Château de La Dauphine 2015

For modern day wine drinkers, Fronsac is not a household name as Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, or Saint-Emilion that define Bordeaux.  But, once upon a time, Fronsac's vineyards were among the best in the Bordeaux area.  In the 18th century, Fronsac’s wines enjoyed the best reputation in the Libourne area (i.e., the Right Bank of the Dordogne River), and sold at higher prices than those of Saint Emilion and Pomerol.

As the single largest property in Fronsac, Château de La Dauphine is mounting a major come-back, evoking its ties to Charlemagne (who built a fortress in Fronsac), Cardinal de Richelieu (who acquired the land and made its wine famous among the nobles), and its namesake title resulting from the visit of Louis XVI's mother, Mary Josepha of Saxany, who was known as La Dauphine (the French word for "The Princess").  She never became the French queen as her husband died from illness before being crowned.  Her son married Marie Antoinette and ascended the throne as the last French king before the French Revolution.  La Dauphine, Mary Josepha of Saxany, was hence the mother-in-law of the more famous Marie Antoinette, an ill-fated Austrian princess who was swept up in the tidal waves of the revolution.

While wine critics have sung the praises of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol from the Right Bank and the garagiste winemakers have made some wines beyond the reach of everyday Bordeaux drinkers ($1,000 - $10,000 per bottle, anyone?), the wine of Château de La Dauphine deserves serious attention by educated wine lovers.

"The 2015 La Dauphine is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Having vexed about the 2014 last year, the 2015 is a much "happier" sample, pure and quite elegant with black cherries, blueberry and cassis fruit, the new oak nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp blackberry and bilberry fruit with a healthy sprinkle of white pepper to spice up the finish. This is an excellent Fronsac, although it deserves 4-6 years in bottle." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2016, Issue 224), Ratings: 91-93, Drink: 2021-2045