Bordeaux 2009 Primeurs: Wonderful Sauternes and Barsac

2009 is a wonderful vintage for Sauternes and Barsac. It is not that common that the conditions for a great red wine year provide the same conditions for a great sweet wine year but this does look to be the case in this vintage. Although it is early days the wines in general have a wonderful delicacy and balance and the warm year produced ripe fruit, high in flavour and with high potential alcohol.
Vintage conditions also proved excellent for the generation of botrytis which developed quickly in the vineyards. Many proprietors at the Union des Grands Crus tasting think that 2009 is the best vintage in the region since the glorious 2001 [and possibly better] and certainly superior to the very attractive 2007. Time of course will tell. What is clear is that a number of estates have produced excellent wines here. Chateau Coutet, Chateau Rabaud-Promis, Chateau Rieussec and Chateau Suduiraut were marvellous at the tasting, but there are many others including Chateau Guiraud, Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Chateau La Tour Blanche, and Chateau de Rayne Vigneau that also look wonderful in 2009. All the wines were tasted on 30th March 2010 at Chateau Dauzac. The notable omissions were Chateau Climens and Chateau d’Yquem.
Chateau Rieussec, Premier Cru Classe, Fargues, Sauternes, 2009
Light gold; very attractive nose; noble; some real botrytis notes here; with wax; palate very fresh and appealing; medium weight and racy; even more so than the Rabaud-Promis. Excellent with wonderful length. 94-96+/100
Chateau Rabaud-Promis, Premier Cru Classe, Bommes, Sauternes, 2009
Pale straw, clean waxy note; fresh and very attractive honeyed fruit; palate wonderfully attractive; sweet but with balancing acidity. Complexity here. This is very good. Nice length and zest on the finish. Fantastic, one of the best. 94-96+/100
Chateau Suduiraut, Premier Cru Classe, Preignac, Sauternes, 2009
Again fresh and attractive; some lemon hints; with butterscotch and cream; palate bold and big; this is potentially excellent. Nice zip and balance to the sweetness. Wonderful. 92-94+/100
Chateau Coutet, Premier Cru Classe, Barsac, Sauternes, 2009
Lemon straw; elegant nose; honey and lemon, attractive wine good mouth feel and balance. Excellent. 92+/100
Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, Premier Cru Classe, Bommes, Sauternes, 2009
Ripeness on the nose; honey and butter; fresh butterscotch and honey; this is interesting; very good here. Very good and refreshing. 92+/100
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Premier Cru Classe, Bommes, Sauternes, 2009
Light gold; lemon and fresh again; mid-weight, some butter, honey; quite high alcohol but good balancing acid. Quite sweet. Quite fat with very good length. 92+/100
Chateau La Tour Blanche, Premier Cru Classe, Bommes, Sauternes, 2009
Light gold, soft, some lemon and fresh; lots of fruit here; good palate; sweet but balanced. Refreshing. Nice race and zip on the finish. 92+/100
Chateau Guiraud, Premier Cru Classe, Sauternes, 2009
Fresh, slightly grassy note; full bodied palate; broad but very good. Lacks the zip of Rabaud-Promis and Rieussec but should be very good 90-92/100
Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Premier Cru Classe, Bommes, Sauternes, 2009
Fresh nose; attractive wine; some wax and lanolin, palate fresh and racy; will age well. Good palate well balanced. 90-92+/100
Chateau de Malle, Second Cru Classe, Preignac, Sauternes, 2009
Light gold; some butterscotch; clean; fresh; very elegant but with depth here. Should be very good. 90-92+/100
Chateau Sigalas Rabaud, Premier Cru Classe, Bommes, Sauternes, 2009
Fresh quality to the nose; grassy quality, medium weight and very attractive. 90-92+/100
Chateau Doisy-Védrines, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, 2009
Pale straw; lemon, clean, light honey; perfume on the palate, pretty; very good. 90+/100
Chateau Doisy-Daene, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, 2009
Pale straw, delicate; some light honey, fresh, medium weight. Attractive and excellent too 90+/100
Chateau Nairac, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, 2009
Pale gold, more intense, some butterscotch and waxy edge with grass; racy on the palate, medium sweet. Very good here. 90+/100
Chateau d’Arche, Second Cru Classe, Sauternes, 2009
Lemon straw; fresh, some SB elements, lemon and grass, medium weight, racy style. Lovely. 90+/100
Chateau de Fargues, Sauternes, 2009
Mid gold; grassy, slightly waxy note; medium weight, nicely balanced; medium sweet and very attractive. Fresh here. 90+/100
Chateau Filhot, Second Cru Classe, Sauternes, 2009
Fresh, some grass and honey; little wet dog on palate; medium sweet. Easy and attractive. 88-90/100
Chateau Bastor Lamontagne, Sauternes, 2009
Pale gold; ripe nose; some honey, some citrus; very nicely done; some apple; attractive palate, medium weight. 88-90/100
Chateau Lamothe, Second Cru Classe, Sauternes, 2009
Light gold; slightly eggy note; palate clean and fresh; some honey. Not bad once nose clears up. 88/100
Chateau Caillou, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, 2009
Attractive grassy note; fresh; quite lively on palate with elegance 86-88/100
Chateau Lamothe Guignard, Second Cru Classe, Sauternes, 2009
Pale gold; some waxy notes; not as clean as de Fargues. 86-88/100
Chateau Romer du Hayot, Second Cru Classe, Farges, Sauternes, 2009
Waxy note; some grassy Sauvignon Blanc tones; medium weight and sweetness. Little simple. 86-88/100
Chateau Suau, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, Sauternes, 2009
Light green gold; fresh, some SB characters; not that sweet but refreshing 86-88+/100
Chateau Broustet, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, Sauternes, 2009
Pale straw, quite grassy, medium sweet OK. 86-88/100
Chateau de Myrat, Second Cru Classe, Barsac, 2009
Pale straw; freshness here; some lemon and lime here; lacks a bit of zip. 86-88/100
Tags: Barsac, botrytis, Chateau Bastor Lamontagne, Chateau Broustet, Chateau Caillou, Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Chateau Coutet, Chateau d’Arche, Chateau de Fargues, Chateau de Malle, Chateau de Myrat, Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, Chateau Doisy-Daene, Chateau Doisy-Vedrines, Chateau Filhot, Chateau Guiraud, Chateau La Tour Blanche, Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Chateau Lamothe, Chateau Lamothe Guignard, Chateau Nairac, Chateau Rabaud-Promis, Chateau Rieussec, Chateau Romer du Hayot, Chateau Sigalas Rabaud, Chateau Suau, Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes, UGCB, Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux