Novovino's spring portfolio

Tasted Monday, March 16, 2009 by KeithAkers with 1,175 views

Flight 1 - Washington (10 Notes)

  • 2007 DiStefano Sauvignon Blanc 87 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: nice light, well balanced, and crisp nose of melons, grapefruits, and tart citrus tones

    taste: excellent acidity with a good light feel of lemon peels, melons, and grapefruits

    overall: perfect for the summer or various fish. Well balanced with a good crispness to it that makes it nice and refreshing

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  • 2004 DiStefano Meritage 88 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: oak strikes you right off the bat with good tones of dark red fruits, dark red cherries and some good tones of black licorice. The oak isn't overbearing, but is certainly there

    taste: good full feel with good supporting tannins that provide tones of oak, dark red fruits, and black licorice

    overall: nice straight forward meritage. Good balance with decent depth and solid aromatics

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  • 2004 DiStefano Domenica 91 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: good plush nose of red fruits, mixed berries, blueberries, and some slight hints of floral tones. excellent balance and good depth with a nice expression of fruit

    taste: lovely plush, medium body feel of red currants, red cherries, red fruits, mixed berries, and blueberry tones. very enjoyable with good balanced tannins that back it up

    overall: a lovely wine. Excellent expression of fruit with good purity that is a joy to smell and taste. Tannins are fairly velvety but still very much there, but isn't a problem to go ahead and drink this right now

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  • 2004 DiStefano Sogno 87 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: a good amount of bell pepper and dill strike right off the bat with red and black cherries along with tones of mixed berries and a bit of cigar tobacco

    taste: nice full body feel, but with very drying tannins to go with bell pepper and dill tones, red cherries and cigar tobacco tones

    overall: the cab franc comes across as a bit under ripe as it doesn't have that lush feel that good cab franc can bring. Nice tones, but the drying tannins take away from the wine and its a real question as to whether the tannins will shed with time and let the fruit and flavors fully emerge

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  • 2004 DiStefano Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: nice rich and plush nose of red currants, red cherries, mixed berries, and hints of oak. Very expressive fruit that draws you in and is very enjoyable.

    taste: full bodied with big tannins make it a bit hard to work it through. Good balanced tones of red currants, red cherries, and bits of oak work very well together

    overall: a really nice cabernet that shows off the good plush and expressive fruit that I really enjoy from washington. Could use a bit of time to tame some of the tannins, but this comes across very well right now and when the tannins peel back a bit, it should be a lot more enjoyable

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  • 2004 DiStefano Donna Maria 90 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: lush and pretty nose of red and black cherries, red and black currants along with a touch of black fruits and black berries. Good complexity, but lacking a bit in depth that would really make this wine amazing

    taste: very full bodied with massive tannins. Good tones of black cherries, red and black currants and black fruits, but the tannins are almost overwhelming

    overall: lots of upside and the nose is really good. The body on this is great, but the tannins need to calm down a bit first before this really kicks it into another gear

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  • 2004 Nicholas Cole Cellars Camille 92 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: pretty tight nose, but certainly brings some great complexity and depth at this time with rich tones of chocolate, black currants, dark red cherries and some very interesting and intriguing tones of spices

    taste: beautiful and lush feel with massive tannins. Great tones of roasted espresso, chocolate, black currants, dark red cherries, and spices balance well behind the sheath of tannins

    overall: needs a very long decant, or another 3-5 years to start really drinking. Tight, tannic, and provides just more of a shell at this point of what it will bring. Excellent depth and richness on both the palate and nose, this has a bright future, but a slight bit of patience will be required

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  • 2005 Nicholas Cole Cellars Michele 93 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    nose: absolutely lovely nose of dark chocolate, black cherries, black currants, spice tones and black berries. Very expressive and lush with a nice roundness to it that makes it very enjoyable

    taste: full bodied with lovely plush tannins that aren't as hard as some of the 04s that were being poured. Expressive tones of dark chocolate, black cherries, black currants, spices and a touch of mixed berries and red cherries

    overall: a lovely young wine. Pretty open right now with a nice lushness to it that makes it very beautiful and enjoyable

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  • 2006 Nicholas Cole Cellars Syrah Dauphiné Walla Walla Valley 93 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

    nose: great expressive and rich nose of black pepper, black fruits, black cherries, dark cranberries, spice and hints of oak. Very pungent and balanced with a real nice purity of fruit and expression of syrah

    taste: good full body with good firm tannins providing tones of black pepper, black cherries, dark cranberries, and spices. Extremely balanced and lush on the palate

    overall: a really good expression of syrah. Lush and expressive, it is a real delight to smell and taste as the tannins aren't overbearing at this young stage and there is a nice youthful verve to it

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  • 2004 Nicholas Cole Cellars Reserve 95 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

    nose: whoa:that is the first thought that goes through my mind when I started smelling this. Sickly deep, rich, and plush that just stops you in your tracks. Absolutely loaded and layered nose of red fruits, red cherries, red currants, herbs, spices and small berry tones. Extremely pure and a complete knock out of a nose that just screams from the get go

    taste: amazing layered medium/full feel with beautiful, plush tannins that are certainly there, but not completely overbearing. Wonderfully balanced and pure tones of red fruits, red cherries, red currants, bits of spice and nice cranberry tones come out of the woodwork

    overall: stupendous. A real breath taking wine that just screams from the get go and borders on being mind bending. Rich and very well layered with such lush texture that just makes me think for a while. I just walked away from the table shaking my head after tasting this

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Flight 2 - California (17 Notes)

  • 2006 Culler Syrah Casaeda 89 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    nose: good lush nose with good depth of red cherries, red fruits and some nice and zesty tones of spices. Very aromatic and well balanced that is very enjoyable

    taste: excellent medium feel of red cherries, red fruits, spice tones, and bits of red berry tones with nice plush medium tannins

    overall: a really good syrah for the price. Extremely well balanced with great fruit and good texture

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  • 2006 Culler Syrah Griffin 91 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    nose: excellent balanced nose of black pepper, charcol, rich red cherries, black cherries, and anisette. A really good cross between northern rhone and california that the griffin vineyard brings

    taste: great medium/full feel with lush tannins that support well with richly layered tones of anisette, black cherries, black pepper, and tart red fruit tones

    overall: a great syrah that brings qualities from both northern rhone and california and makes its own distinctive syrah that is expressive and rich

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  • 2006 Culler Syrah 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: well balanced and rich fruit tones of red cherries, black cherries, red fruits and spice tones. Excellent richness to it with really good depth, but feels like its holding back a slight bit

    taste: full bodied with big tannins at this time. Good depth and rich tones of cranberries, red cherries, black cherries and red fruits

    overall: a lot of promise. Good fruit, but not over the top as it is well balanced and backed up by some firm tannins

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  • 2005 Culler La Palette 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very attractive nose of red cherries, black currants, herbs, spices and bits of bell peppers to round it out. Really good depth and expression on the nose

    taste: lovely and plush medium/full feel with good tannins. Velvety tones of black currants, spices, herbs, and rich tones of red cherries balance very well together

    overall: a really pretty cabernet blend. Rich and expressive with just the right amount of fruit and balance. It should get better, but it'd be hard not to open one right now

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  • 2006 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Phaedrus 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    nose: excellent and attractive rich nose of red fruits, red currants, red cherries, and some cedar tones

    taste: good rich medium/full feel with well balanced tones of red fruits, red currants and red cherries

    overall: a really good cab and a great value when one considers the prices for good cabs these days. Very sexy and good fruit make this a really attractive wine and it should age well too

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  • 2005 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: wonderfully rich and deep nose with great layered tones of chocolate, red cherries, creme de cassis, and red currants. Very pure and lovely nose that rather intoxicating

    taste: rich and layered tones of red cherries, creme de cassis, and red currants with a medium/full feel and good medium+ tannins

    overall: a wonderful cabernet. Could use a few years to add some more complexity on the palate, but the depth is great and one would not be faulted to open this one and decant for a bit before drinking

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  • 2006 Wolf Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Tres Hermanos Vineyard 88 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very interesting nose as it isn't as fruit driven as many new world sauvignon blancs are. Good creamy tones with a good helping of smoke, honeydew melons, and tart tones of lemon peels. Good depth on the nose with an attractive quality to it

    taste: excellent light feel with high acidity. Well balanced tones creams , smoke, citrus', and honeydew work well together

    overall: a very interesting and highly enjoyable sauvignon blanc. This isn't for those that want a lot of citrus in their SBs as there is a good amount of smoke tones on both the nose and palate. If one is more inclind towards a different profile, then this would be an interesting wine to check out

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  • 2005 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very pure and deep tones of of chocolate, red currants, bits of oak, dark cherries and rich tones of cranberries. very sumptuous and pure that is a real delight to smell with a good classy air about it

    taste: excellent silky and polished medium/full feel with rich and pure tones of chocolate, dark cherries, red currants, and cranberries. Very expressive on the palate with a nice plushness to it that very attractive

    overall: what I really enjoy about california cabernet. Great pure expression of fruit with good body to it and a good polished feel to it that really brings out the expression

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  • 2004 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    nose: rich, deep, and perfumed nose of cedar, pure tones of red fruits, red currants, creme de cassis, black licorice, and a good helping of red cherries. Very pure on all of the tones with great expressive aromatics

    taste: beautifully polished medium/full feel with good silky tannins. Lush and pure tones of spices, red cherries, red fruits, black licorice and a dollop of creme de cassis

    overall: this easily rivals a lot of other cabernets that are at least 2x the price. There is a great purity to this with wonderful expression on both the nose and palate that is almost heavenly. Great supporting tannins on this for good aging, this is beautiful right now and should age gracefully over the next 10-15 years

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  • 2004 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very dark profile with a good amount of black fruits, black cherries, anise, and oak tones. Good depth, but not as expressive as the 05 was as there is a edge to this and a more pronounced oak influence

    taste: full bodied with big tannins and rich tones of black cherries, anise, and black fruits. Almost like a sledgehammer on the palate

    overall: extremely large and bold, but lacking the expressiveness that the other cornerstone's possesed. Big profile and very dark this could use some time to round out a bit and have the rough edges get smoothed out

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  • 1999 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: good deep and rich nose of cedar, cassis, red cherries, herbs and bits of spice. A real nice purity to the nose with good depth and a elegant polish to it

    taste: really nice elegant medium/full feel with good depth and well balanced tones of cedar, cassis, red cherries and bits of spice all well balanced together with some good tannins still to provide support

    overall: a really elegant cab. Not mind blowing, but very sumptuous, balanced, and pure. A real good richness that makes it really attractive with really good structure

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  • 2001 Abreu Madrona Ranch 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very plush and filling nose of black cherries, cassis, cedar, anise, and spice tones. Good richness and depth showing off the pedigree

    taste: excellent fuller feel that is very silky with deceptive tannins. Rich tones of black cherries, cassis, cedar and spice all balance very well together with a nice lushness to them

    overall: a wonderful cabernet. Very well balanced with a silky richness surrounding it. Great polish to the wine with great aromatics, this is starting to drink and show itself off properly

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  • 2003 Abreu Madrona Ranch 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very dark and brooding nose that is a bit too much in a sense. Big tones of dark cherries, anise, belgian chocolate, and oak tones knock you down a bit. This is almost overbearing and while it has good depth, it lacks the polish of the 99 and 01

    taste: rich and huge feel with dark cranberries, dark cherries, anise, dark chocolate and a good helping of oak. Hard tannins and good depth, but lacking the expression and polish that made the 99 and 01 so attractive

    overall: a bruiser of a cabernet that is a bit overdone. The oak is a bit too prominant right now and there just seems to be a bit too much of everything. Needs some time to calm down a bit and balance out. This could be a very intriguing wine if it balances out a bit

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  • 2004 Abreu Thorevilos 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very youthful and deep nose with chocolate tones, rich black cherries, cranberries, some oak, spices, and a bit of black licorice. Supremely balanced with a real good richness to it that is very alluring

    taste: very big and full bodied with chewy tannins. Well balanced and youthful tones of chocolate, red currants, black cherries, bits of oak and some various spice tones. Great depth and purity and has that youthful exuberance to it

    overall: needs some time to smooth out the edges, but there is something stupendous in this. Great balance and depth with great expression, this was on a different level then the other madrona ranch cabs

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  • 2006 Winter Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: very pure nose of red fruits, red currants, creme de cassis, tart cherries and a nice helping of cranberries. Very plush nose that is well balanced and very aromatic at this young age

    taste: big, rich, tannins and full feel give this a big spine. Deep tones of red fruits, creme de cassis, cherries and cranberry notes

    overall: A wonderful young cabernet. Great purity and depth with a plush and full feel that flows very well. Will need some time, but this should be a real fun cab when it fully comes around

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  • 2004 Burly Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: rich and dark nose filled with herbs, spices, black currants, dark red cherries, and a touch of cedar. Very elegant nose that is very pungent and balanced with excellent depth

    taste: classic full bodied feel with rich tannins. Tones of herbs, spices, dark red cherries and a bit of cedar all balance out very well

    overall: A really good classic cabernet. Good richness on both the nose and palate, this can easily age for a good 12-15 years, but can just as easily be drunk now with a good decant

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  • 2005 Burly Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    nose: great balanced nose of cedar, black currants, dark red cherries, herbs and bits of dark spices. There is a good elegance and expressiveness to the nose that is very attractive with really good depth

    taste: Great full feel with big tannins and well balanced tones of cedar, black currants, dark red cherries, dark spices and a bit of cranberries. Good depth and very expressive on the palate underneath the big tannins

    overall: A real quality cab. Good elegance and expressive tones, this needs some time to fully come out as the tannins are pretty big right now

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Flight 3 - Italy (6 Notes)

  • 2005 MastroJanni Rosso di Montalcino 89 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

    nose: very nice nose with herbs, cherries, and plums. Good depth for a rosso and is a good expression of sangiovese

    taste: excellent medium feel with balanced tones of herbs, bits of spices, cherries and a touch of plum tones

    overall: a really good rosso. Surprising depth with a lovely quality to it on both the nose and palate that makes it very enjoyable. This isn't a rosso that tries to be a baby brunello, it is what it is, and its excellent

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  • 2003 MastroJanni Brunello di Montalcino 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

    nose: very pungent nose with a real good dark fruit base including tones of black cherries, herbs, dark plum tones and bits of spice. While there is an 03 edge to it, it doesn't scream the stewed profile or overtly hot profile. Good balance with an edge to it

    taste: medium feel with hard edged tannins and rich tones of black cherries, herbs, dark plum tones bits of spice and some dark fruits balance well together. The tannins are fairly hard and are such that they will probably out strip the fruit when then do fade

    overall: a really good brunello with an excellent profile. The vintage shows off with the tannins and the darker profile on the palate, but this is a quality brunello that would be best with food and is drinking fine right now

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  • 2003 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 89 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

    nose: good tones of red and black fruits, herbs, dark red cherries, and spices tones. Good lush nose that has some good balance to it, but also shows off the dark profile of the vintage

    taste: lush medium feel that is accompanied by very hard tannins and medium+ acidity. Good tones of red and black fruits, some herbs and bits of spice with some red cherries

    overall: a very good brunello, but the tannins are very hard edged at this time and detract from the wine. Good depth, but not what one would expect from a brunello. This may improve a bit with a couple of years, but it probably won't get all that much better

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  • 2004 Canneto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 88 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

    nose: very nice and rich nose of herbs, floral bits, spice tones and some hints of red cherries. Good expression on the nose with classic sangiovese tones and decent depth with nice polish

    taste: good medium feel with balanced tones of herbs, tobacco, florals and bits of red cherries. Nice feel with decent depth

    overall: a very good vino nobile. Well balanced with classic tones, its just lacking a slight bit of depth to really drive it.

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  • 2004 Canneto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

    nose: lovely and deep nose of red cherries, herbs, spice tones, plums, and tobacco. Excellent balance and aromatics that make their way out of the glass

    taste: nice tannins with a lovely plush medium feel with good tones of tobacco, red cherries, roasted herbs and spice tones

    overall: A quality wine. Very well balanced with lovely aromatics, this needs a few years to really strut its stuff, but is very enjoyable right now

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  • 2004 Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Sagrantino 91 Points

    Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino

    nose: very intriguing and captivating nose with rich tones of blood pudding, dried cherries, various spice tones, and bits of anise. While very youthful on the nose, there was an intoxicating effect

    taste: massive tannins as one would expect from a young sagrantino with high acidity. Expressive tones of berries, dried cherries, spice tones and bits of anise. While tannic what comes across is very good

    overall: I'd love to know what this wine would be like when it mature and the tannins pull back a bit. There is really good expression already at such a young age and it should be beautiful when it fully matures

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Flight 4 - Burgundy (5 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

    nose: not as powerful or rustic as clos vougeot can be with tones of chalk, earth, dark red cherries, brown spices and a bit of green tones poke their head out. Good class on the nose as one would expect from a grand cru, but a bit of the 04 green shows itself unfortunetly

    taste: good polished feel with high acidity. Well balanced tones of chalk, earth, brown spices, dark red fruits, a bit of raspberry and some slight hints of greenish notes. The green doesn't really hit as much on the palate as it did on the nose

    overall: a good classy clos vougeot. Hopefully the green tones pull back a bit and more of the classic Clos Vougeot tones fully emerge. Needs some time sideways to let the acidity calm down, this should be an attractive wine when it does emerge, but it will never set off fireworks

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  • 2005 Domaine Talmard Mâcon-Chardonnay 86 Points

    France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Chardonnay

    nose: nice straight forward nose with decent depth. Good tones of lemons, citrus tones, and bits of minerals

    taste: good, crisp and medium/light feel with tones of navel oranges, lemons, and fresh picked citrus tones

    overall: a good wine. Nice and crisp with well balanced flavors that are straight forward and make for a good summer white

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  • 2005 Chartron et Trébuchet Puligny-Montrachet 86 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

    nose: good aromatics with minerals, citrus tones and bits of lemon peels. Very nice nose that is well balanced but not overtly deep

    taste: tart and medium/light feel with medium acidity. Good tones of Citrus and Lemon peels work well together and have decent depth

    overall: lacking complexitity, but has decent depth. A bit dissapointing considering the appellation and vintage, but a solid puligny nonetheless

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  • 2006 Chartron et Trébuchet Pouilly-Fuissé Cuvée de la Chapelle 88 Points

    France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé

    nose: excellent aromatics with well balanced tones of minerals, citrus', and a good amount of lemon peels with a slight hint of green apples. Very good depth for a pouilly fuisse

    taste: excellent medium/light feel with nice medium acidity and rounded tones of green apples, lemon peels, and fresh picked citrus'

    overall: a real quality Pouilly Fuisse. Good depth on both the nose and palate with a lovely feel and excellent aromatics

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  • 2005 Chartron et Trébuchet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    nose: real classy and deep nose of baking spices, lemons creams, citrus tones and lots of mineral tones. Good focus on the nose with a good amount of depth, this is very aromatic and primary right now

    taste: great medium feel with medium+ acidity and deep tones of smoked nuts, baking spices, lemon creams and some really good and racy mineral tones

    overall: a wonderful young Puligny. THe acidity isn't overbearing but is definitely there. This should be more on the early drinking side as the tones are pure and the acidity is good, but not huge

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