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Wine Type
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Vintage
Name
Variety
Locale
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Date
Posted
Score
Helpful
Comments
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Spirits
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NV Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 60%
Speyside
more
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Three Sherried Whiskys: Glenfarclas 105, 10 YO, 60% ABV
Rather deep amber colour.
Nose: Lots of wood, furniture polish, dried fruits, some spices. Even with a generous drop of water the nose doesn't change that much; it remains quite wood spiced although the fruitiness seems to step forward a little bit.
Taste: Strong, almost numbing without water, not yielding very many details, the high alcohol blocking most. With a generous drop of water comes sweetness, heather honey, richness and a strong but honeyed and slightly wood spiced finish which actually is very long. Soothing...
Overall: Give it a generous amount of water and enjoy the heather honeyed taste and finish.
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Spirits
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NV Glenmorangie Dornoch Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43%
Northern Highlands
more
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Three Sherried Whiskys: Glenmorangie Dornoch, Amontillado Butt Finished, 43%
Light amber / light tea colour.
Nose: Not very pungent, rounded, butter caramel (but still rather dry), wood, spices, some fruitcake. Even just a few drops of water seem to literally water down the nose of this whisky.
Taste: Fruity, a bit spicy, initially quite dry. Fruitcake, wood tannins. Not very complex. Sweetness arriving in the finish, which is long. With a few drops of water it retains and even increases its wood spiciness and the finish seems less sweet.
Overall: Nose and finish are its best features. Add no (or very, very little) water to this one.
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Spirits
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NV Aberlour 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 40%
Speyside
more
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Three Sherried Whiskys: Tea coloured.
Nose: Fruity Sherry, dried yellow fruits, light raisins, dried peach, apricot, honey. With water comes additional wood spice.
Taste: Rounded, sweet touch, sherry, fruitcake and dried fruits, hints of ginger and aniseed. A few drops of water does not change very much but seems to bring out a caramel touch in the finish, which is medium short to medium in length and not very complex.
Overall: Nose and initial taste are its strongest sides. Somehow I'm not convinced that water does any service to this (already well diluted) whisky.
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Red
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2003 Château de Campuget Costières-de-Nîmes Tradition
Red Rhone Blend more
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Nose: Moderate. Some blackberry, slight medicinal notes, thyme and some tobacco.
Taste: Mature, rounded, mellow, sweet and "warm" fruitiness with a spicy bite. Medium full bodied. Rounded, almost "polished" tannins.
Fully mature and still very much alive, this shiraz-grenache blend is drinking very well now. Will probably last for another 1-3 years but I doubt that it will improve further or become more complex (on the other hand, so did I also conclude in 2008 and 2010...). So drink up now (or not...;) and enjoy!
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White - Fortified
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NV Gonzalez-Byass Palomino Fino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Tío Pepe (Muy Seco-Extra Dry)
more
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Tandem Sherry Fino tasting: Bottled 03.09.2015
(Tasted in tandem with Lustau Almecenista Fino del Puerto)
Very light straw colour.
Nose: Salty, almonds, flor, green olives. "Classical" Tio Pepe nose.
Palate: Rounded, quite rich (medium+) body, salty, green olives, lemony fruit. Medium long and salty aftertaste.
Although the standard TP is heavily filtered and mass produced it remains one of the world's best and most reliable wine bargains. At NOK 89 (EUR 9.35) for 1 litre (=EUR 7 per 0.75 bottle) at duty free this is great value for money.
Because of its low price I do a bit of experimentation with Tio Pepe (infusions with dried fruits, blending and aging it with different whiskys, aquavits etc) and several of these experiments really bring out and show how much lemon fruitiness there actually is in this wine.
I'm aware that the very good Tio Pepe En Rama (unfiltered) version is based on a stricter selection (from the best casks) but just imagine what we might have had if Gonzales Byass would continue the ordinary Tio Pepe only with less filtering...
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White - Fortified
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NV Emilio Lustau (Almacenista) Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino del Puerto Jose Luis González Obregón
Palomino Fino more
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Tandem Sherry Fino tasting: Bottled 18.02.2014 (Lot no 4048).
Tasted in tandem with Tio Pepe Fino (TP).
Light / straw yellow (slightly more yellow than TP).
Nose: Darker nose than TP, more briny and meaty, darker nuts/almonds. Also a slightly lactic scent which is less appealing.
Palate: Richer and more taste than TP, more complex, more layers. A crisper and fresher sea saltiness. Long, spicy and fruity aftertaste.
It's already two years since this was bottled, so one shouldn't expect this to be the freshest expression of Fino del Puerto but it holds up well and does not in any way come across as too old or un-fresh. Quite nice fino if not outstanding.
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White - Sparkling
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NV Pirie
Northern Tasmania
Chardonnay Blend, Chardonnay more
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(Purchased March 2015)
Medium light yellow colour.
Nose: Sweet lemon with hints of tropical fruits, bread and yeast.
Taste: Medium rich body and mousse. Fruity opening with sweet lemon in the forefront supported by pineapple and mango, nice acidity, finishing with a slight (and pleasant) bitter bite. Rather long, fruity aftertaste.
Nice and well made sparkling wine!
A very good buy at NOK 200 in Norway.
Should keep well and probably mature nicely over the next 2-3 years.
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Cider - Sparkling
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2011 Etienne Dupont Cidre Cuvee Colette
Normandy
Apple more
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(6.9% ABV. Methode Traditionelle)
Golden yellow colour.
Nose: Lovely perfumed and vinous nose, rich and rather ''deep'' yellow and red apple notes.
Palate: Dry but with a sweet fruit note. Together with the maturity of the fruit this rounds the wine off and gives it an almost off-dry mouthfeel. Nice and rounded acidity balances the whole thing out. Quite rich mouthfeel. Rich mousse.
Mature and drinking very well now but seems to have enough fruit and acidity to last and potentially develop for another 2-4 years.
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Red
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2005 Patrice Rion Côte de Nuits Villages
Pinot Noir more
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Medium dark red ruby colour.
Nose: Initially very red fruits driven with only hints of secondary aromas and faintest hint of some funk. It took 24 hours for the nose to really open up properly and start to show some complexity, although the wine still shows young and fruit driven.
Palate: Supple, slightly sweet fruit, quite rich and rather full bodied for a village wine. Again showing signs of still being in its youth, with mainly primary, fruity taste elements like strawberries, dark cherries, some (nice) tannins and a hint of white pepper. Well structured and a wonderful food wine. Very impressive for being "just" a CdN Village!
Unlike other tasters I'm not sure this will last another 10-20 years but I will probably wait another 5 years before I open my second and last bottle (optimal drinking window 2015-2022?)
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White
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2007 Gérard Tremblay Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir
Chardonnay more
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Very light yellow colour.
Nose: Sea shells & oysters, wax and linoleum.
Palate: Almost "waxy" mouthfeel, rather rich, rounded, a bit of citrus, some mature fruit. In general reminds me more of a mature Semillon than Chardonnay/Chablis.
This wine doesn't seem to suffer from the time and regional typical premox problem (except potentially for the fact that it's more developed than I would expect). I would say it's past its peak but still have certain interesting qualities.
Drink up.
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White - Fortified
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1966 José Maria da Fonseca Moscatel de Setúbal Superior
more
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Deep amber colour.
Nose: Caramelised sugar, dried orange zest, earl grey tea, hints of marzipan.
Palate: Sweet, quite intense, slightly spicy, caramel, orange water.
Improved significantly with some air.
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Red
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1996 Domaine de Trévallon
Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône
Syrah Blend, Syrah more
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Nose: Very mature, cooked jam, blueberry and some black currant. But no real tertiary aromas.
Palate: Mature fruit, some rounded and slightly spicy tannins.
A mature version of itself which has aged but not transformed in any way.
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White
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1995 Lindeman's Sémillon Bin 8650
Hunter Valley
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(11,5% ABV)
Great, golden amber colour.
Nose: Sweet lemon, honey, beeswax, marzipan and some tropical notes (pineapple, lychee).
Palate: Wonderfully crisp, great acidity. Medium light bodied, with a slightly waxy mouthfeel. Tropical fruits (pineapple) and honey, although the wine is completely dry.
Excelled with ripe Brie cheese.
Benefitted from some time (1h+) to open up.
This Hunter Valley Semillon has now passed 20 years and is true to form. Has only partly arrived in it's secondary maturation phase (with the "waxy stuff") and still retains much of it's primary, citrusy character. Will probably continue to develop for several years.
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Red
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1999 Casa Vinicola D'Angelo Aglianico del Vulture Riserva Caselle
more
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Medium deep crimson colour.
Nose: Wonderful bouquet of dark red berries, black cherries, tar, violets, (the Barolo connection...), something smoky, bacon like (the oak barrels...?) and that "dark minerality" (volcanic...?) which is often found in AdV wines. With more air mushrooms and other other forest smells join the party. Wonderful, complex and unique bouquet.
Palate: Juicy, savoury, full of sweet fruit (albeit absolutely dry). Fiery and spicy. Nice, mature and rounded tannins.
A lovely, perfectly mature Aglianico, drinking wonderfully right now!
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White - Fortified
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NV Henriques & Henriques Madeira Terrantez 20 Years Old
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Iberian-Madeiran fortified mini flight: (Bottle opened 05.12 2015):
Colour: Medium brown, tea coloured with a golden tone. Slightly hazy.
Nose: Quite intense nose with wood, wood polish, ''fruity'' Christmas spices, orange marmalade, dark honey, raisins, dark honey cake (Lebkuchen).
Taste: Intense, quite a lot of acidity, there is balancing sweetness but the overall impression is more dry than sweet. Spicy, mouth watering acidity.
Aftertaste: Sweet and sour, nice and lingering, rich in acidity but in a very good way. Rather long, slowly fading.
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White - Fortified
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1954 De Muller Aureo Dolce
Tarragona
Grenache Blanc, Grenache more
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Iberian-Madeiran fortified mini flight: (Bottle opened 24.09.2015):
Colour: Medium brown, very slight haze.
Nose: Elements of wood polish and black tea, some honey, dried citrus peel.
Taste: Medium sweet to off-dry. Medium to medium light bodied. Some dryness (tannins?) towards the finish.
Aftertaste: Medium short to medium. Markedly less notable aftertaste than the 20 YO Terrantez and Apostoles Palo Cortado (but has also stayed open for more than twice as long). Not as interesting now as over the first month or two, indicating that after opening it keeps more like a sherry than like a Madeira.
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White - Fortified
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NV Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Palo Cortado Apostoles
Palomino Fino-Pedro Ximénez Blend more
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Iberian-Madeiran fortified mini flight: (Bottle opened 09.12.2015)
Colour: Medium dark brown, clear.
Nose: Black tea is almost dominant, candied peel, dark raisins,
Taste: Quite rich, medium sweet, viscose, mouth coating. Black tea.
Aftertaste: Long, slightly spicy or burning, with some wood and molasses. Lingering.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
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2012 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora
Victoria
Muscat Blend, Muscat more
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(10% ABV)
Golden yellow colour.
Nose: Typical Muscaty nose; sweet grapes and oranges, some sweet flowery elements with a hint of Lapsang Souchong smoked tea.
Palate: Mid weight, fairly sweet, balanced more by fruitiness than acidity. At the moment fairly well balanced but I would not expect this to be one for long cellaring, due to what I perceive to be relatively low acidity. To the contrary, the bottle states that it will age and develop well and I guess the producer knows better...
Charming, clean, fruity. Drink and enjoy while young. It's quite enjoyable.
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Red
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2011 Descendientes de José Palacios Bierzo Pétalos
Mencía more
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Nose: Blueberries, cranberries, rich and oily Mediterranean herbs.
Taste: Succulent, fruity, rich, spicy and structured with a tannic backbone. "Cool fruit" combined with warm herbal and peppery spiciness.
Drinking superbly now but should keep and might also develop for several more years.
Great value for money.
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White
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2006 Domaine Laroche Chablis 1er Cru
Chardonnay more
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Medium deep golden colour.
Nose: Seawater, fresh oysters, minerality.
Palate: The fruit is very rounded and soft with some acidity to match. The wine is very mature, just starting to get a little oxidised, but not a bad wine. Gaining a bit after airing.
As noted before; a good standard Chablis (had it been a Village wine) but not very impressive for being a Premier Cru. Drink up!
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White
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2011 Hugel Gentil "Hugel"
Alsace
White Blend more
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Light to medium golden colour.
Nose: Rich, floral, rose petals and peaches (noticeable Gewurtztraminer component?). Also a prominent, mature Riesling-like petroleum note
Taste: Clean and pure fruit. Quite rich and slightly "oily" texture (Pinot Gris?). Slight stone fruit bitterness rounding it off.
Very nice and well balanced. Maturing but will continue to develop nicely for several years and probably keep even longer (drink 2011-2019).
Outstanding quality for being Hugel's simplest / most basic wine!!! I've tasted other producers' Alsace Grand Cru Rieslings which have been less focused and clean than this wine!
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White
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2010 Penfolds Riesling Autumn Riesling Koonunga Hill
Eden Valley
more
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Medium golden yellow with the slightest hint of green.
Nose: Petrol, citrus (a previous note aptly mentioned lemon balm) and a significant buttery (oaky?) element.
Palate: Dry (despite previous "off dry" comments, the combination of slight sweetness and rich acidity comes across to me as a dry experience), moderate fruitiness, medium to full bodied. Not 100% balanced - there's something about the fruit-acidity-oak balance - but still a nice wine.
Mature now. Will keep but I fear that the acidity will gradually become more dominant.
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White
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2009 Ravenswood Chardonnay Vintners Blend
California
more
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Nose: Rich and buttery nose with ripe, tropical fruits.
Taste: Mature, rounded, medium to full bodied, still a lot of ripe fruitiness.
Nothing very complex or over-exciting but a typical, traditional California Chardonnay, well made and nicely carrying its 6 years.
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Red
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2000 Château Monestier La Tour Bergerac
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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Nose: Deep red and dark berries fruit (blueberry & crowberry) plus some forest herbs. Also a nice, earthy touch.
Taste: Medium bodied, dry tannins, maturing fruit with spicy acidity and elements of "fat" herbs a la garrigue.
13.12.2015: After two days in open bottle (in a very cold fridge) the nose has evolved and is now full of forest herbs, including pine and juniper bushes, towards garrigue but different, "cooler". Behind this is a deep and dark pool of berries, blueberry & crowberry as before but now joined by blackcurrant. The taste has changed less, except rounded off a little but is every bit as fruity and spicy as it was when opened.
With this last experience I tend to think that there may be a bit of further cellaring potential. However, whether it will evolve or just keep I'm more unsure about (drink 2005-2018?)
05.01.2016: A portion which had been kept in a closed and full, smaller bottle shows off excellently, every bit as fruity and fresh as during the first few days, despite it being more than three weeks since opening.
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White - Fortified
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NV Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Palo Cortado Apostoles
Palomino Fino-Pedro Ximénez Blend more
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Nose: Dark raisins, dark caramel, dried prunes, dried figs, oily nuts.
Taste: Medium to medium full bodied, hints of sweetness but much drier than the nose suggests. Slightly salty, some brine and meat stock / consomme. Taking into the equation both the saltiness and the underlying acidity, the wine comes across as between dry and off-dry.
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