Disgorged 11 Feb 2020. Smoky, orange, strawberry, truffle and floral notes on the nose. Savoury spice on the palate with a little oxi twang to the finish. Very nice, with the complex profile that you want from this producer.
Orange, oyster shell, citrus and pear. Layered, tense and with lovely power but control on the palate. Persistence paired with depth and balance. Delightful.
Fruit forward, dips into orange, apples, peach and pear. Finely balanced, with the sweet fruit cut through but a tense acid line. Excellent, but just beat up a bit by the 2008 Champagne (Taittinger CdC & Krug) either side of it.
Lemon, nutty, lime and straw notes on the nose. The palate shows incredible coiled power, rich and deep fruit but amplified acidity keeps it in control. Superb balance even with the intensity here. Should keep lifting with time.
Light salmon coloured. Straw, rose petals, apple and strawberry. Delicate palate with clean acid and good flow. Really quite delicious, though this bottle doesn't quite have the excitement to lift to the next level like the 2008 we had a few years back.
Melon and spice, honey and lime. Fresh, good lift and balance on the palate with medium persistence. Fruit profile is starting to round just slightly but still feels primary. Very nice, though the 2010 Kiedricher Grafenberg Trocken next to it showed the gap in class.
Lemon rind, floral, wax and pear. Takes things up a notch on the palate, layered depth and pristine fruit presentation. Long, detailed and just flat out classy. Potential to keep improving from here if you like a bit more maturity but it's so good now.
Earth and spice, some mint and lemon on the nose. Opened up more with air to show to show more floral and citrus notes. Palate is textured and deep, with mineral acidity sweeping across. About as cerebral a wine as Sauvignon can get.
Lemon, smoke and toast. Rich flavors, intense fruit but has structure sitting behind, mostly oak derived, to temper the exuberance of the fruit. Very good.
Leaps out of the glass with smoky, vanilla, sea spray and mineral notes. Plenty of aromatic and palate intensity - the flavours are full but has great detail and acid drive. Excellent as expected.
Pineapple, mango, mint, graphite and pear. Candied palate, feels a tad bumpy towards the finish which leaves it a little clipped - shame as the rest of the wine has plenty of interest and character. The 2018 SQN Aperta next to it has more composure and is a better wine for it.
Floral, apricot, smoky with sea spray and a tropical fruit punch to it. Rich and viscous palate but has underlying spice and holds the balance of opulence and flow well. Really enjoyable wine and stood a level above the 2017 SQN Tectumque tonight.
White florals, passionfruit, pear and orange peel on the nose. Palate finds a delicate tone even though there is underlying power to it. Good control and balance, this bottle showing significantly better than one 12 months ago.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Five spice, incense, roses - perfumed and really wonderful aromatic profile. Excellent balance between fruit purity and structure, with depth and texture. Showed up a 18 Rousseau Clos de la Roche tonight, though it might flip with time.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Stalky, cherry, earth and spice. Palate is a delicate mix of red fruits and spice. Classical profile here, really lovely and pure. Can't ask for a lot more from this wine, it's young but hits a lot of high notes.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Redcurrant, graphite and mineral notes on the nose. Quite firm on the palate, but the red fruit does give it just enough generosity. The litheness probably reflects the vintage, though it didn't shine even among other (very high quality) 2011s in this flight.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Floral, mint/stemmy, smoky and cherry notes. Palate is fairly pretty with fine tannins and good length/flow. Drinking nicely now but no huge hurry if you'd prefer to wait.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Spice driven nose along with roses, red currants, and red cherry - lovely intense but pretty aromas. Palate is seamless, with pure fruit and integrated structure, great now but time will see it lift further. Superb wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
On the nose there is mineral/slate, spices, red cherry, raspberry and other red tinged fruit - swirls with aromatic purity and lift. Lovely palate, with the acid driving the red fruit flavours into very long length. Has started to hit its straps and was just inching ahead of the 2011 Chambertin with time in the glass.
24 hour double decant. Mint, cherry, plenty of tobacco and redcurrants. Tense and tight even with the extended air time, I like the acid profile and red fruit tone, but this needs some significant time to emerge fully.
Red fruit at the fore of the nose - redcurrant, cherry and rose florals. Rich fruit on the palate with good tannin intensity to balance. Thrilling length and mix of pretty fruit and structured seriousness. Really lovely.
Toast, blackberry, smoke and spice on the nose - stands different to the other two Altare 17s tonight which were much more red focused. Well balanced on the palate, sweet note to the fruit takes the edge off the tannins, though it can certainly use a lot more time to fully unfurl.
White pepper, aromatic floral lift, cherry and some light stalky notes. Feels like it's hitting the spot to deliver good drinking - medium weight with good structure and flow but plenty of pleasure as well. Opens up further in the glass, so no hurry to open, but not wasted now either.
Pepper, tobacco, five spice, strawberry and smoke on the nose. Tightly wound still on the palate, showing a line of cool acid that gives the fruit some brightness even at this early stage. Clearly high class, though I'd wait longer before the next one is opened.
Raspberry, graphite and cherry on the nose. Medium bodied, with good fruit weight up front but trailing away ever so slightly on the finish. This bottle seemed to be drinking well now.
Herbal aromatics, with some meat, iron and red berry fruit. The palate continues the sweet and savoury profile, with plenty of earth/herbs and red fruit. Really good carry. A bottle in 2017 perhaps was a tad less fresh, so I think we got a really good bottle here.
Oak, coffee, blackberry, blackcurrant - dense and deep on the nose. The dense profile continues on the palate, but does manage to find its feet with the acid and oak structure bringing it all into line. Unapologetic about its immense ripeness and full body.
Half bottle, AP #09. Orange, spice, apple and pear. Lovely acid washes across the palate, finding a sweet balance and great length. Held together really well, still very youthful but delicious all the same.
AP #13. Golden colored. Grapefruit, mango, candied orange and passionfruit on the nose. Rush of sugar and fruit intensity on the palate, intense acidity picks things up and presses on into a lovely length finish. A head rush tasting this wine and it has plenty of time left on its side.
Caramel and vanilla, apricot and lemon on the nose. Good texture on the palate, with lovely bright acidity to prop up the orange flavoured sweet fruit. Holding up wonderfully well and should continue to do so with good bottles.
NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Lieux-dits Extra Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged 11 Feb 2020. Smoky, orange, strawberry, truffle and floral notes on the nose. Savoury spice on the palate with a little oxi twang to the finish. Very nice, with the complex profile that you want from this producer.
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2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points
France, Champagne
Orange, oyster shell, citrus and pear. Layered, tense and with lovely power but control on the palate. Persistence paired with depth and balance. Delightful.
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2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne 91 Points
France, Champagne
Fruit forward, dips into orange, apples, peach and pear. Finely balanced, with the sweet fruit cut through but a tense acid line. Excellent, but just beat up a bit by the 2008 Champagne (Taittinger CdC & Krug) either side of it.
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2008 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 96 Points
France, Champagne
Lemon, nutty, lime and straw notes on the nose. The palate shows incredible coiled power, rich and deep fruit but amplified acidity keeps it in control. Superb balance even with the intensity here. Should keep lifting with time.
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2012 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Rosé 92 Points
France, Champagne
Light salmon coloured. Straw, rose petals, apple and strawberry. Delicate palate with clean acid and good flow. Really quite delicious, though this bottle doesn't quite have the excitement to lift to the next level like the 2008 we had a few years back.
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2010 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Trocken 91 Points
Germany, Rheingau
Melon and spice, honey and lime. Fresh, good lift and balance on the palate with medium persistence. Fruit profile is starting to round just slightly but still feels primary. Very nice, though the 2010 Kiedricher Grafenberg Trocken next to it showed the gap in class.
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2010 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken Erstes Gewächs 94 Points
Germany, Rheingau
Lemon rind, floral, wax and pear. Takes things up a notch on the palate, layered depth and pristine fruit presentation. Long, detailed and just flat out classy. Potential to keep improving from here if you like a bit more maturity but it's so good now.
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2015 Didier Dagueneau Silex 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Earth and spice, some mint and lemon on the nose. Opened up more with air to show to show more floral and citrus notes. Palate is textured and deep, with mineral acidity sweeping across. About as cerebral a wine as Sauvignon can get.
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2015 Penfolds Chardonnay Yattarna Bin 144 92 Points
Australia, South Australia
Lemon, smoke and toast. Rich flavors, intense fruit but has structure sitting behind, mostly oak derived, to temper the exuberance of the fruit. Very good.
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2018 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Leaps out of the glass with smoky, vanilla, sea spray and mineral notes. Plenty of aromatic and palate intensity - the flavours are full but has great detail and acid drive. Excellent as expected.
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2012 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Drinkable but clearly heading into oxidised territory with caramel flavours holding prime position.
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2017 Sine Qua Non Tectumque 91 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Pineapple, mango, mint, graphite and pear. Candied palate, feels a tad bumpy towards the finish which leaves it a little clipped - shame as the rest of the wine has plenty of interest and character. The 2018 SQN Aperta next to it has more composure and is a better wine for it.
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2018 Sine Qua Non Aperta 94 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Floral, apricot, smoky with sea spray and a tropical fruit punch to it. Rich and viscous palate but has underlying spice and holds the balance of opulence and flow well. Really enjoyable wine and stood a level above the 2017 SQN Tectumque tonight.
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2015 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
White florals, passionfruit, pear and orange peel on the nose. Palate finds a delicate tone even though there is underlying power to it. Good control and balance, this bottle showing significantly better than one 12 months ago.
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2018 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Clos de la Roche 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
A bit reductive and smoky, along with plum and cherry. Really quite ungiving on the palate right now. Has potential but needs some serious time.
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2018 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Five spice, incense, roses - perfumed and really wonderful aromatic profile. Excellent balance between fruit purity and structure, with depth and texture. Showed up a 18 Rousseau Clos de la Roche tonight, though it might flip with time.
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2016 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Stalky, cherry, earth and spice. Palate is a delicate mix of red fruits and spice. Classical profile here, really lovely and pure. Can't ask for a lot more from this wine, it's young but hits a lot of high notes.
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2011 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Redcurrant, graphite and mineral notes on the nose. Quite firm on the palate, but the red fruit does give it just enough generosity. The litheness probably reflects the vintage, though it didn't shine even among other (very high quality) 2011s in this flight.
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2011 Sylvain Cathiard Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Floral, mint/stemmy, smoky and cherry notes. Palate is fairly pretty with fine tannins and good length/flow. Drinking nicely now but no huge hurry if you'd prefer to wait.
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2011 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Spice driven nose along with roses, red currants, and red cherry - lovely intense but pretty aromas. Palate is seamless, with pure fruit and integrated structure, great now but time will see it lift further. Superb wine.
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2011 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
On the nose there is mineral/slate, spices, red cherry, raspberry and other red tinged fruit - swirls with aromatic purity and lift. Lovely palate, with the acid driving the red fruit flavours into very long length. Has started to hit its straps and was just inching ahead of the 2011 Chambertin with time in the glass.
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2017 Elio Altare Barolo Unoperuno 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
24 hour double decant. Mint, cherry, plenty of tobacco and redcurrants. Tense and tight even with the extended air time, I like the acid profile and red fruit tone, but this needs some significant time to emerge fully.
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2017 Elio Altare Barolo Cannubi 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Red fruit at the fore of the nose - redcurrant, cherry and rose florals. Rich fruit on the palate with good tannin intensity to balance. Thrilling length and mix of pretty fruit and structured seriousness. Really lovely.
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2017 Elio Altare Barolo Arborina 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Toast, blackberry, smoke and spice on the nose - stands different to the other two Altare 17s tonight which were much more red focused. Well balanced on the palate, sweet note to the fruit takes the edge off the tannins, though it can certainly use a lot more time to fully unfurl.
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2010 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Reserve 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
White pepper, aromatic floral lift, cherry and some light stalky notes. Feels like it's hitting the spot to deliver good drinking - medium weight with good structure and flow but plenty of pleasure as well. Opens up further in the glass, so no hurry to open, but not wasted now either.
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2010 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Pepper, tobacco, five spice, strawberry and smoke on the nose. Tightly wound still on the palate, showing a line of cool acid that gives the fruit some brightness even at this early stage. Clearly high class, though I'd wait longer before the next one is opened.
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1988 Château Lafleur 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Raspberry, graphite and cherry on the nose. Medium bodied, with good fruit weight up front but trailing away ever so slightly on the finish. This bottle seemed to be drinking well now.
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1990 Château Montrose 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Herbal aromatics, with some meat, iron and red berry fruit. The palate continues the sweet and savoury profile, with plenty of earth/herbs and red fruit. Really good carry. A bottle in 2017 perhaps was a tad less fresh, so I think we got a really good bottle here.
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2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah A Shot in the Dark 94 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
Oak, coffee, blackberry, blackcurrant - dense and deep on the nose. The dense profile continues on the palate, but does manage to find its feet with the acid and oak structure bringing it all into line. Unapologetic about its immense ripeness and full body.
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2010 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Half bottle, AP #09. Orange, spice, apple and pear. Lovely acid washes across the palate, finding a sweet balance and great length. Held together really well, still very youthful but delicious all the same.
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2010 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
AP #13. Golden colored. Grapefruit, mango, candied orange and passionfruit on the nose. Rush of sugar and fruit intensity on the palate, intense acidity picks things up and presses on into a lovely length finish. A head rush tasting this wine and it has plenty of time left on its side.
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1976 Château d'Yquem 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Caramel and vanilla, apricot and lemon on the nose. Good texture on the palate, with lovely bright acidity to prop up the orange flavoured sweet fruit. Holding up wonderfully well and should continue to do so with good bottles.
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