1986 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey

BY IAN D’AGATA | MAY 8, 2017

Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s 1986 Sauternes, from a vintage I have always loved, is a delicious example of just how great Bordeaux’s sweet wines from that year can be. The beautiful, turreted domaine (parts of the building date back to the 13th century) made a bevy of great wines in the 1980s, and the Sémillon-dominated (90% of the blend) 1986 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey has always been one of my favorites. Despite a rather evolved deep golden color, the 1986 offers archetypal Sauternes aromas and flavors of pineapple, dried apricot, smoky nuts, and saffron complicated by smoky-marmelady botrytis. Thick, rich and quite sweet but still vibrant thanks to noteworthy harmonious acidity, the 1986 has a lovely, layered, complex and tactile mouthfeel. The finish lasts minutes. 92/Drinking window: 2017-2022.