Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Opalie de Château Coutet – 2023
Bordeaux Blanc Sec AOC – Barsac, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
From the legendary Château Coutet in Barsac, better known for its Sauternes-style sweet wines, comes this rare dry white. Crafted from 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Sémillon, Opalie highlights Coutet’s limestone terroir and precision winemaking. A wine of elegance and aromatic complexity.

Aromas & Flavors
Yellow plum, white peach, and stony orchard fruit, lifted by citrus zest and a delicate floral note. A subtle smoky-mineral edge underscores its depth.

Mouthfeel
Crisp, bright, and aromatic with well-balanced acidity. Medium-bodied yet lively, finishing with a saline freshness that keeps it engaging sip after sip.

Food Pairings
Sole meunière, oysters, scallop carpaccio, Roast chicken with herbs, goat cheese tart, Asparagus risotto, Mediterranean mezze.

Verdict
A vivid, terroir-driven Bordeaux Blanc that offers both energy and refinement. Bordeaux dry whites often fly under the radar, Opalie is a fine reminder of their potential.

Did You Know?
Opalie is produced in very small quantities (just a few thousand bottles annually) and showcases the same vineyard plots used for Château Coutet’s Sauternes, but harvested early to preserve freshness instead of allowing botrytis. — 4 hours ago

Dave

9.1

Cocoa powder gets you on the nose, but this merlot-dominant wine presents a nice array of red and dark fruit. Thyme? Light chalk and spice. Juicy acidity, tannins are tamed. Not the worst thing you could drink on a Monday.
Listening to Guided By Voices. — 2 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2010 vintage. Technically a Barsac, but sold as Sauternes ( Barsac being the only Sauternes commune allowed to do so). Much deeper, more evolved colour compared to the 2010 Guiraud (in half bottle!) tasted alongside. Intense perfume with wild apricot, roasted pineapple, and caramelised nuts. Richer than the Guiraud, this is a very impressive effort that is definitely of Cru Classé quality. Superb value too. — a year ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium light lemon gold , quite young looking . Aromatic apricot , white flowers , saffron , honey and citrus peel . On the palate quite rich with barley sugar , saffron , lemon peel , apricot , decent acidity , and ok length with apricot and honied lemon peel finish . Not overly complex but well balanced , with ok acidity , drinking perfectly now . Now and over the next 10 years — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Château Doisy-Daëne – Grand Vin Sec 2021
Bordeaux Blanc Sec AOC – Barsac, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
From the famed Barsac estate more often associated with sweet Sauternes, Denis Dubourdieu’s Château Doisy-Daëne crafts a brilliant dry white made entirely from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. It is a benchmark example of Bordeaux Blanc Sec: precise, mineral-driven, and age-worthy.

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive notes of grapefruit, lime zest, white peach, and gooseberry, layered with subtle floral hints and a chalky mineral backbone.

Mouthfeel
Taut, vibrant acidity balanced with crystalline purity. Medium-bodied, with a long, stony finish that lingers with citrus and saline freshness.

Food Pairings
Grilled seabass, oysters, sole fish with beurre blanc, Lobster salad with citrus dressing or sushi, asparagus, chèvre salad, or zucchini blossom fritters.

Verdict
A razor-sharp, elegant Sauvignon Blanc that showcases Barsac terroir in a whole new light. Structured enough to age beautifully but already shining with energy in youth. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Denis Dubourdieu, often called “the Pope of Bordeaux Blancs”, pioneered modern techniques for Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux, emphasizing freshness, terroir expression, and precision, hallmarks evident in this wine. — 4 hours ago

Kland Aida

8.9

A good wine but not as good as some other St. Emillion that I’ve had. Dry but less tannic. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Second Sauternes pairing with my homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Didn’t use the additional crushed pineapple this time. Both preparations are very good. I think I prefer it w/ less pineapple.

In 2014 I attended the Bordeaux En Premiere. One of the six days, we toured 8 Chateau’s tasting multiple vintages at each in Sauternes & Barsac. Then, went back to Chateau Guiraud for dinner. Before the dinner, Bill Blatch then arranged for a Sauternes tasting after tasting at 8 Chateau’s in Saternes & Barsac. We tasted 50 Sauternes in basically in 60 minutes. After that, my hand was like Winne the Poo in the honey jar from dumping. After, my wish wasn’t necessarily for the forthcoming dinner, but rather wished to go to a Dentist for a teeth cleaning I had so much RS in my mouth. None the less, dinner was fantastic and started with warm Foie Gras & gravy. Perfect as is w/ the Pineapple Upside Down Cake tonight.

This 05 is everything that you taste in the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Perfect paring. Newly a quarter century and no fading in its evolution.

Dry; stone fruits, pineapple, orange citrus, pineapple. Marmalade, caramel, saline, limestone, honeycomb, beeswax, coconut, vanilla, saline, round acidity with yellow florals, toasted nuts with round acidity for days. Elegance, balance, structure and round, rich polish that goes in and on. Coravined from 375ml.

Bill Batch (who worked for Cristy’s & owned his own negotiate company) has somewhere around 5,000 bottles of Sauternes. He does a Sauternes & Sausage party bi-annually. Good luck getting a well sought after invitation. There are more people in Bordeaux who want to attend then there are available invitations. — a year ago

Patrice Conxicoeur

9.4

Alive and kicking! And beautiful at that. The balance you want and come to expect in a top notch Sauternes between sugar, alcohol, fruits.
— a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Cantegril – Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle / 2019
AOC Barsac – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A Grand Vin de Sauternes crafted by the Dubourdieu family in Barsac, this 2019 vintage blends the region’s classics: Sémillon dominant, Sauvignon Blanc, and a touch of Muscadelle. Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) weaves its magic here, concentrating sugars and intensifying aromas.

Aromas & Flavors
Lush notes of apricot, candied orange peel, and pineapple rise from the glass, layered with honey, acacia blossom, and a hint of saffron. The sweetness is deeply expressive but never cloying.

Mouthfeel
Silky and opulent, yet balanced by Barsac’s hallmark freshness and mineral tension. A luscious golden core with excellent length, pure heaven in a glass.

Food Pairings
Perfect with Roquefort, foie gras, or blue cheeses, but equally divine alongside fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or spicy Asian cuisine. For a daring contrast, try with fried chicken.

Verdict
2019 Château Cantegril is heaven on earth, an elegant and classic Barsac that shows the Dubourdieu family’s mastery. A wine that proves Sauternes and Barsac remain unmatched when it comes to liquid gold.

Did You Know?
Barsac AOC wines can legally be labeled either “Barsac” or “Sauternes.” Château Cantegril is often described as one of the “entry gates” to the Dubourdieu family’s sweet wine heritage, offering top quality at a more approachable level than their Château Doisy-Daëne.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: This is one of those wines that makes you stop mid-sip and smile, it’s just that magical. — 6 hours ago

Ed Chin

9.2

A rarity. Tons of apricot made from 100% semillion. — 4 months ago