2003 Tirecul La Graviere

A 30-year aging curve is possible for the 2003 Chateau. Composed of 55% Semillon and 45% Muscadelle aged nearly 30 months in French oak, it reveals a dark amber color along with a blockbuster bouquet of toffee, maple syrup, roasted hazelnuts, creme brulee, toasted pineapple and assorted honeyed citrus. Terrific acidity balances out the nearly 120 grams per liter of residual sugar. Possessing superb richness, intensity and length, this is an absolute steal that, as mentioned above, will age at least three decades. One of the top terroirs of Monbazillac (whose wines several hundred years ago sold for higher prices than those of Barsac and Sauternes) is the Cru de Tirecul, which was leased by the owners of Chateau Tirecul La Graviere. Selling these wines has never been easy because of the difficult marketplace for sweet wines and the even more troublesome marketplace for Monbazillac, which has fallen out of favor over recent decades. However, these are great wines, and Eric Solomon has convinced this top-notch estate to basically declassify these wines to a lower price point as he is trying to get them some sort of penetration in the marketplace. For example, Les Pins is what used to be their basic cuvee and is now being discounted. Their Chateau bottling is what used to be called Cuvee Madame. These are unreal values for such complex wines that can compete with the finest of Barsac and Sauternes at a fraction of the price. If you don’t believe me, insert them in a blind tasting of top vintages of Barsac and Sauternes and you’ll see for yourself. Importer:Eric Solomon, European Cellars Charlotte, NC; Tel. (704) 358-1565; Fax (704) 358-1797