The 2010 Château Péby Faugères is a small-production Saint-Émilion Grand Cru made as a luxury selection from Château Faugères on Bordeaux’s Right Bank. It is unusual in the context of Saint-Émilion for being entirely Merlot, and reviewers repeatedly emphasize both its ripeness and its modern, high-impact profile.
Robert Parker’s *Wine Advocate* delivers one of the wine’s standout notices at **97 points**, calling it “a very limited production cuvee,” sold in “a specially designed bottle from Silvio Denz.” Parker reports key technical details: **“100% Merlot,” “15% natural alcohol,”** and very low yields at **“20 hectoliters per hectare.”** He frames the style as “a modern-style, massive, intense St.-Emilion,” noting an “opaque purple color” and a “floral nose” with “blueberry liqueur,” “black raspberries,” “vanillin,” and “subtle smoke.” He adds that it is “built for two decades of longevity,” though “reasonably drinkable in 5-6 years because of the 100% Merlot content.”
Jeb Dunnuck matches the top praise with **97+ points**, calling it “an absolutely prodigious, massively concentrated Saint-Emilion.” Dunnuck says it is **“100% old vine Merlot,”** from “a single parcel of south-facing limestone soils,” and “brought up all in new oak,” with “black and blue fruits,” “scorched earth,” “graphite,” “chocolatey oak,” and “an incredible minerality.” His advice is clear: “hide bottle for another 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years.”
*Wine Spectator* also rates it highly at **95 points**, describing a “very large-scaled” wine with layers of “baker’s chocolate,” “mulled black currant,” and “steeped plum,” finishing long and smoky, and projecting best drinking from **2016 through 2035**. James Suckling (**94**) underscores the ripe, oaky character—“loads of ripe fruit and new wood”—yet finds it “still fresh and delicious,” recommending **seven to eight years** to fully knit. Jeff Leve (**94**) highlights “smoky, licorice, chocolate” aromatics and a “polished, lush textured” palate, suggesting more time for added earthy complexity.
