Chronicle 95. 2009 Sauternes Barsac : the out of this world vintage or when Botrytis makes sugar ethereal

2009 Sauternes Barsac : the out of this world vintage or when Botrytis makes sugar ethereal :Haura, Cantegril, Doisy Daëne, Extravagant de Doisy Daëne, Guiraud, Nairac and Clos Haut Peyraguey Follow-up for red outsiders :Clos Puy Arnaud and Clauzet SAUTERNES BARSAC 2009 Last Saturday I tasted Denis Dubourdieu’s sweet white wines and today, 19 wines from 2009. My conclusion : 2009 is the most extraordinary vintage that I have been fortunate enough to come across in the area Unmistakable signs: When tasting wines we all have ways and tricks of our own. Here is one of mine: when I am tasting sweet white wines, I always make sure that I have a couple of bottles of water with me. So, today, next to the 2009 futures, in prime position, was a bottle of mineral water. But you’ll never guess…Although the wines were rich in residual sugar I hardly felt the need to use water at all to rinse out my mouth. My attention was taken by much more than the mere sweet feeling. Style All the wines displayed a light golden yellow colour. The noses were invariably pleasant and the Botrytis could unmistakeably be felt through traces of oak moss, which will fade out during the maturing process. They were all surprisingly clean and fruity, making the more traditional comments about candied fruit or, even worse, honey, often used when talking about a sweet white wine nose, utterly irrelevant. In 2009, the noses are astonishingly fresh and subtle. On the palate, the wines’ superb tactile feelings, smoothness and lightness totally enticed me. Their depth levels varied, of course, but none of them failed to show a magical presence when the sweet character turned into silk before it vanished and gave way to an amazing display of savours. On finish, the freshness stimulated saliva (and that is precisely why I did not feel the need to use water) and made it impossible for me not to swallow. So, how was that possible after so much sweetness? Some will look at the pH and acidity levels and will find the balance with the sugar absolutely perfect. Personally, after so many tastings, the magic of Botrytis and its fantastic aromas and effects, which we still know very little about, still has the power to move me. An outstanding vintage! I have flagged many of those wines as “ my best grade given to this wine as a future ”. THE SWEET WHITE WINES OF DENIS DUBOURDIEU HAURA Cérons AOC 2009……………………………………………………….. 16 My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign. The wine is made from 40 years old vines. It displays a pale yellow color and offers a fine and fruity nose of botrytis and anise. Wonderful on entry, this wine develops very, very aromatic, with taste and a remarkable melted character. It finishes subtle and absolutely impossible not to swallow. Alcohol level : 14° – residual sugar : 116 gram per liter – pH: 3,7 CANTEGRIL Sauternes 2009……………………………………………………… 16 My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign. Showing a yellow green color with a fine, fruity and subtle nose, this wine performs remarkably soft on entry. The aromatic development and the touch on the palate are the most subtle I have ever seen from this estate. While rich yet ethereal, the wine finishes sappy and long, with taste and a noble character. Alcohol level: 14° – residual sugar : 137 gram per liter – pH: 3,85 – Total acidity 3,8 – A blend of 88% de sémillon, 12% de sauvignon DOISY DAENE Barsac 2009…………………………………………………. 18//95 My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign. This is a tremendous wine that I have tasted even better during this week than last Saturday. Showing a yellow green color with a very intense, noble, ethereal and sophisticated nose, it is both very fresh and powerful. Aromas are dominated by candied lemon. Superb on entry, the wine develops extremely aromatic with an insane level of concentration. This is an elixir of Doisy Daene! It performs very melting; finishing noble and very fresh over a great and complex finish. Totally impossible not to swallow. Bravo. Alcohol level: 14° – residual sugar : 145 gram per liter – A blend of 90% de sémillon, 10% de sauvignon EXTRAVAGANT DE DOISY DAENE Sauternes 2009……………….. 20 // 100 My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign. Showing a yellow green color along with an extravagant nose, this wine offers a complex and subtle scent of smoke and orange peel characteristics. On the palate, it is marvelous and melts gracefully with nuances before finishing ethereal. I have never known this growth so subtle and full both at the same time. It is a great, great wine! Production of 7 barrels. Alcohol level: 12.5° – residual sugar: 245 gram per liter – pH: 3,8 – Total acidity 4. A blend of 50% de sémillon, 50% de sauvignon Among the wines tasted today, I still found three more exceptional wines that get all three " my highest rating ever given to this wine as future " : Guiraud rated 18 // 95, Nairac rated 19-20 // 97-100 and a fabulous Clos Haut Peyraguey also noted 19.5-20 // 98-100. To be followed in the 2009 Bordeaux futures Live reports starting on March 29th. OTHER RED OUTSIDERS TO LOOK AFTER IN THIS VINTAGE CLOS PUY ARNAUD Côtes de Castillon 2009………………… 16,5 – 16,75 // 90-91 This estate has changed a lot since 2005. The positive effects of biodynamic farming are now fully paying: this wine has an incredible level of overall energy. In this 2009 vintage, a very small yield of 15hl/ha caused by hail further raises the sensation of density and depth. This wine has 14.25° alcohol level similarly to last year’s vintage at the same time and has not yet finished its malolactic fermentation. I have tasted four different samples which got blended in front of me from equal volumes. This wine showed a black color, a profound nose that performs both fresh and fine yet has never seemed so precise despite not entirely finalized. On the palate, the wine is distinguished by its opulence along with its woven character where juicy and pulpy expressions echo to each others. This Clos Puy Arnaud is deep, melting, elongated and very tasty. It finishes very long. Once again, congratulations to Thierry Valette. This 2009 vintage is better than 2005. Take note that given the non stable character of this wine, it is recommended to taste it directly at the estate better than anywhere else. CLAUZET Saint-Estèphe 2009…………………………………………… 16,25 // 89 You probably recall the superb score that I gave to the 2005 vintage, despite being strongly dispraised by others during futures tastings. It is my pleasure to witness today that many writers have changed their minds. Its style has slightly changed since last year: the wine now shows milder tannins and much profiled on finish. In 2009, the addition of a sorting table has further enhanced the selection process. Showing a lovely intense dark color, the nose is distinguished by the purity of its fruit and a sensation of refinement. Caressing on entry, the wine behaves fat and very fruity on the mid-palate, before finishing both fine and powerful over fruity and licorice flavors. I can’t say for sure whether this wine will be better than the 2005 vintage at this point in time. On the other hand, it already offers a more nuanced character. A blend of 55 % cabernet sauvignon, 45 % merlot, 5 % cabernet franc and petit verdot – Yields of 40 hl/ha – Production of 118 000 bottles. 2009 BORDEAUX FUTURES LIVE REPORT SUBSCRIPTION (1 month) Those of you who subscribed from March 1st in to receive the Bordeaux futures live reports will receive a complimentary extension of their subscription until April 30th (2 months for the price of 1!). Please do not take note of the ending date mentioned in the automatic email received at the subscription time. We apologize for any confusion experienced. The 2009 Bordeaux futures live reports will being on March 29th and being published every 48 hours. Jean-Marc Quarin. ___________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2010. This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, BP 40, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@wanadoo.fr. The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, www.quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin (JMQ) is shown as the Copyright holder.

2010 Chronicles

Chronicle 95. 2009 Sauternes Barsac : the out of this world vintage or when Botrytis makes sugar ethereal

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