No review of a Bordeaux vintage would be complete without a look at the glorious wines of Sauternes and Barsac. These wines remain under-valued and under-priced, offering tremendous quality in some cases. How some châteaux remain solvent, with the combination of the incredibly low yields associated with the production of Sauternes and a less-than-robust market, is something of a mystery.

For this reason it came as no surprise to me when one proprietor recently told me he was looking to China to increase sales, the sweet white wines perhaps following where the red wines of Bordeaux have led. Unfortunately for the individual in question, I suspect the Chinese taste for wine will remain firmly red rather than white, and dry rather than sweet, regardless of how much more food-friendly - with a variety of Asian cuisines I think - the sweeter white wines of Sauternes, Germany and other regions might be. When the Bordeaux star begins to fade in China, I suspect it will be because their attention is turning to the magnificent low-volume wines of Burgundy instead, rather than the botrytised wines from around the Ciron, Mosel or the Rhine.

Sauternes & Barsac: The Wines

As usual I have arranged my notes under the Sauternes and Barsac headings, as there are certainly two distinct styles of wine here. For that reason the division seems worthwhile, although I am not sure how successful I would be attempting to identify them if tasted blind.

From Sauternes, without any doubt the star of the show here was Suduiraut (pictured below on a visit to the estate in October 2011), which must say something about the talent of Christian Seely considering how well Pichon-Baron has done in this vintage. Suduiraut seems to have been on the up recently, turning out better and better wines, vintage after vintage. The 2007, also tasted very recently (report to follow) was another superstar. There were lots of other very good options here, although an honourable mention should go to Bastor-Lamontagne which slugs it out with the classed growth châteaux every year and, this year more than any other I can recall, certainly manages to hold its own. It usually displays a less rich style than the other wines, but that is no bad thing; the bonus is that this is usually a fresher, brighter wine, and for those who would prefer that style then this could be a good choice. And it may well be exceptional value, too.

Bordeaux 2009

In Sauternes there may be one superstar, but Barsac - in this vintage at least - is full to the brim with over-performing châteaux. Both Coutet and Climens are more than a match for the success of Suduiraut, and the widely under-rated Nairac is not far behind. Bringing up the rear - although still with two excellent wines - are two of the three Doisy estates, Doisy-Daëne and Doisy-Védrines (the third, Doisy-Dubroca, maintains a very low profile and does not participate in UGC tastings). This knowledge makes me very content, as I have a few bottle of each these latter wines lined up for my own cellar (not yet delivered, at the time of writing, naturally).

Looking back at my notes and scores it is clear that I'm a sucker for Sauternes and Barsac especially in this vintage. I think perhaps I always have a slight preference for latter of these two appellations, and it is only when quality really hits a high in Sauternes, such as with the purity found in 2009 Suduiraut, that I rate these wines as highly. Punters who have bought these wines - any of these wines - can relax now. You have some stunning bottles in your cellar, or at least heading your way soon. Now I just need to add a few more myself to my small collection of sDoisy-Daëne and Doisy-Védrines, no prizes for guessing which wines. (24/11/11)

Sauternes & Barsac 2009: Tasting Notes

Tasted in London in October 2011. Click to locate stockists.

Sauternes

Château Bastor-Lamontagne 2009: Freshness as always from Bastor, although not the trademark blood orange notes several vintages have given me in the past; perhaps this vintage was just too warm and rich for that? Yellow fruits, plum, and a lovely lift on the nose. A different style on the palate when compared to other wines tasted here, much less sweet, with a more tangible substance because of that, elements of grip and pith coming in, giving the wine a very citrusy feel to it, even though there is still a very good weight here. Stylish, and will probably offer very good value. 17/20

Château de Fargues 2009: A lovely nose, deep and characterful, with dense tones suggestive of orange and other citrus fruit. The palate is fat and unctuous, very soft and open, with plenty of tangible substance hidden within. There is a beeswax element, a pithiness to it, and a fine streak of bitterness which does a lot to provide interest and balance out the flesh. Seductive and appealing, although as with one or two other wines I find the acidity is taking a back seat somewhat. 17.5/20

Château de Rayne-Vigneau 2009: Honeyed apples and pineapple here, with notes of beeswax backed up by a lanolin richness. There is a good breadth to it in the palate, sweet and unctuous, with only a lightly bitter grip giving it any backbone in the middle of the wine. There is some acidity too, but the immediate impression is one of a wine that is sweeter than the structure can manage. Supple, weighty, and although there is undoubtedly acid here it takes a long time to show its face, slowly coming to the fore on the midpalate. Attractive, but not the finesse of some. 17.5/20

Château Sigalas-Rabaud 2009: Gentle yellow plum fruit here, with notes of honeyed white peaches too. The palate is fresh, lightly minerally at the start, before the sweetness really takes over in the middle. Not such a rich style as some here, but no shortage of weight or breadth. Rich and fleshy, this is impressive, with a honeyed finish. What it misses compared with some of the superior wines are the more interesting elements of that make a sweet wine truly great, the more bitter, grippy, pithy and savoury nuances that can bring the palate to life. Still a good wine though. 17/20

Château Suduiraut 2009: Wow, this has a really lifted and expressive character, with the depth of grippy, pithy fruit that suggests real substance. This is certainly true on the palate, the wine showing an unctuous sweetness fright from the start, but there is also a fine and bitter structure, with plenty of balancing acidity too. A real panoply of sweet complexities here, cut through with brighter notes of grapefruit, set nicely against the honey and acacia, with a wonderful structure giving a very fine frame for the sweetness. There is real class here. 19/20

Château La Tour Blanche 2009: A wonderful floral purity here, gently honeyed, with yellow plum, a little lanolin too. A good weight on the palate, certainly showing a very rich residual sugar bringing a fleshy, creamy almost oily sweetness to the palate, The balancing acidity is moderate and sits well buried, there are some appealing bitter and pithy elements through the middle as well though. It is just that the primary fruit elements do not seem as complex as some. It may develop more interest with time; there is certainly more here than simple sweetness. 17.5/20

Barsac

Château Climens 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. 19/20

Château Coutet 2009: A lovely freshness on the nose, with just a little hint of baked apple sweetness but above all a honeyed, beeswax-tinged vigour to it. The palate has all the delicious weight of the vintage, perhaps slightly more restrained than some, or at least it feels that way, balanced by a citrusy acidity and lovely touches of grip. There is a lovely harmony here, elegant and fresh at the same time. Overall, this is delicious, and promises greatness if given the appropriate time in the cellar. 19/20

Château Doisy-Daëne 2009: Beautiful purity here, with pineapple and citrus fruits, elegant and fresh, with a really attractive style. There is a really fine weight to this on the palate, supple and rather more weighty and creamy, with softer and sweeter edges than I expected from a Barsac. There is some good grip in the middle though, coming in beneath the fine fruit. More crystalline elements on a second taste, with star fruit, perhaps a little more typical of Barsac, but also nuances of lychee, honey and cinnamon, so overall this is a very rich and expressive wine. Nevertheless there is plenty of good acid beneath the fruit too. 18/20

Château Doisy-Védrines 2009: A denser, more concentrated suggestion on the nose than Doisy-Daëne, the wine showing essence of tropical fruits, mango, star fruit, with a sweet lanolin richness to it. There is a very fine freshness on the palate which I find very appealing, the sweetness of the wine nicely balanced out by a tangible extract and solid components, with good grip and plenty of fresh acidity. The finish is perfumed and only gently fades. An impressive wine with real depth and character to it. This is more than a match for the Doisy-Daëne on the day I think. 18/20

Château Nairac 2009: Beautiful character here, pineapple and honeysuckle with a citrus freshness, but there is no denying the weight this nose suggests, with a lanolin and acacia richness to it which is delightful. An impressive and surprising honeyed weight on the palate. Quite brilliant, with a very fine weight, along with that a density and texture that I find very reassuring, A fine grip in the midpalate, with a very tangible substance, this is quite something. Weighty, with lovely balanced viscosity, an appealing bitter grip, there is substance and underneath it all some botrytis I suspect, judging by the texture and pithy grip. Overall, very fine indeed. 18.5/20