A few Sauternes questions

Jul 24, 2004 3 Replies
V

I won an auction the other day, where I obtained a few bottles of 1983 Château Climens Sauternes. I plan on serving it with some foie gras, which I am having prepared. When I opened the box the wine was shipped in, I discovered that both bottles had round disks of debris in them, probably something that detached from the cork during shipment. Is this normal, or something I should be worried about?



I was looking at a vintage chart for Sauternes the other day, and I noticed that 1993 and 1994 were not present. Why?



Thanks in advance


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S

Hi Vincent

Are the disks about the same diameter as the cork? The best I can come up with is that they're tartrate crystals that have become dislodged from the cork. Just a guess: I've never seen that but I suppose it's possible, epecially if the wine's been laying down for some time and then got a good shake up on the way to auction. Nothing to worry about but you might want to let the wine convalesce after it's bottle shock, for a couple of weeks before you open it.

Cheers Sammy

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S

Maybe the person responsible for that chart didn't know about those vintages. You really need to be asking them the question. FWIW a few seconds googling ("vintage chart sauternes") revealed:

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with info on 1993 and 1994.

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S

I pulled this from the Wine Spectator. Hope it helps.

Winery: Château Climens Wine: Barsac 1983 Score: 95 Cellar Selection Price: $50 Country: France

Region: Sauternes

Issue: Jan 31, 1988

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Beautifully crafted, plump, very long and complex. Medium gold, lush and si lky, with lemon, fig, apricot, pear, and a particularly elegant balance of acidity, fruit and wood. Power and finesse in the same package. Drink now through 2000.

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