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Bordeaux 2007: Sauternes & Barsac
Bordeaux 2007
En primeur
At Two Years
Sauternes & Barsac
The UGC tasting of the 2007 vintage included, as is the norm, a fine and representative sample of chateaux from Sauternes and Barsac. This was very exciting, as I recall from my tasting of the primeurs that this was a very good vintage for this little region of Bordeaux and its very particular style of wine. My pre-existing bias was further strengthened during this tasting, when not one wine really disappointed. Indeed, a number of wines showed better than my notes tell me they did during the primeur tastings in April 2008.
The style of the vintage is one that is fresh and vibrant, the wines characterised by crystalline fruit and deliciously evocative and vivacious aromas and flavours. Not many of the wines showed much overt botrytis-related aromas or texture, most being purer, linear and lightly golden in style, imbued with the aromas of mangoes, pineapples, peaches and more. In those that did display hints of botrytis it was a minor element at the moment. This is perhaps surprising, as Aline Baly of Coutet described the vintage as one that was rich in botrytis. Perhaps it is merely hiding behind all the pure and youthful fruit at the moment?
I must confess that when wines tend to show only moderate botrytis I do tend to rein in my scores somewhat, as I realise that committed fans of Sauternes want to experience the complexity and richness that comes when botrytis-affected cuvées are aged. Nevertheless, the wines in this vintage are so delicious, so appealing, so vibrant and rich in crystalline fruit (a description which I apologise for using so frequently on this page, but it is just so apt), that I have let my pen and my scores run wild. These are fabulously enticing wines which certainly deserve a place in the cellar of any servant of the golden nectar. (5/11/09)
Sauternes & Barsac 2007: Tasting Notes
Tasted at the UGC de Bordeaux tasting in October 2009. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne 2007:
A delightful nose here, full of blood oranges and lychee and grapefruit, with a
fresh and bright style. Vigorous and appealing on the palate, rather solid in
style, with gently crisp flavours. Honeyed finish, with flourishes of pastry and
baklawa too. This is impressive for Bastor. 16.5+/20
Chateau de Fargues
2007: A very polished style here, a fine honeyed style, bright and
crystalline, with floral elements. The palate mirrors the nose exactly, backed
up by a chalky substance. Sweet honeyed fruits, mango and tangerine and peach,
with beautiful acidity, this is just stunning. Better than I thought en
primeur. 18+/20
Chateau
Guiraud 2007: Slightly high-toned on the nose, oaky, dense and sweet,
but still with a very bright presence. Quite dense and compact on the palate,
lots of sweetness and density here, with notes of intense golden plums and some
botrytis too. A typically rich Guiraud. 17.5+/20
Chateau La Tour Blanche 2007: This wine has a lovely, honeyed freshness
to it, lightly floral, fresh with tinges of oak. Fresh, liquorous, stylish, very
dense and rich, with a great texture. Clean, stylish, not so expressive as some
of the other wines, but all the substance and balancing acidity is there. This
will come good with time, in fact I think it very good indeed. 17.5+/20
Chateau
de Rayne-Vigneau 2007: Honeyed on the nose, lightly oaked, bright and fresh two, with a very slightly
high-toned edge. The palate is nicely styled, with lots of substance, a meaty
sweetness, peach and nuts. A good, substantial finish. This is a delightful
wine. 17+/20
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud 2007: Slightly high-toned fruit here, dense and
honeyed, just a lightly crystalline character to it, with traces of oak too.
Composed, rich, polished and fleshy, with golden fruits, there is sweetness and
generosity in perfect combination here. Great depth and quality here - totally
different to my impression en primeur. I think
this is going to be a bargain. 17.5+/20
Chateau
Suduiraut 2007: A slightly sulphurous nose here, so much so that I can't
find any fruit behind it at the moment. On the palate this has a brilliant
texture, with lovely liquorous richness, and a sweet and broad presence. A
finely styled wine, rather closed on this showing. I intended to return to try a
different bottle, perhaps one that had been open longer, but it slipped my mind.
There is clear potential here, although I have left my score as a range for now. 17-18+/20
Chateau Broustet 2007: Honey and vanilla here, not so expressive as
the Bastor-Lamontagne which I tasted before it. Dense and certainly liquorous on
the palate, a little savage in flavour, but with lots of substance and
sweetness. Oaky, and rather withdrawn fruit, nevertheless this has promise.
15.5+/20
Chateau Climens 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. 18.5+/20
Chateau Coutet 2007: A
brilliant nose here, a touch more marmaladey botrytis richness than some, with
sweet oranges and pineapple, all presented in a very bright and fresh style. The
palate is just beautiful, elegant, just dancing along. There is richness as the
nose suggested but it is wrapped up in a finely balanced. Superb. 18.5+/20
Chateau
Doisy-Daëne 2007: I distinctly recall when tasting the primeurs I
preferred Védrines to Daëne, but today I think this wine just takes it. Bright,
floral, crystalline and elegant, this wine has such a beautiful nose, with notes
of vanilla ice cream, honey and pistachio nut. The palate has a wonderful
presence, big and stylish, creamy and rich, with crystalline yellow plum and
tangerine, but with typically fine Barsac acidity. A super wine with a good jump
up in score. 18+/20
Chateau Doisy-Védrines 2007: A wine that wowed a lot of tasters during
the primeurs if I remember rightly. Wonderfully bright and fresh, with
tangerines and lychees, lightly honeyed, with nuances of botrytis and oak. Pure
and stylish, very impressive on the palate, substantially creamy. Bright and
crystalline honey fruit, fat substance, and a wonderfully plump finish. The
finished wine is just as fine as those primeur samples. 17.5+/20
Chateau
Nairac 2007: A very pure nose, sweet golden fruits, with lovely density
on the palate. Very sweet, a rich fruit style, with apricots swirled in in a
dense layer of honey. Structured, even a little grippy, with rich
marmalade-tinged fruit and plenty of depth. It has some length too. This is another wine
showing much more convincingly than during the primeurs. 18+/20
