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Bordeaux 2009: Sauternes & Barsac
Bordeaux 2009
En primeur
Sauternes & Barsac
It is a crime, of course. One of the world's most distinctive wine styles, from one of the world's greatest wine regions, made each year in the most painstaking fashion, reduced to a mere after-thought on the back of a nine-page report. Sauternes: always the bridesmaid, never the bride, it seems.
Just as with the red wines of Bordeaux, Sauternes and Barsac have had their fair share of ups and downs over the years, the glorious successes more than matched by the washout vintages. But this no longer seems to be the case. The last decade has seen unparalleled success not just for the clarets of the left and right banks, but the sweet wines of the region have also earned the right to take their moment in the limelight. First and foremost there was the fabulous richness and balance of the 2001 vintage, but as if to hammer home the message there then came the voluptuous 2003 vintage, and then the broad creaminess of 2005. Then, for those seeking a different style along came 2007, with its precise and incisive vibrancy. The intervening vintages, whilst not magnificent, were certainly not terrible either. And now we have 2009.....perhaps, just
I did not experience the sweet wines of 2001 during the primeur tastings, and thus I can not make like-for-like comparisons, but having tasted a number of the wines since then - mainly wines from my own cellar - I can only conclude that 2009 is on a par with this vintage, if not substantially greater. In 2009 they have both substance and weight, but counterbalanced with finesse and acidity. It is perhaps akin to the style exhibited by some of the red wines of the same vintage, a sort of high-end balance of power against freshness. In the case of the sweet wines this is the result of a long and warm summer providing good quality fruit in perfect condition as a base material for the essential next step, botrytis. This noble rot came as was hoped for, late-September rains heralding the first major wave of botrytis across the region. Although a few estates had brought in a handful of bunches here and there, this burst of rot prompted the first significant tri of the harvest, followed by a second wave in the first week of October. Warmer weather spurred many on to pick whilst the fruit remained clean and free of undesirable rot (the festering grey rot, quite different in appearance to noble rot which shrivels the berries, eventually giving them a roasted - or 'rôti' - appearance). And so by the end of the first week of October the harvest was largely done (there were further pickings, but these first two accounted for more than half of the vintage), the cellars were full of sweet, rich musts with good acidities, and of course the winemakers were smiling. They were well on their way to making yet another superb catalogue of wines.
No matter how delicious the wines, however, Sauternes remains an afterthought for many writers, a few tasting notes tacked onto the back of a report (and I am certainly guilty of this) which I fear many will read out of the corner of one eye, the majority of their gaze more intently fixed on the red wine notes instead. Some critics bemoan this sad phenomenon, and year after year they ask the same question: "When will Sauternes be appreciated for the great quality and value it offers?" Which, taken one way, could be interpreted as: "Why on earth don't you lot buy more of this stuff?"
Instead of looking to the consumer for the answer to this problem, however, should not the critics of Bordeaux look inwards rather than out? Might it be that what the region really needs is a critical champion, someone who would write only on the sweet wines, promulgating purely their virtues (and failings of course) whilst eschewing the reds? After all, two more diverse styles of wine are difficult to imagine, and why should we automatically assume that the claret-quaffers are equally qualified to judge when it comes to Sauternes and Barsac? I would argue that we should not, and yet no critic has convincingly defined him- or herself in this fashion. As a result, there is a gap in the wine-writing market, a dearth of qualified opinion and notes for Sauternes and Barsac (and the numerous other less exalted sweet white appellations, such as Cérons and Ste Croix du Mont of course). Well, at least that was the case until recently, for the 2009 vintage marks the arrival on the scene of Bill Blatch. Bill has been living and working around Bordeaux for many years, and should in fact be no stranger to any fan of the wines of the region; his annual vintage report - which focuses on weather and potential rather than wine and tasting notes - is a must-read for the prospective buyer of the region's wines. But Bill is not a meteorologist, in fact his first love is Sauternes, and this year his opinion on 2009 - weather reports and more, including Sauternes tasting notes, visits and videos - can all be found online at www.bordeauxgold.com. For valuable and independent opinion on Sauternes and Barsac, it is a must-visit website, one which is set to eclipse other sources in terms of depth and breadth of information on these wines. I strongly recommend a visit.
As for my own opinions, I present below my notes on the wines I tasted this year. Clearly the front-runner (although we should note that I have not tasted Climens) is Yquem (being poured above). Whilst the obvious reply to this statement is "No way - who would have thought that?" hopefully richly intoned with sarcasm, it can never be assumed that first growths always make first-growth quality wines, and with each new vintage a fresh assessment is always warranted. And it is also worth looking at the quality year-on-year, to judge whether or not if the certain price escalation that 2009 will see is warranted in terms of how the wine compares with 2008, 2007 and so on. Happily, with Yquem, this is an easy task; whilst Latour produced the most physical reaction of all the 2009 tastings, a wine that seemed to imbue the whole tasting room with a sense of calm and tranquillity, Yquem was perhaps the most sensuous experience. A wine that caressed not just with elegance, but with a lush richness, extravagant and yet well framed, never losing that Yquem precision and definition that marks the wine as distinct from its first growth near-peers. It will be expensive, of course, although the weighty price tag will still be a fraction of what we can expect from the first growths of the Médoc in this vintage, which will be led by Lafite and Latour. But fear not, there are many more excellent wines, as unlike many of the red wine appellations here we have more consistency, with good wines widely available right down to the non-cru classé estates. Indeed, there is no excuse in this vintage not to add a case - or indeed a mixed case as a few merchants offer from time to time - to the cellar.
Oh dear. On reflection, I think that is just my way of saying "Oi, you lot, can't you lot buy some more of this stuff?". (22/4/09)
Sauternes & Barsac 2009: Tasting Notes
Tasted in Bordeaux in April 2010. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau d'Arche 2009: Light, golden yellow-white fruits on the nose
here. The palate has a rather direct style, boldly textured with grip and
moderate flesh. This wine has more obvious bones than some others, but it has a
nice substance. Overall a little straightforward, though nicely done.
16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne
2009: Sweet golden fruits on the nose here, although they are presented in a
very crisp fashion. Fleshy and quite bold on the palate, certainly a fresh
style, with good acidity. Impressive weight for Bastor, with a solid grip
underneath. Overall a very good effort here. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau de Fargues 2009: Sweet
honey with crystalline fruits and notes of white flower petals here - this has a
wonderful nose. Fresh and pithy, quite pure fruit character, with notes of
yellow plum. Lovely substance on the palate, with a seam of nascent botrytis
underneath the fresh fruit. Great depth on the finish which is very long. An
impressive wine, forceful and yet defined. Will age beautifully. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau Filhot 2009: Residual
sugar 140 g/l. This
vintage has a greater intensity of fruit than I am used to with
Filhot, the nose quite dense and meaty even. There is also a rather dirty note
to it which spoils the character. The palate shows the same style, soft fruits
and acids alongside flesh and freshness. But that earthy vein is there again.
This is so out of keeping with Filhot and the vintage that I am worried that this is
an atypical sample. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to retaste. No
score.
Chateau Guiraud 2009:
Residual sugar 135 g/l and 35% Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. A fine,
dense character on the nose here, oaky fruit, lifted by the scents of white
flowers. Dense fruit on the palate, not so bright or as fresh as some other
wines despite all that Sauvignon, but showing lovely fruit and fine acidity. Its richness imbues it with an
oily substance, a typical Guiraud richness. Very good potential here. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey 2009: Residual sugar 136 g/l. A good depth of fruit here, with aromas of
white flower petals and pears. A restrained sweetness on the palate, fresh but
with good substance, and quite a firm backbone to it too. Good lifted acidity.
Not so intense as some, but still a very good wine in this vintage. 17-18+/20
Chateau
Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2009: Residual sugar 139 g/l. There is depth on the nose here, rich fruit in
a concentrated yet vibrant style, along with honey and oak. Full and quite
creamy on the palate, with a gentle substance and honeyed tropical fruits. Great
acidity, balancing out a seam of noble bitterness on the finish. This is lovely
wine and like many others here it should do very well in the cellar. 18-19+/20
Chateau Lamothe 2009: The nose here carries aromas of vanilla and
plum, with a very slightly high-toned edge. The fruit has a golden style, nicely
textured, fleshy and broad but backed up with good acidity. Missing a little on
the finish, but still very good. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Lamothe-Guignard
2009: Residual sugar 140 g/l. A rather sweet and plump style of fruit on the nose here, tinged with
gold and a deep, gritty character. The same plump sweetness comes through on the
palate where there is moderate acidity, bright flavours and plenty of texture.
Quite pithy in the finish. 17-18+/20
Chateau de Malle 2009: Residual sugar 140 g/l. Fresh and floral here, lovely purity of fruit
on the nose, crisp but beautifully styled. Sweet but bright on the palate,
plenty of zip alongside some slightly fat, golden fruits. Clean, with admirable
freshness, this has a delicious if somewhat lighter style. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Rayne-Vigneau 2009:
Residual sugar 160 g/l. More Sauvignon Blanc here than in some, accounting for
28% of the blend.
Yellow plum cream on the nose, with oak and honey, touches of smoke and a pithy depth. An
appealingly fat palate, with lemon meringue flavour, bright and also a touch
herby. Good acidity, balanced sweetness, fleshy too. Very attractive.
17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau Rieussec 2009:
Residual sugar 160 g/l. Dense
and rather withdrawn on the nose, with tight and honeyed fruit. Massive depth on
the palate here, textured and intense. Decent acidity, great grip though, and a
seam of nobly bitter botrytis substance. A very rich style with great potential.
Impressive. 18-19+/20
Chateau Rabaud-Promis 2009: Residual sugar 140 g/l. There is elegant fruit here, aromas of
bright, lifted crystallised yellow plum. A lighter style on the palate, soft on
entry, rather a supple midpalate, and a gentle grip. Not so lively or direct as
some, but with a good structure. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Romer du Hayot 2009: A lifted nose here, bright and stylish
but rich, with the aromas of honeyed fruits. A fat but rather solid style on the
palate, well delineated but with good grip and substance to it. My only issue is
that it does seem somewhat foursquare. Good though. 16-17+/20
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud 2009: Residual sugar 137 g/l. Honey and brightness here, a lifted
crystalline quality despite plenty of sweet substance. Lots of zip to be found on the
palate with good acid freshness, but great depth and weight too. Very fine,
freshly composed but with depth. It has a remarkably fresh cut for a wine from
Sauternes rather than Barsac, very welcome in this vintage. Very good indeed. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau
Suduiraut 2009: Residual sugar 160 g/l, with a blend of 93% Semillon and 7% Sauvignon Blanc. High-toned with
honeyed fruit and dense botrytis within, this is tightly wound. Fine balanced
flesh on the palate, with good substance and acidity. Lovely fruit profile, with
pear and tropical fruit, and a nobly bitter finish. Good botrytis here.
Excellent potential. 18-19+/20
Chateau La Tour Blanche
2009: A return to the Sauternes-scene for La Tour Blanche, as there was no
wine released in the 2008 vintage. Residual sugar 140 g/l. An impressive nose here, with sweetness and impact, alongside the
flavours of vanilla and light caramel over the lovely crystalline-tropical
fruit. The same flavour profile comes through on the palate, which has a broad
substance and fine acidity. Another excellent wine in this superb vintage.
18-19+/20
Chateau d'Yquem 2009: Picked
between October 1st and 7th, then between October 10th and 13th. Residual
sugar 155 g/l. Mid-gold and very bright hue. Delicious and vibrant and intense
nose, fabulous, because the fresh and exotic fruits - oranges, lemons, mango and
pineapple - are accompanied by the very definite aroma of nascent botrytis. So
elegant on the palate, broad and yet full. A great pithy substance, but a
pithiness with polished edges, broad and substantial, combined with vibrant
acidity. Wonderful creamy finish, with good grip and a very noble bitterness
towards the end. There is the body and weight of botrytis, and also the
freshness and lifted acidity of a great Yquem. Incredible density, and yet
light-footed and elegant at the same time, it surpasses the fresh elegance of
the 2007 with ease, and eclipses the 2008. A magnificent effort. 19-20/20
Chateau Broustet 2009: Residual sugar 130 g/l. This has a good if rather bold substance on the
nose, rich although it does have a somewhat flat feel to it as well. The
palate shows a broad substance, fresh but fairly solid, with bright acids.
Well-framed fruit here, overall an attractive wine. 16-17+/20
Chateau Coutet 2009: Residual
sugar 146 g/l. Fabulously
vibrant on the nose, lifted and rather direct, much more so than many of the
wines from neighbouring Sauternes, with an ethereal and crystalline character,
plus nuances of star fruit and plum. Balanced texture, fresh and direct, with
lots of composed substance. Intense purity and great elegance here, and also a
seam of botrytis. Freshness too. Excellent. Surely one of the greatest examples
of Coutet ever? 18.5-19.5+/20
Chateau
Doisy-Daëne 2009: Residual sugar 155 g/l and 15% Sauvignon Blanc in the
assemblage. A fabulously vibrant nose here, with melded crystals of
honey and aromatic yellow fruits. A rather fat start on the palate, although it
is composed and also rather floral, rich and elegant with a nice acidic cut.
Great harmony here. This is very fine indeed. 18-19+/20
Chateau Doisy-Védrines 2009: Residual sugar 140 g/l. Bright and fresh, showing slightly cleaner
lines than Doisy-Daëne, with a fabulous crystalline style. Fresh, layered and
complex, building though the palate, becoming complex with more time. A
beautiful character in the mouth, so lively and defined. A supreme effort in a
great vintage. 18-19+/20
Chateau Nairac 2009: Residual
sugar 185 g/l. A pure and
deep style to this wine, intense, with rich fruit swirled with intense honey
sweetness reflecting that high residual figure. The palate
has a little more lift than even the nose suggested, is well textured, with an
elegant, supple fruit style. There is substance to it as well though, also spice
and grip. Lovely wine. 17.5-18.5+/20
