Chateau Pajzos, Tokaji, Aszu, 3 Puttonyos, 2003 The nose sports dried fruits, honey, a sense of Amontillado’s nuttiness, a bit of mustiness and wet hay, the appropriate volatility as well as a touch of spiritousness. In the mouth it is thick, tasting of caramel, sweet and acidic. It makes for an economical introduction to Tokaji [...]

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Dolce, Napa Valley, Late Harvest Wine 2004 As I usually find with this wine, the emulation of Sauternes is quite apparent. In the nose there is honey, caramel, oak, tropical fruits and volatility. In the mouth the memory of my last creme caramel is rekindled, that richness and that sweetness joined by a thickness, a [...]

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Chateau Raymond-Lafon, Sauternes 2004 In the nose you’ll find honey and tropical fruit with appropriate volatility. In the mouth it is caramel, long lasting caramel, silky and balanced by lemony acidity. Planted 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon. The Famille Meslier is Pierre et Charles-Henri Meslier, Proprietaire a Sauternes 13.5%, purchased for $37.99 (375ml) at Bottle [...]

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Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Moscato d’Oro 2007 In the nose you’ll find a light waft of the orange blossoms we associate with Muscat. In the mouth the wine is clean and fruity, a light expression of Muscat as dessert, fresh and well-suited for fresh fruit after dinner. The grape behind this wine is Muscat Canelli. [...]

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Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley, Selenium Vineyard, Vin de Glaciere, Riesling 2007 This wine features lots of dried apricot, with acidity to match the great sweetness, a wine that is very dense and very long. The grapes were grown at an elevation of about 1,000 feet on the northern edge of Yakima Valley and frozen after [...]

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This summer we met with proprietor Peter Prager at the family winery in St. Helena. If you haven’t been there you must stop by for a visit if you’re a fan of the wines of the Douro. The Pragers have specialized in Port since they started the winery in 1979.
The tasting room is the definition [...]

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The Royal Tokaji Company, Tokaji, Aszu, 5 Puttonyos 2005 As always this wine is a pleasure to taste, melding a sugary, thickness to an acidity zing, making this wine last so long after you swallow – brilliant.
328 g/l sugar at harvest and 148 g/l residual sugar. P&B in Mad, Hungary. 10.5% $29.99 at Bottle Barn [...]

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St. James Winery, Ozark Mountain, Late Harvest, Vignoles 2005 The smell reminds me of pumpkin pie with its brown spices showing and maybe graced with a few slices of orange. The mouth is full of the flavor of caramel. The residual sugar is 14.8% but doesn’t show as such in this seemingly light-bodied dessert wine. [...]

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Chateau Grillon, Sauternes 2002 In the nose there are dried apricots, hay and a bit of nuttiness. In the mouth the wine is moderately sweet, with moderate viscosity and a nice thread of balancing acidity. This was probably on the crest about 2 years ago and it would be best to drink up any remaining [...]

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Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Le Haut-Lieu, 1ere Trie, Moelleux 1990 This wine has developed a beautiful tawny color over almost 2 decades. The nose smells of toffee, caramel and raisins. The mouth is an absolute explosions of fresh oranges covered in caramel – really. I know that sounds hyperbolic, but the freshness of the fruit has [...]

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Quady, California, Orange Muscat, Electra 2008 Spot on again in ‘08!
Notes on the previous vintage tasted at the winery in the spring of ‘09: This wine features an abundance of citrus in a very fresh way, as if you were cutting open an organge. There’s plenty of sweetness to pair this with a fresh [...]

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deLorimier, Alexander Valley, Estate Bottled, Late Harvest, Lace 2006 This is rich and tropical with a lovely sense of dried apricots and balancing acidity. The botrytised grapes behind the wine are 55% Muscat Blanc and 45% Semillon, harvested at 29.9 degrees brix. The final wine has 126 g/l RS. P&B in Geyserville 11.4% $15.79 for [...]

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Carol Shelton, Russian River Valley, Fanucchi Vineyard, Sweet Caroline, Trousseau Gris 2006 This is a light-bodied dessert wine from a grape that makes some very acidic table wines. There’s actually a grapy character to this wine that I associate with labrusca grapes, e.g., Concord. The grapes were harvested at 30 degrees brix and the final [...]

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Trecini, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This wine offers the pleasure of Sauternes at a good price – honey, complexity and zippy lemons. The grapes for this wine were harvested at 44 brix, 11 degrees higher than the previous vinatage. RS is 100 grams/litre. P&B Santa Rosa 11.5% $19.99 for [...]

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Chateau Gravas, Sauternes 2005 The nose features honey, flowers and minerality with an appropriate amount of volatility.  In the mouth, the honey-essence and caramel are there in a light-bodied format with a touch of spiritous character.
Previously I wrote: This wine hasn’t been a show stopper but it isn’t bad. I mean this in the best [...]

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Quady, California, Orange Muscat, Electra 2007 This wine features an abundance of citrus in a very fresh way, as if you were cutting open an organge. There’s plenty of sweetness to pair this with a fresh fruit tart or just the fruit if you’re living life on the healthier side. The taste profile is balanced [...]

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Inniskillin, Niagara Peninsula, Ice Wine, Riesling 2006 The nose is a medley of fruits with lots of honey. The dried apricot essence comes through vividly in the rich and thick palate. RS of 220 grams per litre. Bottled in Niagara-on-the-Lake 9.5% $61.69 for a 375ml at Bottle Barn Inniskillin

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S3x, Russian River Valley, Late Harvest, Riesling 2006 Tasted back in early ‘08 this wine was a show-stopper. Now in early ‘09 the dried apricots are still shining with essence of honey in the nose. What makes this wine so special is the acidity which balances the immense thickness. The numbers on this wine are [...]

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Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes 2005 Minerality, honey and tropical fruits mark the nose. The mouth is all caramel with hints of that minerality – destined to be drunk with creme caramel. 85 hectares are planted to 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc; the vines average 35-40 years in age and the soil is predominantly sandy gravel. [...]

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Quady, California, Essensia, Orange Muscat 2007 Citrus, flowers and herbal notes and a hint of the fortifying spirit mark the nose. The mouth is fresh and citrussy, sweet but not cloying with a little appropriate warmth. P&B in Madera 15% $14.99 at Traverso’s for a 375ml

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Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Clos du Bourg, Moelleux, Premiere Trie 2002 The nose sports minerality and citrus and the mouth is vivaciously alive, singing with acidity and joined in a chorus with flavors of tangerine and pineapple. This is certainly not as sweet as many wines that you might take with dessert. With its balance of [...]

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M. Chapoutier, Vin de Table de France, Doux, Les Coufis de Paille de l’Ardeche 2001 This wine is deeply golden, picking up hues of amber and a touch of khaki. The nose is a complex mix of orange and spice, reminiscent of flaming oranges studded with cloves at a tableside performance in a restaurant of [...]

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Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne, Sauternes 2001 This wine displays lots of tropical fruit in the nose, a sense of bananas and pineapple mixed with the mineral edge of appropriate volatility, though too much for some of the class. In the mouth, there is caramel, warmth and citrus fruits. This Sauternes is of a more moderate richness level, [...]

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Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Alsace, Clos Jebsal, Selection de Grains Nobles, Pinot Gris There’s honey, caramel and minerals in the nose. In the mouth there is caramel framed by acidity to keep it fresh. The caramel flavor goes on a long, long time. Mis par Leonard et Olivier Humbrecht in Turckheim 13.5% $125.99 at K&L

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deLorimier, Alexander Valley, Estate Bottled, Late Harvest, Lace 2004 The nose combines bananas, caramel and minerality. The mouth is viscous without being cloying showcasing the tropical fruit in a rich way, as if dazzled with honey. The botrytised grapes behind the ‘04 are 56% Semillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Muscat, 169 g/l RS. GP&B [...]

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Rosenblum Cellars, Lodi, Ripkin Ranch, Late Harvest Viognier, Lot 34 This is peaches in a glass with a thick mouthfeel, a little heat and the low acidity that often marks Viognier. The fruit was botritised and harvested at 36 brix. The final RS is 10%. P&B in Alameda 14% $14.49 for a 375ml bottle at [...]

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Chateau Pierre-Bise, Quarts de Chaume 2004
Honey is the signature smell that jumps out of the glass with caramel and some noticeable but tolerable VA.  When you think of the Sauternes model, it works just fine.  There’s also citrus, like fresh orange and orange peel. The mouthfeel is quite thick, a very viscous wine with [...]

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Maculan, Veneto Moscato IGT, Dindarello 2006 There’s the sweet smells of orange blossom and ginger and a thick while vibrantly fruity palate – delicious. The grapes are all Muscat from the Dindarello Vineyard in Breganze. The grapes are dried for 6 weeks after harvest and the wine is fermented in stainless, 157 grams/litre RS. [...]

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Domaine des Bernardins, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise 2006
A complex mix of fresh peaches, flowers and alcohol, in check for the style. The RS is on the low side so it would be better to look to fresh fruit as a pairing partner rather than a sweet baked dessert. 100% Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. Mis par [...]

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Bonterra, Lake County, Bartolucci Vineyard, Muscat 2004 This wine has been well-made since the good old days when the you could taste it at the beautiful Valley Oaks facility. There are the compelling floral notes associated with Muscat plus some pastry-like complexity with the age of this wine. Unfortunately, one of two bottles was off. [...]

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