Drinking late-harvest nectar from the legendary 2001 vintage is a life-affirming luxury that deserves to be high up on everyone’s bucket list, and Dauphiné-Rondillon’s “Cuvée d'Or” makes it achievable at an astonishing price. Pour this next to Rieussec, Suduiraut, even d’Yquem, and no one will flinch—because this liquid gold is everything one could want from a year that Jancis Robinson labeled “the greatest Sauternes vintage in modern times.”
No, this isn’t d’Yquem, nor is it from Sauternes; this is Dauphiné-Rondillon in neighboring Loupiac, but when I blind-tasted a collector friend of mine (who frequently drinks the world’s greatest wines), he believed it to be decades-old d’Yquem! So, it should go without saying that this 2001 “Cuvée d’Or” is a sensuously decadent experience that will stun a room into silence whether opened now or in 2050. When we offered this last year, you all ate it up quickly, for good reason, and it’s taken us every bit of 12 months to extract the very last bit from the château. In other words, once this offer sells out, there is no more. It’s both a great collectible with decades of life ahead as well as an eye-popping gift for that person you know who has everything—except this!
A bottle of Dauphiné-Rondillon contains eight generations of history and the very first production of botrytized wines at this Loupiac château can be attributed to Alfred Darriet in 1798. As they continued growing and acquiring key properties in the 1800s, Jean Darriet made the leap in 1927 and began bottling at the domaine instead of selling bulk wine by the barrel (then an industry norm). Following the change, it wasn’t long until success poured in—their wine was even featured next to Château d'Yquem during an honorary lunch for Queen Juliana of the Netherlands! Today, the château is run by brother and sister Jean-Christophe Darriet and Sandrine Darriet Froléon, who are also assisted by a third sibling, Philippe Darriet, a distinguished enology professor at the nearby University of Bordeaux. The Darriets are also huge advocates for sustainability in the vineyard and have been since the 1950s—they currently hold an impressive Level 3 certification from the EU.
“Cuvée d'Or” has no business being this price and we can thank the lesser-known region of Loupiac for that, which is right across the Garonne River from Sauternes. A relatively new addition for historic Bordeaux, the tiny appellation of Loupiac was created in 1936 and it isn’t uncommon to see vines of that age and beyond. Today’s bottling comes from their estate vines—first planted in 1910—on a ten-acre, plateaued parcel planted in gravelly, clay-chalk soils. Upon harvest, the botrytis-affected grapes are picked only when sugars have become extremely concentrated, which requires multiple passes through the vineyard—for them, a minimum of five passes over six weeks’ time. Barrel-fermentation is triggered by native yeasts and aged for 18 months in French oak (10% new) and the final blend is predominantly Sémillon rounded out with Sauvignon Blanc. Production is severely limited.
In the glass, 2001 “Cuvée d'Or” is highly concentrated and viscous, shining a deeper, more concentrated gold than its younger 2009 sibling. Seductive aromas explode out of the glass instantly and only continue to creep upward in intensity as the wine soaks up oxygen. Intensely ripe notes of quince, apricot jam, poached pear, candied peach, pineapple, crème brûlée, citrus blossoms, butter pecan, honey, orange marmalade, and sweet spice unfold in breathtaking fashion on both the nose and palate, along with wonderful lifts of freshness. This is aging beautifully, and slowly, making all of us at SommSelect believe it will provide rich pleasures over the course of a lifetime. Dense and full-bodied, the wine coats your mouth with immense richness and liveliness, entirely avoiding the dreaded ‘sickly sweet’ palate fatigue. When consuming, feel free to take your time, as it will last weeks on end after opening—just re-insert the cork and keep it in your fridge. We must recommend the same pairing as last year: Buy the best Roquefort you can find at your local artisanal store along with a fresh baguette and high-quality butter (Normandy, if you can find it). It’s a downright classic Bordeaux pairing commonly served after dinner in the region. Simply slather the bread in butter, top with a bit of Roquefort, then take a bite and follow with a generous sip of this. Serve and enjoy at the end of a dinner or any special occasion. Cheers!
