Golden-orange; moderately aromatic with slight paint thinner, some tropical papaya, slight toasted spices; palate is full bodied, sweet but balanced with medium acidity, melon fruits initially present but fade through the midpalate; finish is short-medium with good balance. This is a good value sauternes with pretty good balance and decent at the price I paid, but not the strongest Doisy Vedrines I've had and lacking in intensity, depth, and length. May improve over a few days. 87 2 hours in: Paint thinner has blown off on the nose, and the length has picked up a bit on the finish. 87-88 Day 2: Similar to 2 hours after opening. Balanced, still pretty youthful with tropical fruit and papaya. A bit of complex baking spice on the nose and palate. Day 4: Excellent, balanced, exotic spice and a bit of honey. Lovely Doisy Vedrines. 88 Day 8: Similar to Day 4, excellent balance, spice, decent complexity, but showing maybe a touch of excess alcohol today. Definitely feels like it has fully opened at this point though not at all oxidized. 87-88
From 375. Slightly deeper golden than the Suduiraut and Doisy Vedrines. Moderately aromatic nose with orange marmalade, slight creme brulee, a bit dense aromatically without depth; palate is full bodied, richly textured, medium-plus acidity with a slight effervescence that is more than previous bottles, a slight bitterness on the midpalate; finish is medium length. This is an odd showing, pretty disjointed today. Don't know exactly what the issue is but will give it some air and see what happens. Day 3: No change. Seems flawed, almost like secondary fermentation with a bit of bubbles.
From 375mL. Light golden; expansive aroma with subtle depth and complexity, mango, slight vanilla, integrated botrytis spice; palate is rich but not heavy, integrated peach and some orange peel through the midpalate, some vanilla oak, medium acidity for freshness and balance, medium alcohol; finish is medium length and a bit shorter than expected given how well the rest of this is put together. Consistent with my previous bottles, this is still youthful and will open up well over a few days with air. A notable step up over the respectable '05 Doisy Vedrines. 90-92 Day 3: Youthful, tropical fruit, oak is integrated now. This is a beautiful elegant wine with easily decades in front of it. 92++ Day 10: Balanced, elegant, rich but fresh, though still sweet, apricot, integrated oak. Really lovely and still improving. 92-93.
From 375mL. Aromatic, fresh orange, florals, delicate white flowers, slight spice; palate is medium bodied, richer than a typical Climens but still elegant, medium acidity, medium to medium-plus alcohol, some orange and citrus, but most of the fruit is pretty hidden, slight vanilla, slight cream and honey; finish is medium to medium-minus length. I think accurately representative of Climens' style in this lineup but it is a richer year and this isn't as complex as Climens' best years. Aromatics are definitely better than my last taste in 2014. 90-91 Day 3: Aromatic nose with florals, white fruit, really lovely; palate is medium bodied, lovely length, excellent balance; finish is medium-long. This has grown a lot over the past 2 days. 93+ Day 7: hasn’t improved or declined much since day 3. Still lovely floral aromatics. Very slight excess alcohol on the palate. 92 Day 9: A bit less floral than day 7.
From 375mL. Golden; aromatics today are mostly youthful and oaky, tons of baking spice, lots of depth but aromatics are hard to evaluate; palate is rich and dense, full bodied, plenty of spice, white fruit but hard to distinguish; finish is medium length at best. Judgement reserved as this seems like it needs a day or two of air to open up. For drinking right now after opening, the Suduiraut is better (but also seems like it will open up). Day 3: Dense nose, apricots, still seems mostly closed; palate is full bodied, rich orange marmalade, just barely more open on the palate than on the 1st day; finish is medium length at best right now. This needs more time open before final assessment, but 90-91 for now. My bottle in 2011 needed 9 days to open up. Day 10: Nose is a bit more expressive and aromatic than the first day or three, but palate is still a bit more oaky than I like, and more than the '05 Suduiraut. Day 12: The aromatics on this continue to open up more and more, with apricot, plenty of fruit, oak has pretty much completely integrated; palate is still full bodied but with great freshness, plenty of apricot and white fruits, excellent balance. This is the best showing for this bottle so far. Seems like my other bottles need a decade. 91-93
From 375mL. Golden color; high intensity aromatics, complex spice, intensity of white fruit, some oak and vanilla, burnt sugar; palate is full bodied, vibrant medium-plus acidity, complex balanced fruit and citrus, grapefruit through the midpalate which is quite refreshing and adds some character; finish is medium-plus length. This is youthful, probably a bit more oaky than the '05 Suduiraut on the nose but much more intensity and vibrant acidity throughout, and certainly the most interesting for my palate. Represents the balance between sauternes and barsac styles well. I will be interested to see this evolve with some air. This will age for a few decades. 92++ Day 3: Similar to when first opened, the aromatics are prominent, flavorful, complex, integrated botrytis spice, integrated oak to when it was first opened; palate is complex, classic grapefruit midpalate; long lovely finish. This is showing among the best in this lineup today. 93-94 Day 9: Largely similar with excellent balance, nice intensity to both the nose with still just a touch of remaining vanilla/oak, palate is vibrant with superb acidity to balance the concentration, still the hallmark grapefruit through the midpalate; medium-plus finish. Still just as enjoyable and likely has a few decades to continue to evolve in bottle. 93-94
2005 Château Doisy-Védrines 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
(1/25/2020)
Golden-orange; moderately aromatic with slight paint thinner, some tropical papaya, slight toasted spices; palate is full bodied, sweet but balanced with medium acidity, melon fruits initially present but fade through the midpalate; finish is short-medium with good balance. This is a good value sauternes with pretty good balance and decent at the price I paid, but not the strongest Doisy Vedrines I've had and lacking in intensity, depth, and length. May improve over a few days. 87
2 hours in: Paint thinner has blown off on the nose, and the length has picked up a bit on the finish. 87-88
Day 2: Similar to 2 hours after opening. Balanced, still pretty youthful with tropical fruit and papaya. A bit of complex baking spice on the nose and palate.
Day 4: Excellent, balanced, exotic spice and a bit of honey. Lovely Doisy Vedrines. 88
Day 8: Similar to Day 4, excellent balance, spice, decent complexity, but showing maybe a touch of excess alcohol today. Definitely feels like it has fully opened at this point though not at all oxidized. 87-88
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2005 Château Guiraud Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
(1/26/2020)
From 375. Slightly deeper golden than the Suduiraut and Doisy Vedrines. Moderately aromatic nose with orange marmalade, slight creme brulee, a bit dense aromatically without depth; palate is full bodied, richly textured, medium-plus acidity with a slight effervescence that is more than previous bottles, a slight bitterness on the midpalate; finish is medium length. This is an odd showing, pretty disjointed today. Don't know exactly what the issue is but will give it some air and see what happens.
Day 3: No change. Seems flawed, almost like secondary fermentation with a bit of bubbles.
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2005 Château Suduiraut 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
(1/26/2020)
From 375mL. Light golden; expansive aroma with subtle depth and complexity, mango, slight vanilla, integrated botrytis spice; palate is rich but not heavy, integrated peach and some orange peel through the midpalate, some vanilla oak, medium acidity for freshness and balance, medium alcohol; finish is medium length and a bit shorter than expected given how well the rest of this is put together. Consistent with my previous bottles, this is still youthful and will open up well over a few days with air. A notable step up over the respectable '05 Doisy Vedrines. 90-92
Day 3: Youthful, tropical fruit, oak is integrated now. This is a beautiful elegant wine with easily decades in front of it. 92++
Day 10: Balanced, elegant, rich but fresh, though still sweet, apricot, integrated oak. Really lovely and still improving. 92-93.
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2005 Château Climens 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
(1/26/2020)
From 375mL. Aromatic, fresh orange, florals, delicate white flowers, slight spice; palate is medium bodied, richer than a typical Climens but still elegant, medium acidity, medium to medium-plus alcohol, some orange and citrus, but most of the fruit is pretty hidden, slight vanilla, slight cream and honey; finish is medium to medium-minus length. I think accurately representative of Climens' style in this lineup but it is a richer year and this isn't as complex as Climens' best years. Aromatics are definitely better than my last taste in 2014. 90-91
Day 3: Aromatic nose with florals, white fruit, really lovely; palate is medium bodied, lovely length, excellent balance; finish is medium-long. This has grown a lot over the past 2 days. 93+
Day 7: hasn’t improved or declined much since day 3. Still lovely floral aromatics. Very slight excess alcohol on the palate. 92
Day 9: A bit less floral than day 7.
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2005 Château Rieussec 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
(1/26/2020)
From 375mL. Golden; aromatics today are mostly youthful and oaky, tons of baking spice, lots of depth but aromatics are hard to evaluate; palate is rich and dense, full bodied, plenty of spice, white fruit but hard to distinguish; finish is medium length at best. Judgement reserved as this seems like it needs a day or two of air to open up. For drinking right now after opening, the Suduiraut is better (but also seems like it will open up).
Day 3: Dense nose, apricots, still seems mostly closed; palate is full bodied, rich orange marmalade, just barely more open on the palate than on the 1st day; finish is medium length at best right now. This needs more time open before final assessment, but 90-91 for now. My bottle in 2011 needed 9 days to open up.
Day 10: Nose is a bit more expressive and aromatic than the first day or three, but palate is still a bit more oaky than I like, and more than the '05 Suduiraut.
Day 12: The aromatics on this continue to open up more and more, with apricot, plenty of fruit, oak has pretty much completely integrated; palate is still full bodied but with great freshness, plenty of apricot and white fruits, excellent balance. This is the best showing for this bottle so far. Seems like my other bottles need a decade. 91-93
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2005 Château de Fargues 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
(1/26/2020)
From 375mL. Golden color; high intensity aromatics, complex spice, intensity of white fruit, some oak and vanilla, burnt sugar; palate is full bodied, vibrant medium-plus acidity, complex balanced fruit and citrus, grapefruit through the midpalate which is quite refreshing and adds some character; finish is medium-plus length. This is youthful, probably a bit more oaky than the '05 Suduiraut on the nose but much more intensity and vibrant acidity throughout, and certainly the most interesting for my palate. Represents the balance between sauternes and barsac styles well. I will be interested to see this evolve with some air. This will age for a few decades. 92++
Day 3: Similar to when first opened, the aromatics are prominent, flavorful, complex, integrated botrytis spice, integrated oak to when it was first opened; palate is complex, classic grapefruit midpalate; long lovely finish. This is showing among the best in this lineup today. 93-94
Day 9: Largely similar with excellent balance, nice intensity to both the nose with still just a touch of remaining vanilla/oak, palate is vibrant with superb acidity to balance the concentration, still the hallmark grapefruit through the midpalate; medium-plus finish. Still just as enjoyable and likely has a few decades to continue to evolve in bottle. 93-94
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