La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2015 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely Sauternes from Bordeaux that arrived at the LCBO in last month's December 6 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection - with plenty of bottles still available for purchase across Ontario.

It is produced by the prestigious and historic Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, a 1er Grand Cru Classé estate in the 1855 classification of Sauternes. It has changed hands many times over the years, and is currently owned by Vignobles Silvio Denz, who acquired the historic property in 2014.

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is situated on high ground just outside the village of Bommes, in the heart of the great Sauternes terroir, in Bordeaux, on a high gravelly terrace, 70 metres above sea level, next to the iconic Château d'Yquem. At the heart of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey are their two named plots - L'Enclos and Les Maisons Rouges - which have great terroir consisting of gravel from the Quaternary period that was deposited more than 600,000 years ago, on a substratum of Aquitania limestone.

The property itself is very old, with the Maisons Rouges plot a stopping place during Roman times. Moreover, the oldest stones in the surrounding wall and entrance are thought to be the oldest structures in the commune of Bommes, dating back to the 13th century. These stones and the château's archives, which go back to 1742, are evidence of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey's rich past and represent eight centuries of history.

Today, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a completely restored and renovated property equipped with technical facilities that comply with new regulatory and environmental constraints, including air-conditioning and humidity control throughout. In 2018, Lafaurie-Peyraguey celebrated their 400th anniversary by opening the Lalique hotel-restaurant.

Recognized as a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification, the identity of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey's wines are forged from the co-existence of four elements: the terroir between the Garonne and Ciron rivers, characterized by its gravelly-sandy soil; a unique microclimate; the presence of the botrytis cinerea fungus ("noble rot"); and the predominant grape variety, Sémillon. The château's historic plots of 18.5 hectares of vines are managed according to principles of organic agriculture and ploughed using horses.

This dessert wine is the second wine of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, and takes its name from the château's most iconic location - La Chapelle - or, the chapel. It is crafted using a blend of 93% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, and 1% Muscadelle, from vines that are about 30 years old and grown at the estate. To craft this wine, harvest was carried out manually using successive passes and sorting, varying between 4 and 7 passes depending on the year and advanced ripeness of the grapes. It was vinified using the same methods as their top bottling, with 18–30 days in fine-grained French barrels, followed by ageing for 18 to 20 months in French oak barrels.

The 2015 growing season in Sauternes was warm and dry early, and cool and wet late. However, the rains were light and separated by periods of dry weather, which allowed for waves of botrytis growth and leisurely picking. While there was less noble rot than previous years, there was enough to enable a good vintage. Harvest earlier than normal and very successful, with fantastic fruit having botrytized characters and balanced acidity. From an excellent vintage, let's see how this 2015 Sauternes from Bordeaux is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LA CHAPELLE DE LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY SAUTERNES 2015 - AOC, second wine of Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bordeaux, France (#477588, 375 mL) (S) - $40.95
Blend of 93% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, and 1% Muscadelle. The medium-high intensity nose has maturing, slightly oxidated aromas of Seville orange, marmalade, and spice nuanced with caramel, honey, and apricot with touches of golden raisin. The full-bodied palate is rich and sweet with delicious honey, caramel, Seville orange, vanilla, waxy, marmalade and spice flavours. It has juicy, well-balanced acidity, along with spicy notes on the mid-palate. Creamy textured with caramel, waxy, orange, and spice notes in a more savoury profile on the long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92+ pts

Other lovely wines by Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey can be ordered through their Agent - DBINO David Beauroy Selections.

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Château de Fontenille Blanc 2023 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely, sustainable Sauvignon Blanc-based blend from Bordeaux that was included as part of the feature story on "Summery White Wines" in the recent June 21 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection a couple of weeks ago.

It is produced by the historic Château de Fontenille, a winery whose roots can be traced back to the 4th century, when the poet Ausone praised the wines of the area within the Entre-deux-Mers wine region of Bordeaux. In the 4th century, this site was a Roman villa, of which there are only scattered remains today, and featured grape vines. The history of the property is traced back to the 15th century, when it was mentioned in the archives of the neighbouring Benedictine monastery - Abbey of La Sauve Majeure. This monks of the monastery tended to the vines on this site for hundreds of years. In 1923, the property was known for its use of high-quality wine barrels.

A property as old as Château de Fontenille has changed hands many times over the years, and in 1989 the property marked its rebirth as its 16 hectares of vineyards were acquired by a young Belgian, Stéphane Defraine. Château de Fontenille has since grown to 63 hectares of vines, and in 2020, Stéphane was joined by his daughter Macha. Together, with a dream and ambition, they imagine, probe, prepare, wait, adjust, and improve as they seek to improve their wines with each passing vintage. As part of this process, they master each row of plots, micro-vinify, and delicately mature their wines with meticulous precision.

With the proper choice of varietal origin, reproduction of the vines, caring for their longevity, the intra-parcel selections, micro-vinifications, and ageing techniques, including the selection of wood, the family aims to take Château de Fontenille one step further to produce high-quality wines. They have divided their 63 hectares of vineyards across the appellations of Entre-deux-Mers and Cadillac, which are spread over 5 islets, into 67 plots, and have great diversity in soil, grape varieties, and vineyard management techniques. Among their vine plantings are century-old Sémillon, as well as the re-discovery of Sauvignon Gris from the Loire, and young plantings of Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Since 2005, Château de Fontenille began working their soils without the use of chemical weedkillers, and are actively trying to limit their interventions to control pests and disease. After receiving their HVE environmental approach certification, they began their conversion to organic in 2020. Their approach to sustainability includes social and economic improvements. Among their sustainability initiatives include reducing energy consumption, preserving water resources, the maintenance of a singular plant heritage, the sorting and recycling of waste, and protecting the health and well-being of their employees, local residents, and consumers.

This white wine is from the Entre-deux-Mers appellation of the Bodeaux. Entre-deux-Mers, whose name originates from the Latin term "Inter duo maria”, which means between two tides, is situated between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. Indeed, the name is related to the two tides that go up the course of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers via the Gironde estuary. While it is often referred to as "Bordeaux Tuscany", the Entre-deux-Mers appellation is renowned for its exemplary white wines.

This white wine is crafted with 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Muscadelle, and 10% Sémillon that was grown on soil composed of siliceous clay and gravel, at an elevation of 380 feet above sea level. The wine was vinified completely in stainless steel tanks, with skin maceration for 10 to 24 hours, and was aged on its fine lees for 4 months.

The 2023 growing season in Bordeaux began as a dry and warm vintage, with flowering and fruit set looking textbook perfect from late-May to the first week of June. However, the weather turned tropical with three weeks of heat and relentless rain, which led to downy mildew outbreaks. July was also hotter and drier than average, however, it was also unusually cloudy. There were also a couple of pre-harvest heatwaves in August and September. From a great vintage that delivered freshness for white wines, let's see how this 2023 Bordeaux Blanc is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU DE FONTENILLE BLANC 2023 - Sustainable, AC Entre-deux-Mers, Bordeaux, France (#140046) (XD) - $23.95
Blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Muscadelle, and 10% Sémillon. The medium+ to medium-high intensity nose seems a bit reserved, offering attractive and ripe aromas of lemon citrus and white peach nuanced with leesy mineral, spice, and grapefruit with touches of earthiness and guava adding further complexity and interest. On the dry, medium-full to full-bodied palate it is richly structured and faintly honeyed with delicious yellow citrus, grapefruit, lemon, spice, and green fruit flavours. Nicely textured with succulent and juicy acidity. More savoury with leesy mineral, spice, earthy, and grapefruit citrus notes on the long, well-structured, and juicy finish. Should continue to drink well over the next 2-3 years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90+ pts

Other fine wines by Château de Fontenille can be ordered through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.

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