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Château Lamothe-Guignard 1988

It is that time again. Time to rescue another old friend from the dimmest, darkest and undoubtedly haunted corner of the cellar, and this week my fumbling hand landed upon a bottle that was somewhat smaller than I had expected. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the low light levels I realised I was holding a dainty little half bottle of Sauternes, plucked from its resting place among the magnums of 1947 Petrus and jeroboams of 1982 Le Pin (I wish).

Château Lamothe-Guignard has remarkably ancient origins; unlike the Médoc peninsula which was something of a marshy wilderness until the land was drained by Dutch engineers during the 17th century, there has been habitation and viticulture south of Bordeaux – in the regions we know as Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes and Barsac (and lets not forget Cérons – one for the certified sweet-wine-geeks) – for centuries, if not millennia. The history of Lamothe-Guignard can be traced back to at least the 8th century, when a hilltop fortress stood here. During the 16th century this was replaced by a larger but equally robust fortified construction which still stands today, its resplendent whitewashed walls a blinding white when struck by the summer sunshine.

The estate was originally one, known simply as Château Lamothe (or Lamothe d’Assault), but was divided between two owners in the years that followed its classification as a deuxième cru classé in 1855. One part eventually came into the hands of the Despujols family, and retained the name Lamothe (sometimes referred to as Lamothe-Despujols to avoid confusion); the other section passed into the hands of one Joseph Bergey, and for many years went by the name of Lamothe-Bergey, even as it was passed through a sequence of proprietors during the 20th century. It was only when it was acquired by the Guignard family, in 1981, that the property became Lamothe-Guignard.

Château Lamothe-Guignard 1988

Despite Lamothe having seemingly retained the property’s original name sans suffix, Lamothe-Guignard is by far the larger of the two estates, with 32 hectares of land, of which at least 18 hectares is planted to vines. The vineyard is divided between two large parcels, one on soils of clay and limestone around the château, the other on a gravelly plateau closer to the town of Sauternes. Semillon dominates, of course, and this comes through in the final blend which is typically 70% Semillon (or thereabouts), the remainder mostly Sauvignon Blanc to provide some freshness and cut, with a splash of Muscadelle for aromatic lift.

Château Lamothe-Guignard is one of a number of good-value Sauternes which I have added to my cellar over the past few decades, often alongside grander names such as Climens, Coutet, Rieussec, Guiraud, Lafaurie-Peyraguey and Suduiraut, and 1988 is the perfect vintage to be picking up ‘value’ deuxième cru wines alongside their premier cru peers. The season was marked by warm and dry weather through July, August and September, bringing the fruit to a heady maturity. A healthy attack of botrytis came in October, resulting in a bumper harvest of rich, fresh and concentrated fruit, the first in a trio (with 1989 and 1990) of superb vintages for Sauternes and Barsac. And Cérons of course.

In the glass the 1988 Sauternes from Château Lamothe-Guignard shows an appropriately rich and golden hue, and it presents a more convincing nose than I was expecting, with toasted and caramelised apricot, along with layers of praline, liquorice and tea leaf, markers of a significant botrytis attack, as well as some modestly funky and evolved complexities reminiscent of axle grease and smoked yeast extract. The palate is as rich and toasted as the nose suggests, and even though it feels dark and complex, the sweetness here wrapped around more savoury notes of liquorice and green tea, there is also a good sense of linearity to it. Intense and focused, it has modest acidity but fine grip and energy, which all feeds into an impressively charged and peppery length. A good sense of maturity here, very long in the finish, and not dried out as my prior bottle tasted a few years ago suggested. Nevertheless I think this is one you should slate for drinking now, or soon, if you have any. Especially half bottles. The alcohol on the label is a heady 14%. 92/100 (9/9/24)

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