I did a quick tasting of a few top dry white Sauternes in Zurich yesterday, and I have to ask myself, what is dry white Sauternes?
Some were slightly oxidized. Some tasted spicy yet dry with dried fruits, like rich Sauternes without the sweetness. And then some – the ones I liked the best – were like top white dry Bordeaux. The two that stood out for me were: Le Sec de Rayne Vigneau and Doisy-Daëne Bordeaux Sec.
I recently had dinner with the owner and winemaker of Doisy-Daëne, Denis Dubourdieu, and he said that it was difficult to make great dry whites in Sauternes and Barsac because the soils and climate are not like the excellent ones in regions such as Pessac-Leognan, which is home to greats like Haut-Brion, La Mission, Domaine de Chevalier and Smith Haut Lafitte. Yet, his dry white tastes like a top Pessac-Leognan! Maybe he was talking about others rather than himself? 😉
I am not an expert on the soil or climate of Sauternes and Barsac, but I think that dry Sauternes should taste like great dry white Bordeaux. I am not a fan of heavy, marzipan, dried spice character in old style Sauternes dry whites. I am also not a fan of over-manipulated dry whites with lots of malolactic character or too much new wood, as attractive as they may be to some.
Here are my notes for the wines I tasted:
Chateau Doisy-Daene Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2011
Clos des Lunes Bordeaux Lune d’Argent La Grande Cuvée 2013
Chateau d’Yquem Bordeaux Superieur ‘Y’ Ygrec 2011
Chateau de Rayne Vigneau Bordeaux Le Sec de Rayne Vigneau 2011
Chateau Suduiraut Bordeaux S de Suduiraut Blanc Sec 2011
Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux Le G de Chateau Guiraud Blanc Sec 2011
Chateau Rieussec Bordeaux R de Rieussec Blanc Sec 2011
Chateau Coutet Bordeaux Opalie de Coutet 2011
Chateau Coutet Bordeaux Vin Sec de Coutet Cuvêe Frédéric 2012
Image courtesy of Rayne Vigneau.
You have broached a very interesting here. I, for one, believe strongly in the creation of a "Dry Sauternes" appellation. Why?
Some of the best dry white wines currently being made in Sauternes are far superior to so many of those wines sold under the basic "Bordeaux Blanc" appellation, the very appellation under which they must currently be sold. It is therefore difficult for these "dry Sauternes" to fetch the kind of prices to which they might otherwise aspire. So, not only would be see the production of more high-quality dry white wines coming from Sauternes but the quality of the sweet Sauternes would also be improved! And let's not forget that the best sweet Sauternes are the greatest, longest lived wines produced in Bordeaux, perhaps the world.
If the producers in Sauternes were allowed to make and sell dry white wines under a specific appellation such as "Dry Sauternes", this might allow them to be even more selective in the production of their sweet white wines (classic Sauternes) and to "get by" in those difficult vintages when production of high quality sweet wines is nye on impossible, notably due to the absence of Botrytis.
But for the "Dry Sauternes" appellation to have any meaning, any "teeth", it would need to stipulate a number of points, among which I would suggest:
- strictly relegated to hand-harvested fruit
- barrel aging - maybe . . .
- a specific, dark green or brown bottle, such as that used by Olivier Bernard at his Clos des Lunes vineyard; this would instantly allow consumers to distinguish readily between a sweet Sauternes (always in a clear glass bottle) and a dry Sauternes,
- and most importantly, a minimum percentage in the blend of Sémillon (at least 50%?) - this would give the wines a specificity and a uniqueness that producing Sauvignon Blanc-based wines will never give them. Sauvignon Blanc is grown 'round the world, Sémillon is not.
That's my take, James. I'd be interested to see what your other subscribers think.