2014 Chateau de Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone

Regular price $300.00

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One of the Rhône Valley's most coveted "insider" wines, Château de Fonsalette is produced by the Reynaud family, owners of the legendary Château Rayas. Although it carries the modest Côtes du Rhône appellation, Fonsalette is crafted with the same exacting standards and traditional methods that have made Rayas one of the world's most revered estates. Old vines, low yields, and aging in large, neutral oak demi-muids allow the vineyard and vintage to take center stage. The wine is typically composed of approximately 50% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 15% Syrah, a blend that emphasizes perfume and finesse over sheer power.

The 2014 vintage is defined by elegance and transparency rather than concentration. The nose is immediately captivating, revealing aromas of wild strawberry, red cherry, blood orange, dried rose petals, lavender, white pepper, and Provençal herbs, with subtle earthy and mineral undertones that become more pronounced with air.

On the palate, the wine is remarkably refined, with silky tannins and a graceful, medium-bodied profile. Juicy raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruit mingle with sweet baking spices, citrus zest, and savory garrigue notes. There is an almost Burgundian sense of lift and precision, balanced by the warmth and aromatic complexity that define the southern Rhône. The finish is long, floral, and mineral-driven, leaving an impression of remarkable purity rather than weight.

Now with over a decade of bottle age, the 2014 is drinking beautifully, displaying the graceful evolution that has made Fonsalette one of the most sought-after wines outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape. While approachable today after a brief decant, it has the balance and structure to continue developing gracefully for another decade or more. The vintage is particularly admired for its finesse, with many collectors considering it one of the finest expressions of the estate's signature ethereal style.

Pair with: roast duck, herb-crusted lamb, grilled pork loin, mushroom risotto, or Provençal cuisine. Like the greatest wines of the Reynaud family, this is less about power than perfume, texture, and extraordinary elegance—a Côtes du Rhône that consistently performs on the level of grander appellations.

Shipping Policy

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Unless your delivery address is on the West Coast, we strongly discourage you from selecting “Ground Service” as your shipping method. During the winter and summer months, weather conditions (temperature) and longer delivery times can often result in the spoilage of your order. It doesn’t make sense to invest in fine wines and then take the chance of ruining them due environmental factors during transit (faster and safer delivery generally isn’t much more expensive). We don’t make an additional profit on accelerated delivery, but we frequently recommend faster shipping options to our customers outside the West Coast.
You must be 21 years of age to order or receive alcoholic beverages. Any shipments containing alcoholic beverages are sent with an “Adult Signature Required” sticker, and the common carrier that delivers our merchandise is required to ask and check for identification upon delivery. This means that an adult will have to be present at the time of delivery. Please consider shipping to an office address.
During periods of extreme weather, we attempt to ship wines at the beginning of each week in order to get shipments to you before the weekend. This is because we have no control over the temperature conditions at our freight carriers’ warehouses. The result may be that your shipment doesn’t go out the day that you place an order.
We ship by Fedex or Fedex Ground. Our prices include packaging materials. Insurance may be available for an additional charge.
Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. will arrange for shipment on behalf of the buyer, to an address specified by the buyer, provided that Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. in its sole judgment believes that such shipment will not subject Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. to the risk of any sort of legal action or other harm. If a buyer lives in a state where the direct shipment of wine by Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. violates the law, we suggest that the buyer provide an alternative address in another state or have their wine shipped to a third-party storage facility in a direct shipping-friendly state.
Various states impose limitations on the quantity of alcoholic beverages that may be purchased and brought into their jurisdiction by a purchaser from another state without requiring the purchaser, a seller or shipper to possess certain licenses or permits. Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. does not, as a condition of sale, assume any obligation nor bear any responsibility whatsoever for applying or obtaining any permits or licenses. Therefore, we recommend that you investigate the possibility of such limitations, and determine the manner in which alcoholic beverages shall be brought into your state from California, so as to comply with all of your state’s requirements.
Wine shipping rules in the United States are controlled by the state you live in. We do not ship wine to the following states at this time: