Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2020 sauternes

Burnt amber colour. There is a lot of intensity to this wine, a ton of orange zest, powerful truffle and apricot purée flavours and spliced citrus. A yield of 7hl/ha. 1/3 new oak ageing for 12 months; then in stainless steel for nine months. Tasted three times.

Aromas of honey, pineapple, orange peel and saffron follow through to a medium body, with medium sweetness and enticing dried fruits, apple tart and hints of spice. Clove and Chinese spices. 95% Semillon, 3% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle. Drink or hold.

Full bottle 1,290 g. Undated cask sample. 88% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc. Yield just 7 hl/ha. 15 days' fermentation then ageing in fine-grained French oak barrels (30% new) for 12 months then six months in tank. Deep, dark gold. Very sweet and rich on the nose. Then a bit diffuse/loose on the palate. Could do with a little more focus. (JR)

The key to sweet wines is the balance between luscious sweet fruit and acidity. Here, you find all that and more. With a core of roasted apricots, honeysuckle, spice, candied tangerines, mangoes, honey and vanilla that coat the palate, it’s the attention-grabbing, racy character of the fruit—thanks to all that fresh acidity—that makes this an effortless treat to taste. Drink from 2023–2055.

Medium yellow gold, silver reflections. Candied orange zest, yellow tropical fruit, underlaid with fine wood nuances, a hint of honey. Juicy, ripe peach and pineapple fruit, integrated sweetness, fine acidity, silky and well-balanced, elegant. Open, accessible style.

Pure and intense with good layers, honey, saffron, yellow fruit and mild oak. Fine substance and extract adding freshness, unctuous yellow fruit and balanced sweetness with good purity and length.

Deep bouquet of acacia honey, candied oranges, peach oil, and freshly roasted almonds. On the complex palate, an oily texture, an alluringly spicy concentration of extract, and a regal body. In the concentrated, long-lasting finish: Turkish honey nougat, white chocolate mousse, and Cointreau. Among the best sweet wines of 2020. At the Hotel LALIQUE at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, you can also stay in luxury and enjoy Jérôme Schilling’s culinary creations at the two-Michelin-star restaurant.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: Velvety, full, creamy, powerful, mineral bouquet, dried apricots, mint, honey, chalk. Creamy, full, dense palate with pronounced, fine sweetness, well-integrated acidity, complex, concentrated aromatics, dense, elegant structure, very good minerality, long, powerful, fresh finish.

Silky-textured, full, creamy, powerful, mineral bouquet, dried apricots, mint, honey, chalk. Creamy, full and dense palate with powerful, fine sweetness, well-integrated acidity, varied and concentrated aromatics, dense, elegant structure, very good minerality, long, powerful, fresh finish. 19/20 2028 - 2060

The 2020 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a pale lemon-straw color. It emerges from the glass with a powerful perfume of lime blossoms, orange peel, fresh grapefruit, and shaved ginger, with nuances of jasmine and crushed rocks. The palate is bright and intense, with loads of minerally sparks accenting the citrus fruit layers, finishing with a real skip in its step.

Step into the palate of Dame Tartine with its aromas of gingerbread, candied fruit, and exotic fruit. A delight. On the palate, the aromas become silkier and honeyed. You’ll find fresh pineapple, as well as white flowers, and a fresh backbone with very well-judged sweetness.

This is the first vintage of the modern era to return to the plots classified in 1855… a strategic and relevant choice since in 2020 the area dedicated to Lafaurie-Peyraguey decreased while production increased! The wine reveals itself with subtlety, finesse and complexity. It shows nuances of roasted almonds and nougat, followed by a touch of citrus and mirabelle plums. Creamy and indulgent, the wine does not stand out for high sweetness, but rather for its pursuit of balance, for this interplay between softness and liveliness. The bitters on the finish also contribute to the aromatic persistence and harmony. An elegant, precise Lafaurie-Peyraguey that can already be enjoyed in its youth.

Pale yellow color. Very aromatic nose, fruity and subtle. Lovely hint of pear. A melting, suave palate with, for once, a touch of class in the texture. No heaviness and a beautiful, sappy length. An overall impression of softness.