August 10, 2023 - 11th of 24 halves, pnp, perfect cork and level, consistently excellent, fresh, complex, vv long and unchanged since last bottle in December 21, mature but no rush. VF (18.5).
May 29, 2023 - BTG at Izakaya Vin, a wine bar in Shibuya (Tokyo), and from the last third of a 375ml bottle. On the nose: caramel candy, white florals, and sugared almond paste. Palate mirrors. Surprisingly vibrant given the 33 years of bottle age and smaller format bottle. Medium finish that finishes a bit short and thin. It would have been nice to have followed the evolution from cork pull.
May 18, 2023 - Top Mid-Aged Bordeaux ("Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL): From 375 ml bottle. Floral with fresh and dried apricot and faint marzipan. Nicely elegant with too sweet a profile.
May 18, 2023 - Some Bordeaux (Chicago, IL): From half-bottle. Apricot and marmalade, with a very classic Sauternes profile. Quite delicate and floral, with a moderate amount of sweetness. Pretty nice.
March 11, 2023 - This smelled and tasted great. Complex, but I thought it could use a little more acidity. A little more energy and this would have been fantastic instead of just good. The 1989 we had a few weeks ago seemed more alive, but perhaps less complex.
December 25, 2021 - 10th of 24 halves, pnp, perfect cork and level.........consistently excellent and nudging an even higher rating. VF (18.5).
December 1, 2021 - 9th of 12, opened 30 minutes, travelled cork, perfect level, little changed from August 19 bottle, weight and generosity of top vintage, attractively nuanced, bags of life ahead. VF (18.5).
November 17, 2021 - Craig's Retirement Party (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Dark gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Candied apple, candied orange, orange marmalade, cream, burnt sugar, uber spicy, sweet yet still very crisp and vibrant.
August 28, 2021 - Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Small pour. No notes, this was singing as usual, at least 93, and probably better tonight.
July 15, 2021 - Really pleased with how this showed. Right in the sweet spot of complexity from age and inherent freshness. La Tour Blanche is one of my favorite Sauternes producers and I was excited to try this pick up from an Envoyer cellar sale. Beautifully balanced, fresh tropical notes did really well against the passionfruit tart that was ordered for dessert. I think this will drink in this plateau for a while give the tension and acidity that remains.