Semillon

Always a pleasure to drink Yquem.  From a 375ml bottle.  This is young, of course, but delicious.  It is a blend of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc.  Light golden in color with some orange hues, clear and bright.  The nose has apricots, honey and slight caramel notes.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying.  Apricots with honey.  Incredibly long finish.  This will get better with further cellaring, but is delicious now.  Drink over the next thirty years.  great on its own, this would also work with simple pound cake. 

Wines from this winery keep showing up from the early 70's.  I am not sure of the story, but it seems to stem from the sale of the winery and vineyards in 2014 from the Lurton family to Dennis Debourdieu. The vineyards were ripped up and new plantings incorporated into Chateau Doisy-Daene.  It is an old estate in fact, it was classified as a second growth in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux.

Wow, this is stunning.  What a great vintage.  Medium gold in color with slight darker hues, clear and bright.  The nose is big with apricots, honey, orange peel and  crème brulée.  Full bodied.  Viscous texture.  Excellent acidity.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Layers of fruits, dried fruits and other tastes.  Apricots, honey, oranges and caramel.  Long finish.  This is fantastic on its own and will work great with a plain cookie or cake.  Drink over the next thirty years.  

This wine appeared on the market in large quantities a few years back.  This may have had something to do with the sale of the estate in 2014 from the Lurton family to Dennis Debourdieu.

This is made with purchased grapes in northeast Ohio.  It is their version off a white Bordeaux and features a 75/25 mix of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with white peach, slight wax, a hint of orange peel and spice.  Lovely texture with just a wisp of tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, peach and slight almond notes.  Good finish.  This is a solid version of a "white Bordeaux".  Is is drinking well now, but should drink well for five to eight years.  Nice on its own, this is very food friendly and worked well with an Eggplant

What a privilege to taste a wine that is 68 years from vintage and is not only alive, but really firing on all cylinders.

Not a whole lot more to say about Yquem that hasn't been said, but it is arguably the greatest winery on the planet.  The 2013 is a very good if not top vintage, but still a thrill to drink.  Golden in color, light with just a tinge of orange.  The nose is great with apricots, slight honey and slight tangerines.  Viscous.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of apricots and tangerines.  Sweet with enough acidity to not be cloying.  The finish goes on forever.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another twenty to thirty years.  Great on i

Always a pleasure to try something like this.  While 1961 was a top year for reds, less so for whites.  This one was past prime.  It still had a bit of roasted fruits to offer and not dead, it peaked thirty years ago.  Still fun though.  

There’s a certain comfort in knowing that when you open a Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, regardless of vintage, it will always be excellent. I have had many vintages of this wine and the consistency of its excellence is borderline improbable – and yet they nail it year after year. The ’21 offers that beautiful crisp nose of lemon meringue, lime kefir, honeysuckle, guava and red delicious apple. That follows through on the palate along with light plum, crème brulee, toasted brioche and Asian pear.

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