Botrytis developed in fits and starts in the lengthy 1985 growing season, with harvest not concluding until December 16th, and the resulting wine is gentle, caressing, and relatively dry, with well-developed aromatic notes of dried fruits and fresh nuts, and an open-knit palate of surprising persistence. 100 g/L residual sugar.

While Château d’Yquem was sold to LVMH in the late 1990s, Château de Fargues remains under the control of the Lur-Saluces family, with Alexandre’s friendly and highly capable son Philippe at the helm today. Their lone wine is produced from 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested with meticulous care to only include pristinely botrytized fruit, with yields averaging less than a glass of wine per vine. It is aged for two full years in one-third new oak barrels, then six further months in stainless steel to assemble; fining and filtration are never employed. Emphasizing focus over ultra-richness, Château de Fargues is an elegant, streamlined, varietally expressive Sauternes with outstanding longevity.