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.
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