Château Faugères

シャトー・フォジェール

A Mario Botta-designed 'cathedral of wine' earning Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé in 2012 under Silvio Denz

Château Faugères is a distinguished Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé estate spanning 42 hectares in the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, approximately eight kilometers east of the town of Saint-Émilion. One of the most storied properties on Bordeaux's Right Bank, its origins trace back to 1619 when the vineyard was first cultivated by André de Faugères, giving the estate its name. Through centuries of stewardship, the Esquissaud family held ownership from 1823 until the Guisez family took over in 1987. Under Pierre-Bernard ("Péby") Guisez and his wife Corinne, the estate began building its reputation for quality. A transformative chapter began in 2005 when Swiss luxury goods magnate Silvio Denz acquired Château Faugères from Corinne Guisez, acting on the advice of his close friend Count Stephan von Neipperg. Denz brought in an exceptional advisory team—including Count von Neipperg and legendary Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland—and commissioned Swiss architect Mario Botta to design a landmark gravity-flow winery completed in 2009. The breathtaking structure, described by Botta as a "cathedral of wine," became an architectural symbol of the Saint-Émilion appellation and earned the Gold "Best Of" at the 2013 Best of Wine Tourism Awards in the Architecture and Landscapes category. The 42-hectare vineyard rises to 80 meters elevation and features an extraordinary diversity of aspects—south, south-east, west, and east—maximizing sun exposure throughout the growing season. The terroir is a harmonious blend of the appellation's coveted limestone plateau, composed of calcareous soil over asteriated limestone (Lower Oligocene), and south-south-east facing clay-limestone slopes forming a natural amphitheater. These soils impart the signature minerality and structure that define the estate's wines. The vineyards are planted to 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an average vine age of 35 years. Sustainable viticulture is practiced with no herbicides, earning HVE3 (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certification. Winemaking at the gravity-flow cellar combines traditional techniques with cutting-edge technology, allowing the fruit to express the estate's exceptional terroir without mechanical stress. Château Faugères attained Grand Cru Classé status in 2012, a testament to Denz's rapid elevation of quality. The estate also produces Péby Faugères (a 100% Merlot prestige cuvée named in honor of Pierre-Bernard Guisez) and Cap de Faugères (Côtes de Bordeaux). Robert Parker described Château Faugères as one of his top 24 Bordeaux wines, calling it a "Legend of the Future," with multiple vintages receiving mid-90s scores from The Wine Advocate.