Wine Words & Video Tape

Wine, Words and Videotape

Fine Wine Review site

Château Doisy-Daëne

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Address: 33720 Barsac

Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 62 96 51

E-mail: reynon@wanadoo.fr

Website: www.denisdubourdieu.com

Château Doisy-Daëne is a Haut-Barsac second growth which outperforms many wines in the region and has been in the Dubourdieu family since 1924. Since 2000, white wine guru Denis Dubourdieu has run the estate, a well established oenology consultant and also Professor at Bordeaux University’s Faculty of Oenology. Chateau Doisy-Daëne makes long lived and complex wines. There is also a super cuvee here L’Extravagance de Doisy Daëne, produced in only best years. It is apparently extraordinary. I’ve had a lot of enjoyment from the main wine over the years.

Vineyard/Terrior: 16.3 hectares planted on sandy red Barsac soil above a layer of limestone. Vineyard comprises of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaking/Elevage: Aged in oak for 18 months, one third new.

Tasting notes:

  • 2013 Pale gold with green hints; very attractive aromatics; lovely creamy botrytis tones with some grapefruit notes; full, zippy and attractive wine on the palate; lots of flavour and real race and style; very good mouthfeel; creamy. Excellent. Real star [as usual]. [90% Semillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc]. Tasted 1/4/14 at UGCB. Drink 2017-2030. 92-94+
  • 2012 Washed gold green; fresh nose; some candy and fruit salad tones; quite open; fairly full palate with elegance and nice balance. Good effort again. UGC April 11, 2013. 88-90
  • 2011 Golden; some honey and a little wax; full wax and honeyed palate; quite sweet. Nice length. Needs to open up a bit. Drink 2015-2026. Tasted Oct ’13 UGCB. 91+ [Earlier note] Pale straw; fresh; some grass; clean and lean; very attractive and precise; some cream but also restraint; surprisingly weighty palate; bolder and fuller than the nose suggests; honey; balanced and sweet and exceptionally good. Tasted April ’12 UGCB. 93-95+
  • 2010 Pale gold/straw; wet wool, some cream, little dumb; palate very good with length and sweetness. Very nicely balanced between sweetness and acid. Subtle. Tasted Oct ’12 at UGCB. 92+[Earlier note] Palest gold; quite waxy, fresh; cut grass and flowers; quite rich palate, sweet with some degree of unctuousness; quite good bite on the finish. Plenty of acid. 90-92/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Pale straw, delicate; some light honey, fresh, medium weight. Attractive and excellent too 90+/100
  • 2007 Mid straw; quite elegant with some Sauvignon Blanc elements; palagte elegant and fresh. Will fill out. Goodish. 88+/100  17/20 UGC tasting Oct ‘09
  • 1995 Gold; spot on nose! Cream, butterscotch with hints of crème brulee, apricot, marmalade but still with freshness. Medium weight; not at all cloying with good length. Hitting its stride. 90/100 April 06
  • 1971 Deep gold; terrific aged Sauternes; still fresh and vibrant with also good complexity; citrus flavours and botrytis; elegant but not drying out. Layer on layer of lush flavour on the palate. Bought for £7.50 from Queen’s College Cellar in 1991. 92+/100 Dec ‘97

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