Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey - Sauternes 2005 (375ml)

Starting with the 1979 vintage the wines have strengthened in character, richness, body and depth. 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. The wine is fermented and matured in oak casks. One-third of these are new each year. The maturing process covers two years. The wood from which these casks are made differs from the usual Limousin oak. They have chosen the oak of Merrian that possesses a higher tannin content, which gives the wine more backbone and durability.

This is powerful and racy with lots of class. Full body, very sweet with lots of spicy botrytis character. Intense. Drink or hold.

Classic Sauternes, treading the fine line between sweetness and elegance. Initially, it seems to be dominated by the botrytis, but then sweet fruits also show, with ripe yellow fruits, honey and almonds, touched with citrus. As it develops, the wine will become richer and more intense.

There's beautiful ripe fruit in this, with pineapple, mango and papaya and hints of vanilla and honey. Full-bodied and medium sweet. Rich and round, with loads of cooked apple, citrus peel and spices. Long and flavorful. Dense and rich. Best after 2012. 6,250 cases made.

The 2005 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey offer apricot, fig jam and touch of almond on the focused bouquet, grilled walnut coming through later. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, quite structured and almost austere in comparison with other vintages. There is good tension here, vibrant and citric with impressive mineralité towards the finish. This has great potential.