Important Update From the Founder

Comments on my notes

(470 comments on 338 notes)

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Red

2019 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

2/12/2024 - Zweder wrote:

I am not going to score this wine. It was so a-typical. The bottle had been tasted earlier with the Coravin and I don’t know if this has influenced the development of the wine. The wine had a very ripe and sweet bouquet with red berries and impressions of cocoa and oak. On the palate some sweetness and overripe impressions, full bodied, good length, round tannin and lush. I have a few bottles myself, so eventually there will be a tasting note from one of my own bottles, but that will not be on the short term.

Zweder commented:

4/30/24, 2:22 PM - Thank you for your input. We'll see what the future brings for this wine.

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Red

1990 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel Red Rhone Blend

8/31/1997 - Zweder wrote:

88 points

This is truly a very good wine. Complex soft spices and fruit. Soft tannin. In a perfect drinking stage at this moment.

Zweder commented:

4/8/24, 2:55 PM - I believe you :) Cheers.

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Red

1998 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

2/20/2024 - Zweder Likes this wine:

92 points

Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow": Pauillac and St. Julien (By me @ the factory): In the bouquet dark berries, minerals and beautifully dosed oak. On the palate an elegant wine with fresh acidity, dark and red berries, beautiful oak and cedar, good acidity and tannin with still enough power for some more years. Beautiful and classical wine.

Zweder commented:

2/24/24, 1:03 AM - Chatters, Thanks for your note. And I noticed I forgot to add Léoville Poyferré 2008 to the line-up. It is there now. Everybody had to bring a wine, but they told me beforehand which wine they would bring. In general I pour wines from old to young. If you do it the other way round the youthful primary flavors suppress the more complex secondary aromas. So I started with 1998 and 2000. Then the 2008 because I did not want to make it too obvious I was going from old to young. Then the 2005 and 2006 (Originally the 2005 Pontet Canet wasi n the line-up, but the person who was going to bring that wine called in sick at the last moment, so I took a Chasse Spleen 2005 from my own collection to fill that gap in my line-up.) I finished with two flights of 2009 because of their youth. Two days before the tasting I told everyone in the group how they should treat their bottle.

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Red

2009 Château Haut-Bages Libéral Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

2/20/2024 - Zweder wrote:

93 points

Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow": Pauillac and St. Julien (By me @ the factory): Uncorked the day before the tasting and double decanted approx. 3 hours prior to the tasting.Beautiful and complex bouquet with e.g. dark berries and graphite. On the palate also dark berries and lead pencil, minerals, juicy and beautiful acidity and round tannin with still a firm and lovely bite. Beautiful and complex wine in its young maturity stage. Textbook Pauillac. I love it. 92 – 93

Zweder commented:

2/23/24, 9:23 AM - Some experienced tasters were even more enthusiastic about the wine than I was :)

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Red

2020 Château Trotte Vieille St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

1/21/2024 - Zweder Likes this wine:

96 points

Walkaround tasting so just short notes: This wine is made of 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 80% in new French oak. Extremely full bodied and delicious with ripe dark berries, licorice and beautiful oak and cedar. Beautiful acidity and round tannin and also a pleasant touch of sweetness. Enormously tasty and beautiful wine. Already a pleasure, but around 2035 this wine will probably be even more impressive. 95 - 96+

Zweder commented:

2/16/24, 6:47 AM - Thank you for your comment. I looked up the paper with my TN. It says 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Frank and 1% CS. So that add s up to 100%. I will correct it in my TN. Cheers.

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Red

2017 Château Léoville Poyferré St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

1/3/2024 - Zweder Likes this wine:

94 points

EEE January 2024 St. Estephe vs St. Julien (@ My place): Extremely dark color. The bouquet is beautiful with dark berries, beautifully dosed oak and cedar, vanilla and still some lactic impressions. On the palate dark berries, licorice, vanilla, beautiful acidity and round tannin. A beautiful and complex wine with a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness. I would not be surprised when this wine will be the wine of the vintage in 2030. 94 already. Probably useful to know; I poured the wine in a large decanter 12 hours before drinking.

Zweder commented:

1/16/24, 1:52 AM - :) I added some info. ;)

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Red

2013 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate St. Helena

10/22/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine:

96 points

USA 2013 tasting by Sander (By SS @ De Ertepeller in Papendrecht): Beautiful bouquet with dark berries and some herbs and spices. On the palate dark berries, chocolate, beautifully fresh acidity and round, still somewhat sticky tannin. Great length. Beautiful wine.

Zweder commented:

10/26/23, 2:27 PM - Hi Ray, The wine was not decanted before serving. The wine is in its very youthful drinking stage. In your case I would wait at least another 5+ years before opening the bottle. Read the tasting notes by that time and make a decision then. Cheers, Z.

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Red

2013 Ulysses Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

10/22/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine:

94 points

USA 2013 tasting by Sander (By SS @ De Ertepeller in Papendrecht): Dark berries, chocolate and oak in the bouquet. On the palate chocolate, dark berries, oak, good acidity, juicy round and sticky tannin. Concentrated and full bodied wine with a great length. 94+

Zweder commented:

10/23/23, 12:17 AM - The wine is a great pleasure already and a decant will definitely help. Waiting a decade will not be a problem either. I have a bottle and I am not in a hurry to uncork it.

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Red

2016 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

1/11/2023 - Zweder wrote:

97 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS: Clos des Papes (By AH): Beautiful bouquet with red berries, blackberries and cherries and beautiful garrigue. On the palate beautiful fruits, juicy acidity and tannin with a beautiful bite, good bitterness, some pepper. This is a truly very great wine, well balanced, complex, focused and powerful. I would not be surprised when this scores the perfect 100 around 2030. I have a few :). For now 97+

Zweder commented:

9/18/23, 2:02 PM - Thank you for your tasting note. Time will tell..... :)
Zweder commented:

1/13/23, 4:27 PM - This is a great wine, and the really great wines are a feast whether they are young or old. But to answer your question; no this wine is not in an early drinking window yet. Waiting another 5 years is probably a wise thing to do..
Zweder commented:

1/14/23, 7:57 AM - @ Seth. Please let me know when you have tasted one. I am curious about your opinion.
Zweder commented:

1/14/23, 9:34 AM - Drinking better wine is always a good idea! I participate in groups where often very special wines are poured, not necessarily by me. That helps. And many friends think my scores are in general quite conservative. And I am always interested in other peoples opinion when they score their wines seriously. I had my first bottle of the 2016 scheduled for 2026, but I will probably postpone that a few years.

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Red

2020 Château Fonplégade St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

9/11/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine:

94 points

St. Emilion Grand Cru Classés Walkaround tasting, so just short notes (Amsterdam): 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The 2020 wine is raised for 16 – 18 months in for 50% new French oak barrels, 30% one year old barrels, 10% cement eggs and 10% amphora. The result is a round and juicy wine with elegant oak, good acidity and friendly, round tannin. 93 – 94+

Zweder commented:

9/15/23, 8:02 AM - That is up to you of course, but generally these wines reach their early maturity stage 9 – 12 years after the vintage.

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Red

2018 Château Bellevue St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

9/11/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine:

93 points

St. Emilion Grand Cru Classés Walkaround tasting, so just short notes (Amsterdam): This is a 100% Merlot from a clay and limestone soil. In the bouquet creamy red berries. On the palate the same impressions with some herbs and spices and good acidity and tannin.

Zweder commented:

9/13/23, 3:06 PM - This wine is probably at its peak between 2030 and 2036. If I had a case, I would try one in 2026 or 2027 and then decide when to start drinking the remaining bottles.

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Red

2013 Château La Lagune Les Cabernets Sauvignons Haut-Médoc Cabernet Sauvignon

3/7/2016 - Zweder wrote:

89 points

UCGB tasting Bordeaux 2013 (Amsterdam): For this year only the Cabernet was used, because the other varietals were not good enough. They even changed the label for it and wrote "les Cabernets Sauvignons" under the name. In the bouquet dark berries, beautiful oak and smoke. On the palate dark berries, vanilla and smoke as well. Also some bell pepper, firm acidity and good tannin. It is a good La Lagune which has the vintage as a handicap. Try around 2020.

Zweder commented:

6/27/23, 2:25 PM - Thank you for this info.

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Red

2017 Nicolas Rossignol Beaune 1er Cru Les Reversées Pinot Noir

6/19/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine:

92 points

Expressive bouquet with animals, dark berries and cherries. On the palate red and dark berries, minerals, herbs like thyme and rosemary, cedar and earth. Medium+ acidity and sticky tannin. 92+

Zweder commented:

6/22/23, 2:13 PM - Depending on your preferences between now and 2028 is my estimate.

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Red

2016 Château Gloria St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

5/27/2023 - Zweder wrote:

91 points

Vanilla, dark berries and sweet spices in the bouquet. On the palate juicy dark fruits like cherries and berries, firm but good acidity and a good length. Still a bit too young. 91+

Zweder commented:

6/7/23, 1:19 AM - Both will do the wine good. I think the wine will enter its drinking window around 2028, but different persons have different preferences, so…..

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Red

2016 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

6/3/2023 - Zweder wrote:

88 points

Very ripe dark berries and a lot of garrigue in the bouquet as well as on the palate. A firm amount of sweetness, ok acidity and tannin. The 16% ABV is a bit disturbing.

Zweder commented:

6/6/23, 4:33 AM - So we agree about this. :) Luckily there is a tendency in the Rhone to control the alcohol levels better.

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Red

2008 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo

5/22/2023 - Zweder wrote:

89 points

Dark and red berries, herbs and some vegetables in the bouquet. On the palate a firm amount of red fruit acidity, unripe cherries and red currants. Some green impressions as well. Still too young? Ok wine, but I am not a great fan.

Zweder commented:

5/31/23, 12:16 AM - I honestly don’t dare to make a prediction about that. Sorry.

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Red

1976 Château de la Rivière Fronsac Red Bordeaux Blend

10/23/1985 - Zweder wrote:

85 points

Dark carmine. Very pleasant and somewhat mature bouquet with fruit and a little oak. Also fruit in the taste, together with very soft tannin and acidity. Full bodied with a long aftertaste. Harmonious and a little rustic wine. Very pleasant.

Zweder commented:

5/29/23, 6:03 AM - 1976 is an early maturing vintage and if you are lucky the wine is not completely dead yet. In that case the wine will probably be rusty and taste like cold coffee and/or tea. But some people can appreciate that ;-).

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White - Sweet/Dessert

2003 Château Nairac Barsac Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend

11/14/2012 - Zweder wrote:

89 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS #073; Sauternes (By MM): See also previous note. Concentrated bouquet with tangerine, apricots etc. On the palate a lot of sweetness, also currants and honey. In this stage the sweetness is dominating a bit too much. Maybe in 10 years time it will show more acidity and complexity.

Zweder commented:

5/22/23, 9:31 AM - :) Thank you for the feedback

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White - Sparkling

N.V. G. Fluteau Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne Blend

4/16/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine:

89 points

Walk around tasting, so just short notes.: Not very expressive bouquet with some mineral impressions. On the palate a firm mousse, some brioche, light citrus and some minerals. Ok bubble.

Zweder commented:

5/12/23, 1:49 PM - Yes, did we talk?

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Red

2012 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Syrah

3/8/2023 - Zweder wrote:

93 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Cornas (By JdB): Very dark color. In the bouquet fresh cherries, red and dark berries. On the palate juicy red and dark berries as well as cherries, sweet licorice, round acidity and sticky tannin. The wine is still reticent and in this stage a little less likeable than the “Renaissance”, but after some years in the bottle this wine will probably be much more interesting and complex than the “Renaissance”. 92 - 93+

Zweder commented:

5/12/23, 1:47 PM - In this tasting group people bring their bottle to the location and it is most likely that this bottle was not decanted.

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Red

2018 Roquette e Cazes Douro Red Blend

5/17/2022 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow": Portugal (By BS): In the bouquet dark berries, sweet licorice, some bell pepper, vanilla and creamy lactic impressions. On the palate dark and red berries, green herbs, some mint, beautiful acidity and round tannin with a pleasant bite. Good length. Beautiful wine.

Zweder commented:

4/9/23, 5:05 AM - I taste most of the wines blind, so I don’t know the price. Of course in my buying decisions I take the price in consideration.
Zweder commented:

4/6/23, 2:24 PM - Thank you for your comment. To be honest; I don’t recall the wine and I don’t have any. I checked the tasting the wine was part of and I saw my scores were above average for me. Possibly I was a bit too enthusiast that particular evening. And you must know I never consider the price in my tasting notes. Cheers, Z.

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Red

2013 Tenuta Cucco Barolo Serralunga d'Alba Nebbiolo

10/5/2022 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Complex bouquet with some stable smells, forest floor, roses, violets and clove. On the palate cherries, roses, juicy acidity, friendly tannin, a slight touch of sweetness. Beautiful and complex wine.

Zweder commented:

3/26/23, 9:31 AM - Thank you for your feedback :) Cheers

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Red

1981 Château de Sales Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend

8/15/1996 - Zweder wrote:

88 points

See my previous note. Still a beautifully soft wine without real signs of ageing. It will not get any better, but it is really good now.

Zweder commented:

3/21/23, 3:38 PM - Probably a wise decision.
Zweder commented:

3/22/23, 2:00 AM - Audouze is a special person. He can appreciate very old wines in which there is no fruit left at all and the wine has only very tertiary aromas like e.g. cold black tea and coffee. It is all a matter of taste. His suggestions/techniques how to treat an old bottle are quite ok. So maybe you should try for yourself to make your own decision. Cheers!

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Red

2000 Chateau Musar Bekaa Valley Red Blend

3/16/2023 - Zweder wrote:

93 points

Beautiful bouquet with horse stable impressions and other rustic flavors. On the palate soft chocolate, a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon and brown spiced biscuit, rose hips, some toast, beautifully fresh acidity and mild tannin. This was for me the WOTN.

Zweder commented:

3/18/23, 2:02 AM - The horse stable smells disappeared after a short while.

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Red

2015 Château Péby Faugères St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

3/11/2023 - Zweder wrote:

95 points

WOW! This is something special. We all thought this was a very luxurious New World (Napa) wine. In the bouquet a lot of sweet spices and chocolate as well as dark berries. On the palate , lush, full bodied and soft with beautiful sweet spices, dark berries, rose hips and beautiful acidity and tannin. Great wine with 15.5% ABV which hardly shows.

Zweder commented:

3/17/23, 2:15 PM - I agree I was lucky a friend poured this wine for us. And now I realize my score might be too low. Cheers, have a nice weekend.

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Red

2015 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

1/7/2023 - Zweder wrote:

94 points

An easy afternoon with close friends. (@ My place): Beautiful, luxurious bouquet with vanilla, oak and beautiful rustic impressions. On the palate mainly dark berries and good cherries, ripe fruits, also a firm but good dose of oak and vanilla, tobacco, juicy acidity and firm tannin which has a touch of green bell pepper. Good length. Most of the group thought today was a very good drinking moment and that the wine is in its young maturity stage. Personally I think the wine will develop for the better over the next 5 - 10+ years and show even more complexity and refinement. Overall a beautiful wine with great potential. 93 - 95+

Zweder commented:

3/9/23, 3:19 PM - I fully agree.
Interesting to taste in this stage, but if I had any, I would wait at least until the wine is 12 - 15 years of age. So until 2027 - 2030.
Cheers, Z.

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Red

2012 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

2/8/2023 - Zweder wrote:

94 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): Beautiful, complex and deep bouquet with red berries, herbs and spices, garrigue and some mineral impressions. On the palate juicy ripe dark fruits, herbs, sage, tobacco, coffee, some pepper, beautiful acidity and round tannin. This was by far the best wine of the flight.

Zweder commented:

2/10/23, 1:01 AM - When you read all my notes for this tasting you’ll find that several wines from before 2010 were in their (early) maturity stage. In your situation the 2012 is the one to try. It is in a beautiful drinking stage now and can last for many more years.

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Red

2016 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

2/8/2023 - Zweder wrote:

94 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (By VD and @ VD): In the bouquet ripe red berries and cherries as well as fresh garrigue. On the palate red and dark berries, some laurel, a bit pleasantly rustic, leather, chocolate, elegant acidity and round tannin with a pleasant bite. With a little more air time this was the most beautiful wine of the flight. 94++

Zweder commented:

2/9/23, 4:08 PM - It really was a great tasting! The 2015 disappointed me a bit although it is a beautiful wine. The 2016 was after a bit more airtime in the glass significantly better. This is a wine with a great future! The 2000 was still youthful….so the 2016 will possibly be a treat until 2050+…?

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Red

2000 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

1/21/2023 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Regular dinner group (@ My place): Ruby red. In the bouquet dark berries and vanilla. On the palate red and dark berries like cassis, blackberry and bell pepper, firm acidity and tannin. Quite focused but lacking some finesse, nevertheless certainly an excellent wine.

Zweder commented:

1/26/23, 10:25 AM - I did not decant, but my tasting note is the result of tasting this bottle over two days. Keep in mind that the quality of Pontet Canet improved considerably from 2003 onwards. The future for this wine? There were no noticeable signs of old age so possibly the wine can last until 2030+ and maybe even improve a little. I have one last bottle scheduled for 2026….

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White

2005 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc White Rhone Blend

1/11/2023 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS: Clos des Papes (By AH): Complex bouquet with flowers, white fruits and some honey. On the palate also complex with butter, minerals, pineapple, some fat in a positive meaning, pineapple, good acidity and some pleasant bitterness. Beautiful, full bodied and mature wine. Not a bit too old. Impressive!

Zweder commented:

1/12/23, 5:47 AM - Certainly :) and more tasting notes will follow.

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Red

1979 Château de Camensac Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend

1/15/2019 - Zweder wrote:

Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #035: Champagne plus a few extra's (By MN): Rust and earth in the bouquet. On the palate rust again and tertiary flavors. The acidity is still ok and there is a touch of sweetness. Very mature, but certainly still drinkable. Past its peak, no score.

Zweder commented:

1/7/23, 3:54 AM - Bonjour Claude,

I did not write that the wine is bad; I wrote certainly still drinkable. For my palate this wine was at its best somewhere in the 1990’s. It is all a matter of taste. I am happy for you that you can still appreciate a wine when it is in this stage of its life.

Santé Zweder.

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White

2012 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series Margaret River

10/1/2022 - Zweder wrote:

97 points

Really impressive and beautiful bouquet with some smoke and vanilla as well as yellow and white fruits. On the palate yellow and white fruits, minerals, enormously complex with beautifully fresh acidity and an enormous length. For me the WOTN up to now.

Zweder commented:

12/4/22, 2:38 PM - To be completely honest; I am not really the person to ask. I agree with most general ideas about pairing wine with food, but going more into detail I very rarely see that 1 + 1 = 3. And that is what a perfect pairing should give imho. So…in a perfect world….I think the wine should be of excellent quality and the food should be of excellent quality as well….and then, if they really match together perfectly….it feels and tastes like heaven;) But that happens not so often unfortunately.

But to answer your question; nicely smoked salmon is a good option I think. I don’t have much experience with Canadian salmon, but in this case I would prefer Scottish salmon above Norwegian smoked salmon. Hope this answers your question a bit.

Cheers and have a nice Christmas!

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White

2021 Bodegas Frontonio Macabeo Microcosmico Vino de la Tierra Valdejalón

8/23/2022 - Zweder wrote:

89 points

Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow": Spanish white wines (By AG): The bouquet shows ripe white fruits, grasses and is quite aromatic. Same on the palate. Good and fresh acidity and tasty, some litchi and mild grapefruit acidity and bitterness. Good wine. 88 – 89

Zweder commented:

12/2/22, 12:09 PM - Thank you for your feedback :)

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White - Off-dry

2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Mosel Saar Ruwer

11/18/2022 - Zweder wrote:

94 points

Beautiful bouquet with mineral impressions and some petrol. On the palate beautiful and delicious acidity nicely balanced by elegant sweetness. Very beautiful wine and probably for at least another decade :).

Zweder commented:

11/28/22, 3:11 AM - You have a point. I agree with you. I wrote it because the wine is 15 years old. But I shouldn’t have. I will remove the “still” and replace for some wiser words. Thank you for your feedback! Cheers.

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Red

2008 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

9/25/2022 - woutervdstee Does not like this wine:

81 points

Really disappointing; worst QPR of the year. Don’t understand how the others get to such high scores. Had this wine a number of times over the past 3 years and continues to underdeliver; no development whatsoever.

Zweder commented:

11/23/22, 1:03 AM - Wouter, 2008 is not such a friendly vintage, but with enough time in the bottle the wine will eventually be a great pleasure. I am sure ;) I have a few, so whenever I drink one there will be a new Tasting Note. But probably not in the short term, except when someone else opens a bottle which I can taste.

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Red

2016 Clos des Jacobins St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

11/19/2022 - Zweder wrote:

93 points

Beautiful and smoky bouquet with dark berries. On the palate juicy dark fruits, good acidity, a touch of sweetness and round tannin with a firm bite.

Zweder commented:

11/23/22, 12:43 AM - Nice Wouter ;) And WineGuy….please let me know what your thoughts are when you open one of your own bottles.
Zweder commented:

11/20/22, 12:55 AM - Don’t worry. Around 2028 this will really start to shine  Cheers.

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Red

2007 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

11/9/2022 - Zweder wrote:

94 points

Beautiful and complex bouquet with autumn forest, soft dark berries and mushrooms. On the palate dark berries like blackberries and cassis, sweet spices, cedar, chocolate and coffee. Good acidity and round tannin. Juicy and refined with beautiful acidity and round tannin with still a lovely bite. Concentrated and beautiful wine.

Zweder commented:

11/19/22, 9:30 AM - I uncorked the bottle approx 4 hours before it was poured, tasted a little and decided not to decant.

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Red

2010 Château Paveil de Luze Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend

9/21/2017 - Zweder wrote:

91 points

Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" Bordeaux 2009 and 2010 (@ PD): Beautiful and refined bouquet with red and dark berries, laurel, sweet licorice root, herbs, vanilla and a touch of bell pepper. On the palate a juicy wine with ripe red and dark berries, good and fresh acidity and beautifully dosed oak. A really refined wine. Great effort! Already a great pleasure and also a future of at least 4+ years, so until 2022+

Zweder commented:

11/11/22, 12:13 AM - Thank you for your feedback :) Cheers!

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Red

1977 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

10/14/2007 - Zweder wrote:

Unpleasant barnyard smells and very tertiary. Overall not very pleasant anymore. Many years too old. No score.

Zweder commented:

11/4/22, 11:47 AM - Nice, i am happy for you. Cheers and have a nice weekend.
Zweder commented:

11/4/22, 6:38 AM - Possibly, but 1977 was a very poor vintage and the tasting note was made when the wine was 30 years old. For this vintage simply too old. In 2021 I drank a 1995 which was just great at the age of 26, but 1995 was a very good vintage.

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Red

2000 Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

1/27/2018 - Zweder wrote:

98 points

Occasional dinner group; Bordeaux 2000 (@ Merlet): Almost the end of the tasting and just limited notes. Very luxurious bouquet with dark berries, beautiful oak and cedar. Same on the palate. Juicy dark fruits, beautiful acidity and still youthful tannin. Very beautiful wine already and still a lot of potential.

Zweder commented:

10/24/22, 2:42 PM - Yes, do you know the restaurant?

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Red

2015 Château Montlandrie Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend

4/4/2022 - Zweder wrote:

90 points

Fresh primary dark berries and cherries as well as vanilla in the bouquet. On the palate ripe red and dark berries, still quite lactic and firm acidity and tannin. Probably wise to wait 3 – 5+ years. Certainly a beautiful wine.

Zweder commented:

10/21/22, 2:12 AM - The wine was not decanted and still lactic with firm tannin. In general that tells there is still room to improve. But if you give the wine a decant of a few hours, it will be a pleasure I suppose.

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Red

2018 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna Asinone Sangiovese

10/12/2022 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Sangiovese worldwide (By MO): The bouquet is still locked, but shows red berries and cherries, earth and some pleasant stable smells. On the palate a very juicy start with cherries and raspberries, beautifully fresh acidity, and tannin with a nice bite. In the finish a tiny bit of sweetness. Beautiful wine which will improve over the next 10+ years. 91 – 92+

Zweder commented:

10/18/22, 2:30 PM - ;-) Cheers!

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Red

2015 Château Poujeaux Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend

9/27/2022 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Beautiful and creamy dark berries in the bouquet, a pleasant dose of vanilla. On the palate creamy and round dark berries, beautiful acidity, a slight touch of barnyard, beautiful oak and round tannin. The wine shows some early stage of development and is already delicious, but it will evolve for the better in the next 3 – 5+ years or more. 91 - 92+

Zweder commented:

9/27/22, 11:50 PM - It is a fair price and Poujeaux always delivers.

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White

2016 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Capellanía Viura, Macabeo

8/23/2022 - Zweder wrote:

91 points

Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow": Spanish white wines (By AG): In the bouquet white fruits, but not extremely expressive. On the palate mature impressions but also tasty with some candy, oak, sweetness, good acidity and length. 91+

Zweder commented:

9/25/22, 5:20 AM - I hope your second bottle will deliver what you hope for.
Cheers, Z.

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Red

1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

12/29/2021 - Zweder wrote:

96 points

Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Birthday lunch (@ RW): In the mature bouquet earth, cedar, some herbs and spices and lead pencil. On the palate the same impressions. Autumn forest after the rain. A slight touch of sweetness and still beautifully fresh acidity. Aristocratic wine which is not a bit too old yet. Just great!

Zweder commented:

8/28/22, 1:09 PM - Thank you for your comment and good luck in discovering the beautiful wines of the world. Cheers.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

2003 Château d'Yquem Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend

7/11/2022 - Winegangster Does not like this wine:

80 points

D'Yquem 2003 - Much ado about nothing.

When I have d'Yquem au menu, I give up being rational. Both ways, and I'm usually dithyrambic... partly because uncorking d'Yquem is not daily bread, and partly because there's something indefinable behind this sober and elegant label that is very unfair to other contenders on the Ciron's banks : if you've had a chance to taste such vintages as 1975, 1988, 2001, 2007 and even the more "modest" 1989, you know what I mean. And if you're unfortunate enough to have stored a few cases of 2003, then, you have a problem. At least : I have a problem.

2003 was indeed a challenging year marked by an unprecedented heat wave where inspired winemakers created beauties in Sauternes and Barsac - Coutet 2003 brought me down to my knees! - but the sprinkle of genius did not illuminate Yquem. Not at all. Let me be straightforward : this-is-a-very-disappointing-wine. Period. And if you wish to live the d'Yquem 2003 experience without having to pay the entry fee for the legend, here are 3 alternatives that will save you time and money :

1. Meet my grand mother. Or just pay her a visit when she cares of her oak furniture (that's usually on Tuesday): the intoxicating smell of turpentine backed by a contradictory scent of beeswax will give you a clear idea of the olfactory impressions of this vintage. Absolutely nothing (exotic fruits, white flowers) can survive to such a mess swirl of indelicate fragrances.

2. Fix yourself an Aperol x Spritz, without Proseco. Or sip a shot of Bitter San Pellegrino. The coarseness of bitters, the ubiquitous and unmelted sugars and the dryness on the finish will get you as close as one can get to where d'Yquem 2003 can take you.

3. Let dry an orange peel for a couple weeks : once it has reached the consistence of a candied fruit, chew it. Let it melt in your mouth for a while and blame me for having suggested this rather painful experiment.

Such a disappointment would be excusable if I only had that impression once. But statistics don't lie, and the 3 bottles from 2 different cases I´ve drunk over the past 6 months gave me and my guests the same consistent impression of a perfectly failed wine.

Zweder commented:

7/30/22, 5:07 PM - Pity you don’t enjoy the wine and/or have a bad experience with this vintage. I had the same vintage recently and it was truly beautiful with great sweetness and beautifully fresh acidity. I have some experience with Yquem: 55 of my tasting notes are in Cellartracker and definitely I have tasted several more in the past. But I am not going to argue with you. It is/was your taste and experience. Pity it was such a disappointment for you.

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Red

2015 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese

6/28/2022 - Zweder wrote:

92 points

Beautiful bouquet with cherries, plums and mineral impressions. Same on the palate, beautiful acidity and tannin and well integrated oak. Good length.

Zweder commented:

7/1/22, 1:45 AM - It is getting warmer here, but is a nice place to write my notes a 100% independent. :) Cheers!

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Red

2013 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese

5/13/2022 - Zweder wrote:

93 points

UWS; A mixed set of wines (@ JB): Beautiful and complex bouquet with earth and barnyard as well as autumn forest impressions. Same on the palate, a lot of beautiful acidity and still sticky tannin. A beauty, and there is still a good future of at least 5+ years for this wine.

Zweder commented:

6/6/22, 8:07 AM - If you have a case, you could try one yourself now, but you certainly have something to look forward to. Cheers! Z.

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Red

2010 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

12/22/2021 - Zweder wrote:

Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Pauillac: The bouquet is still locked but shows dark berries. Unfortunately on the palate the wine was not completely fresh. Slightly corked. No score.

Zweder commented:

5/30/22, 8:47 AM - Nice! :-)

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Red

2014 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select Stags Leap District

5/8/2022 - Zweder wrote:

97 points

Occasional dinner group: A mixed set.. (@ Bouwkunde, Deventer): Beautiful dark berries, sweet spices and perfectly dosed oak in the bouquet. On the palate a lot of sweet dark berry fruits, very complete and well balanced with beautiful acidity and round tannin which promises a long and great future.

Zweder commented:

5/25/22, 2:39 PM - The wine was given to the sommelier of the restaurant approx three/four hours before we tasted it. I believe he decanted the wine, but I am not 100% sure. And possibly the person who brought the bottle decanted it at home.

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