Winemaker Notes
Château Faizeau 2020 has a garnet color, very sustained and brilliant, with pretty fuschia nuances. The nose is complex, both fruity and spicy. It exhales aromas of blackberry jam, licorice and graphite. The palate is ample, balanced and persistent with notes of black fruit jam.
Blend: 93% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of blackberry, blueberry and dark olive. Crushed stone, too. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Strong yet polished tannins.
Barrel Sample: 92-93 -
Wine Enthusiast
The wine's high alcohol does show in the pepper edge but the corollary of that is the richness of the Merlot and the powerful velvet texture. The wine is likely to develop well. Drink from 2025.
“Faizeau” is a diminutive of the word “Faize”, in reference to the Benedictine abbey of Faize, situated close to the property and which owned, amongst other plots, vineyards in Pauillac and Saint-Emilion. Built on the slopes of Calon hill, the highest point in the region of Libourne, the chateau is one of the oldest wine-growing “terroirs” around Bordeaux. It already figured on the map drawn up by the engineer Belleyme in the 18th century.
The vineyards of Chateau Faizeau are of the highest quality and boast a magnificent terroir and privileged location on a plateau oriented east and west, bathed in sunshine all day long.
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.