Château de Fieuzal Rouge 2021

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2021 de Fieuzal, a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, has an expressive, sensual bouquet with aromas of blackberries, blackcurrant, rose, licorice and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and refined, pure and crystalline, it’s perfectly balanced with a sapid, tense and ethereal finish. Gourmand and charming, this is a superb rendition of sandy, gravelly soils. Keep it over the next decade.

This 90-hecatre estate in Pessac-Léognan is undergoing a renaissance under the guidance of winemaker Stephen Carrier and consultant Thomas Duclos. Readers who have tasted old wines from Fieuzal will know that there's potential here, but Carrier feels that the estate lost 20 years due to the viticultural mistakes of the late 1980s—20 years he's determined to catch up. Today, replanting is at high density (9,000 vines per hectare versus 6,000 in the estate's older plantings), and the varietal balance has been adapted to the soils (some 60% of the vineyard, incidentally, is gravel, with more sandy-clay soils to the southwest). Today, that means around 35% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and fully 10% Petit Verdot. Organic farming has been pursued, but it had to be abandoned in 2018, as the necessary doses of copper to control mildew were becoming too high. Today, reds are fragrant and pure, with discreet tannins and lively fruit tones. Whites (less than 10% of the production) are making obvious progress too: less varietal and more textural, they're waxy and incisive, well-worth seeking out. In short, de Fieuzal is an estate to watch.

Jeb Dunnuck

Tasted on two separate occasions with consistent notes, the 2021 Château De Fieuzal is an outstanding 2021 that has beautiful red plum and darker cherry fruits as well as violet and savory tobacco and leather nuances. It's nicely balanced, medium-bodied, has fine, polished tannins, and beautiful length. I love it already, but it will evolve for 10-12 years with ease.

James Suckling

Red cherries, cranberries, currants, grapefruit and smoked tarragon. A simpler, fruity delivery this year with medium body and firm, fresh tannins. Remains juicy and crunchy and shows early appeal. Drink now.

Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

Espresso, dark cherries, smoke and plums shine through on the nose. Soft, lush, rich and fruity, with sweetness, length and a supple-textured, fresh, vibrant, ripe, earthy finish. This is already quite charming. But it also has the ability to age and evolve for 12-15 years. Drink from 2024-2037.

Adrian van Velsen - vvWine.ch