Sauternes, the legendary sweet wines from Bordeaux, more precisely from the Graves area, are not only known for their longevity. This appellation consists only of the five municipalities of Bommes, Fargues-de-Langon, Preignac, Sauternes and Barsac, with Barsac being its own. The area from which these wines come is just 1700 hectares. A grandiose tasting only from the years 1928/29 was in store for me. Sauternes heaven on earth.
A grandiose tasting only from the years 1928/29 |
But what I was allowed to taste on 8 June 2006 puts all the Sauternes wines I have tasted so far in the shade. There were 15 wines from 1928 and 26 wines from 1929, a total of 41 wines in about three hours. A hard but beautiful job. Both vintages are the creme de tete of the great Sauternes years with 1906, 1921 & 1937. My personal rating sees the vintages 1921 followed by 1929, 1937 & 1928 in front.
1928 is considered the weaker of the two, whereby weak sounds almost decadent in this context. 1928 is the more delicate vintage, whereas 1929 is the more concentrated and powerful. Both are unique vintages in their own way. 1929 produced massive wines, with an enormously dense and complex sweetness that are very long-lived. 1928 are the more elegant, less high in residual sweetness but also with a lower life expectancy. One finds here more often than in 1929 wines that have already passed their zenith.
The tasting was organised and put together by Jürg Richter, a "Sauternes freak" in the most positive sense. If anyone fits the description "freak", it's him. He is not one to trumpet his vast Sauternes experience, but rather one who shares it quietly with wine friends.
It
can happen that he opens a few old Sauternes withoutfurther ado.
In other words: 60-year-old wines are simply served up on Saturday lunchtime when you visit him. Not to show what the cellar has to offer, but simply because he loves to share his passion with friends. Regularly, around April of each year, he puts together a sample of rarities, of which there are not so many in the world. In 2005, the theme was the 1937 vintage; in 2007, there will be a Guiraud Centenary Tasting from 1874 to 1990. There will be about 50 wines to taste. So every year there is a sweet wine highlight that I look forward to like our son looks forward to Christmas.
Jerder is worth a trip in itself |
My heartfelt thanks to Jürg Richter!
An overview of the wines:
1928 | 1929 | |
Caillou | d'Arche Lafaurie | Pajot (Enclave d'Yquem) |
Climens | Bastor Lamontagne | La Pinesse |
Coutet | Caillou - Crème de Tète | Rabaud Promis |
Filhot | Climens | Raymond Louis |
Guiraud | Coutet | Rayne Vigneau - Crème de Tète |
Lafaurie - Peyraguey | Dauphine - Rondillon | Ricaud (Luopiac) |
Magence | Doisy | |
Raymond Louis | Domaine de la Floret | Roumieu |
Rayne Vigneau | Filhot | |
Guiraud | La Tour Blanche | |
Sigalas Rabaud | Hauouilly | D'Yquem |
Lamothe | ||
La Tour Blanche | ||
Vieux Sauternes | De Malle | |
D'Yquem | Monbazillac ( Reserve de Theulet) |
Tasting notes - not all wines are listed here
1928
Caillou: Wonderful nose of pine honey, finest molasses, chocolate & sultanas. On the palate elegant & creamy at the same time, great balance, velvety structure, crème brulée, vanilla, gets better and better in the glass. Class.
Climens: Had cork, behind the cork it was full on the palate - strong acidity - sultanas - very long. Too bad!
Coutet: Full & fat nose, darkest pine honey, espresso, pure sultanas & currants, deep & complex, incredible. On the palate massive & dense, brilliant animating acidity, riccola herb sugar in purest form plus everything you want to find - Perfect! Lasts for ages.
Filhot: Rusk, burnt toast, brioche, very elegant but seems atypical. On the palate bitter, short, dull, sharp...rather not.
Guiraud: Almost undrinkable, mould, oxidised, acidic. Bad bottle?
Lafaurie - Peyraguey: Needs time & air, light candied fruit, elegant & creamy effect, orange peel & ripe pear puree, rather finesse than power. On the palate great balance, silky, style, finesse, a fresh but fine acidity, very long & gets better with time. Class.
Rayne Vigneau: Initially a bit cheesy, touch of volatile acidity, then quite dark forest honey, roasted almonds, candied light fruits. Quite good acidity on the palate, bulky, quite good balance, not the great wine, but good.
Rieussec: Absolutely disappointing - discreet, barley, little deep, volatile acidity. On the palate flat, dull, short, creeping cork? Quite possible.
Suduiraut: Discreet elegance, finest vanilla & light honey, crème brulée & a very delicate malt. Pure elegance on the palate - balance - velvet & silk. A great wine, perfect!
La Tour Blanche: If Suduiraut is the elegance, then the Blanche is the power athlete. Thick compact nose, concentrated molasses - sultanas - figs, a touch of nutmeg. On the palate dense - full - power - ethereal, extremely long...lives forever. Everything present in excess. Perfect!
Vieux Sauternes: An example of a quite unknown wine that is not great but was still very nice to drink. Not the longest, but simply still good.
D'Yquem: Discreet, grain & some brioche, pistachios & orange peel, seems rather light and elegant. Good to very good on the palate, slightly sharp acidity, again light grain, bread, vanilla, seems a bit flat, good balance, rather elegant, very nice but not a great wine.
1929d
'Arche Lafaurie: Liqueur-like nose, liquid riccola -herb sugar, sultanas, extreme concentration, pure pine - an insane nose. On the palate it continues like this - power, full thick & concentrated sweetness with a rich acidity as partner. Everything you would expect from a Sauternes is present in abundance. Perfect!
Caillou - Crème de Tète: Rather discreet, fine molasses, fine hint of figs & ripe grapes. Very elegant on the palate, with melting, nice racy style, light butterscotch, fine vanilla cream, delicate & with finesse, long complex finish. Class.
Climens: Open, firm nose, chocolate cream, espresso, spicy, herbs, own nose. On the palate rather bulky, with pressure, rich sweetness with a fitting acidity, concentrated, fine malt & candied nuts. Class.
Coutet: Subtle at first (needs air), sultanas, barley, cool ethereal herbs, some brioche. On the palate great sweetness - acidity play, very animating acidity, again the aromas of the nose, very elegant & finesse, a ballerina, Style: Excellent!
Dauphine - Rondillon: Molasses like a pure Pedro Ximenez sherry, very dark aromas with a little oxidation, plum jam, tar, liquorice, incredibly deep & complex, was rated very poorly - if you know this type of sherry, you see it differently. Extremely sweet on the palate, almost a bit pasty, peculiar, needs two days in the carafe. Absolutely not a typical Sauternes, but a great wine. I was rather alone in this opinion...
Guiraud: Ethereal nose, spicy, even a little pepper, mint, sugar beet syrup, fresh herbs from the mountains, very individual, but beautifully noble. On the palate a reflection of the nose plus cream, crème brulée, fine, almost playful structure, wonderfully elegant, a graceful but definite personality. Outstanding! Again, controversial opinions about this wine.
Liot (Haut Barsac): Very peculiar, cold smoke, ash, smoked bacon, dried dates. Fresh acidity on the palate, clear minerality, sweetness missing a bit, nice to drink. Great.
De Malle: Lean racy & fresh Sauternes, long & very good.
Monbazillac (Reserve de Theulet): sharp, medicinal, short, cough syrup.
La Pinesse: Dried figs & dates, candied pineapple, lavender honey, some herbal liqueur too, gets better with air, very complex nose. On the palate a clear acidity with a dense creamy sweetness, very open, viscous, roasted almonds with butter caramel, very long & voluminous finish, for me the surprise - did not know the Chateau. Such a brilliant discovery.
Rabaud Promis: A colour like espresso - incredible! Highly concentrated aromas of mocha - dark chocolate - sweetish, finest malt, together with pure sultanas - dried dates & figs, almost like a TBA in top form, additionally with the alcohol & acidity of a Sauternes, the wine stands, rather literally nails itself to the palate. This wine will surely live for another 40 years! Madness!!!
Rayne Vigneau - Crème de Tète: A bit dull nose at first - but settles down, then rather discreet after currants & burnt sugar, dark honey in the background, seems distinguished. On the palate wonderful sweetness - acid balance, velvety nature, combines density & elegance, again a ballerina. Excellent.
Ricaud (Luopiac): Oriental spices, some nutmeg, pine honey & a touch of dried apricots. On the palate great sweetness paired with fresh acidity, fresh figs & also plums (?), certain race, great wine from a Chateau, which I didn't know until now. Class.
Rieussec: Fine riccola, ethereal oily component, seems elegant & noble, also creme brulée. On the palate elegant - finesse - fine but dense structure, noticeable minerality. Very long & creamy finish. Excellent.
Suduiraut: Rather discreet nose - wolf in sheep's clothing, as became apparent at the first sip. On the palate a tremendous sweetness, an incredible structure - like a cathedral, a pure essence of a Sauternes, TBA, pure sultanas, matching acid structure to it, a wine that takes your breath away. Monumental is the right word - but this wine can't be put into words & the thing is already 77 years old........This wine will last another 40 to 50 years!!! I have never drunk anything like it.
La Tour Blanche: Open & loosely woven nose, caramel, pine, forest honey, very deep with a malty background - a beautiful Sauternes nose. Powerful on the palate, dense sweetness, powerful, seems very fresh. Seems almost a bit forced to me, an absolutely great wine - unfortunately I missed to check if it was re-corked. Maybe that's where the freshness comes from?
D'Yquem: Very concentrated, very dark honey, molasses, finest English caramel, expands enormously in the glass, some espresso & mocha - wonderful. On the palate a grandiose wine, again espresso & very dark caramel, some herbal liqueur, creamy, ripe but dense acidity, very complex. Combines density & finesse, seems velvety, silky, extremely long & "finest" finish. An Adonis as a wine....complete...almost perfect!