11/12/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Corked.

9/25/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote:

From 375. Dark. Reluctant nose initially gave way to dark fruit, spices and earthy nuances. Powerful black fruit, with black liquorice and cherries. In time the black liquorice gave way to some red liquorice. Intruiging. Long finish. I've had a half dozen bottles of this over the years, and there's been a bit of bottle variation. Not traditional Brunello, but a very fun glass of wine.

8/9/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Still dark, with some bricking. This wine opened up quickly to reveal a nose of dark berries and black plum. Beautiful secondary characteristics of fresh mulch, earth and leather. Dark fruit and spices on the palate. Medium finish. Great balance, with tannins still evident but soft. A great example of aged CCR. Drink now but will hold for a few more years if well stored.

7/14/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Corked.

7/14/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Corked.

6/2/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Remarkably dark still. Dark plums and spice on the nose. Tannins have integrated a little, but still hard. Flavors of plum and dark cherry. 30 seconds + on the finish. Served with charred steak, a wonderful pairing. Tasted after dinner without the benefit of food, the tannins still outweigh the fruit. My last bottle of 6, and I think the tannins will win out in the end. Drink now. With burnt meat.

3/12/2009 - PurpleHaze wrote:

corked

2/20/2009 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium ruby. Intriguing nose of dark fruit (like black raspberrries and black cherries mixed) and a decided light gamy funk that never got in the way and didn't diminish much over time. More dark fruit and mixed berries, with a touch of spice in the mouth. Medium finish. Nicely balanced with bright acidity. Remarkably open for business when popped and poured. Showing very nicely at the 2 hour mark.

2/11/2009 - PurpleHaze wrote:

profoundly corked.... : (

11/10/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

My last bottle of 9. The last few have been hit or miss, and I was pleased that this last one showed so well. Showed the lovely spicy plum nose and palate that I love when this wine is showing well. I think that my estimate of longevity in my previous note was overstated. Drink up.

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

What a treat to drink something in this good a shape that's even older than I am! Medium amber, with a lovely candied botrytis nose. Strong acidity perhaps a little overwhelming the remaining sweetness of this wine, but all together quite nice. Some caramel, tropical fruits and smoke. Finish just a little short.

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Holy cow..... Yet another stellar performance by this wine. This bottle may have seen a little better provenance than the last one I tasted, as it took an hour longer to start singing. After 3 hours open, this wine exploded with dark cherry, sweet cedar, earth, leather, mushroom and spice. Finish of well over one minute. I cannot find a fault with this bottle, but am reserving a perfect score. Perhaps on the next bottle!

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Dark ruby. A bit closed on the nose, and it continued to be reluctant for the whole evening. Given the excellent provenance of this bottle, I must assume that this wine is still not ready. Mostly secondary aromas and flavors of cedar, graphite, earth and leather; there was just a touch of cherry and pomegranite to add some balance to this wine. Tannins were plentiful, but not overpowering. The potential is exceptional, however this wine did not show as well as any of the other 1982 First Growths this evening. Hope to pop one in 10 years. If I owned this wine, that's when I'd open my next one!

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Dark ruby. As another taster proclaimed on first sniff of this wine, "Blackberries!" This wine was redolent of crushed blackberries, sweet wood, earth and spices. Easily the most accessable of the 1982s served this evening, the wine continued to evolve and develop over 6+ hours. Tannins still evident, but balanced and very fine. Finish of over 60 seconds. Stunning.

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium ruby, a bit lighter than the Margaux served the same evening. I was a little worried about this bottle, as it exhibited a definite "funk" on the nose, which persisted for at least 45 minutes after decanting. Eventually, this "stank" blew off to reveal a stunning nose of dark fruit, currant, spices and saddle leather. In the mouth, more dark fruits and earthiness followed by a finish of close to a minute. Tied for the best HB in my experience with the Philly bottle of last year. Killer stuff.

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium ruby, with little bricking. Nose of wildflowers and dark fruits. Currant, spices and dark berries in the mouth. A touch of leather and earth later in the evening. 45+ second finish. Damn!

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium/dark straw color. Nose of lemon-lime, with ginger, toast, vanilla and a lovely stony minerality on the nose and palate. Incredibly long finish of well over one minute. The best bottle of bubbly I've had in my life. Stunning.

9/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium gold. Toast, orange zest, honey and a little sherry combined with a gentle toastiness. More serious than expected. Very nice.

7/18/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Very dark. A shade lighter than a black plum. Plums, vanilla and floral notes. 35 second finish. A bit more acidity would make this wine classic. Drink now or over the next 2-3 years. Lovely stuff.

4/16/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Amazingly dark at this age. A little bricking and a fully clear rim. Nose of dark fruit and spices. Plum, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg in the mouth. A late explosion of dark cherry fruit midway. Still has plenty of acidity, with tannins softening, but still evident. Long 40+ finish. Truly wonderful CCR. Fine now, but will hold for a few years for sure. Glad to have a few more.

3/2/2008 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Decanted and aired out for an hour. Nice blast of vanilla and dark fruit on the nose. More plum, cherry liquor and vanilla in the mouth. Tannis are very evident and overwhelm the fruit. Medium finish strongly influenced by gum coating tannins. I wonder if the fruit will last long enough for the tannin to settle down. For $20, I'm not complaining, but the wine is a little out of balance at this stage. Hold.

12/25/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

The last of 4 bottles consumed over the past 2 years. This bottling has exhibited a bit of bottle variation, but this one was the best of the lot. Stong petrol on the nose, mixed with soft tropical fruit. Full bodied, with more tropical fruit with a balanced mineral touch. As with previous bottles, there was a noticeable spritz, although with this bottle it was more evident visually against the glass than it was on the palate. Moderate finish. Very good with a mildly spicy chicken curry.

11/11/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Almost as dark as the 1997 consumed the same evening. Much more expressive on the nose, with currant, cocoa and fresh berry notes and a touch of toast. Fruits slighly eclipsed by the remaining drying tannin, but still a nice bottle of wine. Drink yesterday.....

11/11/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Amazingly dark for its age. Slightly muted nose of currant and crushed berries. After 2 corked bottles of this wine in a row, I was not optimistic when I opened this one. A nice way to close out my 97 Tap collection. Much more full in the mouth than the nose would indicate, with dark fruits and a little spice. Tannins fully integrated. Soft and silky. 30 second finish.

10/29/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Closed for business. Hold. No score.

10/21/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Dark red to purple. Nose of dark berries and vanilla. Medium to full bodied. More dark fruit, mineral a touch of cocoa and a little vanilla in the mouth. Tannins remarkably integrated based on my expecations. Medium finish of 30 seconds or so. A very good wine. May pick up a point or two in time, but will never be a 98 point wine in my opinion unless some alchemy occurs in the bottle.

10/16/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

From 375. Not decanted, and should have been. Significant sediment in this bottle. Tasting note written after 2 hours in the glass. Medium ruby with significant bricking. Smoky tar and dark fruit on the nose. Slightly sour cherry with dark plum initially, but the fruit sweetened after a bit. Tannins softening but still there. Decant to air and avoid sediment. If a little longer on the finish this would have picked up another point or two. Still youthful.

9/28/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Lovely. Initially a little closed, this wine opened up to reveal a complex nose and palate of sweet tobacco, leather, earth, gentle cedar and soft fruit. Tannins still in play with a really elegant balance. A 40 second finish. A very pleasant surprise.

9/24/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Decanted an hour, tasted and put back in the cellar. Retasted and consumed after 3 hours of air. Dark in the glass with a purplish hue to clear rim. Lovely nose of spice, dark fruit and toast. Plum, spices, and a pleasant earthiness on the palate. 30 second finish with some sour plum skin and a delighful fresh pepper kick that my daughter noted on her first sip. Slightly chalky tannin, with plenty of acidity. Should be fun to see this develop. Very nice, if young. Hold, or splash decant and air out for a good bit. Glad to have more.

9/3/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Decanted and aired out in the cellar for an hour. Rich Cabernet nose of currant, blackberry and a touch of toast. Very dark with no signs of age. Full bodied, with currant, blackberry, a touch of cherry and a still noticeable tannic backbone. 30+ second finish. Absolutely wonderful with grilled hamburgers. Entering the zone to my tastes. Glad to have more.

7/22/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Bottle exhibited a funky nose for 30+ minutes after opening. After the stink blew off, typical Scalette nose of dark fruit, spice and cherry. Rich flavors of spicy plum and cherry, but no mid palate to speak of. Tannins missing and short fiish. This bottle was not up to par. No score.

7/22/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Great nose. Sweet dark fruits and vanilla. Rich and dense in the mouth. Balanced tannins and acidity. Great steak wine. Great now or drink in the next 2-3 years.

7/9/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Flavor profile quite similiar top my June 2007 note but this bottle seemed a bit fresher and showed a bit better. Really a good bottle of Brunello.

6/22/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

My goodness. Honey gold. Nose of pineapple, apricot, vanilla and botrytis. Viscous, lush and palate coating in the mouth. More explosive tropical fruits, soft vanilla and a little honey and spice on the palate. A sharp almost metallic minerality was noticed by both people drinking this wine, but didn't at all interfere with the pleasure. Well over 60 seconds on the finish. This wine should last for decades. Wonderful!

6/22/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Initially, this wine was so reticent on the nose I was a little worried. A taste upon opening put my mind at rest. Initially very little, then a delayed explosion of red fruit made me think my idea to breathe this wine a few hours was a good one. Later, a bright explosion of cherry, a little plum and sweet wood and spices opened up in this wine. The nose became absolutely captivating at the end. still significant tannins and fresh acidity made this a great food wine. If I'd tasted this wine blind, I'd never have thought there was any Cabernet in it. Great stuff, regardless. Still has a lot of life ahead.

6/22/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium ruby with slight bricking. Clear rim. Cherries, mushrooms, and spice on the nose. There was a component to the aroma of this wine that reminded me of the smell of laying in a pile of autumn leaves raked together on a chilly November day. Medium body. More cherry, spices, sweet tobacco and some black cherry on the palate. Tannins were much more refined and integrated than my last bottle. Acidity just right for rich food. 35+ second finish. A truly beautiful Brunello.

6/19/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Dark ruby. Full bodied. Rich dark fruits with a touch of vanilla on the nose. Blackberry, vanilla and spice in the mouth. A nice hybrid between new and old world styles. Very forward but great structure with soft tanins and fresh acidity balancing the fruit. Amazing secondary rush of flavors with a 30 second+ finish. The last of my 6 pack. Nice stuff.

6/4/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Poured a glass and allowed to breathe in bottle for an hour. Garnet to brownish clear rim. Lovely aromas of plum, spices and forest floor. Rich cherry and spice in the mouth. Finished with a blast of sweet fruit. A little short, but right in the zone to my tastes. Drink up.

5/28/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Dark ruby. Powerful nose of vanilla and dark fruit. Flavors of plums, dark cherry and spice. Mouthfilling. Tannins nicely balanced. Then.......nothing. This wine just quit after around 15 seconds. Nothing there? Amazingly short. I hope this will flesh out in time, as the beginning was so promising and the ending such a dissapointment. No improvement on second day.

5/6/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Popped and poured. Very dark as is typical for this wine. Lovely dark fruit nose mixed with spices. Plum and some dark cherry with just a hint of sweet wood influence. Rich, although not as dense as in some previous vintages. 30+ second finish. Yum.

5/5/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Closed up tight. Day two showed great promise, but I am not touching one of these for at least a year. Great potential. No score, but could live up to the WS 96 in time. Hold.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Light honey gold. Nose of butterscotch and pineapple, beautifully interwoven with botrytis. Almost syrupy in texture, with tons of tropical fruit, peaches, caramel/butterscotch and maybe just a little vanilla. Fruit overpowers the acidity to my tastes, but this is hair splitting. Delicious stuff.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Dark ruby. Explosive nose of raspberries. Some herbs and spice on the nose as well. Mixed red fruits, more raspberry and a little earthiness/leather component. Way young. Very big. Nice stuff.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium ruby. Nose of cherries, spices and mixed herbs. Looked for, but could not find the "truffle" essence the producer claims to have tried to create. Still primary, with cherries, herbs and some minerality and just a touch of red liquorice. 30 second finish. Nice

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Just a little bottle funk, which diminished over time. Dark ruby. Deep rich nose of dark plum, some spiciness (cinnamon?nutmeg?) and sweet oak. Powerful flavors of dark fruit, oak and some lingering earthiness. Big wine. Needs time, or decant and pair with a charred ribeye. Very nice.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Medium ruby. Spicy nose with currant and berries. Green pepper/stems interfere just a little bit. Currants and other dark fruit. This bottle showed the best of the three I've had, but there is an underlying vegetal characteristic that still shows up on the nose and the palate, although less pronounced than I recall. 20 second finish.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Interesting nose of wet stones and citrus. Pronounced oakiness on the nose detracted a little bit. Soft lemony flavors with minerals. Again, the oak influence was a little unbalanced? Perhaps a little tiring, but enjoyable. Drink up.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Very floral on the nose. Tart cherry, almost cranberry-like tangy fruits. Just a little toast. Fine bead. Nicer as it warmed. I've had better bottles of this wine, but still a consistent performer and great QPR @ $30.

4/23/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

Light straw color. Lots of citrus on the nose. Some yeastiness as well. Zippy acidity with more lemon, light doughiness and a good 30 second finish. As good a bottle of this NV as I've had so far, and it's been dozens.

4/11/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:

A pleasant surprise. Popped and poured from 375. Surprisingly accessible. Some currant, dark cherry and milk chocolate notes both aromatically and in the mouth. Medium body. Tannins quite evident still. Perfect with a charred ribeye.