2009 Sauternes Successor to the Great 2001 Vintage

If you love great Sauternes then you must scoop up 2009 Sauternes. The virtues of this magnificent vintage have been clearly outed at the recent Southwold tasting

The Southwold Tasting holds a tasting each January of the Bordeaux vintage bottled 18 months before. For this year held just two weeks ago, it was the 2009 vintage's turn.  I believe it is the most definitive tasting of young Bordeaux, far more reliable than wine critics' scores, and here's why. One, the participants consist of some of the sharpest tasters, professionals from the leading British wine merchants that are the top traders of Bordeaux, plus they are joined by three of the most influential British wine writers (Jancis Robinson MW, Neal Martin of the Wine Advocate, and Steven Spurrier of Decanter). Two, all the wines are tasted blind during the three days of tasting.

The hugely popular 2009 Bordeaux vintage is lauded for the reds, with Pauillac and Pomerol standing out at the tasting. However, the biggest surprise of the tasting weren't the reds but the sweet wines of Sauternes! Bill Blatch, the tasting's organizer, described the Sauternes tasting on the last day of the event:
"Stars of the show for the reds were on the Pauillac and the Pomerols, and the Sauternes ruled the whole roost, they were dramatic, there was silence in the room, people were genuinely moved to be tasting such great wines. Probably the successor to the great 2001s. 2009s have everything: they have the power, they have fatness, they have the richness, they have the sweetness. Potentially enormous longevity."

Prices of 2009 Sauternes will doubtless climb, especially after this eye-opening tasting. Here are two of the best buys in 2009 Sauternes that we offer. I don't think you'll find better buys.

Sauternes, Chateau Filhot 2009 $38.00


Sauternes, Domaine L'Alliance 2009 $39.00 500ml