4/4/2021 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:

Pristine bottle, purchased at auction in 2003. Last tasted in November 2019, when I opined that it should be followed closely, because the tannic structure was melting away fast. Some 18 months later, there is no abrupt development to report, but this bottle does remind us that 1994 Vintage Port was by and large produced with an emerging US market and its preferences in mind. A quarter of a century later, there are clearly recognisable upsides to that approach. The cherry fruit is succulent and pure, there is lovely balancing acidity, and the wine feels youthfully fresh with lots of spicy, minerally energy. It's completely ready, with only a hint of nuttiness, and just a tad simple. Very nice, but for a traditionalist like me, this is not when the case should be finished, this is when the game begins! Over the next 20-30 years, the tertiary development will take place which will elevate a fine Vintage Port to true greatness. To that heavenly state where the great wines from 1963, 1966 and 1970 are today. Will this wine get there? I am not sure, for a very simple reason. The fruit needs protection from oxidation to go through this very gradual process, and we are faced with a fundamental lack of tannins here. Acidity and alcohol are helpful to protect the wine (the wine is sweet for Dow but not very sweet), but essentially we need firm tannins to oxidise before the fruit does. And they're just not there. I will be old and grey in 30 years' time, but I fear that this may wither before I do. I do hope that I will be around to prove myself wrong though. "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying, And this same flower that smiles today, Tomorrow will be dying." (Robert Herrick, 1591-1674).

7/26/2020 - Frank Murray III wrote:

Damn, this was the best bottle to date. Pulled this last minute, to go with a banana pudding. I had debated opening it earlier in the evening but thought we had enough wine. But then, with some friends around the table, this is THE time to open Cristal, especially the 2009. So, pulled the cork, off we went. Elegant lime that just flows across the palate, and what was most impressive about this bottle was the minerality. In the aromatic, and in the finish, it added a complexity that just made me pause and appreciate this wine yet again. Say what you want about 2008, and all the big scores.....who cares. What matters is.....what does the wine taste like to you, your palate. For me, time and time again, the 2009 is the winner and last night's bottle was simply extraordinary. Continues to be for me one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever tasted.

6/2/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine:

Open THAT Bottle! (Jason's House): This was probably the best bottle I have had of this wine! Always outstanding, but this bottle seemed more layered and more focused than previous bottles, plus more of everything I like about Champagne. Not sure if it comes from additional age or slight bottle variation, but my guess is the latter.

Nose: Toasted brioche and sweet tropical fruit dominated with slight sea breeze and hints of chalkiness.

Palate: The palate showed a kaleidoscope of flavors, with butter toasted brioche, followed by melon, pear, and green apple, then some oyster and sea shell, finishing with tropical notes of mango, papaya and pineapple. This was a real joy to drink!

I have never been disappointed with the 2006 Comte, and my expectations are always high, but this bottle managed to surpass my lofty expectations! 96+ to 97....down to my last few bottles, how sad!

1/1/2021 - fingers Likes this wine:

Notes after 6 hours open. Extra dark ruby color with a thin hint of garnet at the rim, small amount of sediment. Profound aromas that take me straight to Left Bank, but the palate is just ripe and New World-ly enough that I would find myself hard-pressed to guess Bordeaux if given blindly. A term that I have rarely, if ever, used in a tasting note:”fleshy” is what I think applies here as well. It’s as if someone peeled a beautiful bunch of grapes and left nothing but the meat for me. I think it’s happy to serve now with extended aeration but also won’t see any decline for a very long time.
5+12+17+9= 93

4/25/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

Bienvenue a Champagne; 4/20/2023-4/29/2023 (Les Crayeres, various restaurants, Les Avises and a many wonderful producers): One of Krug’s strongest philosophies is we do not have a hierarchy (at least as they discuss, less so as they price but perhaps we should appreciate that). This wine is the wine that makes me think more than many others that it’s clear if they have a choice between making the best Grande Cuvée or the best of that vintage it’s possible sometimes that they pick the Grande Cuvée. I mean this wine has for some time been ‘killing it’. Drinking super expressive, super lovely, just a special wine. Classic Beauty? I remember the release and with just a very few years this has turned into something that constantly delights. Today no different. It’s a lovely wine.

12/15/2013 - brigcampbell wrote:

CT Gang at Nick's (Laguna Beach, CA): This is more MSG versus GSM since it's 75% Mourvèdre and that's all goodness to me as I really like a good Mourvèdre and this is certainly an excellent wine. Dark fruit, sage, spice, cigar box, and lots of firm tannins. Medium plus finish. Excellent wine.

Public service announcement. This will be much better, shocking I know, resting for a few more years.

9/22/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

Kicking ass and taking names. It’s paired against two of the big brothers in the soloist to orchestra approach. ‘08 needs time and time in bottle and this has many years on those siblings and so I say it’s against the ‘big’ brothers but probably that’s the wrong comparison. This wine was in bottle maybe 8 years ago? So it’s developed and there’s complexity and interest and a nose that just jumps out of the glass at you and so again I say there was really no one who couldn’t say this was the wine of the flight whether we were drinking on its own or with food. And different bottles and all of that but still all of us took notice. As a person who prefers age in champagne this isn’t in the sweet spot by any calculation, but it is drinking well at the moment.

12/6/2021 - fingers Likes this wine:

Well, it's been 10 months so I figured I would check in on this. Within 30 minutes of uncorking, I could tell this is much more open and generous than it was in February, yet there is still plenty of youthful tension between the acidity and tannins. The bouquet is offering up dark berries and baking spices, a little vanilla and forest green. Medium finish. Still seems like it's on the way up but no harm to try now if you have multiples. I expect it to really find the zone next summer. 5+11+16+8= 90

5/9/2022 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Grenache (75%), Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (10%) sourced mainly from Paso Robles, but supposedly including fruit from Edna Valley and Santa Maria. 65% destemmed, 35% whole cluster. Aged in French oak barrels (65-70% new), bottled on 27th of August, 2021. 15,3% alcohol. Total production 400 cases. Tasted blind.

Very deep, almost fully opaque cherry red color with a subtle pomegranate red hue. The nose feels lush, opulent and very fruit-forward with almost jammy aromas of blueberries and cherry marmalade, quite pronounced alcohol, some toasty mocha oak tones, a little bit of vanilla, light nuances of stewed strawberries and a hint of peppery spice. The wine is very ripe, dense and voluptuous on the palate with a very full body and opulent flavors of strawberry jam and wizened black cherries, some vanilla, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light blueberry juice nuances, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of boysenberry jam. The overall feel is chewy and mouthfilling, but flabby instead of firm, thanks to the quite modest acidity and very ripe and mellow tannins that offer no grip whatsoever. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The finish is big, rich and quite weighty with quite a bit of heat from the high alcohol along with a lengthy, sweetly-fruited aftertaste of overripe blueberries and strawberry jam, some vanilla, a little bit of chocolatey oak, light marmaladey notes of ripe black cherries and a hint of soft black plums.

Well this was a huge wine if there ever was one. The wine is all about that super-ripe in-your-face fruit that feels way too much for me in terms of ripeness, sweetness and just overall intensity - there's not a smidgen of finesse over here. For me this is a wine with too much of everything, but I can see how this kind of very hedonistic, soft and straight-to-the-point wine might have lots of mass appeal. Definitely not a wine geek's wine, as there's nothing geeky about this. I guess this might be good if served on its own and slightly chilled (just to tone down the alcohol and boost the modest acidity), but I find it hard to come up with a dish to which this kind of soft, quite structureless and rather overpowering fruit bomb of a wine could actually bring something interesting. I first guessed the wine was a very ripe Californian Syrah, based on its dark color and slightly peppery nose, but when told it was not, I guessed it still must have some Syrah, so a Californian GSM. Correctomundo. Superb value at mere $8, if you are in need of a big, sweet and rather oaky GSM blockbuster.

4/26/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

An epic masterpiece. The type of wine that immediately becomes an experience, transporting you to that special, private place that is somewhere in between your mind and infinity. Words alone cannot express the beauty within, the purity that reaches out and takes your hand and says follow me - but you've already surrendered as you would to anything so noble, so virtuous. Buy all you can find. One of the greatest expressions of Sangiovese I've ever encountered. very highly recommended

Opened just 30 minutes before tasting at the winery with my new friends Carlo Lisini Baldi and Ludovica Lisini. This wine will be released in July, their 2010 Brunello Riserva, in September.

https://italianwine.blog/

2/3/2023 - IMR wrote:

This has a complex bouquet with oyster shells and seaweed infusing the intense black fruit. It is certainly well defined with nicely integrated new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, a keen thread of acidity, very pure and smooth in texture, gently unfolding towards the lightly spiced finish that lingers long in the mouth.

5/18/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Excellent today, and plenty of structure, and fruit, to clearly signal an even more brilliant future. An unbelievably good value that ticks every box. I wish I had dozens. A wow wine that drinks at a level of twice its price. highly recommended

6/5/2014 - Tim Heaton wrote:

PnP (my first of 7) consumed over five nights. That's right, five nights. I wanted to know. Cool acids every single night; they defined this wine as much as the beautifully pure fruits.

Night 1: opens up straightaway (and WoW!), but after a half hour in the glass, tannins move in, and the party is called off.

Night 2: more deeply fruited. chalky, powerful acids in check given the very deep well of red and black fruits

Night 4: just in awe of this wine. Acids and fruits in perfect harmony. I could smell it all night; a few tastes and I'm transported.

Nigh 5: stony, limestone-y. All about rocks and perfectly balanced red and black fruits. After an hour in the glass, some pyrazine -the first sign of them in the five days this has been opened - show themselves. But they do so for just a minute, and even then, it's subtle, welcome. Some more time in the glass, no pyrazine, now it's campfire/ash. and more rocky, chalky fruits.

highly recommended, drink thru 2034, 13,0% abv. Served non-blind.

2/7/2015 - caeleric Likes this wine:

decanted 30 minutes at the restaurant, then consumed over 2 hours with friends. this was a stunner. none of us could put it down. not massive, but hauntingly fruited and spiced with that meaty streak that makes syrah so wonderful. if this is what's in store for the remaining bottles, i'm thrilled. alcohol was in check, gentle tannins, just perfectly balanced. 93-95, which i didn't think was in the cards for this initially. patience will continue to pay off.

1/30/2022 - flydcjets Likes this wine:

If a Cab can be "easy-peasy" driniking - this is it. Ready to drink now, and good for a few years...
Soft, for a Cab, and smooth with gripping tannins at first that mellow with time in the decanter/glass.
Dark - but lighter than the Howell Mountain Cab hubby was finishing up from a previous evening...
Frankly, it simply smells "delicious". I didn't take time to decipher the nose...and went for a sip.
Lots of fruit going on here - blackberry, cherry - no single one jumps out... yet juicy, mouth-coating flavor that isn't heavy.
As the tannins mellow, there's a bit of spice that really develops, nicely.
Light oak and silky finish.
Easy sipping, no food necessary Cab. A Cab for non-cab drinkers as well as those that can appreciate this style. YUM.
Went well with bingeing season 4 of Ozark on Netflix and some pub-cheese and crackers, as well as Chicago-style deep-dish pizza on a cool, lazy, Sunday afternoon...

6/10/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Young, needs 3-5 more years before it's at the beginning of its preferred drinking window. Audozed 5 hours. With more air, a stream of minerals and soil consistently emerged. Med+ body, rich currants, some tobacco. More primary than secondary. Enjoyable, but clearly holding back. For its full potential highly recommended

4/14/2023 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 1.75 hrs. --

NOSE: expressive; "winey"; floral/green/grass/plastic note.

BODY: medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: apple; high acidity; back-end hint of lychee gummy; 13.5% alc.; this bottle came across as needing a couple years to sort itself out -- it seemed a bit scattered.

11/12/2018 - Mymauiwine wrote:

Big Bold and Velvety. Black Fruit Cassis, Cedar, Leather and Chocolate. Well balanced structure with enough acid to keep it lively. Although very young right now with some time this could be over 95 pts. I would definitely buy this again and lay down for a bit.

8/29/2023 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Sorry, but even with 24 hours of air this is not the time to drink this wine. It’s blocky and largely impenetrable. There are hints of good things to come, but there are just glimpses of herbal, earthy or tobacco notes that are quickly sucked behind the event horizon of the wine, never to be seen again. Cellar this rather than waste it.

3/11/2019 - fingers Likes this wine:

After an hour in decanter. Very dark ruby color with a fading hint of age at the rim and a small dash of sediment in the bottle. Beautiful, medium-powered nose of cassis, lavender, bramble, butterscotch/caramel and more flavors of plum, cherry, and graphite on the palate. A big wine that is still light on its feet and goes down easy, in large part due to nearly undetectable alcohol. A good experience at $20. 5+12+15+8= 90

9/3/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Decided to check in on this for no particular reason; glad I did. Still too young to have any real complexity about it, this is all about its shape and purity at this point - both of which I like a lot. In fact, this is the type of wine I wish I could drink every night, instead, I'm usually having $16 Austrian Riesling (i.e. dry) or $14 Zweigelt (I win either way, I guess :D). But seriously, if you have several there's no reason not to open one - so long as what you're looking for is a quite pure, medium-bodied wine with a pretty, red-fruited character (if largely undeveloped at this point) of place and grape; the finish was longer than expected, as was the overall balance (given the price point, shame on me for forming an expectation). Was excellent with a traditional lasagna. 14,5% (resolved), thru 2028. recommended

Slow-O 1 hr, though if I were to open another anytime soon, I'd give this at least 90 minutes of aeration in decanter; served non-blind.

https://italianwine.blog/

10/6/2019 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine:

Showing young and vibrant, though not without some nuance from aging. Expressive ripe fruit with excellent acidic freshness. Great textures. Remarkable balance and energy to this Champagne. Delivers.

7/30/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Taking a moment to get caught up on some notes for wines that have stayed (read: haunted) with me since tasting at various times this year. In the instant case, we have a wine that really schooled me. I had no idea a Banyuls could last this long and be this good. Holy smokes, this is a masterpiece as all the components have not only survived > 50 years, they're totally on point. Full-bodied, in the best of (read: resolved, harmonious, with excellent depth) ways, this has another 5 -- or 10 years ahead of it. Having said that, I'm reminded I was already schooled once, this could live another 40 years, what do I know. In closing, we all know Banyuls and chocolate pair well. But what most don't know, is just how magical a 50+ yr old Banyuls and chocolate pair. Wowsers (and not for its age, purely on what was in the glass). recommended

Served non-blind; maybe I got lucky and our bottle was in better shape than the one BA had, sure seems so.

10/1/2016 - WineDr. Does not like this wine:

Anderson's CVV Cabernet Sauvignon has long been one of my favorites: Top tier in quality and very age-worthy, but without a 3-digit price tag to match. I bought a case of the the highly acclaimed 2007 vintage years ago. It has been stored under ideal climate-controlled conditions.

Having read glowing reviews, I figured it was time to try it. Over the past week, we drank 3 bottles. They were decanted about 2 hours beforehand and served at cellar temperature. All 3 bottles had good ullage and vibrant ruby color without any appreciable browning. None showed any cork taint or other inherent flaws.

Unfortunately, all 3 bottles disappointed equally. They lacked the full-bodied richness and smooth finish I expected. While drinkable, it was clear that they were already beyond their peak by at least a couple of years. All 3 bottles also threw off considerable sediment, not surprising as I don't think this wine is filtered or fined.

I would have loved to chime in with a 94 or 95 points score, but even my 89 points score is generous.

What happened? I bought the wine online. Was it "damaged" (unbeknownst to me) in shipment? Was there a bad batch from the winery? One thing is for certain: It doesn't taste anywhere near up to expectations, not gas it aged gracefully.

3/5/2019 - fingers wrote:

This is my second time with this wine and it has not struck me as interesting or attractive to any great measure either time. Just kind of blasé and generic. Given that, it also seems young so I’m not sure how long you’re supposed to wait on these. I have one more that I’ll let sleep for awhile.

5/5/2023 - brianschool wrote:

The San Felo Aulus Cabernet from Tuscany has a medium purple hue with some bricking. On the nose, notes of plum, leather, and "scorched earth" (as Cameron would say). On the palate, a pleasant, bone dry, red-raspberry-fruited wine, with blueberry tones, plum, leather, and a velvety medium length finish.

It's a good value for the price paid and is a quality wine, though needs an hour of decant and can be a bit thin at times. On PnP the finish had a a lot of alcohol before decanting, then it came together. I didn't get the "fine tannins" that James Suckling spoke of, in fact that tannins seemed quite "big".

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyards 450-500 feet elevation.
Sandy soils with sandstone
Stainless steel ferment, then 24-months in barrel and one year in bottle before release.
14% alc.

89.5-90 points

4/29/2021 - thesternowl wrote:

The third and latest release of the Founder’s Reserve follows the tradition of the previous versions; a Bordeaux blend of sorts with a dollop of Syrah. Popped and poured; consumed over four days. The wine came across disjointed on Day 1 & 2. By day 3 it started to turn into something more interesting and Day 4 was best. Mostly blue and black fruits with dark cherries and figs, pipe tobacco, minerals, baking spices, a small touch of vanilla. Medium tannin. Medium plus acid. Finish is satisfying. A touch of heat on the finish but just. These need a few years to show their best.

11/4/2017 - fingers Likes this wine:

Didn’t quite impress me as much as it did 3+ years ago, but it is still a very nice, moderately sweet accompaniment for a variety of foods and should really be paired as you would an Auslese, not a Sauternes. Seems like it’s lost some of its fruity and acidic grip without replacing it with any complexity or secondary notes. Not sure I would bank on further improvement if I had more half bottles..... I’m sure the 750’s are doing better. 5+12+17+8= 92

9/14/2016 - Tim Heaton wrote:

Remains a dark ruby, little sign of age. Nose opens with some VA, followed by oak spice, pie crust, a touch of EtOH and pretty, secondary darker fruit characteristics. The palate is medium+ bodied; there seems a deficit of acidity. Good tension in the mouth, but the flavors are quickly muddled - there's a thickness to this that I don't care for. Still a few years away from integrating the tannins, but I'm not sure where this is headed. With air, there's something of a roasted quality, with the sultry oak and its spice singing a siren call. There's also something of a lingering bitterness that I just don't care for. Far from memorable, or perhaps it's best to say it's something of a let down. Cork like new, good fill. Calls for heartier fare - though I doubt even that will add much. 14,0% abv. By the last glass, nothing but splintery oak; I dumped my last glass. Drink or Hold (and hope, but, nah).

Audozed 2 hours, served non-blind. Tolerable at 60F, falls off a cliff after 65F. Don't hold, sell.

Somebody(s) got this seriously wrong.

https://italianwine.blog/

9/17/2015 - forceberry wrote:

Pale yellow color. Somewhat sweet-toned, poised and dark-toned yet not at all heavy nose with nuanced aromas of toasty autolysis, roasted nuts, caramel, ripe citrus fruits, some red apples, a little bit of English toffee and a red-fruited touch of cherry-driven Pinosity. The wine is rich, quite noticeably toasty and robust on the palate with full body and wonderfully bold flavors of pronounced autolytic toast, apple pie crust, syrupy molasses and burnt sugar, ripe and spicy red apples, oxidative nuttiness, some sweet-toned spice, a little bit of ripe, zesty citrus fruits and a hint of oven-fresh apple cobbler. The wonderfully high acidity lends wonderful sense of structure and freshness to the wine, keeping it from coming across as excessively heavy. The mousse feels very fine, smooth and creamy. The finish is extremely long, toasty and very mineral with focused yet noticeably toasty flavors of chalky bitterness, oxidative nuttiness, maple syrup, some bright and zesty citrus fruits, a little bit of tart green apples, a hint of smoke and a touch of toffee.

Holy moly this is an impressive blockbuster of a Champagne. Despite its immense power, gravity and robust character, the wine is still remarkably vibrant and light in its feet - thanks to the spectacular acidity and crystal-clear mineral core. The wine is exhibiting some developed, nutty and slightly oxidative characteristics, but they feel more like the result of the style, not of the bottle age per se. Most likely this wine will continue to develop for many more years, probably even decades. Stunningly beautiful; not only one of the greatest Bollinger wines I've had, but also one of the most spectacular Champagnes I've tasted. So very highly recommended.

12/10/2019 - fingers Likes this wine:

Continues to perform beautifully and still on the way up, me thinks.
I paired this with a good old filet mignon with garlic-mashed potatoes and broccoli and it was fantastic. No need for the tannins, etc. of a red wine because there's so much depth to this demi-sec and I highly recommend trying this type of pairing. Quite enlightening.
Light gold color with a bright reflection and clear body.
Medium to profound nose of apricot and orange rind, apple and pear, a hint of wet rocks. Great balance on the palate where it never feels heavy or dominated by any one element. As others have said, "seamless". 5+12+17+9= 93

3/17/2019 - grapenomad wrote:

Pale lemon in the glass, showing fine bubbles. Medium expressive nose (usually vintage Veuve has more pronounced aromas) with focus on green/citrus fruit and a good chunk of biscuit, vanilla & cream. Medium-bodied supported by a strong acidity well-integrated with the alcohol. Doesn't have the complexity I was expecting, although it will develop nicely over the upcoming years. No insane potential due to the lack of depth.

1/21/2017 - BenBlu Likes this wine:

From half bottle at 67 Pall Mall. This is a superb Sauternes, no doubt. Even a tiny notch better then the really awesome Rieussec 2010 of which I have had a fair bit lately. This is a sweet wine which is not cloying, with superb acidity showing elegant and extremely well balanced. I know that Sauternes is somewhat unfashionable these days - but this is selling for ~£15 a half bottle in the current market place. Given how much effort goes into making Sauternes, this being from the Lafite staple and having undergone a large amount of investment at the estate over recent years, absolute quality of the wine (no doubt a top Sauternes and probably on a par with many Yquems from "lesser" vintages), that's a really amazing buy for anybody remotely interested in sweet wine and worth buying by the truck load! Plus this is drinkable now and for the next 30+ years... Enough said.

6/19/2018 - fingers Likes this wine:

This has really taken off for flight since my last tasting 3 or 4 years ago. Fine texture with profound pepper and coriander, brambles, and extra dark berry. I still have yet to taste a Cab Franc from America that gets close to this true definition. Amazing stuff to put before a novice and watch their reaction. 5+13+17+8= 93

9/15/2013 - Paul S wrote:

Asher's 1st Birthday (Alex's place): This wine absolutely blew me away when I tasted it from barrel two years ago. Back then, manager Rémi Edange warned that it would take a good 8-10 years in the bottle before coming anywhere close to how it showed in the barrel; still, I could not resist snapping up a case en primeur. It was thus a great opportunity to see how this was doing when Ming brought a bottle to dinner. He had opened it 3 hours before serving it blind, but even then, it was far tighter and less expressive than in its infancy. No mistaking it for anything but a top-end Bordeaux blanc though, even just from its lovely nose of cream and nuts underlying the ripest gooseberries, passion-fruit and green mango scents. Tighter for sure, but still lovely. Unfortunately, the palate was really way, way too young. It showed great promise though, displaying a ripe depth alongside a lovely sense of definition, precision and focus, with solid minerality running like a laser-like beam through fleshy notes of mangoes, gooseberries, passion-fruit and cream. Along with really fresh acidity that gave a firm backbone to the whole package, this was really impressively built. - rich, deep, yet always light, almost lithe on its feet. It had a long, long finish too, slightly nutty, with some oak inflections flecking nicely round and fleshy fruit, and underlined by more of that lovely minerality and a nice, spicy linger. A baby, but so very good; actually super-complex considering how young this was. However, it was all just slightly muted compared to the exuberantly expressive, almost explosive wine we tasted from barrel. My own bottles will remain untouched for sometime yet. 93++

9/4/2020 - fingers Likes this wine:

Light straw-gold color with a small bead of bubbles. Sourdough bread, lemon creme, tangelo, and light hints of oak in the bouquet. Not exactly crisp but it has a nice tangy tartness to the palate, which gets support from the minerality and perceptible alcohol (13%) to extend the flavors for a long finish. Very solid crowd-pleaser or everyday house sparkler.
4+11+16+8= 89

3/14/2019 - Cailles wrote:

La Conseillante 1982-2016: Vertical of eight vintages from four decades with winemaker Marielle Cazaux. While it might not come as a surprise that the Conseillante impresses with its seductiveness, the level of freshness and tension in all wines is remarkable. Unsurprisingly, the four best wines came all from great vintages: The 2016 stands above all the other wines and is a future star and so good to drink right now, the 2009 needed time but became better by the minute and came in close second, the 2005 is fantastic with so much intense tertiary aromatics and precision and the 1990 is in a great spot and better than the Mouton or Lynch Bages I had in the past few weeks.

TN: This is a fantastic wine! I had it a few days earlier at a larger Bordeaux 2016 merchant tasting and liked it (95 points) but this bottle was a clear step-up. The main difference was certainly that the wine at this dinner was served at the perfect drinking temperature whereas the former bottle was served too warm and therefore felt much more opulent. On the nose expressive red fruit (cherries, rose hip, strawberry candy), herbs and wet slate. Ripe but highly precise, cool, and balanced. On the palate some additional layers with dark soil and rocky minerality, inky notes, hints of smoke and some fine and well integrated oak scents accompanying all the fruit. Not yet as complex as the 2009 or other 2016s (such as the Pichon Lalande) but very seductive and highly elegant (much more so than a few days earlier) with a perfect acidity and silky tannins.

Decanting: The wine has not been decanted but opened an hour prior to consumption. As it improved with more time in the glass, I think one or two hours in the decanter could do good things.

6/10/2021 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:

After the amazing bottle of 2018 Cuvée Domaine, I think I bought more of the 2018 Prestige than any wine in my life. Is it worth it? Well... perhaps it's too early to tell. The 2018 Cuvée Domaine drinks better today. The Prestige is most certainly much more structured and robust. It has now been in the glass for an hour or so. The wine requires attention to not miss the elegance that lies beneath the structure. On attention, the aromas offer lithe berries, intense chalk dust, and pretty cutting graphite. It's interesting how intense and strong those aromas become after multiple large huffs. It still feels compact on the nose, but elegance does shine through. Palate entry starts with tight, integrated blueberries, but that quickly transitions to the massive, intense structure that surrounds this wine. Impressive tannins, acidity, and minerals are all present in earnest. Keeping this in the mouth for any length of time only intensifies the structural elements and perhaps covers some of the flavor components. Acidity is actually the dominant structural element on the finish, but of course this is coupled with intense, fine grained tannins, and its presence is felt up to a minute later. There is no doubt this is an impressively built wine. Again, totally nuts that something like this can be had for under $14. My score is for enjoyment today, but I am very happy with this offering... it's just too early to fully enjoy this wine and I expect many points higher of enjoyment in due time. This is a bottle that should age gracefully for 3+ decades. Glad I have one for every year of that time... perhaps that's what I'll do with them, so by the time I'm 80 I can finally figure out how exactly a Bourgueil ages.

12/13/2012 - ob2s wrote:

Ok, so here is how I classify this wine. I am a kids soccer coach and I have 11 pretty good players, but there are 18 kids on the team. Some of those 7 don't even want to play, but their parents make them. I have to play all 18, as I should, but when to play them so we don't lose is the dilemma. So when to drink these let downs in order to not detract from what is being served for dinner is the challenge.....and I have more than 7 to deal with...

2/5/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Very good, will improve, but needs time. I followed this for about 3 hours after the bottle was first opened; for my palate, certainly improves with aeration. Young, and coiled, but also well positioned for the next 5, or 10 years. An absolute joy to drink after it's had a chance to jettison the initial angst. While I was hoping this would be a little more ready, my guests didn't seem to mind either way. 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, and it (PN) shows, rather in a nice, complementary way. I'm glad that this preceded the Krug 165eme, though. 12,0% abv., drink thru 2029, even if for my palate, I'd give it another 3-4 years of rest. highly recommended

3/30/2019 - wayfarer Likes this wine:

This wine was intoxicating, as in captivating and elevating, setting a mood of high interest and pleasure. That's about how it guided the evening and made for a delightful dinner. Opened about 3.5 hours before dinner, decanted last 30 minutes. Definitely helped bring out depth and integration for the rich aged fruit, wood/earth/forest/leather hints. There was a lovely back and forth between fresher red fruit, cherry, strawberry, black cherry, with the more aged tone. Moderate full body, long finish, nice balance, rich and nuanced. Three years plus air time seems to have been beneficial.

4/13/2018 - dbg wrote:

Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Takes about an hour to open up. Tonight, the 2003 Pontet Canet does have a strong streak of tannins that get a bit gritty on the back end but it’s far from drying out. It’s nowhere near approaching mature complexity but it’s a bit more open than my last bottle 2.5 years ago. Still plenty of fruit, not over-ripe or roasted, full bodied. I’m half way through the case and would say I’m still expecting it to develop into something more. Very good on opening, reaches excellence after 60-90 minutes.

11/20/2021 - xyc Likes this wine:

Adding my note is as foolish as the previous 1800 + attempts to fragment this Champagne into words / elements; it is a model of integration and balance and resulting complexity - a work of art in a bottle, created by Master Vintners, a miracle of the vines to be shared with Champagne worshippers but accessible to wine pagans.
What Bollinger has joined together let no commenter tear asunder.

5/11/2016 - fingers wrote:

Notes after following for a day open. Color is garnet heading into brown, about 70% opaque with very minor sediment. Aroma is a bit lacquered and oxidative, hanging on to florals while the fruit is slipping away. The palate is mature and smooth with fully resolved tannins presenting a nice glycerin feel, but the fruit won't be much longer for this world. I can't imagine this is going to see a dumb phase like it's French counterparts.. I think it is just heading over the hill and needs to be consumed in the near future. The CT drink window is much too optimistic (and the Galloni window even worse) judging by my experience from my first bottle in January to this example. Both bottles had perfect storage conditions all along, yet the dropoff in a mere 5 months is substantial. 4+10+17+6 = 87

2/28/2018 - forceberry wrote:

The base wine is aged partially in barriques. No MLF. Aged for a minimum of 6 years in bottles with the lees before disgorgement. 12% alcohol, 5,6 g/l acidity (not sure whether indicated in tartaric or sulphuric), dosage 4 g/l. Tasted blind.

Medium deep yellow color. Ripe, nuanced and attractive nose with a fascinating array of aromas ranging from subtle nuttiness, sweet autolytic brioche and delicate smoke to notes of bruised aples, light citrus marmalade character, hints of wet stones and a leesy, yeasty touch of freshly baked French bread. The wine is firm and intense yet gentle and delicate on the palate with rich, lively and almost bone-dry flavors of roasted nuts, ripe red apples, some toasty autolytic bread character, a little bit of smoke, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of zesty lemony fruit. The wine is moderately high in acidity with firm, creamy and quite persistent mousse. The finish is long, crisp and mineral with more youthful, piercing notes of lemony citrus fruits, tart green apples, some toasty autolysis, light hints of slivered almonds, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of cream.

A very lovely, complex and captivating Champagne that combines wonderfully that tangy, acid-driven Blanc de Blancs character to a subtly oxidative style, without any overt oak overtones. Although the wine is nigh 10 years old, it is still very bright, youthful and obviously more about promise than current enjoyability. A lovely fusion of mineral restraint and hedonistic richness - although very enjoyable at the moment, I'm fairly certain this wine will continue to improve at least for the next 10 years. Great stuff and although not particularly affordable at 71,92€, the wine is still priced somewhat according to its quality.

8/28/2017 - fingers Likes this wine:

Followed for about 6 hours before making notes. Medium ruby color. Slow, lightly stained legs and no sediment. Medium-intensity nose with a beautiful profile of perfume and spice. Soft tannins, gentle but ample acidity, and an earthy-berry foundation of flavor. Transparent and pure, no alcohol or oak distractions. I have not had a lot of luck with 2011 Washington but this really floats my boat. Splendid with a cast iron filet, Parmesan-zucchini fries, and a veggie garden salad. 4+13+17+8= 92

9/4/2014 - fingers Likes this wine:

Not accounting for bottle variation, if this one is representative then what a beautiful transformation has occured over the past several months! Drinking like a wonderfully mature Bordeaux in texture and depth. Still some brooding as well, so this is just hitting the perfect stride. It doesn't last long once open, 2 nights at best. If you have been smart enough to hold these, congrats. Sadly for me, this was my last. There were ups & downs, cork issues, TCA, etc but a final, stunning payoff on this bottle. 5+12+17+8 = 92

9/18/2014 - Tim Heaton wrote:

Chicago: wine, food, friends...cigars!; 9/17/2014-9/20/2014 (Blackbird, Les Nomades, Naha, with lunch at Shaw's Crab House): An absolute wow wine, though not at first, as this needed some air to really show its true colors. Fine art in a glass, and one of those rare wines that defies description, if for no other reason than I know it's only getting better from here. Medium-bodied, superb cut and elegant depth; took nearly a minute to finish on the palate. highly recommended

Served non-blind; a true gem.

9/4/2014 - fingers Likes this wine:

Not accounting for bottle variation, if this one is representative then what a beautiful transformation has occured over the past several months! Drinking like a wonderfully mature Bordeaux in texture and depth. Still some brooding as well, so this is just hitting the perfect stride. It doesn't last long once open, 2 nights at best. If you have been smart enough to hold these, congrats. Sadly for me, this was my last. There were ups & downs, cork issues, TCA, etc but a final, stunning payoff on this bottle. 5+12+17+8 = 92

6/12/2017 - fingers Likes this wine:

It's always nice when others have written good notes on a great wine so I can just relax and enjoy my bottle ;) The Stern Owl speaks the truth and so do the other few tasters here. Just a lovely wine, this Baroli. Ever-changing in the glass, through a melange of soft red berry fruits and earth, sweet spice and florals, minerals and tannins. So glad to have one more, which will rest for several more years. 5+12+17+9 = 93