Golden Nectar in Barsac

It seemed appropriate that I peered out the window and looked at rain soaked vines in Barsac. That same moisture and humidity that I'm feeling in January makes a glorious fungus possible, Botrytis Cinerea, "Noble Rot" , in August and September. Ah, the mysteries of nature...

It always amazes me how sweet wines with great acidity jump out and wake your palate up. Earlier in the trip I had an exciting Vouvray Moulleux made from Chenin, then a few sips of Banyul, and now Semillon in all its glory. For me the Roumieu-Lacoste's "Cuvee Classique" was gorgeous, possessing a refreshing sweetness of fruit without ever being cloying. Two other cuvee's, "Leon" and "Andre" take character and intensity to the next level, but for me lose the versatility of the original wine. I was fortunate enough to taste a bottle of the "Classique" from 1959 and trust me, you don't need to be over the top to stand the test of time. Overall, I think there is reason to be excited by the current vintages. '07 is ripe, '08 is balanced, and '09 appears to be both.

For the dry whites of Bordeaux, I found all the vintages tasty with '08 showing the most acidity and great balance at the moment.

I found the most difference in vintages in red Burgundy and red Bourdeaux. In Bordeaux, those differences bordered on downright unappealling. Given the option on red Bordeaux I'll be purchasing '05, '07, and '09. My palate likes the greater amount of fruit showing in those vintages. We'll see where it all shakes out in time. My bets are on '05 and '09.

I'm back in the states now and reviewing my notes, so we'll see how things get remembered without the aid of ambience.

Sante!