Barsac 1er Cru Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend

Vintage 2005 | harmonious and vibrant | with cheeses | at Hofstede de Blaak Tilburg

Happy New Year!🎈🎆🎊

This is a pairing I’ve been talking about doing for a decade but, couldn’t find a bakery to make one. So, I had to make it. The Sauternes is a 96. The pairing is a 10

Everything about the Sauternes is married in the pineapple upside down cake. Old school meets old school. Clemens the second best Sauternes producer after D’ Yquem.

At En Primeur in 2014, we spent a day in Sauternes & Barsac…eight Chateau’s and multiple vintages. We component tasted at Clemens. Great day. The highlight wasn’t D’Yquem, it was component tasting at Clemens. After eight Chateau’s, we went to Guiraud to taste 50 more Sauternes in an hour and then dinner. When we finished the 50 Sauternes, I wanted to go to the dentist for a teeth cleaning rather than have dinner I had so much RS in my mouth. Tasted nearly 2500 wines in 6 days.

This note is being written the next day with leftover Pineapple Upside down cake and 2003 Clemens.

This has a classic Sauternes nose of heather honey, marmalade, dry citrus and stone fruits with nuts with skin & waxy notes.

The palate is super thick, lush, waxy with ripe botrytis fruits of dry; pineapple, stone fruits. Orange-tangerine, lemon, lime, grapefruit citrus, marmalade, honey dripping, coconut shavings, nuts with skin, candied walnuts, saline, white spice, caramel, vanillin, wet marl, soft but strong edgy chalk, molasses notes, fruit blossoms, yellow lilies & flowers, spring white florals, excellent, very round acidity, balanced, excellent structure, well woven and smartly polished finish that lasts minutes.

From 750 ml

Fresher. Good acidity and lovely balance. Bright

Tangerine, honey, white flowers. Very intense, pure and deep with great pure acidity. Very good

The 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger thatlinger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)

The 2009 Climens is much more vibrant on the nose than the 2010 with lovely dried honey, quince, saffron and light chamomile aromas. It blossoms in the glass and gains intensity with each swirl. The palate is very well balanced with a touch of marmalade on the entry, quite tensile from start to finish with a rather long, viscous finish. This is just beginning to motor. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)

The 2005 Climens has an intense nose, dried honey and a touch of glycerine, tangerine and barley sugar. The palate is well balanced with a viscous opening, tangy marmalade mixed with white peach and white pepper, gaining momentum towards the finish that has real depth and penetration. This is a fabulous Climens with great complexity. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)

The 1986 Climens has a lucid golden colour. It demands coaxing from the glass, notes of Seville orange, marmalade, quince and lanolin. The palate is where it's all happening with a power that bowls you over. This 1986 has wonderful balance and poise, building towards a taut Clementine and apricot finish. Perhaps this is overshadowed by the end of the decade triumvirate, but it should not be ignored. From an ex-château bottle. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)

I’ll see your CdY and go all in

Still near the top for me for Sauternes.