Tasting Notes 842 found

I can see where this wine is going, but the oak doesn't seem integrated right now. Plenty of Syrah character, but also shows a weedy, vegetal element that was off-putting to all of us tonight. I'd say give it at least a year, maybe two, and let the oak integrate. (PE: 87) (359 views)

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Wow. Not sure there's much more to say. Had against an '01 Rieussec, and the SQN was by far the winner. In 20 years it may be a different story, but today the Noble Man was hands down the best wine. Mango, apricot, honey, all delectable, plenty of acid and loads of yum. (PE: 98) (195 views)

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Still needs some air. At first, popped and poured, this was outstanding (95 points) but with air it really came on. Lemon oil and hazelnut predominate on the nose. The finish is simply rich, viscous, white and yellow citrus fruits with nutty elements and a bit of the tropics thrown in for good measure. I notice a bit of nutmeg or allspice as well. Continues to be one of my all-time favorite white wines. (PE: 97) (262 views)

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Wow. Even with "travel shock" potentially in the mix, this was pretty awesome. A nice return to 2004 levels of enjoyment. Huge amounts of clove and hard spice on the nose, along with dark fruits. The palate showed berry compote, strawberry, a nice backbone, and a long finish. Excellent! (PE: 97) (448 views)

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Solid Zinfandel, especially for the vintage. Was not unlike some of the Turleys I've had from '05, with perhaps a bit more fruit and a bit more complexity. This was a little more tart than I'd've preferred, however, and seemed to miss something on the finish. (PE: 88) (169 views)

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Once again I opened a Sauternes waaaaay too early. I think these are "fine" when they're young, but to me the epitome of Sauternes is when they are 15+ years old, and they take on some additional weight and lose a bit of the acid/backbone. This was nice, and I can see where it's going, but it just didn't wow me. (PE: 88) (1089 views)

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I struggle a bit with this wine. It is definitely Pinot Noir, but at the same time this bottle seemed so far from center that it almost pushes me into the camp which says this could be Syrah. Heady aromas, massive palate, lush fruit--all the hallmarks of an impressive wine, but lacking the elegance that, honestly, I think these wines can have. (PE: 90) (139 views)

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This has been the most Old World of the last several vintages (at least to my palate) and it continues in the vein, but it seems like it's going through a bit of a transformation as well. The nose showed great--very SQN-like. The palate is heavy with black pepper, but also shows dark red and black fruits, hints of fruit compote, beef blood, graphite, and leather. I think another year or two and it will start to really open up. (PE: 95) (651 views)

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Still short of its peak. After an hour, (and at a cooler temperature) I would have rated this 2-3 points less. However, at room temperature, and with 2+ hours of air, this is singing. Viscous, minerally, with hints of tart apple, loads of lemon oil, bits of tropical fruit, and plenty of acidity. What a spectacular wine. (303 views)

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Definitely not a wine for somebody who wants elegance, subtlety, or even what would typically be varietal correctness. This is a huge, massive wine. The nose leaps out of the glass, with dusty mocha and fruit notes. The palate is filled with tons of plummy fruit, chocolate, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate. The alcohol (16.9%) shows a little, but is surprisingly balanced by the fruit. Too bad there isn't a bit more tannin to back up the rest of the wine, or else this would really be an extraordinary wine. My guess is that it will fall to pieces in a few years as the alcohol takes front and center, but it's kind of enjoyable right now. (PE: 92) (140 views)

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Still hugely tannic, with only a bit of fruit showing. Shows a lot of potential, but I'm not sure it will ever get there because of the structure. Also showed noticeable dusty notes (Rutherford dust?) that took away from the overall enjoyment. I really did want to like this. Will be interesting to have the last bottle in maybe 5+ years and see if it every comes together. (PE: 87) (352 views)

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Popped, decanted, and poured. Waaaaay too young, but shows hints of greatness. Tightly wound structure, with a blast of dark cherry and blackberry fruits. Inky, with some hints of coffee. I think this will be stunning in about 6 years. Need to keep hands off for at least 2-3 more years. (PE: 92) (348 views)

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From the bottle, this was a bit disjointed. Showed good fruit (orange, tropical fruits), some sweet oak/butterscotch, good backbone. But they come across as separate components, and it was a bit offputting. With dinner (scallops and a parsnip crème), it really came alive as the components knit together. It became a wonderful combination of the components, in a seamless package, with supple mouthfeel, sweet fruit, and good structure. (At room temperature and with 4 hours of air, the wine by itself finally showed like it did with food.) (PE: 95) (148 views)

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This was slightly corked and I couldn't get past it... (364 views)

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My only crime opening this bottle was not giving it enough air. I thought about having Carolynn decant it during the day, but then before I knew it we were home and scrambling to put on some food for our friends. It was interesting, sharing this with friends who enjoy wine, but are not wine geeks. I didn't say anything about it until we were halfway through the bottle, then I mentioned that this was a Parker 100-pointer. My buddy said "really?" I think it was one of those moments when a person can't reconcile their own experience with that of a professional. Not that he didn't enjoy it, but I believe he was expecting it to do something transcendental. Interesting perspective on points. As for the wine itself, I had another bottle of this about 18 months ago (also popped and poured), and it hasn't budged much. Intense nose, meat intermingling with perfume and black, black fruits. The palate got better over the course of a couple hours with air--it was just too tight at first, although still delicious. Tannins are quite noticeable, but there's plenty of fruit and other stuff going on to help you forget about them. The finish lasts and lasts--more of the fruit, the meat, some licorice. The problem I have with this wine at this point is that it's good, and I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I think it will be so much better when it hits its peak. (PE: 97) (266 views)

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