Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey 2017

ANTONIO GALLONI:"A wine of stunning beauty, the 2017 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is so remarkably vivid from the very first taste. All the elements simply fall into place effortlessly. Orchard fruit, tangerine, passion fruit mint and exotic floral overtones all grace this precise, wonderfully inviting Sauternes from Silvio Denz. Lafaurie-Peyraguey is pure and total finesse."

DECANTER:"Pure, round and compact. Lower acidity but the persistent floral and mandarin citrus aromatics offer charm and freshness. Gentle, bitter orange finish."

JAMES SUCKLING:"A wine with fresh, clean botrytis influence and lemon curd, sliced apricot, dried apricot and apricot confiture. This has striking purity with such intense flavors of peach and apricot custard, apricot pastry and a very elegant and supple, fleshy-fruit texture with acidity that holds such freshness on the finish. Elegance and freshness meets power and purity. Concentrated in every respect – flavors, sugar and acidity. Drink now or age for a considerable time, as you prefer."

JANCIS ROBINSON:"93% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Complete and rich – a big wine! Seems quite high alcohol and with masses of sugar. Hint of marmalade. Neat, but very rich – almost too much! Still quite chewy on the end. But there is some freshness anyway …."

JEB DUNNUCK:"While I wasn’t able to taste broadly, if the 2017 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey is any indication, this appears to be a terrific vintage for the sweet wines of Bordeaux. This vivid gold-hued effort has a wonderful sense of botrytis as well as complex honeyed stone fruits, orange blossom, and floral nuances. With full-bodied richness, a ripe, opulent texture, and nicely balanced acidity and sweetness, it’s already drinking beautifully yet should evolve for 15 years or more. The blend is 95% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon, all raised in one-third new French oak."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER:"Fresh, ripe, opulent sweet honey-drenched apricots, pineapple, mango, vanilla and white peach hit the spot, for those looking for a sweet nectar treat. Rich, honeyed and full, the wine remains lifted and fresh."

THE WINEADVOCATE:"The nose of the 2017 Lafaurie-Peyraguey explodes with bombastic tropical fruits, stone fruit preserves, spices and florals with honey-nut nuances and a waft of crushed rocks. The palate is rich, concentrated, spicy, layered and fresh, finishing long. The blend is 95% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc."

WEINWISSER:"Leuchtendes Goldgelb mit zarten lindgrünen Reflexen. Was für eine Offenbarung! Reife Mirabellen, Mango-Chutney und Baiser. Im zweiten Ansatz Mandarinenzesten und Tahiti-Vanille. Am fülligen Gaumen mit sirupartigem Extrakt und genialer Rasse. Im aromatischen Finale eine exotische Explosion mit Maracuja und Guavenmark. Ein Sauternes, dem die Barriquereife sehr gutgetan hat und die höhere Note zu Recht verdient!"

WINE ENTHUSIAST:"Barrel Sample. Great acidity gives this wine a really fresh character. Ripe yellow fruits complement the wine's freshness, with a lingering spice note on the close. It is complex, with considerable aging potential. Drink from 2024."

WINESPECTATOR:"Creamy and lush, with enticing peach, mango and papaya notes gliding through. Long and flattering on the finish, showing hazelnut and piecrust accents. A showy wine. Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Drink now through 2038. 2,500 cases made. — JM"