From magnum, so no surprise this is the best this wine has ever shown for me. Exciting combination of rich and tart flavors with a charming floral start. Very good depth and breadth.
Magnum. Lots of apple with toasted brioche, gingerbread and some nutty notes on finish. A very big wine that will reward further cellaring if it integrates more.
Small glass, brief note. Floral start with lots of stone fruit everywhere, lots of fat, lots of fun. This was very chilled when I tasted it, so any heat on finish may well have been masked, so much the better. 93+ points, I slightly preferred this over Lauren 2015 tasted later.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Small glass, brief note. Lots of peach, some apple, comes across as rich to start, then brighter on the long-ish finish. Excellent Village wine to enjoy now.
Small glass, brief note. Enticing old Bordeaux aromas and flavors with mature black plum, cigarbox and well cooked mushroom. Still bright enough, and certainly clean enough.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Small glass, brief note. A wine I have had so many times, this is rich and fun like so many 2009s, even if not as perfectly harmonious as the best of previous bottles. This wine will hold well for a long time.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. More red vs black cherry with very good concentration and a sweet, spicy start. Still firm with the tannins still a bit too front-and-center. I haven't tasting this since visiting OB in 2010, when I felt patience would be required. It's slowly getting there.
Small glass, brief note. Ripe apple with gingerbread in a rich combination with spice and floral charm. Clearly ripe, but this easily maintains its balance.
Small glass, brief note. Very "Rhone-y" with its intense Roussanne character, there is so much here, but it seems to slightly lack complexity right now in its youth, and finishes a bit warmer than I prefer. 89 points for me for now, but I expect there may well be upside as it harmonizes.
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
Small glass, brief note. Extremely intense and ultra ripe, lacking the acidity that would maintain brightness. A well made wine in its style, but not a style that thrills me.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Ripe red cherry throughout, slightly jammy with some meaty notes and subtle spice notes, not quite the level for Grand Cru Vosne, but certainly balanced and enjoyable.
Small glass, brief note. Impressive display of black berries with lots of complexity emerging, but wonderfully fresh for its age. Concentrated fruit is front-and-center, with structure in the near background. Very good length with a persistent finish.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Late night pop-and-pour. Absolutely glorious 1er Cru, showing mature red cherry, savory spice, faint meat notes and intense Chambolle mineral textures. Long and elegant finish. The previous two bottles I have tasted of this wine were flawed, including a stewy bottle from the same cellar as tonight's.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Late night pop-and-pour. Floral with bright red berries start-to-finish. Ripe start, energetic, crunchy finish. so good now. The only bad thing I could say is that the previous bottle - Groffier '09 Chambolle Hauts-Doix - was a little more exciting.
This wine is finally, finally, finally showing its true potential. It has always had a great aromatic profile, with robust black fruit, cigarbox and spice, but the palate has finally caught up as it has softened. So much here, persistently engaging through to its long finish. One of tonight's highlights.
2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé 94 Points
France, Champagne
From magnum, so no surprise this is the best this wine has ever shown for me. Exciting combination of rich and tart flavors with a charming floral start. Very good depth and breadth.
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2006 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 91 Points
France, Champagne
Magnum. Lots of apple with toasted brioche, gingerbread and some nutty notes on finish. A very big wine that will reward further cellaring if it integrates more.
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2018 Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel La Dame Rousse 87 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel
Small glass, brief note. Red cherry, both ripe and tart with very good brightness. Good weight and size for its level and price. Very good value.
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2017 Aubert Chardonnay Sugar Shack 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Small glass, brief note. Floral start with lots of stone fruit everywhere, lots of fat, lots of fun. This was very chilled when I tasted it, so any heat on finish may well have been masked, so much the better. 93+ points, I slightly preferred this over Lauren 2015 tasted later.
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2009 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 87 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Small glass, brief note. This was nicely tart and bright for its age, but new oak still seemed to protrude.
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2012 Patrick Piuze Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte de Bouqueyreaux Flawed
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Good richness, but more advanced than Grand Cru at this age should be.
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2015 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Small glass, brief note. Lots of peach, some apple, comes across as rich to start, then brighter on the long-ish finish. Excellent Village wine to enjoy now.
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1961 Château Lascombes 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Small glass, brief note. Enticing old Bordeaux aromas and flavors with mature black plum, cigarbox and well cooked mushroom. Still bright enough, and certainly clean enough.
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2009 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Small glass, brief note. A wine I have had so many times, this is rich and fun like so many 2009s, even if not as perfectly harmonious as the best of previous bottles. This wine will hold well for a long time.
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2008 Olivier Bernstein Bonnes Mares 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. More red vs black cherry with very good concentration and a sweet, spicy start. Still firm with the tannins still a bit too front-and-center. I haven't tasting this since visiting OB in 2010, when I felt patience would be required. It's slowly getting there.
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2015 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Small glass, brief note. Ripe apple with gingerbread in a rich combination with spice and floral charm. Clearly ripe, but this easily maintains its balance.
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2018 Faethm / Fingers Crossed Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid White
USA, California
Small glass, brief note. Very "Rhone-y" with its intense Roussanne character, there is so much here, but it seems to slightly lack complexity right now in its youth, and finishes a bit warmer than I prefer. 89 points for me for now, but I expect there may well be upside as it harmonizes.
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2015 Saxum James Berry Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
Small glass, brief note. Extremely intense and ultra ripe, lacking the acidity that would maintain brightness. A well made wine in its style, but not a style that thrills me.
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2014 Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Moulds Family Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
Small glass, brief note. Nothing shy about this wine. Nothing subtle or nuanced, either.
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1999 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Ripe red cherry throughout, slightly jammy with some meaty notes and subtle spice notes, not quite the level for Grand Cru Vosne, but certainly balanced and enjoyable.
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2004 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Small glass, brief note. Impressive display of black berries with lots of complexity emerging, but wonderfully fresh for its age. Concentrated fruit is front-and-center, with structure in the near background. Very good length with a persistent finish.
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2009 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Hauts-Doix 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Late night pop-and-pour. Absolutely glorious 1er Cru, showing mature red cherry, savory spice, faint meat notes and intense Chambolle mineral textures. Long and elegant finish. The previous two bottles I have tasted of this wine were flawed, including a stewy bottle from the same cellar as tonight's.
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2009 Cecile Tremblay Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Late night pop-and-pour. Floral with bright red berries start-to-finish. Ripe start, energetic, crunchy finish. so good now. The only bad thing I could say is that the previous bottle - Groffier '09 Chambolle Hauts-Doix - was a little more exciting.
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1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
This wine is finally, finally, finally showing its true potential. It has always had a great aromatic profile, with robust black fruit, cigarbox and spice, but the palate has finally caught up as it has softened. So much here, persistently engaging through to its long finish. One of tonight's highlights.
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