Sauternes Blend Wines

wines

This is a beautiful Yquem, not huge or powerful, but with crispness, honey and freshness, very expressive of the year. The higher than usual proportion of Sauvignon in the blend gives it a real lift.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WETropically ripe, with dense yet creamy layers of guava, mango, lychee and papaya, all stitched with racy lemon cream and candied grapefruit peel notes. Frangipane-framed finish pumps out wave after wave of unctuous fruit. Starting to hits its second gear, and with old-school Yquem power and muscle. Drink now through 2032. 5,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2004 d’Yquem is almost identical to the bottle that I tasted at the château four years ago. It has a generous bouquet; the oak a tad more subsumed since my last encounter, with generous lemon curd, dried honey, mango and Mirabelle aromas billowing from the glass. It is a well balanced and quite weighty d’Yquem with slightly lower acidity than its peers; viscous in texture with a tropical tinged finish that I maintain just lacks the tension and energy of a d’Yquem from the top-drawer.Vinous Media | 93 VMServed from an ex-chateau bottle. This replicated the performance in the Southwold blind tasting. The 2004 Chateau d’Yquem’s bouquet is generous but not as complex as either the 2005 or indeed the 2006. The oak a little pronounced considering the age in bottle, but it does not leap at you shouting “I’m Yquem!” The palate has a viscous tangerine and orange peel opening with fine acidity. There is good weight in the mouth, with touches of spice and cardamom. It finishes just a little abruptly for a Yquem, a pretty note without requisite sustain. Drink now-2035. Tasted March 2014.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

Tasted single blind against its peers. Chateau Climens always tends to go into its shell after bottling, which is probably why I was not dishing out an even higher score to this still, spellbinding Barsac. The 2007 is endowed with a lovely bouquet: very pure with honey, a touch of orange-blossom and a touch of quince. The palate is very well-balanced with great purity and a dash of spice as well as a lovely viscous, botrytis-laden finish that possesses awesome weight and persistency. This is a slice of heaven in a glass, but it definitely needs time to reveal its true potential. Tasted January 2011.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 98 RP-NMA big, rich wine, showing its gorgeous fruit easily. But with a core of dryness, the ripest apricots touched by caramel, it should age well over many years. There is intense power here, still hidden by the youth of the wine, but with final concentration.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Château Climens (Barsac)) The 2007 vintage produced an absolutely classic crop of Sauternes and Barsac and the ’07 Climens is a stellar young wine. Here, we have all of the racy precision and chalky undertow that makes Climens so popular, as the wine jumps from the glass in a lovely and quite complex constellation of apricot, coconut, tangerine, honey, chalky soil tones, citrus zest and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure, with lovely harmony and backend energy, laser-like focus and a very long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. A great vintage of Climens in the making. (Drink between 2020-2075)John Gilman | 94+ JGThis delivers loads of citrus aromas, along with dried apricot and honey on the nose, as well as toffee. Full-bodied, with a medium sweetness, spicy, fruity flavors and a long, racy, spicy finish. There’s toffee and caramel as well. Hard not to drink now. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Packed with botrytis, this is a wine whose sweetness is suppressed by richness. Flavors of bitter oranges and white figs go with the intense core of botrytis, followed by a touch of bright acidity. This is a wine whose journey is just beginning.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WECropped over 7 tries with 130 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2007 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a generous bouquet with almond, dried honey, minerals and yellow flowers – a little resinous and almost Barsac-like at first, though developing more botrytized aromas with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a honeyed entry. There is very good weight here: plenty of botrytized fruit, good acidity, lovely notes of mandarin, marmalade, quince and a twist of citrus lemon on the dense and assertive finish. This is a top Lafaurie-Peyraguey that was worth the perseverance during the harvest.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMThe 2007 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is one delicious Sauternes. It was picked over seven tries through the vineyard. It bursts from the glass with wild honey, mirabelle, vanilla pod and yellow flower scents displaying impressive intensity and delineation. As I commented with respect to previous bottles, there is Barsac-like personality to the 2007. The very pure palate presents a honeyed texture, more botrytized fruit than the 2006, and quince, barley sugar, Seville orange marmalade and almond notes that dovetail into a citrus-fresh finish. Superb. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at home.Vinous Media | 93 VMHoney, dried pineapple, apricot and tropical fruit on the nose. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with a spice, dried fruit and honey aftertaste. Balanced and pretty. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 91 WS(Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes)) The 2007 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a very stylish example of the vintage that has perfectly captured the more ethereal aspect of the botrytis of the best examples of this year. The nose is deep and beautifully glazed, as it offers up scents of pineapple, oranges, honeycomb, a nice touch of soil and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and quite long, with good, but not great depth at the core, beautiful, bright acidity and excellent length and grip on the impressively delicate and refined finish. At this early stage I have to give the 2007 Lafaurie-Peyraguey a decided edge over their 2005. A lovely bottle in the making. (Drink between 2015-2040)John Gilman | 90 JGFull body with much more concentration and structure than a second wine. Medium sweet, with spice and honey character. Serious intensity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 90 JS

Attractive nose with hazelnuts, vanilla and apricot. Lots of dried orange peel and honey in this excellent sweet wine. Dense and very sweet on the palate with bright acidity and wonderful purity of fruit. Soft, well-balanced and very elegant long finish. Medium sweetness. Intense botrytis spice on finish. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 96 JSPale lemon-gold colored, the 2010 Climens reveals a seriously intense nose of mango pudding, warm pineapples and pink grapefruit with hints of exotic spices, toasted almonds and brioche plus a waft of honeycomb. Powerfully flavored and packed with layers of tropical fruits, spices and earthy notes, it finishes epically long and honeyed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDense and lush now, offering tangerine, apricot, honey-roasted almond and dacquoise notes, with a long, powerful, honeyed finish that lets toasted coconut and mango cruise through. The lovely dried pineapple and honeysuckle accents flitter through the background. Shows stunning length and depth. This will become dreamy with age. Best from 2018 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFull and very rich, this is an opulent style of wine. It has a ripe, tropical fruit feel to it, offering power as well as fresh acidity. Pineapples and lychees give fruitiness, perfume and spice. The aftertaste, with its liquorous character, is gloriously warm and concentated. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2010 Climens is a little different to several previous encounters with dried honey, tangerine, melted candle wax and a touch of barley sugar, perhaps even more delineated than previous bottles. It almost shimmers with energy. The palate is medium-bodied with viscous honeyed fruit, very harmonious although you can tell that this is just a "young pup". Give it another decade in bottle. Courtesy of a bottle proffered by Bill Blatch at Trinity restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Climens (Barsac)) I had not tasted the final blended version of the 2010 Climens, as the last time I saw this wine was in its constituent components at the château back in the spring of 2011. As readers may recall, I was not wild about this vintage in the Sauternes and Barsac region, finding that the torrid heat and drought conditions of the summer of 2010 were not ideal for great Sauternes production. The 2010 Climens had shown promise back in the spring of 2011, but was also a bit atypically broad-shouldered and powerful in style and likely to lack some of the charm and elegance that makes this property many people’s absolute favorite in the region. The finished wine has turned out quite well, offering up fine depth and refinement as well, with the bouquet a blend of orange blossoms, pineapple, tangerine, honey, chalky soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and very elegant for the vintage, with a fine core, bright acids and very good length and grip on the powerful finish. This is still slightly “blunt” in profile, which may be a reflection of its adolescence, or it may end up always being part of the calling card of the 2010 vintage, but this is a very, very successful example of this difficult year. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 93 JG

Still tight, with an energetic core of white peach, creamed pineapple, persimmon and white ginger flavors. The backdrop of orange blossom and singed almond notes adds extra dimension on the finish. This will go a long way in the cellar. Best from 2016 through 2035. 4,025 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSMoving to the Grand Vin, the 2011 Château Climens reveals a still youthful gold color to go with impressive marzipan, brioche, honeycomb, and sauteed peach and apricot-like fruits. With beautiful balance on the palate, it’s full-bodied and has a vibrant spine of acidity followed by a clean, lengthy finish. This beautiful, complex Sauternes is going to evolve for 20-30 years or more in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is a rich, complex wine, full of dry botrytis that is surrounded by ripe honey. Spice, white peach and green plum jelly give complexity and variety. The acidity at the end is beautiful. The wine is already enticing but will need many years to develop fully. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA dense, racy, sweet white with dried-apple, apricot and honey character. Full, very sweet and fresh. Tangy, spicy aftertaste. Shows lots of subtle, intense botrytis-spice character on the finish. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 96 JSComplex, poised nose of apricot and quince. Fine attack, intense and very concentrated, with considerable force and drive. Taut and full of tension, this is for the long haul. Disappointing last year, magnificent now. Very long.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger that linger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022.Vinous Media | 94 VMPale lemon-gold in color, the 2011 Climens opens with stuck flint and earthy notions over a core of tropical fruit—pineapple and guava—plus wafts of fungi and fresh straw. The palate lends oodles of complex layers with plenty of botrytis-inspired complexity melding with the ripe tropical notes, finishing with great length. Tempting to drink now, it should reward cellaring over 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Not shy, with unctuous dried apricot, peach and tangerine fruit flavors, augmented with ginger, bitter orange and bitter almond notes that add tension. Expressive, with a floral twinge on the finish imparting lift. Best from 2020 through 2040. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe lush mango and papaya nose leads into a wonderfully rich and concentrated palate, which also has bright acidity that really lights the whole thing up and pulls your hand back to the glass for more! Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSAlready beautifully balanced, this wine is intense, rich and full of layered acidity and concentrated honey flavors. It’s ripe, opulent and dense, with spice notes and acidity highlighting its rich core. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEComposed of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc, the pale lemon-gold colored 2014 Guiraud opens with notes of honeyed apricots, lemon marmalade and beeswax followed by touches of musk perfume and lightly browned toast. The palate is wonderfully refreshing with plenty of zippy citrus fruit and a long perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2014 Guiraud has a very attractive bouquet, not unlike a Mosel Auslese in some ways, very well defined and minerally with honey, apricot blossom and a light petrolly scent. The palate is very detailed with a killer line of acidity, a touch of ginger and rhubarb on the entry, segueing into some vibrant orange zest and honeyed notes towards the viscous finish. Not as weighty or as concentrated as some Sauternes but this is very pure and feels very long in the mouth. Excellent. Tasted in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 93 VMTropical and orchard fruits are lifted by spicy botrytis notes, crystallised ginger and lemon verbena. Balanced and refined, yet bigger than usual but remarkably fresh thanks to vibrant acidity. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC