A Throwback to When Bordeaux Was a Value
This is a bottle that truly bucks the trend of sky-high Bordeaux pricing and delivers the kind of honest value that regions like Côtes de Castillon, Haut-Médoc, and Entre-Deux-Mers have traditionally been known for. While big names keep climbing in price, wines like this quietly continue to offer serious drinking pleasure without the sticker shock.
The 2019 vintage is in a beautiful place right now. The wine opens with inviting aromas of ripe black cherry, plum, and blackberry, layered with classic Bordeaux notes of cedar, graphite, and a touch of earthy spice. It smells like the kind of red you want to pour with dinner on a cool evening, and unmistakably Old World.
On the palate, it’s generous but balanced. There’s plenty of dark fruit, but it’s framed by fresh acidity and smooth, well-integrated tannins that give the wine structure without making it feel heavy. Subtle oak adds hints of cocoa and baking spice, leading into a long, polished finish with just a whisper of mineral lift. It’s the kind of Bordeaux that feels refined but not fussy. You’re getting the depth, nuance, and aging potential people associate with classic Bordeaux, but from a lesser-known appellation that still flies under the radar. That means more wine in the glass and less strain on the wallet, which is always a winning combination.
Decant it for 30–60 minutes if you have the time, or simply open and let it evolve in the glass. This wine also has surprising stuff, and I think it should live well into its decade of life through the end of the 2030s.
92 Points, Vinous media
The 2019 Cap de Faugères has tightened up a lot on the nose, showing dense black fruit, tar and graphite scents, quite Left Bank in style. The palate is much more expressive, featuring fleshy red berry fruit mixed with allspice, clove and white pepper. Persistent and quite convincing on the finish. Give it time for those aromatics to get their mojo back – which they will. - Neal Martin, 2021