The 1998 vintage
Beautiful, brilliant, golden colour.
WEATHER DURING THE GROWING SEASON
Bud break came early, starting in late March. The hot weather in May made up for a cool, wet month of April. The flowering took place in less than a week at the end May and the very beginning of June. There was quite a heat wave in the latter month with a record temperature of 36°C on the 19th. It became very hot again after July 14th, and this hot spell lasted two thirds into the month of August. The vines suffered somewhat from the high temperatures and drought conditions. A few scattered showers in late August and early September helped the grapes to ripen beautifully. Botrytis set in just at that time, and became widespread by the middle of September.
HARVEST
Warm sunshine and a southerly wind encouraged concentration. The first wave of picking began on September 22nd. This was shortly followed by a second one. Within 8 days, two thirds of the harvest was over. This included grapes grown on the most gravelly soil, but not the old vines. It rained a great deal in early October. Then sunshine and morning mists brought on another round of botrytisation. Picking of the remaining plots began on October 17th under clear blue skies and cool temperatures. The fourth and final wave of picking drew to a close on October 28th. As this vintage was picked in two parts, two different types of wine complemented one another in the final blend; wines from September were quite elegant and the ones from October were full-bodied and rich.
THE WINE
Fermented and aged in 3 year-old barrels Production: 25,000 bottles Alcohol: 13.5° Sugar: 125 g/l Acidity: 4.10g/l
NOTES ET CRITIQUES DÉGUSTATION>
TASTING NOTES
Beautiful, brilliant, golden colour. After swirling slightly in the glass, there is a concentrated nose of candied fruit, fruit paste, and figs. Wonderful honey aromas come through after more vigorous swirling. The bouquet is subtle, with a persistent scent of candied fruit. This wine starts out very soft and round on the palate, immediately showing an excellent balance between acidity and sugar. The texture is quite firm and dense. The richness blends beautifully with the sweetness. The flavour develops wonderfully with a long, perfectly-balanced aftertaste. The wine tastes as it smells, reflecting a medley of candied fruit savours. There is also an almost mineral freshness, accompanied by a touch of lemon and bergamot. This wine's aftertaste is especially charming, even at this youthful stage. It reflects all the finesse and freshness of the grapes picked in September combined with the richness and volume of those picked in October. The wine's structure is reminiscent of the 1988 vintage, and there can be no doubt about its ageing potential !
Château de Fargues, 2017
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Without being of an exceptional size (about 15 ha), this vineyard enjoys a great fame which is not only explained by the proud aspect of the ruins of the castle which gives it its name. The quality of the wine has its part in this notoriety, witness this 98 as pleasant in its brilliant golden robe as in its aromatic expression. Of a real complexity, its bouquet goes from raisins and exotic fruits to fresher notes of pineapple and honeysuckle. Its sense of balance, particularly between fruit and roast, is found on the palate. Elegant, ample but not heavy, very persistent, a Sauternes well equipped for aging.
Guide Hachette 2005
– Télécharger la fiche millésime –
Beautiful, brilliant, golden colour. After swirling slightly in the glass, there is a concentrated nose of candied fruit, fruit paste, and figs. Wonderful honey aromas come through after more vigorous swirling. The bouquet is subtle, with a persistent scent of candied fruit. This wine starts out very soft and round on the palate, immediately showing an excellent balance between acidity and sugar. The texture is quite firm and dense. The richness blends beautifully with the sweetness. The flavour develops wonderfully with a long, perfectly-balanced aftertaste. The wine tastes as it smells, reflecting a medley of candied fruit savours. There is also an almost mineral freshness, accompanied by a touch of lemon and bergamot. This wine's aftertaste is especially charming, even at this youthful stage. It reflects all the finesse and freshness of the grapes picked in September combined with the richness and volume of those picked in October. The wine's structure is reminiscent of the 1988 vintage, and there can be no doubt about its ageing potential !
Château de Fargues, 2017Without being of an exceptional size (about 15 ha), this vineyard enjoys a great fame which is not only explained by the proud aspect of the ruins of the castle which gives it its name. The quality of the wine has its part in this notoriety, witness this 98 as pleasant in its brilliant golden robe as in its aromatic expression. Of a real complexity, its bouquet goes from raisins and exotic fruits to fresher notes of pineapple and honeysuckle. Its sense of balance, particularly between fruit and roast, is found on the palate. Elegant, ample but not heavy, very persistent, a Sauternes well equipped for aging.
Guide Hachette 2005