de Fargues 2006

Tasted at the Sauternes 2006 ten-year on horizontal in Bordeaux. The 2006 de Fargues has a broody nose, piqued at being broached too young (at least for Château de Fargues). The palate is rounded on the entry with orange zest and marmalade notes, very good weight but it feels a little muted towards the finish at the moment. That is typical de Fargues - cellar this for another ten years because all the component parts are here.

Orange-gold. Exotic fruits, apricot, marzipan, truffle, vanilla and a captivating whiff of caramel au beurre sale on the nose. Densely packed, supple and concentrated, with medium weight but noteworthy complexity to the flavors of fruit salad, honey, vanilla and toffee. Nicely perked up by suggestions of pineapple, fresh herbs and orange peel. Very good noble rot character here, and quite expressive for a young sample from this estate. Finishes clean, firm and very persistent. This was not yet in bottle when I tasted a sample in early June.

Tasted twice at two negotiants. The first sample displays a lifted nose of lemon, peach and honey with an odd scent of Airfix glue that dissipates with aeration and did NOT appear on a second sample shown four days later. The palate on the first has good acidity with unctuous sweet fruits: peach, apricot and orange-blossom. Clean, understated finish that has just a touch too much new oak at this stage but that should meld in nicely with the wine. Tasted March 2007.