sweet dessert wine

8/8/2019 Sweet Dessert Wine

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Sweet,But Not Just,

Dessert WineTHE NOBLE SWEET WINES FROM SAUTERNES AND BARSAC

IN BORDEAUX, FRANCE ARE NOT ONLY UNDERAPPRECIATED

FOR THEIR EXTRAORDINARY COMPLEXITY BUT ARE ALSO

MISUNDERSTOOD AS BEING LESS THAN VERSATILE!

By Curtis Marsh

WWW.ASIACUISINE.COM


2/7

Morning dew blankets each grape in a

mould-riendly mist.

Having not partaken in a Sauternes or Barsac wine or a considerable

time, a ew months ago I ound mysel in the cellars o Chteau Coutet

in Barsac, immersed in a line-up o some 26 already lusciously inviting,

albeit decidedly youthul barrel samples o 2007 Cru Class chteaux

as well as a handul o non-classied producers. There was already

an air o high expectation at this en primeur press tasting the word

well and truly out on this spectacular sweet wine vintage. However,tasting barrels samples o any wine has to be put into perspective, as

the wines are unnished and are invariably obscured by yeasty-less

ermentation characters and high levels o ree sulphur. Moreover,

in this primary state the dening elements o provenience and

distinctive soils (terroir) are subdued. Essentially one should treat the

exercise purely to orm an impression o the vintage and subsequent

characteristics in the wines.

It is important to note that all the ollowing wines were tasted blind;

an imperative i one is to orm an objective opinion and commentary.

Frankly, scoring wines in this state is absolutely absurd however; I have

grouped the wines that I elt had particular merit. Full tastings notes

are posted on our wine website, www.asianwinejournal.com. Froman overall perspective, one can draw a comparison to the amazing

harmony o the 2005 red Bordeaux vintage the 2007 conditions

in Sauternes and Barsac were perect in every respect, engendering

exceptional quality across the board, and particularly in the lesser

ranks, where there will be some excellent price/quality rapport. The

wines exhibit pronounced perumes with marked musky, apricot,

honeyed scents indicative o high levels o Botrytis and sugar. There is

a marvellous intensity to the ruit favours and sweetness, also superb

textures, noticeably more viscous yet balanced by impressive acidity.

Such harmonious wines will no doubt be attractive in their youth but

clearly there will be wines capable o extraordinary longevity easily

20 to 30 plus years, indeed eternal or the top wines and in larger

bottle ormats.

One o natures miracles and an aberration in viticulture is apeculiar mould that transorms the otherwise tart and shy whitegrape, Semillon, to nectar o unparalleled concentration o exotic

ruits, honeyed sweetness, sumptuous richness and a creamy viscous

texture, yet with a harmonious marmalade-like piquancy, pleasant

bitterness and powerul natural acidity that imparts a perceived

dryness. The scientic or Latin name o this extraordinary ungalorganism is Botrytis Cinerea, although it is known more colloquially

as 'Noble Rot' or 'Pourriture Noble' in France. Whilst biologists and

winemakers who toil with late-harvest style wines have an intimate,

i not metaphysical knowledge o its behaviour, the genome o this

unique and naturally occurring phenomenon, there being so ew

moulds that can be considered benecial or riendly to the taste, has

yet to be ully explained and continues to ascinate scientists.

In laymans terms, the cooler autumn waters o a small tributary

river bordering Sauternes and Barsac called the Ciron, fowing into

the warmer Garonne River estuary, creates conducive misty and

humid morning conditions to awaken the Botrytis spores that have

been hibernating during the winter months. Transported throughthe air on water molecules, these spores cling to the grapes, already

approaching their ull ripeness. It only takes a single spore clinging

to a healthy grape to acilitate the spread o Botrytis throughout

the whole bunch, the ungus penetrating the grape skin and eeding

o the natural sugars beginning a process o dehydration, slowly

extracting the water within the grape, concentrating the sugars,

intensiying and preserving the ruit favours. It is an incredibly risk-

prone transormation at the mercy o the weather and devastatingly

unwelcome rain, requiring drier, warm aternoon sun to inhibit the

onset o the conversely detrimental Grey Rot, which can rapidly turn

the grapes into an unusable mush.

As the grapes take on an unsightly shrivelled, raisin-like appearance

within a web o ungal growth, expert grape pickers begin the labour-

intensive harvesting o individual berries, selecting the most Botrytis

inected grapes and leaving those requiring urther hang-time.

Needless to say, this is painstaking work as the yields are meagre,

as little as two or three glasses o wine per vine. It is here that the

inequitable disparity in the selling price and ratio to yields between

Bordeaux sweet wines and the chteau that produce red wines is

clearly, i not rustratingly, evident. Depending on the vintage, red wine

producers can be permitted up to a maximum o 50 hectolitres per

hectare (hl/ha), whereas Sauternes and Barsac producers are normally

restricted to 25 hl/ha, although in actuality the top estates in both

regards will crop signicantly lower, in Sauternes and Barsac it can

be as low as nine hl/ha, about one glass o wine per vine!

However, the harsh reality is that red Bordeaux is eminently more

popular than sweet or dry white Bordeaux or that matter, particularly

in the strategic emerging markets o Asia and subsequently refected

in the secondary market, with sweet wines simply not achieving the

exponential returns o their red peers. To add insult to injury, such is

the obsession with red Bordeaux vintage ratings that a poorly rated

year or reds does not auger well or Sauternes and Barsac, even i

the conditions are exceptional or the white grapes and the onset o

Botrytis. Take 2001 as an example, a supposedly mediocre vintage

or red Bordeaux wines (which is unjust as many 2001 wines are

delightul) but a abulous year or sweet wines, yet the stigma o the

lighter red wines imparted an overriding negative sentiment making

it a hard-sell or the chteaux in Sauternes and Barsac.


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Botrytis-inected grapes; the more wrinkledthey are, the better.

As the grapes take on an unsightly

shrivelled, raisin-like appearance within a

web o ungal growth, expert grape pickers

begin the labour-intensive harvesting

o individual berries, selecting the most

Botrytis inected grapes and leaving thoserequiring urther hang-time.

Sweet Sensations In Hong KongsVinExpo Asia PacifcA ew months later, I attended a most enlightening Sauternes and

Barsac masterclass at Vinexpo Hong Kong, chaired by Brnice

Lurton, proprietor o Chteau Climens and the new president orthe Crus Classs de Sauternes et Barsac, and conducted by Andreas

Larsson, the worlds leading sommelier. Larssons commentary brought

an inormed and objective view, his rereshing impartiality and

innovative approach to matching these wines with Asian cuisines

was inspirational, motivating me to re-evaluate my interpretation o

Sauternes and Barsac. You may have noticed I have not used the term

dessert wine at all yet.

The ormat o the tasting and the 12 careully chosen wines by Larsson,

spanning 2005 to 1978 vintages covered a broad range o distinctive

terroirs and sub-regional styles, stimulating the interaction between

Larsson and participating tasters. Much o the dialogue was centred on

ood pairings, but also on how the wines clearly had a rich rameworkyet the actual sugar sweetness had dissipated with bottle age to the

point o perceived dryness o the nish, augmented by pronounced

acidity and spiciness. What was most evident is how bottle age can

magniy the soil characters and minerals in these wines, also the huge

dierence in textures and colours between the wines.

It appeared to me, the most potential with Asian ood pairings would

be with lighter, very young wines, their lively acidity, pureness and

intensity yet subtle sweetness capable o handling spicy or relatively

warmer cuisines, although not a complete broadside o chilli. Some

o the pairings put orward encompassed universal produce but

with Asian favours; rich seaoods such as lobster, crab or scallops in

sweeter yellow curries with spices like turmeric and saron sh

curries or steamed sh where resh ginger is used, as ginger is a spice

element oten ound in these wines. In the same vein and much like

how the Germans serve their powerul Auslese Rieslings with pork,

venison, game birds, duck and poultry, Sauternes and Barsac wines

work equally well and again the sweetness in the wine will counteract

spicy warmth. One can also see many possibilities with the milder,

subtly spiced northern Indian cuisine, indeed I am experimenting with

this mysel, already with surprisingly harmonious results. One o the

most perect pairings, according to Larsson, is Peking roast duck with

a lighter Sauternes or Barsac, to which I concur, having promptly

tried it. I can see where he may have drawn his inspiration or this

adventurous pairing, using the time-honoured match o Sauternes

and oie gras, the attiness and richness o the roasted duck skin and

gamey favour o the duck breast similar to pan-ried goose liver. Itis indeed gastronomic heaven, albeit indulgent and reinorces there

are no set rules with wine and ood pairing and to be adventurous.

Imagine i this catches on and every Chinese restaurant around the

world was to endorse this, serving up a glass o Sauternes or Barsac,

it would certainly change the regions ortunes!

There is o course the natural aliation with sweet wines and dessert

but one must be careul that the dessert itsel is not too sweet as

this can oten overpower the wine. In my opinion, chocolate is notgood with Sauternes and Barsac, although white chocolate can work

as a component o a dessert. There are o course innite variables o

dessert pairings, some o the more conducive being tropical ruits,

also poached stone ruits and desserts that have vanillin or caramel

favours. However, sometimes I think Sauternes and Barsac wines have

evolved expressly or cheese, or it is here that you will achieve some

o the most harmonious pairings. The variations are as endless as

the dierent types o cheeses, made even more innite by the subtle

dierences in type or age o the wine.

But most o all, savouring Sauternes and Barsac on its own, either

beore or ater a meal is most satisying. My experience o Bordeaux

sweet wines began this way, working with French ches andrestaurateurs who would always recommend a glass o sweet wine

to open up the palate. Social occasions or Sunday lunches with them

usually began with a nicely chilled, lighter Barsac or Muscat Beaumes

de Venise.


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2000 Chteau Climens

(100 percent Semillon)

Barsac, www.chateau-climens.r

paired with ricciotti*

Passion ruit and graperuit zest to the ore, also a prominent

gooseberry Sauvignon Blanc character, very musky and Riesling like

reshness and citrus favours on the palate, tangy, citrus-orangesucculence, almost appears dry on the mid palate and bids arewell

with a warm glow o pickled ginger and bitter almond though

some rich and honeyed sweetness lurks amongst the spicy, lingering

warmth very elegant and surprisingly pleasing.

This pairing comprises a zesty, acid-driven wine complemented

by a very rereshing dessert. The favours o the champagne

sorbet are also subtle enough not to overpower the wines

elegant characters.

2003 Chteau Fillot

(60 percent Semillon, 36 percent Sauvignon Blanc,

4 percent Muscadelle,)

Sauternes, www.lhot.com

paired with champagne sorbet*

Sweet custard and vanilla pod, sherbet o citrus, dried g and

muskiness o Turkish delight dusted with icing sugar, some

butterscotch and dark cone honey nuances, roasted nuts, peppery

virgin olive oil unctuous, creamy palate entry, intense spice nutmeg, white pepper and resh ginger zingy warmth, intense

apricot and poached peach, caramelised apples with butterscotch

and nougat, very impressive acidity keeping the wine lively, very

long nish, just goes on and on great wine!

A lively wine paired with its equal match in the sweet

cheesecake dessert.

1996 Chteau Coutet


2 percent Muscadelle)

Barsac, www.chateaucoutet.com

paired with brandied cherry liqueur coated in dark chocolate*

Fresh nose, perume o summer fowers, lots o citrus, noticeably

delicate white clover honey, honeydew melon and ripe mango,

sherbet-like sweetness with some candied ruits elegant andsilky palate entry, intense tangy apricot and marmalade characters

enhanced by citrus-lemony acidity, nice spice and vitality, some

caramel and nougat complexity, very elegant wine with impressive

reshness and acidity, still youthul.

Generous acidity and spices in the wine will pair well with the dark

chocolate, while the brandied cherry liqueur adds characteristic

favour to the wines exotic palate o honeydew melon and

ripe mango.

1978 Chteau Climens

(100 percent Semillon)

Barsac, www.chateau-climens.r

paired with rum balls

Wedding cake almond icing, nutty, oxidised sherry-like tones,

musky-musty complexities; beautiul sot and elegant palate entry

quickly surrenders to an awesomely powerul, intense apricot and

peach palate; a lingering background sweetness o candied ruits,drinking superbly, some chalky phenolic amongst a tangy arewell.

Brilliant wine, extraordinarily proound, at almost 30 years in bottle

and showing no signs o giving up bravo!

With quite an intense wine thats ull-bodied and sweet with

moderate acidity, the complementary pairing is one which

oers simple favours and an adequate sweetness to stand up to

the wine.

Dessert & Wine Pairings

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6/7

1997 Chteau Myrat



Barsac

paired with irish cream mudpie**

Very dark amber colour, intense caramel-toee nose, golden

syrup, honeyed, giving an impression o elevated sweetness, yet

seemingly dry on palate entry almost like aged dry white Bordeaux

with hessian and straw favours, lots o spice and warmth, nutty

Olorosso sherry like characters, salty, builds in sweetness towards

the back palate becoming quite unctuous with a little chalkyphenolic grip on the arewell and intriguing interplay o dryness

and richness with a lingering distinctly wet limestone chalky

favour. Rather leteld style that would be excellent with pongy,

gooey cheese.

A heavy dessert to match a heavy wine quite a natural pairing.

Also, this desserts subtle favour will allow the wines nutty and

straw favours to come through unhindered on the palate.

1999 Chteau Latour Blanche



Bommes, Sauternes (www.tour-blanche.com)

paired with champagne cake

Baked apples, hints o strawberry, soon overwhelmed by strong

apricot and lots o peaches with rich double clotted cream, golden

syrup and toee tangy, spicy palate entry, but quickly builds inrichness, intensely sweet mid-palate, crme brulee and lingering

toee, very toasty-honeyed development, also quite nutty and

oily, some bitter almond and resh ginger spice bringing a tingly

warmth, lingering intense dried apricot and tantalizing acidity,

with some earthy tones, overall quite elegant yet deceptive in its

power in richness.

For this wines moderate acidity to stand out and impress,

the dessert pairing has to have a lower acidic intensity. Here,

the almond sponge cake dipped in champagne syrup does not

overpower the wines delicious acidity.

There are o course

ininite variables o

dessert pairings, someo the more conducive

being tropical ruits,

also poached stone

ruits and desserts

that have vanillin or

caramel favours.

allphotographscourtesyofCurtis

Marsh.


7/7

Exceptional, Must-Have Wines

Chteau Rayne-Vigneau Bommes, Sauternes

(My top wine o the tasting)

Chteau Laaurie-Peyraguey Bommes, SauternesChteau Lamothe-Guignard Sauternes

Chteau Romer-du-Hayot Fargues, Sauternes

Chteau Rieussec Fargues, Sauternes

Chteau Doisey-Vedrines Barsac

Chteau Doisey-Deane Barsac

Outstanding Wines, Purchase Without Hesitation

Chteau Bastor-Lamontange Sauternes, an unclassiedproperty whichoutclassedmany others

Chteau Romer Fargues, Sauternes

Chteau Ribaud-Promis Bommes, Sauternes

Chteau de Malle Preignac, Sauternes

Chteau Broustet Barsac

Chteau de Myrat Barsac

Chteau Caillou Barsac

1998 Chteau Suduiraut

(90 percent Semillon, 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc)

Preignac, Sauternes, www.suduiraut.com

paired with christmas ruitcake

Grilled nuts, Beauort cheese, almond-marzipan icing, reminiscent

o Hungarian Tokay a whi o salty, nutty Palo Cortado Sherry,

earthy white trufe scents syrupy apricot conserve palate

entry, mid-palate quite dry with straw and summer eld nuances,

lavender and dried rosemary, nutty, oily, build in richness towards

the back palate with toee and lingering marmalade piquancy,

sweet around the gills reminding you it is actually Sauternes.

Wonderul example o how bottle age develops an amazing array

o secondary aromas and extraordinary complexity. Savour on its

own or with a nutty, salty rm cheese.

The ull-bodied favours o both the wine and dessert are equal

matches. However, the ruitcakes low acidity allows the wines

spicy and piquant nuances to come through.

I should mention that Chteau Climens and Chteau dYquem were

not in this line-up. Disappointingly, I did not get to try the Chteau

Climens 2007. It is not only a personal avourite but is the only other

producer which challenges Chteau dYquem in absolute quality and

also with a uniqueness o its highly calcareous soils and 100 percent

Semillon cepage. Unquestionably, however, Chteau dYquem has thehigh ground in Sauternes, in every respect, as with the First Growths

in the Mdoc, largely attributed to the elevated aspect and superior

soils. My tasting notes or the Chteau dYquem 2007 Sauternes,

are as ollows: Cone honey, peaches and creamlike, a double crme

richness, subtle almond and hazelnut nuances, resplendent with

musky perume and intense apricot (tempting to dab a little behind

the ears), intriguing Indian spices like turmeric, cardamom and ennel

seed. The spice and apricot tang intensity are even more evident on

the palate, delicious tarte tatin favours the French upside-down

tart with caramelised apples layers o syrupy, glutinous peach and

apricot yet all the while elegant and seamless with tangy acidity that

keeps the wine lively throughout the palate and despite its power and

intense sweetness, in no way cloying, the tangy marmalade sweet-sourfavours carrying to a seemingly innite arewell. Awesome, proound,

irresistible and so nely balanced, it is already drinking superbly even

beore being bottled! That said, in all likeliness, it will be one o the

longest lived Chteau dYquem wines made since the legendary 1975

or 1967. CM

2001 Chteau Suduiraut

(90 percent Semillon, 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc)

Preignac, Sauternes, www.suduiraut.com

paired with rum & raisin ice cream*

Earthy and musky scents, then opening out to a hedonistic bouquet

o caramelised apples, baked bananas, butterscotch, incredibly

alluring with rich, honeyed, golden syrup, very expressive

gorgeous creamy, syrupy, peachy palate entry although quickly

turns tangy with intense dried apricot and vigorous acidity

balancing or even cancelling out any sweetness, lingering tanginess

with a tingling spiciness and warmth. Fabulous wine, noticeably

more powerul in the line-up and a step up in quality.

It is important that the wines sweetness either matches or exceeds

the desserts sugar quotient. Thus, this intensely saccharine ice

cream will be an adequate match or the powerul caramel favours

o this wine.

New Zealander Curtis Marsh is known to many as

The Wandering Palate who believes that a meal

without wine could only be breakast! To read

more o Marshs wine and travel articles, click on to

www.thewanderingpalate.com, where he shares a

selection o his many journalistic exploits.

* Desserts rom Ricciotti (Singapore)

** Dessert rom NYDC (Bugis Junction, Singapore)

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sweet dessert wine

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