Jakub Kalinowski

9.4

Evolved & aromatic
Cedar wood, cigar box and a touch of cassis with some earthy, gravelly undertone.
Evolved and yet very pure. And very enticing.
Beautiful, simply beautiful on the palate. Firm yet polished and ultra fine tannins, juicy acidity, juice creamy black fruit on the mid palate. Elegant with nice depth and great length.
Beautiful juicy austerity. Classic benchmark left bank Bordeaux. And delish!!! — 2 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.8

Disg. 2/14 (07 base)…Always my favorite of the Lieux-Dits and without question one of the very best Blanc de Blancs Champagnes on the planet, it’s particularly special to have with some bottle age. It’s absolutely as stunning as hoped—rich and powerful with crazy depth to its layers with a deep, complex core of caramelized orchard fruit, roasted nuts, old rum barrels and candied white flowers, all with seamless integration. The palate is generous and detailed, with racy acids, waves of saline laced, chalky Le Mesnil minerals and a finish that just stays with you. A BdB benchmark, legendary bubbles. — 9 months ago

William Douglas

9.8

3/6.75/9.75 = 19.5 out of 100 say 98
Eight year Kevin John - lovely with pear on the nose and pear with perfectly balanced acid on the palate. Sets a high benchmark for all premium Chardonnay. — 2 years ago

Nick

10

Love this wine - Christina — 5 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.1

2020/12/22 with pan-roasted venison loin and tenderloin with sauce poivrade (after Richard Olney). This is a tricky one. I love Clape, and this wine was quite nice, in a brambly blackberry and funk vein. It did not, however, have any of the notes you’d expect from a mature Clape. It certainly didn’t feel old or faded - quite the opposite, it was still fleshy and fresh, if not terribly deep. Sometimes this happens, but sometimes I feel it happens a bit frequently with wines from my cellar. Perhaps it’s just too cold - I have heard some views that in cool, stable “benchmark” cellar conditions, wine can age much more slowly than is generally expected. One thing I can say is that my 2004 Clape and Allemand, stored with no cooling with family in the Bay Area, has already started to shown those delicious, gamy aromas. Should I raise my cellar temp a few degrees? As is, who knows how much longer this one could or should have gone, but as it’s my last bottle I guess I’ll never know. — 6 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.7

Too good to be true
Benchmark Viogner
It had the apricot, the violet
I'd say poetically it felt like an aperitif below a huge wisteria plant🤔🤫
Marvelous balance
Superlong finish
Nothing more to say, just taste it if u can — 7 years ago

Nena Madonia

9.0

Roeroe in town. This was ok — 9 years ago

with Andrew and Mary Anne

romo

9.4

Impressive depth after a previous flawed bottle. Baking nose with firm length. PdB benchmark. — 4 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

Beautiful tempranillo led wine with 10% graciano from one of the benchmark vintages in the past 25 years. This Gran Reserva has legs for the long run but perfectly approachable now! — 8 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Very muted in the nose… hardly anything at first, fresh saltiness, barely a hint of green apple & lemon peel. And yet, fresh & enticing.
And then, on the palate this sings! Simply beautiful! With a touch of roundness & creaminess on the palate but also vibrant acidity, salinity, stony minerality. Ripe yellow apple & lemon. Vibrant, juicy and quite complex. Great depth & length.
A benchmark for Chablis & delish! — 2 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

What can I say? Needs about 30 min of air odd at first and than absolutely brillant. Raspberry driven, thyme, touch oregano, lime, quite tannic at first which mellows out in the glass over time. Drink now or keep for 1-2 years more. A benchmark wine. A unicorn, A singleton, no one makes wine like Enderle & Moll. A perfect match with Salmon. Needs food. — 4 years ago

Bob Dylan

9.0

Benchmark wine for me. First favorite wine. 13% but drinks a bit lighter. Peppery. Cab franc comes through. Prefer the ptit rouquin these days. — 6 years ago

Lisa Saenz

9.9

Buy all the bottles! — 7 years ago

Clayton Kinsey

9.0

First New Zealand Pinot...really enjoyed it! Light body and finish, but very flavorful and a bit spicy. — 7 years ago

Marcus Chacos

9.2

A fortified wine [Tawny]. Wow, smooth, not overly sweet - absolutely delicious. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Suduiraut, 2023, Sauternes BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Premier Cru Classé Sauternes delivering pure botrytis luxury blend of 80% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Sauvignon Gris with remarkable tension and precision. Lush honeyed richness balanced by vibrant acidity and a beautifully layered texture that feels both decadent and weightless. Sensual, polished, and deeply expressive, this is a dessert wine that seduces rather than overwhelms.

Aromas & Flavors
Orange blossom, acacia honey, apricot confit, ripe peach, saffron, candied citrus peel, subtle vanilla bean, almond paste, and a whisper of ginger spice. Floral lift intertwines with botrytis-driven sweetness and fresh citrus brightness.

Mouthfeel
Silky, viscous, and coating without heaviness. Glycerol richness glides across the palate while acidity keeps the wine lifted, focused, and endlessly drinkable. Long, luxurious, and caressing finish.

Food Pairings
Foie gras torchon, blue cheese (Roquefort or Stilton), apricot tart, almond pastries, honey-drizzled chèvre, citrus-based desserts, or simply enjoyed solo as a contemplative finale.

Verdict
Sublime, sexy, and impeccably balanced. A masterclass in tension between sweetness and freshness, delivering pleasure, elegance, and emotional impact in equal measure. A benchmark nightcap wine.

Did You Know?
Château Suduiraut sits adjacent to Château d’Yquem and shares similar gravelly terroir and noble rot influence, often delivering First Growth-level finesse at a more approachable price point.

🍯 Personal Pick
This wine feels like a French kiss, seductive tension, velvet weight, and honeyed decadence wrapped in electric freshness. The viscosity caresses the palate while the acidity keeps everything irresistibly alive. — 5 months ago

Dan Michael

9.5

The belle of the ball, what an extraordinary bottle of Napa Cab. I wish we still made them like this one, 12.5% alcohol and beautifully cellared, this wine was really shining. Elegant, balanced, classic and beautiful in every way. With some really interesting wines on the table, we kept going back to this one. I wish more people had the pleasure of tasting aged Cabernet from a benchmark winery like Phelps to experience how great they can be. Thanks, Mom for buying great wine and laying it down for nights like this. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Dark tawny, almost opaque. Floral exotic nose. Notes of eucalyptus, blueberry, red fruit, camphor, and tobacco leaf. While the fruit in the mouth is fading a bit, the nose of this wine certainly is not... great perfume and fun to check in on an old CA benchmark. Although the Bordeaux bottles next to it got a lot of attention, the Insignia was the glass I kept coming back to the most during the night. Great experience. — 5 years ago

Lisa Saenz

9.5

Quite good, earthy notes with lovely color — 6 years ago

Lindsey Cash

9.0

A little sugar and Chablis — 7 years ago