Doisy Daëne 2017

The 2017 Doisy Daëne comes strutting out of the glass with flamboyant notes of tropical fruits—pineapple tart and green mango—plus lemon meringue pie and peach preserves with candied peel, spice cake and musk perfume in the background. The satiny-textured palate has wonderful poise and freshness with and an ethereal lightness of being and mineral-tinged finish. 2022-2047.

The 2017 Doisy-Daëne is a little richer on the nose compared to recent vintages, quite pure with acacia honey, melted wax and touches of almond filtering through with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a viscous opening, finely judged acidity, borrowing some of the weight usually expressed by Doisy-Védrines to create a very satisfying and opulent finish. It does not give the live-wire tension that is common in this Barsac, but it does give plenty of depth and length. Drink 2022 - 2050.

A fresh, floral Barsac with sliced-apple and cooked-pear aromas, yet ever so vivid. Medium-bodied. Medium-sweet. Dried-mushroom and spice flavors from the botrytis. A lighter-bodied sticky wine with acidity and brightness. Drink or hold.

As with its next door neighbour, this benefits from limestone soils in what is a late-onset botrytis vintage for the sweet wines of Bordeaux. It means it has some fresh, fine, blooming acids, just scraping through the mid-palate and balanced by gorgeous notes of candied ginger, white flowers, honeysuckle, jasmine and a seam of freshness. It really grows on me, and has great persistency.Drinking Window 2020 - 2036