Those who recently pounced on Château Chantecler—one of our finest price-to-quality Bordeaux offers to date—are in for another investment-grade treat today from the opposite bank of Bordeaux. Just like Chantecler’s proximity to the First Growths of Pauillac, Château Jean Faure is nestled amongst some of the greatest châteaux of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.
From their doorstep, the famous Cheval Blanc is a few football fields west and their vines are even closer—we’re talking in measurements by the foot. You’ll also find that Pétrus is five minutes’ drive, L’Evangile and Figeac are half-mile strolls, and La Dominique is next door. We’ve offered a steady stream of exciting Bordeaux this year, but based on the response to the ’12 Chantecler, I made it my mission to locate a Right Bank equivalent that would match it in terms of prime location, aging potential, and sheer quality. Even better, Château Jean Faure comes in at a more affordable price while delivering a wine of insane depth and concentration, thanks to the lengthy growing season of 2014. So, while it is surrounded by châteaux whose bottles exceed hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, Jean Faure’s grand vin remains an absolute steal at $65. The allocation we received was even less than that of the Chantecler, so grab some while you can—we can offer up to six bottles per customer until it sells out.
Although its vineyard sites were around long before, Jean Faure can accurately pinpoint its origins to the mid-1700s. Historically, the estate was among the most revered in Saint-Émilion and their wines were consistently listed in major Bordeaux publications. It long held a “Grand Cru Classé” status, but had fallen into disrepair in the modern era. When the château was purchased by Olivier Decelle in 2004, it’s rank had been reduced for a number of years, but this was exactly what Olivier was searching for: an estate with a rich and storied history that he could take under his wing and restore to elite status. He accomplished just that. In what has to be record time, Château Jean Faure was promoted to “Grand Cru Classé” during the reclassification of 2012.
The lengths to which Jean Faure has gone to implement natural viticulture—whimsically illustrated in this
short video—far exceed most other estates in the region. Now certified organic and converting to biodynamic, their philosophies would seem like witchcraft and wizardry to the untrained eye. They practice green-pruning, which is a painstaking, labor-intensive method that improves aeration and natural growth. You’ll find them concocting batches of lime, orange peel, compost tea, and essential plant oils for mildew protection. Additionally, during the spring and fall, four plow horses can be seen gently churning the clay and iron soils between the rows of their impressive 45-year-old vines. Come harvest, the grapes are hand-picked in small crates and twice-sorted. Harvest came a bit later than usual in 2014, but the growing season ended with eight consecutive weeks of flawless weather, resulting in grapes with perfect ripeness and low yields. In their facilities, the wine was matured on its fine lees and aged in 40% new French oak of various sizes for 18 months. The final blend is Cheval Blanc-esque, with 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, and 5% Malbec.
The 2014 Jean Faure displays a dense, dark garnet-red core with light garnet and orange reflections at the rim. The nose provides a deep and evolving core of black and red fruits. Classic notes of black and red currant, black plum and preserved black cherry meld into secondaries of dried violet, thyme, leather, red tobacco, bay leaf, cacao, cigar box and wet clay. The palate is nearly full-bodied and reveals a clear sense of fruit and earth with soft, yet structured tannins; there is substantial complexity here. It’s a endlessly textured wine that provides great pleasure when given air. If drinking early, coax out its aromas with a 60-90 minute decant or pull the cork mid-morning and pour into large Bordeaux stems come dinner time. I see this wine coming into true form around 2020, but its superb structure is marathon-ready; expect this to keep over the next 20 years in a positive direction. Pick up as many as you can because this is a Right Bank sleeper you’ll want to revisit in 3-5 year increments. Show this off alongside a succulent roasted veal à la Prince Orloff. Your guests will be impressed and hopefully arguing over which is better—the food or wine. Enjoy!
