Jean Faure 2020
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
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Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 5% Malbec
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackberry, black cherry, orange peel, and rose petal aromas follow through to a medium to full body, with creamy and polished tannins and a juicy finish. 60% cabernet franc, 35% merlot and 5% malbec. From organically grown grapes. Give it three or four years to come together.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A particular success for this Cabernet Franc-dominant estate situated next to Cheval Blanc, the 2020 Jean Faure bursts with aromas of cherries, minty blackberries, rose petals and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, it's supple and suave, its enveloping core of vibrant fruit concealing sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with an expansive, perfumed finish. This beautiful wine stands out for its perfume and its ultra-refined texture.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mostly Cabernet Franc with 35% Merlot and 5% Malbec, the 2020 Château Jean Faure is a gorgeous, seriously good Saint-Emilion delivering ample red, blue, and black fruits as well as exotic floral, violet, and chocolate-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has the vintage's pure, focused, structured profile, is impeccably balanced, and has a great finish.
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Decanter
Always one of the highest Cabernet Franc percentages in St-Emilion which gives this a sculpted and juicy but oh so slow delivery of the blue-toned fruits. Not one to drink young; really needs a few years to develop in the bottle. You get clear raspberry leaf, tobacco and slate as things open.
Barrel Sample: 92 -
Wine Spectator
Broad and soft in feel, but with friendly boysenberry and mulberry fruit flavors laced with hints of sweet tobacco and black tea. Shows a subtle loamy twinge on the finish. A solid effort for the vintage. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec.
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One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.