Member #720,971 signed up 5/22/2020 and last accessed 5/23/2024
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Locale: UK
Favorite region: Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Champagne, Rhône, Burgundy, Rioja, Loire, Alsace, Germany, Friuli-Venezia
A passing interest quickly developed into somewhat of an obsession as I invested time in building a collection from my preferred regions and producers. My tastes span a wide spectrum from traditional through to skin contact white wines and wines made by producers who practice a low intervention approach to their viticulture and winemaking. Above all in wine I respect typicity and authenticity. Many wines can be a joy to drink but quickly fade from memory unless they express a clear identity or sense of place
When it comes to preparation I almost always open wines several hours in advance since in my experience they improve with more exposure to air. Once opened I’ll make a call on whether to decant or not based on how the wine is showing. For aged reds especially Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello I’ll always decant these wines for between two and six hours. It’s remarkable how these wines which many would consider lifeless upon opening can blossom into something spectacular with time in the decanter.
As far as scoring is concerned we all know scoring wines is complete nonsense - attempting to distill something so complex down to two or in some rare cases three digits - but we still do it and given this is CellarTracker here's how I do it.
In the interests of complete objectivity all scores compare wines against their peers from the same appellation or classification.
100 - transcendental
98 - impeccable
96 - exceptional
94 - outstanding
92 - superb
90 - excellent
88 - very good
86 - good
84 - above average
82 - average
80 - below average
78 - poor
76 - very poor
74 - exceptionally poor
72 - borderline undrinkable
70 - undrinkable
2021 By Farr Chardonnay Irrewarra
5/12/2024 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over three days. A deep straw to the eye. It’s almost impossible to place this anywhere else in the world other than Burgundy and specifically Saint-Aubin. There are unquestionable parallels to the wines of Domaine de Montille and - this is high praise indeed - those of Hubert Lamy. The crucial difference being structurally whereby the weight isn’t quite there and the acidity is a touch diminished, especially when compared to Lamy where it often is - much to my delight - razor sharp. Despite the similarities let’s put those two a side for now and focus on what’s in the glass - it’s exceptionally pure with gun flint, lemon balm, polished steel, gooseberry, and fresh white flowers. A superb introduction to this producer.
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2009 Château de Camensac
5/5/2024 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 90 Points
Limited notes taken. Pours a deep purple fading to a medium ruby outer edge. Brambles, graphite, and white smoke. Dark, inky, and deep. Classic Bordeaux.
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2010 Xavier Vignon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme
5/5/2024 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened six hours before. A deep ruby core fading to a pale ruby outer edge. Intense aromas of damp herbs inside a brown paper bag, slowly braised lamb, black liquorice, and baked damsons. Concentrated and seriously structured - this wine clearly has years of future aging potential ahead and while there’s no shortage of enjoyment right now for those who prefer Châteauneuf-du-Pape at its most intense there is undeniable upside in the next five to ten years.
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