After tasting more than 800 Bordeaux 2019 wines in bottle, Georgie Hindle has given her verdict on how the wines are tasting now.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the top 29 Sauternes and Barsac wines.
| Producer | Appellation | Vintage | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Château Climens | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 97 | Quite a closed nose, some nice spring notes of white blossom and white stone fruit. Excellent clarity here, poised and quite finessed. A little reserved right now, but offering quite a pretty, direct, clean and pure palate. Great sweetness, I love the sugary burst you get and also the soft florality and appealing bitter orange peel nuances around the edges. Not showing its full potential yet but it's well constructed - you really do notice the texture here, the linear, precise clarity of the mouthfeel. It's smooth and all the layers are tightly packed into one smooth block at the moment but it has lovely lifted acidity that adds such charm. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2045 Click to see full details | |
| Château Doisy-Védrines | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 97 | Sweet caramel and honeyed toffee on the nose alongside peach and white pear, smells inviting. Great texture and depth here, I love the sugary hit you get straight away that then lingers on the tongue while a minerality comes through and almost cleans the palate. Fresh and refreshing. Abundant fruit profile with a smooth caramel texture and bright sweetness with some bitter orange notes at the end. Good impact - charming and classical. I love it. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2039. Click to see full details | |
| Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 97 | Expressive nose of lime, tangerine and some exotic spices. Gorgeous mouthfeel here, so sumptuous, seductive and definitely sugary but with a nice clarity, precision and coolness to the palate. It's rich and full but well balanced, giving flavours of lemon, apricot and peach alongside caramel, toffee and gorgeous wild floral honey. Good length. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2047. Click to see full details | |
| Château Coutet | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 96 | Gorgeous nose full of exotic spices, candied fruit, orange, apricot and honeyed brioche. Lovely unctuous texture here, it's fat but smooth - like thick smooth fruity caramel, quite defined and straight but with a roundness and generosity with pineapple, mango, violet even giving an appealing florality, and these lovely almost bitter orange edges. It's still a bit young but with great vibrancy right now, acidity which gives energy and life all the way through. Lifted and bright. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Château Guiraud | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 96 | Fully expressive on the nose, burnt lemon, candied peel and dried fruits - apricots, oranges and spices - lots going on. Lovely combination here of bright, quite acidic lemony freshness with this honey, caramel buttery softness and also so many notes of dried fruit, raisins, apricots, pineapple and also pot pourri. Great potential here, lots of complexity and I really love the interplay between bright lemon acid and sweet toffee richness. Confident and showy in the best way. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Château Rieussec | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 96 | Lovely noble rot aromas but quite modern in profile with freshness and energy. On the palate there is expressive and open flavours of honeyed lemon, orange rind and pineapple well wrapped in a viscous, rich, sumptuous and seductive layer of sweetness. Great acid backbone, not mouthwatering as such but just enough that it lifts the overall feeling so much then the structure comes in supporting the frame making you think this is a serious and super charming wine. Great texture also the flavours glide across the palate. Excellent intensity but also freshness. A great aperitif style to enjoy before a meal - serve cold and let the wine reveal more complexity and nuance as it warms and opens. A new, fun bottle was introduced for this vintage. Dark glass was used 'obliging you to pour it as you can't see the colour' says Saskia de Rothschild with a reusable cork stopper so it can be kept in the fridge and consumed in several sittings. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Château Suduiraut | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 96 | A little closed on the nose, some florality with wild honey and orange. Good density here, this is certainly on the rich side with the alcohol just poking through. Good structure with a wonderful lift at the end. There is some brightness and acidity on the finish, this has excellent potential and beautiful touches of florality that I really like. Rich, seductive and unctuous. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Rayne Vigneau | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 95 | Nice fresh, lemon zestiness on the nose - smells bright and quite inviting. Lemon juice, apricot and peach, ripe pear and pineapple on the palate - a good mix of fruits and balanced sugar level, not too cloying but quite potent. I like the glamour and confidence here, driven with some spicy bitter notes coming in towards the finish ending with a lemon zest lift at the end. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Château La Tour Blanche | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 95 | White pear, peach and green apple on the nose alongside some candied lemon notes. This is clean and pure with excellent acidity. Quite expressive and pronounced flavours of sherbet lemon, bright and zesty, with some caramel notes and burnt orange bitter edges. I like the overall feel, it's well balanced and fresh with real clarity. One that is more approachable right now. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Château d'Arche | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 94 | Bright lemon aromas, some green apple, white peach. Soft florality. Good impact, quite a direct style, very pure and clean. The flavours linger on the palate, full and concentrated lemon, lime and peach. It's quite opulent at first with sweet candied lemon, green apple skin, and then settles and expands with orange, grapefruit and some pineapple nuances too. Good mix of flavours with freshness and appeal. Easy to like. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2044. Click to see full details | |
| Château Doisy-Daëne, Les Etoiles de Doisy-Daëne | Sauternes | 2019 | 94 | Nicely concentrated and expressive on the nose, full of white stone fruits, apricot, orange blossom and peach. The weight on the palate is perfectly balanced, it has a punch of quite lifted acidity surrounded by a soft sweetness to the fruit. A good combination of the two with real energy and lift at the end. Such vibrancy - I love it! Approachable and great definition throughout. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2042. Click to see full details | |
| Château Sigalas Rabaud | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 94 | Smells clean and clear, such clarity on the nose, well defined white fruits, candied peel and ginger. Lovely texture, great grip and presence. High sugar content, you really feel the sweetness through the thick texture and honey/caramel nuances with softly spiced edges. A lovely, if quite dense, expression. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2045. Click to see full details | |
| Clos Haut-Peyraguey | Sauternes (1er Cru Classé) | 2019 | 94 | A little closed on the nose with crunchy apple and orange aromas but it's rich and full with such depth on the palate giving caramel, buttery toffee, lemon and some green apple and apricot flavours with wood spice, not so noticable in terms of a flavour but you get the texture and slight spice around the edges. Feels structured with so much on show but needs time to harmonise. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2043. Click to see full details | |
| Château Broustet | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 93 | Quite a closed nose right now, some tropcality here, real pineapple - both fresh and tinned with a lovely sweetness but also precision and clear definition. It's not heavy, light on the tongue with good support from the sweetness leaving a bright sherbet flavour in the mouth. I love the full on pineapple flavour. Perhaps not as nuanced as some but such great generosity. A rich, sugary style. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2041. Click to see full details | |
| Château Climens, Cypres de Climens | Sauternes | 2019 | 93 | Gosh so aromatic on the nose here, just jumping out the glass. Orange, orange blossom, wild honey, so nuanced with depth and an appealing bitterness too. Inviting. The palate is clean and well defined, such purity - real orange juiciness with lemon, mango and elderflower. Nice weight in the mouth, it doesn't feel so sweet, more refreshing and lively with succulence. Cleansing finish too. Such purity and definition, good winemaking on show. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2042. Click to see full details | |
| Château Doisy-Daëne | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 93 | Bright candied lemon on the nose, elderflower and real florality on the nose with a strong perfumed element to the palate too which I adore alongside a bright lemon zestiness from start to finish. Nice overall impression with clarity and a real punch of lime zest and juice on the long finish. Well made. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2041. Click to see full details | |
| Château Suduiraut, Lions de Suduiraut | Sauternes | 2019 | 93 | Rich and quite nuanced on the nose - honey, caramel and orange. Unctuous and rich on the palate, this is creamy and thick, a richer style but still with real elegance and power. I like the texture and weight and drive of flavours. Feels quite a complete wine, everything in balance. A little spicy, bitter character comes through towards the finish as well which is quite appealing. One to seek out. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Château Caillou | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 92 | Fresh, spring-like nose, floral but fresh with apple, pear, peach blossom and bakery/patisserie elements. The palate is sweet, no doubt, but this has a really good level of density and mouthfeel balanced by acidity and freshness. Peach and white pear. A lighter style, less overtly sweet with real clarity and precision. Some wet stone minerality too that is so inviting. Sweet and pretty. An estate that has really improved a lot in the last few years. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2040. Click to see full details | |
| Château d'Arche, Soleil d'Arche | Sauternes | 2019 | 92 | Some faint hints of tropical aromas, mango, orange and pineapple. Quality texture and juice, almost mouthwatering on initial impact, this has a lovely lightness and freshness on the mid palate, it's almost bouncy and vibrant with a lightness of touch despite the generous and softly sweet edges. A bright style that is perfect as an apéritif, nice succulence. Perhaps less complex and structured than some but I really enjoy and like this approachable style. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Myrat | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 92 | Rich and sweet on the nose full of lemon and lime zest. This is bright and creamy, marrying fresh peach and apricot with a creamy sweetness - like a lemony, creamy, meringue with more buttery, patisserie elements. It's nice if not massively powerful or long. A pleasant, easy-drinking sweet wine with balanced sugar content and freshness. Pure. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2040. Click to see full details | |
| Château Doisy-Védrines, DV by Doisy-Vedrines | Sauternes | 2019 | 92 | This is expressive on the nose, filled with lemon, lime, flowers, orange, touches of pineapple and soft caramel. Juicy, bright, very clean with a sugary but crystalline purity that some of the others don't have. A direct and linear style. Fresh and poised, perhaps not as fat or wide as some of the others but this has impact from start to finish with a charming minerality at the end. Well crafted with precision. Leaves an excellent impression. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2031. Click to see full details | |
| Château Filhot | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 92 | Rich and powerful on the nose, expressive with honey and caramel tones alongside some definite naval orange rind aromas on the nose. Smells and tastes like Christmas to me, spiciness with cinnamon and clove and faint dried flowers throughout. Definite orange on the palate too, almost on the level of Cointreau but with such delicate sweetness that just grips with such an appealing texture. Great overall impression for me with freshness and a sweet bright lift at the end. Softly nuanced. Drink now just to enjoy all that gorgeous complex orange goodness. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2041. Click to see full details | |
| Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey | Sauternes | 2019 | 92 | Some white stone fruit aromas on the nose as well as a touch of elderflower. Beautiful texture, nicely weighted with bright lemon and lime then quite a sugary sweetness on the mid palate and some bitter, burnt caramel edges but so faint it just gives structure. Good overall impression, easy to drink with the richness you want and nice freshness. Not massively long but so pleasant and enjoyable. Some florality too at the end which I love. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2031. Click to see full details | |
| Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Symphonie | Sauternes | 2019 | 92 | Lemon, lime and tangerine notes with lots of lovely orange aromas too, really orange blossom dominant, so floral, very aromatic. I love the blossom touch - a more perfumed style for sure, quite elegant but with great persistency. Really very pretty and flavourful. Not huge length but great for fans of aromatic sweet wines. Touches of wood spice come in to give nuance on the finish. Really delicious. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2034. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Rayne Vigneau, Madame de Rayne | Sauternes | 2019 | 91 | Bit closed on the nose, with soft orange blossom and candied oranges. Great texture and weight, really fills the mouth with a fine, sugary coating. Dense and structured, feels more like a serious second wine, with good sweetness, dried fruit, apricot and orange notes. Lovely. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Château Guiraud, Petit Guiraud | Sauternes | 2019 | 90 | So aromatic, with caramel, honeyed orange notes, floral tones, too - lots going on. Intense and lively with good acidity in the mouth. Really quite bright and playful, with hints of burnt caramel, vanilla and cream around the sides. Good depth on the mid-palate, weighty but still quite refreshing. Definite orange and tangerine character alongside a bit of toast. I like this a lot, the sweetness is just right and the texture is smooth. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035. Click to see full details | |
| Château Lamothe | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 90 | Woody notes on the nose, fully pronounced and oxidative. Smells like soft-bruised apple and burnt toast. Pleasant level of sweetness on the palate, the texture is there and there is acidity underneath, but at the moment you just get the creamy, toasty, roasted aromas and a bit too much wood. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2040. Click to see full details | |
| Château Lamothe-Guignard | Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé) | 2019 | 90 | Quite an exotically spiced nose, full of cinnamon, clove and Moroccan spice. This is rich and quite unctuous on the palate, but there is bright acidity which gives lift around the sides of the mouth. Quite sherberty, sweet lime, fresh orange juice, lemon acidity. A lot of sugar that lingers, then a bit of wood at the end. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2040. Click to see full details | |
| Château Sigalas Rabaud, Lieutenant | Sauternes | 2019 | 90 | Some green notes, lime, a little bit closed at this point. Lovely texture, a slightly darker style, more toffee-caramel fruit with a richness and density on the palate. You can taste the wood, the vanilla toast underneath the fruit. It's a more sombre, creamy and serious style with good weight but the flavours are a little overpowered right now. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2029. Click to see full details |