Château de Fargues

The history of Château de Fargues

Château de Fargues was built in 1306 by Raymond-Guilhem, Seigneur de Fargues and nephew of Girondine Pope Clément V. In 1472, the estate was purchased from Pierre de Lur and has remained in the same family ever since. Pierre le Lur married Isabeau de Montferrand, viscountess of Uza, lady of Fargues, who justified the château's name.

At the end of the 16th century, one of their descendants, Jean de Lur, married Catherine-Charlotte de Saluces. Today, the estate bears the full name of "Lur Saluces - Château de Fargues". It was also at this time that the château was considerably enlarged.

Despite a terrible fire that ravaged the château in 1687, the family never abandoned the estate. The Lur Saluces' increasing number of properties led them to leave the château's vineyards fallow, while they lived elsewhere. The land was then used as a vegetable garden, rather than a vineyard.

It wasn't until the 1920s that Bertrand de Saluces decided to take the château and its vineyard back into his own hands. He decided to devote only 15 hectares of the best land to white wine.

In the early 21st century, the fortress was restored and is now a venue for cultural and scientific events. Château de Fargues was listed as a historic monument by decree on December 11, 2007.

The Château de Fargues vineyard

Today, the Château de Fargues estate represents 170 hectares of meadows, fields and land devoted to forestry. 15 hectares are planted with white grapes and dedicated to the production of Sauternes Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wines.

The soil is composed of gravel and clay. The vines benefit from the Bordeaux climate that contributes to the magic of Sauternes wines. Combining sun, wind and humidity with the contribution of the ocean, the microclimate contributes to the unique character of the sweet wines.

Château de Fargues is planted with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon. The oldest vines are 70 years old, with an average age of 35.

Château de Fargues wine

Château de Fargues produces a Sauternes wine of the highest quality. The first singularity of this wine is that it benefits from a tiny fungus, Botrytis cinerea, more commonly known as noble rot. It has the uncanny ability to appear in autumn and transform the grape juice, reducing its volume and allowing it to acquire candied fruit flavors and fruit aromas.

Château de Fargues Sauternes combines the fatness, roundness and ample structure provided by Sémillon, with the great aromatic richness conferred by Sauvignon. The alchemy works to deliver a long-lasting aromatic explosion on the palate.