TN: 2001 Château Climens (France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac)

WINE TALK
1

As I get older, it is hard to drink more than a small glass of Sauternes. It took me six days to finish this beauty.

  • 2001 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (5/24/2020)
    Expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe decadent yellow fruit, dry apricot, grilled peach, dry orange peel, candied ginger, strong saffron, crème brulee, honey, spice spices and steel. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of decadent concentrated yellow fruit, beautiful balance and harmony, rich yet airy and weightless, bright acidity and steely mineral, and the finish that never ends. This clearly expresses the greatness of the vintage, i.e. perfectly ripe fruit, incredibly rich and concentrated, and perfect balance and mineral, and the steely cool palate of Climens. Still needs time but perfectly enjoyable. Drank over five days without much transformation. (97 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

2

Even their 2nd wine in this year was brilliant

3

This is a beautifully written note and it sounds as though the wine was worthy of it. Maybe you could link this note in Sarah’s sweet wine conundrum thread to tempt her to open some of her stash. Cheers.

4

You should have opened a half Kevin. You would have had it done in 3 days.

5

Kevin,

Edible for a zoom tasting, in small quantities … :slight_smile:

I generally love worldwide sweet wines and among them Climens (the 2001 is slenderly beautiful).
Several years ago, I had a magnificent dinner in Paris at Gagnaire (we brought the wines …).

I memorized these words :
_4. Le plat : Pavé de bar poché au laurier - Avocat, champignons de Paris, langoustines ; jus onctueux de pamplemousse - Huile d’olive Santa tea, foisonnée au miel du désert des Agriates.
Jus émulsionné à l’huile d’olive santa tea : on obtient une " mayonnaise sans œuf " en généralisant le principe de l’aïoli. L’eau où l’on disperse la matière grasse sous la forme de gouttelettes peut alors être puissamment parfumée, et la sauce évolue vers un système hybride entre le gel et l’émulsion.
Le vin : Barsac Climens 1966 : 18,5/19 – 11/2/08
Expression sublime soulignée d’une multiplicité d’arômes évolués préservés : orange amère, abricot sec (cette impression d’être dans un bazar turc), inflexions balsamiques, gingembre. Toute la grandeur d’un Climens retenu et juste, harmonieusement poli par l’âge, au sucre estompé. Finale renchérie par une agréable résurgence acide, fruitée et épicée.

  • Plat en hauteur, « babélien », compilation d’ingrédients multiples, sorte de compression à la César (le modeste champignon de Paris reste sans intérêt - fade, de texture anodine). Bel accord bar/Climens (le petit côté résineux du vin s’accordant bien à l’apport subtil du laurier). Il est intéressant de placer à ce moment du repas un Barsac d’une telle insigne finesse ; son sucre résiduel a été digéré et il s’apparie très bien._
    Notes :
    We were 10 people, ideal amount of wine for the guests
    Agriates is in Corsica : stunning and desertic seaside landscapes …
    Sorry for my french but Google translation should understand what I meant … [cheers.gif]
6

A wine for food … able to survive us …

7

I opened my only bottle about two years ago and concur with your assessment

As per Sarah’s thread though I seemed to be the only person at the table really excited about it

8

Thanks for the TN. I can count on one hand the wines I’ve had that exemplified both enormous power and elegance at the same time and the 01 Climens was one of those sampled a few years ago. Maybe the best bottle of Sauternes I’ve had. One more bottle sleeping in the cellar.

9

The 2001 Climens is the best non Yquem Sauternes/Barsac I have ever had and it beats a few Yquems I have had.

10

My best Climens (really great wines) : 1966, 1983, 1988.
Other gems : Sigalas-Rabaud 1914, Rieussec 1999, Haut-Bergeron 2005, Barsac Coutet Cuvée Madame 1986

11

I have had the 1983 and 1988 and like the 2001 a lot better.

1 Like
12

I am not surprised … 2001 is a great vintage both for d’Yquem and Climens …

13

Thanks for this note, Kevin. I haven’t touched one of these in 6 years and the next one is planned as part of a vertical 4 years from now. FWIW, the note from 2014, from a truly memorable dinner with my dad, my friends Lynn and Jon, and Francois Audouze in Paris.

Out of a halfsie, I brought this too, but wasn’t sure whether I was allowed to open it in advance. Obviously, I wish that would have been possible, because more or less popped and poured, this just can’t get there, it’s so tightly wound. I will say though, that in the aroma, it has some of what that magical D’Yquem had—it smells of everything. Honey, flowers, lime, ginger, vanilla, light pineapple…I could go on…the palate has promise of impeccable balance and levels and layers to match that nose…but with 2 more days of full aeration. Alas. It did go particularly well with the soufflé, though, and also matched nicely enough with the Roquefort, promising again good things to come.

14

I should note that generally Climens is my favorite wine from the region not named Yquem. Being a German wine lover, I like acidity in wines and I find Barsac generally and Climens specifically to have a level of refreshment from the acidity that is not matched by most Sauternes. One wine I have always found to be about halfway between a Barsac and a Sauternes is Lafaurie-Peyraguey, which I also like a good bit.

1 Like
15

I also like acidity, in Germany, in Hungary too.

Did you try this special Monbazillac named Tirecul la Gravière ?

16

Have not tried that. Thanks.

17

I have, just once. I await the arrival on this thread of Brother Ashish (or Brother Hudak) [grin.gif]

From 5 years ago

1999 Tirecul la Graviere Cuvee Madame

With all the Sauternes I’ve had, this is my very first Cuvee Madame. Like an apricot forest with a panoply of spices. Ahh, me. That is pretty as a picture. Very pure. Lime & orange marmalade, but with some freshness and acidity to balance off. The finish goes on forever. It’s on maybe 2 levels instead of 3 or 5, but there is a lot of pleasure here.

18

I’ve had it once (1995 vintage), so limited experience, but I thought it was cloying compared to sauternes. Still good and I enjoyed it, but not great.

19

My last Journey to the domain was in 2016 : very competent and modest visit and “Deluxe” wines for the appellation (the wines are quite expensive but I think worth it because the work is very accurate, specially for the “normale” cuvée) :
Monbazillac Tirecul La Gravière 2012 : 16,5/17
Monbazillac Tirecul La Gravière 1993 : 16,5/20
Monbazillac Tirecul La Gravière Madame 2009 : 18/20
Monbazillac Tirecul La Gravière Madame 1998 : 18/20
Monbazillac Tirecul La Gravière 2005 : 17/20

The wines of course need to age :
Monbazillac château Tirecul-la-Gravière cuvée Madame 1999 : 17/20 – 21/4/2007 (same rating in 2013)
Liqueur de grande qualité, agrémentée de senteurs de fruits confits, de safran, de sirop d’érable. Pure et fine mais encore un peu monocorde.
The Cuvée Madame 2001 was great young (in 2006).
Monbazillac Tirecul-la-Gravière cuvée Madame 2001 (18/20) :
on franchit incontestablement un palier. Profondeur rôtie, épicée. Structure presque huileuse, fruitée (ananas, citron, orange), qui reste longiligne. Gorgée interminable.

Monbazillac Tirecul la Gravière cuvée Madame 1997 : 16/20 – 5/9/2008
Nez expressif, disert et complexe : morille, mile, calvados, raisin sec, bergamote, banana, sirop d’érable, sucre canne, marmelade d’orange, iode.
Bouche sur ces goûts, un peu déjantée, manquant de fait principalement de finesse. Déception pour une cuvée souvent superlative, apparaissant ici un peu comme un exercice de style d’une grosse cuvée du Layon (ou comme Nairac 1997).

Today, I’de like to compare, on 2001, D’Yquem, Climens and Tirecul-la-Gravière Cuvée Madame …