2/15/2024 - Song103 wrote:

I tried to PnP, but this bottle has gone to a deep numb stage, and it took a good two hours in the decanter for the tannin to recede. However, the fruit and the aroma are just not there. HOLD for a few years. Do decant, as the wine is already throwing fine sediment.

12/30/2023 - Song103 Likes this wine:

A masculine wine which shows the characteristics of the 2018 vintage. A rather dull and closed nose with medium+ body and intensity. It may need another 2-3 years to become a good food wine . 85 if PnP today, 88-90 potential. Hold

8/16/2023 - Song103 wrote:

Upon opening, it was a wow wine (Parker meets Coonawarra Cab.), dominated by oak blackcurrant and mulberry fruit. However, the wine dropped off the cliff 1-hour after decanting to take away the sediment. Definitely drink up, with no decant.

5/16/2023 - Song103 Likes this wine:

The nose of Grapefruit, green apple, cucumber, and wet stone. The palate was initially closed and began to open up after 30 min. It is quite tart and lean with Medium+ acidity and medium intensity, with roundness from malolactic fermentation. I fully agree with the note by TWSA on 27/11/2022,

The wine was much better on day 2 with better complexity and the palate matching that of the nose. May be 1-2 years of bottle age will help. Drink/hold 89+

1/30/2023 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Very approachable, and will improve. 92 today and 93+ potential

12/23/2022 - Song103 wrote:

Under cork, which may not have been a wise choice, as the wine has lost freshness and shows serious age, more like a 30 years old Burgundy, with colour of dull red-orange. However this may be due to improper storage or travel shock, as I have just recently bought from a reputable dealer in UK. It tastes new world with very ripe blue and black fruit especially plum/prune with adequate acidity to balance the palette. Definitely not for fan of red burgundies with a sense of elan, lissom textures and crystal-clear fruit. If this is a normal bottle then DRINK UP.

12/23/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Still in great shape, needs 2+ hours in bottle breathing to open up. This is my last of 6 bottles drank over a period of 2+ years. While this wine can be kept for a few more years, I don't see improvement from aging. A wine to be drink early.

12/9/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Bought at wine store in Kyoto. Most probably a very recent disgorged. It is the first time I taste a champagne with a high percentage of Pinot Blanc (40%) and the rest Pinot Noir. It tasted disjoint and lights during the first 60 minutes. It gradually takes up weight and release aroma. sharp, crisp, high acidity 7g dosage. Excellent as an apertifs. For people who prefer lighter champagne.

12/9/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

A fantastic wine in the early drinking window. Honey, peach, apricot, and well integrated oak. High residue sugar, almost Barsac-like, but without the overipe fruit. I just wish that it processes slightly more acidity, so it can be a more versatile wine. 92+

12/6/2022 - Song103 wrote:

From 375, slow-ox for 2 hours then decant (old wine decanter) for another 45 minutes, which was a mistake for a wine in this format and in early decline. The one in October, which was not decanted was vastly superior. Handling fault. 91.

12/5/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

A fantastic wine in the early drinking window. Honey, peach, apricot, and well intergrated oak. High residue sugar, and almost Barsac-like. I just wish that it is slightly more acidic, so it can be a more versatile wine. 95 potential with extended cellaring

11/19/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Slow ox for 1 hour and another 2 hours decant. Compared with my previous CT notes, I found this bottle to be even more primary. Very rich dark fruit, full body with silky tannins. Approachable, but 5-10 years away from maturity. Very much Napa in style, and tasted more like a 09 than 05. A 4+ hours decant would have been more appropriate. 92-96 depending on which style of BDX blend you prefer. Next bottle 2026+

11/19/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

My first time having this wine, and was served from a Champagne flute, so the impression may have been skewed. A glass of very charming champagne, that is creamy and open. However, this may be the weakest CdC in the decade of 200x. Do get the 04 and 06 at a fairly similar price point. 92-94

11/19/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

It is made in a robust and bright floral style. Easy to understand and good with food. I suspect that the wine is a recent disgorge, and will display more depth and complexity with further cellaring. Quality is as good as if not better than most major houses’ entry-level Champagne. A solid bottle of Champagne, that won’t break the bank. 89-91 potential Excellent QPR.

11/17/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

A very good Pinot at Beaujolais price. Simple, but well crafted. Well balance between extraction, fruit, tanin and acidity. Drinking well. Will hold for a few years.

11/15/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Very nice nose and palatte. Very good intensity for a Bourgogne. Ready now, PnP, the wine starts to drop off after the 2 hours make. A solid bargain, considering the lable, and today's Burdundy prices. 91-92

11/13/2022 - Song103 Does not like this wine:

An adequate food wine, decent match with pigeon. It was dull in both the nose and palate. If I were a sales for new world Pinot Noir, I will definitely use this wine as a comparison.

11/13/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

PnP. A Barossa Valley like Cornas. Made to be drunk early. Depending if you like the style, it can be anywhere for 89-93. Good wine, just not my style.

11/13/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Not detail notes. A good wine, with nice richness, fat (reflecting the vintage) wine. More freshness and intensity would have made this an excellent wine. (89-91)

11/13/2022 - Song103 wrote:

I asked the sommelier if it was slightly corked, and he said that there was nothing wrong. The odd smell never went away for a 2 1/2 hours dinner. In any case, I have had much better Rose (88 without the odd smell)

11/10/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Excellent mature BDX, served at a wedding party, but too warm @23C+. So unable to score. Very nice integration of primary, secondary and tertiary flavour. Propably at peak. likely 92-94.

11/9/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

This has continued to evolve and has improved significantly over the past 18 months. It has now smoothed out and put on weight and structure. One of the great champagne of 2006. 93 for now 95+ potential.

11/9/2022 - Song103 wrote:

From an unknown provenance. There was no sign of heat damage on the bottle or the cork. Over a period of 45 minutes, there was almost zero nose, correct acidity, and some red fruit. Simply hollow. Assume to be flawed and damaged. More of the same on day 2.

11/9/2022 - Song103 wrote:

From a case that was cellared for 2+ years. It has substantially improved from the 1st bottle. Highly recommended, if you have space to spare in a cold cellar. 92

11/9/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Much too young. Unlike most village wine, this is built for the long term. The hot 2018 makes this wine drink more like a dark fruit NSG than a VR. 88 for now, 91-93 in 3-5 years.

11/3/2022 - Song103 wrote:

Opened for dinner. Need at least a 4-5 hours decant. At the 2 hour mark, the wine was locked up in harsh tanin. Deep purple with blue friut. Forturnately not over-ripe or over extracted. Just needs a lot of patience. 89-91 potential.

10/22/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

PnP, at restaurant Ai Kyoto. A solid food Rose Champagne. Good acidity and freshness. 90 at the 2 hour point.

10/22/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

PnP, at restaurant Ai Kyoto. Outstanding nose of strawberries and cherries. A full body and tannic (fine) palate took over an hour to open up. At that time, the glass that I was drinking got a bit too warm. With my very limited exposure to CA pinot, it was an eye opening experience. IMOH, very much like a NSG grown on the side close to VR. It should show better in a couple of years. 90 for now 92-93 potential.

10/22/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Disgorged 05/2021. Equal mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A lovely champagne on the yeasty, vibrant and full body side. Continue to improve over a two hour dinner. 91+

10/20/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Slow Ox for 2 hours, and it took another two 2 hours into the drinking to open up. The last glass was the best. Aroma and palate of cherry, strawberry, and some herb. But not much depth and complexity. May be it needs another 3 - 5 years. 89 for now and 91 potential.

10/17/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

I’ve read that 2020 is an excellent vintage for Macon. So I bought this to sample the vintage. A superb Macon with refreshing stone fruit and medium + palate. Good intensity and long finish. Simple and very enjoyable 91. Drink / hold.

10/13/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

375ml, purchased EP. The cork’s condition is unbelievable, and the wine is simply glorious, with the slightest of bricking. Slow Ox for 2 hours and drank without decanting. Zalto universal. One of the best wines I have had in 2022!

10/7/2022 - Song103 wrote:

Slow ox for 4 hours and followed for another 3. This is like an AMG sedan. A robust extracted powerhouse with firm tannin, dark fruit and strong spices, but lacking in floral characteristics. A bottle of precise German engineering, that is lacking in finesse. PnP may have been a better option. :) 89

10/4/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

375ml PnP at the restaurant, and served with proper burgundy glass. I fully agreed with the observations from beatles below. Gone within 15 mintues so I was unable to track the development. I think that the wine will develop in volume and complexity and reach early maturity by 2025. Will try decanting next time. 90 for now, 92 potential. Very good value

10/4/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

PnP at a restaurant during a two-hour dinner. Butter, honey, ripe citrus fruits, and minerals are present. It was rich and fat, but I could not detect the nutty flavor usually associated with Meursault. The characteristic of the wine was unchanged over the 2-hour period. I shall try decanting the next time to see if it will help. Very slightly more freshness and acidity would have made this an outstanding wine. 90 today. 92+ potential in 2-5 years.

10/4/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Expressive fruits, minerals and earth from very old vines. Well managed tanins and acidity. It show the warmth of 2018 but still kept the freshness. 4 hours slow ox, and the wine was still improving after a 2 hours dinner. I shall try the decanter if the dinner is less than 3 hours. 92 at the end of dinner and 93+ potential.

9/24/2022 - Song103 wrote:

From 375ml; sadly in decline. Should not have decanted after a two hour slow ox. The wine started a rapid decline after 30 minutes in a small decanter. Drink

9/20/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

30 hours of slow ox in the wine fridge, then a quick 30 min double decant. The wine really blossomed. Nice structure youthful and punchy. Tannin was well managed by the long slow ox. Detail as per Mr. Jeff Leve. A solid 90 at this point. I have tried a 3 hours decant on a previoius bottle, which I would have rated it 85-. Definitely drinkable and enjoyable now. 91+ potential.

9/12/2022 - Song103 wrote:

I got the feeling that they were made with residual sugar for centuries for a reason. Good with various types of cold cut. I’ll trying decanting for 30 min next time.

8/24/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

A very well-made, friendly, and extremely versatile food wine, which goes well with everything except fine dining. It is made for everyday drinking, which means that it should be drunk young. IMHO it is in slow decline but will hold up for a few more years. Drink up. I can’t describe the profile better than AlphaMikeFoxtrot below. medium+ tannin, and medium- finish.

8/17/2022 - Song103 Does not like this wine:

Substantially inferior to the tasting some 2 years ago. Just too acidic without substance and fruit. I’ve tried different temperature and extremely extended airing without much differences. I’m saving my last bottle for 2024. It may still have a chance to blossom or to be used for cooking. Just disregard any ratings by JS.

8/12/2022 - Song103 wrote:

The wine seems to be at the numb stage as the fruit has receeded and the tertiary amroma has not creeped in. Far less appealing that the one almost 2 years ago. HOLD for a few years. 87 with 90+ potential

8/4/2022 - Song103 wrote:

I may be biased, as I’ve never been a fan of Bollinger. I think that they have fine-tuned their style to create a softer and more approachable wine. For the price, I’ve found it to be lacking freshness and length. Enjoyable and sound. But lacking substance and uninteresting. 89

8/3/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

This is as amazing as the CT score is indicating. I can’t express it better than CAILLES’ note

8/3/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

Much improved over the last bottle 18 months ago. Slow ox for one hour.

7/30/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

This wine was savage on release and as many reviewers has noted, it will take 10 years to become accessible. It was worth the wait. red cherry, sun dried tomato, earth and leather italian. Delicious with any tomato sauce base food. 92 potential. Drink and keep.

7/28/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

It was a pleasant surprise. I've clearly underestimed this wine. which has arrived at its prime drinking window. It was so much better than it was almost 2 1/2 years ago. Good from the get go. Potential 92+ in a few years, but this was my last bottle. `

7/23/2022 - Song103 wrote:

Slow ox for 6 hours then decanted 30 minutes before dinner. Nose of blackcurrant and some spice. Nice palette, but tertiary has yet to develop and did not evlove much during a 2 1/2 hour period. It was completely outclassed by the 1997 Gruaud Larose. Numb phase or needing a longer decant? Next bottle in 3 years to find out.

7/23/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine:

It was bought based on CT’s member remarks for my son’s birthday (also born in 1997). Slow ox for 6 hours then decanted just before the start of dinner. Classic Bordeaux at peak with nice tertiary flavours fully developed. Sleeper for the vintage and excellent QPR. Drink!

7/20/2022 - Song103 wrote:

From 375, past peak. DRINK if you have 375