My new wine obsession: Sauternes

[AKR]

I like Sauternes with blue cheeses. And of course with a pate or foie gras. Savory works best. I have it with lobster and that was fine. Except for Yquem and Climens, most Sauternes are relatively cheap.

Chris Bublitz

I think Sauternes are even cheaper today than they were a generation ago. I remember when good Sauternes (ex Climens Yquem) were all basically in the $40 zone.

And they're still wallowing there, while everything else in winedom has gone up at least at the rate of inflation.

Well maybe a few price point mass market products haven't, but they have diminished their product stealthily but taking all the old vine barrels and offering it up separately.

These are such crazy times for Sauternes enthusiasts - a run of good vintages, and no market bid whatsoever.

Of course, my tastes are ever so slightly changing, and now I like the zippier dessert wines, which is probably more the Loire's calling card.

[stefan]

Maybe at BWE-Denver we should have an all Champagne & Sauternes dinner; perhaps on Wednesday? Lucie & I have done that with our wine group and it worked out well. Strangely (or maybe not) the women mostly drank fizzy and the men sweet.

[Winona Chief]

I like your idea stefan - Champagne and Sauternes at 2019 BWE . I think that would be great.

Also think, since it will be 2019, we should do 1989 Bordeaux at 30.

Chris Bublitz

[AlexR]

Arv,

As much as I like Sigalas Rabaud, I also had the 2007 recently and was not impressed.

I visited the château today and met the 87-year-old owner.

They have not yet brought in even half the crop yet.
2018 was a difficult year, and the hot dry weather was ideal for red wine grapes, but much less so for Sauternes.

I tried the dry what 100% Sémillon wine, the second wine, and the 2006 grand vin.
All were good.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[stefan]

Good idea, Chris, although I am not sure that I have any BWE convention level 1989 Bordeaux left. Featuring 1999 Burgundy on Friday is another possibility. Many of them have finally come around.

[Blanquito]

We had that nice flight of 89s in SanFran ‘17:La Conseillante, Trotanoy, Pichon Lalande, Pichon Baron, and another overrated 89 I’m forgetting.

But I’d be up for another 89 night! We also discussed having a Lynch vertical for the Convention. And I’m always game for bubblies and stickies (sounds like names for cartoon characters).

[DavidG]

I’ve got some 89 La Tour Blanche and a few 89 red Bordeaux that are drinking well if we go for 1989 as a theme for BWE 19.

[AKR]

Last night we drank half of a 750ml of the 2001 Coutet while watching The Phantom Thread, a creepy period piece featuring Daniel Day Lewis. It remains a brilliant wine, not too sweet, lots of stoniness, and aging well. I only have two left from a case left purchased EP, which was one of the rare times I bought case lots of Sauternes.

[Blanquito]

Last night we drank half of a 750ml of the 2001 Coutet while watching The Phantom Thread, a creepy period piece featuring Daniel Day Lewis. It remains a brilliant wine, not too sweet, lots of stoniness, and aging well. I only have two left from a case left purchased EP, which was one of the rare times I bought case lots of Sauternes.

This is a really great 01, I concur. Still see half bottles of it floating around on auction at release pricing (~$25). I’d buy it but got too much dessert wine in the cellar.

[JimHow]

Generally speaking, I think Sauternes should be consumed young and very chilled.

[stefan]

Spoken by a true Sauternes non lover, BD.

[JimHow]

[AKR]

Hi Patrick, good post

I empathise with you, and have a few observations:

2) Rieussec 2003 is incredible

Cheers Ian

I've been drinking an 03 Rieussec the last few nights, and now on evening #3, it's singing - caramel, glaceed apricots, baklava honey. Dark and full bodied, a different character than the zippy years, but just amazing. I'd expect this to keep going for decades.

[AlexR]

A few scattered and vaguely related thoughts

Yes, yes, and yes, Sauternes in half bottles is a blessing. We have two fridges at home and there is always a bottle of Sauternes and one (or two) of Champagne in waiting.
Half bottles are a joy when there are just two of you.
However, it should be said that Sauternes keeps much better than most most wines once opened.

2001 versus 2003 Yquem: I did prefer the latter, but it is quite possible that the former will "win out" over time.
Philosophical issue here: is longevity a key factor when evaluating wine quality? I've heard this issue raised with New World wines that can often taste wonderful quite young. To the Bordelais, that is suspicious and disconcerting...

Pricing: Sauternes remains great value and does not appreciate a great deal over time. Sadly, the region is going through hard times because Sauternes has gone out of fashion.

Marc: Yes, Sauterns and food can be marvelous. I agree that matching it with a main course can be a challenge. In fact, I've never done it at home. Sauternes is often consumed as an apéritif in Bordeaux, and don't knock until you've tried it!
The French imported a dish from Italy that goes superbly well with Sauternes: melon (not the basketball-size tasteless cantaoupe kind, rather the small succulent kind) with Parma ham, or other dry cured ham. Dead simple and divine paired with Sauternes. Vol au vent abd itger hot dishes in puff pastry (especially veal sweetbreads, but not just) match extremely well. Foie gras is classic, and people in the region of production favor simple roast free range chicken. Desserts are tricky, but if not too sweet can work just fine. And then, of course, there's blue cheese (I'm excited because I'll be visiting the cellars of Roquefort on Saturday).

Alex R.

[DavidG]

Thanks for the Sauternes food pairing ideas Alex. I agree desserts are tricky. Sweet on sweet can clash. Blue cheese/Roquefort, another often-suggested match, doesn’t do it for me. Thumbs up for sweetbreads, foie gras but we so rarely encounter them. We had recent success with cantaloupe and prosciutto. A couple more suggestions for things to eat with Sauternes:
Grilled pineapple (got this idea from Francois)
Lobster

[jal]

I love Sauternes with pot de creme as served by Stefan and Lucie last weekend. I even like Sauternes with crème brûlée, but it doesn't work with chocolate or fruit tarts for me.
As afr as Sauternes with appetizers, yes but I prefer younger Sauternes then, just for the added acidity zip.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I don’t drink a lot of Sauternes or for that matter, other sweet wines like German sweet Riesling or even Australian semillon Botrytis wines but always like them when I do. The key I think is a balance of acidity and sweetness but I’d say the same about most wines. Wines that taste like a bag of confectioners sugar are not for me.
Having said that I’m partial to a decent Port, Tokay or Australian fortified (which most countries have not yet discovered).

Drank 2010 and 2009 Ch Caillou recently which were pretty good but a little too sweet and simple.

[Blanquito]

Lots of good pairing ideas here. I also don’t really like sauternes with sweet desserts though a few work like creme brûlée. I most prefer it with some types of cheese, I think, but I admit when I breakdown and have it, foie gras is a truly magical pairing.

I’ve had some nice sauternes and seafood parings, especially richer seafood dishes. However, I can’t really drink that much dessert wine before I get full, so it’s not an ideal accompaniment with a main.

[SF Ed]

Cheese generally and Sauternes do not work for me, except for blue cheeses. I do like Sauternes with desserts that aren't too sweet and that have acid, which generally means fruit-based desserts. I also think that Sauternes often match well with almond, so desserts that have almond accents that aren't too sweet also do well.

SF Ed

[greatbxfreak]

I adore and love Sauternes!

From my website:

Perfect food companion

It's this rare and extremely harmonious cooperation between sweetness, acidity and alcohol, which makes wines Sauternes & Barsac so exciting. Thanks to remaining sugar, these wines have fresh and intense sweetness. They offer an incredibly vast range of nuances on the nose and on the palate (acacia, honey, peach and tropical fruit), big body and refinement, finesse and sophisticated style. These wines are extremely well-balanced already from "birth" and this means very long life. 40-50 years for top-wines in superb vintages.

Sauternes & Barsac wines are a perfect match for food (European, overseas and oriental), because unlike red wines, they can cope with salt, fat and even all kind of spices. The reason for that is the remarkable sweetness of these wines. It's a free choice for everyone: Foie gras, oysters (!), chicken, lobster, shrimps, cooked/steamed fish dishes in butter/crème sauce, light meat, cheese (especially goat and sheep ones) and fruit desserts are the typical and suitable choices. But dishes spiced with carry and chilli have no problems at all with sweet white wine, because sweetness in this wine merges with spices in a very distinguished way – with even more nuances to follow.

For my taste, blue cheese can be too strong. Goat and sheep cheeses are better. brebis cheese is a classic one. Even one of the best cow cheeses, Chambertin, is a heaven snack with Sauternes. Then desserts like ice creams/sorbets/cakes from lemon/blackcurrants/other not sweet fruits, are perfect with Sauternes.

[Blanquito]

Cheese generally and Sauternes do not work for me, except for blue cheeses.
SF Ed

Absolutely. Stilton can work very well.

[Nicklasss]

Personally I like my Sauternes with Marie-Claude...

Nic

[s*d*r]

Personally I like my Sauternes with Marie-Claude...

Nic

I thought MC was too sweet to be a good match with Sauternes .

Stu

[Nicklasss]

I said to MC to read that.

Stuart, you made her day!

Nic

[smoore4]

Well, here goes my first post (it's supposed to be funny not brash)...

Hi. My name is Steve. I live in Tampa. I have a wife, dog, and twins. Meet the twins...

[JimHow]

Welcome, Steve!

And very well done, indeed!

[DavidG]

Hey Steve, sweet twins!