En Primeur This Sauternes is a straight, tight-structured wine, not at all lush or overtly sweet. I was totally surprised when told it was up at 140 g/l.residual. The flavours are slow to develop but certainly all there, in the form of mint and orange-peel. This is very reserved and if it ends up as it is now, will certainly turn out to be a great food wine. Bill Blatch

Jancis Robinson – 17.5 pts: Deep gold. Sweet, candied violets on the nose. Fresh and precise on the front palate. Masses of weight and sweetness. Still a baby but it promises well. A rather burnt element to it, in an interesting way. Savoury, dry finish. Serious stuff that should repay a considerable wait. Long. Drink 2020-2035

Wine Spectator – Feb 2012 90 Pts: A fresh, pure style, with lovely white peach, green plum and yellow apple flavours laced with a honeysuckle edge. Turns broad and creamy through the finish, with a lingering heather note. Very pure. Drink now through 2021. En Primeur 89-92 Pts: Attractive aromas and flavors of sliced apple, pear and honey. Medium-bodied and medium sweet, with a spicy botrytis and fruit finish.

Wine Enthusiast – 90-92 pts: Lively, fresh fruit here, with a light lemon bite along with the dry botrytis element. The wine has great vivacity and is deliciously crisp on the finish.

Wine Advocate – 88-90+ pts: The de Malle 2009 remains aromatically subdued, yet the palate is adorned with crisp pear and nectarine tinged on the entry with racy acidity that brings such vivacity. Quite linear, but maintaining good freshness from start until its lemongrass-tinged finish, it will hopefully gain more complexity by the time of bottling, by which time it may merit a higher mark.

NB Wine lying in Bordeaux - please allow at least 4 weeks for delivery.