- 1988 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (6/4/2009)
I found this bottle frankly disapointing. There was too much alcohol and a metallic taste. Too lean, not much botrytis in evidence. Perhaps just an off bottle. Others liked it better. (84 pts.) - 1989 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (1/3/2009)
This usually highly reliable Climens seemd too sweet to me. The wonderful flavors of apricot and peach were prominently displaced but I found it just a bit cloying this time. (88 pts.) - 1975 Château Caillou Crème de Tête - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (11/27/2008)
About what I expected from other vintages of Caillou CdT. Amazingly fresh, seems like a new release. Very sweet, but no evidence of botrytis. Straighforward orand marmalade smell and taste. Not enough aciidity for the sugar, so cloying on the finish. Not terrible and not a bad introduction to dessert wine for someone who has never tasted one, but there are so many better examples. (81 pts.) - 1988 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (10/16/2008)
Very dense, very sweet, almost too sweet but just rescued by a bit of acidity in the finish. Bursting with uncomplicated apricot and orange marmalade flavors. It's still very young. (90 pts.) - 1983 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (8/23/2008)
Another half bottle from hugh's collection enjoyed by all at Riley McDermott's. I paid moe attention to it this time and it is clear this is a great Yquem which is finally mature or at least close. The color is deepning as is the texture and flavor. Lots of botrytis, lots of sugar, lots of caramelly tangerine flavor with enough acidity to support it all. If you like powerful Sauternes, you cannot do much better than this - and if you did, it would be Yquem from another (older) vintage. (94 pts.) - 1983 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (6/7/2008)
(? box#) Quintessential Climens; very light clear gold; geogeous peach aromatics; delicate lemon/lime/orangy flavors yet so flavorful. Finally ready and will easily go on for another decade or two. Very underpriced in todays market ($150). (93 pts.) - 1988 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (5/3/2008)
Reassuringly fine; it's the balance rather than the mass that is compelling with ths lovely Yquem. Still too early more maximum development but there's lots of pleasure to be had right now, especially from half-bottles like this. Not as sweet as most Yquems and not as powerful or overwhemning either. It will increase in complexity over the next twenty years, I'm sure. (91 pts.) - 1983 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (3/29/2008)
Another of Hugh's 375s. It's finally out of the adolescent phase but not quite grown up yet. Rich, racy, intense and long. It's Yquem - what did you expect? Excellent, but not yet stunning as it will be in 10 more years. (93 pts.) - 1986 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (3/9/2008)
I was very pleased with this bottle I brought to Spiga for BWE 2008 SoBe. Bright yellow, quite sweet with (almost) enough acids to make it balanced. Relatively lacking in comlexity, the sheer freshness of the orange/apricot/peach fruit won me over. Others were not as complementary, though. (92 pts.) - 1971 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (3/8/2008)
A slight letdown for this usually fabuous Climens. This bottle a little too simple and not as intense as usual. Still, the sheer beaury of the fruit, dripping with fresh orange peel flavors was undeniably tasty. (90 pts.) - 2006 Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Riesling Beerenauslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/1/2008)
A pleasant surpise from this relatively modestly priced BA ($40). Genuinly intense riesling smell and flavor. Definitely dessert wine sweetness and unctiousness although botrytis is not as obvious. Still, good length and bright fruit make this a winner at this price point. (89 pts.) - 1989 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (12/30/2007)
The wine of the night for everyone (with Malcolm, Sandi, Adam and Jennifer). Powerful and muscular, especially in Climens terms. Hugely botrytised and dripping with apricot and honey yet held together by crisp acidity. No need to eat your dessert if you drink this. (94 pts.) - 1959 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (11/11/2007)
Lovely mature Sauternes in the medium body Suduiraut style. Excellent light gold color. Dripping with botrytis. And there's a strong note of orange peel as well. Quite sweet but the acidity is there to balance it. Medium in viscosity and length. Just a little too simple to merit a higher rating, but much enjoyed at home with Hugh, Grace, Brian and Greg. (I am unable to determine from which Store Room box this originated.) (92 pts.) - 1997 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (9/7/2007)
South Florida does Lafleur (Cafe Maxx, Pompano Beach, Florida): Surprising weak. Nicely sweet and tasty, but just the barest hint of botrytis. At age ten, of course it isn't mature, but the baby fat should have worn off and the instrinsic power should be detectable. Pretty flavors of pineapple, peach and orange peel. It's okay - but this is YQUEM and the expectations are great. From limited tastings, I believe the '99 is better. (84 pts.) - 2002 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (8/17/2007)
Amazingly delicious by-the-glass dessert wine at 4 Rivers. How can this not be a Barsac? It's light in color, delicate and full of finesse - but little or no botrytis. Marvelous perfume of mixed citrus fruits and perfectly ripe pineapple. Slips down the throat so easily you hardly notice its gone but you sure want another sip. Poised and pretty. (91 pts.) - 1990 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (8/4/2007)
An excellent showing for this Rieussec, which can sometimes be overblown or top heavy. But this time there was juicy lemony acidity to the finish to balance the heavy honey, oranage peel and botrytis flavors. A good finish to a terrific meal at Nobu. (91 pts.) - 1976 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (6/23/2007)
This behemoth seems like it's too heavy to fit in a wine bottle. Massively opulent flavors of orange marmalade, roast pineapple and dried apricots. Tons of botrytis. But this is Yquem - so there's good acidity and an indescribable balance that keeps it from becoming tiring. It tastes about the same as I remember from 10 or more years ago, so there's no reason to think it cannot go on for many more. Purchased from Premier Cru; I don't remember when. (97 pts.) - 1988 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (5/3/2007)
This bottle was brought by Barry as a finale to a wonderful dinner at Four Seasons Palm Beach. Remarkably, still pale yellow. Lovely scent of mixed citrus, with botrytis playing a background role on both nose and palate. Poised as Kristi Yamaguchi en point; lithe and elegant. Yet I did not get the depth of flavor I expected from Yquem in a superb vintage, perhaps due to its youth. Tasted blind, I would have guessed a top Barsac such as Climens, but that's hardly a criticism. (90 pts.) - 1962 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (3/30/2007)
Brought to Tom's house for BWE 2007. Spectacularly successful; more luscious than usual for Climens; very lively. - 1962 Château Coutet - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (3/30/2007)
Brought to Tom's house at BWE DC 2007 but I did't get to taste it. - 1986 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (3/3/2007)
My first taste of this wine, purchased recently from an AMC auction. The label and capsule looked brand new, but the cork was clearly consistent with age. Light to medium color. Big blast of orange mamalde jumps out of the glass. Fairly light in weight and very sweet. Not really much sense of botrytis here, but exceeding fresh and juicy and good length. I would have guessed it was a fine Barsac from a recent vintage. So, very nice, but not quite outstanding just yet. But this could become better over the next 10 years or so if the sugar mellows a bit. (89 pts.) - 1988 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/27/2007)
Nice balance of the powerful Rieussec style reigned in a bit by the acidity and structure of the '88 vintage. Completely ready now, but it should be very long-lived. (90 pts.) - 1983 Château Gilette Crème de Tête - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/6/2007)
This whole bottle is consistent with the halves. Nice orange color, massive waves of apricot and botrytis - but just too darned sweet, even if there is detectable acidity in the background. Enjoyed more than I did by Malcolm, Sandi, Adam, and Jennifer's parents. (87 pts.) - 1962 Château Coutet - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (11/14/2006)
Remarkable old Sauternes from this Barsac estate which apparently was performing well at this time as it is once again today. These bottles (3) from K+L are pristine appearance with top shoulder to neck fills. Splendid copper color; not dark at all. Cork was firm and moist. Excellent fragrance of pure orange skin. Delicate as expected, moderately sweet, decent depth and length. Clearly well stored over the years. Kathy found prune, then black licorice, which I did not, and did not like it at all. (90 pts.) - 1988 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (10/14/2006)
Typical plush and lush Rieussec. The acidic character of 1988 vintage serves well to keep this one from going over the top. Probably as good as it will get. (90 pts.) - 1959 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (10/7/2006)
Another bottle from Bob and Arlette, and equally stunning. Clearly in the ultra rich style. Quite sweet, lots of botrytis, but the balance is so good, I had no trouble going back for a second (or third) glass. Luscious, long and fabulous. I'm glad I bought a few at 1/4 the price of Yquem. (95 pts.) - 1983 Château Gilette Crème de Tête - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (9/23/2006)
Looks like it was bottled yesterday due to its pristine level, label and capsule - and it is indeed a new release from this iconoclastic producer. Full orange gold color. Typical smell of oranges, apricots, honey, vanilla and clove. Nice taste of botrytis and good length. The balance is decent, but not perfect. Sweet as it should be, but ideally could use a bit more acidity. Still, for the relatively modest price it commands for a 23 year old Sauternes, it's mighty good and should hold for at least 10 more years in this half bottle format. (89 pts.) - 1971 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (9/16/2006)
One of the best '71 Yquems I have ever had from this surprisingly variable wine. (This one was from Premier Cru.) About as massive as Sauternes can be; groaning under the weight of its botrytis. Like a fabulous syrup of apricot marmalade but with enough lemony acidity to keep it from becoming cloying. Then there's that ineffable breed that elevates Yquem from the rest of the world's great dessert wines. Brilliant stuff and the five of us had no difficulty finishing the whole bottle after numerous reds with dinner at Cafe Maxx with Greg and the Cataldos. (96 pts.) - 1988 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (7/26/2006)
Stunningly good mature Sauternes. I have a sentimental attachment to this wine, since it was served to us at the Chateau by Comte Alexander de Lur Saluces himself on our BWE trip of May, 2005. Actually, this bottle, pucrchased from K&L last year, seems even better than the wine we had "sur place." The resemblance to Yquem on a faster track is quite real. It's medium gold, dripping with botrytis, very sweet and packed with the classical honey, peach, nectarine and apricot fruit. The finish lifts it beautifully with its zingy citric acidity. The only question is how long it can hold like this. (96 pts.) - 1983 Château Gilette Crème de Tête - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (6/3/2006)
I may have liked this better this time after my palate had been carpet (fruit-) bombed by 5 monster reds Greg brought to Chima, including Integrity, Clos Erasmus and Schaffer HSS. Very sweet as before, but the sugar was actually welcome by dessert time and made a nice match with the passion fruit custard. (88 pts.) - 1988 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (5/13/2006)
This is my first sample of this wine (in 375s) I purchased on release. The usual Rieussec lush boisterous honey bomb is reined in a bit by the slightly austere '88 vintage character. Still, plenty of cream, apricot and walnut to make a great foil for the key lime pie we had for dessert with the Cataldos at Marks Mizner Park. This should age nicely. (90 pts.) - 1986 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (5/6/2006)
A nice finale to the 7 course grand tasting menu at the Four Seasons with the Liptons. This is typical Climens in its delicacy, poise and elegance, but is a bit too lean to merit an outstanding rating. Pretty flavors of peach and orange peel lead to a pleasant, but modest finish. I doubt if this will improve. Still, better than almost every other Sauternes/Barsac, but I am starting to get the impression that these '86s are not quite on a level with the '88 - '90 trio. (89 pts.) - 1989 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (4/23/2006)
Great stuff. Just what I want in my Sauternes; o.k., Barsac. Sweet, peachy and fragrant with perfect balancing fruity acids to keep it fresh with no sense of heaviness or overripeness that plagues some other '89s. I hope the '88 and '90 turn out this well. I can't imagine this '89 getting any better than it is right now, at least out of 375s. (95 pts.) - 1983 Château Gilette Crème de Tête - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (4/15/2006)
I really wanted to like this 23 year old new release from the anachronistic proprietors of Gilette. My bottles are directlly imported by Premier Cru and are pristine in appearance. Very youthful yellow without gold. The aroma even smells sweet, with the usual orange/tangerine notes. So far, so good. But it's very sweet and is clearly low on the fruit acid it needs for balance, so it's cloying. Perhaps with more time in bottle, the sweetness will diminish some to allow a better balance. (85 pts.) - 1989 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (3/4/2006)
Fabulously good Barsac that may get even better with more time, but great now. Light orange yellow in color accurate predicts a very fresh wine (375 ml). Gorgeous aromas from a citrus garden; orange peel, lemon, lime, mango, passion fruit; they're all there or easy to imagine. Fully integrated on the palate and delicately poised in that stylish Climens way. Just the right degree of sugar backed up by racy fruit acids. Perfect example of full flavor in a lightweight package. (96 pts.) - 1959 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (2/18/2006)
Bob and Arlette's bottle, originally purchased at a Christies auction for the 2005 Great Wine Seminar. Its outstanding condition is verified by the perfect deep yellow, but not gold, color. Consistent from start to finish and beyond, this is the perfect middleweight Sauternes. Not too sweet, not too acidic, the decades have smoothed the edges but not lightened the flavor, which is predominantly apricot. The botrytis is there, as is the hint of oak, but it's all together now. It seems much younger than its 47 years, but then it probably took almost that long to achieve it glorious roundness. There's no end in sight even though it's clearly at its apex. Beautiful, and that second (and third) glass goes down real easily. (94 pts.) - 1990 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (2/11/2006)
This was a delicious ending to a wonderful wine dinner at Johnny V with Greg. It's very consistent; always big, luscious, sweet but short of cloying, and it sticks very well to the palate. At peak, but should hold well. (92 pts.) - 1959 Château Caillou Crème de Tête - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/25/2006)
This is a new release direct from the chateau and imported by Premier Cru at $170. It's a deuxieme cru Barsac which doesn't get much praise from Parker, but gets a somewhat warmer review from Steven Brooks. The bottle looks pristine as expected, but the cork looks like it just might be 47 years old, although it was firm and came out cleanly. It's an invitingly beautiful medium gold color. The bouquet and the palate are a perfect match - honey, tangerines, oranges; most of us agreed that it showed a nice touch of botrytis. Eventually, as we worked our way through the bottle, it became clear that this was a very nice Sauternes, but simply lacked the complexity and intrigue of a premier cru. Still, it's a very good old, apparently genuine, Sauternes at a fair price for what you get. (88 pts.) - 2000 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Sélection de Grains Nobles - France, Alsace, Turckheim, Alsace AOC (1/14/2006)
These Z-H SGNs are really delicious, and even better, they drink well at any age. This one is still a baby, but intense waves of heavy botrytis, apricot and orange burst from the glass. On the palate, viscous, powerful, densely fruity and indistinguishable from a terrific Sauternes 10 - 20 years old to me. Hugh and Greg discerned a distinctive Muscat character that eluded me. Great stuff; too bad it's priced like Yquem. (93 pts.) - 1990 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/4/2006)
I think this just might be the most powerful Sauternes I have ever tasted. Dark, dark gold; very Rieussec color at age 15. Massive amounts of botrytis on a base of apricot and over-ripe tropical fruits such as passion fruit or mango, along with molassas. Amazingly unctuous; you have to scrape it off your tongue to taste anything else. Fine acidity almost keeps the whole thing under control. A very successful example of an extreme style of Sauternes. (93 pts.) - 1986 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (12/29/2005)
Climens at most elegant and graceful. Very youthful color (from a 375ml) and while extremely fresh on the palate, it is well integrated and balanced. More orange in smell and flavor than lemon or apricot, light to medium in body , lightly touched by botrytis, it shows the '86 vintage character as well as the classic Climens synthesis of delicacy with intensity of flavor that makes Climens the ultimate Barsac and after Yquem perhaps the greatest wine of the entire Sauternes area. (94 pts.) - 1988 Château Coutet - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (12/25/2005)
Somehow, this seemingly attractive package of orange, apricot and vanilla fruit does not add up. Just slightly sweet and a lightweight, even for a Barsac. Perhaps it's the lack of evident botrytis that makes this fall flat. I recall it was more vigorous some years ago. Not a hit at the Christmas party at Ricky and Elena's house. (86 pts.) - 1988 Château Coutet - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (11/24/2005)
Very nice Barsac from a parcel I bought at Premier Cru about 8 years ago for $22 (750s). Typical aromas of brown sugar, peach and apricot. Quite sweet but a little too much fruit acidity for the limited concentration. Still, a big hit with the family Thanksgiving crowd. (87 pts.) - 1983 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (11/19/2005)
What a treat to taste this out of a half bottle purchsed on release by Hugh and stored ideally. It's been a very long time since I have sampled this and I was not disappointed. Clearly in the '62/'75/'88 mold rather the the lusher, more botrytis- affected, sweeter vintages such as '59, '76 or '90. Still yellow with only a hint of gold. Beautiful aroma of apricot, orange peel, butter and mango. Still a bit tight on the palate and needs at least another 5 years to unfold. Wonderful texture, light for Yquem. Once again, it is the stunning balance and sheer beauty of the fruit that makes Yquem a majestic Sauternes. Simply magnificent. (96 pts.) - 1999 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos - Hungary, Hegyalja, Tokaji (9/18/2005)
I ordered a glass at Seasons 52 and the server opened a new bottle in front of me. This wine strongly resembles a sweet Madeira, except there is no sour sting in the finish. Dessert - level sweetness, but not cloying like some previous Takajis I have not enjoyed. Powerful aromas of alcohol, petrol, and dried fruits such as raison, apple and pineapple. Not at all alcoholic on the palate though and it's full of flavor and finishes strongly. This is a good dessert wine for just the right food, but a little bit goes a long way. Definitely well made, an interesting drink and quite a change from sauternes or port. (88 pts.) - 1989 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (9/10/2005)
Interesting comparison to the '86 Climens I brought along with this 375. The two wines both had that ineffable Climens style of perfectly poised fruit and fruit acids, but this '89 was obviously richer and more affected by botrytis. It was not as full as a previous bottle that reminded me of Yquem, but Climens has a poise and elegance that cannot be smothered even by a heavy vintage such as '89. Great stuff and should go on for many years, but maybe never be more enjoyable than it is right now. (93 pts.) - 1986 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (9/10/2005)
I brought this to Cafe Maxx to have with the foie gras Greg, Bob and Arlette ordered. Classic Climens, classic '86. Pale yellow, young, very fresh, not especially sweet in Barsac terms. Strong citric background, but filled out with a healthy dose of pineapply fruit. Delightful Climens in a lighter syle. (92 pts.) - 1983 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (8/24/2005)
This seems distinctly better than a bottle from the same source about a year ago from Andy's cellar. Still young but the classical poise and balance of Climens is on full display. Medium full for this wine, medium sweet, nice layer of botrytis, nothing overdone or out of place. Archetypal Barsac. Out of 750s such as this bottle, it will only continue to develop albeit very slowly. Other than the oddly dull '75, Climens always seems to get it right. (92 pts.) - 1990 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (8/20/2005)
This huge Rieussec is a complete success and a classical Rieussec - big, bold, very sweet, voluptuous. Plenty of botrytis, lots of apricot/pineapple fruit and very thick trexture. It's at peak at age 15 (from a half bottle). The house style works very well in a vintage such as 1990. (92 pts.) - 1986 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (5/14/2005)
Still very youthful out of 750s, this Climens is clearly a great success. Although the profile is relatively simple orange/tangerine/vanilla, the balance is impeccable and the length excellent. Medium sweet in the Climens/Barsac style, this should gradually grow into a classic expression of Climens, but no need to wait to get plenty of enjoyment now. (93 pts.) - 1989 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (4/23/2005)
Another top notch example of this interesting Climens. Strikingly rich and luscious for a Barsac, even the Queen of Barsacs. Obvious apricoty botrytis and quite sweet, although there's just enough acidity to keep it fresh. Fully ready from these half bottles, but should hold for a long time. (92 pts.) - 1988 Château Coutet - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (4/9/2005)
Lovely light - medium weight Barsac that is fully mature. Although others found it musty or off, I did not. Fairly simple but delightful character of liquid ripe summer peaches. Just moderately sweet and minimal hint of botrytis. Does not linger very long on the palate, but finishes clean and soft. Delightful. (90 pts.) - 1995 Château Raymond-Lafon - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (4/2/2005)
I picked this one bottle up at Woodland Hills to complete my "Wines of the Fives" dinner party and was pleasantly surprised with its quality. Light to medium body, medium sweetness. Not a big lush Sauternes. Outstanding balance of sugar, acid and fruit although no evidence of botrytis. Excellent accompaniment to the miniature phyllo cup with minted yougurt and light caramel drizzle I served for dessert. (89 pts.) - 1981 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (2/12/2005)
Bob Maliner brought this half bottle to accompany the foie gras. It's excelent Sauternes, but not great Yquem. Healthy light to medium gold. Substantial botrytis. A bit too much acidity for the fruit. Medium rich and sweet. Very, very nice but lacking the excitement of a great Yquem. But I doubt anyone else did any better in 1981. (89 pts.)
~stuart
