Bob McDonald

9.4

Initial aromas of apricot and a petro chemical smell (in a good way) and orange peel. Dubbed somewhat cruelly “Poor mans d’Yquem”. A delicious Sauternes from a producer who does not get a lot of publicity. With time it opened up with a palate of profound intensity showing Apricots, Cumquat jam, burnt toffee, and barley sugar. One of the 1001 wines to drink before you die. — 4 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.6

That wonderful petro, a bit smokey, spice and stone fruit. M+ acid, m body, lush long finish. Numerous layers and beautifully complex. — 8 years ago

JKT

9.1

CVed 8/23/17 comp of three Spats. Nose of white fruits and slate and acids with a hint of too ripe leechee. Least fragrant and petro of three. Medium body and long finish with peeling minerals and ripe fruits that lingers. Suppleness. Elegance. Yum. Pineapple. — 8 years ago

Joakim Andersson

9.2

Caught some petro notes on the first whiff but it disappeared quickly. Lots of dark fruit on the nose. Maturity is very noticeable both in smell and taste. Silky round tannins, balanced long finish with herbs, fruit and spice. — 8 years ago

JKT

9.1

GL tasting 2/1/17 Conterno Fantino. Earthy and mature red fruit strawberry with hints of petro? Young vines from barolo vineyards. Elegant yet firm but medium body with tannins in long finish. No new wood. Needs age! $29 good value. — 8 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.4

I love this producer. Fuji apples, chamomile, gardenia, petro, chalk/minerality and a bit candied. Off dry. M+ acid. Light body. Yellow Apple, honeycomb. Long finish. — 9 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.0

2012 vintage. Petro, peach, apricot, and ripe lemon. R/S. M+ acid M body. Lemon rind and minerality. Long finish. — 9 years ago

David L

9.2

Lime , grapefruit & guava fruit dominate this wine. Splash of watermelon & petro , wrapped in light acidity. Lingering citrusy finish. Fantastic! Edit- Don’t know if SB would’ve been my first guess blind🤷🏻‍♂️ — 7 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.2

Green apple, peach, grapefruit, and a hint of petro. M+ acid, m body, bone dry with a long finish. — 8 years ago

Karine Ng

9.2

Nose: petro, diesel, rubber, old oak barrels. Taste: petro, strong oak, then it's fresh peach, fresh apricots, classic great aged Reisling, dry sherry. Let it sit, and decant, gets better and more fruit. WILD STUFF! (Brought back home from Manfreds in Copenhagen) Enjoyed with Aimee, Javaid, Tim — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Medium intensity petro, lemon, lime and white florals on the nose. Semi-sweet in style. Tropicals, lemon/lime, fruit blossoms, underripe green melon, light petro quality and beautifully soft minerals. d'Arenberg is like a 1920's factory. They push out around 3 million bottles a year. I'm not sure how they do it in such a dated facility that is so extremely tight quartered. They built this new crazy cube building. I'll show it in an upcoming post. It's all dedicated to adding various different visitor experiences. It's sort of an eyesore considering the McLaren Vale landscape. It also must have cost a fortune. I would have spent the money on new winemaking facilities first in an effort to continue to push the wine quality. To date, this was one of the more dated but also unclean winemaking facilities I've seen and I've seen a lot all over the world. Very surprising and even more surprising choice how to prioritize their Estate investments! Photos of their branding tent as you drive in and their old 1920's factory look. — 8 years ago

Peidong Yang

9.4

Great petro! Happy new year! — 8 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.5

Very aromatic. Perfume, white flowers and white pepper. Honeysuckle, crisp apple, white peach and...petro. Very Riesling like. M+ acid. M body. More stone fruit, citrus peel. A little oily on the palate. Great nose and palate. Long finish. — 9 years ago

David Lincoln

9.2

Delicious subtle petro nose and pit fruits. — 7 years ago

Hadrian Mateescu

9.3

Very special wine, unfiltered, bottle with a special design — 7 years ago

JKT

9.1

Gordons Sandhi tasting with Parr 9/27/17. Sanford '13 nose had nutty and petro and leechee and had distinctive sweetness on balanced palate with long finish. Yum. 9.2. — 8 years ago

JKT

8.9

JL Purlieu tasting 6/16/17. ABV 15.3%. Coombsville. $52. #1. Second label and hat tip to Bordeaux. Nose of dark fruit and some earth and mineral and petro notes. Firm structure and tight mouth feel with long finish. Well balanced given the alcohol and style. 10k cases. Good wine but a bit pricey. — 8 years ago

JKT

9.4

Medium golden color and that floral petro nose with notes of hay and ripe white fruits. Medium body with great balance that carries into long finish. Not quite as lovely as'02 as remembered. Need to directly compare. Well after a few days in C as Cali bottle it opened up and the nose is lovely as it's the palate and finish. Delicious! Upping from 9.2 to 9.4. — 8 years ago

Natan Mladin

8.9

Bags of raspberry both in the nose and on the palate. Off dry with enveloping sweetness on approach, with slight minerality which may bother some, alcohol slightly jumpy towards the end with a bit too much acidity on exit. — 8 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

8.9

2014 vintage. Peach, pear, yellow Apple. Petro, wet stone and minerality. M acid, body and finish. Lemon rind. Balanced. — 9 years ago