Château Filhot 1996 - Sauternes

Presentation of Château Filhot

Founded in 1709 by Romain de Filhot, a counselor at the Parliament of Bordeaux, Château Filhot is one of the most illustrious and picturesque properties in the Sauternes appellation. Awarded the title of Deuxième Grand Cru Classé in 1855, this historic vineyard has remained in the hands of the same family line, preserved today by the Lur-Saluces family. Spanning an exceptional terroir at the foot of the Sauternes hill, the château favors a traditional and aristocratic style, where the pursuit of elegance, freshness, and the purity of botrytis takes precedence over heaviness, offering sweet wines of proverbial finesse and secular aging potential.

Presentation of the Appellation: Sauternes

The Sauternes appellation, located about forty kilometers south of Bordeaux, benefits from a microclimate unique in the world thanks to the meeting of the cold waters of the Ciron and the warmer waters of the Garonne. This phenomenon creates morning autumn mists followed by radiant sunshine during the day, favoring the development of Botrytis Cinerea (noble rot). The terroir of Filhot rests on a mosaic of dense gravel, sand, and clay over a limestone subsoil. This unique alchemy allows for the production of grapes that are withered and concentrated in sugar, while maintaining a luminous acidic freshness essential to the balance of a great wine.

Presentation of the Vintage: The Classic and Pure 1996 Vintage

The 1996 vintage in Sauternes is praised for its profile of great purity and remarkable balance. After a dry and hot summer, a sunny month of September swept by favorable winds allowed for a homogeneous and very clean kinetics of botrytization. The 1996 Sauternes are distinguished by a magnificent acidic nervousness, avoiding any excess heaviness, and by an aromatic complexity of great finesse centered on candied citrus, acacia honey, and noble spices. It is a vintage with great aging potential that has now reached its full maturity.

Description of the Bottle's Conservation Status

Sourced directly from the private cellar of a passionate and demanding connoisseur, this unique collector's bottle is in a very well-cared-for and highly reassuring state of conservation:
- Wine level: Perfect, original level at the highest point of the neck, attesting to the absolute seal of the cork.
- Wine color: Superb deep and luminous amber-gold hue, with magnificent coppery reflections typical of a great mature Sauternes.
- Label: Original presentation, slightly stained and worn by the natural humidity of the underground cellar, but remaining perfectly legible and authentic.
- Capsule: Original capsule intact, sound, and airtight.
- Availability: Only one single bottle available in stock.

Food & Wine Pairing and Serving Suggestions

Serving suggestions: Ideally served at a temperature of 10°C to 12°C. Avoid serving it ice-cold, which would mask the subtlety of its tertiary bouquet. Careful uncorking 30 minutes before serving is recommended.
Gastronomic pairings: This mature great Sauternes will wonderfully accompany pan-seared goose foie gras with fresh figs, Roquefort or aged Stilton, Bresse poultry with candied orange peel, or a dessert of pears poached in saffron and honey.

Personal Note and Singularities of the Cuvée

"This 1996 Château Filhot is an absolute delight for lovers of great old sweet wines. The amber hue is a spectacle for the eyes. On the nose, the wine exhales an enchanting complexity: bitter orange marmalade, dried apricot, beeswax, chestnut honey, saffron, and gingerbread. On the palate, the magic of the 1996 vintage takes effect: the sweetness is rich and generous, but immediately relayed by a superb citrus freshness that avoids any heaviness and extends the finish with saline and roasted notes of memorable persistence. A great tasting moment."