Chateau Coutet Aline Baly
2009 Sauternes, the sweet white Bordeaux wine appellation produces some of the finest, if not the best,  sweet dessert wines in the world!  At their best, they combine intense, honey coated, tropical fruit, spice and floral aromas with pure, sweet, succulent, honey coated fruit flavors and refreshing levels of acidity. The wines can age effortlessly for decades.  Sauternes are the most expensive wines to produce in Bordeaux. Yet for all their expensive labor costs and ability to age, 2009 Sauternes sell for reasonable rates.
2009 Sauternes and Barsac, as well as other sweet Bordeaux wines have fallen out of favor over the past decade. They have become much more difficult to sell. Some of this due to people not partaking in sweets or additional wine after dinner. Oddly, the parade of high quality vintages which most Bordeaux growers would be thrilled with has filled the market with more than an ample supply of the wine. This has also lessened demand. Consumers are busy drinkning what is already in their cellars. That lack of demand on the buying side has helped keep prices down for 2009 Sauternes. While this is not good for the chateaux owners, it’s a gift for thirsty wine buyers.
Until the 1990’s, the sweet white wines of Bordeaux enjoyed a great vintage, 2 or 3 times a decade. Botrytis, also known as noble rot was not common. Things have changed in the appellation.  Starting in 1996, it’s hard to find an off vintage for Sauternes and Barsac. The last decade has produced great Sauternes almost every year. 2001. 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and possibly 2010 are all strong vintages. Lovers of sweet, Bordeaux wine are missing out by not trying a bottle from the opulent, botrytis filled 2009 Sauternes vintage. I love the wines. The style of 2009 Sauternes  make the wines worth looking at.
2009 Climens – Aromas of sweet white peaches, apricot, pineapple, flowers, grilled nuts and honey combine perfectly with layers of fresh, honeyed fruit. There is a lot of purity, definition and acidity to keep the wine feeling fresh. 96 Pts
2009 Coutet – This is the best example of a young Chateau Coutet I have ever tasted. Intense notes of honey drenched pineapple, orange, apricot, nectarine, nuts and minerality focus your attention. Rich, pure, sweet, powerful and refined, there is the perfect amount of lift and balance to keep you interested in tasting the wine. Bravo Aline! 96 Pts
2009 Doisy Daene – Citrus, lemon, lime, honey and floral notes make up the perfume. Medium/full bodied, ending with a bright, honey, apple and yellow fruit finish. 92 Pts
2009 de Fargues – Apricots, grilled nuts, honey covered pineapple. spice and vanilla notes create the nose. Rich and concentrated with ripe, honey fruit, but it feels a little dense. More acidity would add lift and give it a fresher feeling in the mouth. 91 Pts
2009 Guiraud – Honey coated apricot, pineapple,. peach and orange notes create the aromatics. Medium/full bodied, the wine ends with orange rind, apricot and sweet honeyed pineapple. 91 Pts
2009 – Lafaurie-Peyraguey – Apricot, orange, honey and pear notes produce a perfume that has trouble catching your attention. The palate does not ave enough going to create excitement. This is a pleasant Sauternes, but it lacks that special something that makes the wines great. 89 Pts
2009 Suduiraut – With an intense perfume that is equally matched with power and concentration of fat, sweet, ripe, pure, honey drenched fruit, this beautiful sweet Bordeaux wine has it all. Your palate is coated with layers of sweet yellow and orange fruits, spice, vanilla and honey. With length, purity and freshness, this is a delicious Sauternes. 97 Pts
2009 La Tour Blanche – Citrus, vanilla, apricot, nectarine, pear and honey scents produce the aromatics. With ample concentration and acidity, the wine ends with a rich layer of spice and honey coated tropical fruits. 92 Pts
