Péby Faugères 2003

Even better than I remember, this was the penultimate vintage for proprietor Corinne Guisez before she sold her estate to the quality-conscious Silvio Denz. The 2003 Peby Faugeres was made from 100% Merlot and tiny yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare. Still youthful, it reveals lots of melted chocolate, espresso roast, blueberry, blackberry and floral notes. The wine is intense, opulent, rich, fresh, stunningly long and multidimensional. A superb example of the so-called garagiste winemaking in St. Emilion that has brilliantly stood the test of time, it should continue to provide pleasure for 4-6 more years. Drink 2014-2020

A luxury cuvee culled from the large Faugeres vineyard, Peby-Faugeres is a nearly 100% Merlot made from 45-year-old vines planted in limestone soils. The wine’s upbringing is similar to that of a well-crafted Burgundy, with malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees, and no clarification at bottling. It has been a huge success since it debuted in 1998. Even better from bottle than it was from cask, the intense, deep purple-hued 2003 offers a big, sweet nose of blackberries, creme de cassis, creosote, coffee, and flowers. Full-bodied and opulent with low acidity, huge glycerin and flavor density, and a spectacularly long, flamboyant finish, this exotic, intense St.-Emilion reflects this interesting vintage. Anticipated maturity: now-2020+.

This big, concentrated, heady effort reveals an opaque blue/purple color along with a sweet perfume of charcoal intermixed with creme de cassis, kirsch, blueberries, figs, and plums. Not much better than the regular cuvee, it is just more tannic, muscular, and formidably endowed. Is it better balanced or superior to the grand vin? It seems to me that previous vintages have exhibited far greater qualitative differences between the two cuvees. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022.

This luxury cuvee is culled from a 5-acre parcel of the Faugeres vineyard. In 2003, there is little difference between this offering and its sibling, Faugeres. The Peby-Faugeres is more tannic and closed, revealing a saturated blue/purple color, along with more blackberry/blueberry-like fruit, but the same espresso roast and smoky characteristics. Firm, big, and formidably backward, this loaded St.-Emilion should turn out to be one of the finest wines of the appellation. It will also be long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.