AJ | Pale to mid-gold. Rich and heady, evidently botrytis-laden aromas: compelling, beguiling, almost disorientating. A wonderful whirlpool of pheromones, fungus and umami. What a super nose! What a unique experience in a human lifetime! Ultra-generous already, with a great storm of sugars. The fruit, for all that, is relatively tight-focus,with outstanding acidity; and those botrytis complexities rain through the wine on the palate as they do on the nose, turning it into an unignorable, attention-seeking, horizon-altering sensual object. It's quite different from the Suduiraut because of this detonating acidity, but balance aside this is still wonderfully lush and seductive. It's the most exciting young La Tour Blanche I ever remember. There won't be much of it, but if you love Sauternes, seek it out. Great Sauternes and well done to all the students involved in the strenuous efforts to create it. Drink Dates: 2027 - 2042. 96
SF | Soft Welsh gold, modest viscosity. An aromatic dominated by quince, mango and lime marmalade, iodine and Soloton, a moderate botrytic influence. The palate has good concentration, elegant balancing acidity and a panoply of attractive fruit flavours, including pineapple, banana and plum, in its armoury. A shame then that the commercial rationale was lost to the whims of nature, and hats off to La Tour Blanche for this more than honourable attempt. Drink Dates: 2028 - 2041. 90