Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux, Sauternes

A focus on Sauternes

• 2009 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Mid-gold colour with an intense perfume of almond paste, Satsuma and lime zest, candied lemon towards lemon curd and barley sugar.
  A complex and elegant opening on the palate is sweet (110 g/L), medium-bodied with a fine streak of lemon acidity that lifts the wine. The wine lacks some breadth and is linear with a burnt spun sugar bitterness and pithy lemon peel texture. However, it is still fine-boned, with white peach and pineapple slices soaked in honey and lime zest—warm alcohol on the medium to long finish.

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• 2009 Château Suduiraut 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  A mid-gold to copper colour. Fruity and ripe aromas with nectarine, apricot, and cling peach, moving to orange marmalade, spicy oak, vanilla, marzipan, and pastry undertones.
  A sweet entry (130 g/l) with noticeable weight and depth and medium acidity that gives a rich, fatter profile.
  The palate exhibits raisins, plenty of new oak, resin and ginger flavours that expand to marzipan, honeycomb, candied lemon and barley sugar. Noticeably sweet, powerful style (almost unctuous), this wine will benefit from further bottle age (30 years or more?) in gaining complexity but still requires time for the oak to integrate. It feels heavier and more viscous, reminiscent of tinned peach and apricot syrup.

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• 2009 Château Doisy-Daëne 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Mid gold to copper. Somewhat floral and fruity that is accompanied by gentle botrytis characteristics showing honey, vanilla, toasty oak and crushed almonds
  The wine is fresh but sweet (120g/L RS), with the lingering perfume present and lively to vibrant acidity pushing the wine along. It is an elegant wine that reveals fresh lemon flavours intertwined with warm honey (lemsip), candied tangerine/kumquat, pastry with oak spices and almonds/hazelnut. Medium-bodied, this is a graceful wine, the most youthful showing of the three wines so far and has a persistent finish. Already showing some good complexity.
  Blend of 85 Sem and 15 SBlanc. Influenced by Denis Dubourdieu.

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• 2007 Château Bastor-Lamontagne 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Mid gold colour with lifted of fennel, dill, almond and citrus, spun sugar with an unusual herbal element.
  The palate opens a little savoury with a burnt sugar on stove note, caramel, grilled pineapple and melon dripping with honey. This morphs into a sugar cracknell and nutty sensation akin to Brandy Snaps, along with aldehydic qualities that make the wine somewhat disjointed, lacking in the mid-palate, with the acidity seemingly at odds. While the wine exhibits some complexity, it falls a little short.

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• 2006 Château Doisy-Védrines 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium gold to bronze in colour, the bouquet is intense and heady, showing plenty of ripe fruit: lime marmalade, candied orange, almond paste, key lime pie, creme brulee and peach preserve.
  A wonderfully concentrated, well-balanced wine that is full-bodied richly textured and the sweetness integrated into the lively acidity. The core is a wedge of candied orange to lime marmalade that is enticing and powerful. Not that noticeable botrytis spices, but they lurk a little underneath. Well-made modern Sauternes, showing well and with potential for further ageing leaving the mouth with some freshness and purity accented by the lemon-lime edges.

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• 2005 Château Coutet Barsac 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Medium+ gold colour with an initial unusual dishcloth note, reminiscent of a dry tea towel. This gives way to almond paste, pineapple, stone fruits and fynbos honey.
  The palate entry is more perplexing, with odd notes of plaster and medicinal qualities morphing to peat, resembling a whisky from Islay!
  Medium acidity: this is quite a rich wine that seems to show some volatile elements, making it a little disjointed. The mid-palate is akin to a lemon and honey drink, similar to Lemsip, with hints of sucking on a bandage evoking a hospital-like atmosphere, which didn't appeal. Equally, the VA slightly alters the direction of the wine, skewing its profile.

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• 2005 Château Doisy-Védrines 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Intense golden colour, the nose is deep with ripe aromas filled with marzipan, warm honey and grilled pineapple.
  There is a penetrating quality to the aroma, accompanied by abundant fruit that appears almost stewed. As it opens, it reveals some savoury, earth qualities.
  The entry is full-bodied, intense and opulent, with a notable sweetness of around 130 g/l. There is a generous presence of marmalade, orange, and lemon flavors, balanced by a line of acidity that is not overpowering but sufficient. Towards the back palate, there is a warm sensation reminiscent of spun sugar. This is a solid and complex wine, with some fruit depth and a fuller profile typical of the vintage. The only caveat is there is a hint of bitterness on the back palate, and it isn't that concentrated - more spreads across the surface.

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• 2003 Château Coutet Barsac 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Deep to golden to orange-copper, indicating its maturity. A noticeable lifting and intense nose accompanied by ripe fruit and a generous amount of sugar. This is joined by some soft herbs, button mushrooms and other fungi. More towards raisin than botrytis, there are pineapple slices in syrup, lingering lemon blossom and peaty notes.
  The palate enters rather elegantly for such an opulent wine, maintaining a brightness that, despite the warmth of the year, with the lively acidity, manages to cut through the rich and dense sweet core.
  A mid-weight body, fennel, and dill flavours add to its complexity yet also some bandage-like qualities, yet they don't detract. Not as complex as hoped this has a persistent, yet heavier finish.

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• 2001 Château Bastor-Lamontagne Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Sadly corked

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• 2007 Château d'Yquem 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium to deep gold colour, indicating some maturity. The nose is intense and offers a plethora of fruit with heady, captivating aromas of candied lemon, dried mango, lime marmalade and lightly torched creme brulee.
  The palate entry shows incredible complexity, with fine acidity and depth of fruit. Layers of different elements contribute to its extraordinary complexity. Citrus peel, apricot, pineapple, mango, and pears alongside a mineral edge. This combines to give a light and lifted approach that accommodates the 120 g/l of residual sugar, which adds smoothness to the overall experience.
  This wine is indeed on the money with an endless farewell, leaving a lasting impression.

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• 2004 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Mid to deep gold to copper colour. A rather odd nose that exhibits noticeable VA (volatile acidity), and bandage-like aromas along with fungi and burnt polystyrene (suggesting the presence of significant SO2?). However, these elements dissipate slowly to reveal stewed oranges, tangerine peel, and clementine marmalade.
  The palate entry is warming, almost giving it a cooked character. It has a sinewy texture and possesses sweetness without as much botrytis influence, along with subtle hints of ginger, creamed honey and fennel. It offers some complexity but is considered a lighter year for Yquem. Delicate, the finish is medium and reflects the elegance of a lighter year. Closes with more citrus but morphs into stone fruits with a dash of sea salt.

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• 2003 Château d'Yquem 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Deep, old gold with light orange and amber hues. The bouquet is slightly aldehydic with developed notes showing burnt sugar, ginger ale, candied orange and some dried mango. Slightly fatigued, however. The entry is exceptionally sweet (RS apparently 147g/l!) with an oily, unctuous texture and concentrated intensity. There is minimal botrytis influence but the mid-palate is smooth and seamless, lacking any harsh edges, resembling more an eiswein with its concentrated sugar profile. Flavours of Creme Brulée, almond paste and raisins. Full-bodied, it finishes long and syrupy (the acid is medium at best), it reminded me of the modern style of De Bortoli's Noble One with its weighty, almost overburdening presence. 2003 was exceptionally warm, especially in June. Didn't excite me.

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