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Bordeaux 2007: Sauternes & Barsac

The story of 2007 in Bordeaux is one of sorry disappointment enhanced by overly exuberant pricing. At least, that is the case for the red wines. When it comes to the sweet white wines of Bordeaux, however, this is a very exciting vintage (this can also be said of the dry white wines by the way, although these were not put under the microscope during this tasting). In the case of Sauternes and Barsac, this has been apparent from the outset.

The Story so Far

The wines had freshness of flavour when tasted at the primeurs, and also a vibrant and energetic acidity. They seemed to major on balance and precision, more than weight or botrytis. I stated after the primeur tastings (so this was said in early 2008) that this was the next best vintage for Sauternes in recent years after 2001, although it was the delightful brightness and definition that attracted me to the wines rather than texture or weight. Returning to the vintage at two years of age I was still hugely impressed; "I have let my pen and scores run wild", I wrote. Four years on and I remain convinced that my early judgement was correct; indeed, as the wines have gained in weight and texture since the primeur tastings, I find them more and more endearing. Looking back over the last ten years, placing this vintage second only to 2001 was a good call at the time (although we might have another contender for this position now that we have to throw the lusciously sweet 2009s into the mix).

Sauternes & Barsac: The Wines

As I have hinted above, the major development here has been not my perception of the quality of the wines, but of the style. This is no longer a vintage which seems to major purely on freshness; the wines seem to have taken on some weight since the primeurs, and show more impact and concentration as a result. The acidity that they possess brings a wonderfully vibrant balance to it all though. We have here a vintage of weight and freshness combined; and these wines will give much pleasure over the coming decades. The wines will not be as awe-inspiring as the 2001s will be given time, but they will win on pleasure points over the next few years I think. I would be happy to pick up a few of these for the cellar; in fact, I already have.

Although I have separated my notes into Sauternes and Barsac below, as is my custom, there is little point in dealing with them separately here in my introduction. Although Yquem led the way here, there was a level playing field very close behind, with superlative wines not only from the often-superior Climens - which I ranked on the same level as Yquem, although the style and my reasoning is different - but also from Suduiraut, which really does seem to be a star performer these days under the guidance of Christian Seely of AXA Millésimes. Another very strong performance came from Lafaurie-Peyraguey, an old favourite of mine; it was one of the first classed growths Sauternes I ever tasted, and certainly the first that blew me away in the way only great Sauternes can. Very close behind (on the subs bench I suppose) were Doisy-Védrines and Guiraud, who have also turned out delicious wines. My only regret is not buying more of these; happily, many of these wines are still available at very reasonable prices.

Bordeaux 2007: Conclusion

With the publication of these notes I bring a four-year cycle of tasting and assessment to an end. I travelled out to Bordeaux in April 2008 to take a first look at the wines, revisited them when they came to London with the Union des Grands Crus tasting in October 2009, and have finished up with this excellent tasting opportunity hosted by the Institute of Masters of Wine in London in 2011, one which included most first growths, Latour being the persistent absentee. And, for all intents and purposes, this probably is the end of Bordeaux 2007 on Winedoctor. Although in many vintages I make concerted efforts to add some bottles to the cellar early on for reassessment in the distant future, I have not done so with 2007. Although I have acquired a couple of bottles from Pessac-Léognan along the way, and haven't been afraid to add a few examples of the superb Sauternes to the cellar, any future return to this vintage is likely to be of limited scope, and certainly a one-off.

The reason for this should by now be clear. I may put wines in my cellar with the thought of revisiting a vintage in the future, but wine is also for my own pleasure, and therefore the majority of wines must promise something more than a quixotic, academic data-point. They have to be of good quality, and also sit comfortably on my own very personal price-value spectrum. And, for the red wines at least, the 2007 vintage falls down on these price and quality points.

Early on I concluded that for my cellar, and for yours I would suggest, other than the Sauternes the wines of 2007 are of little interest. Let us not develop an undue sense of sympathy for the wines, based on low expectations, or prices less exorbitant than the extreme levels set by the 2009 and 2010 vintages on release. Too often have I seen dull vintages talked up in this manner. Sentiments along the lines of "they're actually rather nice, aren't they" should be recognised for the damning judgements they really are. Faint praise indeed. And statements such as "good value in the light of more recent releases" overlooks the fact that when you open a bottle of the 2007 vintage, for which you have paid through the nose, it is the price you pay for that wine which matters, not the fact that it was a few quid less than another exorbitantly priced vintage. The wine in your glass must reflect the amount of money handed over at the point of purchase in isolation, not viewed in context of the prices asked for the 2009s or other more successful vintages, and there remains a huge disconnect between quality and price in 2007. A few years ago, when these wines would have been more appropriately priced (remember the 2002 vintage?) some of these wines would have been worth buying in small quantities to drink while more successful vintages came around in the cellar. And they would have served the restaurant trade well. But, as it stands, other than the occasional bottle or indeed case of Sauternes, this is a vintage I have largely avoided, and I will continue to do so. (24/1/12)

Sauternes & Barsac 2007: Tasting Notes

Tasted at the Institute of Masters of Wine tasting in November 2011. Click to locate stockists.