1988 Château Raymond-Lafon

Château Raymond-Lafon is a Sauternes producer. The 44-acre estate is just north of Château d’Yquem and traces its history to the 19th century. After a period of decline it was in 1972 purchased by Pierre Meslier, who was technical director at Château d’Yquem. Meslier’s attention to the estate immediately improved the wines and by the 1980s they were commanding prices far above many other Sauternes producers. The estate is today run by the Meslier family. Though it is unclassified, wine writers consider Raymond-Lafon an excellent producer. About 20,000 bottles are produced annually. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls it “an impeccably run estate that produces top-flight wines… (And) has a connoisseur’s following.”

Sauternes makes the world’s most famous dessert wines. Though the appellation lies within the Graves region of Bordeaux’s left bank, the appellation makes only sweet wines from white grapes, primarily Semillon sometimes blended with small amounts of Muscadelle. The five communes within Sauternes are Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes. Barsac also has its own appellation and, typically, Barsac wines are slightly drier and lighter than other Sauternes. Sauternes are made when weather conditions result in a mold called Botrytis cinerea developing on the grapes, which causes them to become especially sweet. Sauternes are not produced every vintage, so successful vintages become especially collectible. Sauternes estates were classified in 1855, and Château d’Yquem, the appellation’s most prestigious estate, was ranked in a class by itself as a Premier Grand Cru. Château d’Yquem wines are among the most prized wines in the world.