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Bordeaux 2007: Sauternes & Barsac
Bordeaux 2007
En primeur
Sauternes & Barsac
At Two Years
This is the Hollywood Vintage, one characterised by an improbable change of fortunes right at the last minute, the fruit rescued by an unexpectedly warm September and October. Nevertheless, although palatable, many of the red wines do mirror the distress of the vignerons; in many cases they have hollow midpalates, low concentration, and lack flesh. They are, nevertheless, sterling efforts in made in a very trying vintage.
No such caveats and qualifications need apply where the Sauternes are concerned. The vintage was initially very difficult, but the Indian summer turned out to be perfectly favourable for botrytis and great wines have resulted. August ended with a downpour, water which quenched the thirst of the vines during the drier days that were to come. Some estates harvested quickly, during the first two weeks of September, although those that did brought in fruit sweetened by passerillage rather than botrytis. Brisk winds and cool nights discouraged the development of this most desirable of moulds, and thus most estates held off, bringing in only a minority of the fruit. Suduiraut was fairly typical, in that the fruit was harvested by five tries, only two of which took place in September, the latter three in October. There was still 70% of the Suduiraut fruit out on the vine when October arrived, and this was the month when the botrytis came in force. More humid weather and warmer nights engendered the development of the noble rot, and many estates picked several tries with good if not hugely concentrated botrytis in October. This concentration only came in the middle of the month, when dry weather allowed the fruit to concentrate whilst remaining healthy. Some estates continued on with up to seven tries, bringing in high quality rôti fruit at the end.
Good concentration, good botrytis, lovely acidity. This is my kind of Sauternes vintage, one where the wines have freshness as well as richness. The wines demonstrate the quality of the harvest very clearly. Most were assessed at Chateau Desmirail which, bizarre though it seemed to me, was hosting the UGC Sauternes tasting this year. The only exception was Suduiraut, which was also tasted when I visited Pichon-Baron. Pictured above are a few hungry diners tucking into the delights at lunch at Desmirail; there was no such relaxed luxury for me, however, as we had an upcoming appointment at La Mission Haut-Brion that we could not miss. I had to content myself with a chunk of Roquefort, thrust into my hand by Margaret Rand. It was, I am happy to report, extremely good cheese.
Now, bring on the wines! (17/4/08)
Sauternes & Barsac 2007: Tasting Notes
Tasted in Bordeaux in April 2008. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne 2007:
An attractive nose of crystalline oranges and pineapples, in a light and fresh
style. Lovely flesh, supple but grippy beneath. Nice substance through the
midpalate, and a firm and peppery structure here. A good sweet finish. Very
attractive and plenty of interest. This is impressive for Bastor-Lamontagne. 16-17+/20
Chateau de Fargues
2007: This has a tighter nose than the Bastor,
although there is an undercurrent of rich, attractive honey aromas. The palate
is rich, creamy and peppery, broad and weighty, although with a minerally
flourish and a fine acid backbone. Nice grip too. Not a very vigorous style, but
rich and very good. 16-17+/20
Chateau Filhot 2007: No
richness on the nose here, minerally and chalky, and a sweet and fleshy texture.
Broad, with a good core of acidity, this has moderate presence and texture on
the midpalate. A good honeyed, mineral finish. It lacks the impact of some other
wines. A good Filhot, though. 15-16+/20
Chateau
Guiraud 2007:
A rich honey and pastry sweetness on the nose here, a very broad and appealing
set of aromas. Rather straightforward on the palate, but quite complete and
elegant. Less overt acidity than many other wines, moderate richness, stylish,
and overall still very good. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau
Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2007: This has a bright and minerally nose, with good
complexity of fruit, and some depth. An elegant richness, slowly building
through the midpalate, supple but balanced with very firm acidity. A fine,
floral finesse and good botrytis, and a moderate length. Really lovely potential
here. 17-18+/20
Chateau Lamothe-Guignard
2007: A touch of smokiness here, rather mineral, although with a little
touch of rubber too. Broad and clean style, very fresh and a touch delicate.
Nice citrusy, lemony flavour. Fleshy and sweet on the palate, fresh and lively,
with a little vigour. Nice concentration, but not very dense. Good.
15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau La Tour Blanche 2007:
A less expressive nose than some of the other wines, but it shows bright,
crystalline, pineapple fruit. Similarly bright and balanced on entry, rich and
thickly textured, fleshy but with good, fresh acids. Classically composed with
fine potential. Very good indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Rieussec 2007: A
stylish, rather reserved character, with honey and floral aromas. Fleshy and
broad, but quite reserved, with good acids. Less opulent and flattering than
some of the other wines, with lots of structure. Very sweet, with a
pastille-like fruit. Good botrytis in the midpalate though, and through to the
finish. This is very good wine. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud 2007:
Appealing fruit here, honey and apricots, with nice botrytis and a leafy
elderflower freshness. Softer and less focused than I hoped, rounded, but with
gentle acidity, although it is still quite present. A lovely vibrancy later in
the palate, but not so concentrated here. A bit short on definition, but still
rather good. 14.5-15.5+/20
Chateau
Suduiraut 2007: Harvested with a yield of 16 hl/ha, the final wine has
14% alcohol and 130 g/l of residual sugar. Attractive
crystalline fruit, pure elderflower character, stylish and just a little
honeyed. Elegant yet textured, gentle and balanced. A rounded, creamy flesh with
vanilla and honey flavour, and an appealing sense of fatness through the
midpalate. A lively finish, showing some botrytis and greater fruit complexity.
Very good indeed. Lovely potential here. 17-18+/20
Chateau Coutet 2007: A fine,
minerally, aromatic nose here, rich and intense, with lemon curd and apricot aromas.
A fleshy beginning, thickly textured through the midpalate, but with good
peppery acidity providing some balance. A lovely composition, intense yet nicely
poised, and with a lively finish and sweet length. This is potentially
excellent. 17-18+/20
Chateau
Doisy-Daëne 2007:
This is vibrant, with fresh and lively grapefruit character, with plenty of
rocky, chalky minerality. Good peppery acid on entry, leaner than some, but with
a very elegant style. There is a nice midpalate fatness though, but a detached,
fresh cut. A great contrast to the Doisy-Védrines. 16-17+/20
Chateau Doisy-Védrines 2007:
A lovely, creamy, flattering nose with the aromas of lemon meringue and
delicious pastries. The palate is direct and well defined, but is very full.
There is good botrytis here, creamy with honey, minerals pepper and more. This
is a wine of substance, with a lovely composition, and plenty of good acidity
underneath it all. This should be very fine indeed. 17-18+/20
Chateau
Nairac 2007:
An appealing nose of honey, acacia and crystalline fruit. A pure style on the
palate, with delicate citrus and floral flavours. Nicely framed, fresh and
peppery, with lovely acids quite persistent through the midpalate. A good,
creamy-honey finish, bright style and a good length. 16-17+/20
