Wine

The constant search for quality in the work of the Fargues wine estate makes this sweet white wine a very accomplished expression of a great Sauternes: a subtle balance between sweetness and freshness, between candied fruits and acidulous fruits, between floral bouquet and minerality. Since 1928, the vineyard has been progressively replanted and oriented towards the production of a great Sauternes wine. The first vintage of Château de Fargues dates from 1943. Today, this Sauternes is still the object of particular attention and the domain innovates continuously with the ambition to offer a product of the best possible quality in the conditions granted by nature and the weather. This rare bright gold wine is the fruit of nature but also of the careful work of the men and women of Fargues. A meticulous team whose patience and precision are essential to the birth of exception.

But what is the secret of Sauternes? How is this wine produced? What does Botrytis cinerea mean? How does this noble rot work? The aromatic explosion of a Château de Fargues is obtained at the price of a real sacrifice since the botrytis will leave barely one glass of Fargues per vine instead of one bottle in a normal harvest! An extravagance. This is a completely natural phenomenon as is the principle of fermentation. Indispensable to the elaboration of a great Sauternes, Botrytis cinerea, more commonly known as "noble rot", is a microscopic fungus that colonizes ripe grapes. Botrytis consumes part of the grape's sugars and acids, concentrates and progressively transforms the grape thus increasing its density in aromas and sugar. To better understand this mystery, we must first imagine the history of this emblematic find of the Sauternes region before looking at the surprising role of Botrytis.

Botrytis cinerea is a microscopic fungus responsible for the magic of Sauternes wines. When it appears in autumn, it consumes part of the sugars and acids of the ripe grapes. Grapes are gradually transformed and concentrated by evaporation, increasing their density in aromas and sugar and causing a subtle alchemy in the juice. Les hommes et les femmes de Fargues vont chercher à domestiquer ce phénomène tout au long de l’année, en préparant et entretenant les sols et par les soins apportés aux vignes favorisant ainsi son action au moment propice de la sur-maturité des grains. Their skin becomes thinner but does not crack, leaving the fungus to work on the juice. Filaments pass through the skin without hurting it. Botrytis develops externally and internally, without the juice flowing and without oxidation. A miracle happens, a real alchemy under the skin of the grape. The berry turns brown, dries out, transforms and reaches a higher concentration of sugar, the nectar acquires rich flavors of candied fruits, aromas of flowers. Botrytis consumes the sugars and acids of the ripe grape and feeds on them. By this phenomenon of concentration, the grape is gradually transformed, "botrytizes" and increases its density in sugar until 20-21 degrees of potential alcohol, that is approximately 350 grams per liter. This fungus, present throughout the year on the vines, develops favorably in Autumn under the effect of a particular microclimate made of a subtle alternation of humidity, sun and wind. At Fargues, the aim of the precise and patient preparation of the soil and the care of the vines is to slow down, to keep this Botrytis in reserve, to contain it sufficiently to prevent it from acting before the grapes have reached sufficient maturity. Indeed, Botrytis can also be a dangerous competitor, a "phytopathogenic" parasite responsible for grey rot, a scourge that every vineyard fights. It only becomes beneficial when the grapes already have a high sugar content. It is therefore necessary to ensure that it is present but does not develop before the grapes are fully ripe. A good knowledge of the nature, the terroir, the climate and the plant is therefore essential to counteract an attack of Botrytis too early in order to favor the good expression of Botrytis on the ripe grape. The development of Botrytis itself must therefore be carefully monitored. Various parameters must be taken into account: the vigor of the vine induced by the soil, its feeding through the rootstock, the piling up of leaves, a humid microclimate around the grapes, but also the attacks of insect pests eudemis and cochylis... So many elements that must be contained to avoid an early attack of harmful rot. The task is therefore to promote naturally, when the time comes, the action of this wonderful, magical phenomenon, to highlight it with intelligence. At Château de Fargues, our ambition is to fight respectfully with nature in order to create an exceptional wine, the result of the combined work of nature and man.

Why this emblematic find of the Sauternes region? Before the 16th century, the vine in Gironde produced, among other crops, grapes and wine for local domestic use. Progressively, according to the political and economic evolutions, the trade with the north of Europe, with England in particular, favored the wine exports, and even more, that of the sweet white wine. By harvesting beyond the normal harvest date, the owners of the organized estates of the Langonnais realized the gustatory evolution of their wines and especially their success with amateurs constituting favorable markets, beyond the borders of the Aquitaine region. However, delaying the harvest date had the disadvantage of reducing its volume. The farmers or sharecroppers of the large estates, worried about this loss and more concerned about the quantity obtained than about a better quality of the harvest, took legal action against their owners. Such a way of harvesting is very close to the passerillage which consists in letting the bunches of grapes dry out either on the vines or spread out on straw racks after the harvest. This "late harvest" process favors the evaporation of water from the grapes and concentrates all the components of the wine. It can be combined with a partial transformation by the microscopic fungus of botrytis. Then, by selecting in the cellar the harvested barrels according to their quality, we could get higher prices from enthusiastic fans willing to offer more for their favorite wine. The concern of the owners of the great Sauternes estates was naturally to satisfy this trend by seeking to obtain a greater proportion of barrels of the quality so sought after. The solution is simple but costly: it is necessary to ask the grape-pickers to select the bunches, or even the fractions of bunches, attacked and transformed by the botrytis cinerea. We leave those who are not yet at this stage of transformation for later, and we throw away those who have badly undergone this so positive metamorphosis. The pickers are forced to sort the grapes or part of the bunches and throw away what is grey rot, the bad botrytis cinerea, which does not fail at times to compete with the good rot.

It is therefore a process that seems at first glance to be completely uneconomical. It is called, in Sauternais, the harvest by successive selections. It appeared at the end of the 18th century and became widespread during the following century. It is necessary to find harvesters who are familiar with nature, who understand what is at stake and who are flexible enough to be available when botrytis appears, accepting to stay at home when rain compromises the harvest and requires a period of wind to dry the grapes. This systematic search gives, in several waves, the selections, a juice titrating nearly 20-21 degrees of potential alcohol or about 350 grams of natural sugar per liter. In short, Sauternes has two privileges: noble rot and meticulous harvesters. On the 2200 hectares selected on the 5 communes of the appellation, we note the aptitude of the three grape varieties of the appellation to undergo metamorphosis by the microscopic fungus of Botrytis cinerea. This maceration of the juice under the skin of the grape is a real natural alchemy. The "aroma precursors" enhance the pre-existing aromatic substances in the grape, lower its acidity and partially feed on the plant's natural sugar. The magnified juice will then undergo, in the secrecy of the cellar, a second transformation, the yeasts of the transformation, partially transforming the sugar into alcohol, the must becomes wine. The second privilege of the appellation is to find pickers who intuitively understand this method, and the choice to be made among the unusual looking grapes. They conclude the long process prepared all year long by the men and women of the domain. Both are magicians who take advantage of a mysterious natural path. It is the owner's responsibility to provide his staff with the necessary means and to take unique risks in the wine industry.