2023 Château de Fieuzal, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

2023 Château de Fieuzal, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Product: 20238012818
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2023 Château de Fieuzal, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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1 x 300cl double magnum
Berry Bros. & Rudd BB&R 2 cases £120.00
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En Primeur Limited availability
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Description

Blend: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; 50% Merlot; 10% Petit Verdot.

The 2023 harvest was the longest ever at the property – running from 7th September to 10th October – and with healthy yields of 47hl/ha. Huge improvements have been made here since being bought by the Quinn family in 2001; a new cellar in 2011 and a large replanting project still ongoing. Winemaking under Stephen Carrier focuses on gentle extractions and preserving freshness. The 2023 showcases this philosophy with a very fresh and elegant expression. Crunchy red fruit dominates the palate with a beautiful, floral lift of violet. This is a property to keep an eye on.

Drink 2028 - 2040

Our score: 16.5/20

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Critics reviews

Jane Anson93/100

Vibrant plum in colour, with juice, density and grip, another sign of how they are evolving the structure and architecture of this wine, giving it nuance without sacrificing the complexity. Cocoa bean, sweet berry, fruits, this is delicious.

Drink 2027 - 2038

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (April 2024)

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Wine Advocate94-96/100

The 2023 Fieuzal reveals a bright, perfumed bouquet of mulberries and cherries mingled with floral accents of violets, lilac and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it’s pure and seamless, with a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and powdery, ultra-refined tannins, concluding with a mineral, penetrating finish. This blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot stands out in this challenging vintage for gravelly, sandy terroirs. Under the adept guidance of Stephen Carrier, the estate—positioned on the border of the Pessac-Léognan appellation—has hit new heights in recent years.

Drink 2025 - 2055

Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate (April 2024)

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James Suckling93-94/100

Very impressive freshness and focus here. Bright and succulent, al-dente fruit right upfront and continuing through the whole length of the wine. Notes of forest floor, sea shell and iodine. Medium body. It has bright acidity that adds tension and a lot of energy. Fine tannins, already beautifully integrated.

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (April 2024)

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Jeb Dunnuck90-92+/100

The 2023 Château De Fieuzal is terrific, with ripe plum and cassis fruit as well as some chocolaty, leafy herb and damp earth nuances. A classic Graves, it’s medium to full-bodied and has fine tannins, good overall balance, and outstanding length. Based on 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot, it should easily be an outstanding wine.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (May 2024)

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About this WINE

Chateau de Fieuzal

Chateau de Fieuzal

The origins of Château de Fieuzal date back to the first stirrings of winemaking in Bordeaux’s Graves region. This Pessac-Léognan estate sits on one of the best gently sloping, gravel-outcrops in the area - long admired for its excellent drainage and heat diffusing properties. While Château de Fieuzal its known for producing some of the best white wines in Bordeaux, its reds are equally good, and in 1959 the estate was awarded the official status of Graves Grands Cru Classé.

Fieuzal is named after the family who owned the property up to 1851. The estate now covers some 75 hectares, 10 of which are used to grow white wine grapes. The current owners are Brenda and Lochlann Quinn, who hired talented young winemaker Stephen Carrier in 2007. Working closely together, they have introduced a rigorous and innovative winemaking style, and have broadened the estate’s reputation considerably. As well as hiring Carrier, the Quinns brought well-known Bordeaux winemaking consultant, Hubert de Bouärd, owner of Château Angélus, on board in 2006.

The vines at Château de Fieuzal have a current average age of 30 years, and are planted at a density of 9,000 plants per hectare. Chemical applications are kept to a bare minimum, traditional farming methods are used and grapes are picked and sorted – twice - by hand, all of which helps to preserve the purity of the fruit. Vines are managed on a plot by plot basis, essentially meaning that each undergoes tailored winemaking processes to avoid masking or muting their distinct flavours and aromas. Other developments at Fieuzal have included a restructuring of the vineyard and, in 2011, the inauguration of a new cellar, fully equipped with advanced winemaking facilities.

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Pessac-Léognan

Pessac-Léognan

In 1986 a new communal district was created within Graves, in Bordeaux, based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan, the first of which lies within the suburbs of the city. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac-Léognan vignerons, who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves.

Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the classed growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Ch. Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux's southern urban sprawl.

The climate is milder than to the north of the city and the harvest can occur up to two weeks earlier. This gives the best wines a heady, rich and almost savoury character, laced with notes of tobacco, spice and leather. Further south, the soil is sandier with more clay, and the wines are lighter, fruity and suitable for earlier drinking.

Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Haut-Brion, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Ch. Pape Clément, Ch Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, Ch. Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Ch. Carmes Haut-Brion, Ch. La Garde, Villa Bel-Air.

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Merlot/Cabernet Franc

Merlot/Cabernet Franc

Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grape varieties commonly used in Bordeaux-style blends, particularly in the Bordeaux region of France. When these two grapes are blended, they can create a wine that combines the best characteristics of each variety.

Merlot is known for its smoothness, soft tannins, and ripe fruit flavours. It often contributes black cherry, plum, and chocolate flavours to the blend. The grapes are relatively easy to grow and ripen earlier than other Bordeaux varieties, making them versatile for blending.

Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, adds structure, depth, and complexity to the blend. It typically brings aromas of red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, along with herbal notes like bell pepper and tobacco. These grapes have thinner skins and can be more challenging to cultivate, requiring specific growing conditions to reach their full potential.

When Merlot and Cabernet Franc are combined, the result is a well-balanced wine with various flavours and aromas. The blend often exhibits a Bordeaux wine's medium to full body, along with a smooth texture and moderate tannins. The specific flavour profile can vary depending on the proportions of each grape in the blend and the terroir and winemaking techniques employed.

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When is a wine ready to drink?

We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.

Not ready

These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.

Ready - youthful

These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.

Ready - at best

These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.

Ready - mature

These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.