1988 climens
I fell in love with this wine over 20 years ago and as a result I’ve had a lot of it over the years, probably more than any other single Sauternes
Every bottle was fantastic but this was the best. It just keeps going from strength to strength
I had the ‘15 a couple years ago (opened by mistake, meant to grab an ‘05), and it was enjoyable. Way early to drink now, but with some cellar time i think will be very good. Hard to compare because age difference, but I enjoyed the ‘09 and ‘05 and ‘01 (of course) ive had more than the ‘15.
Prices seem ok, i randomly grabbed a couple bottles of ‘19 at wegmans for $31 the other day. From time to time first bottle and/or last bottle will have well aged bottles for $35ish, with free shipping generally over 4 or 6.
What does the ex-chateau reference mean?
Thanks.
My understanding of “ex chateau” is that they are wines that have been stored at the winery and released later after some years have passed.
I’ve had good and excellent bottles of the 88, Jay–glad yours showed well for you.
I suppose I should cross-link this post into this thread 
Sadly, I am going to vote for the 2009 in spite of the fact that it is 750. the 09 is really great, I had stocked up on a few personally, both 375 and 750.
We had the 09 Suduiraut last night from bennuaine glasses and it was great. I think the bennuaine glass is my favorite dessert stem I’ve used.
I wish I could taste the 06 and 09 side by side. I picked some 2006 Suduiraut to try as it was half the cost of the highly rated 2009.
I picked up a bottle of the 2009 Suduiraut about a year ago fairly inexpensively. Looking forward to trying it soon. The 2015 Suduiraut may be young, but it is really good. I am looking forward to the chateau’s 2021 and 2023 vintages.
I went back for a couple more 09 Suduiraut after last night. Courtier has 4 375s left for $49 a pop if anyone wants some. It’s phenomenal and ridiculously priced at that price point, 09 Yquem is marginally better and costs more than 5x as much.
And courtier also has the 09 climens 375s for the same price. really nice to do a horizontal there…
Blue cheese or a not too sweet dessert?
Or both?
Or something else ???
Ironically the 09 climens is what I pulled to replace the 09 Suduiraut in the under counter fridge.
Any of the above, Sauternes pairs with lots of stuff.
I would say, despite its fame, ease back on the very strong blues like stilton (great with robust vintage ports!)
and for sauternes choose something mild-medium blue like cambozola or a gorgonzola dolce for a great cheese pairing. Foie is legendary for a reason too.
But the person who you want to look up for the expertise on this is @AAgrawal who has written on this many times…
I think go with deserts like creme brulee, cheesecake, Saint Joseph’s Pastry… Even other custard or ricotta based deserts work, like cannoli for example. Those are the safer bets. If you know the particular Sauternes well enough you can pair some fruit based desserts, lemon meringue pie, apricot tart, even apple pie, but it gets much more difficult to find the right match for the right wine.
Foie gras is a big thing, but not personally my thing. I rarely feel the acidity is high enough for that type of pairing.
Paired it with Baklava Cheesecake, Galactoboureko, & Napolean pastry. All paired well and helped brighten up the acidity.
The wine was youthful with nice notes of citrus, but timid. Also has a bit of a nutty side to it. Pretty much as I remember it from a few years back. Simple, enjoyable, but lacking the complexity and concentration of the 09 Suduiraut.
Great ideas already on the thread!
When pairing, I always think about what is the primary flavor and what you’re using to balance. With blue cheese, the cheese is the dominant flavor, and the sauternes are a moderating influence. Which is great for the cheese, but washes out the sauternes.
For younger or richer sauternes, I like the creme brulee or a light cheesecake option. Cannoli is also great. For older sauternes even some salted nuts can be a wonderful pairing because they are less sweet. But honestly, some of my favorite pairings are savory. Roast chicken with a 10-20 year old example, oysters with a more minerally vintage (2006, 2008, etc), etc. I believe Coutet has recipes somewhere on their website for inspiration.
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