Cartier 2019 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

The second label to Chateau Fonroque, Chateau Cartier sees none of the estate's Cabernet Franc. The Merlot that goes into this wine comes from under the limestone plateau of St.-Emilion, picked from biodynamically farmed vines on the limestone-clay and silty clay soils of the slopes and bottom-slopes.  All fruit is picked by hand. The wine was fermented naturally and aged in a mixture of 75% barrel and 25% concrete vats. A very impressive partner to Fonroque, mimicking the minerally character that the estate is known for.  The nose delivers scents of dark flowers and rich baked fruit - strawberry, cherry, blueberry. The palate shows deep red and black cherry and plum, with accents of warm cedar and herbs. There is great minerality, which lends the wine a structure of supreme freshness, but a textural softness making the wine quite delicious now. The 2019 vintage was unusually hot in mid-summer so harvest was early - "the result was a rich, harmonious wine with a silky texture. Its classicism makes 2019 one of our best vintages" says the Fonroque/Cartier website.