January 3, 2024 - 7th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, attractive , nuanced, youthful and in line with recent bottles last in Nov, upside, 15+ years. F+ (18).
December 19, 2023 - Mature honey, apricot, almond, pineapple. Lovely sweet but with citric acidic balance. Lovely sweet oaky complexity on the finish.
November 29, 2023 - 6th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, attractive and as last bottle, upside, 15+ years. F+ (18).
November 1, 2023 - 5th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, again lovely, upside, 15+ years. F+ (18).
October 5, 2023 - 4th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, delicious as before, plateau, 20+ years. F+ (18).
February 5, 2023 - Vinetasters: 2000 Bordeaux (Park Ridge, IL): Served double blind. Unequivocally Sauternes, but I thought this was a decade older based on the colour and the maturity this showed on the palate. Not too sweet, and I really like the bitter marmalade notes on the palate here, giving this quite a bit of balance. I admit to be slightly shocked at how advanced this was showing given the vintage.
January 26, 2023 - 3rd of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, lovely again per last week. F+ (18).
January 17, 2023 - 2nd of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, as Sunday's bottle, very attractive and nuanced, upside, 25+ years. F+ (18).
January 15, 2023 - 1st of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level - golden, unctuous, youthful brightness; peach, apricot, touch of marmalade, hint of sprice, some citrus, balanced and complex; fullish for Barsac, wonderful length, persistence and concentration, complex and intriguing, surprisingly fresh, upside, 25+ years. F+ (18).
December 26, 2022 - Deep yellow, honey coloured. Dense, almost sirupy in the glass. In the nose heavy extracted (sandal) wood, honey and apricot. Intense, full bodied, creamy in the mouth, with wood and nut aromas immediately assaulting your palate. Sweet dried prunes, raisins, dates, spicebread, candied orange, sandalwood, stewed apricots, walnuts, candied ginger. I shunned Sauternes and Barsacs for a long time, because of their exuberant sweetness, but this bottle was a welcome reconciliation, reminding me of the enormous aromatic complexity at the origin of their fame.