2015 Chateau de Fieuzal Pessac-Leognan Cru Classe 750 ml

If you haven’t already begun stockpiling Château de Fieuzal, now would be a good time to do so. As Lynch-Bages once was to Pauillac, Fieuzal is to Pessac-Léognan: an extraordinary under-the-radar wine that delivers all the finery Bordeaux can offer at a price that won’t break the bank—for now. The dual 94-point 2015 is a value standout from an “extraordinary” vintage. 

Produced by winemaking consultant Hubert de Bouärd—owner of the majestic Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé Château Angélus and author of multiple 99+ and 100-point wines—in collaboration with in-house winemaker and Lynch-Bages alum Stephen Carrier, the 2015 exudes classic Left Bank brilliance on every level. 

Freshness and structure make up the pillars of the 2015 Fieuzal’s dignified form, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot from gravelly hillside soils giving off vibrant aromas of red currant, black raspberry, and plum swathed in bay leaf, fresh mint, violet, and hazelnut. The palate brings forth dark cherry, plum, vanilla bean, and Fieuzal’s characteristic earthiness, delivered by stately, fine-grained tannins—the epitome of Bordeaux class. 

But despite its white tablecloth pedigree, the 2015 Château de Fieuzal doesn’t come with the triple-digit price tag of its esteemed Left Bank peers. With the structured poise to evolve for two decades and then some, this is a Cru Classé Bordeaux to go all-in on. 

The centuries-old Château de Fieuzal was built in the Napoleonic era and first owned by the noble La Rochefoucaulds. Its vines are spread across some of the finest gravel slopes in Pessac-Léognan: well-draining, rocky soils that absorb the sun’s rays, maintaining moderate vineyard temperatures while diffusing heat spikes, thereby preserving vibrant acidity and freshness in the grapes. 

In 2001, Brenda and Lochlann Quinn acquired the property and tapped Hubert de Bouärd, who has helped the château soar to new heights using his wealth of experience from Angélus. By 2012, the Quinns had completed a costly renovation, modernizing the facilities with new wood and stainless steel vats that enable parcel-by-parcel vinification. 

Mother Nature smiled on Bordeaux in 2015, offering up the finest vintage since 2010, and Château de Fieuzal was primed to take full advantage. The dedicated team took to the 100-acre vineyard with zeal, picking Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot by hand, then sorting them twice. The decades of hard work coupled with a 97-point Parker-rated vintage were immediately apparent in the glass. Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling both weighed in with 94 points, while Wine Advocate wrote, the 2015 offers, “lovely ripe plums and crushed red currants,” with “great freshness, cutting through the earthy layers, it finishes long.”