A kiss of oak. Understated white flowers, massive amount of mineral at the core. Agreed, a little green and very under ripe. But I saw enjoyable qualities. The palate was clean and focused with a touch of chalk on the back end. Really young and yes, super expensive. Fun to sample but lay down for a decade or more.
Nice older rustic wine. Some funky notes and stinky wet dog and damp forest. Musty and maybe a bit past its prime, I really liked trying this old Rioja. Everyone thought this was an older Cali Cabernet. Had great presence but restraint as well as nice "older" ripe fruit. Thanks Phil.
Old World styling. Barnyard and funky. A little muted and mid palate is okay. Not massive at all. Restrained and the structure shows its age a bit. Still young tannins. Not bad, but expect more from this chateau.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted alongside the 2005 vintage blind. In your face with a nice perfume of violets, potpourri, cherries with classic Bordeaux essence. Some sweet tannins and touches of oak.
Really liked this wine. When tasted blind I thought this was a culty California Cab. Super aromatic. Pungent, funky ripe and very up front. nice wine. Lower acidity and pretty qualities. Super heady and voluptuous. Delicious styling with some pepper. Tasty.
Agree with Phil. Tasted the same bottle. Was absolutely way way overdone. Sappy and clinging to your throat in an obnoxious way. Granted, like he said, there is nice fruit there just way over the top and highly extracted with a lack of finesse and balance. So big and rich. Dense and layered black fruit rock and flowers. Yes, still an 88 score, but for a Harlan wine. Come on!
Rustic and rusty nails. Restrained and well balanced. Some spices and light soy qualities. Clean finish. Approachable and really pure and clean finish. Nice wine. Fun and easy to drink and enjoy.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Really smells old and funky. Age on the wine. Barnyard and structure left though. Good spice and acidity. A little peppery and tannic for the nose. Very firm.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Old World leather, aged saddle, red apple even. Iron and red road tar. Some body and substance. Pepper, gray pepper corns, stewed tomatoes. Bigger, purple drinking well. Nose a bit tired as a whole though.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
What a winner in my book. And for only forty bucks! Come on! So big and funky. Olive and bloody. So ripe and really heady. Screamed Grenache. So yummy. Like a black cherry soda. really tasty and grapey with caramel and molasses. A bit like Christmas.
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Pretty wine. Green and very floral. Broccoli, cauliflower , licorice. Piney, menthol. Drinking really well now. Definitely some Old World restraint with beautiful ripe dark cherry cola and leather. Fascinating wine. Showing like a younger 00's Cabernet instead. Drink now or hold.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Brighter raspberry. Supple nose. Funky and white pepper. Lots of minerals, some clay and red spice with cinnamon. Palate is subtle and tannins well resolved. Nicely polished wine. Showing younger than you'd think at almost thirteen years old.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Green vegetation. Artichoke and fresh fennel with lots of herbs. Some pungency of blood orange and baking spice. Palate is soft and supple. Totally resolved tannins but still nice substance. A raw wine with lots of life for the age.
Right up my alley. Popped and poured basically. So plump and in your face fruit on the attack. Blockbuster styling. Ripe and big with dense dark fruit and milk chocolate. Extraction though missing a tad of the mid palate. Lower acidity but really juicy and elegant with a layered finish.
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Pretty much wine of the day for my palate. So big and pronounced. Super bloody steak, savory bacon fat. Lots of super pepper. Black truffles, mushrooms. The palate is restrained and though layered and extracted it doesn't come across as super dense. The wine has everything. Great big fruit, savory olives and fatty bacon, black and purple flowers and even some mineral iron at the core. Great wine and I guessed it was Cayuse blind. No joke. It screamed Christophe's style of wine making and their superb fruit.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
SO so young. Smokey and very sweet. A bit cloying on the palate. Sweet baking spice and a tad out of whack at the moment. This was a pop and pour. Needed some time in the cellar or at least a decanter. Huge over the top clove, cinnamon, all spice. Dark cherries, cigars.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Second time tasting this killer Burg with the group. Beautiful modern styling. not too funk or earth. Really clean palate. Still so young and so delicious.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Wow Corey. What a guy for bringing this in to taste SIDE BY SIDE with the 2009 Musigny. AND THEN, side by side with the 2002 Vogue Chambolle Premier Cru. This showed so incredibly well besides the others. The '09 was just so so young. Unique rhubarb, cinnamon, Red Hot Candy. Really royal and smelly. Stewed tomatoes. Unique is the key word. Pink roses, and some white peppercorns and truffles. Lovely style and long finish. Super nice acidity but great mouth feel.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Tasted side by side the 2002. Pretty floral, very feminine. Some nice earth and forest floor. Lovely with some cool burnt qualities. Charred and gray pepper spice. Some touches of green vegetation and some enjoyable stemmy qualities. Minerals rest at the core but the wine needs to come into its own. Limited notes.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
One of my favorite wines of the day. Just just tickled me in all the right ways. Lots of pungent fruit. So nice. So awesome and sexy. Gorgeous big clean fruit. In your face and awesome. Lots of restraint, a little bit of red rose petals and some barnyard funk. Fresh rain forest and sea breeze. Doesn't feel as old as a 2001. Really gorgeous quality wine.
2010 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bourgogne Blanc 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
A kiss of oak. Understated white flowers, massive amount of mineral at the core. Agreed, a little green and very under ripe.
But I saw enjoyable qualities. The palate was clean and focused with a touch of chalk on the back end.
Really young and yes, super expensive. Fun to sample but lay down for a decade or more.
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1989 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera 90 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Nice older rustic wine. Some funky notes and stinky wet dog and damp forest. Musty and maybe a bit past its prime, I really liked trying this old Rioja.
Everyone thought this was an older Cali Cabernet. Had great presence but restraint as well as nice "older" ripe fruit. Thanks Phil.
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1994 Château Cos d'Estournel 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Old World styling. Barnyard and funky.
A little muted and mid palate is okay.
Not massive at all. Restrained and the structure shows its age a bit.
Still young tannins. Not bad, but expect more from this chateau.
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2000 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted alongside the 2005 vintage blind. In your face with a nice perfume of violets, potpourri, cherries with classic Bordeaux essence. Some sweet tannins and touches of oak.
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2005 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted alongside the 2000 vintage blind.
Ripe candied fruit. Vibrant and ripe but darker herbaceous palate. Pretty cotton candy and really feminine. Sweeter tannins than '00.
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2003 Chimney Rock Elevage 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Really liked this wine. When tasted blind I thought this was a culty California Cab.
Super aromatic. Pungent, funky ripe and very up front. nice wine.
Lower acidity and pretty qualities. Super heady and voluptuous. Delicious styling with some pepper.
Tasty.
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2002 Harlan Estate The Maiden 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Agree with Phil. Tasted the same bottle. Was absolutely way way overdone. Sappy and clinging to your throat in an obnoxious way.
Granted, like he said, there is nice fruit there just way over the top and highly extracted with a lack of finesse and balance.
So big and rich. Dense and layered black fruit rock and flowers. Yes, still an 88 score, but for a Harlan wine. Come on!
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1994 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Rustic and rusty nails. Restrained and well balanced. Some spices and light soy qualities.
Clean finish. Approachable and really pure and clean finish. Nice wine. Fun and easy to drink and enjoy.
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1998 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Really smells old and funky. Age on the wine. Barnyard and structure left though.
Good spice and acidity. A little peppery and tannic for the nose. Very firm.
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1998 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Old World leather, aged saddle, red apple even. Iron and red road tar. Some body and substance.
Pepper, gray pepper corns, stewed tomatoes. Bigger, purple drinking well. Nose a bit tired as a whole though.
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2010 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
What a winner in my book. And for only forty bucks! Come on!
So big and funky. Olive and bloody. So ripe and really heady. Screamed Grenache.
So yummy. Like a black cherry soda. really tasty and grapey with caramel and molasses. A bit like Christmas.
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2007 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Safres 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Funky and bright candied fruit. Sweet notes with great structure though sweeter tannins. Creamed corn and cotton candy. Really nice wine.
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1992 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Pretty wine. Green and very floral. Broccoli, cauliflower , licorice. Piney, menthol. Drinking really well now. Definitely some Old World restraint with beautiful ripe dark cherry cola and leather.
Fascinating wine. Showing like a younger 00's Cabernet instead. Drink now or hold.
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2000 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Brighter raspberry. Supple nose. Funky and white pepper. Lots of minerals, some clay and red spice with cinnamon.
Palate is subtle and tannins well resolved. Nicely polished wine. Showing younger than you'd think at almost thirteen years old.
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1996 Domaine Bartet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Green vegetation. Artichoke and fresh fennel with lots of herbs. Some pungency of blood orange and baking spice.
Palate is soft and supple. Totally resolved tannins but still nice substance. A raw wine with lots of life for the age.
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2005 Arnot-Roberts Cabernet Sauvignon Bugay Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
Right up my alley. Popped and poured basically. So plump and in your face fruit on the attack.
Blockbuster styling. Ripe and big with dense dark fruit and milk chocolate. Extraction though missing a tad of the mid palate.
Lower acidity but really juicy and elegant with a layered finish.
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1996 Château Léoville Poyferré 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Old and resolved barnyard. Very rustic and dirty.
Stinky with nice grip and good acidity. Feminine with some soy and reductive styling.
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2010 Cayuse Syrah En Cerise Vineyard 95 Points
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Pretty much wine of the day for my palate.
So big and pronounced. Super bloody steak, savory bacon fat. Lots of super pepper. Black truffles, mushrooms.
The palate is restrained and though layered and extracted it doesn't come across as super dense.
The wine has everything. Great big fruit, savory olives and fatty bacon, black and purple flowers and even some mineral iron at the core.
Great wine and I guessed it was Cayuse blind. No joke. It screamed Christophe's style of wine making and their superb fruit.
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2009 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou 94 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
SO so young. Smokey and very sweet. A bit cloying on the palate.
Sweet baking spice and a tad out of whack at the moment. This was a pop and pour.
Needed some time in the cellar or at least a decanter. Huge over the top clove, cinnamon, all spice. Dark cherries, cigars.
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2002 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Second time tasting this killer Burg with the group. Beautiful modern styling. not too funk or earth. Really clean palate. Still so young and so delicious.
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2002 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Wow Corey. What a guy for bringing this in to taste SIDE BY SIDE with the 2009 Musigny.
AND THEN, side by side with the 2002 Vogue Chambolle Premier Cru.
This showed so incredibly well besides the others. The '09 was just so so young.
Unique rhubarb, cinnamon, Red Hot Candy. Really royal and smelly. Stewed tomatoes. Unique is the key word.
Pink roses, and some white peppercorns and truffles. Lovely style and long finish. Super nice acidity but great mouth feel.
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2009 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Tasted side by side the 2002. Pretty floral, very feminine. Some nice earth and forest floor. Lovely with some cool burnt qualities.
Charred and gray pepper spice. Some touches of green vegetation and some enjoyable stemmy qualities.
Minerals rest at the core but the wine needs to come into its own. Limited notes.
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2001 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
One of my favorite wines of the day. Just just tickled me in all the right ways.
Lots of pungent fruit. So nice. So awesome and sexy. Gorgeous big clean fruit. In your face and awesome.
Lots of restraint, a little bit of red rose petals and some barnyard funk. Fresh rain forest and sea breeze.
Doesn't feel as old as a 2001. Really gorgeous quality wine.
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