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2016 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly, Alan and Kevin's excellent adventure
Villa D’este, Lake Como, Piedmont, Milan and Frankfurt
Tasted November 3, 2016 - November 12, 2016 by dcwino with 1,801 views
Introduction
Unlike last year, I was able to commit to the wine symposium at Villa D”Este relatively early on. This year, I invited a few of my wine drinking friends and Alan Strauss was able to join. Both of my flights were slightly delayed but no major issues. I met up with Marie Ahm at the airport and we got picked up by a brand new Maserati Levante!
Upon checking in, I was speechless when I entered my room.
Flight 1 - 11/3/2016 - Lunch at Conca Bella (2 notes)
I was joined by Alan and Kelly. We debated various lunch options. Since we had an incredible lunch at Conca Bella in Vacallo, Switzerland a few years back, we got a car to take us there. We arrived with a great deal of excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, the restaurant wine list was no where near what it once was. The sommelier explained that the business has been slow for a few years and since the passing of the owner, they liquidated a big portion of the cellar. At least we were able to get a pasta with a copious amount of white truffle which brought back smiles.
White
2012 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Pinot Bianco Sanct Valentin
91 points
Big scale wine, ripe yellow fruit, lemon, pineapple and steely mineral. Quite ripe but with piercing acidity and good mineral presence. For my palate, Alsatian Pinot Blanc but 1% more alcohol as the sugar is converted into alcohol.
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Red
2010 Braida (Giacomo Bologna) Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone
93 points
Not your father's Barbera. Expressive nose displaying dark cherry fruit, fruit cake, cherry pie, baking spice and scorched earth. Excellent concentration, intense slightly dark fruit driven palate impression, mouth puckering acidity and mineral expression, and a long finish with a hint of ash at the end.
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Flight 2 - 11/3/2016 - Prestige Tasting 1 - Syrah (12 notes)
It was the first of three prestige tastings. The tasting was lead by Marie Ahm, a beautiful Danish wine expert. It was a blind comparative tasting to demonstrate the different expression of Syrah from around the world. I don’t do too many blind tastings but it is something that I have done well in the past. It was nice to be able to correctly guess the wines that I am familiar with.
Red
2014 Martin Waßmer Dottinger Castellberg Syrah Trocken
92 points
Classic cool climate syrah. Medium expressive nose displaying cool blue fruit, tapenade and pepper. Medium body, cool blue fruit, bright acidity, nice mineral expression, noticeable but fine tannins and a clean cool finish. Very nice northern rhone style of Syrah. Initially thought Jamet but not as layered. So one of the cool climate syrahs is my guess.
Red
2013 Castell d’Encús Costers del Segre Thalarn
83 points
Very ripe black fruit driven nose, a bit stinky, fruit cake and earth. Good concentration, pretty straightforward palate impression. The overall expression is monolithic.
Red
2013 Muhr-van der Niepoort Syrah Sydhang
93 points
Expressive nose displaying opulent black fruit, smoke, white pepper and mineral. Good concentration and good overall balance. Seems European.
Red
2012 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard
94 points
What can I say, Cayuse funk! Ripe yet cool, almost rhone but way too kinky. Cannabis and scorched earth. My guess is Cayuse.
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Red
2011 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
93 points
Classic old school tapenade, ash and a hint of green nose which leads me to Jamet. Medium concentration, nicely layered fruit, very good balance and fine tannins.
Red
2011 Sine Qua Non Syrah Dark Blossom
95 points
Big, ripe, coconut, cocoa power and sweet spices. Also luxurious oak as some like to say. Has to be SQN. Ripe, concentrated but not heavy.
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Red
2012 Domaine des Ouleb Thaleb Syrah Tandem
85 points
Ripe, hot weather Syrah. Backed black fruit, cherry liqueur, and monolithic. The palate is clumsy. A bit of mess.
Red
2011 Gilles Besse Syrah Cayas
92 points
Cool mineral driven syrah, coffee, black pepper and mineral. Medium weight, good balance but not terribly complex. Very enjoyable.
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Red
2012 Martin Waßmer Dottinger Castellberg Syrah Trocken
94 points
Expressive nose displaying cool black fruit, strong presence of white pepper, cannabis and mineral. Very good concentration, nicely layered cool fruit and a long pepper driven finish. Excellent expression of Syrah. My guess is a Swiss. Excellent showing.
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Red
2004 David Traeger Shiraz
88 points
A lot of dry black fruit and mint. It feels obvious that this has to be the Australian Shiraz. Exceptional concentration but monolithic.
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Red
2010 Montes Syrah Folly La Finca de Apalta
92 points
A big scale wine but with cool expression. Taste a bit like a big scale domestic Shiraz but a bit too clean and monolithic. If you like a concentrated style of syrah, this has to be a good option.
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Red
2001 Le Macchiole Scrio Toscana IGT
86 points
Noticeable mint, also tobacco. The overall expression is a bit monolithic.
Flight 3 - 11/3/2016 - BYOB dinner (13 notes)
For the past ten years attending the wine symposium at Villa D’este, I have made a few close European drinking friends. Now, we always sit together and share our wines. In the past, most Napa wines were mostly dismissed by my European friends. It was surprising that the 74 Louis Martini was liked by many. I found the 07 Riserva Falletto slightly uninspiring.
White
2010 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc
95 points
Expressive dense nose displaying sweet and sour ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, pineapple, mineral, spicy spices and a hint of oak. Exceptional concentration, lemon oil and lemon curd driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long spicy finish with a hint of oak at the end. This is a very ripe slightly new worldesque Burgundy.
White
2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve
90 points
Very mineral driven nose displaying slightly oxidized apple juice, lemon, oyster jus and rain water. Medium concentration, a hint of spritz, strong presence of mineral and a medium long mineral driven finish. In a bit of an awkward stage and not sure how it will develop.
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Red
1967 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie
The cork dropped 1/4 inch and leaked a bit during the trip. I suspect the cork wasn't tight for sometime as the wine is madeirized.
Red
1978 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino
89 points
Fragile nose, mostly faded fruit, a hint of dry cherry, smoke, leather and scorched earth. Fully resolved a bit fragile palate, mostly tertiary palate impression, noticeable acidity and a medium, slightly acidic finish. Needs to be drunk up.
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Red
2013 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Mazoyères-Chambertin
93 points
Very pretty warm nose, sweet red fruit, stem, spicy and a hint of truffle salt. Very harmonious palate, bright red fruit, warm and round, perfect amount of acidity, silky tannins and a lovely long finish that ends with a hint of stem. Really pretty wine that is quite approachable but will age beautifully.
Red
2008 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras
93 points
This nicely reflects the 08 vintage, very pure and pretty, slightly lean and energetic. Medium expressive nose displaying bright sweet red fruit, strawberry candy, limestone, coffee, sweet spices, sap a hint of toasted oak. Medium body, quite precise and detailed, delicate sweet candied red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a clean medium mineral driven finish. Very good showing.
Red
2007 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Le Rocche Del Falletto
92 points
I have no clue what happened. En double magnum. Strong baked fruit nose, dark spices, tree bark, rose, anise and earth. Very tight palate, fruit cake driven palate impression. Is the wine going through an awkward stage? Not so sure.
Red
1986 Château Léoville Las Cases
96 points
Another LLC that is way too young. A classic LLC nose, intense cassis, ink, ash and lead pencil. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered fruit, youthful intense cassis fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, nicely integrated sweet tannins and an incredibly long finish. It is drinking well in very youthful ways but will need another ten to twenty years to show a bit more tertiary elements. Impressive showing.
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Red
2009 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Domaine Prince Florent de Merode
93 points
Expressive nose displaying cool yet opulent blue fruit, cinnamon, cedar, a hint of cigarette ash, tea and lavender. Excellent concentration, rich yet silky and rich texture that I associate with DRC, just right amount of acidity, stem, nicely integrated tannins and a long finish. Considering it is the inaugural vintage, it is remarkable how much the wine shows the DRC signature. It also displays the masculine expression of Corton. Perhaps the most masculine and least complex wine of DRC. Nevertheless it is quite expressive and really enjoyable in very DRC way.
Red
1982 Château Trotanoy
96 points
Beautifully balanced, fully mature nose displaying soft red fruit, strawberry, truffle, a hint of green that lifts the overall expression and provides additional complexity, tobacco and mineral. Fully integrated palate, soft, silky, polished, perfect amount of acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a lovely long finish. This seems at the peak and perhaps a lot more evolved than the left bank counterparts. Also more evolved than some of the right bank wines, like the 82 Lafleur. Really sexy and complete wine.
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Red
2002 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart
93 points
Beautiful nose displaying ripe yet cool red fruit, raspberry, strawberry, a hint of caramel and sous bois, sesame/oak and earth. Very good concentration, nicely integrated palate, sweet red fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins and a long finish with a hint of oak at the end. Not the most complex red burgundy, nevertheless maturity/sous bios provides a lovely drinking experience. I recall this being painfully youthful, now it is a real pleasure. It is at the first stage of peak. No need to hurry but not a bad idea to open one if you have a few.
Red
1974 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
92 points
A recent auction purchase, the fill up to neck. Lively nose displaying old school cab nose, shy cherry fruit, plum, ash, tobacco, lead pencil and leather. Fully resolved palate, silky, a hint of ash and shy cherry fruit driven palate impression and a medium finish with lead pencil as the end note. With air, it actually gained weight. If you like the old school Californian cab, this may be a good one to source as long as the provenance is good.
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Flight 4 - 11/4/2016 - Workshop 1 - D'Yquem tasting with Sandrine Garbay (5 notes)
Although I found it difficult to compare five D'Yquems, the workshop was fun and educational. Sandrine informed us that Yquem's goal is to emphasize purity and freshness. I asked what makes Yquem so textually unique/airy. Sandrine agrees that this is what separates Yquem but she didn't know the reason. Perhaps the elevated terroir can be a possible explanation.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2013 Château d'Yquem
97 points
Perhaps due to the being the youngest of the flight, this seems the freshest and the most detailed. Energetic nose displaying mango, yellow and white peach, kiwi/Sauvignon Blanc, a hint of flint and ginger, limestone and light honey. Excellent concentration, quite airy and silky, bright acidity and lovely long finish. It is already very enjoyable. My favorite D’Yquem of the tasting.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
2010 Château d'Yquem
96 points
This seems very ripe, spicy and deeply toned. Intense sweet yellow fruit, yellow peach, dry apricot, mango, spicy spices, cinnamon, a hint of flat cola, mint, honey, steel and limestone. Excellent concentration, deeply toned yellow fruit and honey driven palate impression, bright acidity and a long finish. Pretty intense wine.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
2007 Château d'Yquem
96 points
Most opulent wine of the tasting. Intense deeply toned yellow fruit, peach pie, dry mango and apricot, pineapple, light caramel, a hint of petrol and sweet spices. Excellent concentration, intense sweet yellow fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and a long intense finish.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château d'Yquem
97 points
This is the cleanest and the best balanced D’Yquem of the tasting. Dense yet vibrant yellow fruit, mango, grapefruit, peach, vanilla, light honey and mineral. Excellent concentration, balance and freshness, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a lovely long clean finish. Excellent showing.
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White - Sweet/Dessert
2004 Château d'Yquem
93 points
Apparently only 50% made to GV. Medium expressive nose displaying dark yellow fruit, caramel, cinnamon, a hint of botrytis, mint and creme brulee. Medium concentration for a D’Yquem, slightly dry peach driven palate impression, medium acidity and a long finish. My least favorite D’Yquem of the tasting.
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Flight 5 - 11/4/2016 - Lunch (3 notes)
I typically don't take notes on the wines provided by the producers. However, the Reignac and Haut Carles were pretty enjoyable. Besides we only had two other wines and the 99 Raveneau Butteaux was corked.
White
2015 Reignac Blanc
90 points
Ripe tropical yellow fruit, kiwi and a hint of vanilla. Good concentration, ripe yellow fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and a medium long clean finish. Really enjoyable with good fruit concentration.
Red
2011 Haut-Carles
90 points
Intense cassis driven nose, rip black fruit, lead pencil and mineral. Very good concentration, intense cassis driven palate impression, good acidity and a medium to long finish. Showed well.
White
1999 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles
93 points
Deja vu as the last time I had the wine was on 11/4/2015 during the 2015 wine symposium. My score is identical and the tasting note is almost identical. Medium expressive nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, burnt sugar a hint of toast/sesame and sweet spices. Medium concentration, dense palate, bright acidity and a medium long finish. It is enjoyable, no need to wait.
Flight 6 - 11/4/2016 - Prestige Tasting 2 - Coche Tasting with Jean François and Raphael Coche-Dury (9 notes)
This event alone could have been the reason to attend this three day event. It isn't too often that you get to taste nine Coches with the wine makers. BTW, four of them were Perrieres going back to the 96 vintage.
White
2011 Coche-Dury Meursault
93 points
Generous yet vibrant nose displaying Coche flint, lemon curd, lemon oil, lime, smoke, toasted oak and seashell. Excellent concentration especially for a village Meursault, rich and generous yet vibrant and energetic citrus fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and strong mineral presence and a long clean finish with a hint of flint at the end. The overall expression is straightforward. However the concentration and energy exceed most producers’ 1er crus Meursault. Raphael addressed the wine as narvaux rather than village.
White
2009 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots
94 points
Expressive nose displaying fresh white fruit, pear, apple, a hint of citrus, Coche flint, sesame/toasted oak and wet stone. Excellent concentration, fresh generous white fruit driven palate impression, rich and full, good acidity and freshness, and a medium to long smoke and mineral driven finish. Although, it lacks the precision of the Perrieres, richness, freshness and vibrancy make this wine really enjoyable. At close to $450 in the secondary market, not really the wine to chase.
White
2007 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots
93 points
Very detailed medium expressive nose displaying cool white fruit, lemon, pear, a hint of slightly unripe granny smith, Coche flint, honey and mineral. Medium concentration, fresh and subtle white fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, wet stone and a clean and mineral driven finish. Not having the concentration of the 09, it shows greater detail, ie each element is clearly expressed. Comparing it to the 09 is quite similar to comparing the 07 vs 09 Raveneau or Dauvissat GCs. I prefer the 09 but YMMV.
White
2005 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots
95 points
This is getting very close to reaching the peak, starting to show good maturity. Expressive nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, lemon oil, a hint of pineapple, strong Coche flint and mineral, a hint of petrol, smoke, wet stone, saline and toasted oak. Excellent concentration, ripe and generous yet vibrant yellow fruit driven palate impression, exceptional mineral presence, bright acidity and a lovely long finish. This is an excellent mature Coche with beautiful balance and harmony. Excellent showing.
White
1999 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots
93 points
The nose that is far more mature than even the 05. Fully integrated nose displaying succulent ripe yellow fruit, beautiful floral note, smoke, toasted oak and Coche flint. Good concentration, nicely integrated warm and round palate, good acidity, medium mineral and a medium to long finish. This seems a bit denser than the 05. Really enjoyable but I prefer the vibrancy and harmony of the 05 slightly.
White
2008 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
98 points
Pure and vibrant nose displaying fresh orchard white fruit and tropical fruit, Coche flint, saline, cornucopia of wild flowers, floral dust, coconut and strong note of wet stone. Incredible purity and freshness, perfectly harmonious yet beautifully detailed, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long clean finish that ends with a hint of flint and sweet fruit. It is a spiritually uplifting wine. Incredibly showing.
White
2006 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
95 points
Expressive nose displaying ripe sweet white and yellow fruit, candied lemon and orange zest, pear, bubble yum, a hint of white flower, mineral and saline. Only a slight hint of Coche flint. Excellent concentration, ripe and dense palate, medium acidity and mineral and a long oily finish. It is a big scale wine that lacks the precision of the other Perrieres. Nevertheless, the white fruit expression keeps the wine fresh.
White
2001 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
97 points
Perfectly harmonious nose displaying youthful citrus fruit, saline, almond paste and lanoline, strong expression of oyster shell and smoke emerge as the generous fruit expression subsided. Beautiful harmony and balance, oily and round without losing freshness, strong presence of mineral, perfect amount of acidity and a lovely long smoke and saline driven finish. I recall this being incredibly precise upon release. The development reminds me how the 96 Salon has evolved. This is a beautiful white Burgundy, rather Coche, at the youthful peak.
White
1996 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
97 points
The wine that all of us were looking forward to tasting. Justine is bothered by the strong dill note. If the 01 is showing the youthful peak, this is just simply at the peak. Perfectly harmonious complex white Burgundy nose displaying subtle citrus fruit, lemon oil, a hint of burnt sugar and honey, black truffle oil, smoke, and almond paste. Perfectly harmonious palate, silky and sensual, quite round and oily without being heavy, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long finish. Very complete fully mature white Burgundy.
Flight 7 - 11/4/2016 - Producer Tasting (6 notes)
How often can you try Coche, Yquem and Comte Liger Belair with the wine makers! The wines showed incredibly well. It was also interesting to retaste the 12 Comte Liger Belair wines in the bottle. They have settled beautifully but retained most of the original characters.
White
2012 Coche-Dury Meursault
93 points
Expressive nose displaying lemon oil, lemon curd, peach, sesame, saline and mineral. Quite opulent and succulent, oily and concentration palate, good acidity and mineral presence and a medium to long dense sweet fruit driven finish. Once again, incredibly concentrated for a village wine. Raphael addressed the wine as narvaux rather than village.
White
2012 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets
95 points
Expressive nose displaying ripe and dense yellow and white fruit, lemon oil, pear, fresh apple, a hint of Coche flint, sesame, saline and mineral. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered, cool ripe white fruit driven palate impression, dense and deeply toned, bright acidity and strong mineral presence and a long mineral driven finish. The overall expression is similar to the village Meursault but displaying greater precision and complexity. Excellent showing.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2014 Château d'Yquem
97 points
Expressive nose displaying intense sweet yellow fruit, dry apricot, pineapple, mango, vine ripe yellow peach, ginger, a lot of spicy spices, light honey, acacia, coconut and mineral. Incredibly concentrated yet very precise and airy, intense yet pure and precise yellow fruit driven palate impression, polished and beautifully layered, bright acidity and a never ending finish. This combines power, freshness and purity. Exceptional D’Yquem.
Red
2012 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château
93 points
It is always fascinating and educational to re-taste in the bottle. Beautiful harmonious nose displaying subtle blackberry, caramel, sap, a hint of sous bois, vosne spice, black truffle and earth. Now all the elements come together nicely, beautiful balance and harmony, subtle sweet blackberry and Asian spice driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet finish. Just like the Coche Meursault, this is drinking like a 1er crus from a very good Vosne producer. Quite young but surprisingly enjoyable. I highly recommend, a great introduction to Louis Michel's wine making style.
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Red
2012 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots
96 points
It is always fascinating and educational to re-taste in the bottle. Very pure and decadent nose displaying cool blue fruit, lavender and rose, delicate sweet spices, mocha, black truffle and Vosne spices. Beautifully balanced palate, pure and precise, pure fresh blueberry and a hint of oak driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity and tannins and a long seamless finish with Vosne spice at the end. The expression is already quite complex for such a young wine. So delicious already but will require another ten to fifteen years to reach the peak.
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Red
2012 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Echezeaux
95 points
It is always fascinating to re-taste in the bottle. It is also interesting to taste this next to the Reignots as this shows more finesse and elegance but less power and concentration. Vibrant nose displaying pure red and black fruit, delicate flower, sweet spices and strong mineral/limestone presence. Beautiful balance and harmony, beautiful interplay of fruit, acidity and mineral expression, silky and airy, and a long seamless mineral and floral finish. Once again, open for business but will need another ten years to reach the peak.
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Flight 8 - 11/4/2016 - Dinner (4 notes)
We opened a few bottles but saved a few mores for the after dinner soiree. The 00 Voerzio La Serra was really enjoyable, nothing modern about it.
White
2012 Rhys Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard
93 points
Medium expressive sweet yellow fruit driven nose, citrus, clementine, mineral and sesame/oak. Excellent concentration, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a medium to long finish. Really well made Californian chardonnay.
Red
1999 Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg
94 points
Pop and pour, very concentrated but tight nose. With air, intense black fruit, blackberry, dark spices, raw button mushroom and earth. Excellent concentration, intense blackberry driven palate impression, good acidity, strong presence of mineral, and a medium to long finish with a hint of stem and mushroom as the end notes. This reminds me a bit of the 99 Camuzet Richebourg drank at Taillevent. It starts a bit tight and needs a lot of air to start to open up. It is even more backward and not fully reveals itself which makes it not as enjoyable as the 99 Camuzet version. It needs minimum ten more years.
Red
2000 Roberto Voerzio Barolo La Serra
95 points
Expressive nose displaying dry cherry, fruitcake, tar, tobacco and a hint of iron. Excellent concentration, silky with a hint of rusty nail, bright acidity, noticeable but nicely integrated tannins, and a long dry cherry and caramel driven finish. Although concentrated, I find the wine to be very traditional. It is very youthful but drinking beautifully. No need to hurry but not a bad time to try one.
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Red
2004 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
94 points
Expressive nose displaying red currant, cassis, lead pencil, wet tobacco and a hint of ash. Very good concentration, bright acidity, a hint of slightly coarse tannins and a long slightly acidity finish. There is a hint of Chianti like acidic nose that reveals the origin. Really enjoyable in youthful way but need another five to ten years to reach the peak.
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Flight 9 - 11/4/2016 - After Dinner Gathering at Villa Cima (13 notes)
My good friend Laurent and his friends rent Villa Cima, a Villa within Villa D'Este compound, and throw after dinner soirees. Orazio typically brings a couple kilos of white truffle, over ten kilos of bistecca fiorentina, finest mortadella and all other kinds of deliciousness. The typical routine goes, a copious amount of mortadella, then Orazio and Enzo, a well known Italian wine critic, along with Renzo of Antinori cook tajarin and serve with an ungodly amount white truffle and ends with bistecca fiorentina. Laurent is a food and wine fanatic so he flights the wines and then pulls a few more from his big stash.
White
1992 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
94 points
Beautiful fully mature nose, ripe yellow fruit, a hint of burnt sugar, toasty smoke, light caramel and steel. Fully integrated palate, slightly low on acidity but more than enough mineral to maintain the balance. This is a really nice fully mature Burgundy. Towards the end of the peak so need to be drunk up.
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Red
1989 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
94 points
A lot of sous bois and stewed tomato and strawberry, cola, cinnamon, iron, caramel and earth. Fully integrated Burgundy palate. Just a wonderful mature Burgundy to imbibe. Slightly rustic and earthy but I am not complaining.
Red
1966 Vieux Château Certan
94 points
At the age of 50, still live and kicking, a bit of green/slightly unripe note adds nice freshness. No real primary fruit, subtle slightly dry black fruit, strong mineral/steel for being slightly unripe, a lot of black truffle, leather and a hint of ash. Medium concentration, surprisingly energetic palate, silky and polished, slightly lean on the fruit, fully integrated acidity and tannins, and a long mineral finish. Those who are yearning for a classic claret, this is a must.
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Red
1990 Château Lafleur
96 points
Really ripe exotic nose that clearly displays the ripeness of the vintage and the kinkiness of Lafelur. Intense extremely ripe slightly dry black fruit, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, a hint of cassis and mature port, bitter chocolate and mint. Despite the incredible concentration and very ripe slightly dry fruit, it remains quite silky, nicely integrated acidity and tannins, and a long sweet finish with a hint of mint at the end. I don’t think it is for everyone but if you like the ripeness of the 90, this will bring a smile to your face.
Red
1990 Château Latour Grand Vin
99 points
Absolutely stunning showing. Hedonistic nose displaying decadent black fruit, cremes de cassis, cedar, a hint of milk chocolate, lead pencil and earth. Perfect balance and harmony, intense cassis driven palate impression, beautifully layered, silky and precise, perfect amount of acidity and tannins, and an incredibly long finish with cassis and lead pencil as the end notes. The bottle seems sweeter and more concentrated than the previous bottles. The best showing of the 90 Latour.
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Red
2006 Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers
92 points
Very sweet yet pretty red fruit, cherry, raspberry jam, a hint of stem, rose and raw button mushroom. Medium concentration, pretty sweet red fruit driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a medium to long sweet finish with a hint of stem at the end. Really delicious.
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Red
2001 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin
97 points
Elegantly hedonistic nose displaying perfectly ripe raspberry, a hint of cherry, sous bois, Asian spices, rose, root beer and caramel. Silky and polished palate, sweet red fruit driven palate impression, nothing out of place and a seamless long finish. This particular bottle is very youthful. Absolutely delicious! This is why we love the Rousseau wines.
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Red
1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
97 points
Intense nose displaying fresh raspberry and blackberry, a hint of stem, sap, a hint of sous bois, licorice, Vosne spice, violet and limestone mineral. Excellent concentration, cool blue fruit and caramel driven palate impression, bright acidity, a hint of sweet tannins and a seamless long finish with smoke and exotic spice as the end notes. This is drinking magnificently in very youthful way. Just like Rousseau Chambertin, La Tache never shutdown hard. Absolute pleasure!
Red
2006 Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin
96 points
The nose of Leroy, so concentrated yet so pure. Decadent red fruit orgy and add cinnamon and Asian spice. Excellent concentration, rich and opulent yet cool and precise. Incredibly delicious in very Leroy way.
White
1993 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé En Chailloux
94 points
This is all about lemon, lemon oil, honey, smoked oyster, a lot of oyster jus, slightly burnt sugar and mineral. Fully integrated palate, smoked oyster, a hint of sugar, good acidity and mineral, and a vibrant long finish. This is showing incredibly young. Excellent showing.
White - Sparkling
2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
96 points
Beautiful clean refreshing nose, candied lemon and orange zest, baked apple, cinnamon, a hint of smoke and mineral. Excellent concentration, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, generous apple driven palate impression, abundant very fine mousse, a hint of sweetness that is very attractive and a long clean finish. A great palate cleanser, pretty serious Champagne. Drinking beautifully already but will certain improve as Cristal tend to age very well.
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Comments (1)
White
2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon
93 points
Just fact that this is not premoxed deserves a recognition. May be because Raphael is in the room but the first note is Sulphur/Coche flint. Fresh nose displaying citrus, lemon oil, burnt sugar and sesame. Very good concentration, citrus driven palate impression, bright acidity and medium mineral, and a medium finish with sesame and flint as the end notes. Really nice white Burgundy with good freshness. Caveat Emptor in lieu of this being Leflaive, ie premox and high price.
White
2004 Coche-Dury Meursault
92 points
Nicely mature nose displaying citrus, baked apple, only a hint of Coche flint, burnt sugar, sweet spices and mineral. Very good concentration for a village Meursault, oily, medium acidity and mineral, and a medium long sweet finish. Fully mature and drinking at the peak. Considering the secondary market price, really poor QPR.
Flight 10 - 11/5/2016 - Workshop 2 - Cheval Blanc tasting with Pierre-Olivier Clouet (6 notes)
The 81 Cheval Blanc was really good. I asked Pierre-Olivier whether he prefers the 98 or 00. Without much hesitation, he answered that he prefers the 98 for the freshness and balance.
Red
2013 Château Cheval Blanc
89 points
Fresh medium expressive nose, delicate sweet red fruit, cherry and strawberry, a hint of green, light caramel and mineral. Light concentration, hollow middle, austere and a bitter short finish. For my palate, the 13 is the worst vintage since at least the 97.
Red
2008 Le Petit Cheval
92 points
Nice harmonious nose displaying subtle sweet red nose and flowers that I associate with Cabernet franc, cocoa powder, ash and iron. Medium concentration, youthful yet round and silky, subtle red fruit driven palate impression, a hint of green, mineral, bright acidity, noticeable slightly coarse tannins and medium mineral driven finish. Quite youthful and need another five to ten years to reach the peak.
Red
2011 Château Cheval Blanc
93 points
Very mineral driven medium expressive nose displaying black cherry, caramel, coffee, rose, lead pencil and mineral. Medium concentration, quite precise and detailed, mineral, bright acidity, slightly coarse tannins and medium to long mineral driven finish.
Red
2010 Château Cheval Blanc
98 points
Expressive ripe yet fresh nose, starts with beautiful cab franc floral dust, intense sweet black fruit, a hint of licorice, lead pencil, spicy spices, caramel and chocolate dipped strawberry. Exceptional concentration, polished and silky palate, perfect amount of acidity, noticeable fine tannins and an incredibly long dark fruit and mineral driven finish. The tannins become very noticeable at the end. This is a big scale, formidably structured wine with beautiful balance and finesse. This will be a fifty plus year wine. Due to opulent fruit, this is enjoyable though incredibly young.
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Red
2008 Château Cheval Blanc
95 points
Beautiful harmonious subtle red fruit driven nose, strawberry jam, lavander, a hint of green and light caramel. Beautifully balanced, medium concentration, warm and round, good acidity, fine tannins and a lovely subtle finish. Starts to open up but needs another ten years to reach the peak. Not a big scale wine but elegant and precise.
Red
1981 Château Cheval Blanc
93 points
Beautiful fully mature nose with excellent freshness, caramel, raspberry, a hint of green and mint and black truffle. Medium concentration, fully resolved harmonious palate, round and lovely silky finish. Sort of wine that you can sip all day. Beautiful claret.
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Flight 11 - 11/5/2016 - Lunch at Trattoria del Vapore (5 notes)
Kelly and I have a ritual to dine at Trattoria del Vapore at least once during the Symposium. Although the regular dining program is excellent, it is nice to eat at a good honest Trattoria. As usual, the dishes were excellent, a bit of white truffle and porcini, smoke fishes from the lake and stewed chingale in Barolo. Although we BYOBed, the wine list is extensive, interesting and most importantly affordable. When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to see Laurent, Renzo and a dozen of Laurent’s friends. A few minutes later, Marchese Piero Antinori joined Laurent.
On our way back to Villa D’Este, we ran into a nice wine shop with a lot of Antinori wines on display. Seeing the reaction of the proprietor when the Marchese walked in, was totally priceless. He took a few photos with the Marchese and became quite emotional.
White
2007 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
93 points
Medium expressive nose displaying lemon oil, lemon zest, a hint of honey, saline, honey, lanoline and wet stone. Medium concentration, medium acidity and mineral, and a medium to long mineral driven clean finish. IMO, the 07 is the least concentrated and structured vintage between since the 04 and before the 11. Just like the reds, they are quite subtle and floral. Drinking nicely.
White
2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne
96 points
Expressive somewhat Cochesque nose displaying dense yet vibrant sweet white and yellow fruit, poached pear, granny smith, lemon curd, Coche like flint, cinnamon and wet stone. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered intense white fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and mineral, and an intense long finish with a hint of flint and cinnamon as the end notes. I would love to taste this blind against the Coche version. I dare say that it is a non-zillionaires Coche corton. Excellent showing.
Red
1961 Château Lynch-Bages
97 points
Incredibly complex fully mature claret nose displaying sweet red fruit, a hint of cassis, leather, tobacco, cedar, lead pencil, caramel, a hint of balsamico/VA that adds the freshness and complexity, sautéed cep and earth. Excellent concentration, very youthful and vibrant, sweet red fruit and leather driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral, still a hint of sweet tannins, and a long sweet cedar driven finish that resonates. Exceptional bottle, spectacular!
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Red
1994 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
93 points
Directly from the property. Expressive nose displaying intense cassis, strong notes of mint and eucalyptus, wet tobacco, cedar, leather and earth. Excellent concentration, intense cassis and mint driven palate impression, bright acidity, slightly coarse tannins and a long intense cassis and mint driven finish. There is a hint of sourness in the nose that I associate with Tuscan cab. Perhaps due to the provenance, really youthful showing.
Flight 12 - 11/5/2016 - Prestige Tasting 3 - DRC wines with Aubert de Villaine (12 notes)
Contrast to popular belief, the wines directly from the Domaine are not always fresher. My '64s were slightly advanced. There are no great wines only great bottles. Despite less than stellar showing, this truly was a once in a lifetime experience.
Red
2011 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant
94 points
Vibrant nose displaying cool sweet black fruit, crushed blackberry with a hint of honey, liquid smoke, sweet spices, a hint of stem, mocha, fresh cep and earth. Good concentration, medium acidity and mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a medium finish. No noticeable '04 like taint. It is open and enjoyable in youthful way.
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Red
2010 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux
95 points
Perhaps this being Echezeaux, the nose is quite open and expressive. Crushed blackberry, Vosne spice, a hint of stem that adds the freshness, black truffle, roasted fruit, spicy spices, white pepper and mineral. Very good concentration, harmonious, excellent balance, silky and pure black fruit driven palate impression and a lovely long finish. It is the least concentrated and intense wine of the DRC roster. Nevertheless, clear expression of DRC, i.e. cool perfectly ripe black fruit, stem, Vosnes spice and silky palate. Due to the Vosne spice, it is already quite complex and enjoyable. I can drink this all night!
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Red
2005 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
96 points
Intense nose displaying blackberry, strawberry, liquid smoke, ink, stem, sap, Vosne spice, violet and mineral. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered smoky fruit driven palate impression, silky and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a love long finish. Noticeable more viscous and layered than the 10 Echezeaux. Very youthful but enjoyable. No need to hurry.
Red
2005 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
100 points
For my palate, anything less than perfect is a bit of let down for the 05 La Tache. Very youthful, energetic and complex nose displaying pure slightly roasted blackberry, raspberry jelly, mocha, Vosne spice, Asian medicine, jasmine tea, caramel and stem. It is so perfectly balanced that the palate is incredibly silky and almost weightless. Despite its youth, this is a perfect wine for my palate. Emotional and spiritually uplifting. Another perfect showing!
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Red
1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
95 points
Very ripe nose starting to show maturity. Very ripe black fruit clearly reflecting the 90 vintage, Chinese medicine, cinnamon, clove, root beer, sap and earth. Excellent concentration, intense dark fruit and clove driven palate impression, nicely layered, silky, bright acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a long deeply toned finish with a hint of stewed fruit at the end. This seems to display the ripe 90 vintage character a bit more than the 90 La Tache.
Red
1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
99 points
Perfectly harmonious nose displaying intense blackberry, Vosne spices, a hint of sous bois, truffle, sweet spices, hoisin, liquid smoke, stem, milky chocolate, incense and earth. Exceptional concentration, intense dark fruit and Vosne spice driven palate impression, sensual, silky, polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and the finish that never ends. This is an incredibly intense wine that somehow magically remains vibrant, fresh, detailed and pure. Another incredibly showing.
Red
1981 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
95 points
Along with the 81 La Tache, totally unexpected pleasant surprises. Really pretty nose displaying essence of raspberry, strawberry water, a hint of soy and Vosne spice, sassafras and rose. Beautiful balance and harmony, subtle delicate red fruit driven palate impression, quite airy and a lovely long finish. Quite subtle and pretty, can be easily confused of being fragile, yet there is a strong core and a seamless intensity.
Red
1981 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
97 points
Totally unexpected and absolutely stunning. Delicate yet energetic nose displaying essence of red fruit, raspberry water, raspberry jelly, a hint of light soy, truffle, Vosne spice and mineral. Beautiful harmonious nose, soft yet highly pitched, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a lovely long finish that resonates. The perfect definition of a great mature weightless Burgundy. This is even more pure and precise than the Grand Echezeaux. The overall expression reminds me a bit of the 91 Rousseau Chambertin. The wine equivalent of Audrey Hepburn.
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Red
1971 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
96 points
A bit too much soy and damp cellar initially. With air, stewed tomato, raspberry and blackberry jelly, sous bois, Vosne spice and mineral. Fully integrated harmonious palate, silky and seamless, and a long sweet pinto fruit and soy driven finish. The damp cellar smell lessens and transforms to mushroom. This is a nice fully mature Burgundy.
Red
1971 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
flawed
The wine that I most looking forward to trying. Unfortunately slightly off/corked. Roasted fruit, stewed fruit and soy. The taint is too much for me to bare.
Red
1964 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
93 points
This is a porcini wonder. Tertiary dominated nose, porcini, truffle, only a hint of blackberry, soy and earth. Fully integrated palate, silky, cool and a medium to long finish. A bit more fruit would have nicely counter balanced the porcini/truffle. I would love to try another bottle.
Red
1964 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
93 points
Tertiary dominated nose, a hint of sweet dry dark fruit, soy, nutmeg and earth. Nice weight, a hint of dark fruit and soy, fully integrated acidity and tannins, and a medium long finish. It is a bit deep and dark, hoping for a bit more Vosne spice and brighter fruit expression.
Flight 13 - 11/5/2016 - Gala Dinner (4 notes)
The domaine generously poured the 09 and 11 Corton. How often can you partake in "all you can drink" DRC event! The 82 mouton was perfect but the 47 Margaux was a pleasant surprise!
Red
2009 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Domaine Prince Florent de Merode
94 points
A lot of telltale signs of DRC, cool blue and black fruit, stem, tea and Asian spices. Also scorched earth, cedar and sesame/toasted oak. Excellent concentration, silky and suave, perfect amount of acidity and stem driven mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a lovely long finish that ends with a hint of blackberry and stem. Really approachable and enjoyable which is typical of the 09 DRCs. There is also a hint of steely masculine Corton typicity. Really enjoyable.
Red
2011 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Domaine Prince Florent de Merode
91 points
The overall expression is similar to the 09 but slightly thinner and green. Medium expressive nose displaying blackberry, stem, pyrazine, tea and Asian spices. Medium concentration, slightly hollow middle palate, stem, medium acidity and a medium finish. Enjoyable but not worth the price it commands.
Red
1947 Château Margaux Vandermeulen Bottling
98 points
The first bottle from a batch. I am a bit skeptical as I am unaware that Chateau Margaux had negotiant bottlings in the 40s. Perfectly mature ripe claret nose, cassis, cedar, leather, caramel, a hint of VA, tobacco and earth. Despite being almost 70 years old, still showing exceptional concentration, beautifully layered fruit, quit dense yet silky, bright acidity with a hint of VA that adds sweetness, fully integrated tannins and a unbelievably long finish that resonates. Clearly a great claret, no signed of being doctored. Incredibly showing, emotional wine.
Red
1982 Château Mouton Rothschild
100 points
Absolutely hedonistic, incredibly decadent Pauillac nose displaying intense crème de cassis, dark caramel, lead pencil, floral dust, tobacco and cedar. Incredibly concentrated and intense yet so polished and sensual, starts with intense sweet cassis and ends with a strong note of lead pencil. This is at the youthful peak, still showing intense cassis but also the secondary and tertiary elements. Absolutely perfect showing. Mind bogglingly perfect!
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Flight 14 - 11/6/2016 - Lunch at Dal Pescatore (3 notes)
During the Francois's seventieth birthday celebration in Bordeaux earlier this year, Kelly and I were introduced to Mr. Antonio Santini by Francois. As soon as we knew that we would be attending the 2016 Villa D'Este wine symposium, we immediately made a dinner reservation at Dal Pescatore. While planning the itinerary, we found out that Dal Pescatore is a destination restaurant situated in a small village, hence the decision was made to make it a whole day experience, lunch included.
On Saturday night, Francois introduced us to Alberto, son of Mr. Santini, who was the maitre d/sommelier at the restaurant. He didn't realize that we were coming for lunch and the restaurant was fully booked. He called the restaurant and was able to secure a table for lunch.
Finding a hotel was quite challenging but the restaurant recommended us a quaint agriturisimo, 9 Muse, in a near by town. The proprietor was a nice lady but only spoke Italian and French. I didn't realize but Alan was actually pretty fluent in French. Voila, problem solved. She kindly offered to drive back and forth for a reasonable fee and we obliged, twice! For 55 euros per night including the breakfast, the place was ideal!
When we arrived Alberto warmly greeted us. He lead us to a nice spacious table. The restaurant was quite spacious and relaxing, slightly reminded me Troigros but more natural light. He poured us a sparkling wine as the aperitif which was the best Italian sparkling wine that I have ever had. Alan and I ordered the short tasting menu and Kelly a la carte. The dishes were perfectly executed, inventive yet true to the regional tradition, no foam, no molecular anything.
After the lunch, Mr. Santini showed us the whole compound. He also insisted on us visiting the kitchen which is run by the mother and son team. We didn't want to burden them for a photo but he actually asked if we can take a picture with the entire kitchen staff and Alberto. This has to be there greatest overall dining experience of my life as the Santini family made us feel like we were part of the family.
Snail and Porcini
Pumpkin tortellini amaretti
2008 and 2010 Coche Dury Perrières
Santini family!
White - Sparkling
2005 Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Annamaria Clementi
95 points
Alberto poured us an aperitive. This really taste like a good vintage Dom. Complex sweet nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, baked apple, brioche, smoke and mineral. Excellent concentration, ripe dense sweet yellow fruit, nicely layered, fine mousse, bright acidity, nicely minerality and a long sweet mineral driven finish.
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White
2008 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
98 points
Perfectly precise nose displaying pear, apple, citrus, Coche flint, smoke, wild flowers, sesame and mineral. Incredibly energetic, pure and precise palate with bright acidity and strong presence of mineral. Not as oily/concentrated as the 10 but with perfect precision and purity. Absolute privilege. Another incredible showing.
White
2010 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
99 points
Explosive nose displaying perfectly ripe white orchard fruit, pear, white peach, apple, also a hint of pineapple, lemon oil, Coche flint, sesame, wet stone, sweet spices, smoke, vanilla and mineral. Incredible concentration yet perfectly pure and precise, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a very long finish that resonates. It is so intense yet not overwhelming. Sort of wine to imbibe all day and night without losing interest as the wine is constantly evolving. It flirts with perfection.
Flight 15 - 11/6/2016 - Dinner at Dal Pescatore (2 notes)
After a nice siesta, we started it all over again. Alan and I once again got the tasting menu but this time the most extensive option. We figured it would be nice to drink a couple more Perrieres. Kelly found the 89 Bartolo Mascarello in magnum format. However, we settled on the 99 Sammarco which showed incredibly well. All the dishes were superb and the wine service was perfect.
After the dinner, we bid farewell to Santini family. Mr. Santini requested photos with the family which we were more than happy to oblige. Then he asked us to wait for a few moments. He brought us a Dal Pescatore olive oil, a big piece, like 2 kilo, of parmigiano reggiano and the menu of the day. We were speechless. The Santini family truly understand and live by hospitality. The overall experience was simply perfect. If you have a free day in your visit to Piedmont, I highly recommend Dal Pescatore.
2009 and 2012 Coche Dury Perrières, and 1999 Sammarco
Santini Family!
Gifts from Santini Family
White
2009 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
100 points
Absolutely perfect showing. Intense fresh and sweet white fruit, pear, apple, lemon curd, honey, Coche flint, sesame, acacia, wet stone, cool mountain stream and oyster shell/mineral. So intense and opulent yet so fresh, precise and pure. Every sip brings smile to my face and re-energizes me. Simply perfect!
White
2012 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
97 points
Expressive decadent rich nose displaying lemon curd, lemon oil, spice spices, Coche flint, smoke and a hint of limestone. Excellent concentration, oily and deeply toned, succulent, lemon oil and pear driven palate impression, bright acidity, medium mineral expression at this early stage, and a long dense finish that resonates. Still quite primary. It will evolve similar to the 09, ie the fruit attenuates and the mineral emerges. I may be Coche bias but this is in the upper 90s for certain for my palate.
Flight 16 - 11/7/2016 - Lunch at Ristorante Argaj (2 notes)
We met up with Kelly's friend Michelle and her friend for lunch. This is a solid restaurant with a very good wine affordable wine list.
White
2015 Weingut Knoll Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Loibner
90 points
Pear, apple, banana, honey and mineral. Cool, steely, mineral, bright acidity and a long cool finish.
Red
2014 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne
89 points
Earth, prune, dry cherry, dark spices and strong earth. Very good concentration, slightly dry cherry driven palate impression, spicy and earthy, mouth puckering acidity and a long acidic finish. This is a big scale, rustic wine.
Flight 17 - 11/7- Visit to Azelia with Lorenzo Scavino (5 notes)
The property is new to me. We were hosted by the proprietor's son Lorenzo. The wines were traditional in style and very good.
Red
2014 Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo
89 points
This is a delicate/pretty wine that reminds me a Bourgogne rouge/Beaujolais. Delicate strawberry, a hint of animal, limestone and steel. Light to medium concentration, very clean steely palate with a hint of strawberry. Really pretty and delicious.
Red
2013 Azelia Barbera d'Alba Vigneto Punta
90 points
Total contrast to the first wine. Very ripe blue and black fruit driven nose, blackberry jam, cherry liqueur, licorice, liquid smoke and ash, spicy and woodsy, earth, tar and iron. Excellent concentration, intense sweet ripe fruit driven palate impression, mouth puckering acidity, a hint of rust and a long earthy finish. There is a lot going on here but a bit coarse. Need a couple years to settle.
Red
2011 Azelia Barolo
92 points
Already quite approachable. Medium nose displaying soft and warm red fruit, cherry, strawberry jam, a lot of iron, anise and sweet spices. Medium body, soft and round, delicate strawberry and iron driven palate impression, bright acidity and a medium mineral driven finish. Once again, quite approachable already.
Red
2011 Azelia Barolo San Rocco
94 points
This is similar to the regular Barolo in style but more concentration and complex. Warm and round red fruit, spicy, cinnamon, coffee, anise and mineral. Medium concentration, beautiful balance and finesse, strong presence of acidity and mineral, fine tannins and a long iron finish. For my palate, this is a traditional Barolo that will benefit with another five to ten years of cellaring.
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Red
2011 Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco
93 points
This seems jammier and more fruit driven than the San Rocco. Warm red fruit driven nose, dry cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, balsamico and mineral. Excellent concentration, warm red fruit and cinnamon driven palate impression, good acidity and mineral and a long cinnamon driven finish. Drinking nicely already but will benefit by five to ten years of cellaring. I slightly prefer the San Rocco.
Flight 18 - 11/7- Visit to Giacomo Conterno with Roberto (4 notes)
As usual, Roberto received us. Cantina Contero has to be one of the cleanest wineries in the world. The wines showed extremely well. The 12 Francia is the wine to buy. The 10 Monfortino is perfect.
Red
2014 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia
93 points
Expressive floral nose, red and black fruit, licorice, sweet spices and mineral. Very good concentration, generous vibrant red cherry and animal driven palate impression, rich and round, bright acidity and a long finish with animal as the end note. Showing a wonderful balance, generous fruit and concentration.
Red
2012 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia
98 points
I seem to love the Francia vintages where no Monfortino was made. Absolutely captivating sophisticated nose displaying delicate cherry and strawberry, iron, anise, rose, mineral and delicate sweet spices. Incredibly polished suave palate, deceptively airy yet beautifully layered, beautiful balance and incredibly harmony, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, unbelievably silky tannins and a seamless long finish that resonates. This feels very Monfortino. I highly highly recommend.
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Red
2012 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cerretta
94 points
For my palate, a step below the Francia. Noticeably more fruit, warm and sweet strawberry, sweet spices, tree bark and earth. Very good concentration, warm and round, very noticeable coarse tannins, good acidity and a long finish that ends with mouth puckering tannins. The tannins are so strong that my mouth is numb. This is a wine with formidable structure. For the price, just double down on Francia.
Red
2010 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino
100 points
Although I have been criticized for it, I still love finding young wines that are perfect for my palate. There are only a dozen also but ’94 Harlan, 00 Petrus, 05 La Tache, 05 Mugnier Musigny, 09 Lafite and 10 VCC made the list. These are very emotional and spiritually uplifting experiences. Now I can add the 10 Monfortino to that list. Incredibly refined and perfectly harmonious nose displaying perfectly ripe delicate red fruit, sweet spices and iron. Perfect palate that reminds me of a great Musigny, detailed, incredibly layered, seamless, vibrant and harmonious. The only difference is the mineral/iron that resonates. Iron fist and velvet glove, power and grace. Perfect in every way.
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Flight 19 - 11/7/2016- Dinner at La Ciau del Tornavento (3 notes)
This is one of the favorite restaurants in Piedmont for Kelly and I. This restaurant typically has 10kg plus of truffle during the season. The meal was excellent though not changed much from the last visit. The service was a bit slow and chaotic, in lieu of having two michelin stars.
2011 Comte Liger-Belair Reignots
Wine Cellar 
Wine Cellar
View from my room 
Another view from my room
View from the restaurant
White - Sparkling
2011 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Millésimé Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules
92 points
Medium expressive nose displaying ripe yellow and red fruit, slightly oxidized apple, raspberry, a hint of smoke. Round and warm palate, fine slightly shy mousse, a hint of sweetness, good acidity and a medium finish with a hint of oxidized apple at the end. Enjoyable but a bit dull.
Red
2004 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia
95 points
Intense dark fruit drive nose, blackberry jam, a hint of dry cherry, kirsch, sweet spices, fruit cake, iron, balsamico, tar, ash and mineral. Excellent concentration, intense black fruit driven palate impression, incredible amount of slightly coarse mineral, earth, mouth puckering acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet spicy driven finish. This is a big scale, powerful and ripe style Cascina Francia. It will require another ten years to reach the peak.
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Red
2011 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots
94 points
Since this is the only vintage available, we ordered the bottle. Expressive hedonistic nose displaying beautiful blue fruit, a hint of coffee/oak, vosne spices, sap and mineral. Already beautifully balanced palate, round and spherical, hedonistic blue fruit and vosne spice driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity, the fine tannins are masked by beautifully layered fruit and mineral. Initially the palate hints the 11 vintage and a bit short. It gains the fruit weight and the finish gets to medium. It can be easily confused with the 09 or 10. The nose clearly expresses the domaine signature. It exceeds my expectation. It shows exceptional well in a youthful way.
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Flight 20 - 11/8/2016 - Visit to Voerzio with Miriam (6 notes)
Our first visit was at Cantina Voerzio. Miriam, Roberto’s daughter in law, showed us the vineyards and explained the wine making philosophy. Roberto greeted us at the tasting/living room.
Roberto planting a new vineyard.
Wines heading to South Korea
Red
2014 Roberto Voerzio Langhe Nebbiolo Disanfrancesco
89 points
A hint of strawberry and cherry, anise and mineral. Medium concentration, bright acidity and mineral. It is a bit too straighforward.
Red
2012 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata
94 points
Medium expressive mineral and spicy spice driven nose, strawberry, dry cherry, raisin and anise. Very full body, warm and round, ripe slightly dry red fruit driven palate impression, good acidity, slightly coarse tannins and a long dry cherry fruit and anise driven finish. Feels very traditional.
Red
2012 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio
95 points
Medium nose displaying slightly dry black fruit, licorice and strong mineral/iron. Good concentration, mineral/iron, bright acidity and a long finish with a hint of licorice and iron at the end. This is showing more structure and mineral than the Rocche dell'Annunziata. I prefer this slightly.
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Red
2003 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Riserva 10 Anni Fossati Case Nere
97 points
Incredibly balanced and complex nose that we all love in a perfectly mature Barolo. Expressive nose displaying subtle yet ripe red fruit, white truffle, caramel, a hint of raspberry, raisin, mint, baking spices and iron. Beautiful harmonious palate, white truffle and dry strawberry driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity, fine tannins and a lovely long complex finish. Another great showing! I highly recommend.
Red
2012 Roberto Voerzio Barbera d'Alba Riserva Vigneto Pozzo dell'Annunziata
90 points
The first wine that feels quite modern. Intense nose of jammy blackberry, dark spices, violet, chocolate and earth. Excellent concentration, mouth puckering acidity and mineral. Although overall fruit expression is fresh, there is a hint of extremely ripe oxidative note on both nose and palate that is slightly bothersome for me.
Red
2010 Roberto Voerzio Langhe Merlot Pissota
90 points
Medium expressive nose, noticeable green/unripe merlot, chocolate, spice, truffle and ash. Medium concentration, high acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a medium long slightly bitter finish. For my palate, very pedestrian.
Flight 21 - 11/8/2016 - Visit to Burlotto with Fabio Alessandria (9 notes)
This is an excellent visit. The Cantina has a very old school feel. Fabio’s passion for his wine was quite clear. The 12 Monvigliero left me a strong impression.
* All the wines were opened the day before.
White
2015 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Langhe Sauvignon Blanc Dives
90 points
Rich yet refreshing SB nose, kiwi and grapefruit dominates, honey and a hint of steely mineral. There is no green notes/cat pee. Good concentration, rich oily palate, good acidity, a hint of sweetness and a medium to long clean cool finish. Really refreshing and clean wine. This is closer to a good pouilly fume than a NZ SB.
Red
2015 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga
90 points
Initially quite peppery with delicate red fruit a la St. Joseph. With air, ripe strawberry, clove, animal and mineral emerges which reminds Michelle a crus Beaujolais and I agree. Medium concentration, sweet strawberry and animal driven palate impression, no noticeable tannins, good acidity and mineral and a clean medium finish. Really fun food friendly wine. This will be perfect with a wood oven baked thin crust pizza.
Red
2015 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Dolcetto d'Alba
90 points
Expressive nose displaying cool ripe blue fruit, violet, spicy and earth. Very good concentration, good acidity and a medium long sweet finish. This is a solid Dolcetto.
Red
2015 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barbera d'Alba
92 points
Jammy yet fresh nose displaying sweet black fruit and cherry, spicy spices, rose and earth. Excellent concentration, intense sweet black fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, nicely layered, good acidity and a medium to long clean finish. Excellent Barbera. Will benefit a few years of cellaring but really delicious at the moment with the generous fruit.
Red
2015 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barbera d'Alba Aves
93 points
Expressive nose displaying slightly subtler sweet black fruit, dark spices, rose and mineral. Excellent concentration, nicely layered fruit, silky and polished, good acidity and mineral presence and a seamless long finish. This seems more layered and silkier than the regular bottling. Really liking this.
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Red
2012 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi
93 points
Very traditional nose, warm strawberry fruit, dry orange rind per Fabio, spicy, rose, sap and a strong note of iron. Good concentration, round and warm, a lot of mineral, fine tannins and a medium to long mineral driven finish. Excellent traditional Barolo that will benefit another five to ten years of cellaring but already delicious.
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Red
2012 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero
96 points
Incredibly sophisticate nose displaying decadent red fruit, strawberry, raspberry jam, spicy spices, rose and iron. Incredibly refined palate, nothing out of place, incredibly layered, silky, polish, almost airy, extremely fine tannins, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a lovely long seamless finish. This reminds me of a fine Musginy. The style is very similar to G. Rinaldi Barolo. What a wine!
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Red
2013 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi
95 points
Very price and forceful nose displaying slightly dry cherry, spicy spices, mineral and iron. Vibrant and forceful palate, quite rich and dense, good energy, bright acidity, a lot of sweet tannins and a long mineral driven finish. The tannins are quite noticeable at the end. For my palate, more concentrated, structured, richer and cooler. Also cherry dominates where the 12 is dominated by strawberry. Really a classic traditional Barolo.
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Red
2013 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero
96 points
Refined and very detailed nose displaying decadent sweet red fruit, rose, lavender, iron, caramel, anise and sweet spices. Powerful and structured. This seems to be more structured to age. I like the 12 and 13 equally, prefer this for the impressive scale but prefer the 12 for the sensual texture.
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Flight 22 - 11/8/2016 - Lunch at Trattoria Dai Bercau (1 note)
The visit to Burlotto ended around two. Fabio directed us to here. The restaurant was very busy with mostly the locals. They serve a three course fixed meal which was absolutely delicious. The wine list is extensive and very well priced. I highly recommend.
Red
2012 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi
92 points
Pop and pour, medium expressive nose, cherry and strawberry, dry cherry, a hint of orange rind, iron, licorice and earth. Good concentration, round and warm, strong note of mineral and a medium finish. This is a solid mineral driven food friendly Barolo.
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Flight 23 - 11/9-11/12/2016 - Wine Coma, romantic time with my wife (1 note)
My wife flew into Milan to spend three days with me. Unfortunately the flight was delayed and we got to the hotel a bit late so we wanted a quick bite.
Restaurant Mio - power dining, a bit too noisy. Excellent smoke duck with foie gras dish. Pretty solid experience.
Langosteria – top quality fresh seafood, oysters and crudos. The cooked dishes were solidly executed but a bit boring. 5 euro cover charge per person was a bit tacky.
Ristorante Unico – I made the reservation based on the on line wine list. Unfortunately the list is not up to date. The lunch was served in Japanese bento box format, making it feel a bit like airline food. The price was good and the view spectacular. Considering 20 to 30 minute cab ride, simply not worth it.
Il Marchesino – conveniently located next to La Scala. Solid Milanese cuisine. Reasonably prices considering the location. Nice interior. The wine list is good but no bargain. The 99 Romanee Conti for 15,000 plus euro.
Al Mercante – hidden gem, centrally located but mostly locals. Our pastas and main dishes were excellent, though Osso Buco Milanese seemed to have more lemon zest than usual. A humongous serving of tajarin with a copious amount for 32 euros which was excellent. Interesting extensive well priced wine list. Highly recommend.
Asola – a bit hard to find, at the top of mixed-use building. Very creative but ground in traditional cooking. Interesting wine list and sommelier Roberto, a wine geek, was very hospitable.
Restaurant Lohninger – we had five hour layover at Frankfurt. A quick taxi ride to the restaurant, a lot of well-behaved kids. Excellent wiener schnitzel and equally excellent side dishes, cucumber salad, potato salad and water crest salad.
White
2012 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
92 points
Starts a bit tight, a hint of citrus and a lot of fizz. With air, pineapple, grapefruit, smoked oyster, oyster brine, acacia and wet stone. Excellent concentration, noticeable fizz, grapefruit drive palate impression, strong presence of mineral, medium acidity and a medium finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. Strong presence of fizz makes it hard to evaluate. This seems very ripe.
Closing
This was the best wine symposium yet. The contents were both educational and interesting. The Coche tasting with Francoi and Raphael, and the DRC tasting with Aubert de Villaine were incredible experiences. How often can you taste Cheval Blanc, D’Yquem, Coche Dury and DRC with the wine maker/owner in one event! The setting was ideal as usual. We created so many great memories.
The lunch and dinner at Dal Pescatore were two of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. I have never experienced such a warm welcome. They made me feel like a member of the family.
Albeit only for one night, the visit to Piedmont was fruitful and immensely enjoyable. The meal at La Ciau del Tornavento was good thourhg not great. We ended up staying at the restaurant’s hotel which I highly recommend. The complimentary breakfast which is at the restaurant, is incredibly delicious and the panoramic view of the vineyards and Alps is breathtaking.
It was nice to finally rendezvous with my wife and spend a few relaxing days without the boys, although we missed them right away.
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