I was introduced to Long Vineyards by my friend Alex Julian, who has been a huge fan of their Chardonnays for over 25 years. They have a way with whites, and their handling of this botrytis Johannisberg Riesling was masterful -- noble rot with some cellar age takes the white grapefruit and sugary honeysuckle fruit to the next level! $50; 92 points
This was the final taste at the end of Quentin's epic 40th birthday party. High minerality, rocks, traces of lemon rind and honeysuckle; this is a special bottling in any vintage -- try it every time you get the chance! 90 points
Paul Provance was the first person that turned me on to the wonders of Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, and Van Der Heyden is one of the few producers of this obscure dessert wine.
When you visit Van Der Heyden, make sure to buy one of their fabulous dessert wines (either this one or their Semillon). This is a true family winery; moreso than 98% of the wineries that use the word "Family" on their label. The family-business aspect will become instantly clear to you before you even get to the tasting room -- as you dodge the children's toys in the driveway... $100+ (if you can find a '96); 91 points
David Greenwald brought this super-rare bottling from Stuhlmuller to John Durham's tasting. The only other dessert wine made from Cab Sauv that I know of is made at Van Der Heyden -- and they use botrytis fruit (instead of fortifying with brandy). Fortified or not, both of these dessert cabs are wonderful, and present classic cabernet flavors in a sugary melange that pairs wonderfully with chocolate treats. $45; 90 points
Chianti classico white dessert wine from Felsina. Carmelized flavors, golden hue, hot alcohol on the nose burns off somewhat after about 30 minutes. $35 (375ml); 88 points
I purchased this bottle of vintage Dow Port at Berry Bros. & Rudd in London last year, and enjoyed it with my grandfather, George Geise, my Mom, stepfather, Candy, and Stan. Grandpa was flying over Portugal from air bases in England during World War II, so the bottle has special meaning to him! The wine is still vibrant, with hazelnut and mocha flavors behind the soft red fruit. $1,100; 97 points
This Rios Lovell port was the nail in the coffin for us after a long night of celebrating Rich Johnson's 40th birthday at Vic Stewart's in Walnut Creek, CA. $21; 87 points
All of Beringer's reserve wines, including this botrytised 'Nightingale', are amongst the most reliable in all of Napa Valley. Rich Johnson brought this bottle to an informal lunch we enjoyed at Houston's in San Francisco. The blend is 65% semillion 35% sauv blanc -- the wine was barrel fermented, sharp edges, candied pear, and tropical fruits, tight for a dessert wine. 90 points; $35 (for a 375ml bottle).
Ripken Ranch is out in Lodi, an area that does well for Zinfandel and varietals that can take the heavy heat. Interestingly, the back label reveals that this wine was only "partially affected" by botrytis cinera. So there's some fortification happening in here too... This wine is hit to serve at the end of a big meal -- lots of delicious sugary fruit to coat the palate with, and perfect to serve with ice cream or cake. 89 points
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