tribs wrote:
Ba, but Vouvray does tend to be fairly sweet.
This reminds me I tried the D'orleans some time ago, but a search reveals I never posted a TN. I'll see if I can dig it out. I do remember though, that it was bordering on dessert wine sweetness. Still, fabulous if you can enjoy sweet wines.
Vouvray Demi-Sec 2009 Domaine Bourillon-Dorléans at Majestic. At the mo, the 2009 is going through a one dimensional stage, perfectly reasonable, but not ready at all if you are looking for performance. I am concerned that Bourillon-Dorléans has modernised too much recently, and therefore the chemicals and fining and preserving that may have been added to the demi-sec wine to achieve consistency, may spoil (interupt) its ability to evolve in the way that I want it to.
This is a so called medium style of wine, and yet, on the level 3 dryness scale these days, I would say that the wine is very definitely on the honeyed side of demi sec when bought on the current vintage. I find the wine benefits from aging, when the chenin fruit itself dries off a little, and the honeyedness becomes more of a lifted or high note to the flavour.
This extremely desirable evolution being the one most sought in various styles of Sauternes. I do not favour the sticky ones - the best have an ethereal honeyedness and a supernatural quality (unexplainable by natural law or phenomena) and complex dimension that is not sticky to the palate at all.
What are the best Vouvray vintages?
The 90's were generous with Vouvray in the sense that we did not see an uninteresting vintage. If awards were to be given, 1990 and 1989 would be considered exceptional, and 1996 and 1997 as the most interesting. The new century started with two famous vintages : 2003 and 2005. Don't forget that an average year can reserve an enjoyable surprise a few years later : 2002 !
I have a tiny collectrion of 2003 Moelleux and 2005 demi sec
For folks who want to know:
Sec The driest level with 0-0.4% (less than 4 grams per liter) residual sugar. Sometimes producers will specify their bone dry wines as Sec-Sec or "dry dry" and their slightly less dry wines as Sec-tendres or "gently dry".[3]
Demi-Sec An "off dry" style with between 0.4-1.2% (4 to 12 grams per liter) of residual sugar.[3]
Moelleux A sweet, often botrytized style with 1.2-4.5% (12 to 45 grams per liter) of residual sugar. The term Moelleux is French for "mellow".[3]
Doux The sweetest style with more 4.5% (45 grams per liter) of residual sugar. The term liquoreux or "liquor-like" may appear on the label to describe the almost syrupy sweet nature.[3]
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