Bordeaux Gold

Here’s a final review of the 2009 Sauternes vintage.  In the video below I talk about the En Primeur campaign and identify our top five best buys of the vintage.  Some of these are still available at original prices at:

2009 Sauternes Case Prices

We’ve also filmed individual chateaux reviews - just click on the link below to see them all.  They are especially interesting viewing if you have already bought some of these sensational wines.

2009 Sauternes Chateaux Videos Reviews

Well it is all over now bar the shouting but something tells me that people will be talking about the 2009 En Primeur campaign for some time with quality and prices the main discussion points.

Certainly the quality is remarkable, particularly so in Sauternes where many growers cannot remember such perfect conditions. Many have compared the 2009s to the great vintages of the past such as 2001, 1989, 1875, 1959, 1947, 1929 and even 1921. I don’t think I have ever seen such consistency with all the top chateaux in fine form and many of the lesser properties producing wines of First Growth quality.

Given the quality, prices in Sauternes have been generally reasonable with some outstanding value including Raymond Lafon (13.6% down on 2008 and 2007), Climens (13% down on 2007), de Malle (4% down on 2007 and the same price as in 2008) and Doisy Daene (only 10% up on 2008 and 2007 for a 98 point Wine Advocate scoring effort). There were some above average price increases which shocked a few people but on the whole rises have been well below those in the red wine appellations – the Sauternes average price increase was under 25% on 2008 prices compared to over 70% for Pauillac!

As usual time and the market will tell whether prices are fair and sustainable but we have no doubt that there are some oustanding Sauternes in 2009 at reasonable prices. We still have stock of some of the top wines at:

2009 Sauternes Case Prices

Our attention now is turning towards finding some fine Sauternes of drinking age in the run up to Christmas.  We plan to make a couple of offers of older wines that we have discovered lying in Bordeaux at attractive prices.  Make sure you are on our mailing list by registering to receive my 2009 Sauternes Tasting Notes and Vintage Report at the top right hand side of this page.   Bill Blatch

From a philosophical viewpoint to something more practical – here are some expert cheese and Sauternes pairing suggestions from Marie Quatrehomme, the famous Parisien Fromagerie.

If you have any favourite Sauternes and cheese suggestions please tell us about them in the comments box below.

Well this wine video certainly got me thinking – where did I get my love of Sauternes? Great to see a philosophical take on wine!

Where did your love of Sauternes come from? Tell us in the comments section below.

Well as you can see from the post below the last remaining broken cases are fast disappearing!

We have had yet another helpful suggestion from our customers which hopefully will make it even easier for some people to get their hands on a selection of these fabulous wines.  For the last remaining bottles and half bottles we will accept orders for HALF CASES for the 2009 Sauternes En Primeur Mixed Cases – to order 6 bottles or 12 halves of the wines of your choice just click on the link below:

2009 Sauternes Price List – Mixed Cases

There are only enough 75cl bottles left for three half cases but the remaining choice is good – Climens, Doisy Daene, de Myrat, Nairac and Raymond Lafon!

The choice is wider with half bottles with enough there for ten half cases if you are quick. 

At the top end there are small amounts of de Fargues, Coutet, Guiraud, La Tour Blanche (SOLD OUT), Nairac, Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Clos Haut-Peyraguey, de Rayne-Vigneau, Rabaud-Promis and Raymond Lafon (SOLD OUT). 

In the good value drinking early spectrum we still have some remaining Doisy-Vedrines, Cantegril (from Denis Dubourdieu), Lamothe-Guignard, de Malle, Broustet, Bastor-Lamontagne, d’Arche (SOLD OUT), La Clotte-Cazalis, Filhot (SOLD OUT) and Partarrieu (SOLD OUT).

We hope you get the wines you want.  Bill Blatch

NB We are not increasing our bottle prices for half cases but please remember that storage and delivery charges will be proportionally higher when the wines are delivered in 2012 (i.e. it will cost the same amount to deliver or store a half case as it will a full case).

Selecting your own mixed case has been the most popular option for 2009 Sauternes En Primeur.   Many of you have appreciated the ability this provides to experiment and experience within one of the greatest Sauternes vintages ever!

Some wines have now sold out but there are some gems still left.  We will not be breaking up any more cases before these wines are shipped in 2012 so this is the very last opportunity to secure the mixed case of your choice.  Remaining wines can be found by clicking on the link below:

2009 Sauternes Mixed Cases

You will have to hurry to secure the following:

• Only 2 half bottles of 2009 Suduiraut (97-99 points from Neal Martin) – NOW SOLD OUT
• 7 bottles only each of 2009 Doisy Daene and 2009 Raymond Lafon – the best buys of the vintage? DOISY DAENE GONE
• 5 bottles and 11 halves left of the sensational 2009 Climens – pure class at a great price! NO HALVES LEFT & ONLY 1 BOTTLE LEFT
• Only 4 bottles each of 2009 Rieussec and 2009 Nairac - simply superb Sauternes RIEUSSEC GONE
• Only 4 halves of Sigalas-Rabaud, 5 of Rabaud-Promis and 6 of La Tour Blanche NO SIGALAS & ONLY 1 LA TOUR BLANCHE LEFT

Take a look at what is left at this link: 2009 Sauternes Mixed Cases

Well at last Ch d’Yquem have released their 2009 En Primeur. 

We are not surprised that they have decided to continue with the marketing policy of following the prices of the other Medoc First Growths – as a luxury brand it is easy to understand the logic.   Unfortunately, as First Growth prices this year in the Medoc are high and, therefore, so is 2009 d’Yquem.

Allocations are also pinched so, for the moment, we have decided to offer only full cases (in bottles or halves) at:

2009 Sauternes Price List – Full Cases

Do let us know if you are interested in half bottles as part of a mixed case and, if enough people show an interest and we do not sell our allocation as whole cases, we will see what we can do.  As a reminder the videos for Ch d’Yquem are at:

2009 d’Yquem with Sandrine Garbay

2009 d’Yquem with Francis Mayeur

On the quality we have no doubts whatsoever – this will be one of the great d’Yquems!

Bravo Berenice – a very reasonable release price from Ch Climens today.  Up 23% on 2008 but down 13% on 2007 – only the third chateau to do this behind de Malle and Raymond Lafon.

In the heady climate of 2009 En Primeur red wine prices this is a breath of fresh air and deserves support.  The wine is excellent and will reward buyers with first class drinking for the rest of their lifetime (and probably their children’s lifetime too!).  I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Buying pages and tasting videos/notes are at the following links:

2009 Sauternes Price List – Full Cases
2009 Sauternes Price List – Mixed Cases

2009 Climens Videos

2009 Climens Tasting Notes

Most of you wanted to select your own mixed cases of 2009 Sauternes En Primeur but quite a few also wanted us to do it for you.  After a lot of discussion (it was hard to leave any wines out as everyone has excelled themselves in 2009) we have come up with three fantastic mixed cases to suit all palates and wallets.

These can all be found at the following link:

2009 Sauternes Pre-Selected Mixed Cases

There is an ‘Early Drinking’ case, a ‘Best Value’ case and an ‘Ultimate’ case.  Each contains wines from six Sauternes and Barsac chateaux and can be ordered in either normal 75cl bottles or popular 37.5cl half bottles.  Why not take a look now and see what we have lined up?

Remember you can always mix your own cases or order full cases of individual wines at the following links:

2009 Sauternes Price List – Mixed Cases

2009 Sauternes Price List – Full Cases

No one else gives you so much power to choose so why not go ahead and have some fun selecting some fantastic 2009 Sauternes?   Bill Blatch

Well – 2009 En Primeur prices for the red wines are certainly turning a few heads around the world.  I have worked in Bordeaux for 30 years and have never seen anything quite like this.  The top reds are only just starting to be released (very late and everyone here is worrying about their holidays) and past experience shows that prices may get even higher.  For starters this week we had Calon-Segur at 51,20 Euros ex-negociant (over 100% higher than the 2008 release price and making it some 15% more expensive to buy than the excellent 2005 vintage) – and this is one of the better buys! 

These high prices are certainly making the early 2009 Sauternes releases look good value.  Raymond Lafon is a stand out example with a 14% reduction on the 2008 price making it some 12% cheaper to buy than the excellent 2007 vintage – no one else has priced to sell quite like this across the whole of Bordeaux.  But there are many other good examples:

• Doisy-Vedrines - 10% increase on 2008 and 10% cheaper than current 2007 prices
• de Malle – same price as 2008 and 6% cheaper than current 2007 prices
• de Myrat – 11% increase on 2008 and 11% cheaper than current 2007 prices
• d’Arche - 5% increase on 2008 and 1% cheaper than current 2007 prices
• Filhot – 6% increase on 2008 and 3% cheaper than current 2007 prices

Steve and I tasted the 2009’s alongside the 2007’s and there is no doubt it is the superior vintage although the styles are very different.  Just click on the hyperlinks for the individual wines to find out more and to buy or why not try a mixed case of some of these excellent value Sauternes at this link:

2009 Sauternes Mixed Cases