Château de Fargues

From this hallowed zone which can birth arguably the most profound sweet wines on earth, the Lur-Saluces family produces a Sauternes of stunning clarity. In his words, Philippe seeks “focus and austerity”—and indeed Château de Fargues emphasizes precision and drive over polished unctuousness. The vineyards, which today comprise 18 hectares and average 35 years of age, are planted to 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and are farmed entirely without the use of synthetic chemicals. Fargues produces neither a second wine nor a dry wine, harnessing all their efforts into a single sublime Sauternes, which they age in just one-third new oak in order to keep wood notes from dominating. The wine spends two full years in barrels, which allows it to settle naturally without fining agents or filtration, and it is assembled in stainless steel for six months before bottling.

Each vintage of Fargues carries a through-line of purity and elegance—a sense of utter tranquility somewhat surprising in a wine carrying between 120 and 140 grams per liter of residual sugar. Varietal character is presented explicitly, with the lusciousness and viscosity of the Sémillon and the aromatic exuberance of the Sauvignon Blanc on full display, unmasked by oak sheen even in the youngest vintages. Of course, there is botrytis here—fine botrytis of achingly baroque complexity—but it too is rendered with startling clarity. And texturally, Fargues pulls off a feat only the very greatest sweet wines can achieve: a sense of weightlessness despite all that richness and concentration.