2011 Château de Fieuzal

Château de Fieuzal is a 98-acre estate in the Pessac-Leognan appellation of Bordeaux. It is located just south of the city of Bordeaux, and is a Premier Cru of the Graves classifications of 1953 and 1959. Vineyards are planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. About 100,000 bottles are produced each year. The second wine is L’Abeille de Fieuzal. A dry white wine of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon is also produced. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the chateau “has always been one of the more obscure Graves, which is surprising given the fact that it is a relatively old property and is well recognized by the inhabitants of the region…In the best vintages, both the reds and the whites can compete with the stars of the appellation.”

Pessac-Léognan was created in 1987 from the northern part of the left bank Graves appellation. Before then it was simply part of Graves, or sometimes it was called Haut-Graves. Unlike many other Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is known for both red and dry white wines, although its reds are more famous. The appellation includes ten communes and the area’s most important châteaux, including Château Haut-Brion, the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 Bordeaux classification. There are 2,964 acres of vineyards in Pessac-Léognan and 16 classified growth estates. The main red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. White grapes grown are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with a little Muscadelle. Pessac-Léognan is considered to have the best terroir of the greater Graves region.