2009 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes

 

2009 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes 

Vintage: 2009

Region: Sauternes Premier Cru, Bordeaux, France
Winery: Chateau La Tour Blanche

Varietal: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle (Sweet!)

Price: $19.99 (half-bottle at Wegmans)

Rating: 96 Points

My Rating: 97 Points

The Review: I know this wine is technically above the price range that I said I would stick to, but I have two justifications. 1) Serving sizes of Sauternes is 2 oz, so if we wanna do the math, it's still about the same number of servings as a 750 mL bottle. 2) Sauternes is super rare. And I'll add a third- if you were to go through a 750 mL bottle of this you'd feel so sick.

So, what the heck is Sauternes, why is it so expensive, and why am I making a quasi-exception to my price rule? Sauternes is a tiny region in Bordeaux, France that is one of the rare regions in the world that only makes sweet wine. These are wines made from Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle, but they aren't your normal old grapes. Grapes from this region are effected by something called "noble rot." Noble rot, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is a beneficial rot that creates tiny holes in the skin of the grape, which causes the water inside to evaporate. If there's no water inside, the flavors and the sugar get really concentrated.

These wines are so rare and so delicious because it's really challenging to get the conditions right. Sauternes wines are actually only produced in certain vintages, so there's no guarantee a winery will be able to put out a wine every year. Basically, these wines are RARE. And as we all know from our intro economics classes- Rare=expensive. But I don't want to make this seem like it's only expensive because it's rare. It's also expensive because it is one of the most mind-blowing and magical things you can drink. Yes, it's sweet, but it's a kind of elegant sweetness, like an incredible fruit dessert. It's got layers and layers of depth and you're guaranteed to have some insane reaction.

"Ok, great. They're serving me rotten grape wine." Well, yes, but it's not as gross as it probably sounds- I promise. The 2009 Chateau La Tour Blanche Sauternes was ripe, broad, and lush. It showed complex aromas of fig, apricot, blood orange, honeysuckle, clover honey, lemon, and some fresh rosemary. The mouthfeel was dense and viscous and the taste had a beautiful tang. There were notes of orange and some lemon, as well as apple, caramel, and some baking spices. After a bit, it opens up to a honeyed finish that lasts forever. As you probably saw, I gave this a 97. I was floored with the depth and complexity of this wine, and it was certainly the most impressive thing I've ever drank.

I can try to type up what to expect if you ever have the pleasure of trying one of these wines, but it's truly not easy to describe. You'll just have to go out and see for yourself. And I gotta say, you can go and drop $700 on a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem, or you can spend $20 to get a wine that is just as well-rated... Just make sure that if you do end up trying it, don't pour too much and also buckle up. I know I beg you all to try cool wines all the time, but this is one that you should definitely actually try. It's just a flat out cool life experience. And if you're someone who saves special bottles, this will certainly make it into your collection just like it made it into mine.

drink what you like,

db