Château Faugères 2017

Despite the noticeable oak, there is plenty of juiciness, verve and crunch; the élevage has clearly brought better balance here; poppy with character.

This is built on well-buried chalky minerality that gives the core of plum and raspberry fruit a noticeable spine. Tobacco, sanguine and savory streaks fill in through the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2032. 3,833 cases made.

Faugères is never afraid to gloss up, and here it works well—imparting a sexy, burnished black-fruit edge to the wine, with firm tannins and a juicy freshness running through it. Estate typicity that marries well with the conditions of the year—and in this cooler sector of St-Émilion, that must have taken skilled winemaking.

Plenty of plum cake and spice with hints of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, dense and chewy with lots of structure. Solid and intense. This needs at least three years to soften, but already enticing. Drink after 2022.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, subtle edge brightening, fresh cherries, red berry nuances, delicate orange zest, inviting bouquet. Elegant, medium body, red berry touch, silky tannins, fresh and animating, a versatile food companion.

The 2017 Château Faugères offers a much more open-knit, sunny style, with sweet, sun-kissed red and black fruits as well as notes of spicy herbs, incense, and flowers. It's medium-bodied, has a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It's impossible to resist today yet should keep for another decade with ease.

Dense purple with a ruby rim. Gorgeous forest-berry cocktail. On the second nose, plenty of cassis and freshly picked red cherries. On the supple palate, supported by ripe tannins, caramel-like extract and a good underlying lift. In the focused, aromatic finish, a full basket of blackcurrants, elderberry jelly and sloe juice. Owner Silvio Denz can be very proud of this Best Buy. A little more patience is advisable here—it will be worth it!

Kunz barrel sample 18: (85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 hl/ha, production 60,000 bottles, 50% new barrique) Finely mineral, dense and complex bouquet, blackberries, subtle cassis, pralines, cedar, flint, currants. Tightly woven, powerful, elegant palate with velvety fruit, dense, multifaceted aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, a finely muscular structure, long, dense, aromatic finish with strong lingering flavors.

The hillside vineyard was spared from frost; its geography and layout made it possible to get the most out of this fine vintage in which Faugères ranks among the best. The intense, fruit-driven juice doesn’t impose itself but delivers a pure, straightforward indulgence. A more flavorful finish emerges behind sandy, fresh, and supple tannins.

Fruity, elegant, fresh, juicy wine with rounded tannins, a lovely graphite finish, and good balance.

Beautiful intensity on the Faugères bouquet, where fruity and spicy notes lend the wine an inviting character. On the palate, the wine is sapid, juicy, and endowed with smooth tannins in harmony with the breed of its structure. Lovely tension on the finish underlining the palate’s aromatic character. A wine with personality!

Pleasant wine with a fruity, ripe nose and a juicy, flavorful palate, with medium body and length.

Fleshy and plush, round and rich, this wine is sweet, fruity, forward, and should be great close to its release. The wine was made from a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

90–92. Barrel Sample. Ripe and juicy, this wine is going to develop quickly. It has plenty of attractive fruitiness and is lightly spiced, with a crisp, fruity aftertaste. Drink from 2022.