Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Medium Ruby with aromas of fresh berry fruits, floral and sweet spice. On the palate this medium body wine shows flavors of juicy blueberry and blackberry with notes of herbs and vanilla spice. Dusty tannin structure, lively acidity, medium ending with crisp fruit finish. Nice value. Drink now, consistent, no aging benefit. — 10 days ago

RJ Stefanski

9.4

I’ve now had 3 consecutive vintages (‘20-‘22) of this iconic Chardonnay, and even with the hefty price tag, it has always delivered. Big and bold but I wouldn’t say buttery, tropical fruit salad, exceptional balance with great acidity and a long, high end finish. One of those rare times when the hype is deserved. $70-$75 — 16 days ago

Lorna Hajdini

9.7

June 2022 - last visit at WS. This was a 1939 vintage (not 1989). Unbelievably “fresh” and good level of acidity for its age. Very special! — 24 days ago

Tyler Felous

9.0

On first open, the butter/malo notes are overpowering everything. Some fruit and acidity in there but hidden. Will see how it evolves with some air. — a month ago

Lorna Hajdini

8.9

June 2022 visit — good acidity — 24 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon yellow , persistent fine perlage . At first quite shy , needs a bit of time to get going . Then buttered pastry , confit lemon and roast nuts , quite bold and rich , just a hint of chalky minerality . On the palate the richer , deeper theme continues , those pastry and buttery notes , confit lemon and a creamy mouthfeel . Long balanced finish , the chalky acidity really helping to cut through richer , mouth filling profile . Coming back to this at the end of the meal , having sat 6 hours in the glass , this still shows remarkable freshness and life. This seems young to me still , certainly has everything for a long life ahead , better in 5 years perhaps and will show well a further 10-15 perhaps . — 8 days ago

Jeffrey Woo

8.9

Pale yellow hue. Aromas of grass, grapefruit, guava, melon, passionfruit, pineapple. Light body and high acidity. Satisfying and exemplary New Zealand SB.

(Tasted in 2019.) — a month ago

Mary H

9.5

A wine of astounding complexity, a shape-shifter. Immediately in the glass, nutty roasted almond, funk (a little reductive), musty books and turpentine. Iron/sanguinous aftertaste. Little acidity up front, a bit flat in texture. Peach pit, yellow peach, honeycomb. — 2 months ago

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. — 2 days ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.2

Dark garnet hue. Aromas of bramble, cedar, cherry, flint, graphite, leather, oak, plum, strawberry. Medium-plus body, with plus tannins and plus acidity. Integrated, rounded tannins. Drinking well now. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. — a month ago