2017 Ch L'Extravagant De Doisy Daene Half Bottle 375ml, Barsac

The Doisy Daëne 2017 L'Extravagant bursts from the glass with a powerful nose of pineapple upside-down cake, apricot tart, allspice and lime blossoms plus an undercurrent of manuka honey and cinnamon toast. The palate is super rich, concentrated and unctuous with a wicked backbone of freshness to counter all that decadence, finishing with great length and depth.

97 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown robertparker.com Mar 2020 Drink 2022-2052 

Château L’Extravagant de Doisy Daëne is one of Bordeaux’s most captivating sweet wines, a tiny production cuvée that sits slightly outside the traditional Sauternes hierarchy yet often rivals the region’s greatest names for intensity and precision. It comes from a single parcel of just over six hectares on the clay rich plateau of Barsac, directly adjacent to Château Doisy Daëne. This deep clay over limestone is crucial to the wine’s character, giving it power, structure and an unmistakable sense of richness that sets it apart from the lighter, more floral styles typical of Barsac. The vineyard is planted predominantly to Sémillon, with a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc, perfectly suited to the development of noble rot under the influence of the nearby Ciron River.

The estate is led by Denis Dubourdieu, one of Bordeaux’s most influential winemakers and thinkers of the modern era, whose work reshaped white and sweet winemaking not just in Bordeaux but around the world. Dubourdieu believed passionately in precision, freshness and balance, even in the richest sweet wines, and L’Extravagant was his personal vision of what a great botrytised wine could be when terroir, timing and restraint align. Picking is carried out in multiple passes, selecting only grapes affected by perfectly formed botrytis, and fermentation is carefully controlled to preserve purity and natural acidity. Although undeniably opulent, the wine is never pushed or excessive, always guided by Dubourdieu’s belief that freshness is the soul of longevity.

In the glass L’Extravagant de Doisy Daëne shows a deep golden amber hue, opening with intense aromas of apricot confit, candied citrus peel, pineapple, saffron, honey and almond, with a subtle smoky, mineral undertone from the clay limestone soils. The palate is extraordinarily rich yet remarkably poised, layering luscious stone fruit, marmalade and crème brûlée around a firm spine of acidity that keeps the wine vibrant and focused. The texture is dense and silky, but the finish is long, clean and lifted rather than cloying. It is magnificent with foie gras, blue cheese, roasted stone fruit desserts or simply on its own as a contemplative wine, and it is built for decades in the cellar, evolving toward toasted nuts, caramel, beeswax and spice while retaining its remarkable energy.