2017 Fontenil 6 Pack

91 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Dark and winey, featuring cassis and steeped cherry notes infused liberally with tobacco leaf and charcoal hints. Shows good energy through the finish.

91 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 Fontenil offers a mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, laced with black truffle and light cracked pepper aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red berry fruit, quite peppery in style with ample weight and grip towards the finish. It feels a little sinewy at the moment but it will age with style, requiring 3 to 4 years to mellow in bottle.

91 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored the 2017 Fontenil comes prancing out of the glass with cheery kirsch and black raspberry scents followed by notions of warm plums, star anise and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant, stylish and refreshing with well-played, soft tannins and a perfumed finish.

91 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

With suitable color, the nose kicks in with flowers, black cherry, licorice and smoke. On the palate, you'll find Rubenesque, lusciously textured, sweet black cherries, plums and soft, chubby textures with the perfect amount of bitter chocolate to round things off in the end.

91 POINTS

James Suckling

Plenty of flowers and red berries on offer here. This has a spicy-oak edge and delivers a very plush, juicy, red-fruited palate with smooth, fine tannins that soften up at the finish.

91 POINTS

James Suckling

A solid red for the vintage with dark berries, dark chocolate and some crushed-stone character. Medium body, a pretty core of fruit and a clean finish. Points: 91-92

90 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

I continue to love the wines from Fontenil, which is the home estate of consultant Michel Rolland. The 2017 Château Fontenil is a pleasure-bent effort that has a ripe, rounded, impressively textured style as well as plenty of plum, blackberry and cassis fruit, herbs, and hints of violet-like aromatics. Drink it anytime over the coming decade. It offers more pleasure than most in the vintage.

90 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2017 Fontenil is powerful, savory and tightly wound. There is good depth in the glass but less of the overt richness that is typical for this wine. Rose petals, mint and sweet spices add aromatic resonance to this mid-weight tightly wound Fronsac. I would give the 2017 at least another year or two in bottle to come together, as it clearly needs time. In 2017, Dany Rolland did not bottle Le Défi, her top selection.