2005 Climens, Barsac (Previously $129.)

According to Jancis Robinson: "As usual, Ch Climens was not assembled in time for the primeurs tastings but, unusually, (a) some lots had already been assembled, because the sugar levels on some were so high that they needed to be matched already to some in which the acidity would counterbalance them and (b) Bérénice Lurton did not herself conduct a cellar tour of unusual cask-by-cask length but stayed indoors with her three week old son Aurélien instead. As usual, each lot was informatively different, one particularly nutty, another more citrus and lively, a third more floral and explosive and a fourth extraordinarily high in acidity but it was clear that this was an unusually sweet, rich vintage for Climens but with much better acidity than the 2003..." (04/06) 94(+?) points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: " Good full golden-yellow. Musky, very fresh aromas of crystallized citrus peel, minerals and toasted bread. The palate offers incredible sappy concentration and a saline aspect, not to mention a penetrating quality rare for this fruit-driven year. In fact, this begins almost light, then builds inexorably toward the back, finishing with a tactile impression of extract and an extraordinary sweetness that almost reminded me of the Suduiraut that I tasted just before it. Should go on for decades." (Jul/Aug 08)