1994 Château Tirecul la Graviere Monbazillac Cuvée Madame VT

The 1994 Cuvee Madame may be one of the two or three greatest sweet wines I have ever tasted. Only 20 cases of this wine, harvested grape by grape from five to six passes in the vineyard per day, were made from yields of 5 hectoliters per hectare (approximately one-fifth ton of fruit per acre). It tastes like the essence of orange marmalade infused with honey, and some flowery, fruit cocktail concoction. The wine boasts extraordinary purity, and exceptional sweetness, all buttressed by refreshing acidity. Aged in 100% new oak, the wine reveals no evidence of wood, no doubt because of its phenomenal extract. These wines will be nearly impossible to find, but I hope those few lucky enough to latch onto a few 500 ml bottles will lay some away and taste them against the greatest vintages of Chateau d'Yquem or Climens. An astonishing discovery! Monbazillac is well-known in French history, but my experience in tasting through the appellation's wines has unearthed few gems. Leave it to Eric Solomon to discover this remarkable estate. The vineyard is planted with a high percentage of Muscadelle (50%), along with Semillon (45%), and Sauvignon (5%). There are two cuvees produced. The young vine cuvee (the vines are 45-years old) produced only 8.5 hectoliters per hectare in 1994 (less than one-quarter ton of fruit per acre). Additionally, these grapes are picked grape by grape (as they develop the noble rot), not by bunch. The proprietors, Claudia and Bruno Bilarcini, actually pass through the vineyard a minimum of four to five times a day. Given the fact that it is a manual harvest, the 1994 was harvested between October 20 and November 25. Fasten your seat belts, as these wines are remarkable. Admittedly, with microscopic vinifications such as this, it is easier to achieve near perfection. In spite of the tiny production, wines such as this need to be brought to the attention of my readers. Moreover, recognition of such extraordinary efforts only encourages other highly enthusiastic overachievers to attempt similar ventures. It is an understatement to say these are the greatest wines I have ever tasted from Monbazillac; in fact, they are among the greatest sweet wines I have tasted ... from anywhere! European Cellars is located at 121 West 27th Street, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10001; tel. (212) 924-4949; fax (212) 924-0567