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Viinin Kuvailu
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
Wine Information
VINEYARD
Soils and exposure
Silica gravel and clayey gravel – quaternary gravel deposited here more than 600,000 years ago on a substratum of Aquitainian limestone.
Plateau, high terrace with southern exposure (20%), medium clayey slope, terrace with western exposure (20%) gravelly crests on the upper part of the middle terrace, several exposures from south-west to north.
Surface area: 41 hectares
Grape varieties
90% Sémillon
8% Sauvignon
2% Muscadelle
Average age of vines: 40 years
A medium-sized vineyard with very good representation of the different soil types and exposures characteristic of Sauternes greatest wines. This diversity, along with the breakdown of our parcels, gives our wines increased complexity and consistent quality over the years.
WINEMAKING
Yields
Average of 18 hl/ha depending on the harvest.
Grapes are hand picked extremely selectively on successive passes (4 to 7, depending on the year) according to their maturity, only harvesting those grapes that have attained the required degree of concentration under the influence of noble rot – also called botrytis cinerea – and to preserve the precise aromatic qualities desired. Depending on the vintage, some parcels are sacrificed in order to concentrate on those with the appropriate potential quality.
Pressing
- 1 pneumatic press (for the first pressing)
- 4 vertical basket presses (second and third pressings) to obtain the richest, sweet juice.
Settling of the juice
Static, in temperature controlled vats at 15°C for 12 hours.
Alcoholic fermentation
In finely grained French oak barriques, 30% of which are renewed each year. Fermentation takes place at between 17°C and 23°C in air conditioned cellars for 18 to 30 days depending on the batch.
Aging
Traditional, in barriques, bung upwards, for 18 to 20 months.
Racking
Every 3 to 5 months subject to tasting.
Blending
Sémillon: brings structure, body and aging potential.
Sauvignon: brings aromatic freshness and liveliness, especially in the wine’s youth.
Muscadelle: difficult to grow and only used in a small proportion, contributes to the wine’s aromatic complexity.
Production
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey: an average of 5,500 cases a year.
La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey: an average of 2,000 cases a year.
Aging potential
An average of 40 years, depending on the vintage.
Vuosikerta 2001
Bordeaux / The year 2001 is known as the year of the winegrowers. The whole of Bordeaux suffered from a lot of rain and the resulting noble rot. Sauternes has been producing its best wines for decades, and there is good reason to talk about the Sauternes revolution. The best wine of the year is clearly Yquem. Parker's hundred-point Yquem sold for 300 euros en primeur, and today the price is 600 euros per bottle.
For red wines, the year was difficult. Cabernet Sauvignon, thanks to its thicker skin, did better than Merlot. The cold, rainy and cloudy growing period caused the grapes to ripen too slowly. The areas had to work more intensively. The grapes were rather small and produced concentrated wines. Latour can be considered the best buy. Good buys also include Ausone, Pétrus and Le Pin.
Sauternes Vintage Report: Rapid appearance of botrytis on ripe grapes, rich in sugar. Ideal October: brief rainstorms, high temperatures, windy and sunny afternoons. Very sweet but balanced wines with pronounced noble rot and remarkable complexity. A memorable year and very uniform success for all liqueurs.