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. — 18 hours ago

Brada

9.0

Semillon & sauvignon blanc. Good combination. Second day was better. Would buy again. — 9 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 — 8 days ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

Great wine, from a half bottle.
Lots of complexity and depth of flavor. Honey, white chocolate and caramel. Nectarine, pear and bloodorange. Almonds, oats and buttery cookie-dough.
Exquisite balance, luscious sweerness, fresh acidity and spicy bitterness.
Deeeelicious now! — 24 days ago

Vino Joe

9.5

What’s not to like? Vibrant vintage coming into its own. Rich sweetness, tropical notes. Beautiful capper. — 21 days ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.5

Entering into a very nice drinking moment. Rich and powerful thus balanced — 13 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium ruby , quite narrow ruby pink rim . Light spice and mix of summer fruits , floral , seashell , mineral notes . Touch of scorched earth and cocoa . On the palate a mix of summer fruits, with a saline kick in the mid palate , long and involving, balanced alcohol, very balanced acidity with velvety but noticeable tannins . Very elegant and graceful . Will need time, but less than the Haut Brion , in 15-20 years this will be fantastic . — 8 days ago

Steven Lee

9.3

Crushed rocks and mineral rocks. tannin is resolved and pencil lead and cassis. no vegetal but floral. i just not sure how far is from the latest vintage with those high scores — 15 days ago

Scott Kahn

9.0

Deep gold in color. Lower acidity than expected. Lots of white stone fruit and sweetness with some biscuit on the palette. Great complement to Brie. For the vintage and the producer a little underwhelming. — 14 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