Nice and oaky — 8 months ago
The 2014 Cheval Blanc has an attractive nose with brambly red fruit, sous-bois, a pencil box and a touch of Xmas cake. It does not take too much aeration before it develops further aromas of black truffle and morels. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fleshy, ripe and tensile with red peppercorn hints toward the slightly granular finish. Very harmonious and persistent. It is outstanding in the context of the vintage. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2024)
— 9 months ago
As always a very biaised review of this one. This is great and this wine feels like it's family. Violet, blackberry, spice and an irony note on the nose. The palate is well balanced with blackberry notes, a good width, a soft and almost sweet mouthfeel, a powerful midpalate with a bit of tannins leaving a layer of complexity before a fruit forward finish that lasts for a while. So good! — 3 years ago
End of night with Naranath and John . Drank with chocolate cake. As suspected perfect match. Very smooth delicious dark fruit hint of coconut love it — 7 months ago
Love the sticker. — 3 years ago
Last of the 1981 bottles I bought for my dear wife’s birthday and I believe this was the best. The cork was in incredible condition, looked only a few years old - Ah So made easy work of it. After allowing it to warm a bit - caramel apple, some barnyard funk on the nose, plus an under layer of fresh green apple. Palate is beautifully balanced, no sign of fatigue at all - this #coteauxdulayon #cheninblanc could coast for ages it seems. Caramel and honey notes, fleshy texture, some lemon, piercing acidity cutting through that sweetness, and more fresh green apple underlaying the baked notes. This was a nice counterpoint to the Sauternes we had closer to her actual birthday and a compelling alternative. — 3 years ago
Really good, thick & spicy. — 7 months ago
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. — 8 months ago
Roger Ray
Beautifully layered Argentine Malbec. — 2 months ago