2001 Climens, Barsac (375ml)

“The Climens 2001 has always possessed a deliriously complex and intense bouquet that is beautifully defined: dried quince and marmalade, honeycomb and antique furniture. There is an inchoate, resinous element that will surely surface over the next decade or so. This is a bouquet that demands attention and in this blind tasting, sticks out from the crowd, a sui generis. Since I last tasted it, the palate has opened up and is beginning to pump on all cylinders. It is wonderfully balanced with fabulous intensity and a long, citrus-tinged finish that is utterly beguiling. As Kate Bush once sang: 'Wow.' (NM)” (10/2014)

“2001 is an incredible vintage in Sauternes, and one of my tasting highlights of the year was a full horizontal of wines from Sauternes and Barsac at the 20 year window. I tasted this Climens both at the time (in February), and again later in the year. It's a standout wine, with savoury dried herbs and saffron strands alongside still-juicy nectarine and fleshy white peach fruits, all kicked up a gear with freshly-grated ginger and lime zest. The whole thing is mouthwateringly tender and utterly moreish.” (09/2021)

“Loads of orange peel and dried apricots on the nose here. Full-bodied, with a wild and exciting palate. Sweet yet racy. Electrifying. Great class and elegance. One of the best Climens I have tasted. (JS)” (09/2004)

“Medium gold. Resplendent honeyed nose with apricot and peach aromas but no trace of evolution. The attack is lean and intense, still very tight and highly concentrated, while the palate is driven by brilliant but ripe acidity. There’s delectable apricot fruit, while the wine as a whole is effortlessly pure and elegant, with impeccable balance. Very long. (SB)” (04/2021)

“The 2001 Climens has always been one of my favourite vintages of this era. It has a divine bouquet, beautifully defined with quince, saffron, walnut and almond, hints of Satsuma emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, quite tangy with marmalade and quince, saline and spicy with a persistent finish. An awesome Climens with maybe more to offer down the line, hence the plus sign. (NM) 96+” (08/2022)

“Medium yellow. Reticent, liqueur-like aromas of yellow plum, vineyard peach, spices, white flowers and menthol. Impeccably balanced and impressively structured, with its new oak component to the fore. But this extremely bright, intense, focused wine possesses a strong core of spicy, botrytized fruit. Finishes with terrific fruit and an almost tannic firmness. Like so many of these 2001s, give this long aeration if you plan to taste a bottle any time soon. (ST) 94+” (08/2004)

“So massive and unctuous yet with great freshness. Wonderful stuff with a slightly burnt edge. Great complexity. Long. Brava! 19/20 points (JR)” (03/2011)