2015 Chateau Fonbadet Pauillac 750 ml

Château Fonbadet stands as one of the great insider values of Pauillac: a double-93-point neighbor to Mouton Rothschild that Robert Parker asserts can “surpass several of the classified growths”—and we’ve got it for under $45. 

The terroir tells the tale of Fonbadet’s greatness. Sitting on a prime piece of real estate off of Pauillac’s main road—between the Second-Growth “Pichons” and the plateau that Mouton Rothschild and Lynch-Bages call home—the estate is one of the few non-classified properties in the area that hasn’t been swallowed by a Grand Cru. Given that perfect position and the fact that they’re advised by Bordeaux miracle worker Michel Rolland, it’s no surprise that Fonbadet is producing on a classified-growth level. 

Wine Enthusiast named the 2015 Fonbadet a 93-point Cellar Selection, and Vinous could barely contain themselves, calling it “a totally sexy, voluptuous wine” and finishing as unequivocally as possible: “Simply put, Fonbadet is gorgeous in 2015.” Perhaps the only thing more beautiful than the wine itself is the price: just $44 per bottle. For a top-vintage powerhouse Pauillac fit for the cellar, deals don’t get any better. 

In Burgundy, vineyard classifications don’t budge, no matter who holds the deed. But Bordeaux is different: When a First Growth purchases a lower-tier vineyard, that newly acquired terroir “levels up” like it had been classified since April of 1855. Prestigious properties looking to expand therefore seek out neighboring properties that they know can produce grapes on the same plane of quality. This is why so many properties that share the same stellar terroir as  Château Fonbadet have been usurped by Pauillac’s grands châteaux. 

Yet Fonbadet, which has been producing grapes since the time of the French Revolution, still stands independent, and remains in the hands of the famille Peyronie. Fourth-generation Pascale Peyronie now runs the estate that her great-grandparents, who had been estate managers at Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild, purchased at the turn of the 20th century.

Fonbadet consists of 10 acres that border Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, eight acres contiguous with Château Lynch-Bages, and 32 surrounded by Château Mouton Rothschild—there’s no wonder why Robert Parker considers Fonbadet a “notable” estate of Pauillac that can “surpass several of the classified growths” of the appellation. Parker’s Wine Advocate rated the 2015 vintage a 95 in Pauillac. That kind of vintage, those kind of grapes, and all in the expert hands of Michel Rolland, makes Fonbadet a standout—even compared to its famous neighbors. 

Fonbadet has been a Bordeaux insiders’ choice for years, and the 2015 shows exactly why. This is the perfect overachieving Bordeaux priced to open on the occasional weeknight. Every cellar should have some, and yours is right here, right now.