Chateau Laribotte Sauternes 2022

Château Laribotte is a family estate in Sauternes — the legendary Bordeaux appellation that produces some of the world's most celebrated and age-worthy sweet wines from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle affected by Botrytis cinerea, the 'noble rot' that concentrates the grapes' sugars and flavors to extraordinary levels. The estate farms its vineyards in the Preignac commune of Sauternes, whose clay and limestone soils and proximity to the Ciron River — whose cool waters create the morning mists that encourage botrytis development — produce wines of genuine depth and sweetness. Laribotte is a classic family-run Sauternes producer, offering the character and quality of the appellation at an accessible price.

The 2022 Château Laribotte Sauternes is a Sémillon-dominant blend with Sauvignon Blanc from a vintage that delivered excellent botrytis development and concentration across the appellation. Golden amber in the glass, the nose is rich and inviting: ripe apricot, peach, and honey layered with orange marmalade, toasted almond, and a hint of saffron and vanilla from careful oak aging. On the palate, the wine is lusciously sweet with a rich, viscous texture, balanced by the variety's natural acidity that prevents the sweetness from becoming cloying, and a long, complex finish that lingers with notes of dried fruit and spice.

The Château Laribotte Sauternes 2022 is exceptional alongside foie gras, Roquefort, fresh fruit tarts, or crème brûlée — and equally compelling on its own as a meditation on one of the world's most extraordinary and distinctive wine styles.