2001 Chateau La Tour Blanche Sauternes. Brilliant gold color. Heady aromas of fruit and spice leap out of the glass. The wine has a very pleasant thickness to the mouth feel. The flavors are intense, almost overwhelming in a good way. Everything--sweetness, acidity, botrytis, fruit and spice flavors--is in perfect balance. I didn't try to pick things apart; I just enjoyed the ride. I did think I could detect the waxiness of semillon distinct from the grapefruit notes of sauvignon blanc. I've never experienced that in a white Bordeaux before. The finish is a classic peacock's tail that goes on forever.
I'd always regarded La Tour Blanche as the "bottom of the top" of the Sauternes hierarchy. It's run as a winemaking school and typically, IMO, tends to be outperformed by estates such as Rieussec and Suduiraut. But this is one of the most monumental Sauternes I've ever tasted. They hit this one out of the park.
Triple Curly with an extra Woo! (Sorry, the other two "Woo!"s are reserved for d'Yquem).
-Paul W.