Château de La Dauphine Fronsac 2019

Château de la Dauphine - Fronsac

Named for a Dauphine of France — the quiet classicism of Fronsac.

Fronsac once outranked Saint-Émilion, and no estate speaks for that heritage more clearly today. A south-facing amphitheatre and fourteen soil types give the complexity; biodynamics draws it out without artifice. The sunny 2019 vintage brings real concentration — ripe blackberry and plum shaded with liquorice and dark chocolate, carried on supple tannins into a long finish. Lovely now, and still lovely a decade from now.

Item code

C19R5581

Producer

Château de la Dauphine

Type

red

Region

Bordeaux

Appellation

AOP Fronsac

Vintage

2019

Grape varieties

Merlot-dominant + Cabernet Franc

Alcohol

14.5%

Volume

750ml

Certifications

Agriculture Biologique

Serving temperature

16–18°C

Recommended glass

Bordeaux glass, tall and large

Tasting note

A deep, dense garnet with a purple hue. When brought to the glass, rich dark fruit aromas of ripe blackberry, plum, and blackcurrant intertwine with nuances of licorice, dark chocolate, clove, and spice. On the palate, a full-bodied richness coexists with the fresh acidity characteristic of 2019, vividly enhancing the concentrated fruit flavor. Chewy tannins are already harmonizing, and the long, mineral-driven finish makes this a rich yet elegant wine. Enjoyable now, it will further soften with several years of aging and possesses a structure that allows for long-term cellaring of 10 years or more.

Food pairing

Beef cheek braised in red wine Roasted duck with balsamic sauce Aged hard cheese

Winemaking & technical data

Cultivation
Soil: Clay-limestone, Fronsac molasses, asteriated limestone
Cultivation: Organic (practiced since 2012, AB certified). The entire vineyard is being converted to biodynamic.
Vineyard work: Traditional plowing, one-sided leaf removal, green harvest, combination of hand and machine harvesting

Winemaking
Double sorting with two sorting tables, before and after destemming
Grapes are transferred to tanks by gravity.
Fermentation in temperature-controlled concrete tanks, approximately 30 days of maceration
Approximately 20% saignée, vertical press
Aged for approximately 12 months in French oak barrels (approximately 30% new oak).
Michel Rolland's team is involved in winemaking consulting.

Scores & awards

Decanter 92 pts

James Suckling 92–93
Vinous (Antonio Galloni) 91–93 *Highest rating in Fronsac AOC
Jeb Dunnuck 90–92