Château Faugères: Tasting & Drinking

The style of wine made at Château Faugères is of course thoroughly modern. With super-ripe fruit, sorted by optical technology, fermented using vinification integrale for an increasingly larger portion of the harvest, all overseen by Michel Rolland, it could hardly be anything else. They are dark, textured, spicy wines which are the antithesis of the elegant side of St Emilion as represented by the likes of Château Ausone or Château Canon. This is, perhaps, what has to be done in order to be noticed in the more peripheral reaches of the appellation. Dotted all around the vineyards of Château Faugères are ‘famous’ names which, while they are of certain interest (from a vinous but also a historical point of view), they have not achieved the same level of respect that Château Faugères has benefited from over recent years.

Discovering earlier vintages of Château Faugères I have to admit I was won over by the racy impact and seductive texture of the wines. In more recent years my view has become more circumspect as my palate awoke to the various styles offered within the St Emilion appellation, and I learnt which ones I preferred, and which I did not. My leaning is certainly towards a more restrained style than the spicy and textured polish of Château Faugères, but that is not to say these are wines to be overlooked. They are impressive, bold, substantial wines that will tickle the tastebuds of many drinkers, and if your preference is for seduction, or even domination, it is perhaps on the door of Château Faugères that you should be knocking. (7/8/08, updated 22/1/15)

Disclosure: I was a guest at a dinner at Château Faugères during a visit in 2014.

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