5/11/2024 - drwine2001 wrote:

Blind Pinot Noir Tasting and Lunch (San Francisco): Deep yellow. Clean orchard fruit nose with a touch of honeysuckle. Medium weight but not particularly dense or sweet for a 1ère Trie wine. No botrytis and none of the oxidation that has plagued many 2002 Huet wines. Excellent, relaxed, and long pear flavors.

4/27/2024 - ylkim30 wrote:

Boozy Brunch (Foreign Cinema & Noe Valley Wine & Spirits): Bright, refreshing, green apple and pear notes on the palate. A little roundness and oiliness, but pretty good acidity. I didn’t detect any oak on the palate. Not the most complex or interesting wine, but pretty good.

3/21/2024 - Frank Murray III wrote:

Lot of raw material here. Has some heft although I can see the references to some limestone buried in the wine. For me, what more shows now is passion fruit, peach, spicy fennel and a texture that reminds me some of an oily/glycerine feel. The texture reference I am making is more about the concentration and weight. This is an intense wine.

12/31/2023 - Viking444 wrote:

This supposed "legendary" bottle was a big let down. I have come to the conclusion that Leroy and DRC are far and away in a league of their own and Rousseau doesn't even come close. Hard pass for me at it's current price.

2/21/2019 - Mossrose wrote:

Simply one of the best and most intriguing dry Chenin Blanc wines I have ever tasted. Has a light yellow and faint red tinge color instead of the usual water clear. The nose has a vividly aromatic kiwi, cantaloup, apricot, and touch of vanilla. The sip features the penetrating acidity most often seen in Champagne and German Riesling, plus the textural richness usually found in great Chardonnays from Meursault in France and the Sonoma Coast in California. The soil in the vineyard is doubly different, from gray Slate to a volcanic soil called Rhyolite. Keeping malolactic fermentation from happening preserves rather the softens the high acid bite. And wood barrel aging in 350 and 700 liter barrels that are 30% new oak adds both textural richness and flavor complexity.

2/28/2022 - forceberry wrote:

100% Freisa from the Ravera cru situated between the comunes of Barolo and Novello. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks, aged for 8-9 months in old oak botti casks, bottled with minimal SO2. 13,5% alcohol.

Quite youthful and somewhat translucent black cherry color. Quite solar yet still pretty seductive and characterful nose with brooding aromas of licorice, ripe red cherries, some perfumed wild notes of brett, light fragrant notes of medicinal herbs, a little bit of volatile lift, a hint of brambly raspberry and a touch of fresh blackberry. The wine is surprisingly wild, funky and even quite sauvage on the palate with flavors of bretty leather and horse stable, ripe cherry tones, sunny notes of raspberry marmalade, some phenolic spicy tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light lifted notes of VA, herby hints of both dried aromatic herbs and more bitter medicinal herbs and a touch of game. The acidity feels medium-to-moderately high in acidity, whereas the ample, ripe tannins slowly pile up on the gums, gradually turning the wine rather grippy. The finish is long, grippy and somewhat funky with ripe yet dry and savory flavors of phenolic spice, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of licorice root, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a lifted hint of VA and a bretty touch of barnyard.

Although brett isn't that uncommon in Rinaldi's wines and they often have a somewhat wild, funky edge to them, this vintage of their Freisa seemed surprisingly sauvage and rustic even for a Rinaldi wine. The overall feel is quite impressive, tasty and structured, but the wine is still a bit clumsy, surprisingly bitter and rather rough around the edges. Good stuff, but not at the level of best Rinaldi Freisas. I hope additional aging might grant the wine with some finesse that it is lacking at the moment.

11/19/2023 - Caruso Likes this wine:

Deep golden with amber tint. Complex nose and palate with quince, honey, minerals, pears, blossoms, citrus. On the palate light on its feet, yet with outstanding richness and intensity of flavors. Shows some grippy but round tannins in the finish, not as bitter as in some other première tries. 5/13/17/8. This is not sweet enough to go with or, for my taste, even as a dessert. Better as an apéritif or e. g. with game. -2028.

11/11/2023 - wineton.mee wrote:

Flight 1 with Canonical. I came in expecting more from this wine but against more showy barolos, this was in the backseat most of the time. More tamed than the Canonic. Floral, but drier and autumnal. But here you pick out the oak, and it does stand out. Doesn’t lose any of that cherry liquor flavour despite the obvious elegance, loads of sweet red fruits. Tannins are there but less the power. Ethereal and restrained. On any other day I’d probably liked this more..

10/26/2023 - philmtl wrote:

Very little fruit. Mostly oak and structure. Lacking florals and freshness. Average.

10/2/2023 - bbq_grandcru Likes this wine:

Light to medium body. One hour decant in bottle. Crimson robe. Big fruit profile with very nice balance. Was expecting more depth and weight. Just didn’t have some of the the grand cru characteristics I would have expected, especially from the vielles vignes. 92/93

9/30/2023 - MauriceE wrote:

Opened around 11h in the morning to check. Drank late in the evening. Absolutely mesmerising nose, stunning, breathtaking. Made us hug each other.

9/15/2023 - prism wrote:

Again no rating, as per Cappellano's wishes, so I'll simply state that this continues to be the best Barolo I've had the pleasure to drink, and this is drinking perfectly. I have only one bottle remaining of a case purchased thirteen years ago at <$US 55 (!), and every bottle has been great. I'll miss having them in my cellar!

9/10/2023 - salil wrote:

I've had some '06s that felt rather charmless and ornery - given this was a Nuits, wasn't sure what to expect, but this was absolutely stellar and one of my favorites of the evening. A darker fruited profile with lots of savoury earthy and faint iron-like notes beneath the fruit but the overall balance is terrific and the aromatics keep building with time, taking on brighter herbal and sweeter notes with air as it becomes really enjoyable to sit down with and follow over. I'll keep my hands off my one bottle of '06 Roncieres a while longer, but this has me a lot more excited and optimistic about some of the 06s.

8/23/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:

Served as a back up for the corked bachelet. Precise red fruit. Elegant, spherical/complete palate. Really good.

8/4/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote:

Gwen's belated birthday: Wow thought this was a Vosne with the floral aromatics. Deep red-fruited character to the wine, lovely tart cherry fruit. Crystalline and focused in spite of the hidden power Fantastic showing.

7/2/2023 - oldwines Likes this wine:

Nice Chenin…typical dense texture with a nice mineral core. Fruit is loaded with pineapple and Meyer lemon. Bright acidity, good length, satisfying without being excessively lush or ripe. Nice with roasted pheasant. Very good but I had hoped for more.

6/30/2023 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

2005 is a vintage I’ve really felt is coming into its own for Volnay. This 1er Cru from Domaine Joseph Voillot is no exception to that. Harvested from Les Champans, an aromatic, balanced nose of red berries, tobacco, chocolate and subtle earthiness draw you in. The palette is bright, packed with tart redcurrants, cherries, subtle minerality and a finish that brings in game. With good acidity and good integration, this is a great, mature Volnay that has really come into its own.

6/26/2023 - acyso wrote:

Chave and Flannery (Chicago, IL): Clearly different winemaking and style from the younger wines (no secret here). Feral, bloody, and wild, with more black fruit and rustic tannins. Leathery tannins and very good intensity. With air, the aromatics blossomed further, and while this doesn't have the classic saline/olive character of syrah, the meat and blood here is unmistakable.

2/28/2012 - cweiss wrote:

Goodbye old friend. Last of a case that has brought great pleasure as a beautifully balanced light-weight full-flavored true Kab from this ripe vintage.

2/28/2023 - drwine2001 wrote:

Medium yellow. Gorgeous aromas of bright citrus, orchard fruit, and spice but no secondary aromas. Light, fresh, and pure as spring water. Crystalline orange peel, yellow apple, ginger, cinnamon and a zesty lemon/slate finish which leaves the tongue tingling. What a wine! My only regret is not being able to see this bottle in 20 years when it will be fully expressed.

9/18/2006 - burningstarIV wrote:

The acidity was harsh when first opened, but after about forth minutes the body turned fleshy and the sugars began to smooth out. The nose had hints of brown sugar and honey, but was otherwise dominated by notes of fresh tropical fruits. At or slightly past its peak, will be on its way down soon. 50+4+11+17+8=90

12/3/2022 - soyhead wrote:

Dark fruited, juicy, really good, rich darker than expected though not sure I’m seeing the cult status here. No. 24396

11/15/2022 - vanpe003 wrote:

Very nicely integrated. Still sweet with some acidity showing through. Overall well balanced, though with a longer finish it would score higher. Will pair great with anything requiring an aged Spatlese (a spicy Indian or Thai dish would do well off the top of my head)

6/17/2022 - fussyeater Likes this wine:

Melvin's La Trompette Lunch (La Trompette, Chiswick, London): Crimson with some slight bricking around the edge. Gentle red fruited nose, fine tannins, medium bodied with concentrated red berries remaining savoury and with fresh acidity. If this was tasted blind I am not sure it would jump out as an Hermitage, lovely though it is. Lots of praise around the table given the pedigree of the producer although I am not quite sure what all the fuss is about on the basis of this bottle... First bottle from a case of 12 bought and cellared on release courtesy of a generous fellow diner. Unconvinced that this will benefit from further cellaring.

2/20/2022 - cfk49 wrote:

A very different animal from the 1998 Clape, as always, with its wild dark plum fruits. The texture is smooth, but still harder and less sensual than the Clape -- this is the more typical Cornas. Cellared since original release.

3/26/2022 - IWFS Arkansas Likes this wine:

Wine as a Journey (Bar Cleeta - Bentonville, Arkansas): Matched surprisingly well with diverse dishes served with it. Who would've thought that beef tartare would work so well next to a Gruner? Chosen because the husband/wife team running Bar Cleeta used Gruner not only as an after-service "refresher" for the staff in their New York days, but found early on that if a dish presented a difficult pairing problem, more times than not Gruner came to the rescue.

1/29/2022 - cct wrote:

The first of my bottles.

A fantastic nose with crystalline purity. It's grassy with citrus fruit, chalk, and cooling herbal floral notes on the nose. On the palate, brilliant clarity and focus. Laser sharp with brilliant but not overbearing acidity. It's has jewel like precision with seemingly a distillation of stone, mineral, cooling green herbal and citrus notes. The conveys effortless power and grace. Like drinking mineral water. Wonderful. Much better on day two. It's terrific now with air, but much more is to come.

2/4/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Corked. Again. Omg, Get it together. The corked ratio is far too high here.

For north of $1,000 per bottle, corked should not be an issue.

1/27/2022 - jsebiri wrote:

After about an hour of being open this wine could best be described as very good Italian. Super easy to drink , backbone and tannins were very integrated into the wine , the nose was not in your face barolo but rather just a part of a smooth wine. I was expecting more from the bottle, the power that others have described just wasn't there for me, but it was still very nice.

1/24/2022 - Sean Tay Likes this wine:

This is the most delicious and beautiful Latour I ever drank. Its charming on the nose. Full of graphite, mineral, pencil lead, fresh, ripe black fruits, ripe berry, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Tannin fully integrated and silky. This wine still have a long long way to go. It could hit another peak years later. At current stage, I’m already mesmerised by it. This is how a good Bordeaux wine should taste like, with good provenance.

1/23/2022 - Moonie Likes this wine:

In deference to Honest Bob's comment, I, too, am not a fan of d'Angerville. In fact, I put all but one of my bottles out to auction some time ago. My experience is that they take forever to come around and by then most of the fruit is gone. Alas, my last bottle was this '99 consumed last night at Bay Colony Golf Club in Naples and it was perfect. A beautiful combination of blue/black fruits, good acidity and "tension." The wine's color and depth were excellent. I don't think Volnay can get better than this.

12/10/2021 - clayfu wrote:

2014 Vatan is in the ZONE right now. The nose is brimming with hay, lemon grass, sweet ripe melon. It's broad oily saturated melon fruit cut with some citrus acid on the back end. I'm surprised how open and voluminous the wine is compared to how narrow the 15/16/17 are. We befriended a couple of Americans on their honeymoon and poured them some - "This doesn't taste like Sauv blanc from back at home" HA!

12/19/2021 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:

Open in bottle for 2.5hrs...2 people thought if was corked, not on the nose, and not the musty kind, but on the palate and finish...seemed muted and "off" I guess? I, as well as others, couldn't for the life of us see it! Maybe less expressive than the last bottle I had 3yrs ago...but this was ALL crazy crushed geology...with zingy citrus cut of lemons and limes...sour green apple skin...exotics of quince paste, lanolin oil, fresh flowers and herbs. LOVE the chalky, salty crushed rocks in these wines...makes it so unique and special when integrated with the bright electric citrus. Maybe not the most exciting finish...mellow...some wet wool and sour apple...but I still dug it! A fascinating wine to drink throughout the night, as there is always something else you pick out with each small pour. And more pours for me, as the 'corked' guys were scaring people away! Such a fun drink!

12/9/2021 - Montesquieu Likes this wine:

As I experience more Chenin demi sec (mostly Huet), my comparison point is lightly sweet German Kabinett, with which I have far more experience. My personal preference is for the racier, more mineral Riesling, which is electric in the best examples. Chenin is a pretty grape, but it has some odd flavor notes that are best balanced with the right food. If this is the best example of a great Loire demi sec in its youth, then IMO, I'll keep some on hand but continue to emphasize great Riesling in my cellar.

8/5/2018 - timewithwine wrote:

Slow oxygenation for about 4 hours. This remains somewhat of a chameleon with some bottles hitting right and others being a bit off. Its tell-tale raspberry, cherry and cinnamon brush broad strokes on the canvas while the green pepper accents the edges. A quiet woodsy/earthiness joins eventually shades into view without obtrusion or directness. The wine shades more toward the Bordeaux profile as the evening’s shadows lengthen. Past peak? I don’t know what “peak” is for this wine, but it certainly is a greater opportunity for disappointment. 12.5% alc. With huge grilled (beef) ribeyes. Recommended. See also chasse spleen 98 which was opened with this wine.

3/13/2021 - bevetroppo wrote:

Stephen Spurrier died earlier this week. In a butterfly effect-like cascade, I owe my appreciation of wine to him. The Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976 allegedly caused one of the judges to flee France temporarily to avoid the blowback. His name was Christian Vanneque, and he had been the Chef Sommelier at Tour D'Argent, with a degree in oenology (from Bordeaux) before most people could spell it. In Boston in 19977 Christian taught me how to taste wine and inspired al lifelong passion for blind tasting. Both of these giants are now gone. I salute you!

Unfortunately, I can't salute this bottle. I've owned it since release. The fill level was impeccable when I removed it last night as a tribute to the gentlemen scholars above. It betrayed a sawdust/woodiness with strange burnt cinnamon flavors that never abated, and which entirely clipped or masked the fruit I was eagerly anticipating. I know '05's are taking a long time and some have been described as "hard," but this was one of those corked bottles that doesn't reek of TCA, it just gets knee-capped somehow. Who said life was fair?

3/14/2021 - olemski wrote:

The last and clearly best of my three bottles. The Chevillon style is fruity, but this wine is firm and masculine. Coming well together now, it has elegance and harmony but in a firm manner. The received view is to drink up the 2006s, but I'm starting to wonder if wines like this still may have the best yet to come.

9/18/2021 - rocknroller wrote:

Brad's Belated Big 6-0 Birthday Celebration (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Medium plus gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. This was wonderful, bright with fresh cut perfectly ripe peach, ripe apple, dried slate, lively, hints of petrol, just perfect sweetness, very long and energizing on the finish. Pitch perfect, I loved this.

6/9/2021 - riskun Likes this wine:

Dark ruby. Toasted oak and earthy nose with dark blackberry. Entry is lightly sweet and even delicate. Comes on strong mid mouth with good vibrancy to a spicy, peppery long finish. Very good, classic cornas. Not at all harsh. This quite good now, but remains with a strong good tannin backbone. Give it some air and this becomes delightfully integrated with a beautiful smooth profile start to finish.

12/23/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:

Opened for an hour before pouring. Pale garnet color. Slight funkiness. Fragrant brambly red fruit, smoke, and herb. Light weight, dull strawberry, soil, herbs, and a touch of citrus. Delicate and fine. Less obviously sweet and more subtle than some Fourrier wines. Right at the point of maturity.

10/17/2020 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine:

Singular. Lychee and pineapple and something reminiscent of oak (but not secondary characteristics). This was stunning.

10/3/2020 - Musigny1955 wrote:

{Purchased on release, perfect fill; PopNPour consumed over 5 hours} Reticent aromatics to start, and both depth of palate and finish were a bit constrained, yet satisfying. Red crisp fruit on palate, not quite cranberries and some strawberries; no black fruits in this wine. Nose did not develop very much and I found myself glad the wine had the benefit of the Les Cailles vineyard exposition in a so-so year for NSG. Both the Chevillon Vaucrains and Les St Georges are a bit better in 2006. No rush to drink but do not expect any upside at this juncture.

9/19/2020 - mye wrote:

Generally I’m not a Sauv Blanc fan as the grape is just uninteresting relatively speaking. There are exceptions I suppose to everything, and this was one. The nose had tropical notes of pineapple, peach, but also wet stones, minerality galore, with a touch of fresh grass clippings. Palate did not match the greatness of the nose, as it showed a lot of alcohol and oak. Even after 2 hours, it was still glorious smelling but oaky tasting. Too young, but one of the better SBs I’ve had.

10/11/2005 - Michael wrote:

Fabulous. I was worried it would be too old, but it drank great Nice minerality, hint of sweetness, loads of citrus on the nose. A classic Sancerre but with excellent body and just a true pleasure to drink.

7/9/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:

Deep ruby. Blackberry and licorice. Typical lighter weight, but extra flesh that provides more texture. Lean but not overly strict blackberry fruit that is ripe but not sweet at all. Excellent acidity and a strong thread of stone throughout. Remarkably structured and backward for Fleurie-more like, say, a Moulin-à-Vent. Still fairly coiled and youthful with outstanding prospects for further development. I'd bet that it will open out and show even more by tomorrow. We'll see.

Ah yes, after a night in the fridge, more sappy cherry fruit and powdered chocolate. This is a long distance runner in Beaujolais terms.

And the night after that, some spicy blueberry layered onto the soil base.

7/3/2020 - lightning wrote:

Bottle code LK116, ie. built from the 2011 Barolo vintage.

Fascinating nose built around a strong quinine and wormwood spine, there are hints of clove, dark chocolate, cool mint, and ripe red fruits. Silky entry, slightly oily texture, medium plus bodied, quinine and sweet red fruits, sugar syrup, fine yet enduring tannins, and such persistence. Such a beautiful thing, especially on a cold winter night.

Wonder how/if it will develop with cellaring? Various industry sources say it cellars well. I think the sugar and alcohol (17.5%) will hold it in good stead, although I'm not sure if any evolution will be that pronounced given the dominance of the quinine note.

11/28/2016 - Musigny1955 wrote:

{purchased on release, first of 6 750s, perfect fill, Pop n Pour...} Initial nose and palate very Pinote, dark cherry fruit > structure, subtext of near-CA ripeness, complex NSG palate and length. Great with small steak and protein meal. Then: at 60-75 minutes structure, tannins and size begin to outweigh the fruit and these dominate through 90-120 minutes. Very Vaucrains, iron minerals and ripe fruit; this wine needs another 2-5 years minimum. If am wrong this wine will still be great in first hour after opening, but I think this a long-distance runner that has yet to fully integrate and that RECHROM's 93-94 potential is accurate. Very intriguing wine for the patient palate and it is fun to read the many notes - all over the place - for this obviously complex wine. A great success for a 2006.