Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France · France
2020 Château Faugères Haut Faugeres Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Château Faugères' Haut Faugeres 2020 is open and approaching its 2027 peak — a ripe, full-bodied Saint-Émilion Grand Cru blending velvet tannins with concentrated dark fruit from one of the Right Bank's strong vintages.
- Varietal
- Bordeaux Blend
- ABV
- 14.5%
- Vintage
- 2020
Drinking Window
In 2026: Approaching PeakDrinkable, but best years are ahead. Peak begins 2027.
Right now: In 2026, the Château Faugères Haut Faugeres Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020 is in its drinking window and gaining complexity with each year of additional bottle age. Having entered the window in 2024, the wine is showing well in 2026: the blueberry bouquet is fully open and generous, the velvet tannins have softened to a creamy, accessible texture, and the perfumed fruit, tobacco, and chocolate layers are developing with evident richness. One more year of patience to the 2027 peak will deliver the wine at its most generous and integrated. The peak window extends through 2035, providing a nine-year optimal drinking span, with the hard decline threshold in 2040.
Tasting Note
Deep ruby-purple with a vibrant, youthful appearance. The nose is immediately inviting: a bright blueberry bouquet dominates the primary register, followed by perfumed dark fruit, tobacco leaf, and chocolate notes that suggest the wine's full-body ambition. Velvet tannins frame the entry with unexpected approachability for a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru at this stage of development. Full-bodied on the palate with crisp acidity that prevents the richness from becoming heavy, the wine builds through a solid core of dark fruit — blackberry, blueberry, and plum — before a caressing, sustained finish carries tobacco and chocolate through the conclusion. This is a Bordeaux blend engineered for pleasure as much as longevity.
About Château Faugères
Château Faugères is a family estate in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, where the Guisez family has been farming since 1987. The property is certified organic in both vineyard and winery, with sustainable farming practices that have become increasingly central to the estate's identity. Haut Faugeres is the property's second wine, vinified from younger vines and selected vats of the grand vin, intended to offer accessible Right Bank pleasure while retaining the estate's signature concentration and velvet texture. The head winemaker works with consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt, one of the Right Bank's most respected cellar voices, whose influence is evident in the wine's textural finesse and aromatic precision.
Food Pairings
Roasted duck breast with blueberry reduction and roasted beets
The wine's blueberry-forward bouquet and velvet tannin find their mirror in the fruit reduction while the duck's richness provides the fat platform the wine's full-body concentration requires — beet's earthiness adds a savory mineral dimension.
Braised lamb shoulder with black olive and thyme
The wine's tobacco and chocolate aromatic depth are natural partners to slow-braised lamb with savory Mediterranean herbs — the black olive notes in the lamb preparation echo the Right Bank's characteristic dark fruit and savory complexity.
Aged Comté or Gruyère with dried fig and walnut bread
The wine's full-body weight, crisp acidity, and persistent caressing finish integrate harmoniously with the nutty crystalline texture of aged hard cheese and the natural sweetness of dried fig — the walnut's slight bitterness echoes the wine's dark chocolate finish.
Service & Cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 62-64F (17-18C)
- Decanting
- In 2026, decant 45-60 minutes before serving to allow the blueberry and chocolate aromatics to fully open. By 2027 at peak, 30-45 minutes of aeration will be optimal. The wine's velvet tannins are already reasonably integrated, so extended decanting is not necessary.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle stored on its side.
Frequently Asked
When is the best time to drink the Haut Faugeres Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020?
The wine opened its drinking window in 2024 and is accessible now in 2026. One more year of patience to the 2027 peak will deliver the wine at its most generous and integrated. The peak window extends through 2035, with the hard decline threshold in 2040, providing a nine-year optimal drinking span.
What is Haut Faugeres and how does it relate to Château Faugères?
Haut Faugeres is the second wine of Château Faugères, vinified from younger vines and selected vats that do not meet the selection criteria for the grand vin. It is crafted to offer the estate's characteristic Right Bank texture — velvet tannins, full body, and concentrated dark fruit — at earlier accessibility and a lower price point than the flagship. Consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt's influence is equally present in both wines.
What food pairs best with this Saint-Émilion Grand Cru?
The wine's full-body concentration, blueberry-forward aromatics, velvet tannins, and chocolate finish are calibrated for roasted and braised red meats — duck, lamb, and beef are all excellent. The wine's crisp acidity also makes it functional with rich dairy-based preparations and aged hard cheeses. Avoid overly delicate proteins that would be overwhelmed by the wine's concentration.
Is this wine suitable for long-term cellaring?
Yes, with a hard decline threshold of 2040 and a peak window extending to 2035, this is a legitimate 14-year aging candidate from today. As a second wine from an organic estate with reliable quality in the 2020 vintage, it represents solid value for mid-term cellaring. For longer-term ambition, the grand vin of Château Faugères from the same vintage would be the stronger bet.
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