Sauternes, Graves

Château Coutet

Sauternes-Barsac Sémillon Blend 2008

Medium light lemon gold , quite young looking . Aromatic apricot , white flowers , saffron , honey and citrus peel . On the palate quite rich with barley sugar , saffron , lemon peel , apricot , decent acidity , and ok length with apricot and honied lemon peel finish . Not overly complex but well balanced , with ok acidity , drinking perfectly now . Now and over the next 10 years — 13 days ago

Tom, Andrew and 10 others liked this

Château Rieussec

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2005

From 750-ml, this great Sauternes is hopelessly youthful at age 25, dried apricot, great acidity, long, lingering finish, top notch!! — a month ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Jan, Zach and 8 others liked this

Château Suduiraut

Ancien Cru du Roy Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2001

Prachtige Sauternes. Deze jaargang is geweldig, met een heerlijke balans door de mooie zuren. Waar ik over het algemeen geen groot fan ben van Sauternes, heb ik hier ontzettend van genoten! Gedronken om onze eerste plaats te vieren voor het NK blindproeven. — a month ago

Peter, Martijn and 2 others liked this

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Grand Cru Classé de Graves Red Bordeaux Blend

Birth year tastings, evening 4.
Cherries, licorice, ink, plums, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh and tart notes, graphite, well-balanced, still youthful, bay leaf and ‘trekdrop’ on the finish. Grape seed bitters. Seemed completely ready to enjoy after popping the bottle, but a few hours later it fully blossomed! Coffee grind, tobacco, and all of the impressions above blended together in a gorgeous way. So I’d say this has just hit the start of it’s drinking window.
— 2 days ago

Jan liked this

Château de Fargues

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2002

Vintage 2002 | wonderful vintage with apricot in smell and a vital, vibrant taste with nice acidity | paired with Blue de Gex | at Les Rousses — 4 days ago

Dave, Eric and 11 others liked this

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2016

First time having the pleasure. Ok, I get it. Unctuous and thicc. Searching every corner of my palate for one more ethereal drop of elixir. Grilled peach and apricot drizzled with vanilla extract. Is that sugar I’m chewing on?
The money though?
— 21 days ago

Bob, Jonathan and 7 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

If you can find it, try Château de Fargues for Sauternes.

Château Climens

Barsac 1er Cru Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1973

Alive and kicking! And beautiful at that. The balance you want and come to expect in a top notch Sauternes between sugar, alcohol, fruits.
— 17 days ago

Chateau Suduirat

1er Cru Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2001

Vintage 2001 | vibrant, nice pourriture noble, peach, beautiful acidity and elegance. The wine has development but also a bright future. Paired with Tarte Tatin | at Bistro C — a month ago

Jeroen, Dave and 20 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Awesome @Peter van den Besselaar, thank have some 2001s still in half-bottles that don’t seem past it at all!!

Château Suduiraut

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2003

Château Suduiraut – Sémillon 2003 (Sauternes)
Graves, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Crafted primarily from Sémillon, Château Suduiraut is one of Sauternes’ premier estates, producing wines shaped by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). The warm 2003 vintage gave concentration and richness, while time in bottle has deepened its complexity. (Educational note: Sémillon’s thick skins make it particularly susceptible to botrytis, producing the honeyed intensity Sauternes is famous for.)

Aromas & Flavors
Opulent notes of dried apricot, candied orange peel, and golden raisin layered with honey, saffron, and caramelized pineapple. Secondary tones of almond, vanilla, and beeswax show the maturity of two decades.

Mouthfeel
Lusciously full-bodied, with velvety sweetness cut by balanced acidity. The palate is rich and textured, gliding into a lingering finish of dried fruit, spice, and honeyed depth.

Food Pairings
A classic match with foie gras or blue cheese. Also pairs beautifully with fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or even spicy Asian dishes for contrast.

Verdict
A magnificent aged Sauternes — decadent yet balanced, carrying the warmth of 2003 with elegance. Honeyed, textural, and endlessly layered, this is a benchmark for botrytised sweet wines. 🍯🍷cheers!

Did You Know?
Sémillon makes up the majority of Sauternes blends, often complemented by Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Its thick skin and natural waxiness make it ideal for noble rot, creating the world’s most legendary dessert wines.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
Château Suduiraut, a Premier Cru Classé estate from the 1855 classification, produces limited amounts of Sauternes each year — with older vintages like 2003 increasingly rare treasures in the market.
— 13 days ago

Andrew and Ted liked this

Domaine de Chevalier

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Somm David T
9.4

Significantly better than the 2008 Lynch-Bages I had the other night.

Domaine De Chevalier is one of the more underrated or under appreciated Bordeaux producers.

The nose shows; beautiful dry, red flowers, black currants, brambly blackberries, ripe; dark cherries & strawberries, black plum, hints of raspberries, anise, dry herbs, mid baking spices, loamy earthiness, dark spice, dry tobacco/leather, graphite, barrel toast, bright red flowers and liquid violets.

M+ dark meaty tannins. Ripe, juicy, gorgeous fruits; black currants, brambly blackberries, dark cherries & strawberries, black plum, hints of raspberries, red licorice, red to mid berry cola, touch of black licorice, anise, dry herbs, mid baking spices-light clove/nutmeg, cinnamon & light vanillin, dark spices with a little palate heat, loamy earthiness, dark spice w/ some palate heat, dry tobacco/leather, graphite, charcoal, pebbles, some soft mushroom, barrel toast, bright red flowers and liquid violets. Really nice rainfall acidity, well tensioned/structured still w/ age, nicely balanced with an elegant, smartly polished finish that lasts minutes and long sets on spice & earth.

15 yrs of good drinking ahead.

@BalancesRestaurant - Lucerne. Balance Restaurant is one of the very best meals I’ve had out in a very longtime.
— a day ago

Jay, Peter and 11 others liked this