Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Many panned the 98 Napa vintage. Tasted young, it wasn’t all that good. However, never lose site that in all difficult vintages, good wines are made. Especially, with the right bottle age. They are generally from good producers who have experience, good facilities and the financial fortitude to thin crop. On the nose; floral cassis, ripe, ruby blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, sugar plum, blue fruits, dark cherries, strawberries in jam style, eucalyptus, soft spices, baking spices, dark soils, fruit tea, loamy dry soil, black moist earth, light herbaceous, used, soft leather, dry crushed rocks powder, black cherry cola, fresh red florals and violets for days. The body is full and tannins 65-70% resolved. The mouthfeel is round and glides beautifully & elegantly over the palate. Harmony in the; structure, tension, length and balance. The fruits are ripe, ruby; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, sugar plum, blue fruits, dark cherries, raspberries, strawberries in jam style, eucalyptus, soft spices, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, dark soils, fruit tea, loamy dry soil, black moist earth, light herbaceous, used, soft leather, dry crushed rocks powder, black cherry cola, fresh red florals and violets for days. The acidity is round and like a waterfall. The finish is beautifully ripe & elegant and lasts well over a minute. Beautiful wine. Photos of; Martha’s Vineyard, Heitz Winery, tastings room bar on Hwy 29 and sitting area outside their tasting room. — 8 years ago

Brandon Luedeker

9.5

Excellent run full of flavor. Smooth finish! — 10 years ago

Corey Zamora, CSW

9.1

Love this houses style so much. Just the right amount of sugar, great balance — 10 years ago

George Chen

9.0

Love Le Haut Lieu! Have the legendary 47 vintage in my cellar and still lively and frankly the most unique white one can drink ever. This was expressive lively acidity and balanced. Says Demi-Sec but tastes little of residual sugar...reminds me to get more! — 10 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.2

Apricot nectar, marmalade, Italian honey and bread. Beautiful balancing act between acid and sugar with effortless depth and length. You pay for it though — 11 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.5

Typically excellent. Petrol, cabbage and caraway nose, great blend of a little residual sugar and acidity, a touch effervescent. — 11 years ago

Can Huynh

9.0

Bright yellow hue. Toasty brioche and nuts. Excellent acidity. Nice touch of residual sugar. Crowdpleaser. — 11 years ago

Blaine Brown

9.0

Super oxidized, almonds, burnt sugar, creme brûlée — 11 years ago

Jason Kissane

9.2

Very pretty nose. sugar is slightly out of balance but has great future. would like to revisit this wine in 10 years time — 12 years ago

Kristen M

8.9

Very smooth with dark fruit and a brown sugar and vanilla finish. — 13 years ago

Rolf Bigler

9.5

Preis: CHF 69.- — 8 years ago

Michael Sinowitz

9.1

Great value on this wine. Good acidity, bright fruit,. Though not bone dry this is not particularly sweet and really the residual sugar only shows against certain foods. — 9 years ago

with Robin, Marion and 1 other

Marc Vacossin

9.6

Fresh noze abricot papaye dried fruits low sugar. Faboulous ! — 10 years ago

with Gilles

Dawn Eastridge

10

Fell in love with the dark rum, Havana Club Aged 7 Years, back in 2003. Received this bottle and the other as a birthday gift earlier this year... Both are smooth and clean with great flavors. — 10 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Outstanding. Ethereal. Sugar plumb fairies dance in the season floating across my palate with arms full of toasted brioche, citrus zest. So light. Must drink at temp, as the fairies start falling if they warm up. That's not a pleasant experience. — 10 years ago

Lindsey Arata

10

Favorite rum, perfect in a dark and stormy (ice, rum, ginger beer and dash of lime if you like) — 11 years ago

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.3

1959 Demi-Sec: very lemon peel nose, very delicate with light mineral Flint notes. Lovely harmonised palate with beautiful grace of deft sugar, and clean juicy acidity. All citrus with a hint of honey, and only very light nut and savoury on the finish. Sublime and in perfect harmony. On re sniff there were very distinct fennel and dill notes after 30minutes in glass — 11 years ago

Liz Babb

9.1

Very delicious blend! Smooth. Berry. — 11 years ago

Austin Blackwell

9.4

This was poured through a Zazzol aerator and just spilled out Cassis, black olive, cigar box and vanilla/brown sugar from the glass. Should she well for another 8-10 years. Delicious! — 11 years ago

Kir Beardy

9.7

Very unusual rum. Cherry casks made their job very well - smell of cherry is awesome! — 12 years ago

Danny Vigneault

10

Sur glace un delice... — 9 years ago

April Wang

9.2

Medium minus to pale lemon. White field flowers, cotton candy, green grass, hint of chemical things. Medium plus acidity, medium plus sugar, high minerality — 10 years ago

Richard Portes

8.9

17.5 2005. rich, off-dry but not high residual sugar, 14.5. Long. Perfect with artichoke (not easy to match, in my experience) — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Brown sugar, molasses, butterscotch, caramel, toffee nuts, orange peel. It's like candy. This would be great over pancakes or ice cream as well. Nice pairing well with Cari's tasty Pot de Creme. Thank you for a great evening and dinner. — 10 years ago

Tim Herrmann

9.1

A Chardonnay of unusual and almost Riesling-like character, this was full of aromatic pineapple and mango tropical fruits, melon, botrytis honey, pithy citrus, grippy acid, and phenolic character--bitterness and quite detectable tannin. Plus there's a small dollop of sugar. If this sounds good, drink now--after an hour decant, which softened the wine considerably--but I think this has the mineral energy to improve and integrate for 10 or so years. — 10 years ago

Jason Montero

9.4

Plum, prune, dry fig, brown sugar, coffee on nose. Toasted nuttiness with some acidity — 11 years ago

Molly

9.2

Nose- steamed spinach, salted caramel, hay, grainy, burnt sugar... Taste- very sweet, creme brûlée... Have it with blue cheese — 11 years ago

Christine Havens

9.5

From the famed Prichard Hill estate vineyard, this 100% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a cult wine, rubbing shoulders with Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Colgin. The nose is typical of Napa Cab, with rich aromas of steeped blackberries, cassis, saddle leather, spice box and carmelized brown sugar. On the palate, it's silky, sexy and nicely balanced. There is a lovely, polished interplay of fine tannins and glycerol, along with darker notes of saddle leather, cedar, and espresso beans. Medium plus finish. — 11 years ago

Natrone Means Business

9.2

This wine is just stupid good! I could lay this wine down another 20 years and not even care. There's still effervescence in the wine! The sugar has settled and just beautiful fruit and complexity takes your mouth on a roller coaster ride of the balance between acid and fruit. Damn. — 11 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

Half-bottle. The wine was medium amber in colour and offered orange peel, apple, honeycomb, caramel, smoke, spices, sherry and a mouldy note on the nose. On the palate the wine showed orange, peach, apple, cane sugar, caramel, smoke, spices, creamy honey, some coffee, a hint of chocolate, sherry, mild black tea and a mouldy note, paired with medium-plus acidity, a creamy honey mouthfeel and very good length. Judged by this half-bottle the wine has just passed its plateau and started its slow journey on the downward slope. A good, medium-bodied Sauternes with lots of botrytis character. Drink now. 89 — 12 years ago