I thought this was just awesome. The nose was so expressive, blasting honey, tangerine, slate, pine, and lemon/lime. The palate is so linear and precise. As advertised, totally dry with lovely fruit extract, great laser-like acid right down the middle of the palate. Lovely.
I wasn't terribly impressed with this, especially considering the price. It was clobbered by the previous wine in my opinion. Poured blind, several people didn't even guess Riesling. Maybe too young, but I'm just not sure it's my style. The nose wasn't very expressive even at varying temperatures and degrees of aeration. The mild nose is of lemon, lime, butter, wax and chalk. The palate is softer and more round. Totally dry, but lacking the quantity of linear acid of the previous. Even a bit a bit bitter and sour on the finish. One positive was a good deal of mineral on the finish. Admittedly this might have been caught in an awkward spot.
What an eye-opening wine. Gorgeously complex nose. A degree of complexity I rarely find in a white wine. The nose is of pine, smoke, lemon curd, underripe mango, apple cider, dry soil, crushed rock, green leafy forest notes and rosemary. The mouthfeel is expansive and dense with great acid, while totally dry. The finish replays pine, rosemary and underripe mango and is long. An awesome surprise.
(served blind) pours on the lighter end of things in terms of colour with heavy bricking. The nose is complex, mature and expansive of celery seed, green peppercorn, dark cherry, unsmoked cigar tobacco, sweet cedar, herbs, barnyard (some brett clearly evident), dry leaves and leather. Palate is somewhat drying out at this stage. Fully enjoyable todday but don't wait too much longer. The tannins are mostly gone and the fruit and cedar leave a lovely old bordeaux sweet impression with moderate acid providing refreshment. I guessed left bank Bordeaux from 83, 85 or 88 due to the green streak, lightness and full maturity. In hindsight I almost should have known is was a Cordier bottling due to the rusticity.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Slow-oxed for a few hours in the afternoon then followed over several hours and it didn't change much. This pours inky dark, totally unevolved. The nose is squarely focused on overripe dark fruit: prunes, raisins, dates and figs, with faint background notes of pepper, capers and black licorice. The palate repeats the overripe notes of prunes and raisins with a heady, alcohol laden finish.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(tasted blind) This pours moderate ruby with some translucency and slight flecks of orange toward the rim. The nose shows abundant alcohol, powdered red candy, twizzlers, herbs, violets, cured meat, a touch of oak and dry earth. Certainly a modern style, but also maturing. The palate shows medium tannin, medium acid. I wondered whether this was a barbera, but ultimately didn't know. I didn't find that this spoke to it's region or was particularly exciting.
This pours a light, elegant, slightly cloudy but fully translucent ruby. The nose is of raspberry, strawberry, smoke, spice, coriander seed, green peppercorn, corned beef, rose petal and a heavy dose of stony mineral. The palate has elevated acid and moderate silky tannin. Young today, but this really shows promise. Very nicely styled, clean and precise.
This is a modern, typically fruit forward Cali cab, but certainly high quality and immaculately polished. The nose just blasts vanilla bean, violet, blueberry pie filling, coconut and blue Shush Puppie. The palate rich, round and immaculately polished. It is somewhat deficient in acid and has elevated alcohol showing. Not rated because I don't think I can do this style of wine justice, the quality is there but it's just not my usual style.
This pours fairly dark in colour with just a touch of bricking. The nose is of dusty soil, bramby mixed berries, diesel fuel and light touches of vanilla and coconut. The palate shows moderate acid and tannin. A nice wine in a decent spot if lacking some excitement.
This was coming across a bit advanced with a nose centered on wax, lime juice, sweat, smoke and some vaguely plasticy notes. The sugar, while clearly abundant was almost seeming more integrated than expected with moderate acid that was lacking some cut and precision for me. Still a decent and passable drink, though clearly nothing special. I think I found this more decent than others, some of whom found it undrinkable.
This pours a fairly viscus dark honeyed golden straw. The rich nose is wide open of apple cider, key lime pie, honey, white flowers and slate. The palate is sweet (seems like a bit under 100 g/l) but well in balance with great acid. Honey, apple, citrus and while flowers dominate the finish. Very nice bottle.
2010 Weingut Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Herrenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs trocken "M" 93 Points
Germany, Pfalz
I thought this was just awesome. The nose was so expressive, blasting honey, tangerine, slate, pine, and lemon/lime. The palate is so linear and precise. As advertised, totally dry with lovely fruit extract, great laser-like acid right down the middle of the palate. Lovely.
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2007 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 90 Points
France, Alsace
I wasn't terribly impressed with this, especially considering the price. It was clobbered by the previous wine in my opinion. Poured blind, several people didn't even guess Riesling. Maybe too young, but I'm just not sure it's my style. The nose wasn't very expressive even at varying temperatures and degrees of aeration. The mild nose is of lemon, lime, butter, wax and chalk. The palate is softer and more round. Totally dry, but lacking the quantity of linear acid of the previous. Even a bit a bit bitter and sour on the finish. One positive was a good deal of mineral on the finish. Admittedly this might have been caught in an awkward spot.
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2008 Sigalas Assyrtiko Santorini 93 Points
Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini
What an eye-opening wine. Gorgeously complex nose. A degree of complexity I rarely find in a white wine. The nose is of pine, smoke, lemon curd, underripe mango, apple cider, dry soil, crushed rock, green leafy forest notes and rosemary. The mouthfeel is expansive and dense with great acid, while totally dry. The finish replays pine, rosemary and underripe mango and is long. An awesome surprise.
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1985 Château Talbot 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
(served blind) pours on the lighter end of things in terms of colour with heavy bricking. The nose is complex, mature and expansive of celery seed, green peppercorn, dark cherry, unsmoked cigar tobacco, sweet cedar, herbs, barnyard (some brett clearly evident), dry leaves and leather. Palate is somewhat drying out at this stage. Fully enjoyable todday but don't wait too much longer. The tannins are mostly gone and the fruit and cedar leave a lovely old bordeaux sweet impression with moderate acid providing refreshment. I guessed left bank Bordeaux from 83, 85 or 88 due to the green streak, lightness and full maturity. In hindsight I almost should have known is was a Cordier bottling due to the rusticity.
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2006 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 86 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Slow-oxed for a few hours in the afternoon then followed over several hours and it didn't change much. This pours inky dark, totally unevolved. The nose is squarely focused on overripe dark fruit: prunes, raisins, dates and figs, with faint background notes of pepper, capers and black licorice. The palate repeats the overripe notes of prunes and raisins with a heady, alcohol laden finish.
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2004 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(tasted blind) This pours moderate ruby with some translucency and slight flecks of orange toward the rim. The nose shows abundant alcohol, powdered red candy, twizzlers, herbs, violets, cured meat, a touch of oak and dry earth. Certainly a modern style, but also maturing. The palate shows medium tannin, medium acid. I wondered whether this was a barbera, but ultimately didn't know. I didn't find that this spoke to it's region or was particularly exciting.
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2010 Domaine Jean Fournier Marsannay Les Echezots 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
This pours a light, elegant, slightly cloudy but fully translucent ruby. The nose is of raspberry, strawberry, smoke, spice, coriander seed, green peppercorn, corned beef, rose petal and a heavy dose of stony mineral. The palate has elevated acid and moderate silky tannin. Young today, but this really shows promise. Very nicely styled, clean and precise.
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2007 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
This is a modern, typically fruit forward Cali cab, but certainly high quality and immaculately polished. The nose just blasts vanilla bean, violet, blueberry pie filling, coconut and blue Shush Puppie. The palate rich, round and immaculately polished. It is somewhat deficient in acid and has elevated alcohol showing. Not rated because I don't think I can do this style of wine justice, the quality is there but it's just not my usual style.
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1997 Ridge Lytton Springs
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
This pours fairly dark in colour with just a touch of bricking. The nose is of dusty soil, bramby mixed berries, diesel fuel and light touches of vanilla and coconut. The palate shows moderate acid and tannin. A nice wine in a decent spot if lacking some excitement.
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1997 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 88 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
This was coming across a bit advanced with a nose centered on wax, lime juice, sweat, smoke and some vaguely plasticy notes. The sugar, while clearly abundant was almost seeming more integrated than expected with moderate acid that was lacking some cut and precision for me. Still a decent and passable drink, though clearly nothing special. I think I found this more decent than others, some of whom found it undrinkable.
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2001 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 92 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
This pours a fairly viscus dark honeyed golden straw. The rich nose is wide open of apple cider, key lime pie, honey, white flowers and slate. The palate is sweet (seems like a bit under 100 g/l) but well in balance with great acid. Honey, apple, citrus and while flowers dominate the finish. Very nice bottle.
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