2003 Fombrauge- Popped and poured. This had a nice dark purple coloring which became a more ruby color toward the edges. Tannic and young but possessing great fruit, this wine should be decanted for a few hours or given more time to age. It has solid tannins and ample acidity but a long finish. I don’t mind my right bankers having this level of fruit as long as the acid and tannin are in balance. All of these are certainly present here. At this point it’s a bit monolithic but since it’s still very tight, I think it could be great in the future. ***
2003 Rieussec- God I love Rieussec. This is pretty huge but so delicious to drink. This is the second bottle I’ve had in the past week and, not to spark too much debate, but I definitely think Sauternes should be slightly chilled rather than served room temp. The first bottle I had was room temp and just didn’t bring out the richness and complexity that this wine possesses. This bottle, served at about 55 degrees, shows so much more. Honeysuckle, tons of tropical fruit, and starting to pick up a little bit of caramel. Also, this wine had nice acidity which I know is contrary to many people’s opinion of the vintage. If you love the decadent, rich Sauternes fruit that approaches the border of cloying but doesn’t quite make it, this is one to enjoy. I think it has a lot of time left as well. Very enjoyable to my palate. ****