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. — 3 days ago

Devin B

9.4

Lots of tropical fruit! What a great wine from our anniversary Russian river valley wine trip. — 12 days ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.9

Classic NZ label. Smells funky. Lawn just cut or a piece of fresh grass in the teeth. And lemon citrus peels. Flavors are complex and very audacious. Bombastic even. Plenty of citrus, but something else as well. Shells? Like the calcium carbonate in those. Also big gooseberries. This is a good example of how NZ Sauv Blanc differs from the other styles out there. This wine packs a punch. — 5 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! — a month ago

Steven Heydemann

9.1

The 99 is a favorite vintage for the sweetness of the fruit and the intense Mediterranean notes but this bottle was a little short on the finish. — 5 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.5

Drinking well can’t see this getting better with a long life ahead showing red fruit, graphite, spice, earth, mint & tobacco — 6 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. — 16 days ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Liquid gold 😍 — 2 days ago

Jules

10

my new favorite! very crisp. enjoyable minerality. Notes of juicy grapefruit, maybe lemon? Finishes with lovely lemongrass, and a bit of jalapeño. 10/10! — 4 days ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Deep purple color. Aromas of blackberry, forest floor, graphite and dark chocolate. Delicate, soft wine, blue and black fruit on the palate, balanced wine.

🏅 97 Points - James Suckling
🏅 96 Points - Robert Parker
🏅94 Points - Decanter — 7 days ago