Tasted double blind. Incredibly ripe stone fruit on nose, same fruit profile on palate. Obviously way too young but great concentration and power, then a good amount of energy on the finish. Certainly will be better in 3-5 years.
Tasted double blind. Black and red fruit on nose with some background spice. Fruits more dark and dense on palate - black cherry and black currant - classically Cabernet. Very well balanced from the start, with good acidity, soft tannins and a clean finish. This is drinking very nicely in its youth.
Tasted double blind. 66% Cabernet, 22% Merlot, 12% Syrah. Spicy and smoky on the nose, showing a fair amount of new oak. Lush fruit all the way from beginning to end, with the fruit perhaps a touch closer to overripe than I'd prefer.
Tasted double blind. Tart black cherry on nose, continuing on to the palate. Some interesting, slightly unusual fresh herb flavors as well on palate. Very good acidity, nicely structured and well balanced already today. However there is a clearly prominent sweet oak element on the finish I didn't enjoy.
Tasted double blind. Really a sensational wine, but almost impossible to fairly assess today. Very lush and ripe red cherry and strawberry on both nose and palate. Rose petal aromas in near background. On palate the acidity is completely dominant today, with the tannins a close second. Incredible raw material, but give this until 2025 or decant for many, many hours.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Ripe fruit on nose with some charming oak and fruit spice. Palate shows blcak cherry and some plum flavors, also with good spice. Moderate amount of structure and acidity, this needs a few years for the oak to integrate, but will then be a good young drinking Grand Cru.
Tasted double blind. Lean red fruit on nose, followed by tart red cherry on palate. Shows much older than its age, I'm not sure this wine is going to get any more interesting. Harsh towards finish.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Pretty red fruit on nose accompanied by some good spice. Fruit less interesting on palate, mostly tart red cherry, but short and simple, with the unfortunate 2004 trace bitterness coming through in the middle and end. While I didn't think this was 2004 when tasted blind, I thought it much older from another challenging vintage (1995) in which it has often been challenging for the fruit to show well. Drink up soon.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasted double blind. Moderate to lean red fruit on nose, same on palate. Didn't show as particularly Gevrey to me today. Clearly a wine for young drinking (2012-2016 or so) with good acidity but less tannic structure. This would be much better with food than at a blind tasting.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Spicy aromas with good combination of red and black fruit. More dense, more black fruit on palate, showing good spice from middle to end, then good finesse on finish. Right at its peak now. This is a North Berkeley/Unique/Reserve bottle, i.e., lots of new oak.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasted double blind. Lush fruit on nose with good spice. Ripe black and red cherry on palate with meaty, rich spice. Powerful and balanced for its level, and particularly lively and energetic for a 1997.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Black fruit on nose with really good spice. Palate much less forthcoming or accessible, hidden by lots of tannin and acidity. This had a similar "raw" aspect to a bottle of Trapet 1998 Chambertin I opened a year or two ago. Give this at least 5 more years.
All tropical fruit on nose with vanilla, allspice, cloves, toasted hazelnut. Great continuation of flavors on to the palate, with a complete, rounded, honeyed finish.
2006 Marcassin Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Tasted double blind. Incredibly ripe stone fruit on nose, same fruit profile on palate. Obviously way too young but great concentration and power, then a good amount of energy on the finish. Certainly will be better in 3-5 years.
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2008 Ramot Naftaly Cabernet Sauvignon
Israel, Galilee, Upper Galilee
Tasted double blind. Black and red fruit on nose with some background spice. Fruits more dark and dense on palate - black cherry and black currant - classically Cabernet. Very well balanced from the start, with good acidity, soft tannins and a clean finish. This is drinking very nicely in its youth.
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2009 Trio Winery The Secret
Israel
Tasted double blind. 66% Cabernet, 22% Merlot, 12% Syrah. Spicy and smoky on the nose, showing a fair amount of new oak. Lush fruit all the way from beginning to end, with the fruit perhaps a touch closer to overripe than I'd prefer.
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2005 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Herb Lamb 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Tart black cherry on nose, continuing on to the palate. Some interesting, slightly unusual fresh herb flavors as well on palate. Very good acidity, nicely structured and well balanced already today. However there is a clearly prominent sweet oak element on the finish I didn't enjoy.
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2004 Vietti Barolo Rocche
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasted double blind. Really a sensational wine, but almost impossible to fairly assess today. Very lush and ripe red cherry and strawberry on both nose and palate. Rose petal aromas in near background. On palate the acidity is completely dominant today, with the tannins a close second. Incredible raw material, but give this until 2025 or decant for many, many hours.
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2007 Fernand Lécheneaut et Fils (Philippe et Vincent) Clos de la Roche 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Ripe fruit on nose with some charming oak and fruit spice. Palate shows blcak cherry and some plum flavors, also with good spice. Moderate amount of structure and acidity, this needs a few years for the oak to integrate, but will then be a good young drinking Grand Cru.
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2005 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge Belle Dame 85 Points
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge
Tasted double blind. Lean red fruit on nose, followed by tart red cherry on palate. Shows much older than its age, I'm not sure this wine is going to get any more interesting. Harsh towards finish.
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2004 Maison Champy Mazis-Chambertin 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Pretty red fruit on nose accompanied by some good spice. Fruit less interesting on palate, mostly tart red cherry, but short and simple, with the unfortunate 2004 trace bitterness coming through in the middle and end. While I didn't think this was 2004 when tasted blind, I thought it much older from another challenging vintage (1995) in which it has often been challenging for the fruit to show well. Drink up soon.
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2008 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasted double blind. Moderate to lean red fruit on nose, same on palate. Didn't show as particularly Gevrey to me today. Clearly a wine for young drinking (2012-2016 or so) with good acidity but less tannic structure. This would be much better with food than at a blind tasting.
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1996 Gérard Raphet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Spicy aromas with good combination of red and black fruit. More dense, more black fruit on palate, showing good spice from middle to end, then good finesse on finish. Right at its peak now. This is a North Berkeley/Unique/Reserve bottle, i.e., lots of new oak.
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1997 Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasted double blind. Lush fruit on nose with good spice. Ripe black and red cherry on palate with meaty, rich spice. Powerful and balanced for its level, and particularly lively and energetic for a 1997.
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1998 Domaine Trapet Latricières-Chambertin 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Black fruit on nose with really good spice. Palate much less forthcoming or accessible, hidden by lots of tannin and acidity. This had a similar "raw" aspect to a bottle of Trapet 1998 Chambertin I opened a year or two ago. Give this at least 5 more years.
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2001 Château Suduiraut 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
All tropical fruit on nose with vanilla, allspice, cloves, toasted hazelnut. Great continuation of flavors on to the palate, with a complete, rounded, honeyed finish.
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