Sauternes/Barsac - 2009 Bordeaux Futures List - VINTAGES

Sauternes/Barsac - White Wine

CLIMENS
1^er Cru

200337 (S) 375 mL

$88 per btl $264 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 JR: 18.5+ WE: 97-99

TASTING NOTE: A tasting from several barrels, because the chateau has not made the final blend, so the rating is provisional. But the wine is so rich, with an almost perfect balance of acidity and ripeness, allied to a complete purity of honeyed botrytis. However the final wine turns out, it will be magnificent. Score: 97-99 (WE)

CLIMENS
1^er Cru

200360 (S) 750 mL

$175 per btl $525 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 JR: 18.5+ WE: 97-99

COUTET
1^er Cru

193094 (S) 375 mL

$63 per btl $189 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 DEC: **** WS: 95-98 JR: 16 WE: 96-98 TJW: 9.5

TASTING NOTE: The Coutet 2009 is a sensational effort from Philippe Baly and his team. It has a fragrant nose of honey, vervain tea, pineapple, frangipane and apple-blossom, well defined if needing a little more vigour at the moment. The palate is vibrant on the entry, informed by touches of apricot and orange peel, very focused and tensile towards the long, sensuous, viscous finish. It has the same minerality exuded by Doisy-Daene and reminds me of a stellar ’62 tasted just a few weeks previously. A magnificent Coutet. Score: 96-98 (Neal Martin, RP)

COUTET
1^er Cru

198630 (S) 750 mL

$125 per btl $375 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 DEC: **** WS: 95-98 JR: 16 WE: 96-98 TJW: 9.5

D'ARCHE
2^e Cru

191155 (S) 375 mL

$23 per btl $69 per 3-btl. lot

DEC: **** WS: 91-94 JR: 17 WE: 89-91 GD: 17 TJW: 9.1

TASTING NOTE: Intense apple pie and lime aromas follow through to a full body. Medium sweet, with a spicy botrytis finish. Offers lots of subtle character. Score: 91-94 (WS)

DE FARGUES

195925 (S) 375 mL

$109 per btl $327 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 95-97 DEC: **** WS: 91-94 JR: 17.5 GD: 16 TJW: 9.6

TASTING NOTE: The nose is rather taciturn at first, unfurling with tantalizing slowness: clear honey, pear, orange-blossom and apricot. Wonderful definition. The palate is not as powerful as others, but there is a tangible sense of minerality underlying the honeyed fruit, very focused and endowed with breathtaking definition and tension towards the vibrant finish. Score: 95-97 (Neal Martin, RP)

DE MALLE
2^e Cru

189928 (S) 375 mL

$27 per btl $81 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 88-90+ DEC : *** WS: 89-92 JR: 17.5 WE: 93-95 GD: 17

TASTING NOTE: Deep gold. Sweet, candied violets on the nose. Fresh and precise on the front palate. Masses of weight and sweetness. Still a baby but it promises well. A rather burnt element to it, in an interesting way. Savoury, dry finish. Serious stuff that should repay a considerable wait. Long. Drink 2020-2035. Score: 17.5 (JR)

DOISY-DAËNE
2^e Cru

191478 (S) 375 mL

$32 per btl $96 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 DEC: **** WS: 90-93 WE: 93-95 GD: 16 TJW: 9.5

TASTING NOTE: Denis Dubourdieu has provided one of the genuine stars of the vintage with the Chateau Doisy-Daene, two, if you count his Extravagance. This has a very fragrant nose with apple blossom, lime leaf and a touch of honey. Very fresh and lifted...spring-like. The palate is very well balanced, not a powerful Sauternes but ethereally poised and focused, skipping blithely to an animated pear, honeysuckle and apricot finish. Very pretty, very complete and very outstanding. Score: 96-98 (Neal Martin, RP)

DOISY-VÉDRINES
2^e Cru

189449 (S) 375 mL

$27 per btl $81 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 92-94 DEC: **** WS: 92-95 JR: 15.5 WE: 91-93 GD: 16 TJW: 9.4+

TASTING NOTE: This is comparatively timid on the nose, giving very little away at the moment despite rigorous coaxing. But the palate is very promising, very well balanced, very focused with a fine citrus attack on the entry, fanning out towards an apricot, white peach and lime tinged finish that shows a great deal of unctuous honeyed fruit on the finish. This is an exuberant Doisy-Vedrines that yearns to offer pleasure. Score: 92-94 (Neal Martin, RP)

D'YQUEM
1^er Cru Supérieur

204180 (S) 375 mL

$645 per btl $1,935 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 DEC: ***** WS: 97-100 JR: 19+

TASTING NOTE: What a fabulous wine. It's an explosion of fruit, yet it's very refined. I absolutely love the nose on this, with apricot tart, apple crumble, caramel and crème brûlée. Full-bodied, superripe and spicy, with mango, papaya, spices and sweet dried lemons. Incredibly long. It really rocks your socks off. Amazing. This could be even better than 2001. Score: 97-100 (WS)

D'YQUEM
1^er Cru Supérieur

202978 (S) 750 mL

$1,275 per btl $3,825 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 96-98 DEC: ***** WS: 97-100 JR: 19+

GUIRAUD
1^er Cru

192005 (S) 375 mL

$40 per btl $120 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 94-96 DEC: ***** WS: 95-98 JR: 18 WE: 95-97 TJW: 9.5

TASTING NOTE: The 2009 Guiraud is very tight on the nose, taking time to unfurl, with notes of apricot, peach, a touch of honeysuckle and quince. Good definition. The palate is impressive: tightly coiled, honeyed fruit, very fine acidity, linear at first then fanning out across the finish with notes of dried apricot, nectarine, a touch of almond and a faint hint of spice. With good length and unctuous on the finish, this Guiraud is impossible to ignore. Score: 94-96 (Neal Martin, RP)

LA TOUR BLANCHE
1^er Cru

193193 (S) 375 mL

$45 per btl $135 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 94-96 DEC: ***** WS: 91-94 JR: 18 WE: 92-94 GD: 17 TJW: 9.4

TASTING NOTE: The 2009 La Tour Blanche is very primal on the nose with grapefruit, nectarine and apricot aromas. The palate is very well balanced, just a little oaky at the moment but with a very fine thread of acidity. Touches of fresh apricot, a hint of nougat, lime zest and white peach. Well balanced, linear at the front palate but voluminous and expanding across the mouth in every direction on the viscous, mineral-rich finish. There is so much potential here. Superb. Score: 94-96 (Neal Martin, RP)

LA TOUR BLANCHE
1^er Cru

195396 (S) 750 mL

$89 per btl $267 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 94-96 DEC: ***** WS: 91-94 JR: 18 WE: 92-94 GD: 17 TJW: 9.4

LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY
1^er Cru

192021 (S) 375 mL

$37 per btl $111 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 92-94 DEC: **** WS: 90-93 JR: 17+ WE: 95-97 GD: 16.5 TJW: 9.3

TASTING NOTE: There is some SO2 masking the nose here, which is difficult to assess. However, the palate is well balanced with fine minerality, bright citrus fruit, orange zest, a touch of white peach and apricot, good tension towards the finish with a dash of lemongrass on the aftertaste. There is very good weight and botrytis on this Lafaurie Peyraguey that linger seductively. Score: 92-94 (Neal Martin, RP)

MYRAT
2^e Cru

188995 (S) 375 mL

$25 per btl $75 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 91-93 DEC: **** WS: 94-97 JR: 17.5 WE: 94-96 TJW: 9.2+

TASTING NOTE: Dried apricot and citrus fruit aromas follow through to a full body, with a very sweet and intense palate. Finishes with lots of fruit and spicy nutmeg character. Score: 94-97 (WS)

RAYMOND-LAFON

195867 (S) 375 mL

$29 per btl $87 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 92-94 DEC: ***** JR: 19 TJW: 9.4+

TASTING NOTE: Very deep golden, with great tension and excitement and some green streaks, with layers of botrytis over them. Full and deep with intense botrytis. Great stuff! Unspittable, dried apricots (though so much richer than a Tokaji) and great acidity. Drink 2017-2032. Score: 19 (JR)

RAYMOND-LAFON

195891 (S) 750 mL

$58 per btl $174 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 92-94 DEC: ***** JR: 19 TJW: 9.4+

RAYNE VIGNEAU
1^er Cru

192146 (S) 375 mL

$37 per btl $111 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 94-96 DEC: **** WS: 92-95 JR: 16 WE: 95-97 TJW: 9.5

TASTING NOTE: The 2009 Rayne-Vigneau is one of the stars of the vintage. It has a very well defined, almost understated nose with white peach, apricot and lime leaf: very pretty and succinct. The palate is very well balanced, beautifully defined with real minerality showing through the viscous, botrytized fruit. Great tension here, effortlessly counterbalancing the richness to perfection. Score: 94-96 (Neal Martin, RP)

RIEUSSEC
1^er Cru

193185 (S) 375 mL

$65 per btl $195 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 95-97 DEC: **** WS: 92-95 JR: 18 WE: 96-98 GD: 17

TASTING NOTE: The minerality and stoniness really comes through on the nose of this Rieussec, more than the 2007. The palate is very well balanced with superb acidity, real tension, steely with great precision with notes of apricot, white peach and honey on the beautifully defined finish. Probably the best Rieussec since the astounding 2001. Score: 95-97 (Neal Martin, RP)

RIEUSSEC
1^er Cru

195321 (S) 750 mL

$129 per btl $387 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 95-97 DEC: **** WS: 92-95 JR: 18 WE: 96-98 GD: 17

SIGALAS RABAUD
1^er Cru

192138 (S) 375 mL

$42 per btl $126 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 95-97 DEC: ***** WS: 92-95 JR: 17.5 WE: 94-96 TJW: 9.5

TASTING NOTE: The Sigalas-Rabaud has a well defined nose: grapefruit, nectarine, honey and lime, much more primal than some of the other 2009s. The palate is very well balanced with excellent acidity: apricot, honeysuckle, a touch of orange zest and then vibrant white peach bursting across the finish with lime flower and lemongrass on the aftertaste. Wonderful persistency, power and freshness. Without question: the 2009 is the best Sigalas-Rabaud that I have tasted and this nectar comes highly recommended. Score: 95-97 (Neal Martin, RP)

SUDUIRAUT
1^er Cru

192054 (S) 375 mL

$65 per btl $195 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 97-99 DEC: ***** WS: 94-97 JR: 18.5 WE: 96-98 GD: 18 TJW: 9.6

TASTING NOTE: One of the outstanding successes of the 2009 vintage, this may surpass the superlative 2007. It has a more understated nose at the moment, but is very well defined with honey, white peach, orange peel and crushed stones. The palate has a viscous entry, is very well balanced, very powerful with great depth and effervescent minerality. Layers of botrytis layer across the mellifluous finish that is beautifully defined and sensuous. Fabulous. Score: 97-99 (Neal Martin, RP)

SUDUIRAUT
1^er Cru

195982 (S) 750 mL

$129 per btl $387 per 3-btl. lot

RP: 97-99 DEC: ***** WS: 94-97 JR: 18.5 WE: 96-98 GD: 18 TJW: 9.6

Sauternes/Barsac - White Wine

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