NV Port "40 Year" (Taylor Fladgate)
This has some of the acid and nuts that you'd expect in a 40 year Port, but there is fruit here, too, along with a succulent finish that dribbled sugar and flavor over the palate. It is a lovely Port, sweet and delicious, while retaining its verve and energy. 92 points.  

1998 Riesling Eiswein "Mussbacher Eselshaut" (Muller-Catoir)
With some age, this has come along nicely. It was quite subtle in its youth, not terribly remarkable for a pricey half bottle. Its color is darker now, and the richness of the wine is more obvious, even while the sweetness is restrained. It is a wine that grows on you with air and warmth, delivering delicious, apricot-tinged fruit to the palate. It should hold beautifully for many more years. 93 points.

2003 Port (Burmester)
This has the trademarks of the 2003 vintage up front, sweet, sugary, often rather decadent fruit. It becomes rather more austere fairly quickly from this producer, though, never quite losing the sugar, but not quite maintaining the same intensity of flavor. The alcohol is a bit noticeable at times. The finish is average. I tried this on opening and some hours later. It was always good, but I can't say it really grew on me. It is a fairly compact 2003.  89 points.

NV Brut Rosé "Cuvée Rubis" (Vilmart)
Toasty and a touch sauvage, this beautifully balanced pink has nice depth and a persistent finish. The toasty sauvage note gives it a little distinctiveness. 90 points.

NV Tawny Port "Tordiz 40 Year Old" (Burmester)
If the Yalumba, above, became more like a typical 40 year old tawny, this refuted many stereotypes. The nose was right on--powerful, rich, nuts, caramel and molasses. It could be smelled a couple of feet away. But it was the palate that was remarkable, rich and sweet, and still cut by the acidity. The caramel and toffee notes on this made it a "can't keep hands off" find, and the acidity and balance kept it refreshing and delightful. 96 points.

NV Tawny Port "Fifty Years Museum Reserve" (Yalumba)
For a Tawny supposedly 50 years old, this was shockingly sweet and lush--modest by normal standards, perhaps, but seemingly way too young. I put a half bottle away overnight and it was more along the lines of a Portuguese 40 year old tawny---lots of acid, caramel, the sweetness largely blown off. It showed its alcohol a bit too much at that point, and seemed a tad harsh and unforgiving. Many prefer them younger. 89 points.

2004 Roussanne "Alban Vineyard" (Turley)
This is the first one of these I've seen, and I can only say I want to see more. It seems sweet and inoffensive on first pour, but that doesn't last long. In front of your eyes, it seems to flesh out and pick up an unctuous texture to the fruit that is very appealing, even as the mid-palate remains on the elegant side. Delicious, tinged with apricots and pears, it is at once graceful and decadent, a pleasure to drink. It is less than 9% alcohol. 94 points.

NV Port "LB Finest Reserve" (Quinta do Noval)
This inexpensive Porto (around $15) is a basic entry from Noval, light and modest in both flavor and structure, with the alcohol showing at times. It is pleasant enough, but straightforward and middle of the road. To be fair, at its price level, you wouldn't expect upper level wines. It did have enough wherewithal to improve with about 30 minutes of air. 84 points.

2001 Gewurztraminer Cluster Select Late Harvest (Navarro)
Since my last note, this has developed beautifully. Not quite as unctuous as it was a few years ago, it substitutes lychee nuances and provides Gewurz typicity. It is a wine that could've been made in Alsace--high praise indeed. Sweet but no longer really fat, its finish is a beautiful meld of sweetness and acidity, with the variety obvious all the time. Just lovely. 94 points.

1995 Champagne "Cuvée Création" (Vilmart)
Pointed, bright, young and elegant, this is a very pleasing sparkler with a fruity finish. The length is average, and the intensity modest. 89 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Les Vigneaux" (Andrew Rich)
A bit hard edged on opening, lychee-nuanced, and with considerable acidity, this is a wine that took some getting used to, but I eventually warmed up to it. It had enough sweetness to cut the hard edges, and also some lactic notes. 88 points.

2006 Viognier Late Harvest (Calera)
This is off dry, a bit sharp, and a bit simple, not really enough to be a dessert wine--more like an aperitif. It is pleasant enough, but middle of the road and rather foursquare, showing little distinction. 86 points.

1999 Riesling Beerenauslese “Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl” (Paul Anheuser)
Since my last taste, this, served from 375ml, has not improved, and in fact seems to have slid a bit. It has nice balance still, and is of little distinction still, but the fruit now seems to be drying out as well.  For young BA, I hope for a bit more. 85 points.

2001 Sauternes Kosher Cuvée (Chateau Guiraud)
The only hint that this is Kosher is the labeling on the back--other than that, the label is normal on the front. I note the Kosher aspect just for those who care, but once again, this wine demonstrates that there is no reason per se to be afraid of a Kosher wine. This opened tight and closed, with lots of caramel, oak and botrytis evident, but little fruit. It developed beautifully, however, with the wine unfolding and and the oak integrating, the sweetness restrained but there. This has a long way to go, and at this juncture it is a wine better cellared than drank, although it is certainly approachable. It will probably show better around 2011 and hold gracefully for many years after.  Importer: Royal Wine Corp. 92 points.

1989 Johannisberg Riesling "Edelwein Gold" (Freemark Abbey)
Dark amber in color, this wine is nonetheless much fresher than I originally thought, and in somewhat better shape than the 1991 version I had recently, although not quite as sweet. There is actually live fruit here, and the wine has a certain bright and friendly demeanor, along with plenty of sugar, to go with its more mature aspects. It is not quite in the prime of life, but it is not all oxidation and tertiary notes, either. Very pleasing. 88 points.

1929 Solera (Herdade do Mouchão)
This is a private stock this famous winery makes largely for itself. Its average age is 40-50 years. It is, amazingly, but in keeping with this estate's vision, all Alicante Bouschet. (Is there anyone who has ever made better use of Alicante than this winery, and its related wineries?) It is remarkable, rich and sweet, but with some complexity, some tertiary aromas, and some liveliness. Think somewhere between PX and Moscatel sherry, but with its own unique character. You won't be able to get any, so I feel guilty for taunting you. 96 points.

1963 Port "Nacional" (Quinta do Noval)
The first whiff was a little old and a little odd--but it must have been some passing aroma from something else, because there was nothing odd about this at all, other than it being the best Port I've ever had. It wasn't old either. In fact, it seemed so youthful, fresh and young, that, served blind, it was impossible to believe it was actually this old. I was guessing '80s. My next guess was, "I don't know what it is, but I've never had anything better." It next performed an amazing feat--seeming rich and opulent, while graceful and elegant. I've simply never tasted a Port this impeccably balanced, this fresh at its age, and this good. It seemed so rich and unctuous, which still be utterly graceful, charming and light on its feet. The purity of fruit is remarkable, as is the finish. It is truly amazing and deserves every plaudit it has gotten. 100 points.

1952 Port Garrafeira (Niepoort)
This fine Port, not labeled Garrafeira, but being one nonetheless I was told by Dirk Niepoort, is super. It was bottled in 1974.  It is bright and piercing, with an unctuous layer of fruit on the finish, but a crisp and penetrating demeanor,  pointed and focused. It lingered, and made your mouth water for more. 94 points.

1964 Colheita (Quinta do Noval)
If the Nacional, above, is the greatest vintage Port I've had, this tawny is probably in the running for the best tawny. Like the Nacional, it is youthful, fresh and lively, hardly to be believed at its age. Rich, oozing flavor, and with enticing aromas that you can smell several feet away, this is remarkably deep, with a finish that seemed unwilling to cease and desist. It is simply delicious, and a wine that has to be on your desert island list. 100 points.

1994 Port (Dow)
With a very elegant mid-palate, this Port, with 3 hours of decanting and another couple of hours of the double-decanted bottle being open, shows good fruit flavor, but is not fully evolved. It still needs at least another five years to come into balance, although it is getting there. When it does, it should show beautiful fruit flavor, classic Port aromatics. Note that this was served from a 375ml.  94 points.

2001 Vidal Ice Wine (Saw Mill)
I really liked how this opened up, sweet but with increasing amounts of acidity, along with a certain foxy note on the finish. More air and warmth did not do this a lot of good, though, as the acidity seemed less in control and the wine less in balance. Still, considering that this entered my state for $13 per half, it is was a pretty nice bargain in a dessert wine. 89 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer Late Harvest (Londer)
This version of Londer's fine Late Harvest Gewurz is delightful, but restrained, a bit off dry and fruity, but not particularly sweet. While not quite as sensational as the "one-off" 2002, it is simply lovely, floral, aromatic and perfectly balanced, with a nice mouth coating finish. Delicious and lively, this is a late harvest Gewurz in a restrained manner that succeeds very well. 89 points.

NV Champagne "Blancs de Blanc" (Peju-Simonet)
The prize for the worst looking bottle goes to .. this wine and winery. The label is awful. The bottle is clear, looking like a mineral water bottle. It gives the impression of being a cheap, no-name bottling. The wine is better, if rather routine. It is friendly, but light, with an average finish and hint of toast. It is something "not quite there," but is clearly what a lot of folks will be looking for in a basic bubbly. This is a small, artisanal producer. 86 points.

1998 Riesling Eiswein "Bernkasterler Lay" (Dr. Loosen)
This is amazingly intense, with crisp and gripping acidity, hardly betraying for a second its nearly ten-year-old status. It seems short on sugar and charm at first, a touch austere, but as the wine airs out, warms up and comes around, there is enough to balance it out and provide sweet, lingering flavors on the palate. This is an Eiswein that should age a good long while. It seems like a young puppy now, just a bit closed, with years to go. It was pretty good as it stood, though, even if it might be better in a few years. 95 points.

2005 Port (Quinta do Passadouro)

This opens rather light and relatively unassuming with a sweet, fruity finish that becomes more and more flavorful with time. After a very unpromising start, about 4 hours of decanting brought this around. Suddenly, the wine seemed to double in its depth, and it acquired balance as well, the alcohol integrating well into the body of the wine. I was not impressed with this initially, but it came around beautifully. It is on the lighter side.  89 points.