Sauternes is a region in southern France that produces a famous sweet wine made from sémillon, sauvignon blanc and a fungus called botrytis cinerea. Wine writer Karen McNeil says, "at their best, these are wines with an apricotish opulence that detonates in your mouth and then spreads over your taste buds like liquefied honey."
We wouldn't exactly say that Chairman's Selection Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne detonated in our mouths, but we got the idea. We paired the moldy wine with moldy cheese and had it as an apertif instead of dessert. The classic pairing lived up to its reputation, as the sweet, honey-like nature of the wine paired wonderfully with the salty-spiciness of the cheese.
Bastor-Lamontagne is creamy and nectary with some vanilla and apricot flavors, all well-balanced. At a barrel tasting with other 2007 Sauternes, James Suckling said it was "tangy, sweet and fruity, with a sweet-and-sour character, medium body and a long, fresh finish" and scored it 87-90 in Wine Spectator. The wine is similarly scored on CellarTracker. Wines from Sauternes are said to come into their own 5 years after the vintage date, which would be this year for this wine.
For those curious about mouth detonation, the most famous Sauternes is Chateau d'Yquem. The PLCB Product Search page lists Chateau d'Yquem 2008 as available in PA for $327.99 (750 ml). Chateau de Fargues 2006 (also made by d'Yquem) is available for $135.99 (750 ml).
For the rest of us, Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne is available at Society Hill, Franklin Mills, and the Main Line for $15.99 (375 ml). The cheese we had is Roquefort Société and is available at Trader Joe's.
Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes 2007
Chairman's SelectionTM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32015
Size: 375ML
Price: $15.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com (750ML): (Avg $41, Min $36, Max $47)
Availability in Pennsylvania:
Region: France > Bordeaux > Sauternais > Sauternes
Grape Varieties: Sémillon 80%
Sauvignon Blanc 20%
Alcohol Content: 14%
