Tokaji, Sauternes, icewines, Ausleses...

Well, a good d'Yquem is truly better than just about anything else in life. There is a reason that it is the only Chateau with its own designation. Personally, I love the SGN Guwertz, Reislings and Pinots from ZInd-Humbrecht.

Love Rieslings and I drink a lot of Moscato in the summer.

I have a relative who as a result of a divorce received a fair amount of d'Yquem. She used to drink it with her friends when playing bridge. She almost died when I told her what it would fetch if she had sold it (she had 2 bottles left when she asked me about it). Well at least she has fond memories.

(She is not a wine enthusiast and simply liked it because it was sweet)

It has been my experience that Gewurztraminers, Reislings, Pinot Gris, Pinot d'Alsace like most other wines from Alsace (minor grapes in Alsace like Muscat, Chasellas, Sylvaner, etc..) varied between dry and very dry. The only off dry wines I know of from Alsace are the botrytis affected Vendange Tardives. Zind-Humbrecht is considered one of the best Alscatian producers however. My personal sweet beverage of the moment is Emilio Lustau San Emilio sherry made from 100% Pedro Ximenez. edited for spelling.

SGN Alsace are similar to TBA German wines in that individual botrytis affected grapes are selected for the wine.

I really like Sauternes, current house wine for me is '89 Suiduraut. But late harvest Germans and Alsatians can be amazing.

There are also some very good late harvest Loire wines, particularly Vouvray from Huet. They made a Cuvee Constance blend in 1989 that is incredible.

Bonny Doon Vin de Glaciere Muscat is my current favorite.

In the basement of Isetan, I tried some sort of Eiswein (icewine?). It was very tasty, not too sweet, but very crisp. A slim bottle of it (probably 375ml or so) was about $120 IIRC. I chose to pass.

I stand corrected. It appears I know much less about wine from Alsace then I previously thought. I have never tried any of the SGNs (Selection de Grains Nobles), probably because they are somewhat expensive.

I'm fond of most Sauternes.

Right now in the cellar I have about a case of D'Yquem, mostly of 89 and 90, and I have high hopes for my 03 futures (not in yet though ) I also have a lot of 99, 01, and 03 Rieussec.

I'm quite fond of TBAs, but they're quite different than Sauternes, less apricot and more overall sweetness.

Vin d' Constance is still one of my favorite dessert wines, although somewhat hard to get in the US, and the occasional glass of eiswein is quite nice.

Navarro (from up in Northern California) makes some of the best dessert wines commercially available in the US, and I've also had a very nice Ch. de Michelle eiswein as well.

Tokaji (Tokay?) is my dessert wine of choice, I often skip dessert and just have a glass of wine. Various Sauternes' are also fine, but the Hungarians are fine wines AND affordable, something that d'Yquem is not.

The Tokays are good value but somewhat unsubtle. I would recommend muscat de Beaumes de Venice as vastly underrated (and underpriced) dessert wines.

Aus

A relatively unknown botrytis - Quart de Chaume from the Loire Valley - is definitely worth seeking out.