Chateau Fourcas Hosten Listrac 1999
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The Land
Listrac-Médoc is one of the lesser-known villages of the Médoc, set back from the Gironde estuary on the higher ground of the peninsula. It is cooler and later-ripening than the famous gravel communes nearer the river, and its calling card is limestone: Fourcas Hosten sits on a bank of clay-limestone alongside deep Pyrenean gravel, an unusual pairing for the Médoc. The limestone holds freshness and acidity while the gravel drives ripeness in the Cabernet, which is why critics rate this as one of Listrac's strongest terroirs for structured, ageable claret.
The Wine
A classic Left Bank blend built on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, grown on Listrac's limestone and gravel. At more than a quarter century old, this 1999 is drinking well: still fresh, showing red and black currant and pomegranate, ripe and lush, with almost none of the green, herbaceous edge that cooler Médoc sites can carry. 1999 was a warm Bordeaux vintage marked by harvest-time rain, a year that produced softer, forward wines meant to be enjoyed earlier rather than cellared for decades, which makes this bottle's freshness at its age a pleasant surprise. The tannins are resolved and the wine is mature and ready.
The People
Château Fourcas Hosten dates to the 18th century and takes its name from the Fourcas plateau and the Hostein family, who owned it in the 1800s. When this 1999 was made, the estate belonged to the Bordeaux merchant house Schröder & Schÿler, who held it from 1971 to 2006. In 2006 it was bought by Laurent and Renaud Mommeja of the Hermès family, who invested heavily in vineyard and cellar and added a white wine, sharpening the estate's standing as one of Listrac's leaders. This bottle predates that modern era, a snapshot of Fourcas Hosten under its earlier ownership.
Food Pairing
Mature Médoc is classic red-meat wine. Serve it with roast lamb, a steak in peppercorn sauce, braised short ribs, or a wedge of aged Comté or Cheddar. The currant fruit and resolved, savory structure work with grilled and roasted meats and with rich, slow-cooked dishes, and the wine's freshness keeps it from feeling heavy. Decant off any sediment and serve at cool room temperature.
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The Bordeaux wine region, an emblem of vinicultural prestige, is bisected by the Gironde Estuary into the Left and Right Banks, each celebrated for distinct styles shaped by their unique terroirs. The Left Bank is renowned for its structured, Cabernet Sauvignon-led blends, while the Right Bank favors the softer, Merlot-dominated wines. This region is also the birthplace of the luscious, sweet wines of Sauternes. Bordeaux's time-honored blend and winemaking techniques have inspired countless wine regions around the globe, setting a benchmark for the wine world.
Bordeaux
Cabernet Sauvignon, originally hailing from Bordeaux, France, has triumphantly spread to become a cornerstone of vineyards worldwide, achieving particular renown in Napa Valley. This versatile grape variety adapts to a broad spectrum of climates, producing full-bodied wines that are rich in black cherry and blackcurrant flavors, with layered complexities of oak and spice. The grape's success in regions like Napa Valley is a testament to its global adaptability, where it benefits from the optimal blend of warm days and cool nights, coupled with diverse soil types, to express a unique balance of power and elegance that pays homage to its Bordeaux origins.
