1989 Doisy-Védrines

BY NEAL MARTIN | JULY 17, 2023

I have a long association with this Barsac estate. Proprietor Olivier Castèja must have done something terrible in a previous life because he was burdened with guiding me through my first en primeur samples in the salad days of my career. Doisy-Védrines tends to be overshadowed by its neighbor, Doisy-Daëne, which is often more unctuous in style, even though both wines contain around the same percentages of Sémillon (85%).

The 1989 Doisy-Védrines has long been my pick of older vintages. Castèja served a bottle during primeur this year, a pertinent reminder of its quality and longevity. The 1989 has hardly aged over the last decade. Iridescent in color, it has a captivating bouquet with quince, fig and marmalade scents, beautifully defined and with exquisite focus. The palate is laden with layers of unctuous honeyed fruit, yet there is real underlying complexity and mineralité to the 1989 that renders it one of the estate’s finest wines of that era. Scout around, and you’ll be able to find bottles for very affordable prices. 95/Drink 2023-2040.

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