Fresh and still young, citrus, yeast, brioche, nuttiness, enormous concentration, fills and expand in the mouth, continuing in a very long finish. Superb 100% Chardonnay champagne.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
This is really beautiful already. Nose very open and inviting, full bodied taste with lively fruit, big tension, minerality, young but very balanced. Citrus, zest, acacia, flowers. Long finish. Lafon has improved the last years and 2014 is great. Very, very fine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Typical Leflaive nose with butter, sweets and honeysuckle, lovely. Taste creamy, lemon, soft acidity, hazelnuts. Seems to be holding back a bit, limited length. I have the idea that it is in a slightly closed state and will open up with more bottle years. Still a very fine maturing white Burgundy to drink now.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Nose a bit restricted, later on citrus and the typical mint come through. Taste full of lemon, lemon zest, spice, big acidic backbone which unfolds in your mouth in many different directions in a way I have never experienced before. Continues with a long finish. Superbly fine. Unfortunately there was no time to look at further development of the wine (bottle was emptied quickly), because I think this wine has a lot of potential for that. Superbly fine.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
My first white CdP. Nose floral and a bit spicy. Rich taste, balanced, pure flavors, white Rhone wine signature, licorice, honey, a bit of pepper. Very, very fine.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Very interesting nose, combination of Burgundian red fruit and Bordeaux graphite, lovely to dive in. Taste red fruit, very clean, some tannins, spice, some green pepper. Really lovely wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
I was very interested in this wine. I managed to retrieve my 2011 purchases by visiting Maison Ilan myself, had to search for the Chambertin in many different bottles in his cellar that did not have labels by looking with my iPhone light through the bottle at the cork. Afterwards I administered the labels myself. After this adventure I was curious how the wine would taste. Fortunately, this is a very good Chambertin. Nose shows lovely red fruit with exquisite spiciness, taste also red fruit, some minerals, some tannins, rich, elegant, complex, good finish. After excellent 2009 and 2010 Chambertins, Ray Walker also managed to make an excellent 2011 version.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
This is still young but very promising. Nose at first does not give away much, later on it slowly opens. Taste layers of lovely red fruit, cherries, backbone with great minerality and acidity, some tannins. Is already a feast to drink, but I would lay it down for several years for development of complexity, because this wine has everything in it. Very, very fine.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Fabulous CdP. Great nose of roses, violets, pepper and red fruit. Taste like in nose, good acidity, spice, pepper, very long finish. Never had a CdP like this, different league of wine. Wonderfully fine.
Mature Hermitage, drinking wonderfully considering this is more than 20 years old. Lovely nose with spice and sous bois. Taste red and dark fruit, fresh, lovely acidity, balanced, long finish. Still appears young. Really very fine Hermitage.
Palate cleaner in between dinner with big red wines. Lovely intermezzo, nose brioche, red fruit; taste lots of red fruit, sweet acidity. I thought the palate was a bit heavy.
Beautiful nose, a bit like the 1996 Chave Hermitage we drank just before. Taste lots of clean red and dark fruit, quite some acidity, long finish. Lovely made wine, think this will evolve further over the next years, Very fine.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
My first Soldera, great wine. Lovely red fruit, velvety, elegant, very aromatic with different spices and cinnamon. After a long evening and many different wines this really amazes me. Super fine.
2005 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Dizy Corne Bautray Extra-Brut
France, Champagne
Fresh and still young, citrus, yeast, brioche, nuttiness, enormous concentration, fills and expand in the mouth, continuing in a very long finish. Superb 100% Chardonnay champagne.
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2000 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Grand Cru Degorgement Tardif Avize
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Mature champagne, vinous, very mineral, oxidative tones, very concentrated, medium length. Very fine.
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2014 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
This is really beautiful already. Nose very open and inviting, full bodied taste with lively fruit, big tension, minerality, young but very balanced. Citrus, zest, acacia, flowers. Long finish. Lafon has improved the last years and 2014 is great. Very, very fine.
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2009 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Typical Leflaive nose with butter, sweets and honeysuckle, lovely. Taste creamy, lemon, soft acidity, hazelnuts. Seems to be holding back a bit, limited length. I have the idea that it is in a slightly closed state and will open up with more bottle years. Still a very fine maturing white Burgundy to drink now.
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2011 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Nose a bit restricted, later on citrus and the typical mint come through. Taste full of lemon, lemon zest, spice, big acidic backbone which unfolds in your mouth in many different directions in a way I have never experienced before. Continues with a long finish. Superbly fine. Unfortunately there was no time to look at further development of the wine (bottle was emptied quickly), because I think this wine has a lot of potential for that. Superbly fine.
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2004 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
My first white CdP. Nose floral and a bit spicy. Rich taste, balanced, pure flavors, white Rhone wine signature, licorice, honey, a bit of pepper. Very, very fine.
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2007 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Very interesting nose, combination of Burgundian red fruit and Bordeaux graphite, lovely to dive in. Taste red fruit, very clean, some tannins, spice, some green pepper. Really lovely wine.
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2007 Domaine Audiffred Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Nose not giving much, some red fruit. Taste red fruit, nice acidity, short finish. No further improvement in time in the glass.
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2011 Maison Ilan Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
I was very interested in this wine. I managed to retrieve my 2011 purchases by visiting Maison Ilan myself, had to search for the Chambertin in many different bottles in his cellar that did not have labels by looking with my iPhone light through the bottle at the cork. Afterwards I administered the labels myself. After this adventure I was curious how the wine would taste. Fortunately, this is a very good Chambertin. Nose shows lovely red fruit with exquisite spiciness, taste also red fruit, some minerals, some tannins, rich, elegant, complex, good finish. After excellent 2009 and 2010 Chambertins, Ray Walker also managed to make an excellent 2011 version.
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2014 Domaine Chantal Rémy Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
This is still young but very promising. Nose at first does not give away much, later on it slowly opens. Taste layers of lovely red fruit, cherries, backbone with great minerality and acidity, some tannins. Is already a feast to drink, but I would lay it down for several years for development of complexity, because this wine has everything in it. Very, very fine.
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2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Fabulous CdP. Great nose of roses, violets, pepper and red fruit. Taste like in nose, good acidity, spice, pepper, very long finish. Never had a CdP like this, different league of wine. Wonderfully fine.
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1996 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Mature Hermitage, drinking wonderfully considering this is more than 20 years old. Lovely nose with spice and sous bois. Taste red and dark fruit, fresh, lovely acidity, balanced, long finish. Still appears young. Really very fine Hermitage.
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2005 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Rosé
France, Champagne
Palate cleaner in between dinner with big red wines. Lovely intermezzo, nose brioche, red fruit; taste lots of red fruit, sweet acidity. I thought the palate was a bit heavy.
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2008 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Beautiful nose, a bit like the 1996 Chave Hermitage we drank just before. Taste lots of clean red and dark fruit, quite some acidity, long finish. Lovely made wine, think this will evolve further over the next years, Very fine.
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2008 Château Cos d'Estournel
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Typical Cos nose, aromatic, spicy, dark fruit, hint of chocolate. Taste dark fruit, complex, balanced. I like this style. Very, very fine.
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2005 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
My first Soldera, great wine. Lovely red fruit, velvety, elegant, very aromatic with different spices and cinnamon. After a long evening and many different wines this really amazes me. Super fine.
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2014 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel
Germany, Nahe
The last bottle of the evening. pretty Riesling, lovely fruit, sweetness and acidity. Great ending of a great evening.
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