Vino Joe

8.9

This rating is just my taste. Not a reflection of the quality of the wine. I generally don’t care for the St Emilion region. The wine is just too austere for me. It’s 22% cab franc. It had a slight puckering dried out character without balance to me. Definitely can tell it’s a well made wine. Perhaps with a strong food pairing this would be a better experience for me but it was a wine I didn’t enjoy drinking. — 4 days ago

Joe Weinberger

9.3

My first HB. Some of the other tasters thought this wasn’t showing its best but without the past context of other ‘86 HBs I thought it was very good. — 5 months ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.6

The best nose by far so far. Crunchy and precise. Chewy mineral and fruity mid palate. Tingling and elegant finish. — 14 days ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.5

Birth year Latour for our 700th wine on Delectable! Very mature but still with lots of life. Leather, graphite and earthy notes and still so much power. A great pleasure to drink! — 10 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Second Sauternes pairing with my homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Didn’t use the additional crushed pineapple this time. Both preparations are very good. I think I prefer it w/ less pineapple.

In 2014 I attended the Bordeaux En Premiere. One of the six days, we toured 8 Chateau’s tasting multiple vintages at each in Sauternes & Barsac. Then, went back to Chateau Guiraud for dinner. Before the dinner, Bill Blatch then arranged for a Sauternes tasting after tasting at 8 Chateau’s in Saternes & Barsac. We tasted 50 Sauternes in basically in 60 minutes. After that, my hand was like Winne the Poo in the honey jar from dumping. After, my wish wasn’t necessarily for the forthcoming dinner, but rather wished to go to a Dentist for a teeth cleaning I had so much RS in my mouth. None the less, dinner was fantastic and started with warm Foie Gras & gravy. Perfect as is w/ the Pineapple Upside Down Cake tonight.

This 05 is everything that you taste in the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Perfect paring. Newly a quarter century and no fading in its evolution.

Dry; stone fruits, pineapple, orange citrus, pineapple. Marmalade, caramel, saline, limestone, honeycomb, beeswax, coconut, vanilla, saline, round acidity with yellow florals, toasted nuts with round acidity for days. Elegance, balance, structure and round, rich polish that goes in and on. Coravined from 375ml.

Bill Batch (who worked for Cristy’s & owned his own negotiate company) has somewhere around 5,000 bottles of Sauternes. He does a Sauternes & Sausage party bi-annually. Good luck getting a well sought after invitation. There are more people in Bordeaux who want to attend then there are available invitations. — 2 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2009 vintage. Generous fill. Fairy tale cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 mins. Just a little bit of sed. Light-medium body as is the usual Giscours style. Some cherry prettiness melded with dusty earth and appropriate tannic presence. Nose a bit of dark plum that wasn’t forwarded onto the flavor platform-at least at the opportunity I had to enjoy it. Never an explosive style from this Château and this was opened about 5-7 years too early to hit the top of the specific bell curve. Drinking very very nicely now and (easily) for the next decade +. 4.20.24. — 15 days ago

Vino Joe

9.5

This should cellar longer. Maybe another 5 yrs before I try again. Decanted over 3 hrs. Tight in first hour. It needs a lot air now. Many layers and complex fruit. It lingers. Meaty after taste. Dark fruit. Earthy. I liked it very much and look forward to the next one. — 2 days ago

Robert Torretti

9.2

Tasted side by side with the 1990, as well as the 2005 (en magnum). There was another 1989 at the table and two other 1989s at the dinner, plus one more 1990. There was bottle variation amongst the 1989s, but all were solid. Nevertheless, this 1989 was generally regarded as the best of this vintage. The 1990 was more rounded and complete. The 1989 had more acidity 35 years on, but worked well with the sweet bread. — a month ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.8

My first Petrus was a very special thing. So intense and seductive, really something out of the ordinary. It kept begging my nose going back to the glass and harmoniously gave back so much pleasure. Could feel its presence very clear after a few minutes. Incredible. 98-100. Unique and delicious. — 2 days ago

Doug Powers

9.5

Initially this was incredibly closed, but after 2 hours in the decanter it’s starting to open, tannic, very structured, very 1986 in its leanness, but incredible depth and length, not perfect, but still outstanding!! — 10 days ago

with Jim