Château de Fargues Sauternes 1996

Soft amber in colour, with tawny reflections. This has a caressing silk texture, at the crossover stage of Sauternes where the texture makes you expect an unctuous rich wine, but the flavours instead barely betray a hint of sweetness, focusing on bitter orange, lemon peel, lime, saffron, oyster shell, performing the trick of starting sweet and finishing dry. Noble bitterness is clear, almost closer to a vin santo than a young Sauternes. A quick cut of a knife on the finish and this ends clean, softened by waves of cold ash and campfire smoke. Exceptional. Harvest September 30 to October 24. 11hl/h yield. François Amirault winemaker.