1979 Climens
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Tasting notes
The 1979 Climens came from an ex- château bottle that I cellared some years ago. Backward and requiring encouragement on the nose, it eventually reveals petrol-tinged, honeyed fruit and light fudge-like aromas. The palate is actually superior to the nose, offering quince and apricot and retaining what often comes across as a Germanic, Beerenauslese finish. Nothing earth-shattering, yet a commendable Climens for the vintage.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Bright gold. Some vegy character but actually rather refreshing on the nose! Old-fashioned sulphured sweetness but there is lots of body and only a little bit of burn. Slightly astringent finish. Holding up well. Though drying out a bit on the end. Bit of decay. (JR)
RS 75 g/l. Not much botrytis, more rôti this vintage. Colours starting to get to a deeper gold. Quite restrained on the nose and honeyed on the palate. Fine and zesty but less complex than the more highly botrytised vintages yet there’s real freshness and zip on the long finish. Deliciously youthful. (JH)
A success for Climens, this pale golden-colored wine with a greenish tint is less concentrated and affected by botrytis than the 1980. Lighter and drier, but still relatively rich, this stylish and graceful wine has great flexibility as a Barsac in that it can be matched with a dessert or served to open a meal. Anticipated maturity: Now-2000. Last tasted, 3/88.
About the producer
Château Climens is one of Sauternes-Barsac’s leading producers of sweet wine. Classified as a Premier Cru or First Growth in 1855 it sits alongside just 10 other Premier Cru estates in Sauternes, only bettered by Ch. d’Yquem, which was granted its own elite classification of Premier Cru Supérieur.