Solid, consistent champagne, with some clear white grape flavours and a squeeze of tart citrus. A touch sappy, but overall good freshness and vibrancy. Highlights the grape well.
Frankly, this is just too young. It's very bright and lifted, with an almost floral element on the nose. Honeyed on the attack, with a bit of a thinness on the midpalate, followed by a good dose of green herbs on the finish. Pleasant enough, but honestly a bit of a confounding like most Dauvissat for me.
What more need be said? This is probably the best edition of young Dom I've had in my life. Juicy and powerful, with a lovely dose of fruit and minerality. Sweet and rich, this is still drinking quite deliciously now, though I'm certain at some point this will shut down (just not yet).
Very different from the 2008. Ripe and sweet, with a slightly almost burnt caramel taste (not in an off-putting or bad way, more like a biscuity, rich quality). Lovely sweetness and raw power; brilliant stuff, but definitely not similar to the regular release of the 2002.
For my taste, a little steely, though not like the 2004 on release. Very rich and thickly textured now, this needs more time to soften up. I particularly like the expression of red fruit here, which actually sweetens up with extended air. I'd recommend a decant if drinking this now.
I didn't know there was a HN white. A touch of flint and matchstick on the nose, with a good leanness and nice acidity. Slightly modern, clean style, but pretty enjoyable.
The generous gift of a Western Illinois gentleman. Initially quite dirty on the nose, and a little disconcerting but then it cleaned itself up nicely with air. Slightly plummy with some really good structure here. Classic Pomerol.
Very Palmer. Perfumed and elegant with a lovely mix of red and black fruit. Elegant and sweet, with a plummy ripeness that gives this really nice body. Beautiful showing, but at the back end, this is still very young and tannic.
Burly, powerful, and sweet, with a really intense tannic structure on the back end. Perhaps less ethereal and perfumed than I might expect from a Cappellano, but this is nonetheless a pretty imposing and powerful bottle. An excellent showing here, but this needs far more time. A huge step up from the sketchy 2006 last year.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Quite ripe and intense, with a dense earthiness on the palate. Rich black and red fruit, with a pretty big profile. To my palate, I'd have liked a hint more elegance, but I like the breadth here.
From magnum. Surprisingly clean for a Cos, but a little polished and a generous amount of oak. Drinkable now, but I would have liked a little more elegance and lift. This isn't the style of Bordeaux I particularly care for. It's a bit modern, but I'll readily admit fairly well made.
I am not the target market for this; the nose is relatively restrained, with some dusty black fruit, but also some hits of oak. The palate is where this falls off for me, showing too much astringency and bitterness on the oak. The fruit isn't over the top, which is worrying because who knows how this will age further? Urgh.
A little dirty and earthy on the nose, but it did clean up with some air. A little leathery, pretty classically styled Napa cabernet. Not as fruit-forward and powerful as I would have loved, this is starting to thin out a little on the palate. Drink up, I'm thinking.
Shows a bit more red-fruit and brightness thanks to the riper vintage. Very light and bright, but lifted and elegant. A lighter touch here, this is another brilliant success for the vintage. Maria-Teresa Mascarello is making outstanding wines.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
A good amount of minerality on the palate here. Nice ripe fruit and sappiness with good intensity and power. Tart orchard fruits and a pleasant sweetness here too. Very good.
Odd hint of sweetness here. There's definitely some notes of lychee on the palate here, and quite a bit of acidity. Interesting but not something I'm too keen on drinking a good amount of.
Nice sweetness here, without any of the overripeness of the vintage. On the other hand, there isn't the minerality that I would expect from the Mosel. A good breadth here, but a little light and without the layered complexity and intensity from the earlier iterations of this wine.
2008 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 90 Points
France, Champagne
Solid, consistent champagne, with some clear white grape flavours and a squeeze of tart citrus. A touch sappy, but overall good freshness and vibrancy. Highlights the grape well.
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2016 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Frankly, this is just too young. It's very bright and lifted, with an almost floral element on the nose. Honeyed on the attack, with a bit of a thinness on the midpalate, followed by a good dose of green herbs on the finish. Pleasant enough, but honestly a bit of a confounding like most Dauvissat for me.
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2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne 95 Points
France, Champagne
What more need be said? This is probably the best edition of young Dom I've had in my life. Juicy and powerful, with a lovely dose of fruit and minerality. Sweet and rich, this is still drinking quite deliciously now, though I'm certain at some point this will shut down (just not yet).
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2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 95 Points
France, Champagne
Very different from the 2008. Ripe and sweet, with a slightly almost burnt caramel taste (not in an off-putting or bad way, more like a biscuity, rich quality). Lovely sweetness and raw power; brilliant stuff, but definitely not similar to the regular release of the 2002.
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2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé 93 Points
France, Champagne
For my taste, a little steely, though not like the 2004 on release. Very rich and thickly textured now, this needs more time to soften up. I particularly like the expression of red fruit here, which actually sweetens up with extended air. I'd recommend a decant if drinking this now.
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2017 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Meursault Clos des Écoles 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
I didn't know there was a HN white. A touch of flint and matchstick on the nose, with a good leanness and nice acidity. Slightly modern, clean style, but pretty enjoyable.
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1988 Château Certan de May 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
The generous gift of a Western Illinois gentleman. Initially quite dirty on the nose, and a little disconcerting but then it cleaned itself up nicely with air. Slightly plummy with some really good structure here. Classic Pomerol.
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2014 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Silky, svelte, beautiful florals and olives on the nose. Meaty and purply on the palate, but just too young for now. Delicious stuff.
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1998 Château Palmer 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Very Palmer. Perfumed and elegant with a lovely mix of red and black fruit. Elegant and sweet, with a plummy ripeness that gives this really nice body. Beautiful showing, but at the back end, this is still very young and tannic.
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2005 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti)
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Burly, powerful, and sweet, with a really intense tannic structure on the back end. Perhaps less ethereal and perfumed than I might expect from a Cappellano, but this is nonetheless a pretty imposing and powerful bottle. An excellent showing here, but this needs far more time. A huge step up from the sketchy 2006 last year.
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2001 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Corked.
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2006 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Quite ripe and intense, with a dense earthiness on the palate. Rich black and red fruit, with a pretty big profile. To my palate, I'd have liked a hint more elegance, but I like the breadth here.
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1995 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Funky, earthy, and a little bit of a lambic quality. Dirty and really not my cup of tea. A big question mark here.
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2000 Château Cos d'Estournel 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
From magnum. Surprisingly clean for a Cos, but a little polished and a generous amount of oak. Drinkable now, but I would have liked a little more elegance and lift. This isn't the style of Bordeaux I particularly care for. It's a bit modern, but I'll readily admit fairly well made.
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2014 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 85 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Perennially not my cup of tea -- good fruit and elegance on the attack, but the lack of acidity on the back end is what really does it in for me.
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2005 Vérité La Joie 70 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
I am not the target market for this; the nose is relatively restrained, with some dusty black fruit, but also some hits of oak. The palate is where this falls off for me, showing too much astringency and bitterness on the oak. The fruit isn't over the top, which is worrying because who knows how this will age further? Urgh.
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1984 Dominus Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
A little dirty and earthy on the nose, but it did clean up with some air. A little leathery, pretty classically styled Napa cabernet. Not as fruit-forward and powerful as I would have loved, this is starting to thin out a little on the palate. Drink up, I'm thinking.
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2012 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Served a hint too warm; good ripe fruit here with just a hint of sulphur. Really nice balance of fruit, acidity, and minerality. Easy to enjoy.
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2011 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Shows a bit more red-fruit and brightness thanks to the riper vintage. Very light and bright, but lifted and elegant. A lighter touch here, this is another brilliant success for the vintage. Maria-Teresa Mascarello is making outstanding wines.
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2011 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
A good amount of minerality on the palate here. Nice ripe fruit and sappiness with good intensity and power. Tart orchard fruits and a pleasant sweetness here too. Very good.
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1991 Peter Lauer Saar Riesling Brut Reserve 90 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Odd hint of sweetness here. There's definitely some notes of lychee on the palate here, and quite a bit of acidity. Interesting but not something I'm too keen on drinking a good amount of.
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2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese *** 90 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Nice sweetness here, without any of the overripeness of the vintage. On the other hand, there isn't the minerality that I would expect from the Mosel. A good breadth here, but a little light and without the layered complexity and intensity from the earlier iterations of this wine.
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