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2012 En Primeur: Sauternes & Barsac Tasting Notes
Sauternes Barsac 2012

Ch Climens is simply outstanding. Ch Doisy Vedrines was my pick of the UCG tastings. Ch Guiraud, Ch Sigalas Rabaud and Ch Rayne Vigneau were strong performers in a relatively weak line up. Many of the Sauternes possessed orange colours, heavy fruit, rigid structures and underlying al dente bitter-sweet textures. My complete notes on each wine are below.

Ch Bastor Lamontagne
Pale colour. Very closed. Lemon curd, herb aromas with some honey notes. Touch of SO2 flattens aromas. Sweet, lemon curd, juicy flavours, verbena notes. Fresh acidity. Very ordinary. 83 points

Ch Romer
Medium pale colour. Fresh honey, herb garden aromas with touch of almond, biscotti notes. Fresh sweet honey, lemon curd flavours, touches of flintstone, oystershell, fine mineral fresh acidity. Quite pretty. 92 points

Ch de Malle
Pale colour. Intense apricot, lemon curd aromas with vanilla, honey notes. Sweet and rich with lemon curd, apricot, pear flavours, honeyed botrytis notes, chalky textures and tangy acidity. 93 points

Ch Suau
Medium pale colour. Fresh baked pear, apricot, lemon curd aromas. Sweet poached pear, apricot fruit with some almond kernel notes, slightly chalky textures, tonic water notes and fresh acidity. 91 points

Ch Nairac
Medium gold. Intense pear drop, apricot aromas with herb garden notes. Touch of SO2. Sweet juicy pear, apricot, peach flavours, bitter sweet notes, underlying savoury vanilla oak and cutting acidity. 94 points

Ch Broustet
Pale colour.Fragrant verbena, honey, herb aromas, some honey ginger notes. Rich and slightly overoaked with oily vanilla, ginger notes, chalky textures and bitter menthol notes. Finishes sweet and tangy. 89 points

Ch Filhot
Medium deep colour. Fresh apricot, flinty, butterscotch, honeyed aromas. Sweet apricot, juicy pear, butterscotch flavours, rich sweet and viscous with some chalky textures and fresh acidity. A fatter and more old-fashioned style.87 points

Ch Doisy Vedrines
Medium colour. Fresh and classic with lemon curd, honey, ginger aromas with some vanilla notes. Fresh sweet and voluminous with rich lemon curd, grapefruit flavours and underlying malt, fresh new oak. Lovely fresh long acidity pulls the richness and weight to the finish. Apricots and dried fruits at the close. Superb, 95 points

Ch Doisy Daene
Medium pale colour. Fresh lemon curd, verbena, honeyed aromas with vanilla notes. Richly flavoured and sweet with gingerbread, honey, lemon curd flavours, underlying vanilla oak and fresh but slightly hard acidity. Finishes al dente but long and tangy. 92 points

Ch de Myrat
Medium colour. Intense honey, slightly brassy aromas with grapefruit glacé, apricot, butterscotch flavours. Chalky textures and fine mineral acidity. Finishes long and sweet. Quite tangy but rigid in structure. 91 points

Ch Sigalas Rabaud
Medium pale colour. Fresh ginger, honey, butterscotch, herb aromas. Rich concentrated wine with deep-set dried apricot, honey, marzipan flavours, underlying vanilla and fresh clear acidity. Lovely length. Very heavy style but well balanced. 93 points

Ch Rabaud Promis
Medium colour. Fresh lemon curd, honey, herb garden aromas. Rich ripe honey, butterscotch, vanilla flavours, some spicy ginger oak notes and piercing acidity. Finishes long and sweet. 92 points

Ch Guiraud
Medium colour. Fresh honey, fig jam, lemon curd aromas. Rich and viscous with chalky textures and fresh acidity. Dries off and finishes minerally tangy. 94 points

Ch Coutet
Medium gold. Fresh marzipan, honey, lemon curd aromas. Incredibly concentrated with deep set lemon curd flavours, fine chalky textures, tonic water notes and clear bright acidity. A touch of creme brûlée. 91 points

Ch Rayne Vigneau
Medium colour. Fresh apricot, honey, herb garden, sage aromas. Sweet apricot, honey, herb flavours, supple sweet mid palate, underlying ginger oak notes. Finishes chalky but persistent. 94 points

Clos Haut Peyraguey
Medium deep colour. Fresh fig, honey, vanilla notes. Sweet fig, honey, ginger notes, savoury vanilla spicy oak, chalky dry textures, fresh acidity. Finishes chalky firm but persistent, touch of butter menthol. 90 points

Ch Lafaurie Peyreguey
Medium colour. Fresh apricot, peach, lemon curd aromas. Concentrated lemon curd, apricot, flavours honey ginger notes, loose-knit chalky al dente textures and fine cutting acidity. 93 points

Ch La Tour Blanche
Medium deep colour. Intense lemon curd, butterscotch, baked pear aroma. Concentrated and rich with butterscotch, dried fruits, pane forte flavours, grilled nutty notes and sharp long acidity. Finishes with a tonic water/ minerally, marzipan finish.93 points

Ch Climens
Medium light colour. Fresh apricot, camomile, honey aromas sweet lemon curd, ginger flavours and chalky textures. Lovely flavour length with bitter tonic water notes at the finish. 95 points

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