PanosKakaviatos

Tasting Notes

• 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse

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  5/20/2024 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 97 Points

  As the 100-point scale has become more like a 10 point scale (if not a five point scale), most readers should think that 97 equates now to a very high score. In any case this wine deserves it. I’m in the midst of putting together notes for the 2023 barrel samples, and this certainly puts 2023 into perspective.
  
  When the 2018 vintage came out, I thought it was over-hyped. And I still think it is, to some extent, with a general preference for the 2020 vintage, which is more classic in style even though also “solar”.
  
  But wines crafted from grapes grown on vines on cool soils like limestone and clay can kick ass. You find veritable treasures like this one: A wine that can be enjoyed right now, with some carafing bien sûr, and even though it shows prominent structure to develop tertiary notes and complexity at a later date.
  
  But the sheer level of dark berry fruit, cherries, blackberries, succulently ripe damson fruit etc is irresistible with sweet licorice, subtle rose stem and violet. And the excellent tannic structure and acidity frames such opulence wonderfully, leading to a finish of precision as well with wet stone that you get from limestone and clay - when the grapes are not picked too late and the wine is not smothered in new oak.
  
  Indeed, 2018 is the first “turnaround” vintage that brought Saint Emilion back to its terroir, with winemaking taking a back seat.
  
  I recently acquired six bottles of Cheval Blanc 2018, the wine of the vintage, but there’s no shortage of excellent Saint Emilion in 2018 that is less expensive, too.

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• 1999 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

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  1/28/2024 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 100 Points

  Champagne and Burgundy evening (Private home in Arlington, Virginia): Among the three Pinot Noirs enjoyed this evening, this seemed to be almost Pauillac in nature, with evident lead pencil/graphite reflecting power and depth. There is a distinct dark cherry note, indeed, rather the pit of a juicy black cherry that beguiles the senses, especially as it also exudes floral notes. But unlike the Volnay tasted before, this wine includes an almost fiery mid palate, as if graced with a dollop of port: 1999 was a ripe vintage. And so pleasingly framed by nuanced structure that exudes both grip and polish, making me think "pristine balance." While the Volnay was far more floral, this was more dark fruit and graphite, with more impressive palate depth, essentially layer upon layer unfolding that rather amazes the senses. I realize that experts say that Clos St Jacques is not Grand Cru, but this producer crafts the best Clos St Jacques I have ever had, and 1999 is superb. Long, magical finish. And it has the concentration to last at least another 20 years if not more. Thanks to Chris Bublitz for this generous offering. 13% alcohol

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• 2010 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu

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  1/28/2024 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Champagne and Burgundy evening (Private home in Arlington, Virginia): When I first tried it, it begged air, so I double decanted and served after the 2009. The 2010 vintage can be more structured as was the case with this wine, but over time in glass, it was so hard to resist. Aromatically very floral, from rose petal to peony, with red cherry. The palate combines structure with vivaciousness, very lively but reigned in, and an increasingly silky attire over the structure, a textural finesse for the palate! The tannin is still rather prominent, and the wine begs food. It was an excellent match for the pasticio, whose richer aspects, from the meat sauce and the buttery pasta and bechamel coating proved a fine foil to the structured tannin and acidity in the wine. Long finish, with freshness and lift. While the food exuded spice, the wine exuded floral aromatics, both complementing one another, so I give this experience a rather high score. With thanks to Randy for bringing this bottle.

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