TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

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AKR
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TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

Post by AKR »

07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes] Served well chilled, over two days, paired with Netflix movies. 14% abv. Noticeably dark orange/caramel coloration, almost like a 1990. Bottle is shaped a little odd - shallow punt, and squared off shoulders, almost like an Italian bottle. Family owned estate, 3rd generation owner/growers/vintners - the Daneys. Nose has burnt sugar, marmalade, butterscotch. Fairly thick and viscous on the palate, 30 seconds at least of finish, but no brightness, reflecting a semillion driven nature. Most of the bouquet is repeated on the palate, with the addition of glaceed apricots. I quite like it, but would observe that its NOT a light zippy Sauternes. 2007 is a Sauternes vintage I'm not familiar with, so I don't know if its vintage characteristic, or the estate. Neal Rosenthal brings this small grower/producer in -- and their efforts are well regarded -- but the wine isn't seen much outside of his shop, although Eric Asimov has championed their sticky. (Rosenthal is a NYC version of Kermit Lynch) This is made from morcellated parcels, but many of the plots are next to big guns like Y'quem, Suduiraut, etc. Most of the vineyards around them are owned by big corporations, as Bordeaux as a brand has a turned into a luxury badge, but this estate is managed an old fashioned way: some grapes sold off to others, with better vats kept for their own name -- just a modest 1500-2000 cases produced each year. I like it, and would give a B+, but would tilt toward consuming it sooner. Asimov / Rosenthal suggest that the estate in general ages a long time -- based on 1990, 2003 -- but I don't know if it has the acidic verve for that. Like the notable Filhot creme de tete, I suspect this would be a BWE wine if more could try various vintages.
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AlexR
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Re: TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

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Hi Arv,
I’ve visited Arche-Pugneau once. It’s a rather old-fashioned estate with an under-the-radar wine that’s good value for money. A bit like the 2005 Ch. Simon I had last night.

You write that “2007 is a Sauternes vintage I'm not familiar with, so I don't know if its vintage characteristic, or the estate”. Sauternes vintages can be radically different from their red wine counterparts. 1982 is a classic example. Pretty much a dud in Sauternes… A contrario, both 1997 and 2007 were quite good vintages in Sauternes.

You say that “most of the vineyards around them are owned by big corporations, as Bordeaux as a brand has a turned into a luxury badge”. What estates are you referring to? Suduiraut is owned by Axa, it’s true, and Yquem is the personal estate of Bernard Arnault (of LVMH), and the Peugeot family are major shareholders of Guiraud (once again, on a personal rather than a corporate level). That having been said, these are very much in the minority. The multinational firms are present in Bordeaux, but in a much smaller way than many people believe. There *is* concentration (combining of vineyard holdings) going on slowly, but surely. However, the people doing this are locals. By the same token, because of some high profile estates owned by foreigners, many French people think that their famous vineyards are being taken over by outsiders. But this impression is erroneous. Even if the Chinese now own over 100 châteaux, Bordeaux has over 8,000!

Getting back to your wine, I admire your branching out and experimenting with châteaux that are not exactly household words. Keep up the good work!

All the best,
Alex
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AKR
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Re: TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

Post by AKR »

I don't know what's happening on the ground in Sauternes, just cheerfully parroting back what Asimov is writing, quoting the owners

The sweet wines of Sauternes are no longer fashionable, short of the big names like Château d’Yquem, but to taste the Sauternes of Cru D’Arche-Pugneau is exhilarating. A 2001 is honeyed by botrytis and is complex, balanced and perfectly refreshing rather than cloying.

The 2009, still in barrels, is lovely, delicate and alive. Mr. Daney, the vigneron, is the third generation of his family to run the estate. He is a former rugby player, and with his old comrades still gathers to sing folk songs.

Standing behind his small winery, he looks across fields of vines and points at neighboring chateaus.

“That one is owned by LVMH, that one by AXA, that one by Rothschild, that one by Crédit Agricole and that one by Credit Suisse,” he said. “Corporations seek to buy more and more. They have all the money.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dinin ... 5Pour.html

I hadn't heard of the estate, so googled it last night, and was surprised by how much had been written about it between the NYT and Rosenthal's website.

Interesting, I must have drunk a half to full case or so of the Ch. Simon you refer to, I think it was half bottles of either the 89 or 90. That would have been 15 years ago or so. Some of them were leakers but generally it was very serviceable, although in the US it wasn't really that much less in price than the grand estates.
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Re: TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

Post by AlexR »

Arv,

I think it’s wonderful the way the media are fact checking all of Donald Trump’s statements.
He is far and away the candidate with the most lies and misleading statements.
Here’s an example of what the NY Times does: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016 ... .html?_r=0
I only bring this up because, obviously, you can say things that are true, but that can be (more or less seriously) misleading.

I don’t doubt Mr. Daney’s statement, and I pay tribute to Asimov for going beyond the most famous estates as journalists usually do when they come to Bordeaux. In fact, I quite like his columns and his fresh portrayal of affordable wines.
Mr. Daney’s close neighbors may indeed include some corporate owned vineyards (although I am unaware of any that are owned by Crédit Suisse – I think this must be a mistake), but these are the tree(s) that hide the forest. The impression is inaccurate, although there has been a movement in the top estates. As always, these tend to distort the overall reality.

That having been said, Sauternes is a labor of love, with a very poor return on investment. Yields, of course, are very low, and some vintages border on execrable (no Yquem, as well as other châteaux in the 2012 vintage). As I’m sure you’re aware, the wines increase little in value compared to the Médoc great growths, and are much more expensive to produce…
I wonder if there will ever be a revival…

Personally, I love Sauternes and when I invite a number of people over to the house, I often open a bottle of Sauternes that I would be reluctant to uncork for just me and my better half. I also like serving Sauternes as an aperitif or with food (last night was melon and Parma ham) to my non-French friends, most of whom think of Sauternes as a “dessert wine”.

Simon is a Barsac that sells itself as a Sauternes, as it is legally entitled to do. The prices here are quite reasonable, and they sell old vintages at the château. It is the Sauternes that is the equivalent of a good cru Bourgeois in the Médoc.

Best regards,
Alex
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AKR
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Re: TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

Post by AKR »

Yes its crazy how little Sauternes go for, years later. I'm enjoying that now, however things that cannot go on forever, won't.

So at some point, they won't produce it anymore if it can not be economically justified.

I think that article mentioned that the US drinks about 1/3 of the Sauternes it used to, 40 years ago, when the population must have been quite a bit smaller.
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Re: TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

Post by AKR »

My notes / thoughts from a bottle consumed over the last 3 days with Mrs. AKR are almost identical, but it's time to drink up for those who might have any left. This grew heavy by the final glass, and feels somewhat old fashioned. One can see how dark the color is from the pictures below. I'd notch the grade down on this, marking the 14% abv sticky at a B today.
Bottle is oddly shaped
Bottle is oddly shaped
pictured from the top, sideways since the cold liquid had impaired the visuals
pictured from the top, sideways since the cold liquid had impaired the visuals
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Re: TN: 07 Cru d'Arche-Pugneau [Sauternes]

Post by AlexR »

Wow, looks really aged!

There are so many different types of Sauternes.
Some are great for the long haul, others less so.

AR
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