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Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2013
Mars 2016 - Yves Beck - Beckustator –
98/100
Jaune doré. Bouquet expressif, floral et fruité. Mie de pain, noix de coco, eau de vie de kirsch, zeste d'orange, safran et truffe blanche. Attaque élégante, crémeuse, compacte. Le vin dispose d'une belle densité et de race. Le corps est puissant et bénéficie d'un excellent soutien de la structure, particulièrement en fin de bouche. Finale persistante et fruitée. Une très grande réussite. 2025-2055
February 2016 - James Suckling
95/100
A layered and structured Sauternes with dried apricot, melon, apple and hints of honey. Full body, very sweet and refined. Phenolic character gives this form and intensity. Very pretty. Fresh finish.
January 13, 2016 – tastingbook.com – Markus Del Monego
94/100
Bright yellow colour with green hue. Elegant nose, intially slightly closed. Complex fruit aroma reminiscent of ripe peaches and apricots, pineapple jam, stewed pear and hints of gingerbread. On the palate opulent but balanced sweetness, excellent length.
January 6, 2016 - Wine Spectator Insider - Vol. 12, No. 1 - James Molesworth
95/100
This packs some power, with ginger, dried peach and matchstick hints leading the way, but as this moves along, it slowly shows creamier quince, mango and papaya notes, and an alluring chamomile gilding. Still rather backward, so forget this one in the cellar for a bit. Best from 2018 through 2038.
Juin 2014 - mybettanedesseauve.fr - L'Express - JDD - Terre de Vins – Les Echos
La sélection Bettane+Desseauve
18/20
Le vin est l'un des plus riches, mais aussi des plus élégants des dernières années, avec toute la gamme des arômes d'agrumes propres à l'année. Grand avenir et superbe départ pour Silvio Denz, le nouveau propriétaire.
Mai-juin 2014 - Gault & Millau
17,5/ 20
Quelle longueur, dans un style résolument moderne et très maîtrisé où la finesse et la fraîcheur prennent le pas sur la lourdeur! Ce sauternes ne s'impose pas, il est cependant présent sans relâche, mais en restant toutefois intensément subtil.
Mai 2014 - La Revue du Vin de France - R. Petronio
17/20
Beau parfum sur une note fraîche de pamplemousse suivie d'une touche poivrée. Une richesse contenue pour ce vin gracieux et non gracile pour amateurs de Sauternes pas trop riches. L'assemblage n'est pas encore définitif. Nous en avons dégusté deux différents: un premier valorisant la finesse du terroir avec une belle vivacité, puis un second plus ample mais moins gracieux. Le Suisse-Allemand Silvio Denz est le tout nouveau propriétaire de Lafaurie-Peyraguey. Il compte recentrer la production sur le coeur historique du terroir.
May 2014 - eRobertParker.com - Neal Martin
92-94/100
The Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a mineral-led, citrus-driven bouquet that is tightly wound at first - delicate touches of orange blossom and apricot emerging from the glass.
The palate is well-balanced and attired with a mellifluous, spicy entry. There is certainly good weight and concentration here, the finish long and satisfying, perfectly controlled. This is always a dark horse Sauternes and in 2013 they have produced something a little bit special.
Mai 2014 - René Gabriel - Bxtotal - Weinwisser
19/20
Leuchtendes Gelb. Ein Traumbouquet, viel helle Sultaninen, ein Hauch von tropicalen Früchten, Passionsfrucht und Nespoli, reife Aprikosen und frisch geschleuderter Honig. Saftiger, reicher Gaumen, tolle Süsskonzentration mit genügend stützender Säure, gebündeltes, sehr langes Finale. Von der Art her vielleicht mehr imposant wie elegant, aber das ist dann auch gleichzeitig eine Garantie für Übermorgen, was sein fantastisches Alterungspotential dokumentiert. Er unterscheidet sich von den anderen Sauternes insofern, dass man hier die Süsse und die Konzentration in einer Art Trockenbeerenauslese wahrnimmt. Also hat er auch etwas Legendenhaftes an sich, denn die grossen alten Lafaurie’s waren auch immer so. Der neue Besitzer Silvio Denz, will hier wohl eine neue klare, neue Messlatte vorlegen 2025 – 2065.
Mai 2014 - Le Nouvel Observateur - Gérard Muteaud
Dans "Spécial Primeurs - N'oubliez pas les liquoreux": Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey : fruits blancs (pêche, poire), belle finale sur une liqueur fine et gourmande.
Mai 2014 - thewinepatriot.com
94/100
Agrumes cuites, vanille, orange fraîche; bouche grasse, finale veloutée.
April 2014 - Decanter
17/20
Generous and broad, with plenty of botrytis influence. The palate is quite rich with a creamy texture and a lingering finish. Drink: 2019-2026
April 2014 - The Wine Review - CH'NG Poh Tiong
**** Pineapples, mango, and fragrant oak. Intensity of fruit balanced by great vivacity and freshness. Impressive lenght on the finish.
Avril 2014 - rive.droite.canalblog.com
93-95/ 100
Très belle olfaction de fruits exotiques, avec une note d'abricot. La bouche est élégante, riche, concentrée, profonde, rehaussé d'intenses fruits rôtis, qui soulignent une longue finale, très onctueuse, très intense, et harmonieuse.
Avril 2014 - Jean-Marc Quarin
16/20
Couleur jaune-vert. Nez fin fruité et bien plus nuancé que de coutume. Bouche fondante, aérienne, suave, avec un de touchers les plus fins que je lui connaisse. Belle présence. Grand équilibre, rappelant le 1983. Ce cru qui a changé de propriétaire (Silvio Denz l'a acquis) semble changer de philosophie et vouloir produire des vins moins massifs. C'est heureux ! 2016-2030
March 2014 - Wine Enthusiast - Roger Voss
92-94/100
Barrel sample. Very tightly textured, this wine is closed, only slowly revealing its power and complexity. The acidity is strongly present, offering freshness at the end.
Wine Description
The Story
At the heart of the great terroirs of the Sauternes region, Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s vineyard is located on the terrace of Sauternes gravel, 70 metres above sea level, just next to Château d’Yquem. The “Enclos” and “Maisons Rouges” plots represent the historic heart of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s magnificent terroir, consisting of gravel from the Quaternary era which was deposited here more than 600,000 years ago, on a substratum of Aquitania limestone.
Silvio Denz’s objective is to produce very fine wines from the best terroirs. Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey will be made from the vines of the great historic 1855 terroirs in order to enhance its quality.
Harvesting: manual with successive rounds of highly selective picking (4 to 7, depending on the year) during the ripening period, in order to preserve the desired aromatic precision
Environmental integrity: sustainable viticulture, no chemical herbicides
Vinification: in fine-grained French oak barrels, with 40 to 70% new oak barrels each year depending on the vintage. Fermentation at between 17°C and 23°C in the air-conditioned, humidity-controlled winery, for 18 to 30 days depending on the batch
Ageing: in French oak barrels, with 40 to 70% new oak barrels depending on the vintage, for 18 to 20 months
Average production: 40000 bottles
Second wine: La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Vintage 2013
BORDEAUX 2013 VINTAGE REPORT
The 2013 vintage in Bordeaux was one of the most difficult since 1965 and 1968. Thomas Duroux of Château Palmer describes it as “the most complicated vintage in 20 years”. It rained almost continuously in the spring. Flowering was uneven, leading to poor set, millerandage and coulure. The threat of mold was alleviated by the arrival of warm, dry weather during the summer. For a while, winemakers hoped that abundant sunshine and mild weather would allow the vines to catch up. Severe storms, winds and intermittent heavy rains in July and August hampered vine growth and created fruiting difficulties. High humidity and cool temperatures before harvest led to slow ripening and the ideal environment for botrytis (gray rot) infection. Merlot did not perform well on the left bank. Château Margaux was certainly vulnerable to these conditions, but others, in their efforts to talk about the vintage, displayed superb Gallic denial. You would be forgiven for thinking this could be an exceptional vintage; Such is the genius of the world's best professional liars.
In years past, weather conditions, uneven ripening and disease pressure would have resulted in disastrous wines. Château Margaux avoided the worst rains by bringing in a picking team of 300 people to harvest the crop at lightning speed. Chateau Lafite also raced against the elements and won. Most castles don't have this type of luxury. The sorting tables were “drilled” during the harvest, allowing the best berries to be selected. I don't remember seeing red wine with visible botrytis characters. The fruit, however, has generally not ripened to optimal levels. Many producers have found it necessary to chaptalize their vinification to allow the wine to reach a more attractive alcohol level. Some châteaux, including Cos d’Estournel at 12.7% alc, produced their wines apparently without adding sugar. Most areas, however, have struggled to reach phenolic maturity. Tannins are the fabric of all red wines. They don't need to be perfectly ripe; An “al-dente” texture can provide convincing freshness and an attractive structure. But it was easy to extract too much in 2013. The best wines were those that were “unpushed” and intuitive to the conditions of the vintage. The use of saignée (juice runoff), reverse osmosis, and other methods to concentrate wine, is never discussed by winemakers, but there were some wines with soupy textures and a silky feel. unnatural mouth.
Many 2013 primeur wines have only been in barrel for a few weeks. This creates challenges because oak characters can detract from the inherent quality of young wines. Many châteaux will undoubtedly adjust their oak maturation philosophies to match the character of the vintage. Others will use oak as a cosmetic or construction bog to make up for structural inadequacies in their wine. Acidity is also strongly present in the wines this year. This element is essential for the freshness, tension and lifespan of any vintage. In more mature years, acidity tends to play second fiddle, but in 2013, it's first fiddle. Fruit character, perhaps the most important characteristic of any wine, inevitably varies by subregion and vineyard. The best wines of this vintage have the aromatic quality, persistence and depth of good vintages. Ultimately, the most triumphant red wines are proportional to the commitment and financial resources of the wine producer.
Although Merlot struggled in the Médoc, it performed well on the Right Bank. The Pomerol was relatively resplendent with generous fruit and tannin backbones that were riper than elsewhere. St Emilion was also capable of making good wine, but as usual the results were mixed. The reds from Pessac Léognan were muscular and rustic, while the whites were mineral and fresh with strong acidities. Many think that dry whites are excellent. For most Australians, these wines don't really offer value. There were some good Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant red wines made in the Médoc. However, no subregion prevailed. If anything I preferred Pauillac, especially Château Grand Puy Lacoste and Château Batailley.
The humidity which hampered the 2013 harvest in the Médoc and elsewhere worked in favor of the producers of Sauternes and Barsac. There was a “widespread proliferation” of botrytis cinerea (noble rot) during Bordeaux’s wet autumn. The wines range from magnificent to standard in quality. The best ones have beautiful honey, barley water complexity, understated richness and viscosity, and fresh acidity. Château d’Yquem is remarkably good. The biodynamic Château Climens is a beautiful, expressive wine. Every year, I taste it in barrels and in pieces. I can imagine the final blend and it will not disappoint.
The 20% drop in Australian dollar to euro exchange rates over the past year will make the 2013 more expensive than the best vintages 2012 and 2011. Unfortunately, this will have a significant impact on market opportunities in Australia . It is unlikely that the castle owners will lower their prices enough to make this campaign worthwhile. Falling demand from China and a full pipeline to other markets will lead to sluggish sales across the world. Although this year's primeur campaign will test the resilience of the traditional Bordeaux wine trade, there is still an impressive level of optimism. I think everyone is looking forward to moving on after the 2013 vintage. On the other hand, it's the type of vintage, with a hint of bottle age, that could re-emerge in a more favorable light in a few years.
by ANDREW CAILLARD MW