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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments Comment Date Community Score More...
White - Sweet/Dessert

2009 Alois Kracher Cuvée Eiswein

 Neusiedlersee White Blend more
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2/9/2014 - AllRed wrote: 88 points

Second Sunday Group: Older California Pinots (Barb's): Pineapple, apricot and orange marmalade notes. Good acidity, with tropical fruit, apricot, honey and floral notes on the palate. Finishes a bit short. 88+ pts.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    3/3/2014 4:18:00 AM - I have had Canadian ice wines before yes, though not too many and it has been a while since my last. I do enjoy the Canadian ones though, which i tend to think of as bright and lively, with good fruit and enough acidity to prevent them from being cloying or sugary sweet...much like the best dessert wines from any region. I think i would probably prefer many, such as Inniskillin, to this, which is the most basic of the Kracher wines, though the Inniskillin are three times as costly. A better comparison would be an Inniskillin to one of the "numbered" Kracher wines, of which i am a big fan.
Red

2005 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor

 Puente Alto more
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7/21/2018 - AllRed wrote: 90 points

4th Saturday Group: Global Cabernet Sauvignon (Our house): Blind. Notes of herbs and dark fruit with a hint of the citrusy grapefruit thing common in this wine when young. Made it easy to pick out as our wine. Medium tannins with flavors of dark fruit and eucalyptus. Needs a couple of years yet.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    12/9/2019 12:12:00 PM - Hi, Rollerball.

    By double blind, I mean that I did not know the wine's identity. This bottle was ours, so I knew it would appear in one of the flights somewhere, I just didn't know where, so I tasted it "blind."

    For this particular group, each taster brings a bottle in a brown bag, which we group roughly from light to heavy. Then the host often times mixes things up a bit, so even if you were to bring a "lighter red" and set it at the very front of the line, it would most often get mixed in somewhere in the first flight as opposed to being the first wine in the first flight. We occasionally have themes, e.g., foreign cab sauv, but that would be our only advance knowledge of what is being tasted. I still consider that double blind since we don't know anything but the variety, excluding one country.

    So once the wines are arranged/randomized, we break the bottles into manageable flights (no more than six to a flight) and spend 20 minutes or so tasting the flight. We then open group discussion on the wines and flight at large, before narrowing it down to the first wine of the flight. We have discussions about that wine and we make our guesses as to what it is and it is then unveiled. We then move on to the second wine in the flight and so on.

    It's fun, especially because we learn each others' palates and when someone guesses correctly, they explain what tipped them off so we learn what clues to look for. It's a fun, education and humbling exercise.

    Hope this all makes sense and answers your questions.

    Cheers!
White

2013 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Les Hauts de Smith Blanc

 Pessac-Léognan Sauvignon Blanc more
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7/1/2020 - VlgJeff wrote: 87 points

PnP, but benefitted from some air time. A white Bordeaux that definitely shows its 100% Sauvignon Blanc pedigree. The nose presented strong notes of grass and grapefruit. The grass and grapefruit followed onto the medium bodied palate along with some lemon, and quite high acidity. Only a medium to minus finish with lingering acidity.
Maybe the wine needs more air time? Maybe it's just the reflection of a mediocre vintage.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    7/10/2020 2:43:00 AM - Not trying to start anything or be a jerk, but merely correcting information- this is your typical white Bordeaux blend containing both sauvignon and semillon. According to the winery's tech sheet, it's 80/20.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    7/10/2020 8:58:00 AM - My apologies! <embarrassed emoji> - yes, I grabbed the Petit Hauts tech sheet.
Red

2009 Château Vrai Canon Bouché

 Canon-Fronsac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/16/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 90 points

A blend of 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec from a 30 acre vineyard in Canon-Fronsac. The 1st of my 4 bottles which I bought on sale for $15. Not decanted. A very nice round wine with integrated tannins. Crimson color Low sediment. Notes of red currants and tobacco. 90 points.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    1/19/2015 6:45:00 PM - Not really a tasing note...

    :p
Red

1995 Château La Dominique

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/8/2013 - AllRed wrote: 86 points

Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: Malbec (current releases) (Augie's): Ripe, pruny black fruit and plum qualities on the nose and palate, turning to raisin on the finish. Much too ripe for my liking.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    5/27/2015 8:53:00 AM - Ah, okay. "There are no good wines, only good bottles." Knowing this, my notes are specific to each particular bottle from which I taste, and it is very rare that I will make a generalization about a given wine from just a few notes, and certainly never from a single bottle. If I am commenting about the wine in a broader sense than a specific bottle, I try to be quite clear on that point.

    As to the '95 Dominique, I'm glad to hear yours were good- this particular one was raisiny, but I tasted two other bottles that were much better. I hope your remaining bottles show just as well, if not better, for you. Cheers!

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    5/27/2015 8:27:00 AM - Yes, though why do you ask?
Red

2010 Château La Confession

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/11/2020 - AllRed wrote: 89 points

Second Sunday Group: 2010 Bordeaux (aka Bal Masqué) (R&D's): Double blind. Inital bouquet of black fruit- currants- and something along the lines of a cedar chest. Medium-bodied, with softer tannins than the others in the flight and flavors of black fruit and raspberry with a peppery spice note in the finish. Picks up a tobacco note with time in the glass. Good, but lacking a little something compared to most of the others.

My #6, Domino's #2
Group #5, 37 pts

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    10/14/2020 6:16:00 AM - Good morning, Bill! Hope you and Dee are well.

    Yes, I think these are still developing.

    I am trying to remember the extent to which you and I align (or don't) with Bordeaux. Based on these eight bottles, this is a Bordeaux vintage for Steve...plenty of nicely ripe fruit and no earthy/funky old world character at all. I mean, we tasted these with one of the buyers from Binny's and we all missed it. Each and every one of us said Napa cabernet and there was not one suggestion of anything else, which might be a first since we have been part of this group.

    So, if representative, it's a vintage for Napa cab drinkers, at least right now. I don't have many '10s, and none of these particular wines, but personally I would hold these for another five years and hope their Bordeaux heritage begins to show. If I want Napa cab, I'll just open Napa cab, right?!?!?

    So for me, a strong hold at the moment, perhaps checking back in around 2025 and going from there.
Red

1990 Château Figeac

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/28/2014 - Fugu Me Likes this wine: NR

This is when there should be an "I love it" option in CT. Showed younger than prior bottle, needing 2+ hours of air to really start to open up. Could easily have lasted another 15-20 years.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    11/6/2014 10:42:00 AM - Very timely note as I am opening one of these tonight. So two+ hours in a decanter, or just open & in bottle? TIA.
Red

2010 Château Sociando-Mallet

 Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/11/2020 - AllRed wrote: 94 points

Second Sunday Group: 2010 Bordeaux (aka Bal Masqué) (R&D's): Double blind. I am immediately smitten by the bouquet with its black fruit, bell pepper, greenish herbal elements (I knew right away Domino and I would be at odds with this one) and a pretty floral violet top note. Full-bodied and bordering on austere on the first pass, with a dominant black currant flavor. Comes together nicely with air with mixed red and black fruits and herbal overtones. Seamless; balanced. Lingering finish. Loved this and thought it was either Napanook or Tanbark (Togni).

My #1, Domino's #7
Group #2, 30 pts

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    10/14/2020 6:09:00 AM - Yeah, those old Dominus and Togni wines with their old school sensibilities-some of my favorite wines. Once the unveiling began and we knew these were Bordeaux I assumed this was going to be something from PLL with those herbal/greenish elements (I am nearly always able to spot PLL in double blind lineup).

    I was surprised to see SM though, as I have always found that to be a much more "rustic" wine and that just wasn't the case here. Perhaps that's the vintage influence here though with the fruit masking/replacing the more rustic side of Sociando?

    I've finished my brief commentary on the '10s, and only have the dinner wines left to add notes for. Some winners there too, highlighted by a lovely bottle of Overture.

    Cheers!
Red

2008 Château Duhart-Milon

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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3/24/2019 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 90 points

DFS annual event (Singapore): Clearly darker with more meat than the second wine. Good balance, some soil, dark fruit, fine to medium tannis. Short to medium length. A solid Pauillac but nothing exceptional. Might have benefited from a longer decant in my eyes.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    4/24/2019 8:59:00 AM - You make mention of a longer decant- how long was this bottle decanted and/or how long would you recommend? Thank you. Cheers!
Red

1989 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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3/12/2020 - Nicephoras wrote: NR

A slightly odd bottle. Initially it showed VERY green, which I tend not to expect from this relatively Merlot heavy estate (until they tore up the merlot). With time, the green subsided to an extent to reveal a more classic and correct Bordeaux profile. However, it never entirely shed the green notes, and if I wanted to drink Loire reds, I’d drink Raffault, and I don’t. As always, there are no great wines, only great bottles. Because when the 89 Pichon Lalande is on, it’s ON.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    3/13/2020 3:01:00 AM - We have differing opinions, which is of course perfectly fine.

    PLL, in my opinion, does often show a green quality and is the tell tale signature in the wine that has allowed me to pick it out of a lineup numerous times, often double blind, but especially in a single blind group. For me it most often manifests in what I note as a green/herbal quality.

    Again, just a different opinion.
Red

1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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7/14/2013 - AllRed wrote: 94 points

Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Opens with Pichon Lalande's telltale green/herbal streak, followed by tobacco, black fruit and spice box notes. Integrated and balanced, with flavors of black fruit, tobacco, spice box and red currants. Forest floor, roasted herbs and red fruit linger on the finish. Absolutely terrific.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    7/27/2013 10:22:00 AM - Be glad that you do and enjoy it! The tannic, backward structure of the vintage did not show in this bottle- a gorgeous glass of wine!
Red

1986 Château Mouton Rothschild

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/14/2018 - AllRed wrote: 93 points

Second Sunday Group: 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Barb's): Courtesy of MaY, popped and poured. Initially there's a slight hint of something musty, perhaps TCA, but it eventually blew off rather than worsened, so just a little bottle funk...fears allayed. Crimson core though showing some age at the meniscus. Floral and black currant notes with a slight earthy tobacco quality. Nice red berry fruit on the palate with softened tannin and nice balancing acidity. Finishes with nice length.

I'd have loved to have spent an evening with this to follow its development. We have been lucky/fortunate enough to be with MaY for the first two of his three bottles, and hope to be around for the last. Thank you, M. 93+ pts, with some room for improvement with additional complexity.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    1/18/2018 5:40:00 AM - If you say so.
Red

2004 Château Pontet-Canet

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/31/2016 - grossie wrote: 92 points

Really powerful round wine. Still a little young, I wish I had read my other note before opening this, it could use 5 more years.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    10/31/2016 8:08:00 PM - Thanks for the timely note, grossie. I recently pulled a bottle from storage to check in on it, and I think I will take it back and let it rest a while yet based on your comments. Hope the family is well. Cheers!
Red

1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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3/13/2016 - AllRed wrote: 94 points

Second Sunday Group: 1996 Bordeaux (high end) (Marty's): Opens with notes of green, herbal qualities with black fruit underneath. Has some structure and tannin, but it's balanced by the fruit and feels appropriate. Flavors of red fruit and herbs, green tobacco and iron. Finishes with greater length than the first couple of wines and seems more accessible overall. This doesn't change much during the course of the tasting, but everything just becomes more amplified as it sits. Excellent. 94 pts.

Double blind:
My #2, Domino's #8
Group #6, 54 pts

Single blind guess:
Lafite- more due to process of elimination, as I have very little experience with Lafite and don't have identifying characteristics in my taste memory.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    3/16/2016 6:00:00 AM - Firstly, nice score! I found it pretty typical. I am usually able to pick out the PLL because, for my palate, it always has a green quality that I just adore. The only reason I didn't pick it out in this line up was because I thought wine H was the PLL as it too had the green/herbal notes. I will likely finish entering the rest of the notes from this tasting tonight. Getting back to the PLL though, your mags ought to be fantastic, and yes, exactly what you want in PLL. This 750 was from a good cellar and just at the beginning of its window. I would personally hold mags for a while yet (assuming this 750 is representative), however with six, if your curiosity gets the better of you, I doubt it will be a complete waste to open now, as long as you can spend an evening with it and give it some time in the decanter.

    As to your other question, yes, we're in the Chicago area. We're in the western suburbs in St. Charles, but we get into the city proper often enough. If you're ever interested in an offline dinner, send me a note- we always enjoy getting together with fellow wine lovers.
Red

2010 Château Haut-Bages Libéral La Fleur de Haut-Bages Libéral

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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8/21/2014 - AllRed wrote: 88 points

Inky crimson color. Notes of plum, blackberry, graphite and violets. Full-bodied and structured, with firm, grainy tannins and flavors of black fruit, plum and earth. Domino preferred this to the Chantegrive. Half a bottle leftover- we'll check back in tomorrow night.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    9/7/2014 3:56:00 PM - It was nice- still had plenty of fruit and the tannins had softened a bit and became more "refined" and less "grainy." We paid less than $20 for it, and will be grabbing a few to drink at the 8-12 year old range I think.
Red

2005 Les Pagodes de Cos

 St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more
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4/12/2015 - AllRed wrote: 88 points

Second Sunday Group: 2003 vs 2005 Bordeaux 2nd Labels (R&D's): Garnet with some bricking. Aromas of coffee/mocha, sandalwood and red berry. Somewhat tannic with pronounced acidity- comes off as slightly disjointed. Shut down a bit in the glass aromatically, but the palate improved as the fruit came forward along with spice and herb notes and the acidity softened. My guess is that this is better than it showed today. Give this a couple of years yet.

My #5, Domino's #7
Group #8, 70 pts

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    4/14/2015 3:48:00 PM - Yes, this had been double decanted by our hosts, though I do not know how long in advance. The wine was breathing in bottle for at least one hour before the flight was poured. So at a minimum, it had a brief double decant off its sediment and was returned to bottle for an hour. No doubt a very decent Bordeaux.
Red

2010 Château Gloria

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/11/2020 - AllRed wrote: 91 points

Second Sunday Group: 2010 Bordeaux (aka Bal Masqué) (R&D's): Double blind. Black currant, mocha, cassis and campfire-like smoky aromas. On the light side of full-bodied, but with chewy tannin. Dark fruit and spice tones on the palate. Nice compexity- adds aromas of herbs, mineral and incense as it opens in the glass- but the bouquet is well ahead of the palate at this point. 91+ pts.

My #4, Domino's #4
Group #7, 42 pts

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    10/13/2020 5:48:00 PM - Hi Mark. Yes, I'd say five at least, well, for my palate anyway. Here's what you don't know yet as I haven't put in the story with the full write up. Each and every one of us tasting double blind, and that includes professionals in the industry (a couple of whom have been tasting for 40+ years), thought these were Napa cabs. There was zero doubt in any of our minds that we had a flight of eight cabs in front of us. The only question was what vintage (I thought '13s). So if these eight are representative of the vintage as a whole, it's a Bordeaux vintage for Napa cab lovers, and if that sounds good to you, these can be enjoyed now with a 2-3 hour decant. Personally, I would hold 5+ years and hope for their true origin to show....I mean, if I want Napa cab I'll just open Napa cab!
White - Sweet/Dessert

2008 Château d'Yquem

 Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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4/25/2015 - AllRed wrote: 94 points

4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Our house): From 375ml. Tropical fruit and apricot qualities with a citrusy undertone. Terrific balance on the palate with a long finish.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    5/3/2015 12:02:00 PM - I would not say "ready" by d'Yquem standards, but certainly very enjoyable given its youth. It is rich and offers loads of fruit and a lot of pleasure, but it has none of the complexity and depth that true maturity will bring. We opened it simply because it was the eve of our 7th wedding annivesary and wanted to share a special bottle with our friends who brought such great wines for the tasting (plus we knew it would be fantastic with the pear frangipane tart). So long story short, let it sleep for a long while in the cellar yet, unless you have a few bottles and don't mind burning one early.
White

2008 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Domaine Louis Jadot

 Chardonnay more
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4/25/2015 - AllRed wrote: 94 points

4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Our house): Light color. I knew this was one of the two Genevrieres but not which one. Aromas of citrus, lemon oil and minerals. Stone fruit, spice, lemon and peach on the palate with a terrific underlying minerality. Finishes very well- balanced and long. Absolutely gorgeous.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    4/30/2015 9:22:00 PM - Bill, it is a glorious wine. Right now it is still young- meaning full of citrus and minerality. If you let it go it will show more brioche and orchard fruit and less citrus, and the minerality will soften. So it depends on what you like. I have three left I think, so you and D will certainly taste it again. I guess I'm saying open yours within the year and drink ours thereafter. :)
Red

2010 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot

 Pinot Noir more
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1/8/2014 - blindretriever wrote: NR

Disjointed and much different than the last few of these we had. Just didn't show well, and was lacking in the floral component that I love so much about this wine. Not flawed, but not great. Thus, no score.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    6/12/2014 4:51:00 AM - That same floral note that you loved is what I loved about it as well. I believe this has shut down and that time is now warranted. We shall see how five years or so treats this wine...I, and a few other Burg heads, suspect it will be gorgeous in a few years.
Red

2002 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares

 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Pinot Noir more
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3/6/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 points

La Paulée de New York - The Verticals (Eventi Hotel - New York NY): Walk around tasting, in 08/02/95 vertical. Enticing combination of red and black berry, maturing ever-so-gradually with both sweet and savory spice. Everything in place. Great now, but this is still a bit burly, so I fuily expect upside from here.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    10/23/2020 6:13:00 AM - Al, in terms of time for that upside development, what would you anticipate that requiring, another 10? 20? Longer? Thanks!
White - Sparkling

NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Cuvée Sainte Anne

 Champagne Blend more
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11/30/2019 - AllRed wrote: 75 points

Retailer tasting. 2016 base. Dirty. Clay, cotton and apple with a dominant dirty animal fur overtone. Small bead. Light on fruit; short finish.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    12/2/2019 2:24:00 AM - The bottle was not flawed- it was average at best. Three other tasters liked it better than I did. My opinion is my own. If you like the wine, that's terrific and you should be happy with it. My score is for my palate. The score stands.
White - Sparkling

NV Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut

 Champagne Blend more
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11/8/2012 - swillpower wrote: NR

If you think this is good Champagne, or good wine of any kind, you haven't a clue.

  • Comment posted by AllRed:

    11/10/2012 6:29:00 AM - Troll.

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