This special ‘cuvée’, produced only in years with highly favourable weather conditions, is made from grapes harvested in the oldest part of the vineyard, where the vines are on average over 60 years old: these old vines produce very low yields of highly flavoured grapes. A long maceration followed by 18 months in only new oak barriques results in this classic old-fashioned claret. Deeply coloured with a complex bouquet and rich, long finish.

Eco-friendly cultivation is employed whenever possible, giving priority to sustainable development in both the vineyard and the cellar. Vincent is also hopeful that his children can continue the family-run business in the future, as he says, ‘two of the three of them are considering joining the company’.

ABOUT THE WINE MAKER
When Gabriel Fabre purchased the property in 1964, wine was no longer produced on the estate. It took three years to replant the vineyards, making up nearly 33 hectares, on the gravelly and limestone slopes. Today, the estate is run by Vincent, Gabriel’s son.Vincent continues to work on improving the quality of his wines, an attitude demonstrated during his time as President of the ‘Syndicat Médoc et Haut-Médoc’, when he presided over production rule changes, including bringing in the use of blind tastings to judge quality and typicity; and changing the rules for the certification of conformity to these appellations. Strengthened by experience, Domaines Fabre have extended their range over the years by buying various estates all located in Haut-Médoc. Château Fonsèche is one of the recent additions, and they now farm over 90 hectares.