Amanda Drazka

9.6

This beautiful Sauternes offers a sweet nose of dried apricot with a full body on the palate. It has notes of tangerine, honey and spice with a velvety, long finish. — 2 months ago

Zach D

9.4

Pours a golden yellow with high viscosity; extremely flinty nose, somewhat reductive initially, but blows off after some time in the glass. Ripe, yellow orchard fruits, bruised apple, yellow flowers, a healthy dose of French oak which is masterfully done IMO. Has a nice, mineral laden finish. Very long. Texture is so silky. A decent amount of power but balanced with acidity. — 5 months ago

Patrice Conxicoeur

9.4

Alive and kicking! And beautiful at that. The balance you want and come to expect in a top notch Sauternes between sugar, alcohol, fruits.
— 9 months ago

Dave

9.1

Cocoa powder gets you on the nose, but this merlot-dominant wine presents a nice array of red and dark fruit. Thyme? Light chalk and spice. Juicy acidity, tannins are tamed. Not the worst thing you could drink on a Monday.
Listening to Guided By Voices. — 10 months ago

Shay A

9.4

My second set of wines to provide as part of a co-host event.

I picked these up during a visit to Morlet in the fall of ‘21. Sadly, these are the last of my initial stash. 58 semillon/36 SB/6 Muscat.

Poured blind for a group of 20 people at the end of a wine event, I was shocked that not one single person called this Cali. Many Sauternes, Barsac, and a few South African dessert wine guesses. It’s undeniably sporting botrytis flavors, but the richness has a wonderful spine of acidity. Honeyed mango, white peach and chock-full of orange blossom on the nose, there’s added candied spice and honeycomb on the palate. Didn’t pick up any nutty flavors (which I enjoy in Sauternes), but this was also fairly young. Extremely “fresh” for a dessert wine, if that makes sense. Best Cali dessert wine I’ve had, I think. — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.4

1983 vintage. A beauty at 40 years old in this excellent Sauternes vintage. Amber colour. Intense perfume with dried figs, roasted hazelnuts, coffee and caramel and a fresh lemony touch. In the mouth it features a juicy acidity balancing the delicate sweetness. Complexity and balance. Long nutty finish. — 4 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.3

Oh, so good. Elegant, fresh, complex, more Barsac than Sauternes. Very exotic too with flowers and spices.
If you are into Sauternes or Barsac buy a case or two, it does not get much better than this. Fantastic now but no rush. — 5 years ago

with Adriana

Conrad Green

9.2

Burnt sugar and a rounded, fleshy palate. Dried fruit and tea notes. Some acidity still — 2 months ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Château Doisy-Daëne – Grand Vin Sec 2021
Bordeaux Blanc Sec AOC – Barsac, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
From the famed Barsac estate more often associated with sweet Sauternes, Denis Dubourdieu’s Château Doisy-Daëne crafts a brilliant dry white made entirely from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. It is a benchmark example of Bordeaux Blanc Sec: precise, mineral-driven, and age-worthy.

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive notes of grapefruit, lime zest, white peach, and gooseberry, layered with subtle floral hints and a chalky mineral backbone.

Mouthfeel
Taut, vibrant acidity balanced with crystalline purity. Medium-bodied, with a long, stony finish that lingers with citrus and saline freshness.

Food Pairings
Grilled seabass, oysters, sole fish with beurre blanc, Lobster salad with citrus dressing or sushi, asparagus, chèvre salad, or zucchini blossom fritters.

Verdict
A razor-sharp, elegant Sauvignon Blanc that showcases Barsac terroir in a whole new light. Structured enough to age beautifully but already shining with energy in youth. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Denis Dubourdieu, often called “the Pope of Bordeaux Blancs”, pioneered modern techniques for Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux, emphasizing freshness, terroir expression, and precision, hallmarks evident in this wine. — 8 months ago

Kland Aida

8.9

A good wine but not as good as some other St. Emillion that I’ve had. Dry but less tannic. — 9 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2010 vintage. Technically a Barsac, but sold as Sauternes ( Barsac being the only Sauternes commune allowed to do so). Much deeper, more evolved colour compared to the 2010 Guiraud (in half bottle!) tasted alongside. Intense perfume with wild apricot, roasted pineapple, and caramelised nuts. Richer than the Guiraud, this is a very impressive effort that is definitely of Cru Classé quality. Superb value too. — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.2

Alexander Vineyards has a great selection of wines, all at great values. This is their only dessert wine, and it has been delicious every time I’ve had it.

Last bottle of mine. This is from the Barsac region. Richly colored gold in the glass. Viscous, but not overly so. If comparing to a Climens, I’d say this doesn’t have as much of the orange-honey roasted cashew type note, but lots of orange marmalade, honeyed tropical fruits and honeysuckle. This showed a more powerful core than a 2009 LaTour Blanche I had a few weeks ago (which I enjoyed how bright it was). Paired with truffle salted popcorn at the end of the night, and it was great. — 3 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

One of the best aged sauternes I’ve had in a long time! Candied Orange marmalade, chanterelle, honeycomb. Delicious. — 5 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.5

Drinking well though seems a bit thin. — 5 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.4

This is unctuous, rich, opulent, but has great acidity and is very light on its feet. A fantastic Barsac. Really great and contrarily to conventional wisdom, great as an aperitif. — 2 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 6 others

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Cantegril – Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle / 2019
AOC Barsac – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A Grand Vin de Sauternes crafted by the Dubourdieu family in Barsac, this 2019 vintage blends the region’s classics: Sémillon dominant, Sauvignon Blanc, and a touch of Muscadelle. Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) weaves its magic here, concentrating sugars and intensifying aromas.

Aromas & Flavors
Lush notes of apricot, candied orange peel, and pineapple rise from the glass, layered with honey, acacia blossom, and a hint of saffron. The sweetness is deeply expressive but never cloying.

Mouthfeel
Silky and opulent, yet balanced by Barsac’s hallmark freshness and mineral tension. A luscious golden core with excellent length, pure heaven in a glass.

Food Pairings
Perfect with Roquefort, foie gras, or blue cheeses, but equally divine alongside fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or spicy Asian cuisine. For a daring contrast, try with fried chicken.

Verdict
2019 Château Cantegril is heaven on earth, an elegant and classic Barsac that shows the Dubourdieu family’s mastery. A wine that proves Sauternes and Barsac remain unmatched when it comes to liquid gold.

Did You Know?
Barsac AOC wines can legally be labeled either “Barsac” or “Sauternes.” Château Cantegril is often described as one of the “entry gates” to the Dubourdieu family’s sweet wine heritage, offering top quality at a more approachable level than their Château Doisy-Daëne.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: This is one of those wines that makes you stop mid-sip and smile, it’s just that magical. — 8 months ago

Ed Chin

9.2

A rarity. Tons of apricot made from 100% semillion. — a year ago

Somm 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 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This was a bottle that was Coravined about 6+ months ago with about 3/4 remaining. Although young, I’ve always been a bit conservative when it comes to Coravined bottles and their freshness. Great sweet wine to pair with Thanksgiving food.

My first experience with Doisy-Vedrines, having only had Doisy-Daene previously. Would love to do a side by side. Tropically exotic and rich. Botrytis to the core. Pineapple upside down cake on the nose with honeyed apricots and orange marmalade. Viscous and totally giving on the palate with yellow fruit and and sweet spices. There’s not that honey roasted cashew profile I get with my favorite Sauternes, but this is a delicious and easy going wine that sports a great QPR. Room for improvement. (Also, this is evidently Barsac but labeled as Sauternes). — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Served double-blind. The wine appears as a deep golden color. Medium+ viscosity. The nose is a fascinating combination of intense honey suckle, orange blossom, coriander, candied oranges, and candied nuts. The palate follows suit with more honey suckle, citrus blossom and a slight nutty characteristic. There is definitely some residual sugar here. There is really good acid keeping everything afloat. The finish is long and short of cloying. Really impressive texture. Based on the color and the somewhat oxidative notes, I figured this had at least 10-15 years of age on it. I vacillated between Sauternes and Riesling…ultimately calling Sauternes from Barsac (feeling as though this was more Semillon than Sauvignon Blanc). I chose, poorly. But the wine is good and it positively begs for spicy Asian food. — 5 years ago