The 2009 Sauternes vintage is about to offered for sale En Primeur so now is a good time to take a look at what the experts have to say before making any buying decisions.

The vintage itself receives very high praise:

"The wines are reminiscent of the 1990 vintage with more body and definition, or for older growers, 1949 and 1921. The overall level of my tasting marks is unmatched."

Michel Bettane, Decanter Magazine

"These wines are just stunning, I hardly have a nit to pick with any of them not that I'd even want to, it's just all absolutely just fabulous, fabulous. I've never ever experienced anything like this before."

Bill Blatch, Bordeaux Gold

"Last year seems to have been yet another great vintage for serious sweet white bordeaux."

Jancis Robinson MW

And the wines themselves? Chateau d'Yquem receives the highest praise but there are very positive reviews for all of the top producers and some of the lesser properties as well - it seems that buyers will be satisfied at all price levels. Here are some highlights:

Chateau d'Yquem, Sauternes

"What a fabulous wine. It's an explosion of fruit, yet it's very refined. I absolutely love the nose on this, with apricot tart, apple crumble, caramel and crème brûlée. Full-bodied, superripe and spicy, with mango, papaya, spices and sweet dried lemons. Incredibly long. It really rocks your socks off. Amazing. This could be even better than 2001."

97-100 points James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Chateau Climens, Barsac

"A tasting from several barrels, because the chateau has not made the final blend, so the rating is provisional. But the wine is so rich, with an almost perfect balance of acidity and ripeness, allied to a complete purity of honeyed botrytis. However the final wine turns out, it will be magnificent."

97-99 points Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Chateau Suduiraut, Preignac, Sauternes

"As in 2008, a triumph! Glorious fruit content, nobility of body, balance, taste and aftertaste, perfect precise winemaking, immense future. Is it the best since 1899 or 1928? I say yes, without any doubt!"

19 points Michel Bettane, Decanter Magazine

Chateau La Tour Blanche, Bommes, Sauternes

"There are fresh dried apricot flavours with amazing concentration and persistent flavours which linger for a long time. A phenomenal Sauternes for long term cellaring. It is absolutely delicious."

95-97 points Jeannie Cho Lee MW, Asian Palate

Chateau Raymond Lafon, Sauternes

"Very deep golden, with great tension and excitement and some green streaks, with layers of botrytis over them. Full and deep with intense botrytis. Great stuff! Unspittable, dried apricots (though so much richer than a Tokaji) and great acidity."

19 points Jancis Robinson MW

Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes

"This rocks with botrytis, offering spicy almond, peach pie and dried apricot on the nose and palate. Full and very sweet, with a long finish. So much dried fruit. Oily and powerful. Some bitterness. 35 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 65 percent Sémillon."

95-98 points James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Chateau Rieussec, Fargues, Sauternes

"Concentrated and dense, this is a wine that fits well into the power of 2009. There is richness, but as well there is great elegance, a great structure of richness and sweetness, with the final bite of honey."

96-98 points Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Bommes, Sauternes

"This just has to go down as one of the great successes of the vintage. Just to check, I tasted it blind against the Second Growths and its superiority shone out; then against other Firsts, and its combination of lush concentration and an elegant 'lift' put it right there at the top."

Bill Blatch, Bordeaux Gold

Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud, Bommes, Sauternes

"An absolute classical Haut-Bommes wine, with wonderful and refined apricot aromas, silky texture, perfect 'roasted berries' sensation, great length, great future."

18.5 points Michel Bettane, Decanter Magazine

Chateau Coutet, Barsac

"Lemon custard, with honey and apple pie aromas. Full-bodied, with wonderful intensity and a spicy dried lemon and mineral finish. Very powerful, with lots of botrytis. Could be the Sauternes of the year."

95-98 points James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Chateau Nairac, Barsac

"Great wine, splendid intense melon and white peach aromas, wonderful refinement of body and texture, nobility evident in the long aftertaste, complex balance between acidity, sugar and saltiness, great future."

18.5 points Michel Bettane, Decanter Magazine

Chateau de Fargues, Fargues, Sauternes

"A wonderful Sauternes filled with intense fruit -- it is wrapped up in firm acidity and fresh vibrant intense marmalade flavours which are lifted and fairly long. Great balance and power - a wine to keep in your cellar."

95-97 points Jeannie Cho Lee MW, Asian Palate

Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bommes, Sauternes

"Very gold in color, this is a wine that seems initially closed, tight, only slowly showing its full panoply of richness, density and sweet final acidity."

95-97 points Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Chateau Doisy Daene, Barsac

"Streak of green to the pale gold. Rich, lip-smacking and satisfying on the nose. Very big and bold, like pear juice fermented by a wizard. Lovely stuff. Lots of bracing structure as well as all the richness. Very long."

18 points Jancis Robinson MW

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines, Barsac

"The feature of this wine is clearly its menthol-fresh brightness and spring flowers aromas. At 140 g/l, the wine is certainly very rich and this sweetness almost - but doesn't quite - smother these fine aromas. So the wine is a combination of extreme fragrance with quite extreme concentration: rich yet fresh, strong yet gentle."

Bill Blatch, Bordeaux Gold

Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau, Bommes, Sauternes

"Very spicy, packed with fresh ginger, this is a delicious wine, tasting fresh but with an additional burst of supreme ripeness."

95-97 points Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Chateau de Myrat, Barsac

"Dried apricot and citrus fruit aromas follow through to a full body, with a very sweet and intense palate. Finishes with lots of fruit and spicy nutmeg character."

94-97 points James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Chateau Rabaud-Promis, Bommes, Sauternes

"Great acidity here, but allied with considerable richness, there are flavors of orange marmalade, spicy tannins, a complex structure of very fresh fruits and dry botrytis."

94-96 points Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Domaine de l'Alliance, Fargues, Sauternes

"Daniel Alibrand, for only his 4th vintage at this tiny Fargues estate, has produced a density and pure botrytis-induced complexity that rival with the First Growths. Very rich yet very fine."

Bill Blatch, Bordeaux Gold

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate is the main Bordeaux barometer and this will be published later in April and will include Sauternes notes and scores By Neal Martin. After that buyers can expect the chateaux to release their wines onto the market and to receive En Primeur offers from their wine merchants.

The wines themselves will remain in barrels and stainless steel tanks for at least another 18 months before being bottled and finally shipped from Bordeaux in the Spring/Summer of 2012. Their essential character, however, has already been formed by the remarkable weather experienced in the Summer and late Autumn of 2009. As Francis Mayeur, Technical Director at Chateau d'Yquem described it:

"2007 was great botrytis on good grapes whereas 2009 is great botrytis on great grapes."

Those who do buy 2009 Sauternes En Primeur can expect to enjoy the fruits of this remarkable vintage for many years to come. The best wines, with their record high sugar levels, can be expected to be drinking well for at least the next 30 or 40 years.