Cape Heritage, Sweets, Fortifieds and Spirits
Timed Online Auction, 7 - 14 August 2023
Cape Heritage
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a Premier Cru Classé wine estate in the Sauternes appellation, south of Bordeaux city. The château is located on a hill just outside the historic commune of Bommes, and dates back to the 13th Century. It became a wine estate in 1618, and has been owned by Swiss businessman Silvio Denz since 2014.
The château's 36-hectare estate neighbors Château d'Yquem, which lies roughly a kilometer to the southeast. Châteaux Rayne Vigneau and Sigalas-Rabaud lie to the immediate southwest and northwest respecitvely.
Lafaurie-Peyraguey's vineyards are composed of silica-gravel and clay-gravel soils and planted to 93 percent Sémillon, six percent Sauvignon Blanc, and one percent Muscadelle. The estate's vines average 40 years old, although the oldest date back to 1926.
The château gets its name from two historic owners – the Peyraguey family who gave their name to the property in the 17th Century and later, Pierre Lafaurie, who acquired the estate in the French Revolution. In 1855, it gained Premier Cru Classé status in the classification of Sauternes and Barsac.
Numerous owners come and go over the centuries, including the merchant house and négociant, Cordier.
The French-based multinational Suez Group acquired the property in the mid-1980s and renovated the building, cellars and vineyards over the turn of the century, before Denz took over in 2014.
The lot consists of 1 bottle each of the following vintages 1988, 1989, 1990.
Provenance
Private Client
Critics Ratings
1988:
‘Good pale color. Fresh, flinty aromas of apple, fresh herbs and dried fruits. Very rich and pliant in the mouth, with a strong resiny/spicy flavor. Strong for the vintage, and very well balanced. Quite powerful and long on the finish, with complex flavors of honey, earth and tobacco.’ – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 91/100 (Jul 2008)
‘The massively rich, yet fresh, lively 1988 offers a compelling, flowery, honeyed bouquet of vanilla custard, buttery orange/apricot scents, and smoky ceme brulee. The wine's zesty acidity brings everything into extraordinary clarity. With plenty of botrytis evident, this is a full-bodied, super-concentrated, fascinating, powerful yet elegant Sauternes that will age beautifully for 25-30 years. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.’ – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Dec 1997)
1989:
‘Unforgettable; packs it in and doesn't pull punches, displaying chewy, bold, toasted oak character and honey, spice, dried apricot and pineapple flavors that end in a fresh finish. Best after 1998.’ – Wine Spectator, 94/100 (Apr 1995)
‘Tasted blind at the château, the 1989 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a lucid golden colour, limpid. The nose is very satisfying: a little resinous, crème brûlée and beeswax that does not hold back, but retains admirable delineation. The palate is quite spicy on the entry, very pure with tangerine coming through, dovetailing into a mellifluous finish offset by a twist of sour lemon. This is a great Lafaurie-Peyraguey and outplays the 1986 that was served alongside.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Jun 2015)
‘The 1989 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is probably the best vintage of the decade. Lucid in color, the extremely pure bouquets features scents of candle wax, crème brûlée and linseed oil. It delivers real intensity without dispensing any precision. The palate has a deftly controlled, quite spicy entry, much more pure than the 1986 and laden with viscous, honeyed fruit counterbalanced by an edgy bitter lemon note. There is a sense of completeness and harmony to this superb Sauternes, which will give another three decades of drinking pleasure.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Dec 2018)
1990:
‘The 1990 exhibits a deep golden corn-like color, followed by sensational aromatics (honeyed citrus, pineapple and pear intertwined with smoke and creme brulee-like notes). In the mouth, the wine is massive and full-bodied, with an unctuous texture, and powerful, juicy flavors that possess mouth-staining extract, glycerin, and viscosity. This is a blockbuster-styled, sweet Sauternes with at least 30 years of longevity. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030.’ – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 92/100 (Dec 1997)
‘Wonderfully complex, quintessential Sauternes aromas of apricot, smoke, truffle, game and licorice. Thick and mouth-filling, but kept fresh by strong, harmonious acidity. Conveys a tactile, layered texture and strong noble rot character. Really lovely balance. Finishes with powerful fruit and great persistence. Stunning wine.’ – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 93/100 (Jul 1998)
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