2011 Château Raymond-Lafon, Sauternes, Bordeaux

2011 Château Raymond-Lafon, Sauternes, Bordeaux

Product: 20111017441
 
2011 Château Raymond-Lafon, Sauternes, Bordeaux

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Description

The 2011 Raymond Lafon was picked from three tries representing six lots (the first and last de-selected for the second label) between September 19 and October 5, the earliest harvest since 1893. It has 149 grams per liter residual sugar and a pH of 3.83. It has an understated bouquet of honey, grilled almond, pineapple and quince aromas. It comes across as tight and not expressive at this early stage, but that will certainly change. The palate offers a light, almond and quince-tinged entry and it represents a lighter, feminine take on the vintage. It is a Raymond Lafon that will be beautifully balanced and endowed with a precise finish that neatly offsets sweetness against acidity.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - Wine Advocate - Issue#200 - Apr 2012

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate
The 2011 Raymond Lafon was picked from three tries representing six lots (the first and last de-selected for the second label) between September 19 and October 5, the earliest harvest since 1893. It has 149 grams per liter residual sugar and a pH of 3.83. It has an understated bouquet of honey, grilled almond, pineapple and quince aromas. It comes across as tight and not expressive at this early stage, but that will certainly change. The palate offers a light, almond and quince-tinged entry and it represents a lighter, feminine take on the vintage. It is a Raymond Lafon that will be beautifully balanced and endowed with a precise finish that neatly offsets sweetness against acidity.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - Wine Advocate - Issue#200 - Apr 2012 Read more
Wine Spectator92-95/100
Quite ripe, offering a large core of orange peel, date and almond notes, with a toasted hazelnut-filled finish. There's plenty of dried mango and apricot in reserve, with a toasty piecrust note. Powerfully rendered. Needs some time.
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 9, 2012 Read more
Decanter18.5/20
Delicacy and detail here displaying the dedication and talent of the Meslier family. Flavours are refined, pure and complex; wine possesses both finesse and charm. Very successful year for this under-valued château. Read more

About this WINE

Chateau Raymond-Lafon

Chateau Raymond-Lafon

Chateau Raymond Lafon is located in Sauternes, Bordeaux, next to the vineyards of Chateau d’Yquem and very close to Chateau Suduiraut. It was founded in 1850 by Raymond Lafon, and was inherited by Louis Pontallier, a nephew of Lafon’s, whose grandson, Paul Pontallier, is the director of Chateau Margaux.

Pontallier sold the chateau in 1952 to the Bourdier family, from which the current owners, the Meslier Family, (Pierre Meslier was the then managing director of Chateau d’Yquem) acquired it in 1972. The association and the proximity to Chateau d’Yquem explains why Raymond Lafon is produced in the exact fashion with the great sweet wine of Bordeaux. 

The tiny 18 hectare vinayard is planted to 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc with vines that average 40 years of age. The wine spends 3 years in 100% new French oak barrels. 

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Sauternes

Sauternes

Sauternes is where arguably the world's finest sweet white wines are produced. The Sauternes appellation actually consists of five communes: Barsac, Preignac, Bommes, Fargues and Sauternes itself. Barsac is also an appellation in its own right.

Sauternes literally has an atmosphere different from any of the other major communes. At the southern tip of the Graves,close to the Garonne, not only is the land hillier and decidedly more bucolic but it also enjoys a specific mesoclimate of evening autumn mists which linger until well into the following day, unless burnt off by warm sunshine.

The mists are caused by the cool, spring-fed waters of the Ciron River meeting the warmer tidal Garonne, and the result is an ideal environment for the growth of the mould botrytis cinerea. When its arrival is felicitous, it feeds on the water in the ripe grapes, dehydrating them and leaving sweet, shriveled fruit.

Other regions in Bordeaux (ie Cadillac, Loupiac) produce wines in a similar style from the same method, but none achieve the profundity and complexity of Sauternes.

Recommended Châteaux : Ch. D'Yquem, Ch. Climens (Barsac), Ch. Suduiraut, Ch. Rieussec,  Sigalas- Rabaud, Ch. Coutet (Barsac), Ch. de Fargues, Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Ch. Doisy-Védrines (Barsac), Chateau Partarrieu, La Tour Blanche

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Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

The blend used for White Graves and Sauternes and rarely encountered outside France. In the great dry whites of Graves, Sauvignon Blanc tends to predominate in the blend, although properties such as Smith Haut Lafite use 100% Sauvignon Blanc while others such as Laville Haut Brion have as much as 60% Sémillon in their final blends. Sauvignon Blanc wines can lose their freshness and fruit after a couple of years in bottle - if blended with Sémillon, then the latter bolsters the wine when the initial fruit from the Sauvignon fades. Ultimately Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its aroma and raciness while Sémillon gives it backbone and longevity.

In Sauternes, Sémillon is dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc playing a supporting role - it is generally harvested about 10 days before Sémillon and the botrytis concentrates its sweetness and dampens Sauvignon Blanc`s naturally pungent aroma. It contributes acidity, zip and freshness to Sauternes and is an important component of the blend.

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