WTN: 2007 Doisy Daene Sec (Barsac)

[David M. Bueker]

Yep, a dry wine from Barsac. This is a selection of Sauvignon Blanc, but qualifies as offbeat due ot the rarity of dry wines from the "Sauternes" region. I mentioned this wine in a post I did on the main board (see here), but firgured it deserved cross-posting in Wine Focus:

The 2007 Doisy Daene Sec was intruiging, but I really could not decide if it was smoky on the nose or reduced. Either way it was quite tart and grassy on the palate, so not a wine I would pursue. No shock of course - it's Sauvignon Blanc.

[Jenise]

That's right, you hate Sauvignon Blanc, don't you. Definitely offbeat, though, for the reasons you say--I believe I once saw a bottle of dry Y'quem but that's like it in my life time for dry Sauternes/Barsacs.

[David M. Bueker]

I've had the dry Y'quem once, and have virtually zero memory of it, so that tells you (and me) something.

[Salil]

Shame. I had the 'G' Sec from Guiraud a few months back, it was a lot better. Probably because it had less Sauvignon and more Semillon.

(I'm not quite as SB-averse as you, there are a good number I can drink without complaints but there are very few Sauvignons I really find interesting and it's frustrating that in Bordeaux and some parts of Australia, that grape basically spoils what could be some really interesting pure Semillon.)

[David Creighton]

hmmm - well, SB is one of my fav's - esp. from sancerre; but also from bordeaux. so, we are going to dis the sweet sauterne because it is nearly all SB?

anyway, there are other dry Sauternes - not labeled that way of course. in addition to G de Giraud - the 2006 was one of the great wines of this decade for me and still is - there is R de Rieussec and the yquem of course and others i've seen that escape me now.

[David M. Bueker]

David,

One of the (somewhat) well-known facts 'round these parts is that I detest Sauvignon Blanc. I've tried Sancerre, New Zealand, California, Bordeaux Blanc, etc & never, ever found one I truly liked. There were a few where I could put up with a glass (Pur Sang comes to mind), but never more than that.

Now if you throw in some healthy botrytis then it's a game changer for me. The flavor profile completely changes. I love Sauternes/Barsac in its sweet form. Of course it virtually always has a healthy dose or even a majority of Semillon, but still I love the stuff.

For what it's worth, many people at the tasting where I tried the Doisy Daene Sec really liked it, and it was a unique wine. I just did not care for it at all.

[James Roscoe]

While I do not fall in David's category, I certainly prefer my SB to have some Semillion in it. Of course Sauterne is awhole 'nother level!

[Chris Kissack]

Well, I like SB in its various forms, whether it be old world minerally Sancerre, new world NZ-style, dry or sweet. I've had botrytised versions and late-harvest Sauvignon auslese from Austria. I also enjoy the combination of Sauvignon and oak, such as in Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux and in Cloudy Bay's Te Koko, although I acknowledge that this combination seems to be enough to make some people retch with disgust (I speak figuratively - I think!).

I have been doing a little Languedoc tasting recently as I have been passing the time near Limoux, a holiday, in recent weeks. I have encountered oak-fermented and barrel-aged (short-period, 4-6 months) Sauvignon, as well as the most fresh and fruity Languedoc Sauvignon vin de pays I have ever tasted, which if you approached it blind you would probably guess New Zealand as the origin (a real surprise as most Languedoc Sauvignons I tried tend to be a bit flabby rather than fresh). I could see the good points in both wines, but I understand that they aren't really everybody's 'cup of tea'.

I judge in the Loire category for the Decanter World Wine Awards where we faced this year two whole mornings of Sauvignon Blanc - that is probably the situation when I am most likely to find the variety to be 'hard work' - but wouldn't anybody?!

[David Creighton]

fwiw - sauterne and barsac do not usually have a healthy dose of semillon and certainly not a majority. older books can no longer be trusted because replanting has been almost exclusively with SB.

[David M. Bueker]

David,

All of the references I have come across point to Semillon being the dominant grape.

[David Creighton]

a hundred lashes with a wet noodle - had my grapes reversed.

[David M. Bueker]

a hundred lashes with a wet noodle - had my grapes reversed.

boiling up the pasta now