Château de Fieuzal 2020

Château de Fieuzal 2020 is an excellent red from the prestigious Pessac-Léognan region (Bordeaux, France), classified as a Grand Cru Classé de Graves. This vintage stands out for its depth, balance and great ageing potential.

The Wine Advocate
RP 94

Reviewed by: William Kelley

Offering aromas of boysenberries and blackberries, mingled with notes of liquorice, violets and red-berry compote, the 2020 de Fieuzal is medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive. Its broad attack develops into a smooth, layered mid-palate, supported by ripe acidity and sweet, powdery tannins. This is a deeper, more powerful Fieuzal than its 2019 counterpart.

This 90-hectare Pessac-Léognan estate is enjoying a renaissance under winemaker Stephen Carrier and consultant Thomas Duclos. Readers who've tasted old de Fieuzal know there's great potential here, but Carrier feels the estate lost about 20 years to viticultural mistakes made in the late 1980s, two decades he's determined to make up.

Today, new plantings are at high density (9,000 vines per hectare, against 6,000 vines per hectare in the older plots), and the grape balance has been adapted to the different soil types. About 60% of the vineyard is on gravel, while the soils further south-west are mainly sandy clay.

Today, the vineyard is roughly:

35% Merlot
35% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Cabernet Franc
10% Petit Verdot

Organic farming was followed for some time, but had to be abandoned in 2018, as the quantities of copper needed to control mildew were becoming excessive.

Today, the reds stand out for their fragrant, pure aromas, discreet tannins and vibrant fruit. The whites (under 10% of production) are also clearly evolving: less varietal and more focused on texture, with waxy character and incisive freshness, and well worth seeking out.

In short, de Fieuzal is an estate to watch.

Published: 6 April 2023.