A dreary, wet, sunless summer—only partially saved by a relatively dry September—2007 is one of those years that most Bordelais would prefer to sweep under the carpet. That is unless you happen to be a producer in Sauternes or Barsac. Many wine consumers don’t realize or forget that 2007 turned out to be an outstanding vintage for Bordeaux’s sweet, botrytized wines. But not local liquid gold expert Bill Blatch, who organized a retrospective tasting for me earlier this year in Sauternes. “Quite clearly, Sauternes had the best of the vintage,” he commented. “That is no surprise: Comeback vintages are not unusual in Sauternes, where the autumn is by far the most important season of the year.”

Skip to the crux of the vintage: It was a cooler, rain-soaked summer for most of Bordeaux, yet Sauternes received less water toward the end of August than other areas. So, the white grapes enjoyed a more extended, cooler growing season until September, when the sun came out and accelerated ripening. A small, initial mid-September trie (harvest pass) was performed by some growers, although there was little botrytis to speak of at this stage. Then in late September, gentle rains and humid conditions settled in, leading to the onset of noble rot. By mid-October, the botrytis had hit its measured, steady stride. Because the nights remained cold, grey rot was avoided, and noble rot prevailed. While some estates performed up to seven tries this vintage, most grapes were harvested in the third week of October.

The wines are aging slowly with fantastic tension and vivacity.

The best 2007s are showing as well-botrytized, intense wines that are not overly sweet/rich yet possess plenty of nuanced layers and excellent aging potential. The wines are aging slowly with fantastic tension and vivacity. Perhaps the best part is this is an impressively consistent vintage with very few disappointments.