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Uutiset
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2015
1er Grand Cru Classé Sauternes
Juin 2016 – Vinum
19/20
Transzendente, blumig-fruchtige Aromatik, immense Dichte, ewige Länge, perfektionistische Machart: besitzt Fülle, Rasse, Dichte, aber auch alle Anlagen zu grosser Finesse und Eleganz. 2019 bis 2050
A transcendent floral and fruity bouquet, immense density, endless length, perfectionist style: rich, spirited and dense, yet with full potential for great finesse and elegance. 2019 to 2050
Mai 2016 – La Revue du Vin de France – Roberto Petronio
18,5-19,5/20
Classé dans "Ses quatre Sauternes à acheter en priorité": " Tirant la quintessence de ce grand terroir, ce cru classé s'impose au sommet par sa pureté"
Joli nez engageant, beau conflit, élevage élégant qui se manifeste par une petit note beurrée. Fruit net et pur. Belle vibration en bouche grâce à une sensation d’acidité qui équilibre une liqueur apportant une petite rondeur. Matière élancée et raffinée. Finale sur le pamplemousse jaune.
Mai 2016 – Vinifera – Jacques Perrin
Classé parmi les vins exceptionnels
En dépit de sa richesse, il a gardé un côté cristallin. La profondeur de goût ainsi que l’expression lumineuse de ce vin sont remarquables. Il évolue en crescendo et culmine dans une grande finale.
Mai 2016 – Bernard Burtschy
17,5/20
Les bordeaux blancs liquoreux 2015, un millésime tout en élégance
De robe paille dorée, le vin se présente avec un joli nez fin, paille coupée sur fond de fruits confits et d’épices. Le vin est d’une grande élégance, il ne possède pas sa puissance habituelle, mais plus de fraîcheur et une belle complexité, le milieu de bouche affiche certes un petit creux passager, mais la belle acidité porte la finale. Très beau vin.
65 sémillon, 35 sauvignon. 5-20 ans.
Avril 28, 2016 – En Magnum – Bettane+Desseauve
19/20
Immense réussite, une des plus complètes du secteur, merveilleux nez de botritysation parfaite du raisin, assez proche de celui d’Yquem, en un rien plus massif, grande finale, un sauternes à son plus somptueux et certainement le vin le plus complet des vingt dernières années de la propriété.
Bravo à l’équipe réunie par Eric Larramona.
April 2016 – Jeff Leve – The Wine Cellar Insider
94–96/100
From 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine smells great with its nutty, pineapple, vanilla and lemon custard aromatic profile. Fresh and zippy, the wine is rich, fat, sweet, and dense with the right amount of acidity to keep all that sweetness in check.
April 2016 – Vinous – Antonio Galloni
93-95/100
Silvio Denz's 2015 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is terrific. Understated and wonderfully nuanced, the 2015 exudes class. The tropical fruit, pineapple, mango, apricot, honey and chamomile notes are beautifully sketched. There is so much to like. The blend is approximately 96% Sémillon, 4% Sauvignon, 1% Muscadelle from yields of just 10 hectoliters per hectare. Denis Dubourdieu consults.
April 19, 2016 – Decanter – Ian D’Agata
93/100
Perfumed nose of acacia honey, crystallised ginger, lemon verbena, juniper and fresh citrus fruit. Impeccable balance to the acid-sugar-tannin ratio and boasts noteworthy refinement. One of the best Sauternes of the vintage; refined yet powerful.
Avril 12, 2016 – Yves Beck
96-98/100
Jaune doré. Bouquet complexe, expressif, aux notes fruitées et épicées. Notes de mirabelles et d'abricots avec une touche de citron. Oranges amères confites. Attaque fruitée, suave et concentrée. Le vin a de la minéralité et du muscle avec une belle structure acide qui donne une perspective d'avenir exceptionnelle. En fin de bouche je relève une touche d'amertume, parfaitement emballée, qui contrecarre la puissance et la sucrosité. Un vin à suivre, doté d'une finale fruitée, caractérielle et persistante. 2025-2055
Avril 11, 2016 – Terre de Vins – Yohan Castaing
« Coup de Cœur »
18,5/20
Eric Larramona poursuit son travail de longue haleine sur ce cru. La qualité du travail à la vigne, l’intelligence du millésime, le sens du liquoreux, tout concoure pour faire de Lafaurie-Peyraguey un cru majeur de l’appellation.
Trame aromatique dynamique, fraîche, noble, pure. Grosse densité soutenue par une fraîcheur racée, de l’allonge et un bel équilibre. Superbe liqueur. Un sauternes brillant et magnifique.
April 5, 2016 – Wine Spectator - James Molesworth
93-96/100
A ripe, unctuous style, with a big core of nectarine, peach, mango and quince flavors, backed by lots of spice and ginger. Among the more backward examples at this early stage, but everything is here.
April 4, 2016 – James Suckling
95-96/100
A purity and finesse to this young Sauternes with mushroom, botrytis and flower character. The sweetness, fruit, phenolics and acidity balance it out to an ethereal level. Lovely finish.
April 2016 – Markus del Monego
94/100
Intense yellow color with green hue. Expressive nose with aroma reminiscent of juicy apricots and ripe pear, candied lemon peel and hints of lime-zest in the background.
April 2016 – René Gabriel
19/20
Mitteldunkles Gelb, somit recht intensiv, leuchtender Rand. Enorm viel frische Früchte zeigend, Pfirsich, Ananas, zart leimige Botrytis, Vanillin und dann auch Lindenblüten im zweiten Ansatz zeigend, welcher auch eine feine Mineralik in sich birgt. Elegant fliessender Gaumen, er zeigt Nonchalance und Harmonie und auch hier kommt die Fruchtfrische wieder voll durch. Hier hat man die Finessen dem Reichtum vorgezogen. Und das wird wohl dann auch gleich die neue Marschrichtung für kommende Jahrgänge sein. Trinkbar: bis 2055.
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
Vuosikerta 2015
Full report of Bordeaux 2015 by Andrew Caillard MW “Next in line in a great series of vintages; 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2015.
2015 is a wonderful Bordeaux vintage without the hype or hysteria associated with 2009 and 2010. The wines are generally expressive and generous with wonderful concentration and structure. Given another year in barrel, the wines should gain more complexity and fruit volume. Châteaux, in all sub-regions, are enthusiastic about the beautiful fragrance, clear fruit aromas and lively energy of the wines, and believe the vintage to be the best since 2010. More than once, the expression “a vintage of the decade” was mentioned. I have tasted through most of the top wines, some on more than one occasion, and I am convinced that this is a vintage worth supporting. It’s a very successful vintage.
The weather conditions were generally ideal with perfect flowering and set for spring. A hot, dry, sunny period in June and July kept the vines in balance; Near-drought conditions resulted in excellent cluster development. Veraison (in which the grape berries change from green and hard to colored and fleshy) began towards the end of July. Light rains refreshed the canopies and hydrated the grape clusters. Cooler weather arrived in August with above average precipitation. Northern Médoc was exposed to heavy rains, but no berry splitting or significant disease pressure was reported. The cooler conditions leading up to harvest in September allowed the grapes to retain their aromatic potential and ripen relatively evenly.
Red wines from the Right Bank and the Left Bank are generally impressive in their concentration, vigor and freshness. Although all wines are tasted extremely young, it is easy to see the quality and dimension of the vintage. Merlot performed particularly well, with many Châteaux picking intermittently over a three-week window to achieve optimal freshness, flesh and maturity. Cabernet Franc, its companion in many wines, gives an attractive “tannin seam” and structural vigor. Observers are already calling it a right bank year (St Emilion & Pomerol). Ch Vieux Château Certan, described as “La Force Tranquille”, and Château Petrus were my two top Right Bank wines, followed by Château Ausone. All have a buoyancy and precision that bodes well for the future.
The southern left bank (Margaux and Pessac-Léognan) also found some beautiful concentrated wines. The alcoholic strength and tannic maturity seem to correlate with this impression. Cabernet Sauvignon, typically “needing to take its time”, produced wines of beautiful aromaticity, concentration and vitality. The success of this variety depended on the sophistication of harvesting and selection during blending. Château Margaux and Château Palmer are amazing wines. Château Haut Brion and Château La Mission Haut Brion made dense chocolate styles. Château Haut Bailly is particularly refined and nicely balanced.
At Château Batailley, the introduction of a second wine and greater attention to differentiation led to one of the best vintages in its history. Many small refinements and decisions in the vineyard and cellar have allowed several large châteaux in St Julien, Pauillac and St Estephe to make beautiful wines too. The difficult selection process is particularly evident on the Left Bank. Château Margaux and Château Cos d’Estournel have chosen to rigorously defend their first wines through very careful picking and selection. Only 35% and 39% (respectively) of the harvest were dedicated to their Grand Vin. Ch Cheval Blanc de St Emilion represented 95.1% of the harvest, leaving no reason to make Petit Cheval in 2015.
The attention to detail in the vineyard, especially after the August rains, and the huge investments in optical sorting machines (costing around 200,000 euros each) at harvest ensured that the grapes were in good condition before vinification. It’s quite incredible how the fruit arrives in the cellar these days. Attention to detail has become the norm within the Grand Cru Classé community. The First Growth Estates with their huge financial investments in vineyard practices and cellars, have all produced impressive wines this year. Perhaps the most evocative of all is Château Margaux. The death of the estate's longtime winemaker, Paul Pontallier, on Easter Sunday from cancer shook the Bordeaux wine community. He was a man for all seasons. He brought out the best in his people and their wines, whatever the vintage offered. 2015 Château Margaux, in all likelihood, will be the greatest vintage in its modern history.
Despite the somber mood of this year’s En Primeurs 2015 tastings, the energy of spring brought a feeling of renewal. Buds in the vines, white and pink flowers in full bloom, pure chirping of baby birds and vibrant new wines of the vintage promised the animation and maturation of life. The colors, densities, flavors and tannic quality of the young red wines suggest a great vintage in the making. It is one of the most curious practices in the wine trade to comment on unfinished wine, but somehow the predictions become more or less right. Over the next year, the wines will develop more complexity, richness and volume in fruit barrels. The tannins, oak and fruit will integrate more.
The sweet aperitif/dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac also performed very well. The combination of uniform maturation and optimal outbreaks of botrytis cinerea produced magnificent wines. Some are calling it the best vintage since 2001, arguably the greatest vintage in recent memory. While Ch d’Yquem looked stunning, the elegant Ch Climens style, still in many parts, will look wonderful. Typically, this wine is tasted from multiple barrels, and my notes are a composite of eight different elements. The scent, dynamism, freshness and line are incredible. Dry whites, primarily Sauvignon Blanc or Gris dominant, are refreshing styles with an appealing freshness and vibrancy. Ch Haut Brion Blanc is an amazing wine, but its release price will reflect its rarity.
Châteaux will likely bring out the vintage in two installments to capture the appetite of the global wine trade. Early bids will likely be a bit higher than last year's opening prices. This will go against the advice of traders who have been operating with very low margins for many years. The weakening of the pound sterling and the Australian dollar against the euro may be a stumbling block for some buyers, but there will be value and opportunity in this upcoming open season. For Australian buyers, this is absolutely the best way to buy Bordeaux. Provenance is guaranteed, allocations confirmed and the price will always be lower than future imports, due to the structure of the Bordeaux market.
Better market conditions in China and the United States, combined with a significant vintage both in quantity and quality, will allow Bordeaux to regain momentum after a four-year period of stagnation and uncertainty. The game of cat and mouse between the Châteaux, the merchants and the wine trade begins now. Whatever the outcome, Bordeaux will continue to be the benchmark for great wines for many decades to come. There is something completely unique, invigorating and evocative about mature Bordeaux wines. The best of 2015 will be transformative and delicious to drink. All you need is patience, moderately deep pockets, and the willingness to buy!
Margaux/ Beautiful wines with magnificent fruit density and fine, sinuous tannins. It’s been a few years since Margaux shone so brightly. Ch Margaux, Ch Palmer, Ch Rauzan Segla, Ch Rauzan Gassies, Alter Ego de Cg Palmer. Ch Pavillon Rouge, Ch Malescot de St Exupery, Ch D’Angludet, Ch Kirwan, Ch Cantenac Brown and Ch Brand Cantenac are highlights.