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• NV Tarlant Champagne La Vigne d'Antan 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  (4/6/2016)

  2000 vintage bottling, 2010 disgorgement. After having the 2002 vintage served blind the previous night, it was nice to revisit this. A much better showing than the '02 right now - powerful and layered with an array of ripe orchard fruit, minerality, biscuit, and more mature savoury mushroom, almost white truffle-like notes all coming together seamlessly. There's amazing intensity and concentration to the flavours, but at the same time it remains very light on its feet with tremendous finesse and length.

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• 1975 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (4/6/2016)

  This showed nicely despite a terrible cork (see Adrian's note) - a deep gold colour suggesting something very advanced, but the fruit here is still very fresh and augmented with an array of mature smoky, petrol, honeycomb, and floral notes. A bit sweeter than many old style Kabinett - this feels more like a Spätlese in its weight and intensity, but the balance is excellent, even though it's a touch thin on the back end.

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• 2007 Henri Jouan Clos St. Denis 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos St. Denis Grand Cru

  (4/6/2016)

  Disappointing - I really love the Jouan village and 1er cru wines, but this didn't show the same finesse and elegance. There's the classic Jouan profile - light on its feet with a delicate, gentle palate presence, understated red fruit and herbal notes with savoury earthy notes beneath, but there's also a strong oaky topnote that lingers and distracts from the other complexity here. With time and air the oak starts to integrate more with the rest of the flavours, but the overall package still feels a touch clumsy in contrast to the village/1er wines.

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• 2007 Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos St. Denis Grand Cru

  (4/6/2016)

  A wow from the aromatics alone. Just a spectacular fragrance here, combining all sorts of flamboyant, exotic spicy and floral notes, ripe red berried fruit, earth, and a deft oaky element that's fully integrated with the other flavours here, rather than dominating or distracting from them. The palate presence is remarkable - great intensity of flavour, yet so light on its feet with powerful acidity and very fine grained tannins giving it a very silky, delicate palate presence. As Adrian notes, it's perhaps a touch light on the finish, but still this is a stunning wine.

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• 1994 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel Auction 99 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (4/6/2016)

  Holy god. I had exceptionally high expectations for this (as I usually do with Egon Muller's wines), and yet it outperformed. An amazing fragrance with all sorts of ripe citrus and tropical fruit flavours, honey and vanilla botrytis notes, exotic spiciness, and those classic high toned Saar herbal/lime leaf notes all coming together into a scent that's hard to move away from. The palate is incredible - amazingly intense and sweet, yet that powerful '94 acidity keeps it so light on its feet and impeccably focused. Some of the conversation compares this to the 2001 Yquem, but I reckon that's a no-contest - I will take this any day over the '01 Yquem or any other Sauternes I've had. Spectacular, to say the least.

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• 1997 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (4/7/2016)

  Pleasant though not really exciting. It's fun to drink with ripe orchard fruit tinged with flowers and herbs and a gentle underpinning of slate, but age hasn't brought a great deal of complexity here - yet. It still feels very fresh and young, though I was hoping for a bit more in the way of development and depth here.

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• 1997 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese Flawed

  Germany, Nahe

  (4/7/2016)

  Nothing like the last bottle I enjoyed. There's some ripe, sweet fruit here, but it feels a bit hollow and alcoholic at the same time, not showing any of the savoury or creamy depth I recall from my last experience with this. Consensus was that this was likely a heat damaged bottle.

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• 1997 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 96 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (4/7/2016)

  Awesome Spätlese. This has it all: a spectrum of fruit ranging from apples and citrus to riper peachy and white cherry flavours, layers of mineral, herbal, floral, and mature smoky notes, and the whole package is absolutely seamless. The balance is incredible, and it has a remarkably light, almost floating palate presence with bright acids balancing the sweetness perfectly. This just reminds me why I'm cellaring Dönnhoff.

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• 1990 Jos. Christoffel Jr. (Christoffel-Prüm) Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese *** 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (4/7/2016)

  Really pretty. Lots of smoky and fusel notes on the nose framing ripe red berries, peaches, and tarter citrus and apple fruit flavours, with floral and greener herbal notes coming out with more time. The sweetness is fairly restrained for a 3-star Auslese with the residual sugar buffered by the powerful '90 acidity, but it's very well balanced and easy to drink, getting much more fragrant and complex with air.

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• 1990 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (4/7/2016)

  Is this reverse prädikat creep? This does not taste like Auslese - the flavours and palate presence are much closer to Spätlese or even a very ripe Kabinett. The flavours are tart but classic Saar - lots of green apple, limes, lemons, and pears with a slate and stony mineral base underneath, and higher toned herbal and faintly leafy accents that develop with more time. There's not much residual sugar apparent here and the acidity is immense, so this comes across just barely off-dry (the '95 Scharzhofberger Spätlese I recently opened was much sweeter than this). It's a bit of a shock given my usual expectations for EM Auslese, but the wine itself is still fantastic with remarkable purity and focus to the flavours, and impressive length.

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• 2010 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 100 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (4/7/2016)

  I do not have the vocabulary to adequately describe this wine. This has everything: a wider array of fruit than I'd see in a Singaporean supermarket (but with no durian), all sorts of floral, herbal, mineral, and spicy elements, a clean botrytis flavour that only adds to the complexity rather than overwhelming, and other honeyed and more savoury notes I can't begin to catalogue. The palate presence is unreal - unbelievably intense, yet so light and graceful with massive acidity balancing the equally intense sweetness, and a finish that's endless. This lives up to the hype - and then some.

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• 1998 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese 90 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  (4/7/2016)

  Unusually well behaved for this bottling - the fiery Rieslaner spice is somewhat muted here, and it's more about its ripe apricot, honey, and other tropical fruited flavours, as usual intensely sweet but very well balanced, and showing a slight phenolic bite on the finish.

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• 1998 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Riesling Eiswein 92 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  (4/7/2016)

  Not quite the freaky Cronenberg that the '96 Eiswein was - this was better behaved, though still showing some serious residual sugar though with the acidity to balance it. Packed with ripe tropical fruits, strawberries, and candied lemons with higher toned gingery accents, intense, powerful, and really compelling as these '98 MCs tend to be.

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• 2010 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein 97 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (4/7/2016)

  This is just awesome. An array of piercingly bright, fresh fruit here, ranging from ripe passionfruit and white cherries to tarter green apple and lime flavours, and those higher toned spicy and horseradish-like Eiswein notes, all coming together on a lightweight frame that's carried by a powerful spine of acidity. The flavours are incredibly intense but it seems to float on the palate with barely any sense of weight, and amazing length. Perhaps this only suffers in contrast with the monumental '10 TBA, where it doesn't show quite the same kaleidoscopic depth or incredible clarity, but on its own, it's still an absolutely extraordinary wine.

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• 1978 Domaine de l'Hermite Hermitage 98 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  (4/8/2016)

  This is spectacular - fully mature, perhaps slightly past its peak, but an incredible, regal Hermitage with remarkable power and finesse. At first it feels a touch tired, but the red fruit and olive flavours brighten with air, augmented by an array of complex earthy, ashy, meaty, iron, and firepit flavours. The palate presence is incredible - so light and delicate, yet still showing tremendous intensity of flavour. Amazing wine.

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• 1990 Domaine de Vallouit Côte-Rôtie 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  (4/8/2016)

  Shows the ripeness of the vintage with a sappy intensity to the rich red and dark fruited flavours, and more tertiary leathery, smoky, and spicy accents. It's impeccably balanced with bright acidity beneath, though doesn't show the depth or complexity of Vallouit's Roziers or Voniere bottlings.

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• 1912 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho Reserva 95 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (4/8/2016)

  Ralph Wiggum would probably say "this wine tastes like dark" - not only is it remarkably dark in colour, but the figgy, toffee, nutty, and earthy flavours all have deep bass tones to them, not showing that citric brightness I often find in Verdelho. It's immense on the palate with great intensity to the flavours, powerful acids that buffer the moderate sweetness, and incredible length. Fantastic.

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• NV Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Rose Brut Nature Cumières 75 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  (4/9/2016)

  L0311, and I understand this is all based on the 2011 vintage. Somehow I liked this even less than the lightly corked bottle of the 2010-based Rosé Cumières I had last month. It smells like equal parts 2004 red Burg and cheap, grassy Sauvignon Blanc - barely any fruit, and dominated by nasty celery and cilantro leaf aromas. One sip is shrill and sour, and completely unpleasant. Not a fan of this - seems like Laval just had a really bad hand that year, as I've really liked his wines from other vintages.

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• NV Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Mottelettes 89 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (4/9/2016)

  Very nice, packed with ripe citrus, apple, and other orchard fruit flavours with steely and chalky mineral notes beneath. It shows a trace of sweetness but it's nicely buffered by the acidity, though it seems a touch one-note and light on the more savoury yeasty/autolytic flavours.

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• NV H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Julie Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  (4/9/2016)

  Jan 2006 disgorgement. This is downright awesome. Powerful, layered, incredibly deep with lots of ripe fruit, brioche, toast, and other yeasty flavours, chalky minerality, and a light nutty note that develops with more air. It's a big wine with lots of concentration, but also has a ton of acidity that keeps it incredibly focused and polished. I could drink a lot of this. Wait, I think I did.

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• 1990 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese #8 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (4/9/2016)

  AP #8 from half bottle. Damn, this just killed it. Reminds me of the '90 Haag BJS Spätlese I opened a few months ago, but with an extra gear in terms of ripeness and power. It's not especially sweet (again showing that powerful 1990 acidity to moderate the sweetness), but there's plenty of richness to the ripe citrus, apple, and stone fruit flavours here, and an array of mature vanilla cream, smoky, and floral/herbal elements adding so much complexity. Each sip feels incredibly light and graceful, and a glass disappears all too quickly.

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• 1983 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Auction Flawed

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (4/9/2016)

  Probably the most tragic corked bottle I've ever opened. The palate is still incredible, still showing powerful yellow fruit, honey, and smokiness. But the nose is hideously corked. Alas.

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• 1994 Château Lafleur Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  (4/9/2016)

  Very lightly corked. Jeez, a corked '83 Prum and Lafleur on the same afternoon? BOO! NOT COOL!

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• 1996 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (4/9/2016)

  Definitely one of the better Pahlmeyers I've had, showing plenty of ripe red fruit augmented with cedary, spicy, and faintly leathery notes. It's a big wine (the label indicates over 14% alcohol) but reasonably well balanced with some nice maturing complexity.

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• 2011 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre Tine 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (4/9/2016)

  Stunning wine. So elegant and light on its feet, with a fragrance that keeps building and showing more complexity with time. Even though it's incredibly young, there's so much depth already apparent here with layers of cherries, rose petals, more savoury earthy, anise, and tree bark-like notes, and bright acidity beneath that lends it such a finessed, gentle palate presence, with a finish that just lingers on.

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A couple more wines at the end that I forgot - once that Ardbeg Chieftain came out, I got too distracted from the other wines.

• NV Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  (4/10/2016)

  I liked this, but less so than a lot of others at the table - found this just a bit too oxidative for me, with the nutty and other oxidative elements overwhelming the fruit and minerality for me. There's great precision and focus on the palate though with really bright acidity, but it's not really my style of Champagne, although very well made.

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• 2009 Weingut Keller Riesling G-Max 96 Points

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  (4/10/2016)

  Always a treat to have a G-Max - thanks Phil. This is just awesome. Equal parts fruit and stone - layers of ripe citrus, apples, riper stone fruits, and floral notes over a base of pure stone. Each sip starts out with ripe fruit but turns more savoury and minerally, and the finish is a wash of streamwater and rocks, and a mile long. Spectacular wine.

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• 2007 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  (4/10/2016)

  Classic Hirtzberger - opulent and intense with a core of ripe yellow fruit framed by flamboyant floral and spicy (botrytis?) notes, a faint waxiness, and gentle stony accents that emerge with more air. It's a big wine but very well balanced as is the norm for Hirtzberger, showing plenty of acidity and impressive length on the finish. Still very young, but I imagine this will be awesome with more time.

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• 2001 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Cuvée Charlotte Dumay Méo-Camuzet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  (4/10/2016)

  The nose screams Meo. Lots of lush red and dark fruit accented by flamboyant oaky and spicy notes, and yet while the oak is prominent, it's never out of balance or distracting from the fruit. The balance here is fantastic with a sappy intensity to the fruit on the palate, a very polished, silken texture, and bright acidity giving the flavours good lift. Lovely wine.

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• 1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 94 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/10/2016)

  What a great showing. Still very youthful with incredible freshness to the bright red berried fruit flavours, and all sorts of more savoury earthy, tobacco, leathery, and other tertiary accents on the nose. So light on its feet and easy to drink with the tannins mostly integrated, and most of the structure here coming from the bright acid spine.

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• 1981 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Ygay Etiqueta Blanca Flawed

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  (4/10/2016)

  Oxidized.

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• 1987 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 95 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/10/2016)

  I've always been curious if the GR 890 was that much of a step up in quality from the 904 - if this bottle is any indication, then absolutely. This is just spectacular. Everything I could expect in an older Rioja is here - an array of red and dark fruit, mature earthy and tobacco notes, and lower toned leathery and mushroom elements, all coming together very seamlessly on a polished, medium weight frame. Amazing complexity and finesse here, and this is one of the first bottles emptied at the table.

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• 2005 Henri Jouan Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  (4/10/2016)

  Doesn't seem at all representative - the palate feels shrill and hollow, and there's a slightly stewed quality to the nose. Heat damaged?

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• 2004 Château de la Bonneliere Touraine Ante Phylloxera Clos de Maulevrier 93 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine

  (4/10/2016)

  Damn - if this is what these wines will turn into with some age, I'm glad I have a bunch in the cellar. The aromatics scream Cab Franc - vividly green and forestal with all sorts of leafy, herbal, earthy, and tree bark flavours, and on the palate there's a core of bright blackberry fruit up front that turns more earthy and savoury on the finish. Powerful yet very elegant - in a way, this reminds me of a Rougeard with a bit less oak. Fantastic wine.

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• 2001 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 97 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  (4/10/2016)

  And now we're getting schwifty! This was opened a couple of hours in advance and really benefited from the air - the aromatics are spectacular, showing an array of savoury meaty, leathery, and earthy notes, black olives, and fresh red fruits that all come together into an amazing scent. There's amazing intensity of flavour on the palate, yet it's so light on its feet with bright acids giving it lift, and a very gentle palate presence. Phenomenal.

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• 2000 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  (4/10/2016)

  What a great flight alongside the '01 Jamet - that was a classic example of Côte-Rôtie; but this is proper Cornas with its intense dark fruit, leathery and briny notes, and a density on the palate and spine of firm tannin that suggest it still has a lot of time ahead of it. Time brings out more meaty flavours and other savoury depth, but it's still very young.

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• 1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  (4/10/2016)

  I've liked this in the past, but tonight it just struggled when following the Jamet and Clape, and poured alongside the Gangloff. Lots of bright red fruit and olives here with some developing meatiness, but the oak also sticks out a bit on the nose, and it feels a touch foursquare in contrast to the much more elegant Côte-Rôties.

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• 2006 Mathilde et Yves Gangloff Côte-Rôtie La Serene Noire 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  (4/10/2016)

  Always love this wine, and this is no exception - a more flamboyant and opulent style of Côte-Rôtie with a bit of oak in the background, though it only adds an accent rather than overwhelming the layers of ripe red and dark fruit and vivid peppery and cured meat flavours here. Still quite youthful with plenty of firm tannin on the back end, but a lot of fun to drink after a double decant.

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• 1992 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  (4/10/2016)

  Still incredibly young, but all kinds of awesome. Classic Cabernet flavours here, with tobacco, cedar, and layers of dark berried fruit accented by the signature minty and menthol notes on the nose and palate. The fruit's still quite dense and sappy on the palate and there's a lot of tannin beneath, but this is really good with roast chicken though still years away from maturity.

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• 1998 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch 94 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

  (4/10/2016)

  One of my favorite old school Aussies, and this is just a fantastic bottle. An array of dark berried fruits, tobacco, mint, and eucalyptus, with deft American oak accents that add complexity without overwhelming, all coming together very seamlessly into a polished whole. There's impressive power and density on the palate, yet it's only 13.3% alcohol and showing enough acidity and tannin to suggest there's still plenty of time ahead. A fantastic wine and I always wish these were easier to find in the US.

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• 2012 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 95 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (4/10/2016)

  For specifics/descriptors, read acyso's note. Or wait for tooch/Nanda's. This is downright awesome, so much so that I stopped paying attention to the complexity and depth here, and was just drinking for the sheer visceral pleasure.

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"It's the hardest-working liver in the galaxy, Morty, and now it has a hole in it. I hope it was worth it."