Different fases of botrytis development on grapes - Nairac in September 2004
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SAUTERNES & BARSAC
Different fases of botrytis development on grapes - Nairac in September 2004
Noble rot has just started its noble work - Nairac in September 2003
A little river of enormous importance
Sauternes & Barsac district is situated app. 40 km south of Bordeaux town, at Garonne river’s left bank, as an enclave in Graves district. There are five communes, named after the respective commune’s main village: Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes.
Autumn has to be mild, humid and foggy, but neither too dry nor too rainy, before fungus Botrytis cinerea attacks ripe white grapes. A little river, Le Ciron, which travels around
Botrytis cinerea is interested in grapes’ sugar and the first sign of its attack are brown spots on grapes. Afterwards, the grapes became perforated and their skin thin and wrinkled. Water evaporates through the perforated grape skin and grapes shrink. At the end they look like dried up mothballs/prunes with a grey-white surface, and this isn’t pleasant sight. But they taste heavenly, I should say.
Back in the “sad remains” of the grapes, there’s an enormously concentrated juice with an extremely high content of sugar. Fortunately for us, the fungus won’t consume this sugary liquid.
The majority of properties use normally only harvested grapes for Grand Vin with a potential alcohol content at minimum 21 %. Fermentation bacteria can only convert amount of sugar in grape juice to 13.5-15.5 % alcohol. In that way wine ends with remaining sugar corresponding to 5-7.5 % alcohol, which gives wines natural sweetness.
Perfect food companion
d'Yquem - an incredibly concentrated monster with at least 50 years of happy life ahead. It's thick consistens makes you believe that you can "cut" this wine in slices. 97p.
de Fargues - Whau! What a depth, complexity and pure botrytis level. This wine turns me really on. 20-30 years more life or even longer? 96p.
Guiraud - spicy oranges, splendid botrytis, very complex and nuanced. Great potential. 10-15 years in the cellar. 90p.
Nairac - very elegant and harmonious, well-shaped with really good botrytis. Tasty. 5-10 years. 88p.
Raymond Lafon - very intense on the nose with honey and melon. A lot of finesse and perfect botrytis. Incredibly complex, full-bodied and sophisticated. This wine makes me extremely happy indeed. At least 20 years of very enjoyable life lie ahead this wine. 93p.
La Tour Blanche - light, not a lot of botrytis, pleasant and soft. Will mature rather quickly. 86p.
Climens - as always incredibly elegant, sophisticated and extremely nuanced. I'm in heaven! And it'll continue to do magics for another 20-25 years. 96-98p.
Coutet - fine botrytis but light wine. However incredibly refined, elegant and gracious. Lacks some more concentration and depth to be really stunning. Will do well for another 15 years. 88p.
Doisy Vedrines - fine botrytis and fine balance. Well-made but a little bit simple. 8-10 years. 88p.
Guiraud - better botrytis, complexity and more length than in 1996. Spicy tropical fruits with oranges and citrus. Classy and thrilling wine. Will improve in the next 10 years and stay there for another 10-15 years. 93p.
Lafaurie Peyraguey - tastes like candy, dense, classic with many, many nuances. Very intelligent wine. A delicacy of big caliber. Will last for along time - 20+ years. 94p.
de Malle - delicate, refined and catchy wine. Delicious botrytis, full-bodied and with lingering finish. This wine makes me really love Bordeaux' sweet wines. Its beautiful balance ensures a long life. 93p.
Nairac - a stunner. Only 5 hl/ha! Extremely concentrated, extremely elegant and extremely complex. Botrytis is so perfect and acidity of this wine is so well-integrated, that this wine simply blows me away. I'm running out of words! How long will it last - 25+ years I suppose. 96p.
Raymond Lafon - what a beauty! Extremely sophisticated with perfect botrytis and wonderful balance. Honey, melon, peaches and apricot. An essence of Sauternes. Angels are singing beautifully. Will be long, long-lived. 97p
Rieussec - heavy stuff with many nuances, incredible length and complexity. A winner! Will surely improve in the next 15-20 years. 95p.
Sigalas Rabaud - incredibly well-developed botrytis, magnificently refined and sophisticated. What a concentration, balance and length. This wine makes you speechless for hours! 15-20 years of extremely enjoyable life. 94+p.
Suduiraut - fine botrytis, excellent finesse and balance. Very honeyed and tasting of apricots. 91p.
La Tour Blanche - elegance and finesse. Very harmonious and tasty (peaches and melon). Looks fine to me. 89p.
Barrejats (Barsac) - fine botrytis, really well-balanced and tasty. 88p.
Caillou - very elegant and sophisticated wine with pretty nice botrytis, fresh fruit and long aftertaste. Has a great potential. 90+p.
Cantegril (Barsac) - light with some spices. Nice fruit. Will mature very quickly. 84p.
Climens - a little out of balance at the moment. Not as thrilling as vintages 1997 and 1999. Time will tell. 88p.
Coutet - a disappointment. Light wine, not really harmonious and lacking depth. Will reach its peak in 5-7 years time. 86p.
Doisy Däene - almost the same style and quality as Sigalas Rabaud 1998. Simply wonderful! 94p.
Doisy Vedrines - close to the breathtaking 1999, but here we have less power and less concentration. Never mind though - it's a beautiful wine. Keeps well for another 12-16 years. 92p.
Filhot - Very spicy and harmonious, not that sweet. Well-defined, full-bodied and with nice depth. A real charmer. 90p.
Guiraud - beautiful botrytis, very elegant and sophisticated. Apricot and orange peel. Stunningly classic wine. 15-20 years. 93p.
Lafaurie Peyraguey - Perfect harmony, fine botrytis, refined and very elegant. Delicious. 90p.
Lamothe-Guignard - harmonious, nice fruit, correctly made. Definitely not for long keeping. 87p.
de Malle - more depth, intensity of fruit here. And botrytis is better integrated than in 1999. Yummy! 91p.
Nairac - rich on alcohol, spicy, refined and elegant. Promising future. 89-90p.
Raymond Lafon - slightly less concentrated than 1997 but angels are still singing with joy. 25+ years in the cellar. 94-96p.
Rayne Vigneau - very elegant, refined and spicy wine, which seduces you from the very first sip. Terrific winemaking. 91+p.
Sigalas Rabaud - powerful and spicy with big depth and intensity, perfect botrytis. The sweetness of fruit and backing acidity melt into a perfect marriage. Really a gift from heaven. 15-20 years. 95p.
Suduiraut - inredibly well-developed botrytis, excellent balance and well-structured. Long finish. Seems to have more of everything than 1997. 93p.
La Tour Blanche - very spicy, elegant, sophisticated and with many nuances. This splendid wine has real breed. 92p.
Barrejats - surprise, surprise! A stunning example of what lesser known /non-classified property can produce. Really well-defined botrytis, peaches, mango, acacia honey, elegant and powerful on the palate. Long aftertaste. Can taste like this for 5-10 more years. 92p.
Caillou - an elegant and well-made wine with nice seetness and structure. Charming. 88p.
Climens - an essence of finesse and elegance with such graciosity and complexity, you often dream about. 25-30 years. 96p.
Coutet - much better than 1997, more concentration, better botrytis and long aftertaste. 91-92p.
Doisy Däene - spicy acacie honey, quite sophisticated and nuanced. Splendid botrytis, not iron fist wine but soft hugs with finesse and love. Splendid wine for long term cellaring. 90+p.
Doisy Vedrines - an extremely thrilling wine with deep and intense nose of botrytis, apricots and peaches. Full-bodied and with many, many nuances. Splendid structure. Perfect winemaking. Halleluja! 94-96p.
Filhot - splendid botrytis, well-balanced, luscious tropical fruit. Quite seductive and of high quality. 90p.
Guiraud - as stunning as 1998! Well-deserved 93p.
Lafaurie Peyraguey - incredibly stylish and classy wine. Well-integrated botrytis and deliciously sweet fruit. Splendid structure and length on the palate. High quality. 91p.
Lamothe Guignard - light and fragile. Lacks botrytis and sweetness to be really something. 85p.
de Malle - delicious, tasty tropical fruit, very charming, elegant and full of finesse. Catchy wine. 88-89p
Rayne Vigneau - a full-bodied wine with intense spicy fruit (peaches and apricots). Aftertaste is slightly too short. Nice wine. 88p.
Sigalas Rabaud - very stylish and complete wine. Well-integrated botrytis and catching sweetness of fruit. Nice combination of power and sublime character in this wine. This wine express 100% what Sauternes is about. 92+p.
Suduiraut - what an intensity and finesse. Fresh acidity and perfectly ripe fruit go hand in hand. Incredibly complex. Seems to be even better than 1998. Wonderful wine for long keeping. 94p.
La Tour Blanche - refined and elegant. Fine botrytis, nice fruit with appealling sweetness. Terrific wine. 90p.
WINES TASTED IN APRIL 2003
Rayne Vigneau 2000 - elegant, light, quite nice botrytis, harmonious and with finesse. Already very forward. 87p.
Rayne Vigneau 2001 – has improved magnificently since last year. There is an extraordinary cooperation between acidity, sweetness of fruit and botrytis plus richness and complexity for all the money. Simply exceptional wine! 2008-2025. 94+p.
Rayne Vigneau 2002 - more sugary than 2001 (dried raisins), botrytis slightly subdued, not as rich and nuanced as 2001. Nevertheless a splendid wine. 2006-2012. 91p.
Sigalas Rabaud 2001 – this extremely harmonious wine makes me close to burst into tears of pure joy. Already magnificent last year, it has managed to gain even more richness, complexity and depth. Botrytis here is like angel’s song. Wow!!! 2010-2030. 96-98p.
Sigalas Rabaud 2002 - this property has been in sparkling form since 1996. 2002 is yet another stunning example of meticulous winemaking. Pure and refined botrytis, very spicy acacia honey, big concentration combined with many nuances, extremely long aftertaste. 2008-2018. 93+p.
Rayne Vigneau 2004 - fine and pure botrytis, elegant and round, full-bodied, nuanced and with splendid balance. Seems a bit four-squared but has a lot of charm and finesse. 8-12 years. 91p.
LES JUSTICES (Same owner as Château Gilette)
Julie Gonet-Medeville - now in charge of Gilette, Les Justices and Respide Medeville
Les Justices 2000 - sweet (dried raisins), elegant, charming, quite full and well-structured. Nice try. 2005-2012. 87p.
Les Justices 2001 – extraordinary level of botrytis, very rich and nuanced. This is the best vintage yet for this property and a steal buy! 2008-2020. 92+p.
Les Justices 2002 - orange peel, mandarins, nice botrytis, fine concentration, frish and sugary. Very nice effort - 2006-2016. 90p.
Following wines were tasted blind at Château Clos Haut Peyraguey on the 5th April 2004. Wines are listed in tasting order.
1. Lamothe: Fine botrytis, pure and refined. 89p.
2. De Malle: Simply stupendous and fantastic nose of extremely aromatic and intense botrytis. Fantastic purity and intensity of fruit (acacia honey, mango and peach). This wine is sophisticated to the fingertips. 25 seconds aftertaste. Will easily keep for 20-25 years. What a catch! 97p.
3. Suau: Golden yellow. Intense, spicy nose of brown sugar. Concentrated and long on the palate. 91+p.
4. Caillou: Stunningly pure botrytis on the nose. Sophisticated and nuanced. Fascinating wine and a big surprise. 94+p.
5. Filhot: Stylish with breathtaking elegance. Incredibly sophisticated and perfectly shaped wine. A stunner. 95+p.
6. Lamothe Guignard: Sheer botrytis with great intensity. 93+p.
7. Doisy Vedrines: Pure and elegant botrytis. 89p.
8. d’Arche: Well-defined with lemon, peach and fine botrytis. 89p.
9. Doisy Däene: Just as stunning as Caillou. 95p.
10. Sigalas Rabaud. Not as thrilling as last year. Closed? 91p.
11. Myrat: Spicy acacia honey and a delicious one. 89p.
12. Guiraud: Splendid botrytis with a lot of character. Great length. 93p.
13. Rieussec: Strong, heavy and very long. Botrytis is simply stupendous here. 95p.
14. Coutet: Incredibly elegant, finesse and refinement. 92p.
15. Climens: This is knock-out wine. A dream came true! 100p.
16. Clos Haut Peyraguey: Stunning wine with sublime botrytis and splendid balance. 94p.
17. Lafaurie Peyraguey: What a thrilling botrytis, elegance and finesse. Incredibly rich. What a catch! 95p.
18. La Tour Blanche: Almost as stunning as Clos Haut Peyraguey. 93p.
19. Suduiraut: Very close to de Malle. What a thrilling wine! 96p.
HORISONTAL TASTING OF SAUTERNES & BARSAC 2003 IN MARCH 2006
EXTREME CONDITIONS
Weather acted outrageously in 2003 with atypically warm March and beginning of April to start with, so flowering was two weeks in advance compared to normal time for vines growing cycle. May entertained with quite few millimeters of rain, while June and July contributed with almost no rain. August was a case for itself, because this month’s three first weeks had daily temperature between 40-45°C, low humidity and few drops of rain. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillón and Muscadelle became perfectly ripe when second half of August began and just waited for Botrytis cinerea fungus’ largely scaled attack.
This attack came after light rain on the 8th September and Botrytis cinerea simply flew from vine to vine and from grape to grape at astonishing speed, and quickly finished the job with botrytised grapes. The sunny and very hot weather with feeble wind continued until the end of September with app.
This meant of course low yield at majority of properties and high percentage of potential alcohol, which have never been seen before. Some places (for example at Château Nairac), there were barrels containing must between 27 to 32% potential alcohol! For the majority of properties it was enough with three picking in the vineyard and the harvest itself didn’t exceed three weeks.
EXTRAVAGANT WINE AND FOOD COMPANION
A really extravagant vintage for Sauternes & Barsac was born. 2003 is however barely so classic and homogenous vintage everywhere in the district, as for example. 2001 and 1997, but I assume few will complain. Sweet Bordeaux wines are really good value for the money, because prices on these wine don’t accelerate in same rocket speed as it is for red Bordeaux wines, so this is to great benefit for consumers.
Thanks to extravagantly high remaining sugar, 2003 wines possess simply breathtaking sweetness, which suits perfectly fish and mushroom soup, creamy and grilled/braised fish dishes, white meat, goat/ship cheeses and the saltiness of oysters.
These wines swing very well too with fresh fruit salads, sourish sorbets and ice-creams. If you dare to do more freaky combination, then try medium chili and carry spiced cooking of Asian and Oriental origin. Sushi is also a possibility. Only fantasy sets limits. Sweet desserts are on the other hand a totally restricted area for sweet white wines, because in order to create co-operation, there should also be a challenge, but sweet plus very sweet makes no challenge at all.
Following 20 wines were tasted at Château
CHÂTEAU CLIMENS 100p
This wine is the result of 9hl/ha yield and whole 9.5% (!) remaining sugar. Simply every wine-lover’s dream wine with fantastically shaped and deep botrytis, extremely elegant and refined, sophisticated and incredibly graceful, formidable length on the palate and wildly long aftertaste. Balance here is simply stupendous and completes this perfect example of white sweet Bordeaux. It is pure magic to lay down for the next 20-25 years.
CHÂTEAU NAIRAC 96p
Here, the yield reached only 7 hl/ha and remaining sugar landed at simply unbelievable 12.7% (!). Light golden with incredibly pure and intense noble rot, really extravagant fruit sweetness and nuance richness, fatness and exquisite structure, incredibly stylish and brilliantly constructed wine. This is a breathtaking and sublime wine, which has at least 15 years of eventful life. It is the best vintage for this property since the sensational 1997.
CHÂTEAU
This property has been really impressive since 1998 vintage and is quickly approaching top wines in the district. Dark golden with well-defined botrytis, aromas of sun-dried raisins and Muscat on the nose, strong and powerful on the palate with much alcohol and lot of nuances. Great sweetness and fine balance. This is sheer enjoyment in the next 15-18 years.
CHÂTEAU CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 92p
We have here superb noble rot, superb fruit sweetness and superb wine. This is a wine of great class and charisma with vast choice of tropical fruits, well supported by discrete acidity, with beautiful length on the palate and lasting aftertaste. It is brilliant wine, which easily can be laid down for 12-18 years.
CHÂTEAU COUTET 92p
Light golden. It is a beautiful wine with beautiful botrytis and palate, incredibly elegant and gracious, refined and delicate. Even if this wine is on the light side, there is no limit for how much you enjoy this heartbreaker wine! It is well-suited for 12-18 years additional cellaring.
CHÂTEAU FILHOT 92p
Straw yellow. This wine is very Muscat-like on the nose, refined and with splendid elegance. Fruit sweetness and acidity work perfectly together here. It is delicate and captivating wine to enjoy in the next 10-15 years.
CHÂTEAU ROMER DU HAYOT 91p
Golden. It has splendid noble rot, intense and deep nose of brown sugar, cocoa and spicy pineapple, and is long on the palate with great depth, fine structure and persistent aftertaste. It is a very successful wine for this property and is to be enjoyed in the next 8-12 years.
CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD 90p
Fine and intense botrytis, otherwise this wine is quite closed and well marked by new oak. It is difficult to assess for the moment, but I believe it will get higher score when all ingredients here calm down and become integrated.
CHÂTEAU LAMOTHE GUIGNARD 90p
Straw yellow. Honey melon, apricot and pineapple on the nose, delicious fruit sweetness on the palate, fine structure and fine elegance. One of the best wines I have tasted from this property, delicious and tasty. Will keep for 10-15 years.
CHÂTEAU LAFAURIE PEYRAGUEY 90p
I have actually expected a more energetic wine with more concentration than one tasted at the day. Even if it has excellent noble rot, lusciousness, super elegance and fine balance, this wine seems however to be a bit flat and lacks some freshness, and shows slightly under the level of this property’s capacity. Maybe this wine just needs some more time in the bottle. One to lay down for 10-15 years horisontally.
CHÂTEAU DOISY VEDRINES 90p
Light golden. Splendid and well-defined on the nose with aromas of melon, peach and apricot, powerful taste of tropical fruits (pineapple and guava), well-balanced and honey marked aftertaste. It’s nicely constructed wine, which easily last for next 10-15 years.
CHÂTEAU DE MALLE 90p
As it was case for Lafaurie Peyraguey, de Malle underperformed somehow in April 2006. This wine reminds a lot ofLafaurie Peyraguey. I really hope/believe that de Malle returns to full blossom after one more year in the bottle.
CHÂTEAU SUDUIRAUT 89p
Also this wine underperformed in April 2006 – closed and not willing to give anything from itself. Was however tasted 5 months later and then it was considerably easier and open to taste. More time in the bottle has obviously helped this wine to improve. If this wine further improves, then higher score and longer cellaring time (15-20 years) are well on their way.
CHÂTEAU D’ARCHE 88p
It is a quite well-made wine with fine noble rot, nice depth and length on the palate and quite long aftertaste. Not that much complicated and difficult to understand - it should just be enjoyed quietly. Already quite drinkable but will be like that in additional 4-8 years.
CHÂTEAU DOISY DAENE 88p
Light golden. Strong and robust with intense tropical fruits, well supported by marked acidity. However, this wine seems a bit disjointed, which tells you that this wine has not found itself yet Give it time.
CHÂTEAU RAYNE VIGNEAU 88p
Straw yellow. Acacia honey on the nose and palate, light and mineral. It is packed with fruit sweetness and corresponding acidity. All in all it is error free wine, which will make many wine freaks happy with its straightforwardness. This wine can be enjoyed already now and during the next 5-8 years.
CHÂTEAU CAILLOU 87p
Light golden. It is quite nice wine with well formed botrytis and nice concentration. Is very sugary on the palate and seems to lack a bit of more acidity, therefore this wine is not big deal. It is ready to drink now and in the next 4-7 years.
CHÂTEAU MYRAT 87p
It is totally similar to Caillou, therefore same description here.
CHÂTEAU RABAUD PROMIS 86p
In spite of somewhat well-defined and intense noble rot, this wine presented itself in quite disharmonic and tart shape. Maybe it is just a transition phase and maybe this wine just needs more time in the bottle to recover. We will have to see.
CHÂTEAU ROMER 85p
It is a wine with adorable noble rot, but a bit chemical on the nose. Short on the palate, lacks sweetness and tastes dry. This wine is just average and anonymous and will live for 3-5 years.
LA TOUR BLANCHE
In addition to 2005 and 2003, I did also taste 2004, 2002 and 2001 at the property in March 2006. Here are my TNs.
La Tour Blanche 2004 - because of severe selection in the vineyard, yield per ha was only 3 hl/ha, which is one fifth to one sixth of normal yield! Light golden, very concentated and intens on the nose and palate. Stunning botrytis, extremely long and deep on the palate. Lots and lots of papaya, melon and acacia honey here. It's a fantastic vine for the vintage, with exquisite structure and multi-layered, and with very long aftertaste. Better than 2003 LTB here and very close to magnificent 2001 LTB. May well keep for more than 20 years. Wow! 96-97p. Retasted in April 2007 - same impression and score as in March 2006.
La Tour Blanche 2002 - light, extremely elegant and seductive, nice sweetness and acidity. Fine quality for drinking this wine with great pleasure in the next 4-6 years. 91p. Retasted in April 2007 - same impression and score as in March 2006.
La Tour Blanche 2001 - light golden with simply fabulously shaped botrytis, very intense and deep on the nose. Extremely refined and sophisticated on the palate with perfect balance between sweetness of the fruit and acidity. Simply outstanding wine for 20-25 years in heaven. 97-98p.
Alcoholic fermentation of Sauvignon Blanc in barrel proceeeds on full speed at Château Nairac - October 2006
Following wines (except Raymond Lafon) were tasted BLIND at Château Doisy Daëne on the 10th April 2008. Wines from Doisy Daëne tasting are listed according to obtained score
2005 is yet another outstanding vintage in Sauternes & Barsac history. It started with relatively quiet and cool winter months. Spring was warm with a lot of sunshine and temperature reached ocassionally 30 degrees Celsius in both April and June. From May to September,
Most properties started picking in the end of September and finished one month later with 3-5 tries. The weather through all this period was extremely advantageous with no rain, fog in the morning, warm afternoons and chilly nigths. The sanitary condition of grapes was simply excellent - with no diseases at all all grapes looked healthy and there was nothing to throw away. Therefore the quantity in 2005 was around twice the normal, causing space problem in the cellar for some properties.
2005 is definitely close in style to 2001, probably richer in aromas and deeper some places, but has same exceptional balance between sweetness and acidity, breed, length and purity as 2001. The greatness of the vintage can be told by a number of successful wines in the district and 2005 has a lot of these. The tasting was a home run from start to end, and I had the feeling that all the wines tasted would easily improve futher.
2005 will be a perfect food companion to fish soup/dishes, foie gras, chiocken and other light meat, goat/sheep cheeses, sorbets of orange, lemon, blackcurrant, liquorice and pineapple, and fruit salads.
At the tasting I met young generation of Dubordieu family, Fabrice Dubordieu. Very cultivated and intelligent young man, who has incredible knowledge about other countries and what's happening all over the world. Doisy Daëne will certainly benefit from this, once Fabrice takes over the management.
CHÂTEAU CLIMENS 97+p
This wine is the result of 24hl/ha yield. After the first sniff and sip I was left with no doubt whatsoever, that the wine in the glass was Climens. The striking purity, elegance, finesse, refinement and sophisticated touch of this wine made an astonishingly beautiful impression. Fantastic harmony between sweetness and acidity. Wow! There're so many layers in this wine to dig in! I believe this wine will be as heavenly as 2001. One to lay down for at least 20+ years.
CHÂTEAU NAIRAC 95+p
This property made really stunning vintages 1997 and 2001, but vintages 2003 and 2005 really show the incredible skills of Nairac's winemaker, Nicolas Heeter-Tari.
Nairac has its own special style of heavier construction and not that much finesse than Climens, and it's more sugary. Also here I was pretty sure that my glass had Nairac in it. This wine displayed incredibly intense botrytis, freshness, beautiful partnership between acidity and splendid sweetness of fruit, enchanting fragrance of acacia flower, sophisticated touch and long lingering aftertaste. This was a sublime and breathtaking effort. Nicolas Heeter-Tari believes 2005 is better than 2001 at Nairac and that it will compete with 2003. I agree! One to keep for several decades.
This was a wine of great class and charisma with vast choice of melon, peaches and apricots, perfectly supported by discrete acidity, with beautiful length on the palate and long lasting aftertaste. Truly sophisticated wine, which easily will show its stunning qualities for the next 15-20 years.
CHÂTEAU COUTET 93+p
I really like Coutet because its wine seems never to be overdone. In April 2008, it was a beautiful wine with aroma of acacia flower, pineapple and peach, incredibly elegant and gracious touch, splendid sweetness and acidity, refined and delicate on the palate and smooth finish. Despite being on the light side, there was no limit for how much you did adore this heartbreaker wine! It is well-suited for 12-18 years additional cellaring.
CHÂTEAU DOISY DAENE 93+p
Very much Barsac and very much in the footsteps of Coutet. Really impressive. It may end with as high score as 2001.
CHÂTEAU DOISY DUBROCA 93+p
This property almost never participates in my tastings, but I was extremely happy to see and taste it in April 2005. True Barsac wine as Coutet and Doisy Daëne are and it was equally impresive. Delicate, tasty and with impeccable balance. Pure enjoyment for 12-18 years.
CHÂTEAU LAFAURIE PEYRAGUEY 93+p
This is one of the most reliable properties in the district, which mix power and elegance in beautiful way.
In April 2008, it seemed to follow in 2001 vintage's tracks with excellently botrytised fruit flavours of apricots, peaches, oranges/orange peel, lusciousness, refinement, super elegance and exquisite balance. Gorgeous wine for keeping in the next 15-20 years
CHÂTEAU DE MALLE 93+p
This property has been on fine run since 1997 and its 2005 is without question among the best wines in the district. It's close to quality of 2001 with pure aromas of acacia flower, mango and orange peel, splendid structure, splendid intensity of fruit and fine co-operation between sweetness and acidity, and sophisticated touch. Great wine with sophisticated touch. To lay down for 15-20 years.
CHÂTEAU RAYNE VIGNEAU 93+p
This was a really, really splendid effort from this property, which not always is consistent. It reminded a lot of Lafaurie Peyraguey. Same keeping period.
CHÂTEAU
As de Malle, this property has had fine run from 1997 to 2005. I doubt 2005 will reach the heights of 2001, but it's a stunning effort anyway. A true delicacy for Sauternes fans to enjoy for 15-20 years.
CHÂTEAU FILHOT 92+p
This property made a stunning wine in 2001. Even if 2005 isn't that close in terms of concentration and depth, you get here a proper share of delicious elegance and finesse. This wine possessed a lot of charmand seduction, and tasted extremely well. 12-16 years horisontally.
CHÂTEAU ROMER DU HAYOT 92+p
A really big surprise here, for this property doiesn't normally produce wines of such a fine calibre. Obviously, everything went smoothly in 2005 here, and with easy harvest and no diseases, winemaking team couldn't miss to make a fine wine. I must say I found the wine here as fine as Filhot. Maybe it'll not last as long as Filhot, but for the time being it's real heartbreaker wine.
CHÂTEAU MYRAT 91+p
CHÂTEAU LAMOTHE GUIGNARD 90+p
It was a quite well-made wine with fine aroma of botrytised fruit, nice depth and length on the palate and quite long aftertaste. Not too complicated and not too difficult to understand - it should just be enjoyed without much too much thinking. Already drinkable but will be like that in additional 6-10 years.
CHÂTEAU CAILLOU 88+p
For the standards of this property, it was a fine effort, close to the style of d'Arche and Suau. Very enjoyable wine now and for 5-8 more years.
RAYMOND LAFON 96p (tasted not blind at the property)
70% of the harvest went into Grand Vin. Aromatic and intense nose of apricot, honey melon and acacia honey, stunning depth nand complexity, very refined and sophisticated. Beautifully balanced. This was an extremely well-made wine of pure class. Will keep without any problems for 20-25 years.