Château Fombrauge – Château Fombrauge 1949

The 1949 Château Fombrauge, a Saint-Émilion from one of Bordeaux's truly great post-war vintages, is an extremely rare bottle dating from long before Bernard Magrez took over the estate in 1999. Back in 1949, the vineyard blend likely included not just Merlot and Cabernet Franc but also Cabernet Sauvignon and possibly Malbec – quite different from the modern cuvée. Tasted blind, there was consensus that this wine appeared younger than the 1977 Château Fombrauge, demonstrating remarkable freshness and an age-defying character that speaks to the quality of the vintage and the wine's surprising longevity after more than seven decades in bottle.