1999 Fontenil

[Rudi Finkler]

Without such charming and elegant wines like this, I would never have become a Bordeaux enthusiast. Refined and complex, with a very aromatic bouquet and delicate notes of cherry fruit, currant, licorice, iodine, and spices, this well-balanced wine from Dany Rolland is exactly the opposite of a massive, over-extracted fruit bomb. Even thought the 1999 doesn't quite reach the quality of the superb 2000 Fontenil and the very special 2001, it is a joy to drink such a perfectly ripe wine with so much character.