France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Started off decently but the alcohol got quite prominent while the fruit dropped away to be dominated by earth. Maybe a little bit of premox or something else dragging this down.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Pine nuts, toast, smoke, orange peel and spice. Delicious, with lovely ripeness but also depth to the fruit. It is rich, but there is also poise. Really well put together. Excellent!
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Bottle 2 - Blind initially. Lemon, musk, white florals and mineral aromas. The acid is settling and the wine feels really nicely composed. Has both power and delicacy. The brightness persists across the length of the palate. Really lovely, and a much better bottle, just a shame that it took 2 bottles to get something drinkable.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Peach, marshmallow, orange, florals and lime, there is a light herbal touch toward the finish as well. The acidity and texture of the fruit is great, there is good richness but not at a level that distracts from the purity of the fruit. There is a little tinge of oxidation here that would distract some tasters more than others.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Flint, graphite, smoke and pomegranate - definitely on the reductive side but there is still interest. The palate explodes with power, the fruit bursts forward, but there is still structure through the acidity. Really shining tonight.
Complex and exciting aromas - earth, meat, licorice, violets, some blackcurrant and also a leaf and olive element in the background. The palate is very savoury, with an truffle and earth element throughout. Tannins are fine and integrated really well, the wine feels like it is definitely ready to drink. Very much on song tonight.
Briar and stalky, with menthol and ash - the vegetable and herbal elements definitely stand out on this bottle, a little too much for my preference. On the palate the texture is holding up well and there is a bright note to it. Lacks a bit in complexity, especially next to the 1996 Chaillot tonight.
Blind. Red berries, roses, chocolate, blackberry, pepper and charcoal - aromatic and expressive. The palate shows quite a softness to the fruit, there are complexity and plenty of layers through the length of the palate. I wouldn't want to hold these too much longer based on this bottle as the fruit may fade too far, but for now it was excellent.
Redcurrant, graphite, cherry and rhubarb. Drinking nicely now, the fruit is clean and consistent. Good length and while it didn't really have an excitement factor, it was very nice.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Floral, cherry, leaf, spice, ash and blackberry. Showing better than a magnum from late last year, there fruit is mostly clean though there is an earthy element giving it some extra interest. Ticking along nicely.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Black cherry, blackberry, raspberry and charcoal on the nose and palate. Quite sweet fruited, with a light medicinal character. Feels a bit in between youth and having any complexity. Not greatly appealing tonight.
Lifted, with immense purity. A nose of violets, cherry, raspberry, gunpowder, spices with both white and black pepper as well as cardamom along with a line of mineral, chalky saline character. Plenty of firm tannic grip on the palate to go along with the mix of savoury and sweet red and black fruits, layered and deep. Constantly shifts in the glass, this has so much going on. Mesmerizing stuff.
Tobacco, coffee, redcurrant, raspberry and iron with some meaty character in the background. Excellent structure, with the tannins and acidity playing off against the power of the fruit. The oak, fruit and acidity are really well stitched together, with nothing feeling out of place. Really delightful way to finish the night.
NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Premier Cru Les Vignes de Vrigny 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
100% Pinot Meunier, disgorged 07/16. Lemon, light earth, apple and floral notes. Nice acid flow, clean and nicely persistent. Drinking well now.
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2005 Domaine Ramonet Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Started off decently but the alcohol got quite prominent while the fruit dropped away to be dominated by earth. Maybe a little bit of premox or something else dragging this down.
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2010 Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Pine nuts, toast, smoke, orange peel and spice. Delicious, with lovely ripeness but also depth to the fruit. It is rich, but there is also poise. Really well put together. Excellent!
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1986 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Corked :(
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2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Bottle 1 - Badly premoxed.
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2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Bottle 2 - Blind initially. Lemon, musk, white florals and mineral aromas. The acid is settling and the wine feels really nicely composed. Has both power and delicacy. The brightness persists across the length of the palate. Really lovely, and a much better bottle, just a shame that it took 2 bottles to get something drinkable.
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2011 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Peach, marshmallow, orange, florals and lime, there is a light herbal touch toward the finish as well. The acidity and texture of the fruit is great, there is good richness but not at a level that distracts from the purity of the fruit. There is a little tinge of oxidation here that would distract some tasters more than others.
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2011 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Flint, graphite, smoke and pomegranate - definitely on the reductive side but there is still interest. The palate explodes with power, the fruit bursts forward, but there is still structure through the acidity. Really shining tonight.
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1996 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Complex and exciting aromas - earth, meat, licorice, violets, some blackcurrant and also a leaf and olive element in the background. The palate is very savoury, with an truffle and earth element throughout. Tannins are fine and integrated really well, the wine feels like it is definitely ready to drink. Very much on song tonight.
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1996 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Briar and stalky, with menthol and ash - the vegetable and herbal elements definitely stand out on this bottle, a little too much for my preference. On the palate the texture is holding up well and there is a bright note to it. Lacks a bit in complexity, especially next to the 1996 Chaillot tonight.
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1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Blind. Red berries, roses, chocolate, blackberry, pepper and charcoal - aromatic and expressive. The palate shows quite a softness to the fruit, there are complexity and plenty of layers through the length of the palate. I wouldn't want to hold these too much longer based on this bottle as the fruit may fade too far, but for now it was excellent.
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2001 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Redcurrant, graphite, cherry and rhubarb. Drinking nicely now, the fruit is clean and consistent. Good length and while it didn't really have an excitement factor, it was very nice.
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1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 91 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Floral, cherry, leaf, spice, ash and blackberry. Showing better than a magnum from late last year, there fruit is mostly clean though there is an earthy element giving it some extra interest. Ticking along nicely.
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2007 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Black cherry, blackberry, raspberry and charcoal on the nose and palate. Quite sweet fruited, with a light medicinal character. Feels a bit in between youth and having any complexity. Not greatly appealing tonight.
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2011 Thierry Allemand Cornas Sans Soufre 96 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Lifted, with immense purity. A nose of violets, cherry, raspberry, gunpowder, spices with both white and black pepper as well as cardamom along with a line of mineral, chalky saline character. Plenty of firm tannic grip on the palate to go along with the mix of savoury and sweet red and black fruits, layered and deep. Constantly shifts in the glass, this has so much going on. Mesmerizing stuff.
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2004 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Tobacco, coffee, redcurrant, raspberry and iron with some meaty character in the background. Excellent structure, with the tannins and acidity playing off against the power of the fruit. The oak, fruit and acidity are really well stitched together, with nothing feeling out of place. Really delightful way to finish the night.
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