Château d'Arche 2023

Rather restrained on the nose, dominated by figs and dates; rich palate, a bit heavy-footed, with an interesting aromatic note of apple pie and cinnamon on the finish.

Another excellent Sauternes that would fall into the freshness category, which works better for most people these days, along with botrytis derived black tea and ginger spice. I love the freshness and poise and accompanied by bright orange and touches of white stone fruit on the palate, albeit not as suave as the white apricot expressed in some of the more successful Sauternes tasted. For the price, however, you cannot go wrong! With 148 grams of residual sugar, 4.9 grams per litre of total acidity and 3.85 pH.

Score: 90–92. Not very expressive, but very classic, with stewed yellow fruit (peach, apricot) and dried pear. The palate is more opulent and creamy. Notes of fresh apricot pulp, Victoria pineapple and fresh hazelnut come through. Delicious, but lacks freshness.

The 2023 D'Arche continues the estate’s upward trajectory observed in recent vintages. Entirely crafted from Sémillon and fermented as well as matured in 50% new oak, it registers 148 grams per liter of residual sugar. The bouquet evokes apricot, exotic fruits, Anjou pear and ripe orchard fruits, articulated with clarity and precision. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it delivers impressive concentration without excess and is built around a fleshy core of fruit animated by vibrant acidity that carries through to a long, precise and ethereal finish. This is a controlled, finely judged expression of the vintage.