Served double blind. So interesting to retaste this without the benefit of the label. It's a denser, bigger riesling for sure, given the aromatic profile, and I did go immediately to Alsace, with the heftier body. The dryness here works well with the overall richness of the fruit. I wouldn't have guessed this was CFE though, since it didn't have that waxy heaviness I've long associated with this bottling.
Purchased (presumably on release) in 2014. I've always loved this wine for its depth and richness, and I think short of Selosse this is one of the best solera champagnes out there. The nose shows a mild mushroom tone, but also this browned fruit opulence that just works. Obviously a champagne made in the oxidative style. There's a slight creaminess on the palate, counterbalanced with some nuttiness and a vibrant streak of acidity.
Fabulous wine (in a fabulous bottle) as always. This bottle had a bit more reduction on the nose than I remember, but there was also that sweet white fruit profile that I do remember. It's a rich and opulent champagne, with a mild autolytic quality, but coupled with more of the sweeter elements. There's a brioche element here which I really like here, since it is so complementary to the sweet and rich qualities. A touch low in acid, but this still works nonetheless.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
I liked, but didn't love this wine. It's certainly of a particular style, and it's not one I generally enjoy in white Burgundy. The nose is fleshy and large-scaled, with a generous amount of fat throughout. Nonetheless, there is a moderate hit of acidity on the palate to go with the riper fruit and hints of sweetness. One other remark here -- I found that the reduction seemed to be dialed back, which was actually quite pleasant. As I quipped, the combination of producer, vineyard, and year make this one of the fattest of the fat (CA "chardonnay" doesn't count).
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
At peak. This is a stunning bottle of chardonnay, with unparalleled richness and power. It is what Montrachet ought to be -- raw power, muscular presence, and long finish. There's a mild bit of oak still on the nose, but it is evenly matched by some nutty notes of aged chardonnay and slight whiff of smoky reduction. The palate is absolutely mind-boggling in its sheer concentration though. Lots of secondary characteristics, including a nutty quality (not premox) that gives this an almost chewy texture. Expectations were high here, but they were exceeded.
From half-litre. Yeah, it's pretty much what you would expect -- a really spicy and aromatic wine, with a mild lychee note to accompany some green herbs and spices. The palate is definitely sweet, and there's a golden-raisin-like taste here, but the acidity is far too low, and some bitterness comes out on the finish. I can't help but think this would actually be very interesting if there was more acidity here, since there were some fun aromatics here.
From half-bottle. The nose was really high-toned and had some nail polish remover notes; others didn't pick it up, but I thought the palate showed a bit of TCA.
From half-bottle. To be sure, I appreciate this wine's age, and there's a lot more freshness here than I would have expected. There are still some slight volatile elements on the nose here, but there is a freshness here that belies the 50 years. The palate shows a surprising amount of acidity; this is fairly racy, but it's not too complex otherwise.
2008 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 90 Points
France, Alsace
Served double blind. So interesting to retaste this without the benefit of the label. It's a denser, bigger riesling for sure, given the aromatic profile, and I did go immediately to Alsace, with the heftier body. The dryness here works well with the overall richness of the fruit. I wouldn't have guessed this was CFE though, since it didn't have that waxy heaviness I've long associated with this bottling.
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NV André Clouet Champagne Un jour de 1911... 93 Points
France, Champagne
Purchased (presumably on release) in 2014. I've always loved this wine for its depth and richness, and I think short of Selosse this is one of the best solera champagnes out there. The nose shows a mild mushroom tone, but also this browned fruit opulence that just works. Obviously a champagne made in the oxidative style. There's a slight creaminess on the palate, counterbalanced with some nuttiness and a vibrant streak of acidity.
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2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare 93 Points
France, Champagne
Fabulous wine (in a fabulous bottle) as always. This bottle had a bit more reduction on the nose than I remember, but there was also that sweet white fruit profile that I do remember. It's a rich and opulent champagne, with a mild autolytic quality, but coupled with more of the sweeter elements. There's a brioche element here which I really like here, since it is so complementary to the sweet and rich qualities. A touch low in acid, but this still works nonetheless.
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2005 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
I liked, but didn't love this wine. It's certainly of a particular style, and it's not one I generally enjoy in white Burgundy. The nose is fleshy and large-scaled, with a generous amount of fat throughout. Nonetheless, there is a moderate hit of acidity on the palate to go with the riper fruit and hints of sweetness. One other remark here -- I found that the reduction seemed to be dialed back, which was actually quite pleasant. As I quipped, the combination of producer, vineyard, and year make this one of the fattest of the fat (CA "chardonnay" doesn't count).
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2000 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 98 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
At peak. This is a stunning bottle of chardonnay, with unparalleled richness and power. It is what Montrachet ought to be -- raw power, muscular presence, and long finish. There's a mild bit of oak still on the nose, but it is evenly matched by some nutty notes of aged chardonnay and slight whiff of smoky reduction. The palate is absolutely mind-boggling in its sheer concentration though. Lots of secondary characteristics, including a nutty quality (not premox) that gives this an almost chewy texture. Expectations were high here, but they were exceeded.
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2015 Weingut Knoll Gelber Muskateller Beerenauslese 88 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
From half-litre. Yeah, it's pretty much what you would expect -- a really spicy and aromatic wine, with a mild lychee note to accompany some green herbs and spices. The palate is definitely sweet, and there's a golden-raisin-like taste here, but the acidity is far too low, and some bitterness comes out on the finish. I can't help but think this would actually be very interesting if there was more acidity here, since there were some fun aromatics here.
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1967 Château Coutet Barsac Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
From half-bottle. The nose was really high-toned and had some nail polish remover notes; others didn't pick it up, but I thought the palate showed a bit of TCA.
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1969 Château Coutet Barsac 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
From half-bottle. To be sure, I appreciate this wine's age, and there's a lot more freshness here than I would have expected. There are still some slight volatile elements on the nose here, but there is a freshness here that belies the 50 years. The palate shows a surprising amount of acidity; this is fairly racy, but it's not too complex otherwise.
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