2014 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey

The 2014 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a slightly different aromatic profile than previous bottles. It's a little earthier in style, still missing the vivacity of subsequent vintages. The palate is well balanced with plenty of ginger and mandarin-infused botrytised fruit, slightly attenuated on the finish. It is missing the precision of later vintages, but it continues to offer pleasure.

The 2014 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is very similar to the bottle tasted last year, as you would expect. It was picked from September 17 until October 27 via four tries , cropped at just 9.4hl/ha and matured in 40% new French oak (much less than the previous vintage). The residual sugar is 137g/L. This has an attractive bouquet of wild honey, orange blossom and quince aromas that show less chutzpah and complexity than the 2015 tasted alongside. The palate is very well balanced, and a tad spicier than I recalled, with veins of ginger running through the botrytized fruit. This feels quite linear compared to subsequent vintages and maybe just lacks persistency on the finish, although it is very focused and the spiciness would match Asian cuisine with aplomb. Tasted from an ex-château bottle sent to my home.

Vineyard mix: 90% Sémillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle. Tasted blind. Intense and dense and racy. So clean and lively. Not heavy but an energetic shot in the arm. The elevated acidity gives an impression almost of lightness. (JR)