We tried:
1. Ch.Bel-Air AC: StCroix du Mont VielliesVignes (30-40 yr old vines; 100% Semillon; MeBaC; 13,5%) Vignobles Meric 2005: Med.gold color; very strong cracked white pepper very spicy GruVee-like some peachy/apricotty/botrytis very interesting nose; quite sweet very cracked white pepper honeyed bit peachy/botrytis slight earthy flavor; long figgy/honeyed cracked white pepper light apricotty/botrytis finish; quite sweet w/ lots of unresolved sugar; maybe a bit underacid; a steal at $12.00/hlf
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2. Ch. Doisy-Daene AC: HautBarsac Sauternes (MeBaC; 14%) 1953: Very dark gold color; beautiful complex rather cedary/earthy honeyed very complex old-Sauternes very perfumed nose; tart slightly off-dry beautiful complex honeyed/cedary/figgy almost indescribable flavor; very long/lingering off-dry cedary/figgy very honeyed tart slight earthy finish that goes on & on; beautiful example of an old Sauternes.
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3. Ipsus Dessert VinoLiquoroso di Qualite DOC: Passito di Pantelleria (15%) 2006: Dark gold color; very intense hair-oil/Muscatty/peach syrup/orangey lovely Muscat nose; soft very sweet intense Muscatty/hair-oil/orangey/peach syrup slightly bitter flavor; very long very intense Muscatty/hair-oil/peach syrup finish; a bit on the simple side but huge intense Muscat fruit. A friggin' steal at $10.00/hlf.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Ch.Bel-Air: Don't get much chance to try StCdMont wines, they're not too common. They can sometimes be a bit crude & oafish. This was one of the best ones I've ever done had. Definitely not Sauternes, but a very good alternative. Don't think I've ever got cracked white pepper in a dessert wine before.
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2. Doisy-Daene: Steve brought this as a dessert wine to go with the almond-scented polenta pound cake for his BD. It did not go well, as a dessert wine w/ the cake. But it was an incredible example of an old Sauternes, incredibly complex. It had plenty of acids and should easily go another 10-20 yrs is my guess. A wine for which any food would not do it justice.
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3. Ipsus: I stumbled across this at TraderJoe's on Saturday and thought I'd give it a try. Blown away by this wine, the equivalent of some $40-$60 passitos I had from Pantalleria. Will probably go back and get the remaining 4 hlf btls, it's so good. Amongst all the schlock, you can sometimes find some pretty incredible stuff. This be one.
Tom