Chateau Peby Faugeres 2018

Château Péby Faugères is the flagship cuvée of the Faugères estate in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, crafted primarily from Merlot. Rich and concentrated, it reveals layers of black cherry, blackberry, plum, dark chocolate, licorice, and graphite with velvety tannins and remarkable aging potential.

Food Pairing: Pair with beef tenderloin, roast lamb, venison, duck breast, braised short ribs, truffle dishes, or aged hard cheeses.

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2018 Château Péby Faugères is another brilliant wine from this talented team. Based on 100% Merlot from vines in the eastern side of the appellation, it was brought up in 65% new French oak, which has been the norm for the past couple of years. (The 2015 saw 90% new oak.) Deep purple-hued, with a glorious bouquet of crème de cassis, toasted spices, violets, vanilla, and a touch of chalky minerality, this full-bodied, super-rich, incredibly sexy Saint-Émilion builds with time in the glass and has a great mid-palate and flawless balance. It has a modern style, yet I still find plenty of classic Saint-Émilion minerality. It's already beautiful, but smart money will give bottles 3-5 years and it should keep for two decades.

98 Points - Wine Spectator

Offers layers of dark fig, boysenberry and cassis fruit, with alluring black tea and anise notes. The long, smoldering finish is carried by a graphite edge. Dense, but with serious cut and detail. A classic in the making.

97 Points - James Suckling

Very attractive aromas of currants, blackberries, bark and dried mushroom follow through to a full body with firm, fine tannins that are round and creamy-textured. Pretty finish. Drink after 2024.

95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Made of 100% Merlot, the 2018 Péby Faugères has a deep garnet-purple color and bombastic scents of plum preserves, baked black cherries, cedar chest and blueberry pie with an undercurrent of menthol, black olives, charcuterie and Indian spice, plus a waft of oolong tea. The seductively rich, full-bodied palate (15.5% alcohol) delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves with a velvety texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy yet with a touch of oak poking through. It will need a good 5 years in cellar for the oak to settle in, then drink it over the next 20 years or more. Rating: 95+

91 Points - Decanter

Inky damson in colour, this is a wine where you can feel the influence of the cooler terroir in terms of the bulkier tannins. They are not rustic but are certainly present, crawling across the palate. It's good quality - as are all the Denz wines in 2018, but there's no escaping the slightly distracting concentration, with a little too much marzipan oak on the finish. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.