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Doisy Vedrines: I’ve become more familiar with this producer over the past couple of years for two reasons: more affordable and delicious wines. This ‘05 was when the tasting really hit stride for me. The initial impression of botrytis on the nose was unmistakable and profound, bracing the flighty nuance of white candied fruit. On the palate, the depth of the botrytis was felt, rich as Roman, with hints of blossoms, vibrancy, and that feeling you get when tasting a fine olive oil. From here my notes say: “Bam. A cracker. (English term for something really good) Finish still going.” One of the ones for me and my budget.
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Doisy Daene: Tasted directly after its Barsac cousin, there was a noticeable difference in aroma. The Daene had a much cleaner and precise direction to it. The botrytis was present, yet balanced with a hint of citrus which led me to believe there was more Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. If not more, it certainly seemed more prevalent. In the mouth, it was expansive with a hint of smokiness behind that luscious fruit which seemed to ping off of every sensor available. I couldn’t help thinking, “Wow, are they kidding? This is like the Bill Graham Memorial concert where Jackson Browne went on at 12:10. If he’s playing now, who’s coming on at 3:30?” Ah, but I already had the wines in front of me, so I knew.
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Clos Haut Peyraguey: Once again I’m struck with a deep botrytis on the nose combined with aromas that remind me of what I had for breakfast: brioche, butter, and tea. The Clos Haut is round and soft in the mouth exhibiting delicate tropical notes of papaya, banana, and coconut. The acidity picks up mid palate and sends the whole package away much like a lover at the train station in the days of yore.
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La Tour Blanche: One of the few producers to still use Muscadelle (5%) in the blend, the LaTour Blanche has an abundance of complexity on the nose. Yes, its bouquet is marked by expressive botrytis, I picked up a hint of petrol as well. On the palate it has a wide, wide mouth-feel that gives those dark corners of your mouth a pleasant pinch. It carries a spicy-sweet flavor profile reminiscent of honey toast, is concentrated, and has the stuff to last. One for the cellar. June Arrival.
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June Arrival.
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Coutet: Tasting the Coutet had to be the most fun. Here we all were in a small room, all quiet, swirling the same wine. Notes are being jotted down, sips taken, the spitting(romantic huh?), more notes, then all of a sudden, the euphoria we felt as a group couldn’t be contained, and smiles of glee and praise were heaped. My own note concluded with “Cover off the ball”. Hints of flintiness on the nose combined with the noble rot, and some citrus notes, but I had no idea what was in store for me. The wine showed amazing weight, sat perfectly on the palate, gained in intensity, showed off candied fruit and spice-cake among other things, and finished like the grand finale of a fireworks show. The hit of the tasting. Need I say more? June Arrival.
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Guiraud: Talk about a tough act to follow! The Guiraud has received a heap of praise, and rightfully so. There is an expressive floral/blossomy component on the nose that compliments the botrytis and lively fruit. In the mouth, one gets the sensation of creme caramel, interwoven with spice, a lively mid palate that has that feel of fine olive oil. The finish combines brioche-like flavors with fruit and spice and lasts and lasts.
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Suduiraut: The Suduiraut was the wine that stood out the most for me. This was due to its delicacy and refinement. I detected the botrytis and candied orchard fruit on the nose in a addition to green tea, they just presented themselves in a restrained fashion. On the palate it was soft and luscious with that honey-toast butter/spiciness. There were hints of petrol throughout. On the finish, it faded slowly and appeared to dry out at the very end. All in all I really loved what they did here as the wine was truly unique in an amazingly good way.
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Climens: I’ve been looking forward to writing this one throughout this exercise. You see I’ve never used “cookie” in a tasting note before. But there it is. Okay, it’s Chateau Climens, Lord of Barsac. 100% Semillon; it’s reputation precedes it. On the nose it’s back to the richness of the vintage: noble rot, allspice, walnut, petrol, and cookie. I must have meant oatmeal cookie as that was the only cookie I knew as a kid. Oh, there’s more. In the mouth I wrote, “Intense, expanding, menthol, full throttle“. This wine was not shy. In a word, it was a mouthfull. I was glad they saved it for last as we would have missed out on the nuance of the Coutet and Suduiraut had we experienced this one earlier. The finish was equally intense and faded slowly, leaving the traces of a lovely tasting of great wines seared in my memory.
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Notes From a Recent Tasting
