Villa Wilhelma Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Israel

Dark gold in color.

Light on the nose with apples, pears, spices, light oak and vanilla.

Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with ripe pears, peaches, apples, light oak, Indian spices, vanilla and black pepper.

Long finish with lemons and herbs.

This is a wonderful surprise. This Sauvignon Blanc from Israel is drinking beautifully now. Feels like an aged, new world Chardonnay.

Nicely balanced and rich, with nice complexity, and really tasty.

After 2 hours of airtime, the nose became much more interesting than the palate. Love these kind of wines.

Will be interesting to revisit it in 3 years.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$25.

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Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes 2005, Bordeaux, France

To celebrate my 20,000 Vivino followers, here is a gorgeous wine.

A very pretty color of deep gold.

Wonderful nose of honey, citrus, yellow apples, melons, pears, tropical fruits, spices, light earth and white flowers.

Full bodied and very smooth with high acidity.

Sweet on the palate with honey, citrus, red apples, tropical fruits, spices, maple syrup and minerals.

Long finish with lemons and spices.

This is a delicious sweet wine from Bordeaux. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Showing great complexity at this point. Loved the nose, and kept smelling on it for a while. Really pretty.

Very well balanced with enough sugar for the acidity. So delicious now.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years.

A great wine from a great vintage. Buttery and creamy. Spicy and entertaining. A wonderful wine.

I’ve had a few different vintages of this wine, and it is always amazing.

Thank you Scott for sharing this gem with me.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

98 points.

$250 (375ml).

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Special Club de Collection Brut Champagne 2008, France

This is a delicious Champagne from the great 2008 vintage.

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Medium plus in body with small bubbles and medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with a nice mouthfeel. Elegant and complex.

Showing bruised apples, yeast, citrus, brioche, spices, minerals, sea salt, light river rocks, earth and white pepper.

Long finish with limes and almonds.

This 15 year old Champagne is rich and very enjoyable by itself or with food.

Nicely balanced and concentrated, with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

I paired it with light appetizers.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$100.

Patent Wines Yountville Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Napa Valley, California

Pale lemon in color with a golden hue.

Beautiful nose of citrus, tropical fruits, honey, limes, green apples, light grapefruits, white flowers, light minerals and very light gooseberries in the background.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Creamy and elegant.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples, spices, herbs and seasalt.

Medium plus on the finish with tangy grapefruits.

This is a delicious Sauvignon Blanc from Yountville in Napa valley. Drinking so nicely now with nice complexity and an elegant mouthfeel.

Spicy, tangy and entertaining. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

I had the 2021 vintage not too long ago, but this vintage is so much better.

A great sipping wine. I had it all by itself by the pool.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$33.

Materra Cunat Family Vineyards Oak Knoll District Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Napa Valley, California

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Strong nose of citrus, green apples, grapefruits, gooseberry, light spices, grass and light earth.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with green and red apples, citrus, lemons, spices, gooseberries, vegetables, light earth and herbs.

Tangy finish with limes and grapefruits.

This 5-year-old Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley is still drinking very nicely, with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing more earth notes than I expected, but after all it is 5-year-old.

Peaking now, and really tasty and interesting. Good by itself or with food.

I had it 3 years ago, and it is drinking better now. Soft and smooth. Crisp and refreshing. Just delicious.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$25.

Smith Madrone Vineyards and Winery Spring Mountain District Chardonnay 2018, Napa Valley, California

Dark golden in color.

Nice nose of yellow apples, pears, light honey, spices, cedar, citrus, light vanilla and pineapples.

Full bodied and creamy with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with lemons, citrus, apples, limes, earth, minerals, white pepper and sea salt.

Tangy finish with limes.

This 5-year-old Chardonnay from Napa Valley is drinking very nicely now. Easy drinking and enjoyable. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Nicely balanced and well structured. A good quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 3 to 5 years.

Needs 20 minutes of airtime to come to its own.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. Tangy and interesting.

100% Chardonnay grapes from Spring Mountain District were aged in (55% new) French Oak barrels for 9 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$45.

Castello di Amorosa Pinot Grigio 2022, North Coast, California

Pale lemon in color.

Fruity nose of citrus, honey, yellow apples, light tropical fruits, spices and honeysuckle.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with apples, pears, ripe lemons, pineapples and spices.

Long finish with limes and pineapples.

This Pinot Grigio is delicious. Easy drinking and tasty. Tangy and interesting.

Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel and a lovely nose.

Nicely balanced, spicy and fruit forward. Good right out of the bottle and very entertaining.

A great sipping wine by the pool.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$29.

Notre Vue Estate Balverne Forever Wild Reserve Chardonnay 2021, Russian River Valley, California

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Oaky nose with citrus, peaches, vanilla, cedar, yellow apples, pears, light tropical fruits and spices.

Full bodied, creamy and smooth, with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with oak, vanilla, spices, citrus, pears, light grapefruits, apples and black pepper.

Spicy finish with black pepper and limes.

This is an enjoyable Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Oaky and buttery with a nice mouthfeel.

Showing mild complexity at this point, and nicely balanced. Fruit forward and rich.

After 30 minutes of airtime, it really calms down. Worth the wait.

I’ve had the 2019 not too long ago, and liked it so much better. Would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Pleasant, tangy and easy drinking. Good for parties, or just to sip on by the pool.

100% Chardonnay grapes from Russian River Valley were aged in French Oak barrels for 5 months (20% new Oak). A small production of only 3,000 bottles.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$35.

Barra of Mendocino Reserve Chardonnay 2021, Mendocino County, California

Flowery on the nose with a golden color and yellow tint.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red and yellow apples, spices, pears, light wood, light almonds and light vanilla.

Medium on the finish with limes and almonds.

Fruit forward and easy drinking.

Nicely balanced with mild complexity. Neither bitter nor tart.

Good by itself as a sipping wine.

Would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

100% Organic Chardonnay grapes were fermented and aged in oak barrels for 7 months (30% new).

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$24.

Jeeper La Grande Cuvée Millesime Brut Champagne 2008, France

This is a delicious 15 year old Champagne.

Dark yellow is color with a golden hue.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and medium sized bubbles.

Showing citrus, green apples, herbs, brioche, yeast, spices, herbs and black pepper.

Elegant, spicy and entertaining. Nicely balanced with nice complexity.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 45 minutes.

Drinking very nicely now, but still young. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

A blend of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier.

12% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$100.