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An Update on Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, February 2010

As far as Sauternes goes, Lafaurie-Peyraguey was an early discovery of mine, and I was impressed not only by its combination of richness and vigour, but also its complex array of flavours. In subsequent vintages it has proven to be an admirable example of Sauternes; it doesn't have the vigorous or bright acidity of some examples of Barsac - many Sauternes don't - but it more than makes up for this with its exuberant character.

All this means I have to have some Lafaurie-Peyraguey in the cellar of course, and I have recently topped up with some from the 2007 vintage, purchased at a bargain price. Even if low acidity in Sauternes is an issue for you, then the 2007 Sauternes might still be worth considering; one of the less rich of recent vintages, a first look at the wines during the annual primeur tastings in early 2008 revealed lots of vibrant and exciting wines with great nervosity. And they remained true to form when tasted the following year in London at the annual UGC tasting.

And so for me Lafaurie-Peyraguey remains a trusted favourite, the wines having gone from strength to strength since the 1986 vintage which was a turning point for the estate. And so when one moment earlier this year the chance to taste four recent vintages arose, I natural grabbed this botrytis-laden opportunity with both hands. The wines in question were the aforementioned 2007, the first in a backwards triumvirate of vintages, being followed by 2006 and then 2005. This briefest of tastings finished up with a look at the 1999, another fine vintage for the region.

The 2007 showed the fine aromas and acidity that I expected from this vintage although the structure did not meld together perfectly with the rest of the wine in the glass, and I suspect this is just an awkward time to taste this vintage; I will naturally be returning to this wine again in the future, now having no shortage of bottles in the cellar. I was impressed by the 2006, this not being an exalted vintage for the region; despite this Lafaurie-Peyraguey has given its all, with plenty of honeycomb richness and tropical fruits. Finally the 2005 showed a fine, roasted character that spoke of the profundity of the vintage; a splendid effort, this will take some considerable time to come around. As for the 1999, this wine hails from yet another excellent year, and in this context it was helped along by the comparative youth of the other wines, highlighting this wine's broad panoply of flavours, its substance toned down by its maturity, and its fine, linear, polished style. This particular example of Sauternes - as well as many others from the same vintage - will give a lot of people some drinking pleasure at a good price, I think. (20/10/10)

An Update on Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey - Tasting Notes

Tasted in February 2010. For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Lafaurie-Peyraguey profile. Click to locate stockists.

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes) 2007: Beautifully aromatic nose here, full of pineapple, cirtus, orange, lemon and acacia. Similarly fine on the palate, although perhaps more muted than I expected from the nose. It has a lovely although rather open and loose-knit texture at present, with good spice though, and more grip in the finish. Nice acidity especially in the midpalate. Showing really well. Not a vintage rich in botrytis but still full of character. 17.5+/20

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes) 2006: This has some developing aromas on the nose, notes of beeswax and honeycomb, with fresher and complex fruit character as well, reminiscent of mango and peach, although there is also a solid, savoury element to it. The palate is really quite fat, with a broad flesh laid over a nicely gentle acid core. Very defined, rich, with lots of gritty texture and substance towards the finish. Very long too. Very good indeed, and impressive for the vintage; I like this more than when I tasted it two years ago. 17+/20

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes) 2005: This is polished and honeyed on the nose, with lots of rôti fruit and some expressive botrytis notes coming in at the edges as well. It has a very elegant composition nevertheless, despite the very broad and fleshy sweetness which betrays the warmth of the vintage. Ultimately this has a good grippy style, substantial and rich, weighty even, all these characteristics off-set by a great, tingling acidity. An impressive wine. 17.5+/20

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes) 1999: This is 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle. Not overtly expressive at first, but this wine slowly opens out to reveal the aromas of honey-roasted oranges. A touch cool on the palate, with lots of good direction. Very defined, despite the rich and fat core of broad, roasted fruit. Very polished, concentrated yet balanced. And very long too. Strong on character and well integrated elements of botrytis, this is delicious wine. 18+/20