January 22, 2024 - Coravin'ed several ounces to try out. Really nice spot. Some marmalade, brown sugar, honeyed pineapple and apricots. I will try this again in a few months.
January 6, 2022 - From a full bottle. Cork in good shape. Nice medium-pale-medium gold. On the nose upon opening, a bouquet of peaches, slight caramel, botrytis-rubber-like-aroma, quince, clementine. On the palate, the attack is luscious, sweet, followed by the aromas as found on the nose with added pear and pineapple, and then finishes with the (medium) botrytis bitterness. There is a good lift throughout with a nice acidity carrying the wine from start to finish. In my book, this is at peak in full bottles, having tasted riper seeming half-bottles that were not as good, I'd say it is better right now in a full bottle. Will likely stay at peak a year or two, but I wouldn't wait too much. Probably the best showing for this since the half-bottle in 2015, and better than the half earlier this year. 90-91
Compared to the Coutet of the same vintage I've also been following, this is more monolithic and less in finesse - but I also like this style.
On day 2, not much evolution, still very pleasant and fresh.
On day 3, this shifts a bit towards a muddled orange marmalade and faint caramel. Still pleasant, but somewhat faded.
On day 5, similar, but the acidity is fading.
January 1, 2022 - Didn't take notes. I drink only 3-4 dessert wines a year (should do it more often if it weren't for the sugar...) so won't give this a numeric rating, but this was delicious to me. It has aged beautifully. 93+ for my palate but will leave formal ratings to others. Will buy some more recent vintages.
December 27, 2021 - Nice bottle, pungent saffron on the nose. Good Sauternes while no showstopper that went well with christmas porridge.
September 5, 2021 - From a half-bottle. Cork in good shape. Colour is an accurate 24 carat gold colour in the glass. On the nose, upon opening, pumpkin, wax, ripe peach, botrytis-rubber - somewhat Tokaj styled at this point. On the palate, the attack is sweet, with the aromas as found on the nose, with a good (bordering on excessive) botrytis-rubber-bitterness final. An addition of faint pineapple and orange rind and marmalade. This is good, but I think this was slightly better when tasted in 2015 and is likely starting its decline in half-bottles that ripen faster. Technically still quite good, but I just tend to prefer de Malle at about 10 years of age. 89-90 or so.
From half-bottles, certainly drink up.
June 10, 2021 - Amazing nose, the layers of different smells are never ending. Let warm a little and it is a beatiful wine.
October 26, 2020 - My second encounter with this wine this year. It is quite excellent, but not necessarily because it is excellent as a wine (although that is a meagre and unworthy comment), but because it has reached its peak, and anything that has reached its peak takes on the aura of completion.
May 31, 2020 - I see that Wine Searcher accords this wine a lowly 90 points, because (I suspect) it lacks the oomph of the premier crus wines, and seems understated in comparison. But there are times when understatement has its own virtues, as it does here with a wine that is light, fragrant and marvellously well-balanced (and what about a Sauternes that has a dry finish?). It speaks of all of the qualities of a good sauternes, but it does so in tones that are sotto voce.
So well done de Malle, and others like you: d'Arche, Filhot, Bastor Lamontagne, Broustet, Rayond Lafon and Caillou. I have enjoyed you all.
January 29, 2020 - Amber/gold colour. Leathery, dried apple, buckwheat honey and tangerine nose. Full-bodied and focused palate with marvellous flavours and earthy complexities; very long, dried fruit and toasted nut finish...and even more minerality.
5/5
October 5, 2019 - PNP. Deep carmelized golden color. Pear, fig, marmalade, honeysuckle and subtle jalapeño on the beautiful nose. Viscous palate. Very fun drinking this wine with friends. I brought this home from a wine shop in downtown Bordeaux back in May.