Chateau Climens 2010 Sauternes First Tasting

Visiting Chateau Climens, one of the very top Barsac estates, I was honoured to be the first to taste the 2010 Sauternes from the barrel alongside owner Bérénice Lurton and Frédéric Nivelle, her technical manager.

 

It's early days and, as always, it's not easy to assess what the 2010 Climens will be like when tasting 19 different lots, from pickings covering well over a month of harvesting. 

 

However, in Bérénice’s own words, she feels that they have something ‘absolutely incredible’ in 2010 that she knows ‘in her heart is going to be tremendous’.  

 

The harvest was very on/off, on/off as they waited for the botrytis to reach the right stage, but eventually the miracle weather they needed arrived giving them a few days with nice afternoons, quite hot sun and wind.  Then everything fell into place and the resulting crop was "suberb" says Berenice.

 

Certainly we could see some wonderful freshness, acidity and citrus fruit flavours across the lots.  

 

The blending process for the 2010's will be getting underway at Chateau Climens - but not until Berenice has finished blending the 2009 Sauternes!

 

Watch more of Bill Blatch's wine videos and follow the 2010 Sauternes harvest new on Bill's Blog Bordeaux Gold.

 

 

 

2010 Sauternes News at Domaine de l'Alliance

 

The 2010 Sauternes harvest gave me good reason to visit Domaine de l’Alliance. 

 

I always have a great time visiting Daniel Alibrand at Domaine de l’Alliance and am amazed at the quality of wine he produces from his small ‘chais’ behind his humble house.  

 

He produces ’Garage’ Sauternes at its very best with no compromises on quality – serious quality!  But what was his 2010 Sauternes going to be like?

 

Daniel describes it as a "curious vintage" and like other Sauternes Chateau, had a long drawn out harvest starting in September and not finishing until the beginning of November.

 

Weather patterns meant the botrytis was on the grapes from early on, but didn't develop to the right stage until mid October and beyond. The result has been high acidity and a fantastic richness.

 

Fermentation happened very fast, in just a week to 10 days, so the next question is what will the 2010 de l'Alliance be like when it's blended?

 

Daniel Alibrand has no rules and works on taste alone, but it sounds like he has some great 'raw materials' to be creative with!

 

I'll be back at Domaine de l'Alliance in a month's time to do some tasting.  Watch this space.

 

To watch more wine videos from Bordeaux expert Bill Blatch, visit his Bordeaux Gold Blog . Plus you can follow the 2010 Sauternes harvest at other Sauternes Chateau here. 

 

 

 

 

Chateau Suduiraut 2010 Sauternes First Tasting

 

In the Cellars of Chateau Suduiraut I catch Pierre Montégut for a very first taste of the 2010 Sauternes vintage.  

 

It's extremely early days and the wine is still in fermentation stage - which you can tell from the sample in the video - because it's still cloudy, so not the easiest time to taste.

 

Still, what I'm looking for here is a very early indication of what this Suduiraut Sauternes might be like, and what kind of balance it might have.

 

Based on the Suduiraut harvest, Pierre is predicting his 2010 Sauternes to be another wonderful vintage and told me how lucky he feels to have had such a good harvest again this year after the excellent 2009.

 

I put Pierre on the spot (after giving him a few stage directions!) and asked him to compare this 2010 Sauternes sample with other Suduiraut vintages to find out what it tastes similar to at this stage.  

 

Watch the video below to find out the two vintages Pierre and I were reminded of when we tasted this still cloudy sample.  It will be interesting to see how it develops and I intend to be there at each stage of the development - so you'll see just how accurate we are! 

 

Watch more wine videos and keep up with the 2010 Sauternes vintage developments at Bill Blatch's Bordeaux Gold Blog

 

Clos Haut Peyraguey 2010 Sauternes First Tasting

I dropped in on Clos Haut Peyraguey to talk about the 2010 Sauternes harvest and get a first taste of some of the Sauternes lots with Martine Langlais-Pauly and Anthony Defives, owner and winemaker at Clos Haut-Peyraguey.  

 

What shows through for me is the extreme patience shown by Peyraguey from the first picking through to the last, which were seperated by over a month.  Both first and last pickings yielded just a single barrel of Sauternes!

 

It was a long harvest and Martine had to be extrememly reactive to get pickers in when the botrytis got to optimum stage.

 

Interestingly, the 2006 Sauternes was the last drawn out harvest, but for a very different reason. Then they had a lot of bad stuff that needed weeding out to allow the good to come through (it turned out to be a good vintage in the end). Whereas in 2010 each bunch arrived at roasted botrytis stage at different times so the harvest went on and on and on....  

 

Tasting from the barrel - with fermentation stage only just finished, Martine describes all the different Sauternes pickings as "very beautiful".  Watch the video below to find out what characteristic are already starting to show through in the 2010 Sauternes wine.

For more wine videos about the 2010 Sauternes Harvest from Bordeaux expert Bill blatch, visit his Bordeaux Gold Blog.

 

 

 

 

Chateau Raymond Lafon 2010 Sauternes Harvest

 

In the vineyard of Chateau Raymond Lafon, Bill Blatch catches up with Jean-Pierre Meslier who is a very talented gardener as well as a brilliant winemaker.  

 

He knows exactly what conditions are needed for his vines to flourish and for the Botrytis to develop fully on the grapes of his 2010 Sauternes vintage.

 

It's just before the harvest and its still pretty dry and the botrytis is not fully developed. Jean-Pierre shows us some bunches of their Sauvignon grapes which  are just about ready for a first pick.

 

There could be up to 11 pickings at Chateau Raymond Lafon, depending on what the weather brings over the next few weeks.  A little more humidity could mean a good harvest. 

 

You can watch more videos taken in the vineyards of Sauternes and Barsac during the 2010 Sauternes harvest by visiting Bill Blatch's Bordeaux Gold Blogor clicking on the 2010 Sauternes Harvest link. 

 

 

Chateau Climens 2010 Sauternes Harvest First Pressing

Bordeaux wine expert Bill blatch is back in the vineyards of Sauternes capturing the 2010 Sauternes harvest.

 

His brief wine video taken at Chateau Climens shows you what happens to the grapes as soon as they are picked. 

 

Bill Blatch looks on as Frederic Nivelle (Technical Manager) and Christophe Hocquard (Cellarmaster) from Climens unload the very first pick of the 2010 harvest into the press. 

 

Each day's pick will be pressed individually and kept in separate barrels to be blended at a later date.

 

Are we witnesseing the start of something special?

 

You can watch more videos taken in the vineyards of Sauternes and Barsac during the 2010 Sauternes harvest by visiting Bill Blatch's Bordeaux Gold Blog or clicking on the 2010 Sauternes Harvest link.  

 

 

Clos Haut Peyraguey 2010 Sauternes Harvest

At Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey they are just starting to pick and the grapes are looking good!  I caught them in their Sauternes vineyard which butts onto the vineyards of both Chateau Yquem and Chateau Guiraud.  

It's their first small picking, but over the next few weeks they're hoping for a little rain and the the nights to be a little less cold, for the botrytis to develop fully. 

 

However, at this stage the vineyard and grapes are looking lovely and healthy and given the right conditions this could be another excellent Sauternes vintage.

 

Watch Bordeaux expert Bill Blatch's video below to get an insiders view of the coming 2010 vintage and visit his Sauternes Blog to get more Chateau Harvest videos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chateau Climens 2010 Sauternes Harvest Begins

Bordeaux expert Bill Blatch visits the vineyards of Chateau Climens in Barsac as the grape picking starts for the 2010 harvest.

 

In this wine video, Chateau owner Berenice Lurton discusses the progress of the 2010 Sauternes harvest with Bill.

 

Chateau Climens are looking for exactly the right balance of sweetness for the 2010 Sauternes, but Berenice Lurton says they will not be "counting their chickens before they hatch".  Watch the video to find out why.

 

More videos from the 2010 Sauternes harvest can be viewed at Bill Blatch's Blog

Chateau de Rayne Vigneau 2009 Sauternes Review By Bill Blatch

Chateau de Rayne Vigneau 2009 Sauternes was a return to an older style, rich Sauternes but with a modern edge.

 

If you stopped in the vineyards somewhere in the middle of Sauternes and asked an old fella pruning the vines  

"which do you think is the best potential vineyard after Yquem in Sauternes?"

they will invariaiabley answer Rayne Vigneau.  It is a fantastic vineyard making superlative wines.

 

For the past 20 years Rayne Vigneau have been making a little bit lighter wines than they did during the 1950's and 1960's. It was a decision that was slightly at odds with the rest of Sauternes which was generally getting sweeter.

 

In 1997 Rayne Vigneau produced a much richer wine, but then again took the decision to go back to a lighter style Sauternes.

 

However, the 2009 Chateau de Rayne Vigneau is a very rich style and really this is the Rayne Vigneau as I imagine it use to be, but of course in a much more modern way. 

 

Its got that lovely modern minty, fresh, fragrant aroma, with beautiful botrytis.

 

The 2009 Rayne Vigneau was well priced, making it a good deal and a Sauternes that people wanted to buy. 

 

Sales at En Primeur went very well, perhaps because at the trade tastings everybody recognised that Chateau de Rayne Vigneau were back on track.

 

Watch Bill Blatch's wine video to find out why this Bordeaux expert has selected Chateau de Rayne Vigneau as a best buy Sauternes from the 2009 Sauternes en primeur releases.

 

 

 

Chateau Rabaud Promis 2009 Sauternes Review By Bill Blatch

 

Chateau Rabaud Promis 2009 Sauternes was a great success.

 

The owner at Rabaud Promis admits he loves the taste of fruit in his wine, which is difficult to keep when you're making a 100% botrytis wine.

 

But he does everything he can to keep the freshness of fruit there and keep it alive and zingy and zesty, alongside it being tremendouly sweet.

 

And even though this wine has a reputation for not being so sweet, this is a very sweet Rabaud Promis. In his 2009 Sauternes he has really let it rip.

 

So the sweetness, the thickness, the fatness is all there but above all the freshness and quality of fruit is there too.

 

Which makes Chateau Rabaud Promis 2009 Sauternes a really good deal.  It offers fantastic value and while most sales go to France and there is not much left for export it has not traditionally been a best selling Sauternes in the UK.

 

But I think this Rabaud Promis is really worth a try and if you don't want to buy a whole case of just this one Sauternes you can buy it as part of a mixed case at http://bordeauxgold.com.

 

We think you'll be back for a full case next year! 

 

Watch Bill Blatch's wine video to find out why this Bordeaux expert has selected Chateau Rabaud Promis as a Sauternes best buy from the 2009 Sauternes en primeur releases.

 

Chateau Nairac 2009 Sauternes Review By Bill Blatch

 

Chateau Nairac 2009 Sauternes surprised us a bit with their En Primeur price, as it came out at more than we thought it would.

 

That said, I should really have expected it as Nairac always price high for their best Sauternes and certainly in vintages like this. Afterall, the quality is high and the quantity produced is tiny at just 1500 cases.

 

As befits Chateau Nairac, this is probably the sweetest of all 2009 Sauternes, but then it also has the highest acidity of all Sauternes. 

 

It's bordering on a sweet version of the 2001, plus it has extra opulence.  I think this mixture of opulence and exquisite fragrances and citric flavours will make it an absolutely fabulous wine.

 

I wouldn't keep it for as long as some of the other 2009 Sauternes as at the moment I would say it's built for drinking within 20 years (though I could be proved wrong) rather than the 100 years some of the 2009 Sauternes will go.

 

So to sum up, it's a great Chateau Nairac - a great, delicious, ripe, rich wine but also a very fresh wine.  

 

If you want Chateau Nairac you have to pay the price for it now.  Remember it only has a tiny production and after that its all gone. They'll be none left to buy of this Sauternes.

 

Watch Bill Blatch's wine video to see why this Bordeaux expert has selected Chateau Nairac as a Sauternes best buy from the 2009 Sauternes en primeur releases.

 

 

 

Domaine de l'Alliance 2009 Sauternes Review By Bill Blatch

When Domaine de l'Alliance 2009 Sauternes released En Primeur it got a fantastic response.  

 

Maybe customers were reacting to our own enthusiasm, or maybe they could spot that Domaine de l'Alliance is the kind of deal that does not come along very often.

 

We only got to know about this Sauternes ourselves about a year ago and what a great story it is.

 

Daniel Allibrand was a Commercial Fisherman who sold out 5 years ago and came to look after his wife's property in Fargues.

 

Daniel knew nothing about botrytis, wine tending, vine tending, or wine making, yet he has made a resounding success out of it.

 

His Sauternes is made with no compromise on quality. Yields are tiny and he only picks the finest of the botrytis grapes.  He works it like a top 1st growth Sauternes and has because of this has created a wine that is equivalent in quality to a 1st growth.

 

This kind of thing doesn't come along very often and anybody who bought the Domaine de l'Alliance 2009 got a tremedous deal. 

 

If you'd like some of this 2009 Sauternes, beware, because this might be the last time we see this vintage around. I'd recommend you move fast while there is still a little stock  around.

 

Watch Bill Blatch's wine video to find out why this Bordeaux expert has selected Domaine de l'Alliance as a Sauternes best buy from the 2009 Sauternes En Primeur releases.

 

 

 

2009 Sauternes En Primeur Tasting Review

2009 Sauternes En Primeur wines are reviewed by Bordeaux expert Bill Blatch in the wine video below, to see how they're developing.

In a great vintage such as 2009, there is still a big variety to choose from. Firstly in taste and style of wine. Secondly in the length of time before the Sauternes are ready for drinking and the length of time they will age well for. And Thirdly in the pricing.

There are the usual premium priced, highly sought after Sauternes such as Yquem and Climens amongst them. But there are also some really good buys such as Raymon Lafon, Doisy Daene and Domaine de l'Alliance

Bill Blatch from Bordeaux Gold gives tasting notes for a wide range of 1st and 2nd growth Sauternes and makes his recommendations and tells you how you can pick and mix a case to suit your tastes.