Château Faugères 2020

Always a concentrated wine and, with low 23hl/ha yields, it is as expected. This translates into intense charred oak on the nose, but they’ve done a good job balancing it with ripe berry fruit alongside liquorice and dark chocolate. Sleek and confident, with clear depth. Another wine that shows the success of Cabernet Sauvignon in the right parts of St‑Emilion.

Red berries, plums and flowers with hints of orange peel. Full-bodied with rich fruit, light jam, creamy tannins and brightness at the end. Lightly salty. Vivid. 70% merlot, 25% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Better in a few years.

Truffles, cocoa, dark red fruits, licorice and spice create a perfume that wants to get noticed. On the palate, the wine is rich, lush, concentrated, deep and polished. Yet, it is balanced by its freshness, lift and elegance that makes everything work here from start to the vibrant, cocoa, plum and spice-box finish. Drink from 2024-2040.

Deep ruby, opaque core, purple reflections with an ochre tinge. Fruity nose of ripe plum and fresh black cherry, a touch of nougat, an open and inviting bouquet. Juicy wild-berry fruit, fresh, well-structured, vivid tannins, mineral finish, fresh-salty aftertaste. Will certainly age well.

I think the finest vintage to date from this estate, the 2020 Château Faugères has some similarities to the 2016, but with a touch more density and depth. Incredible aromatics of cassis, ripe cherries, leather, and graphite, full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mouthfeel, riveting purity of fruit, and beautiful tannins all define this sensational Saint-Emilion. It's a rich, powerful, inward 2020 (which is the vintage) and needs another 3-5 years of bottle age, but this is one well worth seeking out.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: (70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) Mineral, powerful, silky, fresh, finely floral and complex bouquet, wild strawberries, blackcurrant jelly, mint, chalk, a hint of licorice. Densely woven, powerful, very fresh palate with finely creamy, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, an elegant, silky, dense structure, diverse, intense aromatics, very long, fresh finish with sweet after-flavors. Has room to improve further.

The 2020 Faugeres from Saint Emilion has a deep garnet-purple color. It requires some patient swirling to unlock scents of tar, forest floor, wet slate, and garrigue, before opening out to a fragrant core of baked plums and boysenberry preserves, with a waft of Indian spices. The full-bodied palate is ripe, concentrated, and fantastically bright, with unbelievable tension and freshness lifting the concentrated flavors to a very long, velvety finish.

88-89

Dark, intense, purple color. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Soft on the attack, smooth mid-palate; the wine develops with a slightly leafy note on the finish, where it lingers for quite a while without any tannic edge. Tasted twice, one showing a saline note. Blend: 70% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yield: 23 hl/ha.

Full, specially embossed bottle 1,355 g. Cask sample taken 7 April. Deep purple. Intense nose of concentrated mulberry fruit that is evident on the palate. The fruit just about manages to mask the considerable tannin. Rather marked, slightly uncomfortable, acidity on the rather drying, sudden finish. Ambitious. Borderline exaggerated. But it should appeal to fans of late-20th-century St-Émilion. (JR)

Marked by ripe black berry notes and candied nuances, Faugères shows plenty of charm. Enhanced by hints of dark chocolate and licorice, the bouquet thus displays complexity. While the bouquet suggests a flavor bomb, what you actually get is a wine that is indeed indulgent yet juicy, fruity, and harmonious! Yes, it clearly needs time to open up, but if someone wants to enjoy it young, it certainly won’t do any harm! A seductive and convincing wine