Sauternes 2001 with Tasting notes

2001 Sauternes

A Fine Vintage

After the glorious trio of 1988, 1989 and 1990, the weather has been less kind to the producers of fine Sauternes. Yes, there have been some good years, and, in the case of 1997, 1999 and 2000, some very good years indeed. But only 2001, on today’s showing, is a great vintage. The wines are now in bottle. They are beginning to be regarded as ‘collectable’, and fetch rather higher prices than the 1997s. But they’re worth it.

The Weather

After a wet winter – which cut the millennium Sauternes vintage in two – March was warm, encouraging an early bud-break, but April and the first week of May were grey and miserable. June was warm, ensuring a successful flowering, but July seriously cold and wet. August was warm rather than hot, but September was dry and sunny. The fine weather continued into October, and when the noble rot began to infest the vines from the first week of that month onwards, the fruit was already fully physiologically ripe. It is thus that great Sauternes is made.

The 2001s At The Outset

As usual, I sampled a wide range of mainly the crus classés in April the following year. Some wines – Yquem, for instance – often not offered en-primeur. The rest, for the final blend is not determined until later, before bottling, are approximations. At Climens, and you have to visit direct if you wish to sample, you will taste a dozen different wines, the produce of successive tris and different parts of the vineyard. They refuse to make a blend.

I liked what I sampled. This was a serious vintage. The wines had lots of power and concentration, but also very good balancing acidity. A cross between 1988 and 1989 I wrote at the time. All the well-known proprietors have produced successful wines.

The 2001s Today

Now three years on, and safety in bottle, the 2001s are wines up to the expectations we formed when they were first offered for tasting in the spring of 2002. They are full, rich, concentrated and vigorous: indeed quite powerful in some cases. There is plenty of weight, plenty of noble rot, and plenty of grip. This means that the wines are balanced as well as rich, elegant as well as long lasting. The vintage also seems consistent, all the way from the best bourgeois growths upwards and all the way from Fargues to Barsac. With a vintage like this, Sauternes deserves more of our attention. Grab the best wines before they disappear. But don’t pop the cork before 2009 or so.

Prices

Château Yquem is not yet on the market. The 1997 sells for £1550 per dozen; the 1999 is a mere £795. The top of the rest is probably Château Rieussec at £600 or so. Second growths such as Lamothe-Guignard are no more than £240.

The Tasting

The following wines were sampled at Château Suduiraut – my grateful thanks to Christian Seely and Axa Millésimes – in September 2004.

2001 Sauternes

Cru Barréjats 2010-2025 17.5

Light gold colour. Lovely nose but not very expressive at the moment. Very flowery. Very elegant and harmonious. On the palate full bodied, quite oaky and very intense. Quite a powerful example. Very lovely fruit. Splendid grip and balance. Fine.

Haut-Bergeron 2009-2020 16.5

Mid-gold colour. Honeyed, sweet nose. Good botrytis. Flowery. Good grip. Medium to medium-full body. Stylish and quite concentrated. Plenty of depth. Harmonious. Very good plus.

Filhot 2007-2017 14.0

Light colour. Light fragrant nose. Quite elegant. But no botrytis and, of course, no oak. Medium body. Fresh, flowery, sweet and well balanced. Forward and attractive. Clean finish. A pity about the lack of noble not. Quite good.

Lamothe (Despujols) 2009-2020 15.0

Lightish colour. Fullish nose. Not very stylish, but rich and concentrated. Some botrytis. Lacks high-tones. Not too coarse on the palate. Medium-full body. Youthful. Good fruit and very good grip. Long. Good.

Lamothe-Guignard 2010-2025 16.0

Deep gold colour. Rich, honeyed, balanced, nobly-rotten nose. Fullish bodied, ample and plump. It may not have the greatest subtlety, but it is full of fruit, harmonious and promising. This is very good.

Caillou 2008-2020 13.0

Lightish colour. Quite full nose. A little tight. Sweet but not a lot of pourriture noble. Medium weight. Decently fresh on the attack but a slight lack of dimension and depth. Quite good.

De Malle 2008-2020 13.0

Mid-gold colour. Slightly herbaceous on the nose. A touch green. Medium-full. On the dry side. Less so on the attack, but the finish has this same hard edge to it. Medium weight. Lacks a bit of concentration. Only fair. (A second bottle, sampled later, was similar).

Doisy-Daëne 2001-2026 18.5

Light-mid gold colour. Soft, subtle, very elegant nose. Lovely balance. Enticing ripe fruit. Good botrytis. Lovely flowery character. This is ravishingly attractive. Medium-full body. Very long and complex. Quite delicious. Very fine.

D’Arche 2011-2025 16.5

Mid-golden colour. Balanced, gently honeyed nose. Good botrytis. Medium weight. Ample, plump, stylish and honeyed on the palate. A superior version of Lamothe. Less grip than the Barsacs. But no lack of vigour or depth. Very good plus.

Nairac 2013-2035 17.5

Full colour. Full and oaky, rich and concentrated and intense. Very well balanced. Lovely fruit. Very good botrytis. Full body. Excellent grip. Not too oaky. Vigorous and concentrated. This is fine quality. Needs time.

Doisy-Védrines 2013-2035 17.5

Mid-golden colour. Splendid nose. Very elegant,. Lovely balance. Lots of depth. Lots of botrytis. Lots of dimension. Fullish bodied. Quite oaky. Youthful. Concentrated and very stylish. Quite powerful on the follow-through. Fine.

Coutet 2012-2035 19.0

Mid-golden colour. Lots of depth and class here. This is harmonious and complex. Sweet and flowery. Very good botrytis. Fullish body. Gently oaky. Excellent harmony. Very classy. Very, very long. Very fine plus.

Climens 2013-2040 19.5

Mid-golden colour. Fullish, very concentrated nose. Quite powerful. Youthful. Very good grip. Lots of botrytis. A lot of weight and a lot of concentration and vigour on the palate. Excellent fruit. Splendid acidity. Needs time. Very fine indeed.

Clos-Haut-Peyraguey 2009-2020 15.5

Light mid-gold colour. Plump nose. A little four-square. Not the greatest of botrytis. Fresher on the palate. Medium-full body. Balanced. Good flowery fruit. I would have liked a bit more zip at the end though. Good plus.

Guiraud 2011-2025 17.0

Full colour. Vanillany rather than oaky on the nose. Some botrytis. Medium-full body. Good grip. Decent concentration and style. Ample and attractive. Long. Very good indeed.

La Tour Blanche 2009-2020 16.5

Light mid-golden colour. Lightish, quite forward nose. But fresh, flowery and balanced. Some botrytis. A bit loose-knit. Medium body. Fresh. Harmonious. Lovely attractive finish. But quite forward. Very good plus.

Rayne-Vigneau 2009-2018 16.0

Mid-golden colour. Good botrytis. Medium weight. Quite flowery nose. By no means a blockbuster. Medium body on the palate. Good acidity. Good fruit. Lacks a bit of depth and concentration but very good.

Suduiraut 2014-2040 19.0

Mid-golden colour. On the nose, it seems to have gone into its shell. Good noble rot. Concentrated, profound and stylish. Fullish body. Excellent grip. Lovely flowery fruit. Backward. Very, very long and harmonious and complex and classy. Very fine plus.

Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2014-2040 19.5

Mid-golden colour. Ample, oaky, fruity, concentrated nose. Plenty of botrytis. Quite closed. This is very impressive. It is full and rich and oaky but it has excellent grip, depth and style. Very, very long. Excellent.

Sigalas-Rabaud 2014-2040 19.5

Mid-golden colour. Rich, very concentrated, oaky nose. Heaps of botrytis here. A very lovely wine: rich, full, honeyed and concentrated. Very well balanced. Excellent flowery fruit. Very, very long. Very fine indeed.

Rieussec 2012-2035 19.0

Fullish golden colour. Full, rich, concentrated, backward nose. Fullish body on the palate. Rich, honeyed, subtle and balanced. This is very fine but it doesn’t quite have the intensity of Lafaurie or Sigalas. But very, very stylish nevertheless.