97+ An absolutely prodigious, massively concentrated Saint-Emilion is the 2010 Peby Faugeres, which is 100% old vine Merlot, from a single parcel of south-facing limestone soils, brought up all in new oak. This beauty’s deep purple, almost blue, color is followed by a dense, backward bouquet of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, graphite, chocolatey oak, and an incredible minerality. More backward, dense, and brooding compared to the sexy 2009, hide bottle for another 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years. It’s an awesome wine.

A very limited production cuvee, the 2010 Peby Faugeres is sold in a specially designed bottle from Silvio Denz, who also owns Lalique Crystal. It comes from the oldest portion of the Faugeres vineyard, which is actually more of a completely separate entity under Denz than it was under the previous owners. The 2010 is 100% Merlot and again 15% natural alcohol. The vines were cropped at 20 hectoliters per hectare, but harvested about a week before the harvest finished for the main Faugeres vineyard. Most observers would tend to look at this wine as a modern-style, massive, intense St.-Emilion, with an opaque purple color, a floral nose shaded by notes of blueberry liqueur intermixed with black raspberries, vanillin, subtle smoke and barrique smells. It is full-bodied and built for two decades of longevity, but should be reasonably drinkable in 5-6 years because of the 100% Merlot content. This is a thrilling wine, as it has been in nearly every vintage where it has been produced.

This is very large-scaled, with a wall of baker's chocolate to get through first, followed by additional layers of roasted chestnut and bay, mulled black currant, steeped plum and roasted alder wood. Then the long, charcoal-fueled finish takes over and zooms away. This should be a complete knockout after cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2035.

Planted to 100% merlot. From the oldest 9-hectare portion of the Faugeres vineyard. Vines are 45 years old located on the southeast facing slopes in brown limestone soils. Hand-harvested between Oct. 7th and 13th. Yields in 2010 were 20 hls/ha. This opaquely colored wine shows distinct ripe black cherries and exotic spices on the nose. Polished vanilla oak notes on the palate and finely grained tannins to go along with a long finish. This is a very concentrated wine. Some 3-5 years would help open up this wine and can be enjoyed over the following 10 to 15 years. Stephan von Neipperg and Michel Rolland consult.

A dense wine with loads of ripe fruit and new wood on the nose. Full body, with lots of rich, ripe fruit that reminds me of Napa Valley. Yet it's still fresh and delicious. This needs at least seven to eight years to come complete together. Pure Merlot. Drink or hold.

The first thing you come in contact with are the smoky, licorice, chocolate, black cherry and clay aromatics. From there, you move to the full bodied, concentrated, polished, lush textured sensation of all those fleshy, ripe, black cherries dipped in chocolate. Give it a few more years for more earthy complexities to appear. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2010&wine=Chateau%20Peby%20Faugeres