Bordeaux 2008 at Four Years: Sauternes & Barsac
Last year a handful of Sauternes and Barsac estates joined the red wines of Bordeaux at this event, and thus the Institute of Masters of Wine’s Annual Claret Tasting, to give it its full title, should now surely be renamed the Annual Bordeaux Tasting instead (it probably has been, and I expect I just overlooked it). I was delighted to see that this year this new direction has been continued, and that the number of sweet wines available for tasting has increased, up to ten wines in this vintage. And this included top estates Château d’Yquem, Château Climens and Château Rieussec, among others.
The Story so Far
The Sauternes harvest kicked off well, with a botrytis-rich picking in September, but after that the early excitement began to fade. The best fruit was picked early, and although there was botrytis in October, and many estates picked well into this month and even into November, the conditions were never ideal for dehydrating and concentrating the fruit into the really desirable rôti stage. Hence, although sweet wines were made, the intense botrytis character we would hope for in a great vintage was likely to be in short supply. And unlike alcohol in red wines, it’s not something you can top up with the judicious addition of a bag or two (or three) of sugar.
