The 1997 Fargues is lighter and more delicate in spirit than the 1998, reflecting the more troublesome weather of the season that birthed it. Built more on minerality and spice than on luscious fruit, it is meditative and subtle rather than showstopping, but it still possesses a lurking power and a formidable sense of concentration. 115 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.