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. — 13 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Medium ruby , slighter narrower ruby / pink rim , a little less bright . Slightly deeper , darker fruits , blueberry, violets , with scorched earth , mineral and grafite . On the palate , more intensity and power perhaps , more noticeable though still velvety tannin , dark fruits , mineral , saline , fresh cigar. Lovely fresh acidity , balanced alcohol . Long saline , mineral tinged, slightly toasty finish . Needs time obviously , but will be one of the great wines from a great vintage in 20 years, just wait — 20 days ago

AHF

9.1

From half with perfect cork. Very balanced with drying tannins. Much better after two+ hour decant. — 6 days ago

Victor Hsu

9.3

Smooth, round and delicious, with gentle tannins and woody, plummy spice. Lovely red Bordeaux—we could dink this all night. Still balanced after 27 years but its acids seem a bit faded. I would guess that it’s at a high plateau that may be gently dipping so my daughter Rachel, who owns this wine, needs to finish the rest of her stash within the next year. The vintage of this bottle is her birth year, and we laid down a half case along with another half case of Chateau Lynch Bages. Both bottles are now soft, special treats. We enjoyed the 1996 vintage with prime steak at the Palm Restaurant in downtown LA, celebrating her graduation from UCLA Law. Congratulations, Rachel! — 5 days ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Deep and complex. Gnarly slightly wild fruit. Earthiness, intense and yet reduced. While not the best bottle of this I’ve had it’s still pretty amazing stuff. A long life ahead — 8 days ago

with Paul, Gregg and 2 others

Conrad Green

9.5

Brooding and characterful. Tobacco and roses and gorgeous pure fruit. Softening all the time. Savory and delicious. — 7 days ago

with Garth and Matt

Sam Friedland

9.1

Some raspberries and cherries, a little of tannins. Was great with braised elk and king trumpet mushrooms. — 12 days ago

Jen

9.2

Quintessential old Bordeaux — 6 days ago

E. De

9.4

We both really like — 4 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Youthful when 1st opened that needed some air to develop. This was polished with notes of graphite, cedar, leather, menthol, savory spice & tobacco — 6 days ago