Typically Grenache 50%, Cinsault 20%, Tibouren 20%, & Syrah 10%
N: Grapey flavors SLIGHTLY atop flowers with mineral notes
P: Med, poss Mf, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt with an edginess to it that pretty much continues through the fairly LONG, VERY slightly honied finish which never QUITE loses the edginess. Somewhat atypical for the genre in flavor as well as power, it may work quite well with lighter fare through '19, POSS a tad longer. VERY nicely done! [When tasted this vendor had this available for $12.95, wine-searcher not showing any sources as of VERY late May 2018.]
Typically, frt from 15-35 yr old C.S., Merlot, & C.F. vines grown on the Rt Bank in gravel, clay, & sand, pressed directly, & aged 9 mos in s/s before bottling; ~ 850 cs
N: Muted; Grapey, but with flowers & earth coming on?
P: Med body; Rndish entry with decent frt balanced by very, VERY slight astringency which slowly transitions into a long, very slightly honied , very slightly bitter finish. Decent, but one SHOULD be able to do better. 13% ABV; 86 pts WE. [No longer available @ this vendor's $9.95, in very late May '18 wine-searcher does still show one souce @ $15.99.]
P: Med body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt (0.35% R.S.) NICELY balanced by acidity, this slowly transitioning into a LONG, ult VERY slightly honied finish. Drinking very nicely right now [early Summer '17] & should continue into & probably through '18. 12.5% ABV. Gold @ '16 Cinve, 92 pts & "great Value" from '17 Ult Wine Challeng, 89 & 86 Decanter (2 separate tastings), & 88 pts Guía Peñin. [This vendor is now selling the '16 @ the same $11.95. However, as of VERY early June 2018 wine-searcher still shows vendors selling this in the $13-17 range.]
84% S.B. & 16% Sémillon; Aging & Oak: 10% New FR oak, 5 mos sur lie, 90% s/s; 13.5% ABV, 0.52 g/100 ml T.A., & 3.34 pH; Released: April 2017
N: Grass with some mineral notes
P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with nice frt with ALMOST puckerish acidity, this QUITE resolving by the LONG, pleasant finish that goes through various stages of a very slightly honied / very, VERY slightly bitter dialectic. Lots here, & still coming together, I'd suspect. Try again in early '18. Wine Review Online: 95 pts Robert Whitley, 92 Rich Cook, & 90 Michael Apstein; 90 pts & "Very highly recommended" CA Grapevine, 90 pts WS?, and 86 WE. [This vendor's $22.95 is at the top of the 2nd quartile of wine-searcher's HUGE *early* June 2018 listing.]
N: Attractive ripe berries with decided smoky notes
P: MF body; NICE frt with some balancing astringency which slowly & only somewhat resolves by the quite LONG, spicy, ult bitterSWT choc finish. Near its peak, though MIGHT still improve a bit through EARLY Summer '18. Not at ALL "tired", & could drink beautifully through '20 min! 89+ pts WA in 10/09. [Though I'm next to positive this is no longer in stock, this vendor was offering it @ $19.95.]
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
N: Closed, but seems ripe. With air, vanilla, earth, spice, smoke. Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE frt (POSS some heat?) met by some ALMOST swtish mid-P pucker which fairly seamlessly MOSTLY resolves by the very LONG, pleasant, NICELY balanced finish with very slight spice & (occasionally) notes of very, VERY slight bitterness. While getting close, probably still needs/DESERVES cellaring until early '20, then drinking for __ more. VERY nicely done in a ripe style! 94 pts ea Huon Hooke & Falstaff Magazine, 92 ea Jeff Leve, WS, & WA, 90+ RJonWine, 87 pts ea Jeannie Cho Lee & WE, B+ DrinkHacker, 17/20 Bettane et Desseauve, 16/20 La Revue du Vin de France, and 14.5/20 ea Vinum & Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $44.95, though poss no longer in stock, was as good as any of wine-searcher's EARLY June 2018 listings.]
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
N: Closed; Vanilla, spice; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE frt quickly met by puckerish astringency with a hint of swtness that slowly, SEAMLESSLY pretty much resolves by the very LONG, ult bitterSWT choc finish. NEEDS until mid '19, poss '20 (I'd guess), then potentially spectacular! 96 pts Decanter (but also a 90 from a panel which tasted it), 95 Suckling & WE with a "Cellar Selection" @ $95 from WE, 94 Falstaff Magazine, 93 Wine & Spirits, Luca Gardini, & Vinous, 92 WA & WS, and 17.5 & 17/20 Jancis Robinson! [I doubt this vendor still has this @ $67.95. However, in EARLY June 2018 wine-searcher had numerous listings ranging from $60-$105.]
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get info for this vintage.
N: RIPE, vanilla, spice, some flowers? Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; Nice frt quickly met by FINELY tannic pucker which never loses the swtness of its frt as it SEAMLESSLY transitions into a very LONG, very, VERY finely tannic yet ult PLEASANT finish. NEEDS until '21 or '22, I'm guessing, then potentially *unbelievable* QPR, though I'm virtually certain this vendor no longer has any @ $24.95. [However, as of EARLY June 2018 wine-searcher shows 2 vendors @ $32.]
"Tempranillo (90%) and Graciano (10%) from vines over 60 years old in vineyards in Briñas, Labastida and Villalba."
N: Attractive toast & vanilla with notes of spice & coffee
P: Med, poss MF, body; ALMOST swtish oak/frt met by slightly swtish pucker, this FAIRLY seamlessly only somewhat resolving by the LONG, tangy finish with notes of coffee & choc. Deserves (NEEDS?) cellaring into mid '18, poss mid '19, then drinking into the mid 2020s? FASCINATING stuff! :) 97 pts Suckling, 95 ea WA & '17 Decanter World Wine Awards [although @ another time a different Decanter panel gave it 91], 93 WS & #65/100 Top Wines of '16 @ $55, 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson, and 16/20 El Mundo Vino. [IF this vendor still has any of this @ $41.95, the price would be $3 < the next lowest of wine-searcher's EARLY June 2018 postings.]
From 40 yr old vines grown in sandy soils; "Traditional semi-carbonic fermentation in large vat. Aging for 6 months in 5,000 Liter foudre. Assemblage takes place in cement vats."
Shared bottle popped 'n poured
N: Vanilla atop typical Beauj aromas, the berries & minerals continuing to come forward with air, + 3-1/2 hrs in a sm tasting glass didn't seem to phase it!
P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt nicely balanced by an acidity which transitions fairly seamlessly into a LONG, pleasant, VERY slightly bitterswt finish. Drink now & thru '19 where one would consider a relatively lighter Pinot.
2016 Domaine de Lauzade Côtes de Provence Grande Cuvée
France, Provence, Côtes de Provence
Typically Grenache 50%, Cinsault 20%, Tibouren 20%, & Syrah 10%
N: Grapey flavors SLIGHTLY atop flowers with mineral notes
P: Med, poss Mf, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt with an edginess to it that pretty much continues through the fairly LONG, VERY slightly honied finish which never QUITE loses the edginess. Somewhat atypical for the genre in flavor as well as power, it may work quite well with lighter fare through '19, POSS a tad longer. VERY nicely done! [When tasted this vendor had this available for $12.95, wine-searcher not showing any sources as of VERY late May 2018.]
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2016 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Rosé
France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Rosé
Typically, frt from 15-35 yr old C.S., Merlot, & C.F. vines grown on the Rt Bank in gravel, clay, & sand, pressed directly, & aged 9 mos in s/s before bottling; ~ 850 cs
N: Muted; Grapey, but with flowers & earth coming on?
P: Med body; Rndish entry with decent frt balanced by very, VERY slight astringency which slowly transitions into a long, very slightly honied , very slightly bitter finish. Decent, but one SHOULD be able to do better. 13% ABV; 86 pts WE. [No longer available @ this vendor's $9.95, in very late May '18 wine-searcher does still show one souce @ $15.99.]
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2015 Martín Códax Albariño Rías Baixas
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
N: CLOSED; some flowers, minerals, later earth?
P: Med body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt (0.35% R.S.) NICELY balanced by acidity, this slowly transitioning into a LONG, ult VERY slightly honied finish. Drinking very nicely right now [early Summer '17] & should continue into & probably through '18. 12.5% ABV. Gold @ '16 Cinve, 92 pts & "great Value" from '17 Ult Wine Challeng, 89 & 86 Decanter (2 separate tastings), & 88 pts Guía Peñin. [This vendor is now selling the '16 @ the same $11.95. However, as of VERY early June 2018 wine-searcher still shows vendors selling this in the $13-17 range.]
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2016 Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
84% S.B. & 16% Sémillon; Aging & Oak: 10% New FR oak, 5 mos sur lie, 90% s/s; 13.5% ABV, 0.52 g/100 ml T.A., & 3.34 pH; Released: April 2017
N: Grass with some mineral notes
P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with nice frt with ALMOST puckerish acidity, this QUITE resolving by the LONG, pleasant finish that goes through various stages of a very slightly honied / very, VERY slightly bitter dialectic. Lots here, & still coming together, I'd suspect. Try again in early '18. Wine Review Online: 95 pts Robert Whitley, 92 Rich Cook, & 90 Michael Apstein; 90 pts & "Very highly recommended" CA Grapevine, 90 pts WS?, and 86 WE. [This vendor's $22.95 is at the top of the 2nd quartile of wine-searcher's HUGE *early* June 2018 listing.]
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2007 Olivier Ravoire Vacqueyras
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
75% Grenache & 25% Syrah
N: Attractive ripe berries with decided smoky notes
P: MF body; NICE frt with some balancing astringency which slowly & only somewhat resolves by the quite LONG, spicy, ult bitterSWT choc finish. Near its peak, though MIGHT still improve a bit through EARLY Summer '18. Not at ALL "tired", & could drink beautifully through '20 min! 89+ pts WA in 10/09. [Though I'm next to positive this is no longer in stock, this vendor was offering it @ $19.95.]
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2009 Château Fombrauge
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
N: Closed, but seems ripe. With air, vanilla, earth, spice, smoke. Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE frt (POSS some heat?) met by some ALMOST swtish mid-P pucker which fairly seamlessly MOSTLY resolves by the very LONG, pleasant, NICELY balanced finish with very slight spice & (occasionally) notes of very, VERY slight bitterness. While getting close, probably still needs/DESERVES cellaring until early '20, then drinking for __ more. VERY nicely done in a ripe style! 94 pts ea Huon Hooke & Falstaff Magazine, 92 ea Jeff Leve, WS, & WA, 90+ RJonWine, 87 pts ea Jeannie Cho Lee & WE, B+ DrinkHacker, 17/20 Bettane et Desseauve, 16/20 La Revue du Vin de France, and 14.5/20 ea Vinum & Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $44.95, though poss no longer in stock, was as good as any of wine-searcher's EARLY June 2018 listings.]
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2012 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
N: Closed; Vanilla, spice; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE frt quickly met by puckerish astringency with a hint of swtness that slowly, SEAMLESSLY pretty much resolves by the very LONG, ult bitterSWT choc finish. NEEDS until mid '19, poss '20 (I'd guess), then potentially spectacular! 96 pts Decanter (but also a 90 from a panel which tasted it), 95 Suckling & WE with a "Cellar Selection" @ $95 from WE, 94 Falstaff Magazine, 93 Wine & Spirits, Luca Gardini, & Vinous, 92 WA & WS, and 17.5 & 17/20 Jancis Robinson! [I doubt this vendor still has this @ $67.95. However, in EARLY June 2018 wine-searcher had numerous listings ranging from $60-$105.]
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2013 Reverdito Barolo
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get info for this vintage.
N: RIPE, vanilla, spice, some flowers? Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; Nice frt quickly met by FINELY tannic pucker which never loses the swtness of its frt as it SEAMLESSLY transitions into a very LONG, very, VERY finely tannic yet ult PLEASANT finish. NEEDS until '21 or '22, I'm guessing, then potentially *unbelievable* QPR, though I'm virtually certain this vendor no longer has any @ $24.95. [However, as of EARLY June 2018 wine-searcher shows 2 vendors @ $32.]
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2007 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
"Tempranillo (90%) and Graciano (10%) from vines over 60 years old in vineyards in Briñas, Labastida and Villalba."
N: Attractive toast & vanilla with notes of spice & coffee
P: Med, poss MF, body; ALMOST swtish oak/frt met by slightly swtish pucker, this FAIRLY seamlessly only somewhat resolving by the LONG, tangy finish with notes of coffee & choc. Deserves (NEEDS?) cellaring into mid '18, poss mid '19, then drinking into the mid 2020s? FASCINATING stuff! :) 97 pts Suckling, 95 ea WA & '17 Decanter World Wine Awards [although @ another time a different Decanter panel gave it 91], 93 WS & #65/100 Top Wines of '16 @ $55, 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson, and 16/20 El Mundo Vino. [IF this vendor still has any of this @ $41.95, the price would be $3 < the next lowest of wine-searcher's EARLY June 2018 postings.]
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2014 Jacky Jauodet Chénas domaine les fines graves
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chénas
From 40 yr old vines grown in sandy soils; "Traditional semi-carbonic fermentation in large vat. Aging for 6 months in 5,000 Liter foudre. Assemblage takes place in cement vats."
Shared bottle popped 'n poured
N: Vanilla atop typical Beauj aromas, the berries & minerals continuing to come forward with air, + 3-1/2 hrs in a sm tasting glass didn't seem to phase it!
P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt nicely balanced by an acidity which transitions fairly seamlessly into a LONG, pleasant, VERY slightly bitterswt finish. Drink now & thru '19 where one would consider a relatively lighter Pinot.
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