In the heart of Barsac, within the revered Sauternes appellation, Château Climens has long stood as a beacon of purity and finesse. Referred to as the “Lord of Barsac,” the estate’s legacy dates back to the 16th century, but its modern identity was shaped under the stewardship of the Lurton family, and more recently through the visionary influence of Bérénice Lurton. With a deep commitment to biodynamic viticulture and natural expression, Climens has redefined what noble sweet wine can be — not heavy, but ethereal; not opulent, but precise.

The estate is a single-vineyard property, covering 29 hectares of pure limestone-rich Barsac terroir — a soil that lends tension, clarity, and freshness to the wines. Planted exclusively to Sémillon, a varietal uniquely suited to this site, the vines are tended according to strict biodynamic principles. Manual harvests are carried out in multiple passes, selecting only berries touched by Botrytis cinerea, the noble rot that concentrates sugars while preserving acidity and complexity. Fermentation and ageing occur in oak barrels, carefully managed to enhance, never mask, the delicate architecture of the wine.

A glass of Climens is an unfolding of light and layers. The aromatics are lifted and crystalline — candied citrus peel, white tea, chamomile, saffron, and subtle stone fruits. On the palate, there is luscious sweetness, yes, but also restraint — a driving freshness that balances texture and lingers in a whisper of minerality. The wines age with grace, shedding overt richness to reveal more nuanced depths with time. At its best, Climens is Barsac distilled to its purest form: elegant, vertical, and hauntingly refined.

But what sets Climens apart is more than its technical mastery. It is a house that speaks in quiet tones of sustainability, harmony, and artistic intention. Its wines are not crafted for spectacle but for contemplation — wines that invite reflection and evolve across the decades. The estate’s transition to biodynamics was not a trend but a return: to intuition, to balance, to listening deeply to the rhythms of the land.

Château Climens is for those who believe sweet wine should be radiant, not decadent. A singular voice within Sauternes, it offers wines that are timeless, soul-stirring, and steeped in the stillness of Barsac’s chalk and fog.