3/13/2021 - EricFlash99 wrote:

light lemon colour. Aromatic apple, citrus and raw pastry, biscuit on nose. Mousse bubble and slightly sweet on palate. A commercial Champagne can be enjoyed but lackof soul somehow.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

medium- ruby. Rose, spices and cream on nose. Black fruit, tobacco, sweet flavours. The hot vintage gives it a round texture and early drinking phase.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

medium garnet colour. Opulent violet, blueberry, black tea and sweet floral on nose. On the palate, the classic Nebbiolo flavours show up: gamy, vegetable, sweet spices and ripe sweet cherries. Still dry, tight tannin presenting it in a young period. Flamboyant new style Barolo.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Annoying green bell pepper on nose. This unripe scent almost destroyed the wine. But the chateau pose the finest techniques to save it from a total failure: High portion of French oaks gave more sesame, coffee and spices, cherry and currant fragrance on the mid-palate, chalky in the lean finish. Quite high acidity lean the wine extravagantly and its unripe phenolic matters hardly backboned.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

I wouldn't believe it a New Zealand wine from the first nose, instead, its eucalyptus and mint scents remind me of Australian Shiraz. However, its black fruit, spices and black pepper notes gradually open-up in mouth somehow lead me back to Hawkes Bay. Bitter roasted coffee, svoury and a little sweet in the finish. The great acidity lay nicely on palate along with the polished tannin. On the mid-way of aging.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Woody, inky, stable house, gamy on nose, with forest floor, highly toasted oak's coffee flavours, dried red cherry and black plum, exotic spices in the finish. The elder tannin is nearly fragile, high acidity due to a portion of VA.
Should be consumed five years ago.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Black fruit, sour cherry, cream, coffee
tough high tannin, unbalanced body. fore intense but pale finish

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

tawny colour already. Tons of dry rose petal, dried fruits, sour cherry, gamy, forest floor aromas on nose. More chalky, spicy and creamy flavours along with the complex aromas wrapping the palate. The high tannin is still undertaming. High alcohol make it warm and charming. Savoury and sweet dense finish.

10/10/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

medium ruby. Not prominent on nose.Black fruit, meaty, cream, spices flavours. Medium tannin, high acidity, high alcohol, medium body. Not very balanced, with fair complexity. Intense in flavours.

10/5/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

orange in colour. So sweet and round, with sweet date, sugar must, tremella soup flavours. So mysterious and special. Though the acidity is low and sweetness dominate the palate, it's still enjoyable. Taste young.

10/5/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Strike of smoke and savoury game on nose. Cream and spices intergrated in the bitter red plum flavours. Acidity is high enough to support the structure instead of tannin. Well balanced but lack of intensity. Long, complex finish thanks to the acidity.

9/27/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

94-96
medium ruby. blackberry, oak, cream, violet, sweet spice, chocolate, inky scents. Very full in body and bold structure. I could hardly understand the favour of this kind of wines. Robert Parker's 100 ponits in 2009? Well, I understand now. For me, just a Spanish table wine. Great to food pairing.
Can be hold for another 5 to 10 years

3/12/2021 - EricFlash99 wrote:

medium ruby, tawny edge
Sour cherry, gamy, creamy texture, wet forest floor. Tannin is high but refined smoothly, high acidity lashing the palate continuously and quite balance the high alcohol. The finish is like pick wild berries in the rainy forest.
drink now, no need for further aging

9/27/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

93-95
Deep ruby. Nose of black currant, blueberry, sweet spices, cedar and cream. Smooth tannin, very full body of high alcohol. A Grand Vin from Argentina but an unexciting real New World wine. A hammer hiding in the velvet bag.
Would benefit a lot from further cellaring.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

80%Terret Blanc, 10%Viognier, 10%Roussane
Unclarified orange color. Aromatic honeysuckle, honey, sweet orange, apricot, with a hint of white pepper. Subtle tannin silently lashing the tongue with an insufficient acidity to barely balance the alcohol. Long perfume finish but showing hotness.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Hawkes Bay Certificate Lesson (Shanghai): 94-95
Medium ruby, black pepper, spicy, red fruit, savory, cream
High tannin and long refreshing acidity balanced everything coherently. The finish is so long, pure and spicy.A typical Hawkes Bay Syrah presenting the co-existence of complexity and purity.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Hawkes Bay Certificate Lesson (Shanghai): Medium Ruby, tawny edge. Green, nutty scents might from oxidization, sweet spices and black berry fruit. High in tannin and alcohol build a full body and somehow too flabby. I'll assume it bottle difference.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Hawkes Bay Certificate Lesson (Shanghai): Light ruby color. Red berry and black currant, spices, herbal, mineral, savory. Its tannin displayed reversely to its colour. Long lingering finish fulfill the mouth with the refreshing currant leaves and spicy notes.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Hawkes Bay Certificate Lesson (Shanghai): Deep lemon color, lots of oak and ripe peach flavours. Nutty and creamy style. Round, creamy texture with the acidity only lie underneath.A little bit high alcohol.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Hawkes Bay Certificate Lesson (Shanghai): The deep lemon color Chardonnay is full of intense peach and toast on the nose. A small portion of new oak barrels should be used, added a little oaky flavor to the wine. The texture is rounder than Chablis due to the long time sur lie and new oak using. The acidity is still medium-high.
The alcohol is hiding well, which balance the wine. The finish is filled by a medium length of toasty scents.

9/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Hawkes Bay Certificate Lesson (Shanghai): Medium lemon color, lots of green nose and some parsley. The citrus and passion fruit flavors are numerous. The wine is so crispy with a high acidity and light body, but few lees can be found.
The complexity is fair, but the finish and intensity are great. But the unripe green scent somehow gives some unenjoyable feelings.

3/10/2021 - EricFlash99 wrote:

93-95
Though unwillingly to rate such a high score to this boring (which in another word is Classic, just as its name said so) Rioja, I have to admit it a "good" wine. Savoury nuts, sweet spice, red fruit and plum, high portion of oak use. Subtle tannin underlying its full body with the hot alcohol and delicate acidity. I bet it would long live.

3/10/2021 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Fully matured. Already tawny colour. Showing ripe dark fruit, caramel, jammy, sweet red date, sweet spices, mushroom and truffle sauce on the nose. Though in its age of 19 years old, this Varonniers is still annoucing its liveliness. The high acidity doesn't break its structure apart, refined tannin lay on the tongue smoothly. A Big structured wine, somehow the fruit intensity might not keep same pace with it. Long finish of candied raspberry, baked gooseberry and sweet spices lingering in the mouth.

9/19/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

A little sweetness detected on the first nose. A sharp cut of mineral scents wrapped up citrus, peach, wax scents. It's riper in this hot vintage and showing an oily texture, but the high acidity stop it from being round. Though chilled but this 9%abv wine still gives a hot feeling (compared to 9). Finish in a long, grapefruit flavoured bitterness.

9/19/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Golden colour. Just like most Chardonnay from America, tons of oak scents soaring from the glass, coconut, cream, cheeze. Though the great amount of barrel posed, its overripe fruit character showing baked orange, corn and apricot jam still hard to hide. Lack of acidity to balance its high alcohol. A round texture finally provide a good mouth feel that the wine would not be annoying. People who love the style might falll in love into this popcorn with apricot jam bottle.
Drink now

9/19/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

80now but would definitely reach 90 after longer cellaring.
The wine still shows many unripe green scents, presenting green leaves, green lemon, some wool and pastry scents. Acidity is pretty high with the low alcohol together form a light wine. Though aging is necessary, it's already undoubtedly intense in flavours.
Hold for another 5-10 years to be ready for drinking.

9/5/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Rayne Vigneau Tasting Event by Altavis (Bund 6, Shanghai): Fully developed honey, elder flower syrup, dried pineapple and apricot, sweet vanilla notes lay beautifully on the palate. The spreading, gently-touched acidity diluted the high sweetness. Luxurious and lush. A pity finish with a lack of power.
Fresh and clean, exceptional now, can be enjoyed in the next decade or more.

9/5/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Rayne Vigneau Tasting Event by Altavis (Bund 6, Shanghai): This bottle is preserved well so that it is still maintain at peak.
Honey, honeysuckle, ripe peach, herbal medicine, ginger, and candied apricot. Sweet, fair medium acidity, sugar and glycerol form a full body, but not luxurious at all. Very simple and just tasty.
Should be alive in next 5 years if preserved well.

9/5/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Rayne Vigneau Tasting Event by Altavis (Bund 6, Shanghai): Honey and tropical fruit spreading gently from glass with slight grass scents. High sweetness but the acidity could hardly balance it. Much feeling of alcohol in the rear palate. Simple and fair.
drink now and it can be enjoyed for at least another decade.

9/5/2020 - EricFlash99 Does not like this wine:

Rayne Vigneau Tasting Event by Altavis (Bund 6, Shanghai): Though the wine still maintain a small portion of citrus and tropical fruit scents, the tertiary noses lashing my palate and nose frequently, which annoys me a lot, especially when the green characters along. Nonetheless, its high unpleasant acidity that not tamed by time and poor intensity make it a boring wine at all.
Might be little bit better when it's younger.

9/1/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

95-97
Also from pre-La Place tasting.
Bright ruby colour. Sweet on nose with black berry, black currant, green bell pepper, spices, coffee, chocolate. Creamy texture with strong, smooth tannin, beautiful acidity. Young but showing steadiness already.
Drinkable now but would benefit from aging.

9/1/2020 - EricFlash99 Likes this wine:

94-96
Tasted from a pre-La Place tasting event.
Bright ruby colour and perfumed rose aroma alures me to taste it from the decanter. Red fruit, blackberry, slight green, sweet spices, chili and chocolate, cream from the French oak, also some dust, chalk minerality alongside. A true big wine with high chewy tannin, high penetrating acidity, and well-balanced high alcohol constructed a wide, full body. Luxurious finish with plenty of oak.
Need to be stored for five more years to balance it better and can be enjoyed then in the next decades.

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): Only some nutty, oaky, mushroom, berry jam flavours remain. The structure is loose and fragile. Tannin is fading and acidity dominated. Passed peak

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): Oxidized

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): Already past peak, but still drinkable. Hazel nut, mint, jam berry, coffee, cream and fresh forest scents.
Bright acidity shows the wine intact. Coming fragile very soon after 15 mins aeration.

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): Deep garnet colour. The wine is dominated by tertiary scents: deep toast coffee, smoky, savory, spicy, mint, mushroom, dried berry.
High acidity slim the body, tannin has been refined and smooth. SHorter finish than the 2004/2007.
Drink now. Would decline very soon.

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 Likes this wine:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): Magnum
Its colour has developed into medium garnet. Tons of sesame, fresh wild strawberry and raspberry, slightly minty, tons of spices, earthy, mushroom. All scents indicate its aging... but in a beginning period, even tastes younger than 2007. Higher in alcohol and riper, bolder than any other vintages. A great, sweet, complex finish. Bravo!
Cellar for another decade is easy.

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 Likes this wine:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): Magnum. Much deeper in colour compare to the new vintage.
The first nose of wild flower, wild juicy red berry. Earthy, gamy, ripe berry and baked sesame on the mid-palate. Medium tannin, linear acidity is penetrating, even aggressive.
Drink now, but development would still go on.

8/3/2020 - EricFlash99 Likes this wine:

Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla Vertical (Shanghai): The tasting started from 2014 and following the decending vintage.
2014 is still very young, giving a light ruby colour. Instinct wild berry, strawberry yogurt, dry flower, sweet licorice and earthy scents. It just like a young, wilder Pinot Noir! What an amazement. Tannin is extracted lighter than his predecessors, beautiful acidity. Thin, light, but not lack of flesh.
Fantastic. Enjoy it now or on. Its life might not be as long as the older vintages, but another decade would be just fine.

8/29/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

A Sicilian red with medium ruby colour. The aroma is very neutral, only some plum and licorice on the nose. More strawberry, red cherry and some meaty, earthy, chalky scents taking a sip. An average wine overall. The quality is solid but nothing special. A good table wine though.
Drink now

8/29/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Clearly a hot vintage Chardonnay with ripe pear, grapefruit, lemon peel and white peach. The oak influence is huge, also MLF process gives it more buttery and salty flavours. a little white pepper on the rear palate. Dry but sweet. Somehow lack of intensity lead to a thin acidity in the finish.
Drink now, a standard Chalonnaise but lack of excitement.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Sweet and cool mineral scents on nose, with pineapple, peach, elderflower and honey. The high acidity balanced its sweetness well. Generally, just a simple sweet dessert wine without much complexity.
Drink now or on.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

Extremely floral now with stone fruit, tropical fruit and mineral scents.
high acidity balanced its high alcoholic feeling, showing a great structure.
Drink now or hold for another 3 years to balance better

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

35+ years old vine.
This wine got many credit from those wine critics in recent years, but the fame given can hardly match what it actually performs. A high score wine, definitely, but not a lovely one.
Aromatic red berry, strawberry along with cream, licorice scents from the numerous oaks posing on it. Tannin is still dry, the linear high acidity backboned well. Didn't show anything that could amaze me.
Hold for another 3 years to intergrate better would be a great idea.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

88-90
Very lively strawberry, red cherry candy fruit character with stem and toasted oak scents. Easy drinking style. Medium dry tannin, medium acidity(which is weird on a Spatburgunder) with a medium body. Everthing is mediocre. Hot alcoholic feeling in the finish.
Drink now, fading quickly in the glass.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

A long time maceration extract more citrus and melon aroma from the grape skin, but some green scents as well.
High acidity leads to a slim body, however the wine is still powerful. Truly a strengthful barbie.
Drink now or hold for another 5 years

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

A blend of two Grosee Lage: Aulerde and Kirchspiel.
Reductive and close-up in the beginning, showing very restraint aromas of apple, pear, citrus, minerality and lees. High in acidity, the Glycerol and a higher alochol attribute to the hot vintage make it a fuller body. So intense and young.
Hold for another 3 or 5 years to reach a higher stage and enjoy in the decade.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 Likes this wine:

89-90
A lovely wine with white flower, citrus, mineral and lees scents. What to mention is that the wine is using the low-alcohol production yeast to reach the purpose of lowering the final alcoholic level. Only 10.5% abv. but totally dry and full of energy. Amazing.
Drink now, not so ideal for a long time aging, but would be a joy in the following years.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

35+ years old vines. Fermented by wild yeast.
Lots new oak barrel is used that you could hard find the fruits. Butter, slight citrus. Probable residual sugar leads to sweetness in the finish.
It's low in acidity but MLF and lees give it a fuller body.
Drink now and can be enjoyed in next three to five years.

8/25/2020 - EricFlash99 wrote:

An oily mouth feel wine with some peach, bread, corn and slight mineral
flavours. It's medium acidity and medium alcohol though, still some alcoholic feeling could be found. A good table wine only.
Drink now