Hive & Honey

Château Suduiraut

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2009

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!
— 9 days ago

Peter, Thijs and 12 others liked this

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Blanc Marsanne Roussanne 1994

The 1994 was initially a bit shy on the nose but after many hours in the decanter, it showed such amazing character. In fact, it shared some characteristics with a lightly peated single malt scotch, with light smoke, marmalade, honey, golden raspberry and wet stone. More of its character was unlocked with food. In this case, monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2034+ — a month ago

Josh, Severn and 6 others liked this

Château Raymond-Lafon

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1995

1998 vintage. This estate was acquired in 1972 by former Château Yquem régisseur Pierre Meslier ( who passed away in 2023 at the age of 93). He managed to restore the wines to their former glory, and his 3 children seem to continue on the same path. This 1998 features a brilliant, golden colour, and a nose that immediately shows off the typical roasted botrytis aromas that characterise great Sauternes, intertwined with honey, beewax, maple syrup, lemon confit and flowers. In the mouth, it is succulent and profound, wonderfully achieving that delicate balance between sugar and acidity that makes Sauternes potentially great. Layers of dried and fresh fruit, rich and refreshing at the same time, culminating in a very long finish with a lovely almondy impression. Excellent. Abv. 13,5%. — 2 months ago

Peter, Ruud and 4 others liked this

Château Rieussec

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2010

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2010 Rieussec is similar to the previous bottle a couple of years ago. It has since opened with saffron-tinged honeyed fruit, dried honey and almond shavings. This example is more vanillary and oaky than previous ones, and that actually distracts from the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied; again, the new oak feels more prominent than previous bottles, prompting me to lower my score. It's utterly seductive but articulates more of the winemaking than I would like. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 3 months ago

Rob liked this

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2005

Golden hue. Aromas of apple, dried fig, golden raisin, honey, orange zest, peach. Full body and high acid. Mouth-coating and creamy texture on palate, with a slight mineral finish that begs for refills. Rich, decadent and delicious. 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle. — 6 days ago

Château Coutet

Sauternes-Barsac Sémillon Blend 2017

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

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2005

What a special treat!!! So enthralled by the moment that I forgot to take a photo with the dessert last night. 😜 This wine was stunning! Layered, complex, balanced. Pronounced and concentrated notes of dried apricot, peach preserves, marmalade, orange zest, Meyer lemon peel, citrus blossom, gardenia, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, lavender honey, and beeswax. It coated the palate with a lasting finish. Again, such an absolute treat!! — a month ago

Deked1 J GreenePaul K
with Deked1, J and 1 other
Deked1, Vin and 30 others liked this
James K

James K

So awesome! MN’s wine A-team.
Paul K

Paul K

@James K looking forward to getting us all together!
9.8
Vanessa

Vanessa

@James K @Paul K We would love that! 🥂🥂

Nicolas Joly

Clos de la Coulée de Serrant Savennières Chenin Blanc 2010

A buddy brought out this bottle of 2010 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant to help toast a great achievement this past weekend. One can probably imagine my excitement as I’m a massive fan of these wines by Nicolas Joly. However, I feel compelled to admit that these wines are not for everyone. They vary wildly from one vintage to the next and there can often be quite a bit of bottle variation to boot. None of this has swayed me from my position; that these are amongst the most exciting, singular expressions of a place that I have ever experienced.

Popped and poured. The 2010 pours a deep golden color with medium+ viscosity and no signs of particles or gas. On the nose, the wine is redolent of white tree flowers, desiccated apples and apricots with orange marmalade, honey, lanolin, marzipan and light clove. On the palate, the wine is dry with borderline high acid that is somewhat masked by the equally high alcohol (15%). Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and remarkably rich with wooly, unctuous texture. The high alcohol only becomes apparent as the finish lingers but there is so many other more fascinating things for me than to get distracted by it. Is it oxidative or not? That’s an argument that other people can have. I’m content to simply appreciate these wines for what they are. You can drink these now but knowing how these react favorably to air, it’s probably best to open it well in advance and probably even better to decant. Otherwise, I would expect sound, well-stored examples to live through 2040.
— 11 days ago

Ira, Ceccherini and 9 others liked this
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Lyle Fass I can only imagine. @Ely Cohn shared his experience with me which was, in its own way, surreal.
Ely Cohn

Ely Cohn Premium Badge

lol 🤣

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc White Rhone Blend 2001

Rich, spicy and a lot of texture. Honey, yellow exotic fruits, ginger, jasmin, yoghurt. Need to relax for a few years. — 3 months ago

Tyler, Andrew and 2 others liked this

Nicolas Joly

Les Vieux Clos Savennières Chenin Blanc 2020

Jeremy Shanker
8.9

Botrytis, honey, funk. Started off slightly effervescent but that dissipated. Wild wine. — 3 months ago

Peter, Severn and 2 others liked this