12 Donnhoff GG/Keller/CsH horizontal. Each wine showed so darn well and the Donnhoff was several people's favorite. Excellent concentration with just kiss of sweetness. Nice floral elements with plenty of cut and precision. At peak.
12 Donnhoff GG/Keller/CsH horizontal. Each wine showed so darn well and this Keller was perhaps the most opulent and generous, but also the most simple. A great wine to be sure, but current valuations are stretching the limits of reason.
12 Donnhoff GG/Keller/CsH horizontal. Each wine showed so darn well though the Hune was clearly my favorite with similar concentration to the other wines but an extra gear of precision and energy that made it stand out. Early peak drinking window.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
04/13/17 vertical. A terrific bottle that was super youthful and needed plenty of air after pop n' pour to open up. Delicious and abundant fruit marked by a bit of reduction that blew off for an hour or two, but came back strong later in the evening.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
04/13/17 vertical. Clearly the most pedigreed vintage in the line up and drinking deliciously, if still primary with sweet fruit and wood influence present. Lots of upside from here.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
99/04 side-by-side. This was a bit cloudy in appearance relative to the 1999 and while excellent on its own was just a bit clumsy and lacking refinement of the 04. Should continue to age well and improve.
89-90 side-by-side. Decanted for 2-3 hours. A sensational wine and oh so young. Packed with pure, seamless fruit and matched with a elegant but still present structure. At peak and should hold for a long time.
My WOTN in an extraordinary line-up of wines. This is incredibly youthful but also so complex and nuanced. The fruit is seamless and refined while also weighty. Texturally similar to what I love in mature Grand Cru burgundy with the unique, layered flavors of Rioja.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
A special Bordeaux that is fully mature and gorgeously at peak. Ethereal fruit that is complex in all the typical ways but had an intense floral note that was special.
89/90 side by side. Fully mature. A powerful wine with plenty of remaining concentration and structure. Perhaps a bit more simple than you'd like from a wine of this stature and vintage. Better than the corked 90 (and the back-up corked 90).
89/91 side-by-side. My only complaint about these wines is that they are so youthful for forever and remarkably consistent. Really hard to tease apart any big differences between the two wines -- caveat that these were the final two reds in a long night.
89/91 side-by-side. My only complaint about these wines is that they are so youthful for forever and remarkably consistent. Really hard to tease apart any big differences between the two wines -- caveat that these were the final two reds in a long night.
As good as it gets in sweet wine for my palate. So much concentration and so much complexity all at one. Sweet but lifted and precise. Long, long finish.
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne 95 Points
France, Champagne
Still a youthful powerhouse of a wine. Pleasure-packed and should hold at this level for a decade+
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2008 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
So concentrated and decadent, but still holding a lot in reserve. Better in a few years. The 08 Dom was a bit more generous tonight.
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2012 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
12 Donnhoff GG/Keller/CsH horizontal. Each wine showed so darn well and the Donnhoff was several people's favorite. Excellent concentration with just kiss of sweetness. Nice floral elements with plenty of cut and precision. At peak.
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2012 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
12 Donnhoff GG/Keller/CsH horizontal. Each wine showed so darn well and this Keller was perhaps the most opulent and generous, but also the most simple. A great wine to be sure, but current valuations are stretching the limits of reason.
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2012 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 94 Points
France, Alsace
12 Donnhoff GG/Keller/CsH horizontal. Each wine showed so darn well though the Hune was clearly my favorite with similar concentration to the other wines but an extra gear of precision and energy that made it stand out. Early peak drinking window.
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2004 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
04/13/17 vertical. A terrific bottle that was super youthful and needed plenty of air after pop n' pour to open up. Delicious and abundant fruit marked by a bit of reduction that blew off for an hour or two, but came back strong later in the evening.
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2013 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
04/13/17 vertical. Gorgeous bottle that has that unique botrytis inflected intrigue of 2013. Excellent concentration and balance. At peak.
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2017 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
04/13/17 vertical. Clearly the most pedigreed vintage in the line up and drinking deliciously, if still primary with sweet fruit and wood influence present. Lots of upside from here.
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1999 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 94 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
99/04 side-by-side. More purity and clarity of fruit here vs. the 04. Incredible elegance. A soulful wine.
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2004 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 93 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
99/04 side-by-side. This was a bit cloudy in appearance relative to the 1999 and while excellent on its own was just a bit clumsy and lacking refinement of the 04. Should continue to age well and improve.
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1989 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 95 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
89-90 side-by-side. Decanted for 2-3 hours. A sensational wine and oh so young. Packed with pure, seamless fruit and matched with a elegant but still present structure. At peak and should hold for a long time.
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1990 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Flawed
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
89-90 side-by-side. Sadly ever so slightly corked and only detectable in a Zalto stem. Other stems didn't reveal the cork taint.
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1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 98 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
My WOTN in an extraordinary line-up of wines. This is incredibly youthful but also so complex and nuanced. The fruit is seamless and refined while also weighty. Texturally similar to what I love in mature Grand Cru burgundy with the unique, layered flavors of Rioja.
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1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia 95 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Side by side with the Tondonia. This wine was so great and texturally enthralling, but the Tondonia was better in almost every way.
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1989 Château Cheval Blanc 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
A special Bordeaux that is fully mature and gorgeously at peak. Ethereal fruit that is complex in all the typical ways but had an intense floral note that was special.
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1989 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
89/90 side by side. Fully mature. A powerful wine with plenty of remaining concentration and structure. Perhaps a bit more simple than you'd like from a wine of this stature and vintage. Better than the corked 90 (and the back-up corked 90).
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1990 Château Lafite Rothschild Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Perfect fill and great looking corked. Unfortunately corked. As was the back-up bottle.
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1989 Penfolds Grange 93 Points
Australia, South Australia
89/91 side-by-side. My only complaint about these wines is that they are so youthful for forever and remarkably consistent. Really hard to tease apart any big differences between the two wines -- caveat that these were the final two reds in a long night.
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1991 Penfolds Grange 93 Points
Australia, South Australia
89/91 side-by-side. My only complaint about these wines is that they are so youthful for forever and remarkably consistent. Really hard to tease apart any big differences between the two wines -- caveat that these were the final two reds in a long night.
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1975 Château d'Yquem 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
As good as it gets in sweet wine for my palate. So much concentration and so much complexity all at one. Sweet but lifted and precise. Long, long finish.
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