LILIUM
Dry white wine Château Climens
- 2023
- Bordeaux dry white
Like many wines from the Sauternes region, Climens has been producing a confidential 100% Semillon cuvée since 2022. Pressed without destemming, fermented with natural yeasts, and aged for eight months in glass globes, Lilium captures and blends the mineral tension of Climens' limestone terroir with the richness of Semillon, resulting in a perfectly pure (aged in glass) and fresh aromatic expression. A great dry white wine from southern Gironde is born!
The 2023 vintage in the press:
La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2026): 94/100 "Lilium expresses itself with less immediacy and greater intensity, but with the same graceful clarity; very subtle, its aromatic base notes of honey and pollen linger in a delicious aftertaste."
Bettane + Desseauve (Guide 2026) : 93/100
- To keep or to drink :
- Ready to drink
- Apogée :
- 2026-2035
- Organic certification :
- 2022
- Potential alcohol :
- 12.5%
- Grape varieties :
- 100% Sémillon
From the same producer
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Like its Sauternes Grand Cru Classé neighbors, Climens has been developing a range of dry white wines since 2018, all 100% Semillon. The range begins with Petite Lily, aged 8 months in stainless concrete tanks, an irresistible delicacy endowed with a lovely fatness.
The 2023 vintage in the press:
La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2026) : 91/100 "Petite Lily is an impulsive, engaging cuvée, ripe but playful, deliciously floral and apricot-flavoured."
Vinous (N. Martin - April 2025): 90/100 "It has an attractive nose, with well-defined beeswax, light chalk and lime aromas that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is balanced, with a touch of almond and white peach on the entry. A keen line of acidity, plenty of energy and "bite" on the finish make this a very delicious dry white Sémillon that should age well in bottle."
Bettane + Desseauve (Guide 2026) : 88/100
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2014-2037
- Grape varieties:
- 100% Sémillon
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Like its Sauternes Grand Cru Classé neighbors, Climens has been developing a range of dry white wines since 2018, all 100% Semillon. Asphodèle (wild lily) is their main cuvée, aged 9 months in concrete tank, dynamic and expressive (floral and buttery notes), “Asphodèle can establish itself in great vintages as one of the best whites in the whole Bordeaux region” as written by M. Bettane.
The 2019 vintage in the press:
La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2024): 93/100 “Pure Semillon, Asphodèle 2019, is undeniably one of the most original and interesting propositions among the new wave of dry white wines produced in the Sauternes area. It develops with great charm notes of fresh hazelnut, as well as a florality suggesting up to violet, over the course of a lively body.”
Vinous (N. Martin - February 2023): 90/100 "The 2019 Asphodèle de Climens has a pretty green apple and Anjou pear nose, well-defined with good intensity. The palate is well-balanced with a crisp gooseberry and nettle entry, touches of white tea and quite a complex finish. Very fine if early drinking."
Bettane + Desseauve (Guide 2026) : 92/100
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2014-2037
- Grape varieties:
- 100% Sémillon
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Climens has been, for more than 50 years, the finest, the fruitiest and the most endearing of the Sauternes wines. Almost discreet in its first youth, Climens does not cease to develop and to refine itself in bottle. Biodynamic since the 2014 vintage. Magnificent 2016 "a fruit of an exemplary purity" noted 99/100 by the Revue du Vin de France.
Following 4 years of almost no production (none in 2017, 2018 and 2020, barely 1200 bottles in 2019), Climens changed hands in 2022.The 2016 vintage in the press:
Vinous (N. Martin - April 2022): 94/100 "The 2016 Climens has a wonderful bouquet similar to my last bottle, more expressive now with orange pith, wild honey and quince. Like before it opens wonderfully in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with fine definition, fresh and vibrant with a creamy honeyed texture, praline and apricot, on the seductive finish. Superb."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2020-2038
- Organic certification:
- 2016
-
Climens has been, for more than 50 years, the finest, the fruitiest and the most endearing of the Sauternes wines. Almost discreet in its first youth, Climens does not cease to develop and to refine itself in bottle. Biodynamic since the 2014 vintage. Magnificent 2016 "a fruit of an exemplary purity" noted 99/100 by the Revue du Vin de France.
Following 4 years of almost no production (none in 2017, 2018 and 2020, barely 1200 bottles in 2019), Climens changed hands in 2022.The 2010 vintage in the press:
La Revue du Vin de France (November 2023): 96/100 “The color is already evolved, and so is the nose, but that suits this barsac from the 2010 vintage very well. It opens with saffron, kumquat and bergamot. Lots of noble bitterness. It's an energetic wine with great persistence”.
Vinous (N. Martin - April 2022): 90+/100 "The 2010 Climens has just been a bit variable bottle-to-bottle. This was a transitional Climens as biodynamics was being introduced. Again, I find this subdued at the moment, perhaps going through a sulky adolescent stage. The palate is well balanced with a menthol-tinged entry, fine depth and acidity, more expressive towards the finish with a touch of lemongrass on the aftertaste."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2016-2040
-
Climens has been, for more than 50 years, the finest, the fruitiest and the most endearing of the Sauternes wines. Almost discreet in its first youth, Climens does not cease to develop and to refine itself in bottle. Biodynamic since the 2014 vintage. Magnificent 2016 "a fruit of an exemplary purity" noted 99/100 by the Revue du Vin de France.
Following 4 years of almost no production (none in 2017, 2018 and 2020, barely 1200 bottles in 2019), Climens changed hands in 2022.More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2014-2035