Tasted Friday, June 16, 2006 - Saturday, June 17, 2006 by Siggy with 2,007 views
Four of us (Ben Andersen, Dave Dalluge, Kevin Sidders, and I) visited France for a nearly two-week tour through Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the northern Rhône, and Burgundy. It was the educational and hedonistic experience of a lifetime. For the first leg of the trip, we met up in Avignon, and tasted at nine domaines over two days. The 2004 Chateauneufs look to be excellent, with superb balance and acidity. 2005 looks like another legend in the making, exhibiting extraordinary power, richness, and complexity.
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Paul Feraud. This was just being bottled during our visit. Good nose, brambly. OK; not especially memorable.
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(6/16/2006)
Cask sample tasted at the domaine w/ Paul Feraud. Wow, this has serious dark fruit and structure. Wild, wooly, and bloody. Very promising.
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(6/16/2006)
Cask sample tasted at the domaine w/ Paul Feraud. Animal fur, deep red fruits, garrigue, blood. Great balance and finesse. Looks to be awesome.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Paul Feraud. This bottle had been open for 5 days, so it was a little hard to evaluate. Seems to have lush fruit, no roasted or pruned flavors, and tons of structure and power. Delicious.
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(6/16/2006)
Cask sample tasted at the domaine w/ Paul Feraud. Some 2003 Capo has been bottled; this was still in cask. Huge, thick fruit. Lush texture, amazing power and structure. Really too young. Incredible.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. Dark, meaty fruit. Traditionally styled. Garrigue and roasted meat. Great finesse and balance. Excellent and a great QPR.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. 80% Grenache. Kirsch liquor and licorice; some heat. Good fruit, but atypically low acidity, reflective of the vintage.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. 90% Grenache; no Syrah this year. Kirsch liquor. More acidity than the 03. Still closed and tough to evaluate.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. 100% Grenache; in bottle 1 month. Raspberry fruit. Spicy licorice, huge garrigue, cherry liquor. Good acidity; very elegant. Fantastic.
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(6/16/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault. To be released Spring 2007. Great -- pure jammy fruit. Seems to have lots of structure and excellent balance. Looks very promising.
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(6/16/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. 100% Grenache; 16.5% alcohol; production 20 hl/ha. Beautiful. Inky raspberry fruit, licorice, kirsch. Looks to be amazing.
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(6/16/2006)
Three separate component barrel samples tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio, who told us that we were the first to taste them. #1 (Grenache from La Crau and Serres) was incredible, showing thick smoky fruit. #2 (Grenache) had bright red fruit and more acidity. #3 (Syrah) showed incredible minerals and smokiness. This should be an unbelievable wine when bottled!
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Sweet green apple and honey. Nice, if somewhat straightforward at this stage.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 100% Rousanne. Honey and pear, with some interesting jasmine notes. Floral and delicious.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Smoky fruit, showing some prunes and heat. A decent CDR, but somewhat one-dimensional.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Smoky notes and stewed, raisiny fruit. This wine had a roasted character and showed some heat. Compared with some of the other 2003s we tried on our visit, this bottle was not impressive.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Awesome. Amazing minerality -- flint and smoke. Bitter chocolate and lush, deep fruit. Still seems incredibly young. Wow!
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Huge bretty nose that blew off quickly. Young and dark. Lush black fruit, with some baking spices and lots of minerality. Delicious.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Easily the oldest CDP blanc I've ever tasted. Gold/copper/orange color. Beautifully mature. Nutty, mellow, smooth.
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(6/16/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Still finishing fermentation. 80 year old vines. Dense black cherry fruit. Hard to believe this is "only" a CDR. Excellent potential.
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(6/16/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. This was a 100% Grenache component. Animal fur on the nose. Dense plums and cherries. Cola. Big structure and acidity. Teeth-staining. Excellent potential.
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(6/16/2006)
Barrel samples tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. We tasted two 100% Grenache components: #1 showed inky, dense fruit, with huge tannin and structure. #2 showed strawberries and blackberries, with similarly massive amounts of tannin and structure. Another very promising 2005 in the works.
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(6/16/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. 100% Grenache; still undergoing fermentation and tasted at 6g sugar. Sweet, brambly blackberry fruit. Incredible power and structure.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Recently bottled; equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. Fantastic CDR with deep black fruit and lots of fine-grained tannin.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Inky black color. Spicy and animaly. Good finesse.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Difficult to evaluate at this stage. Seems to have lots of fruit, tannin, and structure, but closed for business.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Intense raspberries, animal, and licorice notes. Really nice minerality. Round texture. Excellent.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Wow, this is a concentrated, burly wine. Loads of black cherry and chocolate. Excellent.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. An excellent Viognier. Medium-bodied and fruity, with a soft, round mouthfeel.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Un-oaked, showing a medley of fruits, flowers, and a hint of white pepper. Very good.
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(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Christophe Sabon. Crisp, fresh peach and orange fruit; light zesty spices. Very good.
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(6/16/2006)
Same bottle as Vinsanity. We opened this during a long outdoor dinner at our B&B, the Chateau Talaud, in Loriol-du-Comtat. This was a fabulous wine, with still-youthful black fruit and wonderful tobacco/leather secondary characteristics that have blossomed with bottle age. Great balance and structure; long finish.
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(6/16/2006)
Same bottle as Vinsanity. Another treat enjoyed over dinner at Chateau Talaud. We opened this right after the 1989 Janasse VV, and it was fascinating to compare the two. The Pegau had a lighter color, with more high-toned fruit. Lots of animal, leather, and still-vibrant red fruit. Amazing finesse. Fantastic.
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(6/16/2006)
Same bottle as Vinsanity. A treat from our hosts at Chateau Talaud over dinner. Light ruby color with lots of amber. This still had quite a bit of life left. Fairly light body, with cherries and flavors of tea that reminded me of the 1983 Beaucastel I had a few months earlier. Fully mature and fascinating.
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(6/16/2006)
Same bottle as Vinsanity. Another treat from our hosts at Chateau Talaud over dinner. Wow, this was quite a contrast to the bottle we tasted at the domaine earlier that day. It had all the power of the first bottle, but seemed richer and more open. Perhaps this was stored in slightly warmer conditions?
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(6/16/2006)
Same bottle as Vinsanity. Tasted side-by-side with the 2001. This wine didn't quite live up to the 1998 that I tasted several months ago. Definitely some oak and perhaps a touch of heat. Tons of power, black licorice, and deep fruit. Not quite as precise, minerally, or fragrant as the 2001 that followed.
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(6/16/2006)
Same bottle as Vinsanity. Wow, this was a huge treat. Awesome concentration and power, without any heaviness or heat. Rich blackberry fruit, excellent acid balance and minerality. This needs at least 10 years to begin to unfold and show its stuff, but it is incredibly delicious now.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Fresh clean fruit, earth, and minerals. Not roasted at all. This region of CDP didn't get quite as baked in 2003, and the results here are impressive. Excellent.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. This had been bottled the previous week, and was undoubtedly still bottle-shocked. More spice than the 2003. Garrigue. Very nice acidity and concentration. Seems very promising.
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(6/17/2006)
Barrel samples tasted at the domaine. Vat #3 (sandy soil, south facing): sweet jammy purple/black fruit. Soft texture. Rich. Excellent. Vat #5: totally different -- deeper and spicier. Horse/barnyard notes, along with rich spicy red cherries. A 50/50 potential blend was fantastic. It looks like this domaine has a great 2005 in the works.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Animal and cinnamon notes. Violet and cherries. Excellent structure and balance.
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(6/17/2006)
White flowers. Light and fruity; soft and round. Very nice.
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(6/17/2006)
More rich and honeyed than the 2005 Nalys that proceeded it. Apricot/floral notes.
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(6/17/2006)
Shows some new oak; made in a more modern style. Ripe and soft. Vanilla flavors. Not a fan. Yuck.
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(6/17/2006)
Kirsch. Straightforward and simple. Brown sugar. Yuck.
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(6/17/2006)
Good nose. Mushroom, slight brett, some spice. Light and thin on the palate.
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(6/17/2006)
Odd. Maderized nose. Yuck. Clearly this was a flawed bottle.
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(6/17/2006)
Prunes and plums. Earthy. Soft and round in the mouth. Tar and black licorice. Good acidity.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Some grassy and tropical fruit notes. Only OK.
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(6/17/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. Lots of Mourvedre. Soft, a little acidic. Smoke and animal fur notes. Not much fruit.
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(6/17/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. 90 year old vines. Still undergoing malo. Dense and reduced. A little brett. Very tannic. Tough to evaluate at this stage.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Nose of roasted meat, olives, garrigue. Red fruits. Good acidity. Very good.
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(6/17/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. To be bottled Sept. 06. Oddly reticent nose. Red fruit, stewed tomatoes, lavender. Good acidity. Concentrated and thick. Seems promising.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Spicy, red brambly fruit and garrigue. Ripe but not raisiny/roasted. Medium body; a touch sweet. Good tannin and acidity. Seems better than the 04.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Dark fruit and garrigue. Tobacco. Tannic; turns a little drying on the finish.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Pink watermelon color. Very ripe and fruity. Tasty. One of the better Roses I've had.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Dry, floral, and aromatic. Light and crisp in style. A touch of butter. Not as racy and acidic as some other CDP Blancs, but pleasant. Long finish.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Game, black licorice, garrigue. Tannic. Very good.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Moderately reticent nose. Big and raisiny, with lots of tannin.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Light color and body. Simple garrigue notes. Drying tannins. Not much there.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Black pepper. Brambly cherry fruit. Not as rich or lush in style. Fiercely tannic.
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(6/17/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. Huge, sweet, spicy cherry fruit. Massively tannic. Clean style. Seems very promising.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Candle wax on the nose. Clean blackberry/cherry fruit. Chocolate covered raisins. Very concentrated.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Cinnamon galore. Rich, deep black and red fruit. Kirsch/cherries. Seems to have a lot of oak, but actually only 20%. Excellent.
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(6/17/2006)
Cask sample tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. We tried three 100% Grenache components. Bin #10: smoky, not a lot of fruit, lots of drying tannin. Bin #5: Fragrant, much richer fruit. Bin #8: Lots of licorice and concentrated cherry fruit. It will be interesting to taste the final blend once bottled.
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(6/17/2006)
Cask sample tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. We tried two 100% Grenache components. Bin #14: great aromatics, cocoa powder, dried cherries. Bin #12: more structure and earth. Seems very promising.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. Soft black cherry and licorice. Smoke and earth. Nice structure. Very good.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. Bottled just a few days prior to our tasting. Excellent fruit and balance. Pure cherry fruit. A little earthy. Excellent.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. Amber color. Dried leaves, a touch of brett. Dark brambly fruit. Tobacco and tea notes. A delicious, fully mature wine what speaks to the ageability of CDR.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. Youthful ruby. Soft cherry and plum fruit, with some earth. Very good.
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(6/17/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Laurent Charvin. Dusty plum fruit. A little raisiny and diffuse. I liked the 2003 CDR better.
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(6/17/2006)
Dinner @ Le Grand Pre, Roaix. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Wow, for a base-level wine from an unheralded vintage, this was a real eye-opener. Deep dark fruit, with leather, forest floor, and dried leaves. Medium-bodied, fragrant, light on its feet. Excellent.
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(6/17/2006)
Dinner @ Le Grand Pre, Roaix. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Amazingly youthful nose of roasted meat and black fruit. Light to medium body, with amazing finesse and elegance. Fully mature. Fantastic.
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(6/17/2006)
Dinner @ Le Grand Pre, Roaix. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Oh my goodness, this was a fabulous wine. Amazing minerality, complexity, and elegance. Red fruits, forest floor, and meat. Super-long finish. Fully mature. Fantastic, and even better than the 1989 that we opened previously.
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2003 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Côtes du Rhône
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Great nose, turns a little green and acidic on the palate. Zin-like; tannic.
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2003 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Mosely Grenache; 5-10% each Syrah and Mourvedre. Huge garrigue nose. Good acidity, high tannin. Some prune flavors. Very fragrant.
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2004 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Côtes du Rhône
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Purple color. Very inky and young. Lighter and softer than the 03 CDR VV. Promising -- it will be very interesting to try this in 3-5 years.
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2004 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/16/2006)
This includes Reserve fruit, as there is no separate cuvee in 2004. Deep purple. Plummy, jammy fruit. Very good acidity. Mocha, chocolate, and garigue. Better than the 2003.
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2001 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Soft plummy fruit, not as much tannin or structure as I would have expected. May be in an awkward phase; still very good.
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1998 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Production less than 10 hl/ha. Amazing nose -- mocha and chocolate. Great balance. Concentrated raspberry fruit. Earth, animal fur, mocha. Wonderful harmony and balance; long, smooth finish. Fantastic.
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2003 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(6/16/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Wow! Amazing nose. Sweet plummy fruit, chocolate, garrigue, and prunes. Cherries and baking spices - so much going on here. Amazing balance and finesse. Smooth, ultra-fine tannins. A more toned-down 2003, reflective of this producer's northern terroir. Fantastic.
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