CHÂTEAU FONBADET, 'L'HARMONIE DE FONBADET' PAUILLAC
BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2018
Second wines represent tremendous value, and we're always on the lookout for great vintages to bring you.
What happens when we come across a second wine from a great house and a great vintage and the direct engagement of none other than Michel Rolland, jet-setting superstar oenologist?
We pounce, is what happens.
Rolland began consulting for Château Pauillac in 2014, and, not surprisingly, the wines have taken a significant leap forward since his arrival, emerging, in recent years, as a veritable force on the Left Bank. A few weeks ago, we brought you their 2018 Pauillac, which Jeb Dunnuck, in a glowing 95-point review, declared "gorgeous."
Today's offer — L’Harmonie de Fonbadet, from their Château Fonbadet label — also comes from that great 2018 vintage. And because it's a second wine, and because you're a member of our Concierge Family, you're in for phenomenal savings: we're able to make this available for the next week only for 25% off. That amounts to a best price of under $30 a bottle, an absolute stunner of a deal!
Let it be said here: Rolland did not turn dross into gold; what he did was to coax greatness out of a very good estate. The foundation was already strong, and the terroir -— well, consider this: the estate's three parcels border the Château Mouton Rothschild vineyard, and nearby neighbors include Château Latour, Château Lynch-Bages, Châteaux Pichon Longueville Baron and Comtesse.
And when you consider the growing conditions — from the rich, complex soils to the high altitude to the nearby Gironde River (which bathes the area in its microclimate) — it is little wonder that this is among the most revered, most coveted, patches of land in all of the wine world, source of some of the most fantastically rich, concentrated wines that exist.
The Peyronie family knows a thing or two about cultivation, continuity, and craftsmanship. It can trace its roots on this land back three centuries. The estate is now under the eminently capable direction of Pascale Peyronie, a jurist by training and fourth-generation winemaker, who, after two decades of apprenticeship under her father, recently took over. Her mission? To go back to the future. Yields are kept low, only ploughs are used, and vignerons employ "earthing up" techniques, piling soil around the base of the grapevine, to enhance development.
If you’re a lover of terroir-driven Bordeaux, this is a wine to buy by the case, or cases.
But hurry: a wine from this vintage and house, and with this star attached — and above all at this fantastic price — isn't going to last very long!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2022. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in MI, NY, or TN. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Monday, July 4, 2022.