South Africa, Cape South Coast, Swellendam, Malgas
Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, gold colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of cotton wool, minerality, floral notes, and tropical fruits. Developing. On the palate, dry, bright high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tropical fruit - mangoes, pineapples, ripe apricots, and minerality. Long finish. Very good quality. Excellent concentration and mouth-feel. Lovely Viognier fragrance and the racy acidity from the Chenin Blanc. Drinking very well now, and enjoy over the next 4+ years. 57% Chenin Blanc, 43% Viognier. Barrel fermented.
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 2+ hours. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, soya sauce, mushrooms, minerality, black tea leaves. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, smooth medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackberries, black plums, prunes, leather, earth, mushrooms, black tea leaves. Long finish. Good quality. Was probably better a few years ago. The fruit is starting to dry up now. Drink up soon.
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 2+ hours. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of herbaceousness, green bell peppers, cedar, blackberry, slight spice. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, fine high tannins, full body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of green bell peppers, cedar, blackberries, leather, chalky minerality, slight spice. In the first 1 hour, this was quite closed and actually felt rather green and bland. It only started to open up and put on weight and amazingly developed flavour with more air in the 2nd hour. Medium+ finish. Good quality. Classic Left Bank Bordeaux. Will improve with age. I am personally not a fan of the herbaeousness and green bell peppers though.
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 2+ hours. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, inky garnet colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, mushrooms, coffee, mint, ripe black fruits, slight graphite. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, smooth medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet blackberries, black plums, coffee, earth, mushrooms, licorice, mint, slight graphite. Layers and layers of complexity. Long finish. Very very good quality. Probably quite concentrated if drank young. Now it has mellowed and is probably drinking at peak now. Drink up over next 2-3 years. Merlot 35%, Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Cabernet Franc 10%.
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and dank over 2+ hours. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of mushrooms to truffles with more air, tea leaves, earth, leather, blackberries, slight herbs and cedar. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tea leaves, earth, leather, truffles, blackberries, black cherries. Despite the strong tannins there is a certain elegance to this. Long finish. Very good quality. Ripe vintage. Only a hint of green here - I like. Drink up soon. May start to decline sometime over the next 3-4 years.
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 1 hour. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of vanilla oak, ripe red and black cherries, blackberries, slight green bell pepper. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of vanilla, cedar, ripe red cherries, black cherries, blackberries. Very long finish. Very good quality. Very familiar smell and taste. I guessed this was a Margaret River Diana Madeline. Still on the young side now. This needs an extended decant, or keep for another 5+ years at least.
2010 Sijnn Swellendam 93 Points
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Swellendam, Malgas
Pop and poured. Drank over 2 hours.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, gold colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of cotton wool, minerality, floral notes, and tropical fruits. Developing.
On the palate, dry, bright high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tropical fruit - mangoes, pineapples, ripe apricots, and minerality. Long finish.
Very good quality. Excellent concentration and mouth-feel. Lovely Viognier fragrance and the racy acidity from the Chenin Blanc. Drinking very well now, and enjoy over the next 4+ years.
57% Chenin Blanc, 43% Viognier. Barrel fermented.
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1996 Château Clinet 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 2+ hours.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, soya sauce, mushrooms, minerality, black tea leaves. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, smooth medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackberries, black plums, prunes, leather, earth, mushrooms, black tea leaves. Long finish.
Good quality. Was probably better a few years ago. The fruit is starting to dry up now. Drink up soon.
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1996 Château Cos d'Estournel 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 2+ hours.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of herbaceousness, green bell peppers, cedar, blackberry, slight spice. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, fine high tannins, full body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of green bell peppers, cedar, blackberries, leather, chalky minerality, slight spice. In the first 1 hour, this was quite closed and actually felt rather green and bland. It only started to open up and put on weight and amazingly developed flavour with more air in the 2nd hour. Medium+ finish.
Good quality. Classic Left Bank Bordeaux. Will improve with age. I am personally not a fan of the herbaeousness and green bell peppers though.
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1999 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri Toscana IGT 96 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 2+ hours.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, inky garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, mushrooms, coffee, mint, ripe black fruits, slight graphite. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, smooth medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet blackberries, black plums, coffee, earth, mushrooms, licorice, mint, slight graphite. Layers and layers of complexity. Long finish.
Very very good quality. Probably quite concentrated if drank young. Now it has mellowed and is probably drinking at peak now. Drink up over next 2-3 years.
Merlot 35%, Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Cabernet Franc 10%.
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1990 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and dank over 2+ hours.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of mushrooms to truffles with more air, tea leaves, earth, leather, blackberries, slight herbs and cedar. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tea leaves, earth, leather, truffles, blackberries, black cherries. Despite the strong tannins there is a certain elegance to this. Long finish.
Very good quality. Ripe vintage. Only a hint of green here - I like. Drink up soon. May start to decline sometime over the next 3-4 years.
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2004 Cullen Wines Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 92 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over 1 hour.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of vanilla oak, ripe red and black cherries, blackberries, slight green bell pepper. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of vanilla, cedar, ripe red cherries, black cherries, blackberries. Very long finish.
Very good quality. Very familiar smell and taste. I guessed this was a Margaret River Diana Madeline. Still on the young side now. This needs an extended decant, or keep for another 5+ years at least.
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