Poll: What is your favorite dessert wine?

What would the holidays be without dessert wine?

Too hard to choose one, but I will say I have a preference for the white-grape based wines, i.e. Loire chenin blanc, German/Austrian rieslings, Alsatian wines, etc. I can enjoy Banyuls or Port or Moscato or pretty much anything, but they don't seem quite as interesting or grape-specific.

Choose between Eiswein or BA/TBA or Tokaji or Port? And then choose between my kids, right?

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

[Robin Garr]

Port. Underneath it all, it's red wine.

Bill,

Only one poll selection is actually required. I like many dessert wines, but when it comes to selecting a favorite none of them come close to Sauternes. I am surprised that any other stickies are getting votes.

German Eiswein.

I have had some great Yquems, a few astoundingly good TBAs and BAs, but nothing comes close to a bottle of '98 Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Eiswein that David opened earlier this year (one of my all time great wines).

[James Roscoe]

I have never had any better dessert wines than Sauternes. Port and all it's various relations are definitely wonderful and nice on a cold night. Sauternes is an all-year tipple. I have yet to be wowed by the others. (Still waiting Salil! )

[David M. Bueker]

Gotta be Eiswein

I voted for German Eiswein, but the Loire styles mentioned in the list, German BA/TBA and Tokaji are very close runners up. Eiswein wins because of the acidity and the freshness of the fruit.

The Sauternes style is a little alcoholic and cloying for me lately. I still appreciate it but it comes after the styles above. I used to be ga-ga about Jerez stickies but it's been so long since I had any that it's hard to make a valid comparison.

I went for Sauternes, but was a bit torn between that and Tokaji. Loire wines are right up there too, but what is CdL? Does it include Vouvray? And Madiera if I spend enough money on a bottle, might be my favourite, but I do not really think of it as a dessert wine. Tough question!

[Jenise]

A lot of these poll questions have me hemming and hawing, but not this one. Sauternes, it is. Naming a #2 though, would kill me.

Plenty of candidates for me, but the Aussie stickies just edged it.

One not on the list that got close, was Barolo Chinato. I suspect one or two there (notably Recioto - and I'm thinking specifically of the Recioto della Valpolicella, though there are some great whites as well) might win the vote when I've tasted more.

regards

Ian

I thinking of bringing some Sauternes to Christmas dinner (I've never had it but want to try). According to WS vintage chart, only 2002 and 2004 are ready to drink while the others are hold. Is that accurate? Are you drinking other vintages?

I voted Loire, though I wasn't thinking of the Coteaux du Layon/Quarts de Chaume listed, but Vouvray Moelleux (especially Huet and Foreau).

I voted Loire, though I wasn't thinking of the Coteaux du Layon/Quarts de Chaume listed, but Vouvray Moelleux (especially Huet and Foreau).

Dale, you beat me to the punch. I was just scrolling down to say that Bill omitted Vouvray Moelleux from the poll. Of course, the ones I've had have been so old as to be nearly dry...

Mark Lipton

I love the diversity of Alsatian dessert wines, Zind-Humbrecht VTs in particular usually wow me (especially gewürztraminer). Tokaji can be otherworldly too. I love TBAs and Eiswen when I've had them, but they are usually so pricey that my experience is limited.

What about Ridge's dessert wines? I had a Ridge late picked petite sirah essence recently that was killer.

I voted Loire, though I wasn't thinking of the Coteaux du Layon/Quarts de Chaume listed, but Vouvray Moelleux (especially Huet and Foreau).

Dale, you beat me to the punch. I was just scrolling down to say that Bill omitted Vouvray Moelleux from the poll. Of course, the ones I've had have been so old as to be nearly dry...

Mark Lipton

Ditto, a Le Haut Lieu or Le Mont 1947 is one of my top ten in a lifetime wines. I voted "Other".

Bill,

Only one poll selection is actually required. I like many dessert wines, but when it comes to selecting a favorite none of them come close to Sauternes. I am surprised that any other stickies are getting votes.

I often wish it were not so, but what can you do? I love a Passito de Pantelleria, and have had some super Maurys, but D'Yquem gave me synesthesia.

I voted Port, because you only get one vote, and that's the one I more often than not go to. But my favorite is an old malmsey Madeira.
However, old Malmsey and vintage Port are generally out of my reach, so I make do with 10 or20 year Tawny or 10 year Malmsey.
Such sacrifices I must make!

John

I voted for German BA/TBA, but it is really a vote for BA. Most German TBAs are generally too expensive for me to even think about drinking.

Still, it's very hard to pick out just one from this list.