Chateau Rabaud-Promis 2001

Brilliant yellow-gold color. Very strong aromas of tropical fruit and honey. Full-bodied, with apricot and botrytis spice character that takes off like afterburners. Fantastic. Best after 2010.

Tawny orange in colour. Smoky grilled turmeric aromatics, the texture is supple but it has grip, and overall the dried apricot and fleshy nectarine fruits have lovely concentration that holds right through the body of the wine. Not quite as uplifting on the finish as some but the smoke character adds depth and complexity. 149g/l residual sugar, harvest September 19 to October 18.

Lots of honeyed apricots, pineapple, coconut and poached pears on the nose and a sweet finish. Not the most concentrated wine, but it’s a contender for one of the best values in sweet wine from the now legendary 2001 vintage. And with a decade of bottle age under its belt, this is drinking great today.

Maturing yellow with the first golden glints. Open bouquet with notes of almond pastry and raisins. Rich palate, plenty of raisins and sultanas, tending toward a slightly dominant sweetness due to the soft acidity, with a finish marked by a stern bitter note. Stronger on the nose than on the palate.

02: Rather pale yellow; intense at the core. Peppery, powerful bouquet; beautifully accented botrytis, nectarines and acacia honey. Fresh extract with gorgeous citrus, sensational concentration, showing immense aging potential, fine herbal notes on the finish. (17/20). 09: Maturing yellow, showing a first golden hue. Open bouquet with aromas of almond biscuits and raisins. Rich palate, lots of raisins and sultanas, soft acidity and a tendency toward a slightly dominant sweetness; on the finish, despite the sweetness, a somewhat austere bitter note. The nose is one point above the overall rating.

Dense, opulent bouquet with cedar, almonds, marzipan. Mineral, generous, finely bitter palate with almonds, plenty of sweetness, opulent structure, medium acidity. Finely bitter finish. 17/20 drink - 2030

Yellow color. Still cloudy. Medium-intensity nose. Spicy and fresh like a Barsac. Note of candied lemon. With aeration, an iodized zest. Palate immediately round, very spicy, pleasant through the mid-palate; the finish shows a slightly camphorated and spicy note. Barrel aging will tell us more.