Chateau du Seuil Cerons 2014

After enjoying the highly acclaimed Domaine du Grange Neuve Monbazillac earlier in the evening, we decided to continue the trend of sweet French white wines and open this gorgeous Graves to pair with our dessert, steamed sticky toffee pudding and custard.

The most striking facet of this wine is the powerful and gripping aromas and flavours of apricot, both conserve and fresh. The bouquet is uplifting, yet refined and somewhat complex, despite the early onslaught of apricot, there is also elderflower and a lemony kick.  On the palate, apricot conserve is prominent, dominating throughout the palate to the finish, which is honey clad and lengthy.

You could argue this was a little over-sweet and as such, I would suggest pairing with a dessert as opposed to an aperitif or with a cheeseboard. Best served heavily chilled.

BUY NOW FROM VIRGIN WINES

Domaine De Grange Neuve Monbazillac 2011

It's been a long while since I enjoyed a sweet white wine as much as this; with it's wispy tones of toffee, sweet butterscotch and burnt marmalade, it's hard to not to be utterly enamoured with this absolute beauty from the Dordogne! We enjoyed it as an aperitif and then with some soft blue cheese, quite the pairing, if I do say so myself!

Evocative honeyed aromas flood the senses initially, yielding to some alluring citrus, with a subtle grassy background note and a mild nuttiness. In the mouth, toffee, butterscotch and marmalade mingle effortlessly, creating wine harmony and a glazing mouthfeel, that begs you to take another sip. This wine has bags of character, a linear acidity and a grippy intensity, keeping all the flavours in check wonderfully and making for supremely easy drinking; no mean feat for a sweet wine, where the majority of affordable examples end up being overly sweet and cloying and ultimately one dimensional.

Serve well chilled, around 6'c and allow to warm in the glass and enjoy!

BUY NOW FROM VIRGIN WINES

Château Suduiraut Sauternes 1er Cru Classé 2008

Wine: Sauternes 1er Cru Classé
Winemaker: Château Suduiraut
Vintage: 2008
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Price: £40
Buy From: The Good Wine Shop

A golden hue shimmers through the glass, glistening against the sunlight, pure gold, pure temptation. 

Deep caramel and toffee notes trickle up your nose in a complete euphoria as if Christmas day and your birthday just arrived simultaneously in one combined moment. You think you're already in heaven then the taste hits - fresh honey dripping from the pot, honeysuckle and brown sugar swirled in rich caramel, love and wonder.

This is without question a stunning Sauternes and in my opinion one of the best available. An outright keeper and great vintage to set down.