| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Consistently good wines are produced here at this Irish-owned Chateau. The prices remain modest despite the quality and the wines are always typically Graves in style. Strong efforts are being made here by wine-maker Stephen Carrier - who has added a cellar master previously from Pape Clement and has recently changed his consultant to Thomas Duclos of Chateau Canon fame. The 70 hectares of vines are planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot. No wine was produced in 2017 and the yield was low in 2018 - just 24 hl/ha.
Perfumed and elegant, the 2019 de Fieuzal wafts from the glass with aromas of blackberries, licorice, coniferous forest floor and incense. Medium to full-bodied, lively and charming, with a pretty core of fruit, powdery tannin and a saline finish, it's a seamless, vibrant Pessac that—like its white counterpart—reflects the progress this 80-hectare Pessac-Léognan estate is making. It's a sleeper of the vintage. Drink 2023-2045.
The 2019 de Fieuzal, tasted from two sample bottles, has a clean and pure bouquet with perfumed, quite floral scents that infuse the blackberry and bilberry. The oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, saline in the mouth and spicier than some of its fellow Pessac-Léognans. Moderate depth, a distinct marine influence emerges towards the finish that lingers nicely. Could it have been better with more flair? Maybe, but it's a fine de Fieuzal.
2025 - 2048
Wet earth with dark berries and crushed stones. Some mushrooms and bark. It’s medium-to full-bodied with open, chewy tannins. Some iodine undertones.
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 de Fieuzal sings of black raspberries, warm cassis, and boysenberries plus suggestions of violets, cedar chest, and clove oil. Medium-bodied, elegantly styled, and refreshing in the mouth, it has soft tannins and a fragrant finish.
Love the soft grilled cedar notes on the opening beats, coming in waves and drawing you in. Sweet damson and blackberry on the palate, elegant, pared back, fresh acidities, touches of earth, black truffle, liquorice and cocoa bean, gentle but compelling. Subtle persistency, the pulses of flavour keep on coming without overwhelming the palate. Excellent stuff from the Quinn family and director Stephen Carrier. Consultant Thomas Duclos.
Tasted blind. Very sweet, ripe black-cherry nose. Just lacks a bit of zip, with the acidity sticking out. 13.5%
Drink 2028
– 2038
The 2019 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 15% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The blocks are now picked in a different order to optimise flavour and structure. The wine will be aged in a variety of vessels, from new 225 and 400l barrels for Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, to 12 year old barrels for Cabernet Franc and Merlot. There is some addition of 15hl foudre and amphora this year. With a deep ruby colour, the nose is fresh and earthy with plums, cherries and clove. The palate is crunchy and compact with a lifted acidity. Hedgerow fruit is to the fore, with an equal level of red and black fruits. This is soft and forward, and should drink well from a fairly early stage with its earthy, savoury finish.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 de Fieuzal rolls sensuously out of the glass with compelling scents of baked blackcurrants, redcurrant jelly and wild blueberries followed by wafts of red roses, star anise, freshly ground coffee and tapenade. The medium-bodied palate is laden with loads of wonderfully subtle black fruit and perfumed flavors plus invigorating exotic spice sparks, supported by velvety tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and multi-layered. 2024 - 2045
