Once upon a time late harvest dessert wines resembled that spoonful of sugar from the song.
Maybe that’s not truly the case. Looking back, we recall the wines of youth, when our checkbooks consented only to artless bottles stacked on the bottom shelf. Likely we could have found a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc that didn’t pucker or honey coat, had we been willing to trade in some burger money. Or perhaps our inexperience just convinced us to settle for sappy, one note wines.
Whatever the reason for these unfortunate memories, they can easily be wiped away by Alienor’s 2010 Lune de Miel Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.
Aromas of candied nectarine, orange zest and honey glide from the glass. Within this, an impression forms of melon, citrus and tropical fruits resting in natural syrups — not glossy with sugar, just rich and full, with an alluring hint of must.
The wine offers dense fruit on the palate, traced with bittersweet honey and an earthy gloom — the workings of botrytis, the noble rot that favors the great labels of Sauternes. Botrytis withers the grapes, intensifying the character. And in the Alienor, it elevates the earthier flavors, caramelizes the edges as if in a creme brulee.
It’s a beautiful experience, as zest and marzipan, cured pineapple and candied peach play across the palate. Despite the rot, despite the deep fruits, a delicate floral impression emerges on the finish.
The wine is reminiscent of that first time a sommelier paired an amber-hued wine from Sauternes, laced with noble rot, with a pan seared foie gras — the closest one comes to heaven on earth, at least at a dinner table.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
