Words of Sommeliers

Aromas are highly concentrated and intense…

When I first tasted the Barton & Guestier Sauternes Nectar d’Or, it directly reminded me the wine I used to drink in my youthful 20s, when I was in the Bordeaux region. The pure deeply golden colour, with hints of yellow still no amber, characteristic of a sweet young wine. Clear, no deposit on the wine, legs present but don’t stick to the side of glass and fall quite fast for a desert wine. On the nose, the aromas are highly concentrated and intense. Botrytis is present under the orange peel flavour but it is more complex and the citrus like pink grapefruit are also present. Floral and stone fruit flavour (like peach and apricot), give you an impression of great sweetness but not over-heady. The aromas are youthful and can still develop. On the palate, the first thing that you feel is the viscosity, it is heavy and rich in texture, very unctuous, but in term of flavour, you are hit first by a fresh peachy and acacia white flower, great fruit extract.
The tropical fruit came after dominated by pineapple and melon. The medium alcohol level is average for Sauternes wine. There is a nice high level of acidity which tends to balance the sugar level.
At the end a beautiful touch of toffee stays in your mouth for long minutes, probably a result of the partly aged oak barrel or Botrytis. As the nose aromas, the flavours are extremely pronounced. I have tasted different Sauternes during my time working in the wine industry and I can tell, as soon as I tasted this one, it is a full-bodied sweet white wine that have a great complex structure, flavour and well balanced. As Meynard Amerine said “God wants us to have vinegar, it takes a winemaker to make wine” and it is important not to neglect the work of the winemaker behind this wine. I remember seeing the bottle of Sauternes only on the Christmas table, but I encourage my guest to break this tradition and to enjoy a glass to any special occasion. The bottle itself looks great, heavy and conical shape that suits perfectly well this delicious nectar, don’t hesitate to go for it.