Two separate events. The first was only the 2007 vintage at the Marriot Marquis, the second at the Four Seasons co-organized by Sherry Lehmann.
Some of the highlights/ thoughts.
For the whites, the 2007 vintage is superior to the 2006 for both stickies and dries. The opposite holds for reds, where 2007 can be appealing in some cases (Domaine de Chevalier, Rauzan Segla, Figeac, Batailley - surprise, surprise - and Poujeaux stuck out for me in particular for their respective appellations) and may just favor slightly the Right over the Left Bank, but generally lacks the depth, concentration and even precision of the 2006s. As we all know, the 2007 was absurdly over priced so it is a double whammy, in a negative sense, for the reds.
As said, I plan to revamp my own website, but here some thoughts and TNs that stood out for me
Dry whites
Domaine de Chevalier as usual impresses me most. The 2006 is more expressive on the palate, with even perhaps a richer aspect but the 2007 is far more precise and focused. And, I suspect, just about as rich, but that will come out with some bottle age.
Pape Clement is also very fine, especially in 2007 with more exoticism than the Domaine (if less precision), with notes of peach and mango. The 2006 has tangy fruit with more body perhaps, but not as focused and even shows just a bit of heat on the finish.
Smith Haut Lafitte 2007 amounts to a great success, with lovely orange and citrus aspects and fine potential for aging.
Malartic Lagraviere 2007 is also a lovely white wine, rich on the palate but with a grapefruit freshness as well. Nice job.
Stickies
Now, I did not get around to tasting all that I would have liked, but, as said, the Sauternes on a general level performed better in 2007 than in 2006 at this infant stage primarily on the precision scale. In some cases the 2006s taste richer now, but almost always less focused.
Climens 2007 was indeed a success. I had tried it at the chateau during the harvest as part of a mini vertical (along with 05, 06 and 08 barrel samples) and it was showing off tea, cherry and orange aromas - very complex - followed through on a rich yet vibrant palate with a long finish. Excellent, of course. The 2006 by contrast was more diffuse, less focused, albeit also very good.
Same story for neighbor Chateau Coutet: I joked with owner Philippe Baly that he owed me six bottles because he bet that Obama would not win the election… In any case, the 2007 was very focused, with slightly exotic notes of quince but also rather rich. A success. The 2006 was more mineral, showing off some tobacco even, and also lovely, but just a bit less concentrated.
Chateau de Fargues 2007 was beautifully rich. Here is a classic Sauternes (as opposed to the slightly more elegant profiles of the Barsacs above) with lots of white fruit, light honey and … richness. But balanced. Yum, I could have more of this but needed to taste further . The 2006 was showing even more evident richness but perhaps just a bit less vibrancy.
Special mention also to Sigalas Rabaud 2007 which was very rich and nuanced. Also very fine was Doisy Daene 2007, with lovely nuanced flavors of fruit and mineral, showing good botrytis spice.
more coming…
