PEBY FAUGERES [ST. EMILION] 2020 750ML

Soft and round with lots of blackberry and blueberry character. Some chocolate undertones. It’s full and flavorful with loads going on. Juicy finish. Very pretty polish and intensity. The tannin quality is really exceptional. It goes on and on.

The 2020 Château Péby Faugères is a rich, modern, full-bodied, sexpot of a wine that offers more hedonistic pleasure than most in the vintage. Beautiful currant and blackberry fruit as well as graphite, chocolate, and roasted herb notes define the nose, and it brings the power on the palate, with a great mid-palate, velvety, seamless tannins, and a great, great finish. If you need a wine that will put a smile on your face, this is it.

The 2020 Péby Faugères sports a deep purple-black color and pronounced notes of blueberry preserves, plum pudding and Christmas cake, followed by hints of licorice, Indian spices and sandalwood with a waft of wild mushrooms. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with concentrated black fruit preserves, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and spicy. This wine has all the volume nobs turned to maximum—and it works! Definitely one for the hedonists, though.

The 2020 Péby-Faugères is ripe and plush on the nose of macerated black cherries, crème de cassis and violet scents; there’s a lot of new oak present, although it seems in sync with the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe black fruit, sweet morello cherries and a dash of black pepper. Plush and quite decadent on the finish, in keeping with its style. I will be the contrarian as ever and not for the first time, pin my colors to the mast of the 2020 Faugères as my pick over Péby-Faugères, though hedonists will think otherwise.