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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 60 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by RKCam on 11/18/2023 & rated 90 points: Interesting, half way through the case of this wine - plateaued somewhat. The super-smooth and long apricot, pineapple still very prominent. Very clean, un-nuanced hit of long fruit when tasting. The acid to balance is just about there, but more in the aftertaste than when I first taste. So a delicious wine, but much less complex than the Rieussec 2003 I am tasting alongside it (1441 views) | | | Tasted by richard.presser on 8/17/2023 & rated 91 points: From a half. Golden
Touch of pineapple, orange essence. Quite a gentle nose.
Ditto palate. Orange essence. Medium weight, good length. Restrained. A touch of drying on the finish. Is it time to drink it in the half?
One the gentler side of the spectrum though still very pleasant. (1834 views) | | | Tasted by AMC Eagle on 7/1/2023 & rated 91 points: Pnp and served chilled. Medium yellow-gold in colour. Nose of ripe melons, dried sweet pineapples, apricots, with a touch of brown sugar. On the palate, honeyed apricots with some sweet pineapple juice and some crème brulee are noticed. Medium-full bodied with a medium+ finish; straightforward and not too complex, but a very well made example. (1855 views) | | | Tasted by RKCam on 4/1/2023 & rated 92 points: Served not quite as chilled this time, and as hoped the smell a bit more defined; still quite reserved but apricot and slight pineapple that then comes through very strongly on the taste. Still a freshness / acidic zip to cut through the weight of tropical fruit flavours. Not evolving much but enjoying this very much (1841 views) | | | Tasted by RKCam on 12/23/2022 & rated 91 points: Interesting, still a pretty major wall of apricot fruit, but it’s got enough acid to keep it all in balance. There’s no denying the rich texture and depth of this wine. There are some doubting notes on this thread, but we’re staying true :) not least because we still have 7 bottles to enjoy (1755 views) | | | Tasted by RGCM Gananda on 6/18/2022 & rated 93 points: Honey, orange, pineapple and spice notes on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with massive orange notes upfront and adding golden peach and a beautiful mélange of tropical notes (guava, passion fruit and pineapple) through the middle. There's excellent density through the mid-body, but the wine is able to carry both that weight as well as the fruit notes due to the very good acidity as well as the tart citrus notes on the backside. These contrasting notes and structural qualities balance the fruit quite well and show both to their best advantage. This wine is already showing so well, it will be hard to resist, but I'll try and wait on my next bottle until at least June/July 2023. (2294 views) | | | Tasted by Loathesome on 5/16/2022 & rated 90 points: Golden colour. Voluptuous, rich and high residual sugar but once again the 2009s have enough acidity to cope. At this stage it is a little one dimensional and not very complex but very healthy and balanced nevertheless. (2160 views) | | | Tasted by RKCam on 5/30/2021 & rated 92 points: Second bottle of twelve and patience rewarded- apricot in the nose supplemented by caramel and sugar when tasted. Smooth and long. Not complex but unctuous (3295 views) | | | Tasted by CC_H on 12/31/2020 & rated 92 points: I don't regularly drink sweet wine but I like to dip into Sauternes at this time of year. From half bottle this feels like it's coming into its window; White peach, dried apricot, mandarin, honeysuckle, orange marmalade, apple and spice soar from the glass. The palate has sumptuous richness and texture but remains fresh with good acidity striking through caramel and toffee apple. There is a little too much sugar on display here that becomes a touch cloying over time but this is a good showing. An under the radar estate that's worth following. (3474 views) | | | Tasted by robferguson1 on 11/16/2020 & rated 92 points: Nice (3531 views) | | | Tasted by Tannatastic on 6/16/2020 & rated 92 points: Much improved on 2 years ago. Starting to release it's sugar-death-grip, the acidity is starting to balance the wine out and bring those other elements into sharper focus.
Apricot, honey and a touch of botrytis spice. Still quite a monument of a wine, but not an insurmountable monolith anymore!
Lovely now, but plenty more in the tank to last and (hopefully) improve over the next decade. (3609 views) | | | Tasted by RKCam on 4/4/2020 & rated 92 points: Looking for a reflective treat in covid 19 times and this certainly delivered - tropical fruit / burnt apricot with tremendously honeyed length... second of 12 bottles - will this get better with age? The fresh zip that cuts through the sweetness suggests this is as good as it gets. Excellent (3614 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 10/13/2019 & rated 92 points: Occasional dinner group: Bordeaux 2009 and some ringers (By SS @ De Ertepeller in Papendrecht): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of honey, sweet pineapple and botrytis. Same on the palate, full bodied and beautifully concentrated sweetness as well as some fresh acidity. (3704 views) | | | Tasted by R Z on 1/29/2019 & rated 93 points: Ambling towards maturity, this Sauternes (from half bottle) had prominent acidity and rich sweetness, with complexity and depth. Paired very well with Roquefort cheese and farro crackers. (3547 views) | | | Tasted by Tannatastic on 6/22/2018: A huuuuge amount of sugar (I'd be interested to know the g/l, if anyone has the info), quite possibly the sweetest wine I've ever tasted. Very dense. After about an hour onwards, some classic sweet wine flavours started to tease out (tropical fruits, apricots, touch of honey), but the wine remains quite monolithically sweet.
I'm not sure I can rate this right now. The sugar dominates, but once swallowed it's clear that it also has high acidity - which, combined with it's growth in the glass and it's apparent youth at close on a decade gives me some hope for the future. If that acidity and sugar balance out a bit more, and if the it continues to develop in bottle, this may be great a decade from now. It certainly has a lot of 'stuff' to do so. My only hope is that that process happens.
If it doesn't, sadly it will be a badly judged and overly large wine which would rather belie the reputation of both Sauternes in 2009 and the Chateau itself. To revisit in 2-3 years from now to check up on progress. Fingers crossed. (4331 views) | | | Tasted by JCherniak on 9/4/2017 & rated 92 points: Nose of mellon, honey and lemon. Flavour is similarly sweet, with a hint of green. Very enjoyable. (4844 views) | | | Tasted by jmoon on 6/18/2017 & rated 85 points: A sticky mess. Like sugar syrup. Lacked structure, no acid, over ripe ... no one had more than 2 sips then down the sink. (5105 views) | | | Tasted by graemeg on 8/1/2016: NobleRottersSydney - Single Vineyards (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {375ml, cork, 13.5%} {Gordon} Still youthful; rich aromas of marzipan, pineapple and some faint honey. The palate is medium/full-bodied, and lusciously medium-sweet, if a bit steely. It has a glue-like quality to the oak just now which time should fix. Lots of mid-palate weight, and with a tart freshness despite the rich sweet character; the medium/long finish is encouraging, and suggest that time will work wonders here. (6236 views) | | | Tasted by Gfaerie on 4/25/2016 & rated 95 points: I needed some white wine for a blue cheese sauce which was a good excuse to open this young sauternes. Beautiful yellow gold now with long legs trickling down slowly. On the nose a gorgeous cocktail of acacia, vanilla, honey, botrytis, pineapple and lemon with a butter coating. sumptuous with everything in the right place. Full bodied and yet still in its infancy. it reminds me more of the Rieussec 1986. This will last for at least another 30 years if we'll manage to resist depleting my stock.
This year is in my opinion on par with 86 and 88 and a true classic (5769 views) | | | Tasted by HowardNZ on 4/18/2016: Dessert wines with Wayne and Brodie: Relatively light gold. Aromas of citrus, honey, toffee apple and mixed spice. On palate, viscous, unctuous and clearly a fully ripe Sauternes, reflecting the vintage. Good fruit weight and structure. Clean and pure. The flavours were lemon, honey, apricots and tinned pineapple chunks. Not yet very complex and only moderately long. Acceptable acidity. I wouldn't think that this vintage would be ultra-long lived. 3/3 of the Sauternes here. (5734 views) | | | Tasted by Ludi on 3/7/2016 & rated 89 points: Oro. Naso classico di zafferano, albicocca, mela cotogna, iodio, mandarino candito. Dolce, avvolgente, di buona lunghezza (4582 views) | | | Tasted by gblacave on 1/30/2016 & rated 91 points: Rich and round. Really nice to drink now, but a touch simple. (4375 views) | | | Tasted by Kriska on 12/6/2015 & rated 95 points: Excellent (3498 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 8/9/2015 & rated 90 points: #DCInvasion (Chicago, IL): What a fun little bottle of Sauternes. I wonder if all 09s are this tasty... this showed a lot of botrytis spice, coupled with lots of fresh sweet and candied stone fruit. I was really struck by how light and fresh this was -- no sign of heaviness whatsoever, though the back end may have been afflicted by just a slight tinge of alcoholic heat. We openly wondered why we don't drink these with meals more often, but I think they do come off a little bit richer for more common everyday meals, and for the same amount of sugar and 2/3 the alcohol, you could grab a Spaetlese instead... (4608 views) | | | Tasted by Blacksmith450 on 6/21/2015 & rated 91 points: Nez agréable sur les abricots. Pas de vernir. Bouche bien acide. Finale velouté. Très beau ! (4467 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Raymond-Lafon Producer Website - Read more about Chateau Raymond Lafon
The Chateau Raymond Lafon is missing from the 1855 classification. And for good reason, it was founded shortly after, in the second half of the 19th century (by Raymond Lafon). Château Raymond Lafon is nevertheless one of the rare wines to be able to compete with the greatest wines of Sauternes (such as Yquem or Suduiraut). The exceptional quality of the wines is undoubtedly the absolute priority of the estate, going as far as not selling a vintage if its quality is not considered sufficient (as for the 2012 vintage).
The Château Raymond Lafon vineyard extends over an area of 18 hectares of clay and gravel soils in the heart of the Sauternes appellation. It is planted with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanSauternes Le Grand Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac 1855 (Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac) - Read more about Sauternes, Barsac and its wines
– Read more about the 1855 Sauternes Barsac Classification
Forty kilometres south of Bordeaux, Sauternes is an AOC that includes together 5 communes, including Barsac. For centuries, humans have been patiently learning to master this region's climate, soils and grape varieties. But Mother Nature did a good job laying the foundation. The Sauternes terroir is distinguished by a geological predisposition to gravel and pebbles that cover limestone streaked with veins of clay. In the communes of Fargues and Sauternes, a layer of hardpan (iron-oxide cemented sand) in which vines flourish can be found. The vineyards at the highest elevations and farthest from the river have the best terroirs and produce the majority of the Crus Classés, including the monumental Château Yquem.Sauternes wines are made from Sémillon (80% of vines planted) and Sauvignon (15%) grapes. A bit of Muscadelle occasionally is used to give the wines an untamed touch. Sauternes have an "aged gold" colour that is denser and darker than other dessert wines. When they age, they develop a stunning amber colour. The nose has aromas of flowers and fruit that melt together to create a bouquet of remarkable complexity and balance. The primary aromas include almond, quince, mango, pineapple, stewed peach, dried apricot and passion fruit. There are also floral notes, with touches of linden, acacia, mimosa and honeysuckle. And as is typical with Sémillon, there are also notes of beeswax, almond and hazelnut. In the mouth, Sauternes wines have a powerful style that is viscous but extremely elegant. Its strong sweetness is captivating. Finally, its aromatic finish is something that simply must be experienced.
2013 Vintage Notes:
"the extractive ratios in th[is] year are in the phenomenal range and there's ripeness/botrytis to cover two treks around the globe [...] so appealing is the immediacy of the wines. Many can be enjoyed now for their sheer joy and delicious nature. [Some] should also age" - Jon Rimmerman
2014 Vintage Notes:
"a golden vintage for Sauternes. It may not have the depth or weight of 2010, but it has some of the richness. What has set 2014 apart is the intense lime and lemon flavors that cut into any overblown cloying character and allow both the fruit and the honeyed noble rot to sing." - Wine Enthusiast |
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