Songs Full of Light - Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1906-2018

BY NEAL MARTIN | AUGUST 27, 2019

Nothing surpasses a vertical tasting if you want to get under the bonnet of a wine and see what makes it tick. Not a greatest hits compilation of fêted vintages, but an unabridged warts-and-all vertical, an exposé of performances in every growing season, come what may – and enlightenment hinges on those last three words. Proprietors tend to avoid complete verticals since they would rather skip poor or even disastrous vintages that risk sullying reputations. In any case, stocks of such wines may have dried up years ago, since they were never expected to age, even if experience has taught me that a surprising number defy predicted short shelf lives.

This article conjoins not one but two unabridged verticals. First, there is a complete run through the most recent vintages of Lafaurie-Peyraguey from 1995 to the present day. All these vintages can be found on the market – dare I say, at very reasonable prices compared to many Grand Cru Classés. But the catalyst for this article is a remarkable vertical of 28 vintages between 1906 and 1945 conducted in December 2018 to celebrate 400 years since vines were first planted on the property. Around half the bottles came from the depleted bins at the château, and the remainder were generously filled in by Swiss collector and expert Jürg Richter. In my professional career I have never had the opportunity to examine a wine during its pre-war period in such detail, making this is the most comprehensive overview of Lafaurie-Peyraguey you are ever likely to read.

The complete lineup of Lafaurie-Peyraguey between 1906 and 1945 – in all likelihood the only time these bottles will ever congregate.

History

Few Bordeaux châteaux convey a sense of history like Lafaurie-Peyraguey, even if today the towering crenellated wall seems rather over-defensive in such a somnolent locale, its battlements strengthened in case those warmongers from Yquem attack. It is certainly one of the most eye-catching properties within the entire region. The enclosure towers and entrance porch of the château date as far back as the 13th century, although the majority of it was rebuilt in the 17th century. The oldest wooden structure within the château has been dated to 1431, indicating that the land was being worked at least that long ago.

Early History

The Peyraguey family, who originated from Illats, are recorded as living in Bommes around 1592–94. They planted the first vines in 1618, though by 1667 Vitis vinifera occupied no more than a hectare. Documents dating from 1671 record Christofle de Tuquoy, Abbé de Pimbo, and Elizabet de Tuquoy as the godparents to the Peyraguey family, and on September 14, 1682, they became owners of the estate. Unsurprisingly given their ecclesiastical background, they erected a chapel on the grounds, inspired by the church of Saint-Éloi in Bordeaux city. (That said, Saint-Éloi does not boast a crystal glass crucifix designed by artist Damien Hirst!) On June 23, 1709, the estate passed to their niece Jeanne de Tuquoy, who, after just six days – surely the shortest tenure ever – transferred the deeds to her son, parliamentarian Pierre de Pichard. The de Pichard family were both wealthy and influential and duly invested into what was then known as Château Pichard-Peyraguey. Pierre’s son Baron Nicolas Pierre de Pichard, consul to the king of France, inherited the estate in 1746 and later became proprietor of Château Lafite. Records indicate that at this time there were 13.8 hectares of vines, though Nicolas Pierre reduced it to eight hectares. Twelve bottles were sold to Thomas Jefferson during his visit in 1787, but alas, the future US president could do nothing when Nicolas Pierre was guillotined in 1794 and Pichard-Peyraguey was sequestered.