Ray Vanderhoff

9.2

Produced from a 30 year Solera system from dried Pedro Ximenez grapes. Dark mahogany/brown color. Aromas and flavors of burnt caramel, dried figs, roasted nuts, molasses, maple and dark chocolate. Long and lingering finish. Syrupy (but not too heavy) texture and very rich but well balanced due to the extremely vibrant acidity. So interesting. Perfect way to end our lunch, John P! — 25 days ago

"Odedi"

9.6

Drinking this pre-release bottle of this iconic wine from Bordeaux.

Light gold in color.

Strong nose and Full-bodied.

Sweet on the palate with high acidity to balance the sugars.

Showing melons, tropical fruits, apples, light earth, guava, herbs, spices, papaya and honey notes.

Long finish with herbs and tropical fruits.

This is a gorgeous sweet wine from Bordeaux. Sexy, seductive and fresh. Creamy and buttery.

Showing great potential, but oh so young. Already delicious and complex. Round, opulent and powerful.

Loved the nose once it opened up (20 minutes in the glass).

Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and intense, yet elegant. Well balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Drunk from a Magnum.

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
154 g/l sugar.

14% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$500. — 5 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2021 Riesling Poet's Leap is decidedly green in character, wafting up with notes of lychee, lime zest and crushed green apple. This flows across the palate with grace, displaying a pleasant inner sweetness, as tropical citrus and saline-minerals add a lovely tension throughout. This tapers off with young mango notes accentuated by a salty flourish through the long and crisply refreshing finale. The 2021 is so balanced and refined, just 12.5% alcohol, and at just under one gram of residual sugar per liter. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 3 years ago

Paul J

9.3

Half bottle. Lovely gold color. Different nose from most Sauternes I’ve had, and really enjoyed it. It had more brown sugar and herbal tones to it. Wine was lighter than expected but very clean, which was honestly nice especially with the great texture it had. Orange, pineapple, and peach dominate. Solid finish. — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Catherine Leith

9.7

Love this. Tons of flavour. Vanilla, brown sugar, toasted oak. Pairs well with food but also great on its own. — 6 years ago

Blake Hampton

9.2

Fantastic Zin, alspicey goodness with some heat — 7 years ago

Jeff Beck

9.3

One of select few great zins in Sonoma — 8 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.7

2017 vintage. Another spectacular Suduiraut. The 140 g/l residual sugar is balanced by the fresh acidity. Michael Broadbent used to say that Suduiraut always looks older than its age, but this bright golden colour shows no signs of age. Beautifully complex nose with pineapple and vanilla, flowers, beeswax, cinnamon and lemon confit. Opulent, rich and fresh at the same time, impressively layered and intense, with an extraordinarily long finish. A fabulous meditation wine that is amazingly affordable too. Abv. 14%. — 2 months ago

Andrew Belzer

9.0

Bright fruit, spice, decent acid and tannins — 9 months ago

KRISTIE

9.6

Inspired by the “Apotheca”, a mysterious place where some of the earliest wine was blended and stored, Apothic wines offers a truly unique wine experience.

A red blend emerges from the flames, creating a most unexpected and masterful encounter.

Paying tribute to a time-honored craft, this wine has been aged for 60 days in whiskey barrels, creating bold notes of red and dark fruit with layers of maple and spice. — 3 years ago

John Bratincevic

9.3

Forgot to save my thorough notes(!!!). From memory - the nose hits you with overt apricot, fresh figs, lots of nuts (including pistachio ice cream), and a bit of faint tangerine. It tastes like a pastry - almonds, sugar, coconut cream, apricot, cookies and cakes and dessert oh my. Finished with honeycomb. Very different than the Sauternes I am accustomed to, but very good. 93. — 4 years ago

S.R.Alexander

9.2

Lady marmalade, apricot, caramel with grapefruit sugar. — 6 years ago

with Eric

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The Seasonal Grand Opening of the D&S Lounge. That’s going to require some BSR to celebrate.

As well, going to detail notes of this with my new Riedel Vintage Sommelier flutes, center picture. I’ve been wanting to write notes on this Champange in the new flutes as I wanted to do it one I am very well acquainted. As @Paul T- Huntington Beach & @Severn Goodwin have pointed out the many times I have posted it.

The nose is definitely more vibrant. Tangerines lead where they haven’t in my previous notes now using the new flutes. More pink rose petals, blood orange, pink grapefruit, leaner; strawberries, watermelon, warmed, creamed raspberries, apricots & cherries, liqueured marmalade, hints of scorched rhubarb, lemon/lime aid, chalky powder, delicate, grey volcanics, sweet, sea spray, bread dough, baguette crust, touch of brown sugar/molasses light, haunting, dry herbs, limestone and bouquet of; white, red, pink & orange roses.

The body is round with some gummy or gluiness. Everything about the mouthfeel is more delicate and softer. The bubbles smaller & more refined. Pink rose petals, blood orange, pink grapefruit, leaner; strawberries, watermelon, warmed, creamed raspberries, apricots & cherries, liqueured marmalade, hints of scorched rhubarb, almost a date presence on the long set, chalky powder, delicate, grey volcanics, sweet, sea spray, lighter intensity of white spices but, still has the heat & palate penetration, bread dough, baguette crust, touch of brown sugar/molasses light, haunting, dry herbs, limestone and bouquet of; white, red, pink & orange roses. The acidity is all fresh & lively with this cuvée. But, even that seems better. The finish is as always; well knitted & balanced, polished, fresh, persistent and never disappoints.

Photos of; the best room in our house for 6+ months of the year, our backyard. Aka, the D&S Lounge on Memorial Day Weekend 2020. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The color of the 14 looks rich & starting to age Sauternes.

It is very viscous with notes of paraffin. Lots of dried fruits; apricots, juicy, overripe yellow peaches, blood orange with peel, marmalade fruits/jam, citrus blend, bruised Bosc pear, macerated, golden & red apple & dried pineapple, strong presence of gritty chalk & grey volcanic minerals, white spice, sea fossils, limestone marl, dry twig, sun tea with fruit, nuts with skin, some butterscotch & toffee, burnt raw sugar, honeycomb, warm caramel, vanillin, herbal notes, withering yellow lilies, orange Gerber daisies, grand, round acidity, great balance, still nice tension/structure, rich, smartly-elegant-polished finish without end and long sets on volcanics & spice. — 4 months ago

Austin Hohnke

9.3

Great now and will age beautifully. Typical Muscat florals, but I love the balancing act of sugar concentration and acidity in this vintage. Elderflower and bruised stone fruit. Wonderfully fresh. 👌🏼 — a year ago

Chris O'Hara

9.0

Nose: almonds, walnuts, maple syrup, raisins
Taste: raisin, dark chocolate, coffee, fig, date — 3 years ago

Dan Michael

9.4

This wine certainly delivered! Magnum in fantastic shape. Have loved every Aubert Chardonnay I tasted but first time having the Sugar Shack. Beautifully integrated ok in the nose and well balanced on the palate. Complex while still being lean. Perfect weight, long and rich finish. Awesome! — 5 years ago

Ming L

9.5

375ml. A magnificent 30-year young Sauternes. Orange peel, molasses, caramel, ginger spice, and brown sugar. The intense flavors waltzed across the palate with grace and precision. Fresh, vibrant, and not as rich as expected. The finish lasts forever.
Paired with homemade chocolate chip cookies using Levain Bakery recipe and vanilla bean ice cream. — 6 years ago

Richard Campbell

10

Drank it while I smoked a cigar (Gran Habano Blue in Green) on a patio in the Old Town, Panama City and it was delicious — 7 years ago

Ángel Rodríguez

9.8

At Eric's in New York — 7 years ago