Starting the "after-party" with a very exclusive palate cleaner. The nose shows some tonka beans, ripe apple, a bit of super fine brioche but also some oxidative notes. On the palate full and round, missing the last bit of tension and precision. Nevertheless a wonderful Champagne. I think it´s already drinking very good. No need to wait here.
The nose of this matured Spätlese trocken "R" showed pretty spectacular with so many different spices mixed with a ripe yellow fruit, some herbs and a calcareous component. Very appealing and complex. On the palate the wine couldn´t keep 100% what the nose promised. It missed a bit the last freshness and laser beam acidity a Auslese R can provide. Good power but appears a bit "dull" on in the finish. But we are talking on a very high level here. In a good drinking window right now. I don´t think it will develop any further/better but the wine will stay at this level for several more years if stored well.
After the Zilliken, Dönnhoffs Hermannshöhle was on a totally different level. More on the white fruit side on the nose. You get some melon, white flowers and grapefruit. On the palate very, very powerful. Lots of tension on the mid-palate. We tasted everything double blind and after this explosion I was not at the Nahe because I expected some more finesse from the region. Long and precise finish. Lots of potential left.
Directly from the estates cellar. A playful wine with aromas of yellow stone fruit, some exotic components but also herbal notes. Still a very good, lively acidity. I´m can´t remember 100% from which vineyard this Spätlese trocken is coming (I asked him and the wine was sourced in fact from the Aulerde vineyard) but Keller told us, that there is also a Spätlese trocken -R- which is the first Kirchspiel Turmstück he made. If you have some bottles left, give me a sign. :)
If you go to the Kellers for such a tasting and knowing that there will be some bombs open afterwards, you can´t come with a knife to a gun fight. So I went down im my cellar and pulled my only bottle of Roulot out. Although it´s a warm vintage for Burgundy, the wine wasn´t broad or too ripe. The nose showed fresh sliced yellow and white fruit, some flowers, minerals and some roasted nuts. The oak is there but in a very gentle way. On the palate the wine has a good amount of acidity for the vintage. Precise, only getting a bit broader on the back end of the palate. I really liked the wine although it doesn´t blow me away. I had the same wine some time ago and the oak is much more integrated now. I think this is in a good drinking window right now.
This was the biggest surprise of the white Burgundy flight. Lovely nose with white fruit mixed with some minerals, white flowers and a slightly "natural" component of ripe banana. Lovely matured. Round but high acidity, good length and precision.
Really hard to give the right rating here. Thank god we had this double blind, so you´re not influenced by the label which is always a big factor imo. Good amount of fruit, minerals and complexity on the nose. The acidity is rather medium, medium to full bodied. I missed the last kick and tension on the mid-palate and in the finish. Don´t get me wrong, this is a very good wine but for a Domaine with such a high reputation I expected more. Maybe the wine just needs more time.
This is truly an remarkable Bourgogne Blanc from one of the hottest names in Burgundy (white) right now. Still slightly reductive nose with white fruit, crashed stones and some herbal aromas. The reduction blows off with some time and you get some cold smoke. On the palate very pure, clean and transparent with a laser beam acidity (there was a little debate that it´s nearly impossible to naturally make a wine with such a high acidity in this warm vintage) and lots of cut. Long finish. The oak is just props the wine. No makeup. Unfortunately super rare and sought after. Meanwhile the prices got super crazy.
I´m not sure if this was a Reserva Especial, because the label didn´t show "Reserva Especial". Nevertheless a stunning wine which shows once again how good old Rioja can age if they are stored well. Wonderful nose with a mix of little red berries, coffee, tobacco, orange peel and a slightly note of American oak which is so typical for Rioja. On the palate medium bodied with a still lively acidity, good tension and a finish with medium length. Nice.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
We where all surprised after the bottle was showed. I´m not familiar with the wines of this Domaine mostly because they are very hard to come by and the prices are high when you have to buy on the secondary market. Red and dark fruit mixed with some spices but also lactic notes dominate the nose. On the palate very fresh, clean but also round and missed a bit the tension on the mid-palate. A bit one dimensional for a GC.
Double blind I never thought, the wine is that old. Black currant, some mushrooms, spices and a decent note of slightly green pepper which moves me in the direction of Cabernet Franc. On the palate still good in shape with a nice acidity, medium body and a good length. Still drinking very good.
The last red wine of the day was by far the best. What a wonderful, complex, burgundian nose with red fruit, spices, some mushrooms, underbrush, some rose petal and a hint of tar. The tannins are very strong on the palate but totally ripe. I think they will integrate after some more years of time. Very long, strong acidity and perfectly in balance. And still a young wine. Potential easily for another two decades. A truly stunning showing from one of the Masters in Barolo.
This was a appropriate finish to this stunning day. The nose shows all a good Grünhaus has. Spices, greens, ripe apricot and this time even more tangerine and bitter orange jam than normal. You can recognize the riper vintage here. On the palate high but ripe acidity and this typical Ruwer "barrenness". Long spicy finish. Wonderful wine.
1998 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
Starting the "after-party" with a very exclusive palate cleaner. The nose shows some tonka beans, ripe apple, a bit of super fine brioche but also some oxidative notes. On the palate full and round, missing the last bit of tension and precision. Nevertheless a wonderful Champagne. I think it´s already drinking very good. No need to wait here.
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1998 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Spätlese Trocken "R" 94 Points
Germany, Pfalz
The nose of this matured Spätlese trocken "R" showed pretty spectacular with so many different spices mixed with a ripe yellow fruit, some herbs and a calcareous component. Very appealing and complex. On the palate the wine couldn´t keep 100% what the nose promised. It missed a bit the last freshness and laser beam acidity a Auslese R can provide. Good power but appears a bit "dull" on in the finish. But we are talking on a very high level here. In a good drinking window right now. I don´t think it will develop any further/better but the wine will stay at this level for several more years if stored well.
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2014 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs 94 Points
Germany, Nahe
After the Zilliken, Dönnhoffs Hermannshöhle was on a totally different level. More on the white fruit side on the nose. You get some melon, white flowers and grapefruit. On the palate very, very powerful. Lots of tension on the mid-palate. We tasted everything double blind and after this explosion I was not at the Nahe because I expected some more finesse from the region. Long and precise finish. Lots of potential left.
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2001 Weingut Keller Riesling Spätlese trocken S 93 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
Directly from the estates cellar. A playful wine with aromas of yellow stone fruit, some exotic components but also herbal notes. Still a very good, lively acidity. I´m can´t remember 100% from which vineyard this Spätlese trocken is coming (I asked him and the wine was sourced in fact from the Aulerde vineyard) but Keller told us, that there is also a Spätlese trocken -R- which is the first Kirchspiel Turmstück he made. If you have some bottles left, give me a sign. :)
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2009 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Meix Chavaux 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
If you go to the Kellers for such a tasting and knowing that there will be some bombs open afterwards, you can´t come with a knife to a gun fight. So I went down im my cellar and pulled my only bottle of Roulot out. Although it´s a warm vintage for Burgundy, the wine wasn´t broad or too ripe. The nose showed fresh sliced yellow and white fruit, some flowers, minerals and some roasted nuts. The oak is there but in a very gentle way. On the palate the wine has a good amount of acidity for the vintage. Precise, only getting a bit broader on the back end of the palate. I really liked the wine although it doesn´t blow me away. I had the same wine some time ago and the oak is much more integrated now. I think this is in a good drinking window right now.
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2008 Bernard Boisson-Vadot Bourgogne Blanc 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
This was the biggest surprise of the white Burgundy flight. Lovely nose with white fruit mixed with some minerals, white flowers and a slightly "natural" component of ripe banana. Lovely matured. Round but high acidity, good length and precision.
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2015 Coche-Dury Meursault 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Really hard to give the right rating here. Thank god we had this double blind, so you´re not influenced by the label which is always a big factor imo. Good amount of fruit, minerals and complexity on the nose. The acidity is rather medium, medium to full bodied. I missed the last kick and tension on the mid-palate and in the finish. Don´t get me wrong, this is a very good wine but for a Domaine with such a high reputation I expected more. Maybe the wine just needs more time.
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2015 Arnaud Ente Bourgogne Blanc 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
This is truly an remarkable Bourgogne Blanc from one of the hottest names in Burgundy (white) right now. Still slightly reductive nose with white fruit, crashed stones and some herbal aromas. The reduction blows off with some time and you get some cold smoke. On the palate very pure, clean and transparent with a laser beam acidity (there was a little debate that it´s nearly impossible to naturally make a wine with such a high acidity in this warm vintage) and lots of cut. Long finish. The oak is just props the wine. No makeup. Unfortunately super rare and sought after. Meanwhile the prices got super crazy.
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1973 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 94 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
I´m not sure if this was a Reserva Especial, because the label didn´t show "Reserva Especial". Nevertheless a stunning wine which shows once again how good old Rioja can age if they are stored well. Wonderful nose with a mix of little red berries, coffee, tobacco, orange peel and a slightly note of American oak which is so typical for Rioja. On the palate medium bodied with a still lively acidity, good tension and a finish with medium length. Nice.
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2008 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Echezeaux 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
We where all surprised after the bottle was showed. I´m not familiar with the wines of this Domaine mostly because they are very hard to come by and the prices are high when you have to buy on the secondary market. Red and dark fruit mixed with some spices but also lactic notes dominate the nose. On the palate very fresh, clean but also round and missed a bit the tension on the mid-palate. A bit one dimensional for a GC.
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1966 Château Latour à Pomerol 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Double blind I never thought, the wine is that old. Black currant, some mushrooms, spices and a decent note of slightly green pepper which moves me in the direction of Cabernet Franc. On the palate still good in shape with a nice acidity, medium body and a good length. Still drinking very good.
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1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 96 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
The last red wine of the day was by far the best. What a wonderful, complex, burgundian nose with red fruit, spices, some mushrooms, underbrush, some rose petal and a hint of tar. The tannins are very strong on the palate but totally ripe. I think they will integrate after some more years of time. Very long, strong acidity and perfectly in balance. And still a young wine. Potential easily for another two decades. A truly stunning showing from one of the Masters in Barolo.
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1976 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese Nr. 59 94 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
This was a appropriate finish to this stunning day. The nose shows all a good Grünhaus has. Spices, greens, ripe apricot and this time even more tangerine and bitter orange jam than normal. You can recognize the riper vintage here. On the palate high but ripe acidity and this typical Ruwer "barrenness". Long spicy finish. Wonderful wine.
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