A generous vintage, and this 1998 Fargues shows it—ripe, layered, and accessible. Notes of fig, bergamot, and candied citrus glide through a silky frame. 125 g/L of residual sugar, but the balance is seamless. Unlike Yquem, which passed to LVMH in the late ’90s, Fargues remains under the Lur-Saluces family. Philippe de Lur-Saluces leads the estate today with quiet discipline. The wine—80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc—is picked berry by berry, only when perfectly botrytized. Yields are minimal. It spends two years in oak (a third new), followed by six months in steel before bottling. No fining, no filtration. The style favors precision over excess. Refined, long-lived Sauternes with structure and soul. Drinking beautifully now, with plenty of life ahead.