Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey

The site's history runs deeper than most of its neighbors: a fortified keep was built here in the 13th century, and stones from that structure, along with the estate's entrance, are thought to be among the oldest surviving structures in the commune of Bommes. The oldest timbers in the château's roof date to 1431, and winemaking itself began in 1618 under Sieur Raymond Peyraguey, with estate archives surviving from as far back as 1742.

Ownership changed hands numerous times over the following centuries. In the 1855 classification, the estate was ranked among the top tier of Sauternes First Growths, immediately behind Château d'Yquem. It later passed to the industrial conglomerate Suez Group, which carried out significant restoration work before selling. In 2014, Silvio Denz, who already owned Lalique crystal and Château Faugères in Saint-Émilion, bought the estate and began a new chapter, culminating in the 2018 opening of the Lalique Hotel & Restaurant to mark the property's 400th year of winemaking. The Lalique Group acquired a majority stake in the estate itself in November 2023.

The vineyard covers 18.5 hectares, planted overwhelmingly to Sémillon (93%), with small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc (6%) and Muscadelle (1%). Soils are gravelly and sandy, over clay and limestone, and vines average around 40 years old. One notable parcel, known as "Maisons Rouges," was reportedly a stopping point on Roman-era roads, evidence of just how long this particular patch of ground has been in continuous use.

The estate has invested heavily in modern, environmentally regulated winemaking facilities, including climate and humidity control throughout the cellars, aligning with current French environmental standards. It doesn't carry organic or biodynamic certification, but the scale of investment since 2014 has gone hand in hand with more rigorous, technically precise vineyard and cellar management.

The estate's identity is built on four elements it points to directly: the gravelly-sandy terroir between the Garonne and Ciron, the site's specific microclimate, botrytis cinerea itself, and the dominance of Sémillon in the blend. Grapes are hand-harvested across multiple passes to capture berries at the right stage of noble rot, and the wine is fermented and aged in oak, with real investment in modern, climate-controlled cellar technology since the 2014 change in ownership.

Alongside its sweet grand vin, the estate makes a second sweet wine and, since 2014, a dry white, part of Silvio Denz's push to modernize Sauternes' image.

Premier Grand Cru Classé of the 1855 classification, and one of the highest-ranked estates in the appellation, immediately behind Yquem. Thomas Jefferson purchased wine from the estate in 1788, a detail that predates the classification itself by nearly seven decades. More recently, the estate's Lalique Hotel & Restaurant has become a destination in its own right, joining the Relais & Châteaux collection within months of opening and helping reposition Sauternes as a place worth visiting, not just a wine to drink.

Unlike most Sauternes estates, Lafaurie-Peyraguey is set up to welcome overnight guests, not just day visitors: the five-star Lalique Hotel occupies part of the château itself, alongside the Michelin-starred Lalique restaurant. Guided tours of the vineyard and cellars, including a viewing of the estate's Lalique crystal barrel, and tastings from Lalique crystal glassware, can be booked through the official website. The estate sits just outside Bommes, making it an easy base for exploring the wider Sauternes appellation.