2009 Lions de Suduiraut Sauternes

Hey Everyone,

Today I am tasting a type of wine which I don't believe I've ever written about before. It may be considered the most important sweet wine and arguably the most prestigious in the world, but it so rarely crosses my path that when I do taste one I am rarely in a position to commit my experience to writing.

I'm talking about Sauternes; the regal sweet wine of Bordeaux coming from the vineyards south of Pessac-Leognan is an enticing style that is long lived and often expensive, with some of the most sought after producers fetching extraordinary prices. The most famous of course is Château d'Yquem, a favourite of Thomas Jefferson who referred to Sauternes in general as France's finest white wine. As the practice of harnessing the beneficial elements of the Bortrytis was not developed until a later date, the wine tasted by Jefferson would have been markedly different but even so, it is possible to see that Sauternes' star rose long ago.

The wine I am tasting tonight, however is not nearly so valuable nor so famous as Jefferson's favourite, but it does have a few good merits of it's own. First and most obvious when comparing it to it's fellow sweet Bordeaux such as Chateaux Climens and d'Yquem is the price tag. Retailing for around £15 for a half bottle it is a very affordable sweet wine which has the potential to impress as well as please. It is also a well balanced Sauternes, for something so affordable it stands high above the Mouton-Cadet range and possesses a pleasant equilibrium between acid, fruit and sweetness.

On the finish there is a hint of something like caramelised/ burnt sugar, which takes away from the freshness a little, but does not necessarily ruin the experience. I would treat is more as an aperitif than a desert of cheese wine and let the wine stand alone. It is light enough to go without the cheese that accompanies many Sauternes, and not so sweet that it gets tiresome. There is clearly good winemaking behind the Lions de Suduiraut, and the clue is in the name. It is a second wine of the First Growth Château Suduiraut and gives an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse of this legendary producer's style without forking over so much money for the Grand Vin.

If you get a chance, give it a try and hopefully you'll be as pleasantly surprised with this nice little sweetie as I was.

Much Love,

G

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Wines tasted in Paris

Hey Everyone,

Today I am putting out the tasting notes for a few rather nice wines I have had the chance to try during my travels in Paris.  These are not particularly available in the UK, but hopefully when a better representation of their styles becomes available, you will think back and recall that you heard good things about these appellations.

First off, I spent my first night searching the streets for a good wine bar, and after realising that such a thing in Paris is tremendously expensive, I looked instead for a good wine shop, which I was fortunate enough to find.  The first wine I tried was a 2009 Rigal Cahors.  Made up of 70% Malbec and 30% Merlot, this wine was big and dark, earning it's historic title of 'Black Wine' which dates to the middle ages.  It had aromas of black berries, and smoke, currants and flint as well as the classic Malbec aromas of clove, coffee and cocoa after a few hours left to breathe.  It was deep, bold and satisfying and representative of a style of wine which I hope makes it more regularly to the rest of the world.

Next I was able to get a hold of the second tasty Bergerac of my trip, being a 2009 Roc de Miremont.  I was interested in this one in particular as it was not Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot based, but rather it focused on Cabernet Franc as the lead varietal.  It was softer than the standard Bergerac wines with which I am familiar, but it was definitely complex and pleasing on par with the rest of the Bordeaux I experienced on this trip.

The last wine I will write about here is the most recent of my trip, being that I am drinking it now..  It is a 2011 Château Auney L'Hermitage Graves Blanc.  It was about 10 euros and for the price I found the most satisfying white of the trip.  It was oaky with hints of peach, lychee and a bit of that rocky gravel character that does such a service to Graves wine.  It was refreshing and possessed a zesty acidic edge allowing balance for it's big, opulent flavours.  Over all a pleasing wine.  I wish with all my heart that oaky Bordeaux blanc under £10 were a reality in Britain. If I could make a wine in a particular style, it would be along the lines of Bordeaux Blanc.  Great stuff.

Anyways, there were plenty more wines tasted in restaurants and from bottles during my trip to Paris but I only wanted to highlight these three for their general interest.  They are styles of wines which should be available to the punter in Britain because they fill a gap in the market.  I hope you get to try some interesting French wines in the future and if you find something of interest, please send your discoveries to me at grapepresswines@gmail.com.

Much Love,
G