounded tannins and a refreshing finish.

The 2018 Fonroque feels very decadent and luscious on the nose, a little over-extracted and confit in style - notes of kirsch and orange liqueur. The palate is decadent and ripe with intense red berry fruit and a huge arching structure. Somehow, against my own expectation, it does redeem itself with satisfying delineation and freshness on the finish, so perhaps it is just a Saint-Émilion that will need a decade in bottle?