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Château Climens

Château Climens has a lengthy and fairly well documented history stretching back perhaps 500 years, although it does not seem that viticulture was undertaken here until the 17th Century. Throughout much of the early history of Château Climens it was owned by the Roborel family, who purchased the property in the middle of the 16th Century. They were responsible for expanding the estate and oversaw the production of both white and red wines, although obviously today Climens produces no red. The descendents of Roborel continued to manage the estate up to and past the Revolution in the latter years of the 18th Century, seemingly escaping the usual punishments meted out at the time because the estate appeared to be failing badly, and much of the vineyard had been uprooted. Nevertheless, it was soon sold, following the death of Jean-Baptiste Roborel in 1800.

The new owner of the estate was Jean Binaud, the first of a succession of owners during the 19th Century, perhaps the most notable being the Lacoste family who replanted the vineyards and also saw the estate classified as a Premier Cru. Eloi Lacoste also owned Château Pexiotto (a long-vanished growth of the region), and in 1871 he sold both estates to Alfred Ribet. There were some signs that the vineyard was once again failing, as only a portion of the 27 hectare estate was in production, and the quantity of wine made had fallen by half. With the arrival of phylloxera this situation only worsened, and in 1885 Ribet sold the estate to the Gounouilhou family, who had also recently gained a foothold at Doisy-Dubroca following the marriage of its proprietor Mlle Faux to Henri Gounouilhou. Pexiotto was sold to the nearby Rabaud estate and subsumed. No such fate awaited Climens, however, as Henri Gounouilhou and his descendents eventually - after the battles against phylloxera and oidium - oversaw a golden age for Climens, as the estate grew not only in size but in reputation, producing wine which in some vintages rivalled Yquem in terms of quality and price. Nevertheless, by 1971 the family had to sell, and so the estate came to Lucien Lurton, head of the Lurton family, who own a number of Bordeaux châteaux including Brane-Cantenac and Durfort-Vivens. Lurton acquired Climens together with Doisy-Dubroca at a time when Sauternes seemed sadly neglected by wine-drinkers who would clamour for red Bordeaux. Things now seem to have changed and Lurton's purchase looks to have been a great investment; recent vintages of Climens, now under the direction of Bérénice Lurton since 1992, have seen the price creeping upwards.

There are 29 hectares of vineyards at Climens, in two blocks adjacent to the house, planted entirely to Semillon vines (the Lurtons have replaced what little Sauvignon and Muscadelle there was with this variety), at a density of 6600 vines/ha and an average age of 35 years. The soil underfoot has a red hue typical of the soils of Barsac, and includes a thin layer of clay and ferruginous sand, over deeper rocks of fissured limestone. The land is a highpoint for Barsac, although it is actually at an elevation of only 20 m. Yields vary with the vintage, swinging between an incredibly low 9 hl/ha and a huge 25 hl/ha, the latter being in the great 1986 vintage; remember that the methods behind producing Sauternes will always mean yield figures are low when compared with those for dry red Bordeaux. Looking at just the grand vin, Château Climens, fruit destined for just this wine is harvested typically at 7 hl/ha, 13 hl/ha for the second wine, Cyprès de Climens, averaging the figures over twenty years. The grapes are harvested in successive tries with careful selection in the vineyard, before a horizontal pressing and fermentation and maturation in separate lots in small oak barrels, of which 35 to 45% are replaced with each vintage. Chaptalisation may be employed, but rarely. The wine spends up to two years in oak before bottling without filtering or filtration, with a typical production of 3000 cases per annum. The style of wine is elegant, racy, with great vibrancy, all hallmarks of good Barsac. But Climens has the potential to develop greatly with bottle age, taking on a plump, rich opulence. These are great wines and they are very worthy of cellaring, something I have undertaken myself with a number of vintages. (17/8/04, updated 21/6/07)

Contact details:
Address: Château Climens, 33720 Barsac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 27 15 33
Fax: +33 (0) 5 56 27 21 04
Internet: www.chateau-climens.fr
GPS: 44.589876, -0.335024

Château Climens - Tasting Notes

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Château Climens (Barsac) 2009: This has an immediate and stunning impact on the nose, there being real density here, with very concentrated elements of flavour that move away from fresh and tropical and more towards botrytis, with hints of barley with a caramelly weight. That is not to say there is no freshness though, it is very lifted and elegant. This is despite the serving temperature being a little less cool than I would like! The fruit is broad, rich, weighty and sweet, with a fine grip to it all. Full, wonderful extract, with a fine grip and lots of sweet substance. Really impressive weight here. This will be magnificent. From my tasting of 2009 Sauternes at two years of age. 19/20 (October 2011)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2008: An intense nose here, rich in botrytis, with the aromas of deep and golden rôti fruit, apricot, honey and orange, all wrapped up in a confit richness, but overall a lifted, aromatic style. A chalky-minerally edge too; this is very promising. Supple on entry, elegant and composed, with a lovely developed fruit flavour. There is a spicy peppery acid core giving it lift, enveloped in fat and creamy fruit. Clearly lots of nascent botrytis character here, concentrated and full of promise. This is going to be a remarkable wine with maturity. From my tasting of 2008 Sauternes at two years of age. 18-18.5+/20 (October 2010)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2007: Wow! This has a beautiful nose, very expressive of botrytis, with apricot, quince, sweet oranges, the first sniff of this has me in raptures. There are notes of vanilla, pineapple and sweet yellow plum fruit too. The palate is quite gentle in terms of its attack, showing a very fine texture with a grittiness that I relate to the hidden presence of botrytis, yet to be revealed in its full glory. The acidity is rather muted against the context of the extremely sweet flesh of the wine, which considering the vintage's reputation I find rather surprising. Held on the palate for some time though, the acidity shines through. This is often the case when assessing young Sauternes, and this is why considered assessment of each wine must be made rather than a quick sip-'n'-spit. An impressive depth and more than anything a very deeply-grained, savoury texture. Fine stuff and easily challenging for best of the appellation. From a 2007 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18.5/20 (November 2011)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2007: A fabulous nose here, full of exotic fruits, mango especially, also peach and pineapple. Sweet, creamy and composed on the palate, stylishly fresh with vibrant acidity, showing just a little botrytis. This has a delicious panoply of flavours, great structure, and it is very long. A great wine. From my tasting of 2007 Sauternes at two years of age. 18.5+/20 (October 2009)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2006: Quite stylish nose here, showing notes of honey, elderflower and intense, orange fruits. The palate follows in the same vein, with a rich, fat, soft and creamy style, with an appealing acid backbone to it. It seems rather broad, rather diffuse, and lacks the precision that you can usually find in Climens. There is a faint trace of botrytis though, and this is still a good wine. From my tasting of 2006 Sauternes at two years of age. 16+/20 (October 2008)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2005: Served blind. This has an intense and golden hue, loaded with botrytis, with rich, concentrated, honey and beeswax elements on the nose. The palate is just amazing; it has a huge richness of character, all super-concentrated, with a huge grip underpinning it all. It comes across as very bold and solid, and underneath all this exuberant richness I find the acidity struggles, in fact it hardly shows its face at all. I was amazed to see this was a Barsac, never mind Climens itself. Clearly a great effort but rather awkward at the moment, and I hope time in bottle brings a better, fresher balance out of it. A rather hedged and tentative score with that in mind. Tasted after dinner at Château Brown. 16-17?/20 (March 2011)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2005: There is a good depth here, and a meaty concentration, as well as something that some of the other wines do not have, a nice concentration of beeswax and botrytis character. Big fat, creamy and unctuous, with lots of flashy character and deep, velutinous texture. Candied fruit flavour, and some nice acidity too. Lots of appeal here. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 18.5+/20 (October 2007)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2004: This has a very deep, almost meaty nose, certainly showing a huge amount of depth and complexity rather than just primary notes. Lovely style on the palate, again showing great depth and complexity, with soft acidity melded with honey, stone fruit, quince and pineapple, roasted together in a very complete panoply of flavour. Very distinct style in this vintage, huge and really incomparable; there is not a wine here close to this. From my 2004 Bordeaux assessment. 18+/20 (October 2006)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2003: From a half bottle. A mid-golden hue. A fabulous nose here, immediately expressive, with peach juice and the sweeter orange and quince notes of botrytis, along with nuances of mint, tangerine zest and smoke. Lovely fresh and juicy style on the palate, which possesses a very well-judged texture and a full, grippy backbone. Great style, very light-footed although not without some substance. If anything it just seems a little lighter and easy-going than I expected, especially in comparison to some other cuvées. Nevertheless, a deliciously fresh and appealing wine, and there is certainly great potential here. From a tasting of 2003 Bordeaux. 18/20 (June 2011)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2003: A lovely nose, of mint-scented botrytis character. A huge palate, showing massive opulence, but balanced out by good acidity. Plump, with delightful fresh white fruits, wrapped in some residual oak and botrytis-quince flavour. That minty character is there too. This has a beautiful presence on the palate, terminating in a clean and fresh finish. A success! From my 2003 Bordeaux assessment. 18.5/20 (October 2005)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2002: A fine nose here, showing some lovely botrytis, with quite a honeyed, fresh and well defined character. Full, well delineated, quite creamy, an elegant and very appealing superb style, voluptuous yet fresh on the palate. A great character, grippy, with lots of impact, and it has the potential to age quite well I think. Impressive for the vintage. 17+/20 (February 2007)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2001: From a half bottle. This wine has a vibrant and golden hue. And a glorious nose, almost ethereal, in fact. It shows great vivacity, with aromas of honey and orange, and a sprinkling of botrytis, and yet it has the freshness of morning dew and spring water. As the nose suggests, the palate has a crystal-clear definition, with a vivacious presence of oil of oranges plumped up by gorgeous extract and a chalky minerality. This well delineated wine the fades into a fine, lingering finish. There is fabulous potential here, although to see this it needs to rest in the cellar for a few years yet. This has to be one of the better wines of the vintage. From a Sauternes 2001 assessment. 19+/20 (May 2010)

Château Climens (Barsac) 2001: From a half bottle. This wine has a vibrant and golden hue. And a glorious nose, almost ethereal, in fact. It shows great vivacity, with aromas of honey and orange, and a sprinkling of botrytis, and yet it has the freshness of morning dew and spring water. As the nose suggests, the palate has a crystal clear definition, with a vivacious presence of oil of oranges plumped up by gorgeous extract and a chalky minerality. This well delineated wine the fades into a fine, lingering finish. There is fabulous potential here; this has to be one of the better wines of the vintage. From a 2001 Sauternes assessment. 19+/20 (June 2006)

Cyprès de Climens (Barsac) 2001: Vibrant, sweet, honeyed fruit on the nose. A fabulous palate for a second wine, but this reflects the quality of the vintage. Smoky, with minerals and notes of chalk. Piles of lush texture, with moderate acidity and good botrytis. A little oak still evident here. Approachable now but will improve for several years yet and should drink for a decade at the very least. 17+/20 (May 2004)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1999: From a half bottle. An attractive yellow-gold hue, with a very bright appearance. The nose shows great freshness and purity, which I find delicious; there is orange, pineapple, honey and more. The palate has a fine weight, fresh yet substantial, always balanced out very nicely by the acidity. Lovely creamy fruit too, very elegant and delightfully poised; this is very fine stuff indeed. At ten years of age I think this has a long future ahead of it yet, and it has hardly revealed any of the secondary characteristics yet to come. I'm looking forward to future bottles. From my 1999 vintage Ten Years On tasting. 18+/20 (December 2009)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1999: A vibrant yellow-gold, with quite some depth to the colour. The nose is simply delicious, with aromas of honey, oranges, botrytis and just a bare hint of caramel. This is a creamy yet elegant wine on the palate, textured and sweet, but with an appealing balance provided by moderate acidity which lends the wine an almost silky presence. This is very fluid and complete, with finesse. Good length too on the finish where it reveals a little grip. Excellent. 18+/20 (June 2007)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1998: From a half bottle. In the glass it has a really vibrant, polished-gold hue. An attractive nose follows, with a set of aromas centred around orange, with tinges of barley sugar and bitter orange fruit, bringing to mind notes of orange pith, candied zest and even a tinge of Seville marmalade. And behind that, there is a soft, chalky, crumbly minerality. But above all, it is the bitter element behind the fruit that makes the most impact. Very fleshy at the start, a wine that immediately shows an oily texture, before it carries the fruit into the midpalate. It is certainly not overly simple despite the vintage's reputation, as the wine carries a bitter, phenolic layer which I find quite attractive, alongside the rather soft orange fruit. Nor is it richly sweet, although it is quite mellifluous and it has a nice grip. This is not the most extravagant or seductive of vintages, nevertheless it has some appeal, especially in the finish, which features a flourish of bitter and grippy elements first, then a little layer of sweetness, with a particularly toasty, caramelly edge. Although I like the savoury-bitter elements here, the major deficiency here is in the definition of the wine, as I would like to see a more precise frame of acidity providing some backbone for all that oily substance; it all seems a bit 'soft focus' still. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 15/20 (September 2011)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1998: From a half bottle. An appealing golden hue in the glass. The nose offers plenty of interest, which is certainly notable; there are some interesting organic tones, a touch of rôti, toffee but also fresh mint. The palate is cool and fresh although it quickly fattens up, developing a richer and slightly more complex character in the midpalate. The first flourish of real hope comes in the finish, as the wine releases a small but undeniable panoply of toffee and caramel character. This has undeniable metal. There is a little bitterness through the midpalate, however, and the wine perhaps lacks the concentration, acidity and also the precision of a truly great bottle, but all the same there is some pleasure to be had here. From a tasting of 1998 Bordeaux. 15.5+/20 (August 2008)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1998: Nice, crystal clear, golden hue. Nose very concentrated, sweet, candied marmalade fruit. Oranges, floral, peppery. Certainly outgoing and appealing. Nice, creamy weight, not the most forward acidity ever experienced, but a nice broad presence on the palate, certainly good sweetness, a little depth and character. A little stretched out in the midpalate, with good woody grip and not really enough presence to cope. Not quite the acidity or balance that I recall from my last tasting, but this is a good effort for the vintage I think. 15/20 (June 2007)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1998: A very gentle nose leading to a precise, vibrant, beautifully balanced palate, although without any great presence of botrytis. Lovely texture and appropriate structure. Surprisingly for Climens, reflecting the vintage perhaps, this is absolutely ready now. I think this would offer very good value as this vintage is not highly regarded. 16/20 (May 2004)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1994: A deep, burnished orange-gold colour. An intense nose, with challenging, densely flavoured marmalade, and bags of botrytis character. This follows the initial impression of excess volatile acidity, which dissipates after some time in the glass. This also shows through on the palate, although once it has blown off the wine demonstrates delightful balance, with pleasing acidity backing up a rich, honey on toast, botrytis, dark and thick-cut marmalade character. Not one of Climens top vintages but full of character and immensely pleasurable. 16/20 (June 2002)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1979: From my cellar. A moderately rich hue. A lovely nose, full of quince, marmalade, oranges, smoke and vanilla, with floral, peachy notes too. Rich, full, sweet, creamy and yet vibrant on the palate, with orange pith, quince and minerals here. There is a little suggestion of botrytis but it is not powerful. Lovely vanilla and white pepper characteristics. A solid wine which finishes well, with some length. 17.5/20 (August 2004)

Château Climens (Barsac) 1978: A good, mid-gold colour. Very open nose, with plenty of honey and toffee swirled together. Fresh, balanced, vibrant palate, with some botrytis still evident. Quite minerally, with honey and toffee as found on the nose. Still has a little grip, and still has plenty of texture and body. A sweet pastille-like finish is the only real criticism. Impressive for a weaker vintage. 17/20 (May 2004)