Tasted blind at the 10-Year On Tasting in Sauternes. The 2005 Château La Tour Blanche has a complex nose with lemon sherbet, orange sorbet, honey and jasmine all soaring from the glass without a care in the world. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannin, very focused and poised with an elegant, suave finish that has just the right amount of edginess. There is a Barsac-like personality to this La Tour Blanche with a hint of barley sugar on the aftertaste. Overall, this is an impressive Sauternes. (NM)

Subtle aromas of honey, lemon peel, cream, vanilla and apple pie follow through to a thick palate, with lots of sweetness. There's also loads of clove and other spices. Not as exciting as from barrel, but still outstanding. (JS)

Yellow-gold color. Sexy aromas of ripe apricot, pear, honey and nutty oak show a distinctly exotic side. Then supersweet and concentrated on the palate, showing more sheer sweetness and power than any particular flavor component. Almost sugary on the finish, but long and quite unevolved. Today this gives the impression of being a wine with too much of everything: I'd lay it down for a decade. (ST)