Happy Cellar Saturday! It's the first Saturday of a new month, so it's time to raid the cellar and find a bottle that's at least a decade in the making! Tonight, I've gone back to the genesis of my love of red wine, a classic Bordeaux, in this case, the 2015 Château Faugères St.-Émilion Grand Cru Classé that I purchased a few years ago from Wines Till Sold Out. This particular vintage is a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), so let's see how this wine has matured!
The wine seems to be as fresh as the day it was bottled, with deep ruby color throughout. The nose presents aromas of blackberry, charred oak and tawny herbaceousness that will leave you with a firm impression of classic Bordeaux funk. The first sip is a surprising rush of ripe fruit, tart cherry, raspberry and currant that wash over your palate before easing into some notes of dusty limestone midpalate. The tannins are somewhat subdued, but still an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish that reminds me of springtime in Paris.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classically formed St.-Émilion with plenty of fruit, structure and funk to have Bordeaux fans standing at attention. This wine would pair well with a range of classic French dishes, from Coq au Vin to braised lamb shank. Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rather unconventional dinner of an oven roasted stuffed pork chop, steamed sugar snap peas and mashed potatoes and gravy. Cheers!
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