2014 White Bordeaux—Sauternes & Barsac

The 2014 vintage is a good one for Sauternes and Barsac. These are sweet, white wines made from Noble Mold (Botrytis Cinerea) infected grapes of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion. The resulting wine is sweet because fermentation starts with high sugar grapes and the yeast die when the alcohol concentration reaches about 12% resulting in a high concentration of unfermented, residual sugar remaining. The following were tasted on January 28, 2017 and are recommended as excellent (91-94 pts) wines: Chateau Coutet, Barsac, 375 mL, $19; Chateau Doisy Vedrines, 375 mL, Barsac, $17; Chateau de Fargues, Sauternes (cost not available); Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey, Sauternes, 375 mL, $18; Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes, 750 mL, $50; Chateau Suiduiraut, Sauternes, 750 mL, $65.

Note: Prices are pre-arrival and approximate. Full bottles are 750 mL and half-bottles are 375 mL.