2013 VINTAGE
A structured and precise wine that perfectly assumes the vivacity of its youth and offers beautiful gourmet notes.
WEATHER DURING THE GROWING SEASON
After a cool, very wet winter and spring, the temperature rose to 30°C in the shade on the 17th of April.
However, this was quickly forgotten when there was a frost alert on the 28th, with the thermometer read-ing
just one small degree above freezing at daybreak… May and June were just as disastrous, and the vineyard soil was drenched. Flower-ing finally began on the 11th of June during cold, wet weather. It
was obvious by this stage that the upcoming harvest would be delayed, as well as reduced due to millerandage (abnormal fruit set). The poor weather fortunately came to an end at
the beginning of summer and the end of Vinexpo, coinciding with a preview inauguration of a sound and light show at the fortress. This was followed by three consecutive weeks with highs of 30°C, and the month of August was very sunny and dry (just 48 mm of precipitation over a 2 month period). The devastating storms in Bordeaux spared us, so we were able to make up for some of the lost time. Mi-véraison (the middle of colour change) took
place on the 15th of August. Alternating cool and warm periods in September, with showers in the middle of the month, brought about the start of noble rot in the coolest plots.
The harvest began with a first pass in the vineyard on the 26th of September when it was 30° in the shade.
The beautiful warm weather continued, so a 2nd pass could soon begin. This finished on the 3rd of October just before a heavy evening storm disrupted the weather for several days. Wine made from the first lots of grapes was very pure, fresh, and vivacious thanks to beauti-ful Sauvignon Blanc. Helped by a northerly wind
(accompanied by drier, cooler weather), a small window of opportunity enabled picking to take place on the 9th, 11th and 13th, despite new showers on the 12th.
The Sémillon grapes contributed their full potential of candied fruit aro-mas, while retaining freshness and good acidity. A warm south wine ar-rived on the 18th.
The harvest began again in earnest on the 21st and fin-ished the next day. Wine made
with the final lots of grapes was full-bodied and rich, although still quite fresh.
HARVEST
These various passes called for draconian choices because the warm, wet weather in October left the door open for the wrong kind of rot to develop. In the end, nearly half the grapes were sacrificed to retain only those with pure noble rot. This uneven crop, with a yield of less than 8 hectolitres per hectare, nevertheless produced a fine wine very typical of the estate with aromas and flavours of candied fruit, along with considerable vivacity. This vintage is not unlike 1999 or 2007 Château de Fargues. The wine was fermented with indige-nous yeast, and a third in new barrels. Beautiful color or shiny straw. The nose opens on very fresh notes of lemon, white flowers, apple with touchs of citrus, pomelos. Then comes the lemon pie, the meringue, the pain of spices and finally the pastry and caramel. The fresh and sharp attack, very lemony and apple, rounds up during the tasting while keeping its character sharp and tense. After this cedar very present, on the poached pear, acacia honey, plum and orange marmalade, and gourmet notes of meringue and caramel. The still young wine is slow but reveals a solid structure of great precision, a beautiful length
THE WINE
Surface area: 13ha47 Number of vintages : 4 selections Fermentation : 3 to 4 weeks of fermentation Production : 10.000 bottles Vinification : 1/3 new wood and 2/3 wood one year and a half
NOTES ET CRITIQUES DÉGUSTATION>
Tasting notes of Château de Fargues
Bright straw gold color. The nose opens with very fresh notes of lemon, white flowers, apple with small touches of citrus, pomelo. Then comes lemon pie, meringue, gingerbread and at the very end pastry and caramel. The fresh and sharp attack, very lemony and apple, becomes rounder as the tasting goes on, while keeping its lively and tense character. After this very present lemon, we appreciate the poached pear, the acacia honey, the plum then the orange marmalade, and the greedy notes of meringue and caramel. The wine is still young and delivers itself slowly but reveals a solid structure of great precision, a beautiful length in the mouth with the tension so characteristic of the vintage.
Château de Fargues - 2017
18/20
Fargues is turned towards a resolutely low balance. Little sugar, beautiful nose on candied lemon, the power of Fargues speaks in this wine all in muscles. The finesse comes in the second part of the mouth. Good sugar/acidity balance with, in the perfumes, the perception of a wood ageing which accompanies the fruit wonderfully. Beautiful duality of power and elegance. A must.
La Revue du Vin de France HS – 22/04/2014
94-97
Very spicy, with lots of dried peach, mango and apricot notes leading the way, backed by bold ginger and toasted almond. Layers and layers glide through the very unctuous finish. This is a deep, serious, mouthfilling wine in the making.
Wine Spectator – 22/04/2014
92-94
The Chateau de Fargues has a gorgeous bouquet that is going to be wondrous after bottling, mineral-rich, tensile honeyed fruit that is less flamboyant than recent vintages and yet amazingly well-focused. The palate has a spicy tincture on the entry, laser-like precision, with a zesty, citrus-driven finish. This is a more delicate, understated Chateau de Fargues, but left alone in the glass over several minutes, it really begins to blossom and gain weight. This should be outstanding after bottling.
Neal Martin – 04/2014
– Télécharger la fiche millésime –
Bright straw gold color. The nose opens with very fresh notes of lemon, white flowers, apple with small touches of citrus, pomelo. Then comes lemon pie, meringue, gingerbread and at the very end pastry and caramel. The fresh and sharp attack, very lemony and apple, becomes rounder as the tasting goes on, while keeping its lively and tense character. After this very present lemon, we appreciate the poached pear, the acacia honey, the plum then the orange marmalade, and the greedy notes of meringue and caramel. The wine is still young and delivers itself slowly but reveals a solid structure of great precision, a beautiful length in the mouth with the tension so characteristic of the vintage.
Château de Fargues - 2017Fargues is turned towards a resolutely low balance. Little sugar, beautiful nose on candied lemon, the power of Fargues speaks in this wine all in muscles. The finesse comes in the second part of the mouth. Good sugar/acidity balance with, in the perfumes, the perception of a wood ageing which accompanies the fruit wonderfully. Beautiful duality of power and elegance. A must.
La Revue du Vin de France HS – 22/04/2014Very spicy, with lots of dried peach, mango and apricot notes leading the way, backed by bold ginger and toasted almond. Layers and layers glide through the very unctuous finish. This is a deep, serious, mouthfilling wine in the making.
Wine Spectator – 22/04/2014The Chateau de Fargues has a gorgeous bouquet that is going to be wondrous after bottling, mineral-rich, tensile honeyed fruit that is less flamboyant than recent vintages and yet amazingly well-focused. The palate has a spicy tincture on the entry, laser-like precision, with a zesty, citrus-driven finish. This is a more delicate, understated Chateau de Fargues, but left alone in the glass over several minutes, it really begins to blossom and gain weight. This should be outstanding after bottling.
Neal Martin – 04/2014