Chateau Filhot

Chateau Filhot is the largest estate in the region at 350 ha, but only a small portion is dedicated to viticulture. However, the volume produced is still significantly larger than others in the region. It has a high proportion of Sauvignon Blanc, resulting in a less rich style, and in the 1980s the then-proprietor Henri de Vaucelles used no wood. Quality was not the highest then, and so it was a challenge to sell the huge quantity of less-than-stellar quality dessert wine.

The property was acquired by Romain de Filhot in 1709, with the vineyard already established then. Previously it was known as Maison Noble de Verdoulet, with the vines likely to be planted between 1630 and 1650. Even though Romain died a year after the purchase, his descendants controlled the property for almost a century.

Romain also commissioned the construction of the grand chateau. His son Jean-Jacques inherited the estate, and then passed to his own son Jean Francois-Xavier, with the reputation flourished and selling for the same price as Yquem. Thomas Jefferson also ranked the wine directly behind its more illustrious peer.

The fourth generation was Gabriel-Barthelemy-Romain, who also purchased the Barsac property Chateau Coutet, explaining the similarities between the two labels. However he fell to the guillotine in 1794, and his daughter Marie Francoise Josephine inherited at the age of four. By her seventeen Marie married Marquis de Lur-Saluces, thus making Filhot under the ownership of the same family with Yquem.

The property was well maintained and enlarged, finally getting the rank of a deuxieme cru in the 1855 classification. At that time it was under Josephine’s son Romain-Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, and he and his wife started a remodeling of the chateau in 1845, as well as the parkland and gardens. They also acquired the neighboring Pineau du Rey.

But the estate declined in the ensuing years, with vineyards contracted compounding by the disease, the subsequent wars in Europe, plus global recession. During that period the estate also changed its name to Chateau Sauternes for a brief time, and by 1901 reverted to the original name. By 1930 the vineyard size reduced from 120 ha to about one-sixth the size.

At that time the owner Marquis Bertrand de Lur-Salues sold the estate to his sister and brother-in-law, Comte Etienne Durieu de Lacarelle. The couple had many children and grandchildren, and the estate was later passed to Louis Durieu de Lacarelle, who managed until 1970s. It was later passed to the Henri de Vaucelles, son of Comte Pierre de Vaucellas, a French ambassador, and one of Louis Durieu’s sister, in 1974.

Today he is assisted by his son Gabriel, replanting and restoring the estate but still cannot get back to the glory days when it was on par with Yquem. The vineyard and cellar are both renovated, replacing the fiberglass vessels with temperature controlled stainless steel. Fermentation now also see more wood, with blending and maturing in French Allier oak, of which one-third is new.

It is the most southernly estate in the Satuernes appellation, and to the south are the pine forest of Landes, providing cooling effect, increasing local humidity and protecting the vines from strong winds. The vineyards account for 62 hectares, only a small fraction to the entire 350 hectares of the estate. Soils are composed of sand, gravel and clay, sitting on deeper limestone bedrock.

Planted with 60% Semillon, 36% Sauvignon Blanc and 4% Muscadelle with the average vine age of 35 years. Manually harvest, it is generally carried out a week later than the others due to the proximity to the woods, from several tries to pick only the botrytis-affected fruit with each pass. The yield is typically 15-18 hl/ha, which is normal for a Sauternes.

Now the cellar has temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation vats, as well as French Allier oak barrels of which one-third is new, for the elevage up to 2-3 years. The wine will be filtered after 10 months and blended at about 14 months, seeing less wood comparing with other estates, so the style is a lighter and brighter one than the other peers. The grand vin is Chateau Filhot, with a second wine called Chateau Pineau du Rey, producing about 4500 cases and 2550 cases respectively each year.

I have recently tasted the 2005 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance
Bright and clear, this wine is of light gold color, with legs.

Nose
Clean, the nose shows medium intensity aromas of citrus fruit such as lemon peel, oak notes of smoke, maturity notes of honey and waxy, stone fruit of apricot, tropical fruit of pineapple. The wine is developing.

Palate
Sweet with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium (+) alcohol and is of full body with medium (+) intensity flavors of citrus fruit such as lemon, stone fruit of apricot, maturity notes of honey, tropical fruit of pineapple. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion
Good quality Sauternes with a reasonably intense nose showing fair complexity, the wine has a balanced structure, with the sweetness supporting by a refreshing acidity to make it delicate and not cloying. The palate is more concentrated than the nose, with a reasonable finish. Ready to drink now, it can benefit from further ageing of another 8-10 years.