Etienne Sauzet, Montrachet Grand Cru

Pale gold. A somewhat somber nose offers aromas of baked orchard fruit, dried peach, old honey, nuts, and a touch of spice. Medium to full bodied on the palate where this is more regal and vibrant with citrus-led flavors and lots of grip. This has its appeal but it certainly doesn't feel very Montrachet-like.

A very well preserved bottle with freshness and youth. More akin to a Chevalier with acidity and minerals in play. This specific bottle had many years of life left,

Rich creamy lemon chiffon aromas, quilt nice. firm texture vs aromas with nice streak of lemon. Very good texture with a slight bitter edge. Soft texture. Bit compact. Nice dry extract.

Ken's 60th Birthday (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL) : In 06/07/08 vertical. The far laggard of the flight. Mature yellow and and baked apple with slightly sweet spice and a slightly sweet finish. Good+ density, and good length. Dark color, fully mature. Much less interesting vs when last tasted three years ago.

Ken's 60th Birthday (Smyth - Chicago, IL) : 06/07/08 vertical. From 750, the other two were magnums. Medium gold in color and showing some modest oxidation on the nose, which was especially notable relative to the youthfully bright 07 and 08. The palate has good richness and concentration but is missing the extra gear that both the 07 and 08 showed.

Tasted blind. Thought it was a late 90s montrachet. Ripe and powerful with honey, carmaelized orchard fruit and minerals. When the wine owner told me it was younger, I immediately went with 05/06 because of the ripeness and low acidity. There was lots of layers that kept unfolding in the glass. Deeply pitched and long. But it started to drop after 90 mins in the glass. Dont think it will improve from here. Drink up. 91-92

2006 Burgundy Dinner (Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, Paragon) : Superb. This was by far the pick of the whites amidst some fairly stern competition - while the other three Grand Crus showed a little sweeter and maybe flatter than normal, the Sauzet somehow managed to transcend the vintage in its sheer quality. The nose still smelt rather ripe, but this was the least sweet of the quartet of whites, showing light notes of honey and oak alongside white fruit …

Fantastic showing!

Shows exquisite balance and complexity with full stone fruit and straw flavor coupled with a compelling but not overwhelming mineralogy. Balance here translates into a glorious wine in which none of the beautiful parts outshine any of the others. A lesson in winemaking.

La Paulée Meets Chicago - Dinner (Blackbird - Chicago IL) : Small pour, brief note. Served in 02/04/06 vertical. Lush and very enticing stone fruit throughout, also slightly tropical. Great tasting now, perhaps even better than the 2002, but less nuanced. I wouldn't cellar this long-term, but it's holding nicely for the vintage.

Good but just a little sweet and flabby for my taste, others at the table are loving it.

Not so much... not my style.

There is no doubt that the fruit in the glass comes from a special place. I mean, the aromas of the fruit kaleidoscopic in depth and breadth. We're talking beautiful tree fruits, minerals, complex tropicalness, earth tones, all manner of flowers... In the mouth, up front, especially early, there is a lovely fluidity and a vigorous attack that is at once dry and sweet, keen, and full. Then I don't know what happens. After about a half hour, the wine, …