Clos des Lunes: Tasting & Drinking
Although at first I had doubts about this project, after all it is an indicator of the dire straits the many small-scale vignerons of Sauternes find themselves in, there is no denying the commitment of Olivier Bernard and his team, and there is certainly no issue with the quality of the wines. I have tasted all three cuvées from the 2012 and 2013 vintages, the inaugural vintages for the dry wines, and they are convincing examples of the dry Bordeaux style.
Olivier Bernard says 2012 was a magnificent vintage for sec; it was certainly a disaster as far as sweet wines were concerned, with only a few châteaux making good wines, and some refusing to release a wine in this vintage at all. It was just the sort of vintage in which a vigneron would be relieved to be aiming for a dry wine and not a sweet wine, so I am sure Olivier must have been content with his results that year. Having said that, the 2013 vintage at Clos des Lunes looks equally smart. Having only acquired the estate in November 2011 these are the first two vintages under Olivier’s direction, although Olivier did of course acquire the 2011 vintage in vat. I also report on this below.
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