6/12/2016 - cfe wrote:

Light caramel color. Slightly effervescent. Only slight hints of aged riesling aromatics. Organs and apricot nose. Palate has a soft mouthfeel, but has the acidity to balance the overall impression. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

6/4/2016 - cfe wrote:

Patience has been a virtue with this wine! Finally, coming into its drinking window. Really lovely aromatics at this point- red cherries, Chinese five-spice, sanlewood, complex and beguiling nose. Palate is still tight, acids firm, but enjoyable cherry fruit, some earth, umami are evident. Still needs time or more than 2 hours of air. A really lovely wine with frilled lamb.

5/7/2016 - cfe wrote:

Very nice CFE nose of lemon curds and cream, with chalk. From half bottle, and a more subtle than i recall younger bottles. Palate is balanced, lovely and long, but past its prime. Drink up. Has the lovely CFE signature flavors and mineralogy. Drink up.

5/1/2016 - cfe wrote:

Decanted about 2 hours, could of used more air. A bit shy aromatically. Palate is nicely balanced, full bodied, ready. Good, correct Bandol. Good, but nothing special. 88.

4/24/2016 - cfe wrote:

Decent, correct CDP. Shy aromatics. Palate is nicely integrated and balanced. Should keep for 3 more years.

4/17/2016 - cfe Likes this wine:

Decanted for less than 2 hours, and needs more air. Still angry at about 1.5 hours, it developed a much more pleasing nose of grotto cherries and mint with time. Also the plate fleshed out nicely to show still vibrant acidity, but nice and complex cherry and earth notes. Medium finish. Overall, a nice wine - wish I had decanted for about 4 hours. Hard to tell if this is still ascendant or just holding. Judgement reserved until I can taste with more air time. Went nicely with grilled lamb....

4/17/2016 - cfe Likes this wine:

Wonderful, savory aromas, accompanied by brambly organic notes. Nice, full-bodied texture slides across the palate. Mature, but no hurry.

3/25/2016 - cfe Likes this wine:

Color: middle is pale medium red fading to clear/light brown at the edge.
Nose: complex nose of red fruit melange with cotton candy and decaying organic matter.
Palate: medium weight, exceptionally well balanced, complex red fruits. Balanced acidity carries a long finish.
Summary: wonderful aged Oregon Pinot.

11/25/2012 - cfe wrote:

WTF? The first of the bottles purchased on release, and it bore little resemblance to an ethereal bottle consumed 3/12 in Alsace. By comparison, the aromatics and palate were muted and lacking interest. No sign of heat damage in shipment to the US, but something is certainly different with this bottle.

10/13/2012 - cfe wrote:

lovely medium gold. Aromatics a bit shy at first, but bliimed as the wine warmed up to show the Brand terrior in spades. Medium weight palate, very balanced, more mineral signature than fruit driven. Did not strike me as intensely complex, but has wonderful Brand terrior and a long, persistent finish. Lovely with our Thai cuisine.

10/1/2012 - cfe wrote:

pale gold. Lovely nose of powdered rock and lemon curd. Light on its feet, lovely acidity and aged fruit with the mineral, powdered rock and lemon curd. Shows the Schlossberg terrior in spades. Persistent finish. Drinking very well now. Perfect with Thai food.

8/12/2012 - cfe wrote:

First one of these I've opened. Did not take notes, other than to note that it is lovely, but still has a bit of the typical sulfur note one finds in "young" Prums.

8/12/2012 - cfe wrote:

Decanted for four hours prior to tasting. Aromas of herbes de Provence, plums and black cherries and garrigue are in there, and the mouthfeel is that of a fairly large scaled CDP, but not particularly evolved yet. It is still fairly monolithic to my palate. Needds 5 additional years of age IMO. Try again in 2017, okay maybe 2015.

7/6/2012 - cfe wrote:

Dark, lots of material here, still a bit primary. Good supporting acidity, enough that Jullie didn't like it. Decanted this for two hours. Don't think this will develop much complexity, but it should smooth out by 2014-2015 and be a very nice wine. For the money, outstanding.

6/18/2012 - cfe wrote:

Truly Superb wine. I don't know how a CDP could be any better. Stunning aroma of Provencal herbes, spices, leather, and meaty goodness. The palate is perfectly balanced, textured and lovely, but balanced by the acids. Flavors from the nose spread across the palate, expanding in the mid palate, and finish with lingering persistence. The best example of this wine I've ever tasted.

5/14/2012 - cfe wrote:

Decanted 4 plus hours. Still not open. I wonder if this will ever come around.. Its pleasant enough to drink after extended air, but I know there is more in there...will it ever show?

5/14/2012 - cfe wrote:

Stunningly good. Bright gold, huge apricot and Rangen soil nose. Viscous well into the mid-palate, then the acidity breaks through, and carries the minerals through a very ling finish. Still quite youthful, no need to hurry. Has 10+ years before any concerns about age...

4/30/2012 - cfe wrote:

Taken to a restaurant, not decanted, and consumed alongside the 2002 Shea. This was the more developed wine of the two. Didn't take detailed notes, but this is drinking nicely.

4/30/2012 - cfe wrote:

Finally beginning to open up and show nicely. Took to a restaurant, so did not take notes.

4/8/2012 - cfe wrote:

My last bottle, and still showing better than well. Lovely aged aromas of sea air, leather, meat, Provencal herbs and garrigue. Palate still has acid, and it is mid-weight, and a synthesis of the preceding that it defies picking out individual element. Long, lingering finish. Really a lovely wine.

4/8/2012 - cfe wrote:

Stunning. Ethereal. This is Champagne I can enjoy. No other comes close for me.

4/1/2012 - cfe wrote:

Loads of minty aromatics, with chocolate too. Still a bit rustic, best in 3 to 5 more years.

3/4/2012 - cfe wrote:

Decanted for several hours, but still fairly close up. Seems like there is a nice wine in there, but needs more time to open. Try in 2015.

2/19/2012 - cfe wrote:

Fabulous. Dark fruit, cola, and spice notes. Silky mouthfeel, dark fruit driven palate, soft but not flabby, not hugely complex, but texturally wonderful, and paired wonderfully with a pork tenderloin dish.

2/10/2012 - cfe wrote:

Aromatics have started to re-open. Hints of a very beguiling nose, but needs probaably 3 more years. The palate is still tight, but also shows hints of what the wine will be once it is open fully. 2015 is probably the soonest this wine could show close to it's full potential. Very nice now, but patience will be rewared. This bottle was decanted for 3 hours before tasting.

1/29/2012 - cfe wrote:

Still fabulous. Did not take notes, but paired with braised short ribs and truffle oil infused mushroom risotto, the VT shows perfect balance, with prominent Provencal herb nose and flavors. Not in danger of going over the hill, and with a long persistent finish. Lovely wine.

12/23/2011 - cfe wrote:

Decanted for four hours. Lovely aromas of cranberries, charcoal, cola. Primary, but already shows nice texture, blalance and length. Should evolve nicely. This is more balanced than some other 2009 OR pinots I've tasted.

12/16/2011 - cfe wrote:

drinking nicely now, probably still improving. Went nicely with chicken in mustard sauce.

12/4/2011 - cfe wrote:

Good winemaking effort in a horribly ripe vintage. Still not really evocative of pinot noir. Large scalled, with reasonable acid for the vintege, but just not what pinot should be. Way to big and ripe. Huge wine, hold together reasonably well, but I'd be hard pressed to ID this as pinot in a blind tasting.

12/4/2011 - cfe wrote:

Great aromatics - dark berries, earth, and spice. Palate is quite ripe, lush, and lacking acidity to my tastes. Still, a lovely wine given the vintage. Not overblown, but I would enjoy it much more with more acidity to balance the fruit.

11/5/2011 - cfe wrote:

Outstanding nose. Cigar box, spice, leather, even a pain de epice notes at one point. Jumps from the glass is an accurate description. Palate carries the same noets, along with the currant and dark fruit flavors, and mineraliity too. Tannins and acidity are still there, but nicely balanced. The wine is drinking beautifuuly, but is still in its ascendency.

10/23/2011 - cfe wrote:

Drinking well, no secondary development yet.

10/1/2011 - cfe wrote:

Needed to be decanted - initially, no nose. With time, opened up nicely. Juicy, balanced palate, shows its vineyard signature well. Nice wine.

9/23/2011 - cfe wrote:

Awesome bottle of wine. Decanted for two hours. Great Bdx, herbally nose. Probably two years from peak, drinking wonderfuuly. Still has the thick fruit of youth, but has the finesse and aromas of 15 years in the bottle. Great wine with grilled rib-eyes....

8/1/2011 - cfe wrote:

Pale gold. Aromatics sing the Brand terrior - lemon curd, powdered granite, and cream. Mediums weight, balanced acidity and silky mouthfeel. Finish is quite persistent. Drinking beautifully, not in danger of decline for at least five years.

7/23/2011 - cfe wrote:

Still fabulous!

7/4/2011 - cfe wrote:

Still young. Decanted for three plus hours. Try again in 2013.

6/19/2011 - cfe wrote:

Lovely. Fully open for business, and singing. Matched nicely with Provencal grilled lamb, ratatoullie, and bulgur risotto.

6/12/2011 - cfe wrote:

Taken for a resataurant, and would of benefited from more time in the decanter. No detailed notes, bu drinking beautifully.

6/12/2011 - cfe wrote:

Outstanding wine. Paired with grilled king salmon. Decanted for about two hours before tassting. Complex and very integrated aromatics - dark red fruit, spice, a bit of loam, all so well integrated it is hard to pick out individual components. Palate shows the same notes as the aromas, very fine tannins, and nice density and moutfeel, to the full side of medium weight. From the moment this hits the palate, the finish just builds and builds, and is quite persistent. Drinking beautifully now, but still ascending.

5/28/2011 - cfe wrote:

Lovely nose of red fruits, spices, and a hint of minerals. On the palate, nicely balanced, but not showing the mouthfeel or texture I was hoping for. This should develop with more time. The acids carry a superb finish across the palate, and the finish is quite persistent. Try again in 2013/2014.

5/20/2011 - cfe wrote:

A bit sharp on the back end of the palate, otherwise typical St. I Shea. Needs a couple of yers. Try again in 2013.

5/14/2011 - cfe wrote:

Drinking wonderfully, perfectly balanced and showing dome development, but with miles to go....

5/8/2011 - cfe wrote:

Showed very nicely with brined and grilled pork chps with a bourbon rub. Finally showing some aromatic interest and development. For the price, this is a great value. Drinking well now, and should home or improve for three to five years.

4/9/2011 - cfe wrote:

Patience is a virtue! After a LONG wait, this wine is finally ready to drink, and showing very well. Still has reasononbly firm acids, but now has lovely mouthfeel, aromas of mushrooms, forest floor, and mint. Texturally, quite lovely. Finishes long. No need to hurry, but readly to drink. Lovely wine, less overtly Shea now that it has some age.

4/9/2011 - cfe wrote:

With flank steak. Sort of middle development at this point. Not much in the way of aged aromatics, but has softened tannins a bit. Had a certain sour element that I did not care for, but likely was not decanted long enough to fully open. Strong minty flavor, along with anse, and cool current fruit. Check again in 2013.

4/3/2011 - cfe wrote:

Very enjoyable bottle, full on what I expect from an aged Beaucastel. Still has a ton of fruit, and is quite silky in the mouth. I'm wondering if this will develop further, given it seemingly soft acidity.

3/28/2011 - cfe wrote:

Hmm. Tried to pair with a salad containing crab, and that didn't go so well. Not sure what to make of the wine either. Seems to still have a fair amount of wight to it, which normally fades as CFE ages. Big aromas of sea air, chalk, lime, and what seems almost like chlorine. Palate still seems to lack the precision I normally see in this wine. Further research is called for.

2/26/2011 - cfe wrote:

Did not take notes and was in a less than stellar stem, but overall impression was very good. Nice soft petrol nose, perhaps a bit of the creamy impression mixed in with soft lemon limefruit with a deeper note of slatey minerality. These same notes manifest themselces ont eh palate. A skosh to the ligther side of mid weight, nicely balance, but less acid impression than I expected. The wine was a bit warmer than optimal, which probably contrinuted to the impression of lower acidity. Long finish.

2/8/2011 - cfe wrote:

Not aging particularly well. Fairly simple, tending toward raisiny. The 2001 aged rather nicely, not so this vintage. Live and learn.