52% Roussanne, 23% Viognier, 19% Chardonnay and 5% Marsanne. Golden color. Aromas of butter, vanilla, apple and toast. Full-bodied, with a rich, oily texture and flavors of pear, apple and new oak with a hint of lemon. Long finish. The Chardonnay really stands out at first. A lemon oil aroma develops w/air. I kept some in my glass for the entire night, and by the end of dinner it was much more expressive and soft and the oak was toned down quite a bit. Drink now with a healthy decant or hold for a couple of years. 92-93 pts.
Deep yellow color. Opens with oily honeysuckle and florals, followed by citrus oil and and that terrific "dirty" note that old world Viognier gets. Full-bodied with a rich, oily texture and flavors of lychee, quince, mineral, lemon and pineapple syrup. A nice vein of acidity keeps the wine fresh and lively across the palate. I held some of this to the end of the night as well, and it displayed some terrific tropical fruit qualities along with an abundance of florals. A terrific bottle of wine, thanks Dan! Drink now-2015.
Light color. Cherry and lavender notes- very subtle bouquet; pleasant herbal undertone. Nice acidity with cherry and red fruit qualities and a mineral-tinged finish. Thanks for sharing VM- it's always fun trying one of Jim's wines. Doing so always brings back memories of dinner in the vineyard.
Deep color. Aromas of butterscotch, hazelnut, vanilla and apple. Medium- to full-bodied, featuring toasted almond and apple flavors, with an intriguing caramel quality in the finish. Young. Drink 2015+. Thanks m/m tlv.
Pale ruby color. Initially quite musty, perhaps even cardboard, is this corked? I set my glass aside for 45 minutes or so. No cardboard or musty qualities. Aromas of meaty red fruit and pepper. Cherry, currant and red berry flavors, with a nice meaty streak and good underlying acidity. Medium+ finish. Not flawed, but not the best example of this wine that I have tasted. 91-92 pts.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Brick red color; cloudy. Aromas of licorice, red fruit- cherry and currants, evergreen, garrigue and candied cherry. Medium-bodied, with red fruit and garrigue flavors, turning to dark fruit as it opens. Good acidity. Long finish. Would be terrific with lamb. Thanks DantheRhoneFan. Drink now-2017. 93+ pts.
Opened by m/m tlv, and drinking very well. Aromas of violets, red and black fruits, plum and cedar. Still has some tannin to integrate; flavors of black currants, violets and cedar with a long finish.
Dark inky crimson color. Notes of road tar, black fruit and pepper. Full-bodied, with firm, sweet tannins and flavors of black fruit and pepper. Long finish, adding an interesting herbal quality.
Aromas of red currants, plum, black fruit and florals. Structured, but very well-balanced. Black fruit, violets and florals on the palate. Long finish; impeccable balance. Elegant. Drink 2017+. 93+ pts.
Drank side-by-side with the 2005 Araujo. Aromas of black fruit, vanilla and cassis. Structured, with loads of black fruit. This is more tannic and concentrated than the Araujo, with exuberant fruit- slutty. Flavors of cassis, blackberry liqueur and vanilla. For its size and structure, it is nicely balanced. Drink now-2022. Thanks for sharing xhoser!
Inky purple color. Aromas of cassis, chocolate, mocha and creme de menthe. Full-bodied and well-balanced with plenty of fruti for the sructure. Blackberry, cassis, mocha and tar qualities. Finishes with impressive length. Thanks to jcubed for sharing this beauty. Drink now-2021+.
Deep inky purple color. Young and primary, but what terrific fruit. Black and blue fruit, boysenberry and roasted game aromas, developing tar and herbal notes with time in the glass. Nicely balanced; loads of black and red fruit on the palate. Nice finish.
From memory. Light golden color. Aromas of apricot, marmalade and stone fruit. Rich texture, with nice tropical fruit and baked apricot flavors. Nice finish. Thank you billhike! 92-93 pts.
Vino Me opened another bottle of this, ahem, wine. Brownish color. Certainly smells just fine- aromas of toffee, caramel and nuts...reminds me a little bit of an Aussie muscat. This bottle did not show well on the palate though- sharp and disjointed, with an odd metallic quality. Hopefully for VM this was just an off bottle.
2010 Sine Qua Non The Monkey 92 Points
USA, California
52% Roussanne, 23% Viognier, 19% Chardonnay and 5% Marsanne. Golden color. Aromas of butter, vanilla, apple and toast. Full-bodied, with a rich, oily texture and flavors of pear, apple and new oak with a hint of lemon. Long finish. The Chardonnay really stands out at first. A lemon oil aroma develops w/air. I kept some in my glass for the entire night, and by the end of dinner it was much more expressive and soft and the oak was toned down quite a bit. Drink now with a healthy decant or hold for a couple of years. 92-93 pts.
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2006 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu Les Chaillets 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Deep yellow color. Opens with oily honeysuckle and florals, followed by citrus oil and and that terrific "dirty" note that old world Viognier gets. Full-bodied with a rich, oily texture and flavors of lychee, quince, mineral, lemon and pineapple syrup. A nice vein of acidity keeps the wine fresh and lively across the palate. I held some of this to the end of the night as well, and it displayed some terrific tropical fruit qualities along with an abundance of florals. A terrific bottle of wine, thanks Dan! Drink now-2015.
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2008 Wyncroft Cabernet Franc Bouchet Wren Song Vineyard 87 Points
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Light color. Cherry and lavender notes- very subtle bouquet; pleasant herbal undertone. Nice acidity with cherry and red fruit qualities and a mineral-tinged finish. Thanks for sharing VM- it's always fun trying one of Jim's wines. Doing so always brings back memories of dinner in the vineyard.
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2010 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block 91 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Deep color. Aromas of butterscotch, hazelnut, vanilla and apple. Medium- to full-bodied, featuring toasted almond and apple flavors, with an intriguing caramel quality in the finish. Young. Drink 2015+. Thanks m/m tlv.
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1996 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Pale ruby color. Initially quite musty, perhaps even cardboard, is this corked? I set my glass aside for 45 minutes or so. No cardboard or musty qualities. Aromas of meaty red fruit and pepper. Cherry, currant and red berry flavors, with a nice meaty streak and good underlying acidity. Medium+ finish. Not flawed, but not the best example of this wine that I have tasted. 91-92 pts.
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2001 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Brick red color; cloudy. Aromas of licorice, red fruit- cherry and currants, evergreen, garrigue and candied cherry. Medium-bodied, with red fruit and garrigue flavors, turning to dark fruit as it opens. Good acidity. Long finish. Would be terrific with lamb. Thanks DantheRhoneFan. Drink now-2017. 93+ pts.
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2001 Worthy Sophia's Cuvée 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Opened by m/m tlv, and drinking very well. Aromas of violets, red and black fruits, plum and cedar. Still has some tannin to integrate; flavors of black currants, violets and cedar with a long finish.
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2006 Red Car Syrah Vinyl 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Dark inky crimson color. Notes of road tar, black fruit and pepper. Full-bodied, with firm, sweet tannins and flavors of black fruit and pepper. Long finish, adding an interesting herbal quality.
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2005 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Aromas of red currants, plum, black fruit and florals. Structured, but very well-balanced. Black fruit, violets and florals on the palate. Long finish; impeccable balance. Elegant. Drink 2017+. 93+ pts.
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2005 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Drank side-by-side with the 2005 Araujo. Aromas of black fruit, vanilla and cassis. Structured, with loads of black fruit. This is more tannic and concentrated than the Araujo, with exuberant fruit- slutty. Flavors of cassis, blackberry liqueur and vanilla. For its size and structure, it is nicely balanced. Drink now-2022. Thanks for sharing xhoser!
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2001 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Hyde Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Inky purple color. Aromas of cassis, chocolate, mocha and creme de menthe. Full-bodied and well-balanced with plenty of fruti for the sructure. Blackberry, cassis, mocha and tar qualities. Finishes with impressive length. Thanks to jcubed for sharing this beauty. Drink now-2021+.
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2009 Stefania Syrah Split Rail Santa Cruz Mountains 92 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Deep inky purple color. Young and primary, but what terrific fruit. Black and blue fruit, boysenberry and roasted game aromas, developing tar and herbal notes with time in the glass. Nicely balanced; loads of black and red fruit on the palate. Nice finish.
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1988 Château Rieussec 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
From memory. Light golden color. Aromas of apricot, marmalade and stone fruit. Rich texture, with nice tropical fruit and baked apricot flavors. Nice finish. Thank you billhike! 92-93 pts.
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2003 Chateau VinoMe Vin de Noix The Last Curse
USA, Illinois
Vino Me opened another bottle of this, ahem, wine. Brownish color. Certainly smells just fine- aromas of toffee, caramel and nuts...reminds me a little bit of an Aussie muscat. This bottle did not show well on the palate though- sharp and disjointed, with an odd metallic quality. Hopefully for VM this was just an off bottle.
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