2016 Esprit de Fonrozay Bordeaux 750 ml

This wine first hit our glasses last year at a friend’s New Year’s Eve party.  It showed a personality that fit the gathering’s late-night condition—jovial and gregarious—and within minutes, we were ready for more. 

We were almost certain that our friend had gone deep into his collection and pulled out a big-name Bordeaux. But to our surprise, he revealed the 2016 Esprit de Fonrozay, thrilled that he’d found such a gem for under $35. 

His excitement resonated: The $32 SRP is a steal for a wine with this kind of muscular delivery. That’s why we were doubly thrilled to nab this Merlot-based charmer for Wine Access members for even less.

We weren’t immediately familiar with Esprit de Fonrozay, but after a little digging, we weren’t surprised at its caliber and value. This skillful collaboration combines several vineyards from across Bordeaux—adding depth and nuance to the finished wine thanks to minute climatic differences in each site. Together, they develop show-stopping complexity that comes with a rare form of value we’re used to seeing in bottles with $35 (or $50) prices. 

In this case specifically, growers tapped into terroir similar to that of the Bordeaux superstars, then pooled their knowledge and resources to turn out a world-class wine for a fraction of the cost.

The 2016 Esprit de Fonrozay introduces itself with generous wild strawberry, cinnamon, and cardamom aromatics, before delving into elegant dark fruit and spice on the palate. It nimbly distracts you with its full, lush texture while it coordinates velvety tannins on the finish, begging for just one more sip. 

Further alluring was the wine’s 2016 origin, a rare vintage that gifted growers with both generous quality and quantity, inspiring a ton of excellent wines like this one. Jeb Dunnuck rated Bordeaux’s 2016 as “Extraordinary” and Suckling said it produced bottles “incomparable to other reds made in the world.” Wine Enthusiast went as far as to ask “Is 2016 the perfect Bordeaux?” adding that the vintage offers “quality across the Bordeaux hierarchy.” The Esprit de Fonrozay takes full advantage, featuring the impressive complexity of their triple-digit-priced counterparts without the steep cost. 

Pulling from storied and unique sites across the region, this Bordeaux value captures the full scope of that esteemed vintage, defining itself as a spellbinding mosaic of meticulously-farmed grapes. It might be a long time before we see a wine and vintage at a price like this again, which is why we grabbed as many cases as we could for Wine Access members. 

An everyday sipper with a whole lot of character, the 2016 Esprit de Fonrozay is an absolute star.