Brad Jensen

9.2

I was surprised when this turned out to be an orange wine, but not at all disappointed. Beautiful amber color, medium bodied, with a strong nose of ripe, sweet fruit, with good acid, and notes of navel orange, Meyer lemon, sweet cream (though VERY light), with hints of mustard, celery and other subtle vegetal notes. Palate is smooth, with great energy and well integrated creamy motes of ripe orange, blood orange and grapefruit, but not tart, with more prominent vegetable notes, maybe some more anise and celery. At the finish there’s even hints of some smoky BBQ, which ends in a dry, slightly spicy and savory hue. — 22 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Drinking well with notes of red & black fruit, orange peel, floral, aromatic spices, crushed rock & fresh cut flowers. — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Suduiraut, 2023, Sauternes BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Premier Cru Classé Sauternes delivering pure botrytis luxury blend of 80% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Sauvignon Gris with remarkable tension and precision. Lush honeyed richness balanced by vibrant acidity and a beautifully layered texture that feels both decadent and weightless. Sensual, polished, and deeply expressive, this is a dessert wine that seduces rather than overwhelms.

Aromas & Flavors
Orange blossom, acacia honey, apricot confit, ripe peach, saffron, candied citrus peel, subtle vanilla bean, almond paste, and a whisper of ginger spice. Floral lift intertwines with botrytis-driven sweetness and fresh citrus brightness.

Mouthfeel
Silky, viscous, and coating without heaviness. Glycerol richness glides across the palate while acidity keeps the wine lifted, focused, and endlessly drinkable. Long, luxurious, and caressing finish.

Food Pairings
Foie gras torchon, blue cheese (Roquefort or Stilton), apricot tart, almond pastries, honey-drizzled chèvre, citrus-based desserts, or simply enjoyed solo as a contemplative finale.

Verdict
Sublime, sexy, and impeccably balanced. A masterclass in tension between sweetness and freshness, delivering pleasure, elegance, and emotional impact in equal measure. A benchmark nightcap wine.

Did You Know?
Château Suduiraut sits adjacent to Château d’Yquem and shares similar gravelly terroir and noble rot influence, often delivering First Growth-level finesse at a more approachable price point.

🍯 Personal Pick
This wine feels like a French kiss, seductive tension, velvet weight, and honeyed decadence wrapped in electric freshness. The viscosity caresses the palate while the acidity keeps everything irresistibly alive. — 5 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.5

Quite turbid. And dark. Must have stirred this up. Cork almost all the way through. Dark Raspberries, hint cherry, crushed rocks, hint Mexican limes, earthy, tannins fully resolved, herbs, orange zest - at its peak/drink up this won’t improve further and does not need to - a stunning example of Pinot. — 10 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

This is lovely. Deep amber in color. The nose is great- tea, spices, a touch of sherry, roses, orange rind, dried flowers. Lovely texture- glycerin and a beautiful balance of sweetness with acidity. Lovely — 3 years ago

with Peter and Gregg

Evan McKenzie

9.0

Appearance: hazy orange wine
Nose: Aromas of apricot, muted citrus fruits, crushed rock, black tea.
Taste: tea/Arnold Palmer, bright citrus, grippy tannins, hay, medium + acid, clean mineral finish
12%EtOH — 6 years ago

Lunett/ Yosshi

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

9.1

Bright and deep beautiful orange color, a little sticky, tear drops.
First note like apricot, orange, dried pineapple, almond, nuts, chocolate, second scent of onion, sesame oil, garlic, Katsuo-bushi, and third aroma of vinegar, pickles, plum, rum, barrels, and raisins.
Mild comfortable sweet attack, matured smooth acid, soft and rich UMAMI, with nuance of dried fruit and nuts.
Hint of bitterness conduct the taste, very good balance and long finish.

I enjoyed it for my birthday. — 7 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

I've squeezed all the mystery out of Tempier Rose' over the years. Consistently good. Consistently consistent.

Familiar salmon rose gold. Orange zippy bitter pith and grapefruit sours. Herbs de provence and mild tannin in a syrupy Bandolian texture.

Always hits...in exactly the same way. — 2 months ago

Jay Bergesen

9.5

If this was the only wine I could drink for the rest of my life, I’d be quite content. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 1981 pours an amber color with medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with notes of ripe apricots, orange peel, honeysuckle, marmalade, candied nuts and crushed rock. On the palate, the wine is sweet with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This bottle of the 1981 seems evergreen considering the way it showed today. Drink now through 2081?? — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon , hints of gold , quite a healthy colour with fine pretty persistent bubbles still . This quite intense with candied lemon peel , brioche , oyster shells , touch of porcini . On the palate this is intense ,with good volume and vibrant acidity. Buttered brioche , oyster shell , candied orange and lemon peel . Really quite lovely and intense , long and toasted brioche , chalky finish . This is at peak now , but no rush from here over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 8 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

Tough vintage - might have been the worst in 10 years. Yet at 6 years this came around nice. I heard a lot of folks had concerns. Earth, bark, orange 🍊 rind, crushed marble, black currants, lime juice and a hint of cherry. So even this very basic version did quite well after 6 years. 12.5%. — 3 years ago

Peggy Hadley

9.1

Easy drinker. Full of fruit. — 5 years ago

with Jim

Beth Hamilton

9.1

The color is striking. More orange than rose. The aroma is like salted orange butter. On the palate it’s round and balanced. The usual notes of strawberry and honeydew are there but there’s also prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, and maybe grapefruit. Finishes with some nice minerality. I was holding onto this in my fridge like it was a “big deal” but I shouldn’t have. It’s very drinkable. — 6 years ago

with Parviz

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The color of the 14 looks rich & starting to age Sauternes.

It is very viscous with notes of paraffin. Lots of dried fruits; apricots, juicy, overripe yellow peaches, blood orange with peel, marmalade fruits/jam, citrus blend, bruised Bosc pear, macerated, golden & red apple & dried pineapple, strong presence of gritty chalk & grey volcanic minerals, white spice, sea fossils, limestone marl, dry twig, sun tea with fruit, nuts with skin, some butterscotch & toffee, burnt raw sugar, honeycomb, warm caramel, vanillin, herbal notes, withering yellow lilies, orange Gerber daisies, grand, round acidity, great balance, still nice tension/structure, rich, smartly-elegant-polished finish without end and long sets on volcanics & spice. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2014 vintage. From a 375ml effort. Tasted after being open for 1.5 hours and in the 48-50 degree range. Heavy bod. Plenty of candied orange fruit and unfiltered honey/mead. Just starting to get “interesting.” Needs another decade to add the ole pizzazz. 3.21.26. — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Damilano – Lecinquevigne Barolo – 2016
Barolo DOCG – Piemonte, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
A classic, elegant Barolo from Damilano, sourced from multiple vineyards across the Barolo commune (“Lecinquevigne” = five vineyards). 100% Nebbiolo, expressing a refined, traditional profile with precision rather than brute force. The 2016 vintage delivers clarity, balance, and aromatic purity, an excellent example of Barolo with both structure and charm.

Aromas & Flavors
Beautifully expressive bouquet of rose petals, dried cherry, tart red berries, orange peel, and subtle spice. The aromatic profile remains lifted and graceful through the glass, maintaining freshness and definition until the last sip.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and finely knit tannins. Elegant, linear, and well-proportioned. After ~45 minutes of decanting, the wine opens nicely, gaining aromatic depth and textural harmony without losing its Nebbiolo-driven tension.

Food Pairings
Ideal with braised meats, mushroom-based dishes, truffle pasta, veal, or aged hard cheeses. Also compelling with savory, umami-driven plates.

Verdict
A very well-made, classic Barolo that emphasizes elegance and aromatic finesse over power. The 2016 vintage shines here, offering balance, poise, and a clear expression of Nebbiolo’s signature “rose and tart” character.

Did You Know?
Lecinquevigne is Damilano’s interpretation of a multi-vineyard Barolo, designed to showcase the broader Barolo terroir while maintaining consistency and approachability, especially in strong vintages like 2016.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Graceful and expressive rather than imposing. After a short decant, this Barolo truly comes alive, floral, tart, and polished. A refined take on Nebbiolo that rewards patience and attention. — 6 months ago

Scott Kahn

9.2

Deep amber color in a 375ml format. Non-descript on the nose with a hint of neutral oak. Clean and clear in the class with rich honey and a finish of candied orange peels. Some soft floral notes that I cannot fully discern. An amazingly good pairing with Asian inspired honey beef stir fry — a year ago

David Shaw

8.9

Orange, excellent clarity. Pepper note in nose. Not much flavor initially, just a hint of sweetness, finish of tangerine peel and white pepper. Rounded mouthfeel with some mild skin astringency, no surprise for an orange or extended skin contact wine. After a couple of hours, I coaxed some peach flavor out of it; might need some air, more likely I overchilled it. Reasonably priced, decent value. 80/10/10 blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache and Orange Muscat. Beware of strange dirigibles in your vineyard while you are at it… (check the fine print on their label) — 4 years ago

Mono Head

9.0

rich. A little but it orange flavors, a tiny bit of dark finish. 9.0 — 6 years ago