WTN: Six Interesting Sweeties...(long/boring)

Tried these dessert wines over the last week:
1. Ch.Sigalas-Rabaud AC: Sauternes (MeBaC; 13%) Heritiers de la Marquise de Lambert des Granges
Nee Sigalas) Bommes 1983: Dark gold/burnished bronze color; rather nutty/slight oxidized strong
peachy/apricotty/botrytis slight volatile/EA complex nose; slightly sweet (5%?) bit oxidative/nutty
very strong botrytis/peachy/apricotty/honeyed slightly hot/volatile complex flavor; very long strong
botrytis/peachy/apricotty bit nutty/oxidized off-dry complex finish; still loaded w/ botrytis but
some oxidation is creeping in; expected a bit better for an '83. $23.69
___________________
2. Evolucio LateHrvst Tokaji (11.5%; RS: 10.7%; SaH: 27 Brix; www.BoutiqueWines.info) Hungary
2012: Light gold color; strong peachy/apricotty/slight botrytis rather passito-like/late hrvsty/
grapey light stony/earthy very fragrant/perfumed attractive nose; rather tart slightly sweet rather
strong ripe/peachy/grapey slight botrytis/apricotty bit earthy flavor; very long ripe/grapey/peachy/
late hrvsty/passito-like bit earthy finish; lots of LateHrvst/passito-like character but not much
Tokaji/Aszu/botrytis character; a pleasant enough LH Furmint but just that. $15.00/hlf (KK)
___________________
3. Santino DouroPort TwinRiversRanch/ElDoradoCnty/ShenandoahVlly (LosAlamosRelease; 17.5%; TintaCao/
Alvarho/Sauzao; Pressed: 14 Brix; Fortified w/ 186 proof grape brandy from EastSideWnry/Lodi; 375 cs;
Bttld: Fall 1992) ScottHarvey&MikeMaldanado/Plymouth 1989: Very dark color w/ some bricking; some
alcoholic/fumey very strong grapey/licorice/chocolaty/Amador blackberry/boysenberry/briary bit dusty
quite youthful youngPort lovely nose; fairly sweet ripe/chocolaty/licorice/briary/boysenberry/
blackberry slight dusty/herbal bit complex flavor w/ ripe/smooth tannins; very long/lingering ripe/
chocolaty/boysenberry/blackberry/Amador briary/plummy lush/smooth/grapey rather sweet bit complex
finish w/ some ripe/smooth tannins; amazingly youthful and packed w/ Amador/briary fruit; showing no
signs of its age; alcohol only slightly evident; should go another 10-15 yrs. $nc(JF)/$5.00
___________________
4. HarborWnry Mission del Sol (17.1%) 1984: Dark brown/oloroso sherry color; rather alcoholic/hot
very grapey/earthy/dusty/OV rather oloroso sherry/malmsey madeira some coffee/espresso/smokey rather vanilla/
Am.oak complex nose; quite sweet rather tart/alcoholic/hot very grapey/Mission/dusty/OV strong vanilla/Am.oak/
coffee/espresso very old Malmsey Madeira-like complex flavor; very long/lingering coffee/espresso/vanilla/
Am.oak quite sweet/tart some alcoholic/hot complex finish; resembles an old Malmsey Madeira but still a very
unique dessert wine.
$30.00 (CB)
___________________
5. Porto Ducal Vintage Port (21%) DouroWineShippers & Growers/VilaNova de Gaia 1980: Pale tawney brown
color; some hot/alcoholic/fumey some cedary/oldPort/grapey/smokey somewhat complex nose; slightly sweet
rather raw/hot/alcoholic somewhat grapey/cedary/smokey complex oldTawney flavor w/ light gentle tannins;
med.long rather alcoholic/hot/fumey/raw some smokey/cedary/grapey/caramel oldTawney finish w/ little tannins;
not particularly a good example of an old Porto and dominated by a raw alcohol character. $5.00 (TJ)
___________________
6. Phelps Delices du Semillon NapaVlly (85% Semillon/15% SauvBlanc; RS: 10.1%) 1986: Med.dark brown
color; intense botrytis/peach syrup/apricotty slight volatile/pickle juice slight PX/oxidized very complex
nose; rather sweet very strong apricotty/peach syrup/botrytis bit oxidized/PX-like slight volatile/pickle
juice bit fumey flavor; very long intense botrytis/peachy/apricotty slight oxidative/PX-like slight
pickle juice/volatile rather complex finish; more like an old Calif TBA than an old Sauternes; some very
interesting things therein, but seems to be cracking up a bit.
_________________________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Santino: In Spring'92, Scott showed me a SantinoPort from a large oak oval that I liked quite a lot.
I queried him as to when he was going to btl it & he shrugged his shoulders. He said he btl some up
for us if my group wanted some...and give us a good price. I sent me several cases of shiners & I
made up a LosAlamos release label w/ a mushroom cloud on it. I think we wound up getting another
5 cs or so of this.
___________________
2. Mission del Sol: This is CharlieMyers next-to-last Mission del Sol. Made from century-old Mission in the
GeneStoryVnyd. His last one, the '86, that was recently bttld is described by DarrellCorti in his Fall
Newsletter: http://cortibrothers.com/blogs/news/153 ... newsletter
I have, of course, followed Charlie's MdS from the very start, the '76 I believe from Deaver Mission
grapes. I recall previous ones as being rather more softer on the palate & more grapey. This '84 has a
sharp tanginess to it that reminds me more of a well-aged Malmsey Madeira than anything. A truly unique
dessert wine like we'll never see again.
___________________
3. PortoDucal: Back in the '70's-'80's, TraderJoe's typically had some very inexpensive vintage Portos, of
unknown quintas. When young, they tasted pretty good for a young vintage Porto. Although this had some old
vintage Porto character, I didn't think it was a particularly good example of what an old vintage Porto
can be. Guess you can't make a silk purse outta a sow's ear, after all.
Tom

I need to hit Corti Brothers before it is too late for the Mission sweetie!

Maybe Saturday!

I need to hit Corti Brothers before it is too late for the Mission sweetie!
Maybe Saturday!

Not to worry, Brian. There'll still be some of the '86 a yr down the road I suspect. That kind of wine, unlike guys on high-end bikes, is not a fast-mover!!!
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Sigalas-Rabaud has never rung my chimes. It's pretty much third tier IMO. Not shocked that a 30+ year old version would be uninspiring.

Sigalas-Rabaud has never rung my chimes. It's pretty much third tier IMO. Not shocked that a 30+ year old version would be uninspiring.

Yup, David....3'rd tier (or lower) pretty much fits S-R. But, then, I've had some simple/cheap negociant-btld
Sauternes (like Lichine) that were still pretty decent at 20+ yrs. Not profound...but well above their pay-grade.
Tom

Ah, the old Alexis Lichine Selections. That goes back a ways.

In Texas my chain had exclusivity for the ALS, so we stocked all those items. The Burgundies were actually pretty decent choices (that's what he got famous for first, before he became a Bordeaux landowner). And, yes, some of the Sauternes were impressive, especially at the prices. In the pre-white zin days, the AL Rose d'Anjou was one of the biggest sellers in the state; used to roll the stuff out in multi-case lots.

Met the guy a few times, but the last couple of times he was old, not very healthy, fat, and tired. both bored and boring in person. Shame, because he had meant so much to the success of the American wine business when Tom Hill was a young man.

Ah, the old Alexis Lichine Selections. That goes back a ways.

In Texas my chain had exclusivity for the ALS, so we stocked all those items. The Burgundies were actually pretty decent choices (that's what he got famous for first, before he became a Bordeaux landowner). And, yes, some of the Sauternes were impressive, especially at the prices. In the pre-white zin days, the AL Rose d'Anjou was one of the biggest sellers in the state; used to roll the stuff out in multi-case lots.

Met the guy a few times, but the last couple of times he was old, not very healthy, fat, and tired. both bored and boring in person. Shame, because he had meant so much to the success of the American wine business when Tom Hill was a young man.

Harumph....you just had to throw that out there, didn't you, Hoke!!!
Never met the guy myself. But he did some cheapo Sauternes under fictituous Ch. labels that were pretty decent, I recall.
Tom

You're so cute when you Harrumph.

Even in his dotage, I cannot imagine Tom Hill would ever be boring! Look at the way the man WRITES!