2005 Chateau de Fargues Sauternes France
$229.99 USD
Winemaker Notes
A great success everywhere in Bordeaux and absolutely brilliant in Sauternes. Nothing is excessive and, despite the wine's richness, everything is in balance.
Press
Rated 96 Points Wine Spectator
This is so creamy, almost milky in feel, 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.
Rated 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. DeFargues 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.
Rated 94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 de Fargues has just a little more residual sugar than succeeding vintages at 142-grams- per-liter and an alcohol of 13.65%. Picked over five tries from September 27 until exactly one month later, it has a slightly more resinous bouquet than the mighty 2007 with melted candle wax, Seville orange marmalade, a touch of almond and peach skin. The definition is (as usual) very impressive. The palate is very well-balanced with marmalade and orange peel on the entry. There is good weight and presence here, although it is more contained and focused than the 2007. The oak is just a little more pronounced and it would benefit from another five or six years in bottle before broaching. Tasted April 2013.