2005 was a great success everywhere in Bordeaux and absolutely brilliant in Sauternes. Nothing is excessive and despite the wine’s richness everything is in balance.
96 POINTS, Wine Spectator. "This is so creamy, with toasted coconut and cashew notes giving way to sweet peach, apricot and glazed pear flavors that glide along, while ginger, green tea, lychee and kumquat flavors extend through the finish. Shows terrific range and definition. Feels like it's just starting to open, and is in no rush. Drink now through 2035."
96 POINTS, Connoisseurs' Guide. "We have been familiar with this property for some four decades, and it continues to deliver more hidden value than just about any other producer around. Ownership must have something to do with it because it belongs to the Lur Saluce family whose stewardship of Chateau D'Yquem for centuries has brought them well-deserved fame. De Fargues is newer stuff. It was first given over to the making of Sauternes in 1943 and is still in the process of development with new acreage about to be planted on the estate. There has been, as long as we have known the wine, a bit of a family tie to D'Yquem in the level of concentration achieved in the vineyard and the richness and complexity of the finished wine. The 2005 version is nothing short of brilliant and will stand as one of the best wines made in the entire appellation."
While Château d’Yquem was sold to LVMH in the late 1990s, Château de Fargues remains under the control of the Lur-Saluces family, with Alexandre’s friendly and highly capable son Philippe at the helm today. Their lone wine is produced from 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested with meticulous care to only include pristinely botrytized fruit, with yields averaging less than a glass of wine per vine. Château de Fargues is an elegant, streamlined, varietally expressive Sauternes with outstanding longevity.
