The 2008 vintage was not an easy one for the Sauternes communes of Barsac, Bommes, Preignac, Fargues and of course Sauternes itself. Although I suspect no vintage ever really seems 'easy' here, because good wines here demand more than the right balance of sunshine and rain. Here the managers and proprietors are looking for other factors, morning mists and showers to stimulate the desired waves of botrytis, later warming sunrays to encourage the desiccation of the fruit. 'Vintages of the Century' might be common in claret-land, but here they are less frequently encountered I think.

All the same 2008 held some early promise, the rather damp weather in September fostering a warm blanket of noble rot, which with the drying effects of the Indian summer generated a good crop of handsomely roasted, shrivelled grapes for the first tries. But sadly this first bountiful picking was not to be repeated. There was a little more rain in October bringing another very minor wave of rot, but nothing of note. What had initially promised to be great turned out to perhaps rather more ordinary.

Tasting the wines at the primeurs there were only a few wines that truly impressed, but happily on this tasting a number of the wines seemed much more convincing and were openly expressing botrytis characteristics. One reason for this is that there were in fact a number of wines here that I didn't have the opportunity to taste back in April 2009. Most impressive on this assessment were Climens, de Fargues, Guiraud, Nairac, Suduiraut and Coutet; of these it is only the final two that I have tasted before. Other wines, although with a pure crystalline fruit character suggesting a greater dependence on passerillage than botrytis, also showed well, often with a more harmonious presence than back in 2009. They remind me somewhat of the 2007 Coteaux du Layons; attractive wines, but not for the more botrytis-hungry among us.

Sadly, there are two wines on which I cannot comment, both samples seemingly tainted with an off, musty character. These were Broustet and La Tour Blanche. (11/11/10)

Sauternes & Barsac 2008: Tasting Notes

Tasted at the UGC de Bordeaux tasting in October 2010. Click to locate stockists.

Sauternes

Château Bastor-Lamontagne 2008: Fine fruit here, pineapple and honey with touches of orange and lemon, all wrapped up in a crystalline character. Slightly gritty, with some fatness on the palate, supple yet grippy, with a nice fruit quality, although very pure, defined and citrusy as Bastor often is. Lovely bright acidity though, with a nicely fat texture. And piles of substance. Not much in the way of botrytis or deep complexity but the latter will come I hope. Impressive for the estate. 16/20

Château de Fargues 2008: A slightly deeper golden hue here. Nice intensity on the nose, chalky with a tangible weight of yellow-golden fruits, tinges of pineapple, coconut and oak. An immediately fat entry, substantial, with a solid grip underneath, and plenty of defining acidity at its core. It all seems rather disparate at the moment but the individual elements are all very appealing and the depth and concentration of flavour is very smart. It does speak of sweet concentration rather than botrytis though. All the same, very promising. 17+/20

Château Guiraud 2008: Rather more savoury and masculine than the other wines on the nose, with a tangible fruit concentration, and on the palate a broad sweep of quite creamy fruit with a fresh golden character but also a pile of grip and substance. There is the structured depth and textural quality that comes from botrytis here so I suspect that this will develop into a classically fat and brooding Guiraud. Lots of structure and a spicy grip. Good potential here especially in the context of the vintage. 17.5+/20

Château de Rayne-Vigneau 2008: Some lightly high-toned volatile fruit on the nose here, sweet and intense, concentrated and primary. A nice broad sweetness on the palate too, lightly bitter, rather savoury beneath the golden fruit, and with some good grip in the middle of the palate. Sweet oranges and lemon zest, pineapple too, light minerality, a rather solid substance to it rather than a great lifted elegance but there are a lot of appealing components here. The palate is a little lighter than nose suggested - but only just. Overall, this is a nice wine. 16+/20

Château Sigalas-Rabaud 2008: Slightly smoky fruit on the nose here, with some deep and gritty fruit. On the palate an intense sweetness, with plenty of lemon and orange style, and a rich seam of sweet and sugary character. Lots of substance to it. An impressive style, a very good showing from Sigalas-Rabaud here. Lots of bright and grippy lemon zest and mineral stone elements in the finish too. I like this. 16.5+/20

Château Suduiraut 2008: Gloriously pure golden fruit on the nose here, very open and evocative, sweet and lightly honeyed fruit but with elements of coconut and pineapple above all else. Lots of broad substance on the palate, stylish and rich, with some tangible grip and also plenty of lively acidity. A very substantial style, a wine endowed both with build and structure but also a savoury grip and a sense of power. This is a wine which will go the distance with ease. A better showing than my brief encounter with a barrel sample in 2009 suggested. 17+/20

Barsac

Château Climens 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. 18-18.5+/20

Château Coutet 2008: An elegant nose, with lemon-golden fruit, stylish and reserved. A light minerality, citrus intensity, fresh rather than botrytis-laden in terms of aromatics here. A lovely weight on the palate, quite substantial, honeyed but fresh, with a good grip at its core, supple and with a fine acidic tingle at the very tip of the wine although it is less marked than that with Climens. Great potential here. Just a slight fruit-pastille edge to the sweetness emphasising youthful passerillage. Fine potential. 17+/20

Château Doisy-Daëne 2008: Lovely light golden fruit, not the richest or the deepest but one of the most lifted and aromatic. White stone fruit, pears especially, with a gentle sweetness. A nice weight on the palate, a well judged composition, building to quite some grip in the middle, the fat of the wine sitting around a core of spice and acidity which is very welcome. Good structured substance from here through to the finish, although always with that flattering fat to it. This will make very nice drinking as it tightens up. 16.5+/20

Château Doisy-Védrines 2008: Just a little more pure and lifted than Doisy-Daëne. Tinges of coconut, face cream too, a touch of lemon zest. On the palate a more appealing grip too, with lots of lovely substance countered quite beautifully by the well honed acid to be found at its core. Again it speaks more of concentration of golden fruit than botrytis but the quality is still lovely. Most importantly it has a beautiful, composed and integrated style. Long too. This has developed very favourably since I tasted it at the primeurs. 16.5+/20

Château Nairac 2008: Lovely concentration of fruit on the nose here, and on the palate a deep and characterful presence with lots of structured, orange-tinged and apricot-infused botrytis elements. Impressive in terms of composition and structure. It has a lovely bright acidity as well, sweet but very well defined, very grippy and savoury too. Great substance here. This is a wonderful effort, very long in the mouth, with great potential. 17.5+/20