Conrad Green

9.6

Dark gold. Crème brûlée, toffee, toasted brioche, great acidity. Amazing length. Spectacular and this is over 70 years old. — a month ago

with Gregg and Rick

Vanessa

9.2

On the nose and palate are concentrated notes of crème de cassis, juicy blackberry, plum, purple fig, mulberry, violet, black licorice, anise seed, peppercorn, clove, vanilla, cardamom, leather, and forest floor. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, high alcohol (14.5% ABV), and velveteen tannins with a persistent finish.

— 2 years ago

with Deked1

Thomas M. Bozzuto

9.3

Dinner with my brother at Rikasa in Pittston. Filet, truffle aioli fries, crème brûlée. Probably my favorite domestic. — 2 years ago

with DrM

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9.3

The 2015 Late Harvest Wine is redolent of tangerine peel, crème brûlée, spice, ginger, coffee and new French oak. This mid-weight, intensely aromatic late harvest dessert wine is very nicely balanced. Drink it over the next handful of years. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2023) — 3 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.6

Stupendous stuff. Soft, sweet and sexy in the nose. Structured, sultry and cedary on the palate.
Black cherries, Crème de Cassis, vanilla-caramel-mocha swirls. Topped off by some whiffs of earth, ink and soysauce.
Spectacular.
Dive in now or any time in the next decade. — 4 years ago

Mark Rosse

9.6

Dark purple to black in color. Huge concentration of crème de cassis and licorice. 15.5% but no heat. Very contemplative — 4 years ago

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10

The 2005 Latour was mind-blowingly profound in two recent tastings for this report. Deep and sensual to the core, the 2005 is utterly captivating. All the elements are so seamlessly put together. Graphite, crème de cassis, licorice, dark spice and lavender infuse the 2005 with so much energy. More than anything else, though, the 2005 is a Latour of texture and resonance. Even after several hours, the 2005 is fresh and full of energy. Wines like this are just life affirming. That's about all I can really say. Tasted two times. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021)
— 5 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.4

After 2 years of cellartime, this still shows wonderfully bright and fresh. Floral scents, crème de cassis, touch of peppery spice.
Great drinking right now, and through the next decade. — a month ago

Andrea Watt

9.6

Crisp but balanced with citrus and crème brûlée. Great acidity for food but has enough flavor to stand on it’s own. — 10 months ago

with Becky

John Malcolm

9.5

Still quite vibrant and buttery. Taste a lot of crème brûlée, nectarine, fig, lemon zest, and honeysuckle. Rich, well-balanced, and nice minerality for a satisfying finish. — 2 years ago

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9.3

The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is composed of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre. The 2020 displays fragrant aromas of blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, crème de cassis and dried herbs. Tightly structured, full-bodied and layered, the ripe tannins are very well integrated into the wine, as is the 15.5% alcohol. (Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous, June 2023) — 3 years ago

Byron Hewett

9.3

Cherry, sandalwood, crème brûlée. Delicious. — 4 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.6

Word has gotten around about how obsessed I am with this wine/vintage, so the bev director surprised me with a dessert pour. Same wine, same vintage, but different bottle & a week and a half later. Still a mind blowing wine, though this encounter (bottle had been open a bit longer) leaned more into the crème brûlée, toffee characteristics with less perceptible fresh fruit. Still one of my candidates for best of 2022… — 4 years ago

with Maura

Peter van den Besselaar

9.5

Vintage 2001 | honey, apricot, full bodied with nice acidity | paired with crème brûlée — 5 years ago

Linsay Craten

9.4

Wow. Apricots, crème brûlée, and honey. As a dessert wine, this is stunning — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Cantegril – Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle / 2019
AOC Barsac – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A Grand Vin de Sauternes crafted by the Dubourdieu family in Barsac, this 2019 vintage blends the region’s classics: Sémillon dominant, Sauvignon Blanc, and a touch of Muscadelle. Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) weaves its magic here, concentrating sugars and intensifying aromas.

Aromas & Flavors
Lush notes of apricot, candied orange peel, and pineapple rise from the glass, layered with honey, acacia blossom, and a hint of saffron. The sweetness is deeply expressive but never cloying.

Mouthfeel
Silky and opulent, yet balanced by Barsac’s hallmark freshness and mineral tension. A luscious golden core with excellent length, pure heaven in a glass.

Food Pairings
Perfect with Roquefort, foie gras, or blue cheeses, but equally divine alongside fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or spicy Asian cuisine. For a daring contrast, try with fried chicken.

Verdict
2019 Château Cantegril is heaven on earth, an elegant and classic Barsac that shows the Dubourdieu family’s mastery. A wine that proves Sauternes and Barsac remain unmatched when it comes to liquid gold.

Did You Know?
Barsac AOC wines can legally be labeled either “Barsac” or “Sauternes.” Château Cantegril is often described as one of the “entry gates” to the Dubourdieu family’s sweet wine heritage, offering top quality at a more approachable level than their Château Doisy-Daëne.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: This is one of those wines that makes you stop mid-sip and smile, it’s just that magical. — 8 months ago

Devin Brown

9.0

The description: The sweetly frivolous and fruity side of Central Otago Pinot Noir is bound up in this bottle of Stolen Kiss Rosé; once unleashed into your glass its candy-floss and crème-brûlée aromas shall sashay into a flirtatious toffee-apple and simmering strawberry palate smeared with cherry lip-gloss; most fun to drink chilled on sultry summer afternoons and evenings.
The opinion: Accurate and very good. Stolen Kiss is somewhat variable but 2022 and 2023 is very good. Summer afternoon with a well chilled bottle, can’t go wrong. — 3 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.2

Crème brûlée, lemon, a bit syrupy. In a good spot. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Medium gold color. Nose and color suggest this has a lot of age. Notes of apricot, gravel road, tan spice and lemon crème. Good weight and mouth feel. Nice structure. This is slightly advanced from where it should be at age 20 but drank nicely. Better than the other 02 Leflaive Pucelles I’ve had. — 4 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.3

Un nez assez peu expressif car le vin était trop froid au départ mais le nez s’ouvre un peu en réchauffant avec des notes de fruits blancs, de poires, de menthe.. La bouche est magnifique, une belle classe, une bouche toute en finesse et élégance tout en ayant une belle tension sans être tranchante, un vin avec un équilibre exemplaire et sans aucun excès et une finale délicieuse de belle longueur. 92-93.

A moderately expressive nose in the beginning as the wine was too cold but then opens up more with white orchard fruit, pears, some floral scents and a touch of mint. The palate is amazing, complete, so well balanced, fine, elegant, classy and with just good backbone and tension without being too crisp, great length and delicious finish. — 5 years ago