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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.5 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 75 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ericindc on 9/10/2022 flawed bottle: from half bottle. Dark, a bit madeirized. Still had some fruit, but very browned and it was a Pretty sure it wasnt correct. (1129 views) | | | Tasted by goldgarf on 8/20/2022 flawed bottle: Bottle went bad (918 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 1/21/2022 & rated 93 points: From a 375 ml. Medium-deep golden yellow in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of complex, ripe, lush fruit aromas of apricots, peaches & pineapple with orange peel, overtones of floral notes of honeysuckle & honey, caramel, ginger, spices, minerals and a touch of vanilla. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, viscous & opulent, ripe fruit flavors of dried apricots, yellow peaches & mangoes, honey, butterscotch, spices, minerals & hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present at 34 years of age but it may hold onto its current plateau with additional aging although any further development may be minimal. (1290 views) | | | Tasted by ohne_musik on 6/14/2021 & rated 94 points: From 375. Perfect cork. Nose is sweet - barley sugar and a hint of candied ginger. Palate shows Gingery peach, lime marmalade, still vibrant acid - pineapple and sour orange. A hit of vanilla and wax, well integrated into medium-sweet barley sugar. Structure and freshness imply a certain agelessness - is this 5 years old or 33? No kaleidoscopic complexity like the very best Sauternes, but very refined and a damn good wine. For $35, it’s hard to buy a lot more pleasure than this. (1684 views) | | | Tasted by NickA on 4/20/2021 & rated 94 points: French classics at The Clarence (The Clarence Tavern): This was singing tonight, and one of the best Sauternes I've had in a while. Mature Sauternes/Barsac often tends towards an intense marmalade/lime that can be more impressive than delicious, but this wine felt like it had retained its youthful characteristics and then simply grown into them; drinking it was like putting on a perfectly-fitted jacket. Barley sugar and hints of cream, and effortlessly charming. (1808 views) | | | Tasted by portman63 on 3/28/2021 & rated 91 points: From a 375. Honey golden with slightly deeper center. A luscious ambrosia peach and apricot nose with that carrying over on the palate. I agree with VERB on this that it was more about the sweet fruit center and less of a balance of acid on the finish which takes these up a notch for me. Still very enjoyable as a dessert in itself. I think this is a drink now vintage, although it will likely be in the same spot for years to come, especially in 750+ bottles. (1051 views) | | | Tasted by Verb on 7/12/2020 & rated 92 points: golden yellow - mature Sauternes nose of ripe apricots and pineapple - full rich mouth with sweetness predominating over acidity - long honied finish - a very nice mature Sauternes that is more about sweetness than complexity, but very enjoyable (1261 views) | | | Tasted by jww on 11/24/2019 & rated 89 points: Slightly on the brown side of honey color
Nice nose
Raisin flavor
Very heavy and sweet not very complex
But nice (1259 views) | | | Tasted by Melc88 on 9/15/2019 & rated 91 points: Developed and now drinking at its best since I last tried it. It has very good body and length and balance. Raisin, honey, sweet citrus and zesty notes on the nose with raisin, dried fruits (apricot, peach etc.), straw, syrup and marmalade on the palate. Very excellent. (1018 views) | | | Tasted by nittanyjack on 3/30/2019: Drank from 375. Beautiful showing...perfect balance between sweetness and acidity. (1426 views) | | | Tasted by cltean on 12/15/2018 & rated 94 points: I was fortunate to buy this at a wine auction. Really nice color for an old Sauternes. A lovely and mature wine with favor profiles of apricot, honey with hint of citrus. I have never been disappointed with any Raymond-Lafon Sauternes. Exceptional quality. (1296 views) | | | Tasted by nittanyjack on 7/7/2018: Very pleasant...maybe just a little clipped on the finish. (1383 views) | | | Tasted by viderunt on 3/21/2017 & rated 90 points: Burnished gold colour; good almost crisp lift on the nose of mango and honey; light on front palate but developing into a deeper although somewhat unctuous mid and back palate of burnt toffee and orange. No real complexity but a pleasant wine of about mid bourgeois quality. (2331 views) | | | Tasted by thunberg on 3/10/2017 & rated 88 points: @BYOB - tasted blind
Burnt electricity, fat mouth feel, deep in flavours, vanilla ice cream, lacks acidity. (2173 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 10/13/2016: Haut Bailly Dinner (Medlar, Chelsea): Scant notes (last wine of evening) - peach, orange marmalade edge, some nice saffrony notes. ***1/2. (3269 views) | | | Tasted by SimonG on 10/13/2016 & rated 92 points: Haut Bailly (Medlar, London): Mid gold. Coconut and barley sugar nose. Good sweetness and a touch of botrytis on the palate. Rich. **** (2757 views) | | | Tasted by Racer117 on 10/12/2016 & rated 92 points: Light to med. gold; spicy plasticy botrytis nose; very good acidic body with orange marmalade, lemon, and some coconut flavors. Ready to serve. (2102 views) | | | Tasted by nittanyjack on 3/17/2016 & rated 92 points: Musty Old Men wine dinner. I don't have any formal notes but I remember it was focused, had great acidity and the sweetness was subdued. It paired great with lemon panna cotta with honeycomb, orange and apricot. This was a big hit with the group. (1792 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 3/2/2016 & rated 93 points: There is no need to age this sweet treat from this point forward. The candied orange, honeysuckle, apricot, vanilla, lemon chiffon and honey characteristics are shining. (2499 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/21/2015 & rated 93 points: Fully mature, with a floral, apricot, earthy, vanilla, pineapple and orange aromatic profile. Silky, sweet, fresh and lush, there is a sense of minerality in honey drenched finish that adds even more complexity. (2680 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 9/28/2015 & rated 92 points: Tasted next to 1990 Chateau Rieussec. Golden/orange in colour, quite glossy and bright. Dried fruit on the nose, orange zest, nuts, citrus fruit, a floral note. On the palate not very sweet, really quite fresh and rather tight, notes of honeyed lemons, orange zest. Elegant and restrained, very good length. No rush. 91-93 (2006 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 9/12/2015 & rated 86 points: Magnum Man Cellar Depletion (Northfield, IL): Slightly musty start, and overall sweet, simple and less nuanced than I'd expect at this age from a good vintage. (2721 views) | | | Tasted by liber on 9/8/2015 & rated 97 points: 11th of 12, pnp, perfect fill and level, all previous notes fine or better and those within last 5 years very fine or better - youthful light gold, leggy; involving bouquet, complex, tropical fruit, apricot (typical for RL) honey, flowers and touch of marmalade; fullish, very long and persistent, complex and classy, with freshness of vintage, well up with best in this outstanding vintage with only Yquem and Climens clearly better! Very fine plus (19/20). (1589 views) | | | Tasted by hajoha on 2/8/2015: Småvolatil denne og er noe ufresh. (1818 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 2/1/2015 & rated 91 points: Not a particularly vivid Sauternes, but well proportioned and drinking well. (1822 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.
1988 Château Raymond-LafonSpring was warm, but very wet, with late flowering.. However, the tide turned in July when beautiful weather set in. The harvest began late, in mid-October, and stretched until All Saints' Day. The grapes developed evenly during this time and were able to take their time to reach complete maturity. There were six passes altogether, each of excellent quality.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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