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Chateau de Fesles

Chateau de Fesles is situated in the district of Thouarcé in the Anjou region, very close to the village of Bonnezeaux itself. The origins of the chateau can be traced back as far as 1070, when the original buildings were constructed. The current buildings in fact date from the 19th century, although the chateau has been remodelled by its various owners over the centuries. The most recent changes have been in 1991, whilst under the control of Gaston Lenôtre, a celebrated pastry chef.

More important than the historic buildings, however, are the wines. Bonnezeaux was named for the quality of its mineral water, which springs in abundance from the iron-rich soils, but it is now recognised as one of the Coteaux du Layon's two crus. Chateau de Fesles was once hailed as the finest estate of Bonnezeaux, but by the mid 1990s the property's reputation was a shadow of its former self. I suspect this was due to a combination of Lenôtre's inexperience with regard to sweet wine production, combined with a sequence of less than adequate vintages, starting with 1991. In the late 1990s the estate was then purchased by Bernard Germain, a Bordeaux négociant who was establishing himself anew in the Loire, and quality began to take off again. One of Germain's more difficult decisions was to stop production of the super-cuvée La Chapelle in order to concentrate on a single Bonnezeaux bottling - doubtless just one of many decisions which has resulted in an upturn in the estate's fortunes.

Sadly it would seem that Germain overstretched himself somewhat - he had purchased a number of other estates as well - and in June 2008 Fesles was sold, this time to the négociant group Grands Chais de France. Only time will tell what effect this new change of hands will have on the quality of the wines.

The vineyard itself covers 33 hectares, of which only 14 are classified as AC Bonnezeaux. These 14 hectares lie on the slope of the hill, immediately around the chateau, and are planted with Chenin Blanc. The soil here is stony, Silurian soil, covered by a mixture of decomposed shale as well as blue and red clay. The topsoil is shallow and also quite rocky. The nearby Layon frequently gives rise to morning mists, especially in autumn, encouraging the development of botrytis. As well as Chenin Blanc on the slopes, on the plateau both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are planted for an Anjou Rouge, and some Grolleau and Gamay which are gainfully employed in the production of an Anjou Rosé. (23/8/02, updated 22/8/06, 11/8/09)

Contact details:
Address: Bernard Germain, 49380 Thouarcé
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 68 94 00
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 68 94 01
Internet: www.fesles.com

Chateau de Fesles - Tasting Notes

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Chateau de Fesles Anjou Blanc 2007: Rather gentle and honeyed fruit on the nose, with a gently plump style following on the palate. Diffuse, straw and paper character, underpinned by decent acidity. Clean, neutral, a little more hearty and rustic towards the finish. A decent wine. From a Charles Sydney tasting. 13.4-14.5/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Fesles Anjou Blanc La Chapelle 2007: This wine has a much more appealing character on the nose, minerally and straw-like, with a little touch of honey. Better concentration, supple weight, good acidity bringing up the rear. Overall a nice character and a pretty style. Good. From a Charles Sydney tasting. 15.5-16.5/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 2006: Not a vintage I have tasted before from this estate, once in the hands of Bernard Germain but sold in June 2008 to the négociant group Grands Chais de France. So this is Germain's last-but-one vintage. In the glass the wine has a bright golden hue. Good purity on the nose, with vivacious crystalline fruit character, and notes of honey, lemons, pineapple, pear and peach fruit salad. The palate is gently sweet, not rich or luscious, but with an attractive depth. There is a little midpalate grit to it, a more textured savouriness, and this is rounded off in the finish by a gently bitter element which with the soft acidity counters the sweetness and weight quite nicely. Overall a good, elegant but very immature wine which needs some time to come together and show its best. From a Winedirect tasting. 17+/20 (August 2009)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 2005: The nose here is quite gorgeous, showing overt botrytis character over that lovely mineral-honey combination that you can find in Bonnezeaux. The palate is soft, rich, but well endowed with balancing acidity. There is a somewhat lighter minerality and overall it is a little more soft-focus than I expected. I suspect it may firm up a little in time though. Good potential here. From a Charles Sydney tasting. 16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 2001: A moderately rich, golden hue. What a nose though! Simply fabulous at present, showing an exotic melange of honey and minerals, crushed rocks and spicy, herbal tea, with great depth. Rich, creamy and mouthfilling with fairly low acidity but a nice, bitter grip at the back of it to give a little structure. Plenty of minerality, fine, viscous but pure and fresh character, and a rich and lingering finish. A little more acidity would be preferable, but those flavours are delicious. 18+/20 (November 2007)

Chateau de Fesles Rose d'Anjou 2000: An attractive pale pink, with strawberry fruit on the nose. Good body on the palate, quite dry, with correct acidity. Some fruit. From an Oddbins tasting. 13.5/20 (December 2001)

Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1999: A pleasing pale golden hue on inspection. As with the 1998, the nose is captivating, with plenty of stone and mineral characteristics. Behind this there is a core of rich, honeyed aromas, and a suggestion of lemony freshness, with rosemary herb nuances. On the palate it is fabulously rich, yet balanced, with superb acidity, a hallmark of Chenin Blanc. A lovely, fat, round, oily texture, with a deep, mealy, mineral complexity which surpasses that found in the 1998, which had a more elegant and slightly less rich feel to it. Great sweetness and nicely poised acidity. Tremendous length. Marvellous stuff. 18+/20 (August 2002) Label

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 'F de Fesles' 1998: This is the second wine of Chateau Fesles, perhaps one of the top estates in the Bonnezeaux appellation. It has an attractive golden hue, and a very typical nose, of honey, beeswax, mineral and quince. A good texture and weight are immediately apparent on the palate, which is rich yet firm and structured, deeply flavoursome, warm and rounded. There is a good grip, and also a soft, slightly peppery acidity. It does not have the direction that one might look for in the grand vin, nor the precision, but it has good flavour and there is a little appealing freshness to it all the same. It finishes up with a nice undercurrent of slightly bitter botrytis at the finish, and there is a little length. A good wine. From my 1998 vintage Ten Years On tasting. 16.5+/20 (November 2008)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 'F de Fesles' 1998: A rich and golden appearance in the glass. The nose is enticing, Gently honeyed, aromatic, quartz-minerally, with fresh quince, herbal tea and more. Later oranges, and cream. Fresh, elegant, sweet, just a little fat, broad but balanced and stylish. It has plenty of appeal, just a little touch of caramel richness, and plenty of length. Great acidity, lovely presence and balance, very complete, with a good bitter orange streak through to the finish. The strange thing is, despite this being the estate's second wine, and from a lesser vintage for the region, this is one of the most enjoyable wines I have ever had from Fesles. Beautiful, fresh, elegant and lively. Very good indeed. From my 2008 Loire wine tasting notes. 17.5+/20 (July 2008)

Chateau de Fesles Anjou Rouge Vieilles Vignes 1998: Bell peppers and herbs on the nose here, with some chewy black fruits. Herbs, minerals and smoke in the background. On the palate, good fruit sits with a fair amount of tannin and correct acidity. Smooth texture. This is a good food wine. From an Oddbins tasting. 15.5/20 (December 2001)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1998: A mealy and complex nose on this wine, with smoke, beeswax, fresh honeycomb, herb tea and minerals. The palate carries a layer of sweet honey and tea flavours, with a delightfully balanced sweetness and acidity. The overall feel is of elegance rather than luscious hedonism. Brilliant stuff. From an Oddbins tasting. 17.5+/20 (December 2001)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1996: I was saving this for a 1996 ten-year-on tasting in 2006, but accidentally packed it for a weekend away instead of a 1998 from Delesvaux. Guess I have to drink it now then - life is hard! A rich, orange gold hue. Honey and botrytis, with a little crystalline fruit on the nose. This has a pure, fat richness at present. Beautiful palate, with honey on toast and pineapple fruit, fairly soft acidity and overall, as the nose suggests, a pure, dense, concentrated richness. A little one dimensional now, but the complexity will come with time. Lovely. I suggest leaving for another five years at least. 18+/20 (March 2005)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1996: Rich colour that suggests botrytis influence, and this is confirmed on the nose by characteristic aromas. Rich, balanced, honey-edged palate, again showing plenty of botrytis. Fairly low acidity gives the wine an opulent feel, although acid is a touch on the low side. Nevertheless it has freshness, and quince, lemon, orange-peel and apricot flavours abound. Delicious, soft and seductive stuff. Drink over the next ten years. 17+/20 (October 2004)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1994: A fat 750ml bottle, purchased from a retailer just outside Saumur. Not a highly sought after vintage, shall we say. A good, vibrant, golden hue. Like the 1990 the nose has lots of rocky-mineral characteristics, with a strong theme of honey-coated tropical fruit, mango perhaps, with plenty of straw notes too. Certainly leaner than the 1990 La Chapelle on entry, and that feeling persists through the palate. There is richness of flavour, with a little appealing botrytis note, but the palate is relatively straightforward through the middle and end in comparison with the 1990, although it does please with an array of typical Chenin character. Nevertheless this is a very good effort from a weaker vintage, and it has the structure for further time in bottle. 16.5+/20 (August 2006)

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux La Chapelle 1990: An example of the now discontinued La Chapelle cuvée. A rich colour, honey-gold. The nose is intensely mineral, with a sideline of honey, straw and crushed rocks. The palate is rather more gentle than I had expected, without the immediately apparent depth and richness one might expect from a moelleux from a great vintage, but it is still full, pleasing, the weight and texture very sugar dependent, and it is obviously sweet. It has a very organic character, a sweet honey-oat-cereal flavour, with a lovely, expansive, balanced feel, with great acidity. This is delightful, with nuances of camomile and herbs, wrapped up in a pervasive, marrowy substance. Deliciously fresh, and an amazing length, building to a crescendo some time after, and then slowly fading. Excellent. 18/20 (August 2006)