2023 L'Extravagant de Doisy Daëne, Sauternes, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
The 2023 L'Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne is pure Sémillon, as usual. This is much more streamlined and controlled than other vintages— less hedonistic, with fine delineation and more mineralité. The palate is outstanding, showcasing shimmering, citrus-fresh Clementine and peach notes. It’s less unctuous than other vintages, though perhaps that is due to the acidity (5.4 grams per liter). This fans out wonderfully on the finish. Fabulous.
Drink 2027 - 2055
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)
The 2023 L'Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne soars out of the glass with stunning aromatics redolent of passion fruit, pineapple, exotic white flowers, mint, apricot and orange blossom. Bright acids lend freshness as the 2023 explodes on the back end. Even with all of its natural intensity, L'Extravagant is incredibly refined.
Drink 2030 - 2063
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (April 2024)
About this WINE
Château Doisy Daëne
Château Doisy-Daëne is a Barsac estate that produces top-class, sweet Bordeaux white wines that are characterised by their finesse and richness.
The property takes the second part of its name from an English gentleman who bought it when the original Doisy estate was split up in the 19th century. The 18.2 hectares of vineyards underwent extensive replanting in the 1950s and ‘60s, now planted to 86 percent Sémillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc, at a density of over 7,000 plants per hectare.
In the year 2000 Denis Dubourdieu took over the estate. A legendary figure in Bordeaux wine circles, Denis was best known for pioneering the region’s dry white wines, improving their quality and reputation. Sadly, after being awarded the La Légion d'Honneur by the French government, he passed away in 2016. His two sons, Jean-Jacques and Fabrice have taken over the running of the family’s estates.
The estate produces three wines: a dry white, a classic sweet wine and a special cuvée, L’Extravagant, which is only made in outstanding vintages. It is the estate’s sweet wines which receives most global acclaim; quintessential Barsac with the emphasis on finesse, poise and elegance, rather than power and force.
Classified as a Sauternes 2ème Cru Classé, Ch. Doisy Daëne’s wines can age gracefully for up to 20 years.
Barsac
Barsac is one of the communes of the Sauternes appellation (along with Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes itself). With marginally flatter land and soils of red sand and light gravels, the commune adjoins the northern boundary of the commune of Sauternes, separated by the Ciron River, whose cold waters are so instrumental in producing the region's necessary autumn fogs.
There are just over 800 hectares under vine, producing nearly two million bottles in an average year. The châteaux can choose to sell their wine under either the Sauternes or the Barsac appellation, but stylistically the wines are arguably a little lighter in style than those of Sauternes.
The leading producers are Châteaux Climens and Coutet, with Châteaux Nairac, Doisy-Daëne and Doisy-Vedrines making good value, attractive wines.
Sauvignon Blanc
An important white grape in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley that has now found fame in New Zealand and now Chile. It thrives on the gravelly soils of Bordeaux and is blended with Sémillon to produce fresh, dry, crisp Bordeaux Blancs, as well as more prestigious Cru Classé White Graves.
It is also blended with Sémillon, though in lower proportions, to produce the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It performs well in the Loire Valley and particularly on the well-drained chalky soils found in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, where it produces bone dry, highly aromatic, racy wines, with grassy and sometimes smoky, gunflint-like nuances.
In New Zealand, Cloudy Bay in the 1980s began producing stunning Sauvignon Blanc wines with extraordinarily intense nettly, gooseberry, and asparagus fruit, that set Marlborough firmly on the world wine map. Today many producers are rivalling Cloudy Bay in terms of quality and Sauvignon Blanc is now New Zealand`s trademark grape.
It is now grown very successfully in Chile producing wines that are almost halfway between the Loire and New Zealand in terms of fruit character. After several false starts, many South African producers are now producing very good quality, rounded fruit-driven Sauvignon Blancs.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
The 2023 L'Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne is pure Sémillon, as usual. This is much more streamlined and controlled than other vintages— less hedonistic, with fine delineation and more mineralité. The palate is outstanding, showcasing shimmering, citrus-fresh Clementine and peach notes. It’s less unctuous than other vintages, though perhaps that is due to the acidity (5.4 grams per liter). This fans out wonderfully on the finish. Fabulous.
Drink 2027 - 2055
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)
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