2011 Chateau Rabaud Promis Sauternes 0,75 l

Tasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. Noticeably deeper in color, the Château Rabaud-Promis 2011 has a petrol-like bouquet that has a very Germanic, Beerenauslese-like set of aromatics that feel a little out of place among these Sauternes. The palate is better: focused and with a fine sense of energy, with rich and mellifluous texture. There is a palpable sense of mineralité and tension here, penetrating acidity with plenty of frisson on the mellifluous finish. Primal compared to others, but this offers immense potential.

Lovely pale bright cold colour, gleaming. Intense ripe spicy orange and apricot. A little oily in aroma. Thick and viscous and super-tangy. Great intensity and richness with the freshness to balance. (JH)

RS 138 g/l, TA 4.6 g/l. Slightly cloudy mid gold. Complex mix of creamy, mealy (smoky bacon?) and spice as well as clean bright fruit. Fine fruit purity with bags of apricot concentration and excellent freshness. Refined and long. (JH)