Tasted blind – medium gold colour with interesting nose of honey, soft lemon and hints of caramel. On the palate it’s dry with a bit of a waxy mouthfeel with nice acidity and solid length. Really nice and drinking perfectly right now. Excellent.
Tasted blind – medium red with some bricking at the rim. Mature nose of dried and ripe red fruits with notes of tomatoes and well integrated oak. Soft in the mouth with mainly resolved tannins and excellent acidity. Drinking well now. Very good.
Light red in colour. Elegant nose that started with a blast of funk that eventually blew off and left perfumey and mature pinot fruit aromas along with hints of spice and earth. Delicate in the mouth with fine and gritty tannins and lively acidity with gentle sweet red fruit flavours. Faded after 90mins or so in the glass. A really nice mature Burgundy that’s drinking well now. Excellent.
Tasted blind – medium red colour. Beautiful and classic Bordeaux nose that screams left bank with notes of pencil lead, cedar and mature red fruits. Velvety on the palate with resolved tannins and excellent acidity. Soft and lengthy finish with notes of earth and red fruits. This is drinking perfectly now and while this should cruise for some time, I’m doubtful it will get any better. A really nice classic claret. Excellent.
Tasted blind – dark red/purple colour. Quite a change from the previous wine (‘85 Ducru) with modern nose of candied red fruit, cotton candy and oak. Similar on the palate. Simple and straightforward but not a style of wine I care for. Average.
Tasted blind – dark red colour. Dark fruit nose with notes of earth, cassis and cedar that could have done well as a Bordeaux ringer. Concentrated dark fruits on the palate with a fresh mouthfeel, excellent acidity and a lively finish. Nose shows more maturity than the palate does. Drinking very well now. Excellent.
Tasted blind – dark red colour with a nice nose that was somewhere in between modern and traditional with sweeter dark fruits but with lovely floral and earthy aromas as well. Lush and somewhat extracted in the mouth but it is retrained and offers excellent acidity and powdery tannins. Once it was narrowed down to ‘Italy’ I guessed perhaps a 2000 as it seems like it was from a warmer vintage—nope, a ’98. Drinks well buy could use a few more years. Excellent. 90+
Tasted blind – Deep red. Dark and sweet red fruits dominate the nose with loads of acidity and zero tannins on the palate with sweet and riper fruit flavours. This is lush but the lively acidity keeps it fresh. Drink now and for another 5 years. Very good.
Tasted blind – Medium red showing hints of age. Classic Bordeaux nose with blackcurrants, cedar, leather and a hint of sweet Bordeaux funk. The fruit is dark and sweet, yet classic in profile with excellent concentration and perfectly balanced structure. In a great spot right now. Excellent.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Medium to dark red. The nose here fooled many people with its tar and sweet fruit profile and lead to guesses of nebbiolo which given the aromas, is hard to argue with. Rich plummy flavours in an old school style of CdP with mainly resolved tannins but solid acidity. Drinking well now but no rush. Excellent.
Tasted blind – the placement of this wine did it no favors and by this time of the lunch my notes got quite simple. Lemon and grassy nose with a fresh, dry and tart finish. Excellent acidity. Very good.
Tasted blind – Medium yellow colour. Really nice notes of stone fruits with minerals and acidity keeping the sweetness in check. I really liked this. Excellent.
1993 Domaine du Closel-Château des Vaults Savennières Clos du Papillon 91 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
Tasted blind – medium gold colour with interesting nose of honey, soft lemon and hints of caramel. On the palate it’s dry with a bit of a waxy mouthfeel with nice acidity and solid length. Really nice and drinking perfectly right now. Excellent.
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1995 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 89 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Tasted blind – medium red with some bricking at the rim. Mature nose of dried and ripe red fruits with notes of tomatoes and well integrated oak. Soft in the mouth with mainly resolved tannins and excellent acidity. Drinking well now. Very good.
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1993 Remoissenet Père et Fils Volnay 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay
Light red in colour. Elegant nose that started with a blast of funk that eventually blew off and left perfumey and mature pinot fruit aromas along with hints of spice and earth. Delicate in the mouth with fine and gritty tannins and lively acidity with gentle sweet red fruit flavours. Faded after 90mins or so in the glass. A really nice mature Burgundy that’s drinking well now. Excellent.
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1985 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Tasted blind – medium red colour. Beautiful and classic Bordeaux nose that screams left bank with notes of pencil lead, cedar and mature red fruits. Velvety on the palate with resolved tannins and excellent acidity. Soft and lengthy finish with notes of earth and red fruits. This is drinking perfectly now and while this should cruise for some time, I’m doubtful it will get any better. A really nice classic claret. Excellent.
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2009 Famille Perrin / Perrin & Fils Vinsobres Les Cornuds 82 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vinsobres
Tasted blind – dark red/purple colour. Quite a change from the previous wine (‘85 Ducru) with modern nose of candied red fruit, cotton candy and oak. Similar on the palate. Simple and straightforward but not a style of wine I care for. Average.
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1996 Falesco Lazio Montiano 91 Points
Italy, Latium, Lazio
Tasted blind – dark red colour. Dark fruit nose with notes of earth, cassis and cedar that could have done well as a Bordeaux ringer. Concentrated dark fruits on the palate with a fresh mouthfeel, excellent acidity and a lively finish. Nose shows more maturity than the palate does. Drinking very well now. Excellent.
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1998 Terrabianca Ceppate Toscana IGT 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Tasted blind – dark red colour with a nice nose that was somewhere in between modern and traditional with sweeter dark fruits but with lovely floral and earthy aromas as well. Lush and somewhat extracted in the mouth but it is retrained and offers excellent acidity and powdery tannins. Once it was narrowed down to ‘Italy’ I guessed perhaps a 2000 as it seems like it was from a warmer vintage—nope, a ’98. Drinks well buy could use a few more years. Excellent. 90+
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2008 Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d'Alba Falletto di Serralunga 88 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba
Tasted blind – Deep red. Dark and sweet red fruits dominate the nose with loads of acidity and zero tannins on the palate with sweet and riper fruit flavours. This is lush but the lively acidity keeps it fresh. Drink now and for another 5 years. Very good.
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1994 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Tasted blind – Medium red showing hints of age. Classic Bordeaux nose with blackcurrants, cedar, leather and a hint of sweet Bordeaux funk. The fruit is dark and sweet, yet classic in profile with excellent concentration and perfectly balanced structure. In a great spot right now. Excellent.
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1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Medium to dark red. The nose here fooled many people with its tar and sweet fruit profile and lead to guesses of nebbiolo which given the aromas, is hard to argue with. Rich plummy flavours in an old school style of CdP with mainly resolved tannins but solid acidity. Drinking well now but no rush. Excellent.
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2010 Supernatural Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc The Supernatural 88 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Tasted blind – the placement of this wine did it no favors and by this time of the lunch my notes got quite simple. Lemon and grassy nose with a fresh, dry and tart finish. Excellent acidity. Very good.
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2001 Hugel Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive 91 Points
France, Alsace
Tasted blind – Medium yellow colour. Really nice notes of stone fruits with minerals and acidity keeping the sweetness in check. I really liked this. Excellent.
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