Château de Fieuzal 2010

At Château de Fieuzal, complacency is not an option.  Winemaker Stephen Carrier is constantly pushing and striving to make sure each subsequent vintage is better than the last.  At this Grand Crus Classés de Graves, both red and white wines are equally prized and reverently tended to both  within the vineyard and the vat room.  The vines are nurtured with a passion that almost borders upon artistic obsession, and this devotion to fine winemaking is not only inspiring but yields tangible results.  Quality of both Red and White grand vin at this estate has steadily increased in quality over the past few vintages, proving that Château de FIeuzal is one of the rising stars of Pessác-Léognan. 

Château de Fieuzal was named after its owners during the start of the 19th Century.  Prior to that it was owned by the Griffon family, who were well connected and close acquaintances with Pope Leon XIII in Bordeaux.  The Pope loved Château de Fieuzal, and the Vatican’s cellar was filled with the grand vin from this estate.  In the modern era, the property was purchased by Lochlann Quinn, the chairman of Allied Irish Banks.  Lochlann made the decision to hire Hubert de Boüard to consult at the property in 2006.  Subsequently, Lochlann hired Stephen Carrier as the director and winemaker at this estate.

The vineyard is a large 70 hectare property, planted extensively with both red and white varietals.  It is considered one of the largest classified growths within the region, but though the vineyards are a hefty size, that does not mean the wines produced here are not of excellent quality.  The majority of the estate is devoted to planting red vines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.  Over the past few years, the viticultural team has been focusing on adding more plantings of Petit Verdot and Merlot while decreasing the percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon.  A smaller portion of the vineyard is dedicated to planting Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.  The vines are 35 years old on average, but there are Petit Verdot vines at the property that date back to 1908.  In terms of terroir the property hosts richly graveled sand with white stones that puts the perfect amount of stress on the vines. 

In 2012, Château de Fieuzal completed an extensive renovation in the vat room.  The facilities have been completely modernized with 63 vats in both wood and stainless steel.  Stephen Carrier is very much inspired by the winemakers from New World wine regions such as California, Australia and New Zealand.  What is resonates with him is their willingness to break the rules and experiment with techniques outside the box, and he brings a similar sensibility to his winemaking techniques.  The wine at Château de Fieuzal is considered a raw and authentic expression of terroir.  Preserving the freshness of the wine is integral to the winemaking spirit at this estate, resulting in wines that have been described as , “interesting,” and “confident,” by connoisseurs and critics alike.