Bordeaux 2016: Climens continues gold rush

Château Climens is the latest Sauternes estate to release its 2016 price, yet again not raising prices on the 2015 vintage.

Château Climens, photo credit: C Goussard

The Barsac property is available from négociants this morning (20 April) at €48.50 per bottle, the same price as the 2015 was offered for.

However, due to the pound-euro exchange rate, a case of Climens would be offered for around £560 which is already 9.5% more expensive than the 2015 which was released at £515 a dozen.

Climens is the third big Sauternes estate to release so far this campaign, following Coutet yesterday and Guiraud in late March and none have so far decided to raise prices for their 2016 wines.

Although Sauternes has had a run of excellent vintages in recent years, occasionally far better than many of the reds – 2013 being the pinnacle of this example – there is little indication that 2016 is one of the ‘great’ Sauternes vintages. What scores there have been are generally positive though.

Climens hasn’t been scored by too many critics so far; Coutet has received a 92-95 rating from James Molesworth, 94-95 from James Suckling and 95 from Tim Atkin MW while Guiraud likewise received 94-95 from Suckling and 93 from Atkin.

Apart from Yquem and Rieussec, however, the scores for most Sauternes appear to be in the low to mid-90s.

On the other hand, long-standing Sauternes lover Neal Martin has yet to offer his thoughts on this year’s sweet wines over on The Wine Advocate yet.

Then again, even with the likes of Martin keen to extol the quality and consistency of Sauternes year after year, the wines are likely to slip under the radar yet again, especially if the exchange rate continues to mean more critically lauded vintages are available for less.