Ch. Pipeau vs. Ch. Faugeres (2005)

My House
Tasted Sunday, August 12, 2012 by THA with 322 views

Introduction

I thought I'd pull a couple of under-$50 2005 Right Banks from the wine locker to see how they're doing.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2005 Château Pipeau 87 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    A bit stemmy and woody, but with a good, dry core of blackberries and blueberries. Many tasting notes mention the term "fruit bomb", but I don't agree. A better choice for food than the Faugeres. Lighter in color than the Faugeres. Tannins still young with a firm grip. Good focus and precision; not round at all. But remains smooth through the nice finish. Don't hesitate to keep this in your cellar for five, ten more years, but I don't predict this will evolve into anything special.

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  • 2005 Château Faugères 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    So much sweet, vanilla oak. So much extraction. Very dark in color -- this will stain your wine glass. Although Merlot, this could easily be a ringer in a tasting of premium Napa Valley Cabernet. Very sweet, very ripe tannins. This is the type of wine that would bully its way to the top of a comparison tasting; but would a drinker reach for a second glass? In other words, this beats the Pipeau all day long in a tasting, but, personally, I think the Pipeau is the better wine to enjoy two or three glasses over the course of a meal. Parker frequently uses the term "hedonistic", and this wine is a fine example. Drinking well now, and may soften a bit over the next several years. But I don't think this will evolve into anything remarkably complex. My recommendation is to drink sooner than later. I agree with the last Jeff Leve tasting note -- rich, modern -- all true.

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