2021 Fonplegade (St-Emilion)

The 2021 Fonplégade offers up aromas of rich berry and cherry fruit framed by minty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and lively, it`s generous and concentrated, albeit a touch marked by its 50% new oak at this early stage. 89-91 points

The 2021 Fonplégade is classy and refined to the core. It possesses terrific depth, with sweet floral aromatics and fine-grained tannins that convey finesse. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and bright saline notes all meld together. Fonplégade is built more on vertical persistence than volume. It is one of the most elegant Saint-Émilions of the vintage and a terrific effort from proprietors Denise and Stephen Adams. Tasted three times. 93-95 points

Great quality, this is plump, rich, plenty of raspberry and red cherry fruit with pencil lead and chalk tannins, maintains momentum through the mid palate, and very much working with the vintage, careful extraction that keeps the foot on the pedal to emphasise juicy acidities rather than austere tannins. Good stuff. 93 points