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  • Country ranking ?

    1 035
  • Producer ranking ?

    22
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Foie gras & aged Comté cheese

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The Story

This noble sweet white wine, graceful and weightless, is a subtle wine that is like no other. If it is the very expression of the quintessence of this appellation with balance and freshness, it also has the strength and magnificence among the greatest Sauternes. Climens is characterized by brilliance or depth, borne only of its unique terroir.

This special grace, the result of tightness and minerality is also blessed with an extraordinary aromatic palette, mingling perfumes of flowers, fruits, spices, and often even a hint of eucalyptus or fresh mint. In their youth the wines, which have a pale colour that is reminiscent of the aromas, are dominated by citrus fruit (grapefruit, lemon, citron), fresh fruit and white flowers. Sweet spices and other deeper, confected fruit flavours will develop with the passing of time. Whatever the vintage, the wines continue to age slowly, retaining their harmonious blend of sweetness and freshness for decades, which signs their inimitable charm.

Climens is most famous for the elegance of its wine, but also for its sustained excellence: even in less than great vintages, the wines produced are always magical.  

 

Appellation: Barsac (Sauternes)
Classification: First Growth of Sauternes – Barsac from 1855
Area under Wine: 31 hectares
Grape variety: 100% Semillon
Soil: ferrous clay sand on fissured starfish limestone sub-soil

Yield: Global Yield (on average over 20 years): 13hl/ha
First Growth yield (average over 20 years): 7hl/ha (i.e. 25 à 30 000 bottles per year)
Average age of vines: 38 years
Density of vine planting: 6 600 vines/ha
Vineyard management: Biodynamic since 2010
Vinification: in small lots in French oak barrels with 30 to 40% new oak each year
Barrel maturation: 20 to 22 months
Second Wine: Cyprès de Climens

 

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Vintage 1988

The first of a trio of great vintages and which was rather overshadowed by the 89s and 90s. Certainly the most "classic" of the trio, with many wines which are not overtly fruit-focused, but which have levels of extract and concentration which make them perfect candidates for prolonged storage.

The first half of the year was exceptionally cold and wet and the vintage was saved by a long, dry and hot summer. Harvest began in mid-September and some cabernets were not picked until the 3rd week of October. Most wines are now approaching their plateau of maturity, with the choice of the bunch being the Cabernet-dominated Médocs and Graves. Pauillac was particularly successful.

 

 

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

Tasted in April 2009. This wine is exceptionally long on the palate, exquisite and sophisticated. Not as big-headed as 1990 and 1989, and not the same intensity of botrytized flavours (candied fruit), the depth, structure and length are impressive. Acidity and fruit are the perfect marriage, and the finish is smooth and honeyed. Awesome stuff. 25-30 years horizontally.

  • 97p

Golden, botrytis, apricots, peach, pineapples and slightly herbal. Fresh acidity, then falls away, clean fruit, elegant but a bit boring, where is the acidity? Still 87Golden, botrytis, apricots, peach, pineapples and slightly herbal. Fresh acidity, then falls away, clean fruit, elegant but a bit boring, where is the acidity? Still 87

  • 87p

Elegant, dicht, Melase und Orangeat. Viel Malz. Wirkt schon reif aber immer noch sehr schön zu trinken mit viel Tiefgang. Nicht die Eleganz eines Barsacs sondern mehr von einem Sauternes. 
 

 

  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Barsac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

No Potential

Fake factory

None
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