Fortified Wine, Dessert Wine, Port Wine

2016 Patricius Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, Hungary, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Purchased in Budapest this summer.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is mild but nice.  Aromas of ground cherries and slight dill.  Interesting.  Viscous texture.  On the palate, much more intensity than the nose.  Ground cherries and peaches.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Tasty.  This should drink well for another ten years.  It is great on its own and would work well with an apricot or peach pastry for dessert.  

2009 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

Still very young but drinking well.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has dark chocolate, cherries, dried cherries and slight sandalwood.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Slightly sweet.  Deep.  Light tannins.  On the palate, dark chocolate covered cherries.  Slight warming on the finish.  This drink well for another twenty years or more.  Nice on its own or would be great with a chocolate dessert.  

2003 Fonseca Porto Vintage, Portugal, Douro, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2003
Score: 
96
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

Nice to revisit this.  At age 19, this is still youthful but starting to show some refinement.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with chocolate covered raisins and some red raspberries.  Lots of energy.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, chocolate and raisins.  Sweet, not cloying.  Some heat on the finish.  This should easily go another fifteen or twenty years.  Great on its own or with some type of blue cheese.

2019 Château Rieussec, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$110.00USD

Always a pleasure to drink Rieussec.  It is one of the great wines from Sauternes.  This year it also comes in a spiffy  new bottles that is very different.  A blend of 89% Sémillon, 9% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle according to the winemaker's notes.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with apricot, orange zest, slight honey and a bit of lemon.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Sweet, not cloying.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Orange zest, lemon and honey.  Long, long finish.  This should drink well for thirty years.  Great on its own, it will work with a le

2017 Weingut Knoll Grüner Veltliner Beerenauslese Loibner, Austria, Wachau, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Tasted at the winery.  This is a wine that is unfortunately, not seen too often.  Golden in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is very pretty with minerals and slight limes.  Great texture.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, there is a nice bit of acidity to offset the sweetness.  It is sweet but not cloying.  Minerals with a hint of lime.  Long finish.  Complex.  Delicious.  This should drink well for the next twenty-five years.  It will go with a les sweet cake, but it deserves to be consumed on its own.  

1970 Château Lapinesse, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Barsac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1970
Score: 
86
Grade: 
B

This is a new winery for me.  At age 52, it still has some life left although I am sure past prime.  It is the color of iced tea.  The nose has some oranges and slight honey.  Medium bodied.  Some sweetness although most has faded.  The palate has some apricot and honey.  Enough acidity to carry some food.  Drink up.  It will work nicely with a plain sponge cake.  

2019 J. Vidal-Fleury Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

This is a dessert wine made from Muscat a Petit Grains in the southern Rhone.  Vidal Fleury is now owned by the Guigal family, but the winery is the oldest in the Rhone.  Thomas Jefferson visited in the 1700's.  This is an excellent value in dessert wine.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is pretty with apricot and blood orange and a slight honey note.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Sweet, not cloying.  On the palate, oranges and slight honey notes.  Long finish.  A nice way to top off an evening.  This is nice on its own and would work well with a less sweet cake or cookie.  

2015 Tegernseerhof Riesling Beerenauslese Kaiserberg, Austria, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

The is a beautiful dessert wine from Austria.  Beerenauslese literally means berry selected which means the grapes are harvested individually and not in bunches to ensure ripeness.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has honey, apricot and a slight balsa wood note.  Viscous.  Sweet, not cloying.  Enough acidity to cut through.  The palate also features the apricots and honey.  Long finish.  This is delicious and probably serves to be consumed on its own.  Drink over the next twenty years.  10.5% abv.

2015 Tegernseerhof Riesling Auslese Steiner Pfaffenberg, Austria, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

Auslese is a German word meaning Selected Harvest.  The grapes are late harvest grapes with high levels of sugar.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a bit of diesel along with peach and slight apples.  Light acidity but the wine is not cloying.  On the palate, notes of white raisins, honey and peach with some minerality.  Slightly sweet. Slight tropical fruits on the finish.  This is delicious.  It is great on its own and would work well with a not too sweet piece of (Austrian) pastry or cookie.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

2009 Château Guiraud, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

One of the better values in Sauternes. Light golden in color. The nose has with pineapples, honey and some of peach. On the palate, this is viscous and rich.  Sweet but not cloying.  Good acidity that cuts through the sweetness.  Honey and Pineapple.  Nice finish.  This is great on its own and will work with a not too sweet dessert.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  

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