Château de Fieuzal
Address: 124 Avenue de Mont de Marsan, 33850 Léognan
Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 64 77 86
E-mail: infochato@fieuzal.com
Website: www.fieuzal.com
Château de Fieuzal is a very well known Léognan estate that has a great reputation for the quality of its white wine which is frequently one of the best in the appellation. The red is improving and generally pretty good. Second wine is L’Abeille de Fieuzal.
Vineyard/Terroir: 48 hectares, around 8 of which are devoted to white varieties, all planted on sandy gravel soils. The red varieties comprise 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon is the split for the whites.
Winemaking/Elévage: Traditional fermentation and ageing in barrel.
Tasting notes:
White:- 2015 Washed grey/green; lovely aromatics; tight but deep; opens up to reveal passionfruit and lime notes; white melon; very attractive indeed; bold and racy palate with texture; will broaden with age; excellent length. Wonderful. Tasted UGCB 7/6/16. Drink 2020-2028. 93-95+
- 2014 Silver/green; washed; candied peel, white melon and pear drop notes; little oak dominates the palate currently; some cashew; needs to meld but has weight and texture. Some length. Little disjointed for now – but de Fieuzal makes classy whites so expect this to meld. [60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon]. Drink 2019-2025. Tasted UGCB 1 April, 2015. 90-93+
- 2013 Pale straw; peachy fruit tones; full on the nose and attractive; some candy peel too; full palate with a waxy feel but also freshness; good depth; candy peel again on the finish. Good length. Long-term. UGCB April 2012. 2018-2025. 90-92+
- 2012 Palest grey/green; more overtly aromatic than de Chevalier at this stage; but not quite as flattering currently as Bouscaut; citrus zest, ginger and mineral tones; elegance on the palate and will take some age; excellent finish with very good length. Drink now – 2022. 92+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Very steely looking; some candy, lees; feels full; some spice and ginger tones; waxy palate and pretty deep and works well. 65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon 91-93 UGC Weds April 10, 2013. [Earlier note] Green/gold; candy, some cashew, depth and finesse; broad palate which has weight and depth; linear with good length. Classic de Fieuzal. 91-93+ Tasted Monday April 8, 2013 at Chateau Olivier’s Pessac-Leognan tasting
- 2011 Pale straw [more colour than Domaine de Chevalier tasted beside]; oak more dominant at this stage; citrus tones and wax; oak too on the palate but there is fruit here; nice creamy mouthfeel; round; needs to settle. Drink 2015-2025. 91+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Palest gold/grey, almost colourless; more definition than Carbonnieux and Domaine de Chevalier on the nose; grass, lemon citrus, more lift, candy too; really refreshing palate with zip and zing; lively with lots of race. Lees tones and length. Potentially very fine. [30% new oak, 100% barrel ferment, 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon] 92-94+
- 2010 Pale gold/green; more worked wine than Domaine de Chevalier but like this style also; wax, butterscotch alongside grapefruit and citrus tones; very expressive and loaded with fruit; strong palate with depth, maybe lacks the overall scale of Chevalier but this is altogether a different beast. Good finish. 93+ [Earlier] Pale straw; ripe, some cashew, wax, very rich; good palate with richness and will age well on the long term. 92-94/100 Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC
- 2009 Pale straw; cashew, oyster shell and citrus fruit; pretty forward and big with minerals tones too; good tight palate; lots of grapefruit and spice here; oyster shell; deep and substantial palate. Very good length here. Showing extremely well. 92-94+/100 [Earlier]Very attractive white nose; cashew, ripe fruits; fresh too; palate fresh, some soap and very attractive. Excellent structure. Will fill out. Very Good. 90-92+/100 [70% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon]. Tasted 31st March 2010.
- 2008 Straw coloured; firm nose; some limes and citrus notes with weight and substance; attractive and modern palate well balanced and polished. Very good wine and quite showy, much more so than Domaine de Chevalier. 92+/100
- 2007 Pale straw; quite appley; mid weight with some cream; will fill out. Mellowness of Sémillon evident. Very good. 90/100 Oct ‘09
Red:
- 2015 Mid depth; earthy purple at edge; ripe red fruits; softness; emphasis on the pretty fruit; pure palate; very nicely done; delicacy and well managed extraction; very fine de Fieuzal red. [75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot]. Tasted UGCB 7/4/16. Drink 2022-2030. 91-93+
- 2014 Deep and dark; ripe fruits; plum pudding; menthol and spices; ink; little mocha tones; dark chocolate; sweet entry with black fruit; dark chocolate notes; extract and some oak tannin to integrate. Perhaps a little forced on the finish but should settle. [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc]. Drink 2019-2028. Tasted 1 April, 2015. 89-91
- 2013 Deep and dark looking; colour tight to the rim; fraction less dense than Domaine de Chevalier though; attractive blackcurrant purity on the nose; nice seam of fruit here; glossy black fruits; sweet and ripe in feel; not overdone on the palate and quite soft in the middle. Almost a feeling of richness. Not a bad effort at all. [75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted UGCB April 2014. Drink 2018-2025. 88-90
- 2012 Deepish; spices and menthol alongside blackcurrant tones; palate complete with polish and panache; grip on the finish but plenty of flesh here, freshness and earthy blackcurrant style. Drink 2016-2025. 91+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; black at centre; some earth black fruits, feeling of depth to the nose; some coffee and smokey tones from the oak at the back; sweet entry, black fruits, some oak influence that needs to meld; some chew and grip but ripeness to the tannins; 89-91+ UGC Weds April 10, 2013.
- 2011 Deep and saturated looking: ripe aromas; some wet rock and black fruits; lift; ripe entry with nice blackcurrant flavours; density here; good extract yet not extracted; polished and complete. Good length. Very good effort. Drink 2015-2025. 90+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and dense; tobacco, malty note even a trace of honey; similar tones on the palate; earthy pretty chewy. Not impressive at all. Bad sample? Disjointed certainly. 85-87?
- 2010 Deepish; fractionally less saturated than Bouscaut; little more immediate fruit lift; some red fruits; little olive; earthy blackcurrants; little more forward than Bouscaut; mint and menthol note; mid weight wine on the palate with nice balance with some chew to the tannins. Perhaps a little narrower in focus than the broader [when it opens up] Bouscaut. Drink 2015-2025. 91+ MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated look; blackcurrants, fruit pastels; feels deep but also fresh; similar flavours on the palate – blackcurrants come through strongly; lots of fruit and material on the palate; dense with a pretty big frame; structure; less acid and feels plusher than some. Chewy but ripe tannins on the finish. Cracking effort. 92+ UGC Oct ’12 [Earlier] Deep and black; concentrated and deep nose; sweetness here; really nice; some smoke, lots of ripeness, some cream; lots of blackcurrants on the palate; ripe and rich fruit; very good; concentrated. Coffee and chew. Very good and concentrated. 92-94/100 Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC
- 2009 Deep and saturated look; lifted blackcurrants and leaf; attractive and open; lots of flesh on the palate; very good effort this; ripe blackcurrants and earth tones; lots and lots of material but lovely ripeness to the fruit and roundness to the considerable tannins. Great effort! Drink 2016-2030+ 93+ MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier note] Dark, meaty colour; fresh and creamy; very ripe here; mulberrys; layered; palate modern and layered with oak and extraction; layers and well done; tannins a little dry. If it settles could be 90?/100. Tasted 31st March 2010 UGC Primeurs tasting
- 2008 Quite saturated in colour; plump, earthy style on the nose; lots of fruit; pretty deep with mocha notes; pretty ripe palate with lots of red fruits lots of depth, grip and structure. Very good effort. 90 MW Institute Nov ’12 [Earlier] Mid red, some density, some chocolate, rust and earth on the nose with sweetness at the edge, soft palate, easy entry; lots of extract and ripe tannins, not without grip. Good effort 88+/100 UGC Oct ‘10
- 2007 Mid depth; reasonable colour; some stalky, leafy blackcurrant; not unattractive though a bit green; sweet entry on the palate, some herbs, spices with some grip here and extraction though overall feels pretty harmonious. Good, earthy wine with some harmony. 88/100 MW Institute Nov ’11 [Earlier] Mid red; some lifted herbaceous tones but also intensity; quite precise and clean flavours on the palate; also chocolate and mocha notes; attractive wine with a real earthy note. Again pretty good considering the vintage. 86/100 Oct ’09 UGC London tasting.