French Dessert Wines

France produces a wonderful array of dessert wines, the most prestigious being those from the top estates in Sauternes and Alsace.   The region of Jurançon is the leader in sweet wines from the Southwest, but there are other very interesting wines coming from that area.  The Rhône and Loire Valley regions also produce some marvelous sweet wines.

SAUTERNES & BARSAC, etc.

In the best vintages, there is a substantial amount of Botrytis cinerea (the French call this pourriture noble) which makes these majestic, rich, wonderfully sweet wines of liquid gold. 

Not every year produces a fabulous wine.  Some vintages have lots of Botrytis, while other years lack the mold-encouraging fog, producing wines which are sweet and powerful, but not especially honeyed.  Sometimes there is rain, which can cause a less-than-noble rot and wipe out the crop nearly totally. 

The top estates can afford the army of harvesters it takes to comb the vineyards on a daily basis, bringing back only the fruit affected with botrytis.  This is a costly process and making wine from dehydrated grapes produces but a small yield.    

Those grapes are dehydrated...yes...

...but these are covered with Botrytis Cinerea, the famous "noble rot."

Sauternes and Barsac (the other communes in the general region are Bommes, Preignac and Fargues) are made predominantly of the grape Sémillon.  It is said to make a wine with a somewhat "waxy" character.  Its partner in this venture is Sauvignon Blanc, which is said to add a certain amount of vitality to the rather rich Sémillon.    A third variety accounts for a tiny part of the production, Muscadelle.    Though contributing a somewhat flowery note to the wine, it is not related to the various varieties of Muscat grapes. 

In researching the various estates, it's interesting to note most have 60-80% Sémillon in their vineyards.  A few have Sémillon exclusively.  Most have 2-10% of the Muscadelle, with the balance of the vineyard being planted to Sauvignon Blanc.

CHATEAU D'YQUEM



2016 750ml $529.99

2014 375ml  $239.99

2013 750ml  $499.99

I'm not sure what I can add to the volume of knowledge about this extraordinary wine that hasn't already been written.

In their quest for owning luxury products, the giant French firm of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, a few years ago, acquired ownership of this estate from the Comte Alexandre de Lur Saluces, whose family has owned the property since the late 1700s. 
The book called "Noble Rot," a wonderful fly-on-the-wall tome chronicles the sale of the estate.  It was banned in France at the request on Monsieur Lur Saluces.  

Chateau d'Yquem is one of those rare wines you can put on the table and even the uninitiated will have their eyeballs pop out of their sockets when they taste it. 

We were in the neighborhood in the winter recently and snapped this photo of the vineyard at d'Yquem.

The wine is rather expensive to produce. If you are ever fortunate enough to visit (they usually have to check your blood type and bank account status before allowing you on the property), they'll drill it in to you that their production amounts to "one glass of wine per grapevine." The reason is that they make d'Yquem only from heavily botrytized grapes. As these are so dehydrated, the volume of liquid is rather small, accounting for the concentration and "oily" texture which sets d'Yquem apart from others. The vineyards are about 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The juice is fermented entirely in brand new oak barrels and then matured in wood for about 3 years.

We had the pleasure of visiting many years ago. The manager, Pierre Meslier, owns a neighboring estate, Chateau Raymond-Lafon. We saw the vineyards, the cellar and finally he opened a bottle of the superlative 1975 vintage. Being "The Fastest Glass in the West," my glass was much appreciated and empty. So was the glass of one of my partners-in-crime. Monsieur Meslier noticed these were empty and was just pulling the cork out of the bottle, when the third partner-in-crime said, "You know, this is so rich, you could really only have one glass," at which point Monsieur Meslier jammed the cork back into the bottle and thanked us for our visit. Once out in the parking lot, we pummeled this poor woman (figuratively speaking) and she has not lived down this amazingly silly faux pas. She is reminded of it every time d'Yquem finds its way onto a table shared by the three of us.

 

I told my story to a friend who writes for a national food publication. He had been told to be at d'Yquem for a rendezvous only to get there and discover the owner was not expecting him. 
They ended up setting an appointment some hours later for dinner in a nearby restaurant. 

 

The visiting scribe, knowledgeable of food and wine, ordered his menu, allowing for the presentation of Chateau d'Yquem at each course.

The people of Sauternes will tell you their sweet wines are not exclusively serviceable with desserts.  Paired, for example, with foie gras, Sauternes actually tastes dry due to the richness and fat content of the goose liver.

So, to continue the story, the first course comes and no d'Yquem.  
The main plate, a rich salmon and lentil preparation, arrives, but the d'Yquem doesn't.  

 

After cheeses he's thinking, "Aha!  They will show me the d'Yquem in its classical place: with dessert!"  

He then orders a dessert to show off the magnificent d'Yquem and Monsieur Lur Saluces leans forward and says, "You'll have coffee, won't you?"

So you can understand his ire upon learning that a mere peasant, such as myself, was privileged to taste d'Yquem, but that a more "noble" visitor was not!

The 2014 vintage is really fine here.  This shows why d'Yquem stands taller than its neighbors.  The wine is of the quality most vintners would be pleased to have in even the best vintages.  D'Yquem made a fantastic wine in 2014, capturing both acidity (some fruit being picked early, yet ripe) as well as intensity with lots of sweet pear nectar notes. 

The 2009 and 2010 fetch stupidly high prices and we don't have room for this sort of wine with the "scarcity tax" being so high.  You will find the "reasonably-priced" vintages to be exceptional and often every bit as pleasurable as the much-hyped vintages.  
It seems that d'Yquem routinely has several stratospherically-priced vintages each decade, with the other supposedly "lesser" years going for half the price.  We figure this allows d'Yquem to sell wine to more segments of the market.  
Those who are in the "Why Pay Less" camp will find what they are looking for and those who choose to splurge on a once-in-a-lifetime bottle can do so without having to refinance the house.

 

A generous friend shared a bottle of the 1967 (photo above) which we opened in November of 2006.  This was a deep gold color and had a lovely fragrance reminiscent of crème brûlée, dried apricots and honey.  The flavor was long and rich on the palate with a finish that lingered for quite a while. 

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A European friend met me one afternoon in a little place in town that had a Champagne bar as part of the wine department in a gourmet store.  We sipped Louis Roederer's Brut Champagne and he told me how his wife has given him a wonderful wine book for Christmas--a book telling the story of Château d'Yquem.

The wife, who knew nothing about wine (she doesn't drink wine, usually), had seen the book in a store and purchased it, figuring she would accompany this reading material with a bottle of d'Yquem.  Uninitiated as she was, the poor dear had a horrible shock when she went to this store to buy a bottle...only to discover it carries a stratospheric price tag.

So, here was this fellow with a wonderful book describing this heavenly nectar he would never be privileged to taste.

 

When the family came to the US, some friends were hosting a dinner and I brought a bottle.


"Endlich!  Eine gute schluck vom Château d'Yquem!"

Now our dear friend has tasted this nectar...and the wife understands why the wine costs what it does.

 

 

CHATEAU LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY 1989  Sold Out
CHATEAU LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY 1990  Sold out

The firm of Cordier owned this 40-hectare property in Bommes, the chateau being an old fortress constructed in the 13th century. They sold the property some years ago and today it's owned by a Swiss fellow named Silvio Denz, who had his hand in numerous other wineries, mostly in Saint-Émilion.  He also owns the Lalique crystal company.

The vineyards are 93% Semillon, with the balance being 6% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle.  

 

Monsieur Denz, we are told, is hell-bent on elevating the estate to "deluxe" status and he's said to be working to promote Sauternes in general.

 

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CHATEAU RIEUSSEC 
2015 $44.99 (375ml)
2015 $79.99 (750ml)
2005 $99.99 (750ml)
2014 "Carmes de Rieussec" $34.99

The Rothschilds of Lafite purchased this estate in 1985, taking over control from Monsieur Albert Vuillier, who had assumed the reins in 1971.   At the time, good Sauternes sold for ridiculously modest prices, especially given the amount of effort it takes to make this wine.  Insiders reported that the new ownership also purchased large quantities of d'Yquem, holding it off the market, causing the price of that wine to climb higher due to its sudden "shortage."

In doing so, the neighboring estates of fine quality, such as Rieussec, Suduiraut, Climens, etc., also escalated in price, immediately making the purchase of Rieussec a smart financial move.  

The property covers some 110 hectares with 68 in vineyards.  The planting percentages are about 90% Semillon with two or three percent Muscadelle and the rest devoted to Sauvignon Blanc.  

The Rothschilds are fairly stringent with producing Rieussec, not bottling a 1993 vintage, nor did they offer a 2012.

They built a special aging cellar back in 2000, upgrading the facilities.

When we visited d'Yquem in the early 1980s they were proud to boast they made about one glass of wine per vine.  Rieussec had once claimed to make one bottle of wine per vine, but with the Rothschild protocols in place, these days they say they make one glass of wine per vine.  

Rothschild owns its own barrel building company and we understand Rieussec typically sees about 50% new oak each vintage.

 

The 2014 Carmes de Rieussec is a delight.  The name "Carmes" refers to a monastic order which had been centered in nearby Langon and which actually owned the Rieussec estate in the 1700s.   The wine is predominantly Sémillon, of course, with about 10% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle.  It's matured for approximately 18 months in oak.  The wine is beautifully balanced, being sweet, but not sticky sweet.  Lemony fruit, nice acidity and a nice price tag make for a most attractive combination.


The 2005 is a very nice, richly-textured Sauternes...it's maturing nicely, but shows a bit of development at this point, though it will last another 10-20 years, well-stored.

 

The 2015 Rieussec is brightly fruity and fairly honeyed...it's a very charming wine in its youth.


We periodically have a lovely dry "Sauternes" (though it takes but the appellation of "Bordeaux" of Rieussec.  It is labeled "R" = d'Yquem's is called "Y" and Guiraud makes a dry wine called "G"=) and it's a non-oaky, crisp, flavorful white which matches nicely with seafood.  I can order the "R" for you, but it's not presently in the shop.

 

 

 

CHATEAU SUDUIRAUT
2007 SUDUIRAUT  750ml  SALE  $99.99 
Castelnau de Suduiraut 2008 Sold Out Presently
Castelnau de Suduiraut 2005  Sold Out Presently
1996 SUDUIRAUT  $119.99

 

Suduiraut is now under the ownership of "AXA" an insurance company which also holds the key to the cellar doors of Chateaux Lynch-Bages and Pichon Baron, amongst others.  With its 88-hectare vineyard planted primarily to Semillon (I've read conflicting stats...some saying 10% Sauvignon Blanc and other sources reporting 20%), Suduiraut is located in Preignac.  If you run across a bottle of 1991, 1992 or 1993 vintages of Suduiraut, you're holding a rarity...Suduiraut did not bottle any of those vintages!  

While in college, I remember the 1967 vintage of this costing the amazing sum of $7/bottle.  We used to drink this as our "house Sauternes" (can you believe it?!?!?!).  That classic vintage now fetches staggering prices (upwards of several hundred bucks a bottle!).  

Over the years I can't say vintages from 1970 to the early 1980s caught my fancy.  The 1988 vintage marked a noteworthy change for the better.  The 1989 vintage was quite good, but 1990 seemed exceptionally oily and more intensely honeyed. 

Not to be too obnoxious, but after first tasting the 1990 we had stacks of it in 750ml format for a very low price.   That is why it pays to shop in "wine merchant" establishments as people who are keen tasters can tip you off to the best buys or undervalued wines.  At any rate, the 1990 will live well into the 2020's and maybe beyond!  It is still available for a rather good price.

 

 

They've been making a "second" label called "Castelnau de Suduiraut."   Pierre Montégut, the technical director of Suduiraut, told me "It's really not a 'second' wine.  Castelnau is a section of our vineyard and most of the wine comes from that parcel.  We make a selection of the main part of Suduiraut and Castelnau.  And what don't find to be our 'Suduiraut quality' we sell in bulk."

 Apparently some rather fine juice got "declassified" here as 2005 and 2008 are both remarkable bottles for such a modest price.  

These are moderately honeyed and rather weighty for the vintages.  It is a wine such as this which makes one turn away from the "Sauternes substitutes."  Each displays a lovely bit of honeyed fruit and you'll even note a touch of oak.  

 

 

CHÂTEAU DOISY-VÉDRINES

Barsac has three "Doisy" estates, this one vying with Doisy-Daëne for top spot in that little horse race.

 

The last of the Védrines family owned this estate until the middle of the 1800s and then its been in the hands of the Castéja family ever since.

We first got to know the property thanks to Gerald Asher (he was a stellar wine-writer for Gourmet magazine, but in the late 1970s and early 1980s he ran the Mosswood Wine Company) which imported the wines of Doisy-Védrines.  

The vineyard, located in the Sauternes sub-region of Barsac,  is one contiguous parcel of approximately 27 hectares, though we've read they currently own or have 35 hectares.  Sémillon accounts for 80% of the plantings of white grapes with Sauvignon Blanc comprising 15% and Muscadelle the remaining five percent.  There was an article we read claiming they cultivate a small patch of Sauvignon Gris, but on an informational site of a Bordeaux producer's organization, Sauvignon Gris is not mentioned.

The vinification starts in tank and then the wine goes into barrel with something like 40% to 60% of the barrels being new.  The wine is said to typically spend 18 months in barrel.

 

The sweet wine from this property tends to be medium-bodied and nicely acidic.  It shows far less oak than its neighbor, Climens, for example and the wine is not as 'oily' or rich on the palate, partly because it's less sweet in most vintages and partly thanks to the firm acidity.  This means that those critics who judge wines for intensity and size tend to overlook Doisy-Védrines.    And that's fine with us.

One curious notation:  there are five villages comprising the appellation of Sauternes and Barsac is allowed its own appellation. All Barsac is Sauternes, but, of course, not all Sauternes is Barsac.  The other towns are Bommes, Fargues and Preignac.  
Doisy-Védrines, curiously, labels its wine as "Sauternes" despite coming from Barsac!

 

Currently in stock:  2009 DOISY-VÉDRINES  $62.99  (750ml)

 

 

CHATEAU COUTET
2015  $53.99   (750ml)
2015 $32.99 (375ml)
1997 (List $90) Sold Out

Chateau Coutet is a very old property with a long history.  Its vineyard covers some 38.5 hectares in the region of Barsac.  In the classification of Bordeaux estates in 1855, Coutet and Climens were the only two properties in Barsac to be designated as premier cru producers.  At one time the property was under the same ownership as Chateau Lafite, though long before the Rothschild's.

In Thomas Jefferson's days, Coutet sold for about the same money as d'Yquem! 

In fact, it was, during Napoleon's time, owned by the Lur-Saluces family, the same people who, until recently, owned Chateau d'Yquem.  Today the estate, I believe, is owned by a family from Alsace who have an interest in trucking and hotels. 

The property is adjacent to Doisy-Daene and is in a single parcel. 
The reputation of the property is very high, especially in France.  Americans seem to embrace Climens, Suduiraut and Rieussec with greater enthusiasm, so sometimes Coutet can be a relatively good value.


I bought some 2015 to taste and this is a delight.  It's fresh, mildly honeyed and has notes of pineapple and citrus.  It's delicious now and will cellar well for a decade, or so.
Easily.

CHÂTEAU DOISY-DAËNE

The Dubourdieu family has owned this Barsac estate since the 1920s.  The estate is located on a plateau called the Haut Barsac and planted with Sémillon predominantly.

Georges bought the property in 1924 and his son Pierre ran the winery for many years.  Today the family of his late son Denis takes care of the place and now his kids are active in the wine business.

Denis Dubourdieu was an enology professor, so he'd better not sully his reputation with slacker wines.  In fact, he was instrumental in improving the vinification of dry white wines in the region.   Of course, he was very open to experimentation and always seemed to have some new project going, be it cultivating "forbidden" grape varieties or fermenting juice with new strains of yeast.  His father, one year, wrapped part of the vineyard in plastic sheets to create a bit of a greenhouse effect.  There was little in the way of botrytis that vintage (1978, I think) and the grapes shriveled nicely and were picked in late December.  This was a nice little Vin de Noel and illustrates the experimental spirit going on at Doisy-Daëne.  

The wines from this property are typically a bit more elegant and refined than powerfully honeyed and rich.  They do make a reserve bottling in years where there's a lot of botrytis and this wine is called L'Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne.  Extravagant, indeed, as the wine costs a small fortune if you can find it.  

We currently have the 1997 Doisy-Daëne in stock.  This is a medium-yellow Sauternes, a bit less 'golden' in color than many at ten years of age.  But that's part of the style of Doisy-Dane...it's not a rock 'em, sock 'em style of wine.   Yet they seem to age magnificently.  

Currently in stock:  1997 Doisy-Daëne Sold Out

CHÂTEAU de FARGUES

If you find the label of de Fargues reminiscent of the label of d'Yquem, you're not alone.

The wines both bear the names Lur Saluces, a family whose roots in Sauternes go back more than 500 years.  The family once owned not only d'Yquem and this property, but also de Malle, Coutet and Filhot.  But that was then and this is now.  

Alexandre Lur Saluces ran d'Yquem for several decades before the family sold the place out from under him.  But he still owns Château de Fargues and makes a superb Sauternes rivaling d'Yquem.   The property was given life by Bertrand de Lur Saluces, Al's late uncle, back in the 1930s.  He slowly planted a few hectares and the first wine was made during World War II.  Over the years the quality has improved, though if you taste de Fargues alongside d'Yquem, you'll see it's similarly styled but typically a shade or two less powerful.  This is, in part, due to the geology of the vineyards.   Still, we've had memorable bottles of de Fargues and the wine certainly recalls the majestic and concentrated wines of its 'cousin.'

You might call this "poor man's d'Yquem," but you still need some cash to obtain a bottle of de Fargues.  



The 2005 is also impressive.  There's an exotic fruit element here which is reminiscent of ripe pineapple.  The wine is intense and a bit 'fat', so while there may not be sufficient acidity to propel this into the 2040s, it's quite showy now and will remain so for another decade +.  

Currently in stock:  2003 DE FARGUES Sauternes Sold Out
2005 DE FARGUES Sauternes $159.99 (750ml)
2005 DE FARGUES Sauternes $79.99 Sold Out

 

 

CHATEAU GUIRAUD

This 100 hectare estate has about 82 of those hectares in the Sauternes appellation.  Two-thirds of the vines are Sémillon and the rest is Sauvignon Blanc.  Running the show at this estate is Xavier Planty, a fellow who came on board at the estate when the Canadian family, the Narby's, bought the place in the early 1980s.  We visited shortly after the Narby's took over and met Hamilton Narby.  He was an engaging fellow, but he apparently didn't get along well with the neighbors.  Eventually he even rubbed his folks the wrong way and he's no longer affiliated with the property, though he worked to bring a serious upgrade in quality at Guiraud.

Today the estate is owned by a quartet of proprietors.  One is businessman Robert Peugeot and the others are all wine makers, Olivier Bernard, Stephan Von Neipperg and Xavier Planty.  Bernard runs Domaine de Chevalier, one of the top Pessac-Léognan estates.  .Planty has been affiliated with Guiraud for more than 20 years and Von Neipperg owns Canon-La Gaffelière amongst other vineyards.

The 2009 vintage is exceptional for Guiraud.  It's deep and honeyed, without being heavy.  Notes of candied orange peel and honey dominate presently.  It's a wine that's remarkably pretty now and should repay cellaring handsomely.

The 2013 was quite good and the 2014 was exceptional...we're presently sold out of that one.

Currently in stock:  2009 Château Guiraud Sauternes 375ml  $49.99
2009 Château Guiraud Sauternes 750ml  $89.99

 

CHATEAU LA TOUR BLANCHE
2005 Sauternes  SALE $79.99 (750ml)

In 1909 the owner, Daniel Iffla (known as Osiris...don't ask me why), of La Tour Blanche donated the property to the Institut Pasteur one one condition:  a school of viticulture and enology be set up.  It is operated by the Ministre de l'Agriculture.  They have about 70 hectares, half of which is Sauternes.  The property is primarily planted with Sémillon, Muscadelle accounting for but 3% and Sauvignon amounting to 20%.  

Located due south of Chateau d'Yquem, not every vintage is "declared."  The juice is barrel-fermented and, like d'Yquem, only new wood is used. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2005 is magnificent, showing spice and honey notes...it's got fairly good acidity, so while it's delicious now, we expect it will last and develop over the next 10-15 years.  

 

 

 

CHATEAU NAIRAC
1997  Barsac  Sold Out

This is a rather highly-regarded estate in the Barsac region.  Owned by Nicole Tari, the winemaker is Nicolas Heeter-Tari.  From some 17 hectares, annual production amounts to but about 2,000 cases.  The vineyard is about 90% Sémillon, with just 6% Sauvignon and 4% Muscadelle.   Some percentage of new oak is employed for the primary fermentation of the juice and this accounts for some of the complexity and power of this wine.  

We included this in a blind-tasting of 1997 Sauternes in mid-2001 and the wine was the first-place finisher, ahead of Rieussec, Climens, Coutet, Suduiraut and others.  For good reason!  The fragrance and flavors are intense, showing honey, ginger and vanillin.  Nairac '97 may be consumed in its youth (and how!) with desserts, Foie Gras or Roquefort cheese.  I find it difficult to predict the life span of this wine as the acidity doesn't seem especially high.  Perhaps the sugar and alcohol will preserve it well into the next decade, but opening a bottle now is a decadent treat that will make fans of Sauternes those who claim to "not like dessert wines."  

CHATEAU CLIMENS

Climens has been run by the Lurton family since the early 1970s.

Its wine has long been thought to often rival d'Yquem, but it's rather different and quite special in its own right.

First, the estate is in the Barsac appellation, not Sauternes.  Over the years the Lurtons have replaced the Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle with Semillon.  

Yields are quite minuscule and this accounts for the often lofty price tag on a bottle of Climens.  It's said they produce perhaps 25,000 to 30,000 bottles annually...this from something close to 30 hectares of vineyards!

 

The Lurtons prefer to ferment the juice in oak, saying it allows them to pick individual sites and ferment in small lots.  They seem to use a healthy percentage of new oak and we usually find a distinctive and sweet oak aspect to most vintages.  The wine remains, typically, for nearly two years in wood.  

We currently have their 2004 in stock.  If you pay more attention to what's in your glass than to a vintage chart, you'll find this to be a stellar wine at a fairly reasonable price.  The vintage chart won't give you much confidence in buying Sauternes from 2004, but the Climens effort is no ordinary or typical 2004!  The wine is very showy now and it's fairly golden in color.  There's a beautiful pineapple note to the wine along with its sweet, vanillin oak.  The flavors linger for quite a while, too.  You'll pay a significant premium for the more highly-touted vintages, but you won't find wines to be correspondingly better quality.

 

Currently in stock:  2004 Chateau CLIMENS  Sale $84.99 (750ml)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHÂTEAU HAUT-BERGERON
2004 Sold Out

This is a label owned by the Lamothe family and it's a wine which rarely gets much publicity from various eno-scribes, yet we've always been impressed by their wine.

That said, it's interesting to note that you can typically find wines from their more famous neighbors, often for a little less money.  Still, the local importer sells out with great regularity because the wine appeals to those who've taken the plunge and bought a bottle (or two).

 

The estate is about 17 hectares.  Predominantly old vine (60 years is the average age, supposedly) Sémillon, with only a tiny percentage of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.  I read in one journal they use about 50% new oak, which is surprising because the wine doesn't show the wood.  

The 2004 vintage is magnificent.  Deep in color, the visual aspects tip off the astute taster that there's a good chance of a fair bit of botrytis here.  The nose doesn't disappoint, displaying lots of honey, apricot and "sweet" fragrances.  The palate is rich, oily and the finish is quite long.  We opened a bottle after a blind-tasting as the mystery sweet wine...everyone was impressed and wanted to know "How much?"
But the wine was sold out at that point in time...happily, more has become available and we're back in business.  It's a wine most tasters would peg as coming from a far more famous estate.

The local importer told me "As you know, the appellation is small enough that just about every estate could claim to be a "neighbor of d'Yquem". In this instance, the Chateau does have a rather large vineyard just next to d'Yquem as well as vineyards near the Chateau in Preignac. In fact, they once showed me an old label that actually stated "contigu d'Yquem". They also own a parcel in Barsac  next to Climens. In any event they make consistently good Sauternes."

Luscious wine!

CHÂTEAU de RAYNE VIGNEAU
2009 Sauternes $64.99

This estate first gained fame in 1867 when it was called Vigneau-Pontac and it garnered the grand prize at the Paris fair.  I don't know what became of it after that, but it's an estate which sometimes offers rather good Sauternes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have their 2009 in stock...it's a lovely wine, just now evolving from a youthfully fruity Sauternes to something a bit more complex.  Honeyed, sweet and nicely balanced thanks to ample acidity, this should continue to develop over the next decade.

 

 

 

CHÂTEAU HAUT-MAYNE

Small, relatively unknown properties around the world of wine tend to try to associate themselves with more famous neighbors.
Virtually every estate in Sauternes is described as being "close to Château d'Yquem."  The marketing notion is that some of d'Yquem's luster might rub off on the other wineries.

 

But, in fact, Haut-Maybe is less than 2 miles from d'Yquem as you can see on the map above.  

Some wineries will tell you they buy barrels from a famous neighbor, again trying to associate the quality of their wine with that of the famous vintner nearby.  This is simply a form of voodoo.

Château Haut-Mayne is not too far from d'Yquem, though.  And they're actually pretty near Château Suduiraut.  But only someone with a lead palate would mistake Haut-Mayne's wine for the nectars made by the famous neighbors.

The good news, though, is that Haut-Mayne's Sauternes is quite fine and it arrives here for a sensible price.  The property encompasses some 7.5 hectares of Sauternes and they make some Bordeaux Supérieur as well.

The estate is owned by the Roumazeilles family.  These folks also own Château Grillon, a Barsac estate whose wines we've had for a number of vintages.  The 'secret' of the Haut-Mayne estate is that its vineyards are about 70 years old.  The property is predominantly Sémillon with about 10% of the estate devoted to Sauvignon Blanc.
No Muscadelle at Haut-Mayne.

 

Low yields, of course.  And the wines are typically affected with botrytis cinerea due to the property being close to the river.  While estates such as d'Yquem have the financial resources to selectively harvest the grapes, sending pickers through numerous times, a small property such as this one harvest in two, three or four passages.

About 30% of the juice is fermented in wood.  It usually takes about 3 weeks to ferment before the yeast die of exhaustion (and alcohol).  The wine is then matured in oak for about a year and a half.  Barrels are employed for about four or five years.  

 

We have the delicious, honeyed, apricot-like 2018 vintage.  The wine is nicely balanced and I wouldn't guess it to have spent much time in wood.  It's sweet and fairly unctuous without being heavy or cloying.  Of course, foie gras might be a fine accompaniment. if you live in a civilized part of the world.  But you could also serve this with fruit desserts such as an apple tart, strudel or pie.  Apricot and peach desserts would also work handsomely.

 

Currently in stock:  2018 CHÂTEAU HAUT-MAYNE Sauternes $21.99 (375ml)

 

 

CHATEAU FILHOT

Noted wine lover and former American ambassador to France, Thomas Jefferson (yeah, one of a couple of enophiles who occupied the White House) was a big fan of the wine of Château Filhot.

The wine, in Jefferson's day, sold for nearly the same money as its famous neighbor, Château d'Yquem.  But the track record of Filhot is not quite the same as d'Yquem's.  

We've periodically found good vintages of Filhot, but it remains a bit of a mystery as to why they don't regularly turn out a top wine.  Perhaps the cost of multiple, selective picking is not an investment the owners can afford?  Still, some years the wine is a bit of a diamond in the rough and it shows character.

Currently in stock:   2003 Sold Out

 

CLOS LAPEYRE

This famous little estate only recently hit on the notion of making wine.  It seems the Larrieu family grew peaches and strawberries as their main source of income.  In the 1970s, someone had the wildly brilliant idea of plant grapevines and, voila!, today Clos Lapeyre's wines are found half a world away from the Jurançon appellation.

Jean-Bernard Larrieu makes some splendid wines.  We often have his stone-dry white wine and we're delighted to offer his "La Magendia" sweet wine.

The La Magendia is made entirely of Petit Manseng, a grape variety particular to the Southwest and its home is Jurançon.  The juice is fermented in French oak and the wine offers vanilla, honey and pineapple notes with a steely edge, a hallmark of the Manseng grapes and the region.

Tasting in the Clos Lapeyre cellar.

Currently in stock:  LA MAGENDIA de LAPEYRE  $17.99 (half bottles)

 

DAGUENEAU'S JURANÇON

The late Didier Dagueneau, the "bad boy of Pouilly-Fumé," had embarked upon a new challenge a few years before his untimely death.  He had enjoyed the wines of the Jurançon region and began to produce a sweet wine there.

I'd asked Jean Bernard Larrieu (above at Clos Lapeyre) what he thought of this "foreigner" coming to their region and making wine...JB said he didn't mind and, in fact, appreciated that such a famous character as the outspoken Dagueneau would bring much-needed attention to this otherwise obscure appellation.

Dagueneau had already experimented in his own home wine region in the Loire, but was not happy with the results.  I suppose Sauvignon might be too "wild" to produce really grand sweet wine in the Loire...so Dagueneau apparently studied various regions, looking for a place which had unfulfilled potential.  But the fellow was also smart enough to select someplace where the grapes, picked at maturity, would not ripen at the same time as those in his backyard of Saint-Andelain.

Dagueneau found a parcel south of the city of Pau near the town of Aubertin.  There he set about cultivating the Petit Manseng grape.  We understand there were problems with his first attempt and Dagueneau, perfectionist that he was, would not sell the wine.  

His next vintage, though, he hit the nail right on the head.

And, in fact, Dagueneau was successful in shining a spotlight on a region where there are, in fact, good wines.  As usual, his is made without compromise or regard for "what it costs."  Didier was always more concerned, rather, with "what it takes to make the very best wine."

The 2005 is currently in the shop.  This is a deep, compelling, expensive bottle of sweet wine.  It rivals top Sauternes, late-picked wines from Alsace, Germany and Austria.  

 

Currently in stock:  2005 LES JARDINS DE BABYLONE $119.99 (500ml)

UROULAT (Charles Hours & Family)

Charles Hours is one of the leading lights in the region and a winemaker to watch.  He owns a famous little vineyard called Clos Uroulat, which we've had in the shop for several years.  

Hours took over the domain in 1983 and had 3.5 hectares of vineyards.  Over the past two decades his holdings have increased and he now tends, with the help of his young daughter Marie, something like 14 hectares.

Happily, there's no Chardonnay here.  Instead you'll find the vineyards devoted predominantly to Petit Manseng for the sweet wine and Gros Manseng and a tiny bit of Petit Courbu for the dry wine.

We've had their Uroulat wine for a number of vintages.  This is made entirely of late-picked Petit Manseng.  The harvest usually takes place in November and the fruit attains high sugar through a drying-on-the-vine process called passerillage.   Unlike Sauternes where they have long relied on Botrytis cinerea to shrivel the grapes, here the fruit hangs on the vine and essentially dehydrates thanks to a warm wind from the south.  You'll hear winemakers in the Jurançon speak of the "Foehn" winds, a dynamic where the wind blows up one side of the mountain where it dehydrates and cools and then as it flows down the other side, it becomes significantly warmer.  This wind pattern is common in the Jurançon and the Petit Manseng grapes are dried, concentrating the sugar and acid.

Hours crushes the Petit Manseng and allows the juice to settle before racking it into barrels for the fermentation.  He's sensitive to the character and quality of the juice each vintage, but generally employs about 25% new wood for the wine.  It's typically bottled after nearly a year in oak, enough time to take a touch of wood, but not so much that the oak is a prominent feature of the wine.

Uroulat is a delicious wine with fruit desserts, but it also shines when paired with baked apples, apple pie, white cakes, poached pears, etc.  In the Southwest, though, you'll find this wine being partnered with foie gras at the start of a meal, too.

 

Currently in stock:  2013 UROULAT JURANCON $31.99 (750ml bottle)

We also have some other Sauternes in half and full bottle format.  Stop by to check out the current offerings.

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