2005 Château Faugères Cuvée Speciale Peby Peby Faugères

($130-$150) Ruby-red. Superripe black cherry, chocolate and coffee liqueur on the nose. Lush, sweet and superconcentrated, with an almost port-like richness to its exotic berry liqueur flavors. Underlying minerality gives shape to this outsized wine, which finishes with big, fine-grained, building tannins. This and the Faugeres are both at the extreme of ripeness in 2005 without quite crossing the line. Fans of sheer size may rate these wines even higher.

Author: Stephen Tanzer

Issue: May/June 2008

A perfect wine in this vintage, the 2005 Peby Faugeres has the classic liqueur of blueberries and spring flowers. Dense purple and full-bodied, with unbelievable richness, this tastes like a great Napa Cab from the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, even though there's no Cabernet Sauvignon in it. This is a sensational wine - rich, full and multi-dimensional, with a skyscraper-like mid-palate and finish. Kudos to Peby Faugeres for producing one of the perfect wines of the vintage. Drink it in about 3-4 years as well as over the following two decades.

Drink Dates: 2018 - 2038

Author: Robert Parker

Issue: 219

Blackish crimson. Extremely heady nose - upper limits of ripeness! Sleek texture but still some oak notes, which is a bit of a shock. Drying tannins on the finish. Very distinctive. Strong mineral notes - sort of essence of St-Emilion rather than a drink. For dabbing behind the ears? May resolve itself because there is lots of fruit there?

Author: Jancis Robinson

Issue: 39784

Black in color, with a very extracted nose of new wood, blackberry and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with raisin, spice and coffee bean character. A full-throttle style. This is a big, juicy Merlot. Best after 2014. 915 cases made.

Drink Dates: 2014+

Author: James Suckling

Issue: Mar 31, 2008

Layered and velvety, with beautiful chocolate, blueberry, and raspberry aromas and flavors. Soft and silky. Delicious already but needs another couple years to come around. Pull the cork after 2016.

Drink Dates: 2016+

Author: James Suckling

Issue: Monday, April 9, 2012