Bordeaux 2024 Primeurs: Sauternes & Barsac
“Well, here we are,” announced the ghost of Aubrey Ealdwyn de Latour, who had stuck with me through thick and then, which means fifteen long days of tasting the 2024 primeur barrel samples. Well, more like thirteen days to be precise, as he did not materialise until the end of our second day of tasting, in Pauillac.
“Sauternes, the true heart of Bordeaux,” continued Aubrey, “and the source of some of its most prized, most illustrious, most characterful and, bien sûr, some of its most expensive labels.”
Aubrey had suddenly taken on a new sense of vigour, effusive and somewhat over the top. He reminded me a little of the persona presented by Alan Cumming, host of the American version of the TV reality show Traitors. And given that Aubrey had taken to wearing a bright blue beret along with an electric blue tartan suit, complete with jaunty plus fours and some rather natty brogues, he looked the part as well.
Indeed, I wasn’t sure who he most resembled; the extravagant Scottish actor and host, or the man who has introduced to my annual Bordeaux primeurs reports every year since his inauguration in 2014, Monsieur Propriétaire.
You will note, of course, that I have not disavowed Aubrey of his view that Sauternes is the leading appellation in the region in terms of desirability and price. I worry that to inform him of the decline in popularity of these wines would destroy him. There is only so much bad news a ghost can take. And he is still reeling from the fact critics and writers in Bordeaux no longer find cases of ‘samples’ deposited in the boot of their car while enduring the latest rather boozy lunch.
Anyway, I digress. Let’s crack on with a brief report on how Sauternes faired in 2024, before we wade into my tasting notes.
-o-
The early stages of the 2024 season do not quite mirror the story presented in my other Bordeaux 2024 reports. While the disease pressure was high, as it was elsewhere, the flowering in this corner of Bordeaux was not disrupted to the same extent as it was in many other parts. And although the weather turned warm in the summer, it was never baking, and the nights remained fresh, allowing the vines and their ripening berries to hold on to their precious acids.
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