Château de Fargues 2004

Characteristics and tasting notes for Château de Fargues 2004

Tasting

Appearance
The appearance shows a pale hue adorned with green reflections.

Nose
The nose exhales intense notes of candied pineapple, apricot and mango, accompanied by fine nuances of broom. As it aerates, notes of toasted bread and sweet spices reveal themselves, bringing remarkable complexity.

Palate
The ample and generous palate unveils exceptional richness and fullness. This wine offers superb volume that gives it fat, while maintaining beautiful vivacity. The persistent finish reveals touches of nougat and apricots, testifying to remarkable elegance and distinction.

Service and aging
Château de Fargues 2004 can be enjoyed now but also has excellent aging potential thanks to its structure and balance. Drink until approximately 2040.

A refined Sauternes with promising complexity

The estate
A former medieval fortress built in 1306, Château de Fargues has belonged to the Lur Saluces family since 1472, bearing witness to more than five centuries of family history. Established in the Sauternes appellation in Gironde, this Bordeaux estate extends over 170 hectares including 27 hectares of vines on clay-limestone and gravelly terroir. Under the direction of Philippe de Lur Saluces, the property perpetuates a philosophy of absolute excellence. Devoted exclusively to sweet wines since the 1920s, Château de Fargues applies the same techniques as the prestigious Château d'Yquem and only markets vintages deemed worthy, demonstrating uncompromising quality standards.

The vineyard
The Sauternes vineyard benefits from clay-limestone and gravelly terroir particularly conducive to the development of noble rot. The plots are planted mainly with Sémillon, complemented by Sauvignon Blanc. These grape varieties develop slowly until reaching an exceptional level of maturity, favoring the appearance of botrytis cinerea, that famous noble rot which characterizes the great sweet wines of the appellation.

The vintage
The prolonged winter led to very late budburst with prolific clusters. The rapid growth of shoots preceded a grouped flowering in early June during a particularly hot month. A gloomy early July then heat spikes marked the vegetative cycle before a violent hailstorm destroyed approximately 60% of the harvest in a few minutes on July 21. Favorable conditions and immediate care made it possible to preserve the remaining clusters. A chaotic August and the stress of the hail disrupted complete veraison. In early September, maturation accelerated with the first signs of rot appearing in mid-September. The cooler late September helped stabilize conditions. After significant rainfall in mid-October that condemned approximately half of the remaining harvest to acid rot, dry weather returned in late October, making it possible to complete the harvest on November 4 with the fourth sorting, just before the first frosts.

Vinification and aging
The harvest of Château de Fargues 2004 was carried out manually in four successive sortings. The first sorting took place on September 28 and 30, then October 1. The second sorting, carried out between October 5 and 8, produced lots combining balance, freshness and purity. After the bad weather, the harvest was completed on November 4 with the fourth sorting. The meticulously selected grapes, retaining only perfectly botrytized fruit, were pressed then fermented in French oak barrels, with 25 to 30% new wood. The individual lots, divided by harvest day, were aged separately for 30 months. Four rackings were carried out over a twelve-month period. The wine was then bottled without fining or filtration, thus preserving all its authenticity and complexity.

Grape varieties
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc.