Chateau de Fargues Vertical
Sens, San Francisco
Tasted Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - Saturday, June 4, 2016 by aagrawal with 716 views
Introduction
This was a truly wonderful vertical of Chateau de Fargues with some close friends. In order to give some of the younger wines some air, I slow-oxed a few of the wines by opening them 3 days ahead of time, taking out a 1/2 glass, and recorking the bottles.
Pre-tasting on 6/1: 03, 05, 11
All were showing well, with the 03 showing nice maturity on the nose while still quite a youthful palate, and overall very well integrated. This is one of my best bottles of this so far. The 05 needed a lot of time the last time I had it, but this time is already showing great density with excellent acidity and freshness. It runs that balance well, but it still shows quite young in the spectrum of sauternes. The '11 is immensely young, but it is aromatic and shows great potential. I think some air will do it well, and I'm curious to see what it will be like in 3 days. I'm not sure I can pick an objective "best" one yet given that they all have such unique characters that make them enjoyable, but overall I still get a characteristic Fargues "grapefruit" character that gives them a slight tartness on the nose or palate. Tasting these together, I also think they could use slightly more persistence on the finish to get them into Yquem territory. Perhaps other vintages or air for these vintages will change that.
These were tasted again on the day of the vertical.
Flight 1 - Champagne (1 Note)
It's always a treat to try a vintage champagne, and this was a good one. Well balanced, and in a full bodied and yeasty style that I like.
Flight 2 - 2011 Chateau de Fargues vs. 2011 Chateau de Fargues (2 Notes)
The half was opened 3 days prior to the tasting while the 750 was opened just prior to tasting (pop and pour). This was an interesting exercise, and I think I did like the slow-oxed bottle better than the freshly opened bottle. It was more integrated and richer in texture on both the nose and the palate; the freshly opened bottle was a bit more angular and disjointed, though it did have somewhat more expressive aromatics.
Flight 3 - 2001, 2003, 2005 (3 Notes)
This was a great lineup with some of the best vintages of the decade. The 03 was showing the most maturity and comparatively the least acid, though compared to other 2003s it actually has quite prominent acid. The 05 had excellent balance and the richest mouthfeel. The 2001, always a standout wine, was the blowout winner with intense aromatics and flavors with racy acidity and vibrancy on the palate that made it stand out. The 2001 with a good amount of age could be a truly monumental achievement.
Flight 4 - 1995, 1996, 1997 (3 Notes)
These are among the best vintages from the 90s, though overall the 90s weren't as strong as the 80s or the 2000s. I think that is seen here with a lineup of wines that is enjoyable and well balanced but that lack the next-level complexity and flavor of the decades flanking it.
Flight 5 - 1989, 1990 + 1990 Yquem (3 Notes)
This was an awesome flight. All the wines were incredible, but in particular I loved the complexity on the nose of the 1990 Fargues (tea, orange blossom, etc) along with its vibrant acidity on the palate. The 1989 Fargues was a favorite at the table, but I thought it was just a fraction behind the complexity of the 1990. The Yquem was a very generous surprise from George, especially since I have never tried it before. It was much more youthful than the 1990 Fargues in its color, aroma, and flavor, and its defining characteristic was perhaps its balance and its purity of orange fruit, almost on the icewine spectrum. It could certainly use much more time.
Flight 6 - 1976, 1979, 1980 (3 Notes)
These were truly a treat given their rarity and age. The 1976 was a bit drying for a sauternes (developing more coppery flavors), but the 79 and the 80 were wonderful. The 79 was a step above and was my favorite of this flight.
Flight 7 - Pichon Lalande Vertical (4 Notes)
After so much time with sauternes, it was interesting to switch gears to some reds. The 1989 was the clear standout in this lineup with near perfect aromas, flavors, and traditional Bordeaux typicite.
Closing
This was a rare experience with a huge vertical of one of my favorite Chateau. All the Chateau de Fargues were superb with some truly wonderful standouts: 2001, 1990, and 1979 among them, though there are many others as well. It has confirmed my overall impression of Fargues as having split the difference between denser Sauternes and crisper acidic Barsac, and many of these wines (though not all) had a decent dose of a characteristic grapefruit on the nose or palate. It's something I associate with Chateau de Fargues character. It was particularly interesting to try some of these alongside the 1990 Yquem, which is superb in many ways but also very, very young. For the price I prefer Fargues, and I would argue that unless you wait very long (>30 years), the Fargues gives more drinking pleasure now.
1995 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
(6/4/2016)
Medium golden; rich yeasty nose, nice complexity; palate is medium bodied, nice combination of freshness and richness; medium-long finish. Excellent champagne. 91
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