1986 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 1986 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a vintage that I have tasted three or four times, most notably an exceptional bottle in 2011 that I dared suggest ought to be compared to the 1986 d’Yquem. Two subsequent bottles have not lived up to the expectation of the Sauternes vintage. The last bottle demonstrates ample botrytis formation on the nose, although it comes across rather smudged, missing the tension and precision of its peers. It is a showy, dense Lafaurie-Peyraguey, a little alcoholic, with an unctuous finish that needs to demonstrate more tension and purity. An enjoyable Sauternes, but nothing more. Tasted blind at a private dinner in London.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind at the château, the 1986 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey here was outclassed by the 1989. Apart from that half-bottle in Hong Kong, this is quite an inconsistent Sauternes. There is plenty of botrytis on the nose, although it does not achieve the same detail and mineralité as the 1989. Full-bodied with a touch of alcohol smudging the finish, this feels a little cumbersome and flat-footed compared to the 1989. This bottle is ex-château, but there are better examples out there.
Tasted blind at the chateau, the 1986 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey here was outclassed by the 1989. Apart from that half-bottle in Hong Kong, this is quite an inconsistent Sauternes. There is plenty of botrytis on the nose, although it does not achieve the same detail and mineralite as the 1989. Full-bodied with a touch of alcohol smudging the finish, this feels a little cumbersome and flat-footed compared to the 1989. This bottle is ex-chateau, but there are better examples out there. Jun 2015, www.robertparker.com