SOLD OUT! The 2018 Chateau de Fontenille Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc is the finest White Bordeaux value I’ve encountered in my 20+ year wine career. When White Bordeaux is done right, it can be one of the most satisfying white wines on the planet. Trust me, this one is done right!
Proprietor and grower Stéphane Defraine consistently makes some of Bordeaux’ top values in both red and white. But this might be the finest wine the estate has ever put out. For white wine lovers with adventurous palates, do yourself a favor and try this.
2018 Chateau de Fontenille Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc
Ripe, exotic, and aromatic White Bordeaux extreme value!
SOLD OUT
The vines of Chateau de Fontenille are blessed with some seriously special terroir. The well-drained, gravelly soils and the generous sunshine of Southern Bordeaux are a big part of that equation. With nearly 40 acres dedicated to the classic White Bordeaux varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris – this estate is firmly dedicated to producing classic White Bordeaux.
Purchased in 1989 by the talented and passionate Stephane Defraine, the estate has never been in better hands. Defraine is both a farmer and a winemaker, a true vigneron, and he is making some of the finest wines in all of the Entre-Deux-Mers. In case you’re not familiar, there’s a lot of bulk, industrial and uninspiring wine produced in this large growing zone. But there are little pockets of incredible terroir and Fontentille’s vineyards are located on some of these “sweet spots.”
Drinking like a top-flight White Graves but coming to you at a fraction of the price, this is a stunning white wine. The make up is 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon, 20% Muscadelle and 20% Sauvignon Gris fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for 4 months. Offering up a gorgeous nose of white peach, peach skin, ripe citrus, delicate spice and almond, there’s a lot going on here. Rather full-bodied on the palate, it remains fresh, zesty and truly joyful to drink.
If you’ve never experienced the joys of White Bordeaux, this is your chance to do so. It’s a bit exotic and it freakishly reminds me of the $40+ Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc. Give it a swish, a sniff and a sip. You can thank me later.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville