Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon-yellow colour. Legs. Fast fading bubbles. Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of salty-stony minerality, citrus lemon, and slight toasty biscuit. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sour lemon-lime, salty minerality, limestone, slight toasty biscuit. Medium+ finish. Good quality. Nice drinking but nothing really distinctive. Good QPR I suppose. Based on the 2005 and 2006 vintages. Seems to have dosage on the slightly higher side?
Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, chrysanthmum yellow colour. Legs. Fine bit of spritz. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of stony minerality, funky briny sea-salt, citrus lemon. Fleeting hint of something floral. Developing. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of salty minerality, wet stones minerality, citrus lemon. Long finish. Good quality. I was guessing a Chardonnay white burgundy, but somehow lacking fruit expressiveness. Well, can't expect too much fruit out of Aligote right? This wine feels piece-meal at this point in time. Give this another year or two to develop and it should be better. Long finish is a good sign too.
Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of citrus lemon, stony mineraity, slight oily butter and mild yellow flowers. Youthful. On the plate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of citrus lemon, stony minerality, salty butter. Long finish. Very good quality. My guess was that this as definitely a white burgundy, just hard to identify exactly where. Nothing complex going on here, but well-made and drinking well. Such quality from a Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Blanc! Could be due to the awesome 2014 white burg vintage also. A definite winner at its price point.
Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of herbaceous green bell peppers, green aphids, blackcurrant leaf, black cherry. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant leaf, green bell pepper, green herbaceousness, some savoury earth. Medium finish. Clearly under-ripe and/or young vine Cabernet Sauvignon here. Some similarity to young vine Chilean Cabs, but this has some slight Old World quality to it. Nonetheless, just too green for my tastes. 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc.
New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of licorice, sweet spices, blackberries, dark red cherries. Developing. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), fine medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of licorice, sweet spices, blackberries, black cherries, dark red cherries, earth. Long finish. Very good quality. Though this is far from Burgundian. Very much New World Pinot, and on blind taste more like a very elegant Syrah.
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels
Screw-cap. Pop and poured. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of violets, licorice, sweet spices, black cherries, blackberries, slight white pepper. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), fine medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of vanilla oak, licorice, blueberries, black cherries, blackberries, savoury earth, some white pepper. Medium finish. Very good quality. Elegant cool climate style Syrah from Gimblett Gravels. Drink up and enjoy.
NV Voirin-Jumel Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée 555 Blanc de Blancs 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon-yellow colour. Legs. Fast fading bubbles.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of salty-stony minerality, citrus lemon, and slight toasty biscuit. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sour lemon-lime, salty minerality, limestone, slight toasty biscuit. Medium+ finish.
Good quality. Nice drinking but nothing really distinctive. Good QPR I suppose.
Based on the 2005 and 2006 vintages. Seems to have dosage on the slightly higher side?
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2014 Yann Durieux Love and Pif 89 Points
France, Vin de France
Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, chrysanthmum yellow colour. Legs. Fine bit of spritz.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of stony minerality, funky briny sea-salt, citrus lemon. Fleeting hint of something floral. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of salty minerality, wet stones minerality, citrus lemon. Long finish.
Good quality. I was guessing a Chardonnay white burgundy, but somehow lacking fruit expressiveness. Well, can't expect too much fruit out of Aligote right?
This wine feels piece-meal at this point in time. Give this another year or two to develop and it should be better. Long finish is a good sign too.
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2014 Domaine Hudelot-Baillet Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Blanc 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of citrus lemon, stony mineraity, slight oily butter and mild yellow flowers. Youthful.
On the plate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of citrus lemon, stony minerality, salty butter. Long finish.
Very good quality. My guess was that this as definitely a white burgundy, just hard to identify exactly where. Nothing complex going on here, but well-made and drinking well.
Such quality from a Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Blanc! Could be due to the awesome 2014 white burg vintage also. A definite winner at its price point.
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2010 Grace Vineyard Deep Blue 87 Points
China, Shanxi
Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of herbaceous green bell peppers, green aphids, blackcurrant leaf, black cherry. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant leaf, green bell pepper, green herbaceousness, some savoury earth. Medium finish.
Clearly under-ripe and/or young vine Cabernet Sauvignon here. Some similarity to young vine Chilean Cabs, but this has some slight Old World quality to it. Nonetheless, just too green for my tastes.
74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc.
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2008 Dry River Pinot Noir 92 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of licorice, sweet spices, blackberries, dark red cherries. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), fine medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of licorice, sweet spices, blackberries, black cherries, dark red cherries, earth. Long finish.
Very good quality. Though this is far from Burgundian. Very much New World Pinot, and on blind taste more like a very elegant Syrah.
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2011 Mills Reef Syrah Elspeth Trust Vineyard 91 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels
Screw-cap. Pop and poured.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of violets, licorice, sweet spices, black cherries, blackberries, slight white pepper. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), fine medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of vanilla oak, licorice, blueberries, black cherries, blackberries, savoury earth, some white pepper. Medium finish.
Very good quality. Elegant cool climate style Syrah from Gimblett Gravels. Drink up and enjoy.
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