Chateau Dauphine Rondillon Cuvee d'Exception AOC Loupiac Vignobles J. Darriet, 2011

At Château Dauphiné-Rondillon, the Darriet family cultivates 14 hectares of vines on the Loupiac plateau. 2011 was an exceptional vintage for Bordeaux noble rot late-harvest wines. The cool summer and thin skins allowed noble rot to develop quickly and fully on the grapes. Cuvée d'Exception du Château Dauphiné-Rondillon is made from the oldest vines on the estate—a plot of less than one hectare over 110 years old. Grapes were successively picked by hand in mid-October. The concentrated juice was fermented in oak barrels with fermentation naturally slowing and ultimately stopping, as the yeast struggles to survive with the combination of high sugar and alcohol content. The wine spent a further 18 months in new and one-year-old barrels and has the colour of golden syrup. It is savoury at the same time as sweet with a rich, lush palate.