Cassis, spice, chocolate, truffle, and floral notes all emerge from the 2000 Château Péby Faugères, a gorgeous, absolute tour de force in world-class Merlot. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep, rich, and textured, with beautiful balance and a layered, concentrated mouthfeel. This show-stopping, brilliant Saint-Émilion ranks with the crème de la crème of the region and has another 15+ years of prime drinking ahead of it. Drink 2026-2041. [April 2026]

There are 500 or so cases of this thrilling 2000 that emerges from a south-facing slope of the Faugeres vineyard. In less than three years, the price has caught up with the quality. A prodigious wine as well as one of the superstars of the vintage, the spectacular 2000 represents the essence of Bordeaux with an inky black/purple color, profound richness, and massive concentration. The provocative bouquet of smoke, liquified minerals, cocoa, blackberries, blueberries, and vanilla is accompanied by a multiple-tiered wine with sweet tannin and dry vintage port-like richness. It is full-bodied, yet remarkably well-delineated as well as light on its feet. With high tannin and extract as well as a whoppingly long finish, it will easily rival, possibly surpass the other-worldly 1998. I kept a bottle open eight days without any evidence of oxidation. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020. Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate [April 2003]

The luxury cuvee from Faugeres (owned by Bernard Magrez), the 2000 Peby Faugeres is the real deal. Sadly, only 500+ cases were made of this compelling St.-Emilion. An inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by aromas of espresso roast, blueberry liqueur, smoke, and graphite. Thick and unctuously-textured with impressive purity and depth as well as full-bodied power and richness, it needs another 2-3 years of cellaring, and should last for two decades.

Impressive saturated ruby. Roasted black cherry, dark chocolate, mocha and espresso on the nose. Lush and silky on the palate, with intense, nicely delineated dark berry and torrefaction flavors. Impressively concentrated and rich. Dense, vinous and solidly structured wine, with plenty of extract to support the firm tannins. Finishes with excellent length.