Shay A

9.8

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

I’ve had a few days to think on this wine, and I finally feel comfortable saying this is the greatest dessert wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking. 100% semillon. Each grape is picked one-by-one by hand. This was the 9th time this wine was made since 1943.

Between dark gold and deep amber in color. Aromas of honeyed tropical fruits and sweet espresso that fill the room like a candle. Unctuous and oily on the palate, there is coconut richness with an insane amount of brown sugar and orange marmalade too…honey roasted cashews, pineapple upside down cake. As massive as this is, it still has structure but also a vein of acidity to keep this thing afloat. At 35yrs, this is unbelievably good and shockingly youthful. If you have a bottle, it’s no good. Send to me so that I can dispose of it for you… — 4 days ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.5

Awesome bottle. medium dark amber robe, nose of compote fruits and flowers, very rich and decadent in the mouth but with a sort of drier finish on a fresh and balanced note. Would have never even hinted at 1937 had we tasted blind. Very very young Barsac that makes you think of the 70s good vintages. Top stuff and wish we had bought a couple more bottles...
— 4 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.4

1983 vintage. A beauty at 40 years old in this excellent Sauternes vintage. Amber colour. Intense perfume with dried figs, roasted hazelnuts, coffee and caramel and a fresh lemony touch. In the mouth it features a juicy acidity balancing the delicate sweetness. Complexity and balance. Long nutty finish. — a year ago

Shay A

9.3

This was a bottle that was Coravined about 6+ months ago with about 3/4 remaining. Although young, I’ve always been a bit conservative when it comes to Coravined bottles and their freshness. Great sweet wine to pair with Thanksgiving food.

My first experience with Doisy-Vedrines, having only had Doisy-Daene previously. Would love to do a side by side. Tropically exotic and rich. Botrytis to the core. Pineapple upside down cake on the nose with honeyed apricots and orange marmalade. Viscous and totally giving on the palate with yellow fruit and and sweet spices. There’s not that honey roasted cashew profile I get with my favorite Sauternes, but this is a delicious and easy going wine that sports a great QPR. Room for improvement. (Also, this is evidently Barsac but labeled as Sauternes). — 2 years ago

Alex Patrone

9.5

Orange peel marmalade, apricot, spices?, tropical fruits (notably pineapple). Honey with subtle (Brazilian nut) nutty quality. Very faint hint of cheese. Rich, fairly complex, and lasting. Just lovely. — a month ago

Shay A

9.4

My second set of wines to provide as part of a co-host event.

I picked these up during a visit to Morlet in the fall of ‘21. Sadly, these are the last of my initial stash. 58 semillon/36 SB/6 Muscat.

Poured blind for a group of 20 people at the end of a wine event, I was shocked that not one single person called this Cali. Many Sauternes, Barsac, and a few South African dessert wine guesses. It’s undeniably sporting botrytis flavors, but the richness has a wonderful spine of acidity. Honeyed mango, white peach and chock-full of orange blossom on the nose, there’s added candied spice and honeycomb on the palate. Didn’t pick up any nutty flavors (which I enjoy in Sauternes), but this was also fairly young. Extremely “fresh” for a dessert wine, if that makes sense. Best Cali dessert wine I’ve had, I think. — 4 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

One of the best aged sauternes I’ve had in a long time! Candied Orange marmalade, chanterelle, honeycomb. Delicious. — 2 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.3

Oh, so good. Elegant, fresh, complex, more Barsac than Sauternes. Very exotic too with flowers and spices.
If you are into Sauternes or Barsac buy a case or two, it does not get much better than this. Fantastic now but no rush. — 3 years ago

with Adriana

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy New Year!🎈🎆🎊

This is a pairing I’ve been talking about doing for a decade but, couldn’t find a bakery to make one. So, I had to make it. The Sauternes is a 96. The pairing is a 10

Everything about the Sauternes is married in the pineapple upside down cake. Old school meets old school. Clemens the second best Sauternes producer after D’ Yquem.

At En Primeur in 2014, we spent a day in Sauternes & Barsac…eight Chateau’s and multiple vintages. We component tasted at Clemens. Great day. The highlight wasn’t D’Yquem, it was component tasting at Clemens. After eight Chateau’s, we went to Guiraud to taste 50 more Sauternes in an hour and then dinner. When we finished the 50 Sauternes, I wanted to go to the dentist for a teeth cleaning rather than have dinner I had so much RS in my mouth. Tasted nearly 2500 wines in 6 days.

This note is being written the next day with leftover Pineapple Upside down cake and 2003 Clemens.

This has a classic Sauternes nose of heather honey, marmalade, dry citrus and stone fruits with nuts with skin & waxy notes.

The palate is super thick, lush, waxy with ripe botrytis fruits of dry; pineapple, stone fruits. Orange-tangerine, lemon, lime, grapefruit citrus, marmalade, honey dripping, coconut shavings, nuts with skin, candied walnuts, saline, white spice, caramel, vanillin, wet marl, soft but strong edgy chalk, molasses notes, fruit blossoms, yellow lilies & flowers, spring white florals, excellent, very round acidity, balanced, excellent structure, well woven and smartly polished finish that lasts minutes.

From 750 ml — 4 months ago

Shay A

9.2

Alexander Vineyards has a great selection of wines, all at great values. This is their only dessert wine, and it has been delicious every time I’ve had it.

Last bottle of mine. This is from the Barsac region. Richly colored gold in the glass. Viscous, but not overly so. If comparing to a Climens, I’d say this doesn’t have as much of the orange-honey roasted cashew type note, but lots of orange marmalade, honeyed tropical fruits and honeysuckle. This showed a more powerful core than a 2009 LaTour Blanche I had a few weeks ago (which I enjoyed how bright it was). Paired with truffle salted popcorn at the end of the night, and it was great. — a year ago