Château Péby Faugères: Tasting & Drinking
There are, as you would expect, strong stylistic similarities between the wines of Château Péby Faugères and Château Faugères. The vineyards are intertwined, minor differences in slope and aspect the only likely distinguishing features. The vines are tended and the fruit harvested under the direction of the same team, and the philosophies concerning vinification, from optical sorting to vinification integrale, also mirror one another.
My conclusions here therefore mirror those made in my Château Faugères profile. These are impressive wines, dark, rich, textured and filled with tannin. This is Bordeaux in the very modern style, made with huge investment from a well-heeled proprietor, wines that are intended to be noticed. They dare to pop their heads above the general melee of wines made in the peripheries of St Emilion, a number of which tend towards a leaner, more old-school style. The wines offered by Château Péby Faugères are a million miles away from this style and – it has to be said – although the style may not appeal to all, the effort and quality here cannot be denied.
Initially seduced by these wines, today my views have evolved somewhat. Having said that, I am impressed that such wines, dripping with structure, can show a nice sense of freshness as well. They are big wines, but they are not necessarily leaden. I was particularly impressed by the 2011 tasted at the château (well, in the tasting room above the chai at neighbouring Château Faugères to be absolutely correct), a wine that although dark and glossy with desiccated fruit, also possessed a fresh vigour, and which overall was a very good effort in a more testing vintage.
Since than I have enjoyed the 2016, 2018 and 2020 vintages most of all. I also thought the 2017 to be punching above its weight, but on a good show for this frosted vintage. I suspect the position and elevation of the vines afforded them some protection. Other strong vintages include 2022, 2015 and 2014. (28/1/15, updated 31/8/24)
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