Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Cap de Faugeres has a medium garnet-purple color and reveals notions of warm plums, blackberry pie and black raspberries with touches of pencil shavings and sautéed herbs. Medium-bodied with a velvety texture and good core of black fruits, it finishes on a long-lasting earthy note.
Blend: 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
An estate that has gone long on extraction in the past, but I'm really enjoying what they have done this year. This is big but very pretty, held back under tension, showing juicy black cherry and touches of chocolate. The soft, chalky tannins are very well placed; you can almost brush through them. This wine impressed me over several tastings. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035
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Jeb Dunnuck
A wine that always seems to deliver, the 2016 Château Cap de Faugères is another winner. Based on 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 14.5% natural alcohol, it gives up a spicy, dried rose petal, underbrush, and sweet cherry-driven perfume and is silky, pure, and elegant on the palate, with fine tannins. Drink it any time over the coming 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
Attractive dark berries and plums with gently flinty warm stones and a very plush, fruity palate with ripe darker plums from start to finish. Try from 2020.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cap de Faugeres (composed of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) has a medium garnet-purple color and reveals notions of warm plums, blackberry pie and black raspberries with touches of pencil shavings and sautéed herbs. Medium-bodied with a velvety texture and good core of black fruits, it finishes on a long-lasting earthy note.
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Wine Spectator
This is racy and fresh, showing a beam of loganberry and red currant coulis flavors driving along, laced with subtle savory detail and tobacco and iron notes. The racy finish is carried by mouthwatering acidity. Drink now through 2028.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Though the region is larger than many of its Right Bank neighbors, it is one that consistently produces high quality, well-valued red wines. In fact, Cotes de Castillon can almost be considered a geographical eastern extension of St. Emilion, producing similarly-fashioned reds based on Merlot.
Vineyards in the region’s clay, limestone and sandstone soils produce sturdy red wines. On alluvial terraces, in vineyards closer to the Dordogne River, wines tend to be more supple and fruity. In either case, a great Cotes de Castillon red will be bursting with raspberry, plum and blueberry, have an enticing bouquet of dried flowers and a finish that is plush and opulent.