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Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Alluring 2023s and Benchmark 2010s (Nov 2024)

The 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud is outstanding, showcasing pronounced notes of sandalwood, bay leaf, dried rose petal, wild strawberry, crushed rocks and a touch of licorice. The full-bodied palate offers vertical lift, delivering remarkable energy despite its elevated alcohol and concentrated flavors. Seamless in the mouth, it finishes with resilience and focus. The 2010…

Focus on Sauternes/Barsac (Jul 2004)

Medium yellow-gold. Flamboyantly ripe, complex nose combines pineapple, apricot, toffee, clove and vanilla. Hugely sweet and rich, with deep, powerful flavors of honey, marzipan and toffee. A major mouthful of wine, with great lingering sweetness. Today, this makes the Rieussec seem almost polite by comparison.

Stand and Deliver: 2001 Sauternes (Sep 2021)

The 2001 Suduiraut has a very well-defined bouquet of marmalade, honeysuckle, touches of kerosene and pine, all focused and vigorous. The palate is balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and vibrant, featuring Seville orange marmalade mixed with orange peel, peach and wild honey; it displays a little more delineation than I have noticed…

2012 and 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras (Jan 2014)

Vivid ruby. Smoky cherry, red berry and potpourri scents show excellent clarity and pick up spiciness with aeration. Stains the palate with intense black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors, with a sexy floral pastille quality adding complexity. Finishes with impressive energy and thrust, firmed by fine-grained tannins and piquant minerality. Avril thinks that this will…

2007, 2006 and 2005 Bordeaux (May 2008)

Good ruby-red. Very ripe but lively aromas of kirsch, licorice, bitter chocolate, nuts and violet. Dense and sweet but vibrant, with a medicinal reserve and terrific grip to the superripe fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. Wonderfully rich, pliant wine with late-arriving tannins and a terrific spine for a slow evolution in bottle. Much more tightly…

A Beautiful Stay: Beau-Séjour Bécot 1970-2015 (Apr 2018)

The 2005 Beau-Séjour Bécot was picked between 27 September and 5 October. This has a gorgeous bouquet, probably the best that the Bécot family made up until that point. It brims over with redcurrant, cranberry and red plum, hints of rose petal and ripe Satsuma with the mineralité tucked in just underneath. The palate is…