3/18/2009 - archer752000 wrote:

Decanted for 2+ hours. Great violet color, fantastic nose of cedar, tobacco, black fruits.
Wonderful on palate, silky tannins, spices, earth, black currant. Endless finish.

9/22/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Pale Yellow color. Huge nose right from the start with breezy notes of flowers and truffles.
Lush and big on palate with great balance and long finish.
Loved every bit of this wine!

7/7/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Very well balanced and super-dense. Chocolates, black fruits, refined tannins.

4/25/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Elegant nose of dark berries and flowers. Medium-bodied on palate, balanced and refined.
Tannins are integrated nicely. Finishes with earthy notes.

4/24/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Nicely evolving, complex wine with predominantly earthy and black fruit notes.
Starts slowly, but in 2 hours opened up with nice truffle, a bit of cedar and lots of berries.
A little bit too dry in the end.

4/18/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Very amusing nose of white chocolate and pomegranate. This one doesn't smell or taste like usual Chambertin grape...
I'll let it pass as '03, Cal Pinot lovers will dig this wine.
The only problem is - in a Grand Cru Burgundy I'm looking fot different virtues. This is not a first time I was
telling myself about Burg '03s - "God, let's stick to '02, '99, '96, '85.... the list goes on for elegance ('05 is the latest addition as you all well aware).

3/24/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Great nose of cherries, plums and smoked meat. Fruit bomb on a palate - a bit too jammy for me.
However, in 1.5 hours some secondary nuances are popping up which makes it more interesting
and not so fruity-linear.

2/25/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

At first - overly ripe fruit , smells and tastes like rather bad vanilla-infused California Cab. After 2 hours all that was gone and wine became quite balanced and interesting.

2/25/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Fresh nose of mango. Nicely balanced dry finish. Only drawback - a little bit one dimensional for grand cru.

2/25/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

This is a deep and smoky wine. Meaty nose, dark fruits. Very good balance. A little bit closed at first, but gains a lot with 2-hour aeration.

2/10/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Another one from Bruno Clair '04s - all the same. Vegetal nose, lean and mean.

2/6/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

I tasted it first at UGC San Francisco and afterwards bought 2 bottles and retried.
It really gains a lot after 2 hours of decanting. Smoky cherries, coffee and impeccable balance. Considering the prices for '05 - this one is a definite QPR winner.

1/4/2008 - archer752000 wrote:

Black fruits, pepper - fully resolved Shiraz. Very nice wine.

12/17/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Very nicely balanced champagne. Grapefruit, tropical fruits.

12/13/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Sweet, light, almost no acidity - it is a Beaujolais-que Pinot.

11/29/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

This one was a pleasant surprise. Nice nose of sour cherry and rose blossoms, scent of grilled steak,
spicy on palate.

11/29/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Very good village wine that just proves that 2005 is an excellent vintage. Light fruit, good balance, some tannins - what more can you ask from a simple no name blend.

10/29/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Wonderfully balanced Mosel with loads of tropical fruits, petrol, pears.
Very good acidity and not overly sweet.

10/25/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Nicely matured wine. Nose of sweet chocolate and crushed berries.
Big on palate with cream, coffee, black fruits. Balanced finish.

10/22/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

At first a lot of heat and overly sweet. After couple of days it is mellowed down and is much better balanced.
Dark chocolate, raisins.

10/22/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

I've tried about 5 different '04 wines from this producer and they all similarly lean in style.
This one is no exception. While it doesn't have noticeable flaws , it doesn't have striking points
either. I expected more.

10/22/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Nice sipper. Strawberry, hints of smoke and spices.
Good balance.

10/22/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Simple, easygoing wine. Sour cherry, strawberry. A bit disjointed.

10/19/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Ruby-violet color. At first I was disappointed - sour cherry with lots of heat - overripe to the point of having rotten smell.
Glad I was patient enough to wait. After 1.5 hours this wine really opened up - sour cherry backbone was still present , but
it mellowed down and was subdued by huge mocha and flower aromas. On palate - very smooth, some tannins are present, lots of sweet chocolate.
Definitely 2003 in style - not much in terms of acidity - just enough to keep it in balance. Ready to drink now.

9/11/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

First hour - a lot of heat on the nose. After it opened up and heat went away - impressive nose of crushed black berries,
chocolate, some floral notes. Nicely balanced tannins, long finish.

9/11/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Floral nose with hint of smoke. Light, licorice notes on palate, very balanced, minerals on finish .
Really opened up after 1.5 hours.

9/7/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Complex perfume of berries and smoky oak. At this it's rather closed, even after 2 hours of decanting.
Tannins are balanced - shows some promise to be better in 2-3 years.

9/4/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

2nd magnum - year later from the 1st one. This one is a bit closed. Tasting notes are consistent - black currant, coffee. Amazingly smooth tannins.

9/4/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Bright nose of red fruits, Asian spices, smoked meats. Balanced wine , silky tannins, nice and lengthy finish.
Classical Burgundy which is not typical for '03.

8/27/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Big and explosive , but with balance.

8/27/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Bright and complex nose of crushed berries, pepper, chocolate. Very balanced wine.

8/27/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Dark purplish color. Nice and easy. Fruity nose, light on palate.

8/10/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Tobbacco nose with spices - hints of cayenne pepper and little bit of anise. Quite dry and closed, but opens up nicely in 2 hours. Great QPR.

8/10/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Don't know about this one... At first, beautiful nose with smoked cherries and dried flowers. On palate however rather hollow - I was disappointed,
especially for this usually amazing vineayrd. Didn't strike with balance or any hidden promises.

8/2/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Didn't have big expectations for this one and was impressed.
Dark fruits, meat, smoke. Lacks of acidity a little bit (I think this wine is over the hill).
Overall very good - but don't wait, drink it now.

8/2/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Watermelon on the nose. Nice acidity. Round and balanced Champagne.

7/30/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

New world style, overripe fruit, hint of vanilla, almost no acidity. Pleasant sipper, but little bit too sweet
and jammy for Pinot.

7/3/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Gold-straw color. Freshness in the bottle. Wonderful mix of tropical fruits, apples, and citruses glued together with laser-beam acidity. This one is definitely improved over the last 2 years.

6/18/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Light purplish color with some amber at the core. Elegant nose of flowers with a slight hint of chocolate.
Lots of red fruits. Just a slight whiff of meaty backbone at the end. What stroke me was awesome balance.
Enjoyable now.

5/25/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Dark violet, almost black color. Very extracted and super-dense wine with loads of black fruits
wrapped in smoky , cedary confine. Right now you need to decant it for at least 2 hours - this one
is not giving anything upon opening. Based on other Tormaresca wines - should turn into beauty in 3-5 years.

5/20/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

My first experience with Mencia grape. Lots of dark berries, laser beam of chocolate, earthy notes.
Balanced with lush tannins.

4/22/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Red with brownish brick tones. Open up for business. Cherry, white chocolate, loads of forest berries.
Reveals flowery notes with swirling. Elegant and classy wine. At its prime - do not wait, drink it now.

2/26/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Gold yellow color. Thick and round, loads of apricot, tropical notes, some spices on finish.

2/11/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Nose of black currant, some heat. On palate is full of chocolate. Rather ordinary, not complex or elegant. Will improve with age, but I don't think it will be a lot better.

2/4/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Lively black fruits with kick of spice and oak.

2/2/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

This one is more rough than its 30 years sibling. Orange peel, apricots, some chocolate - very good tawny with excellent QPR.

2/2/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Dried pears, apricots, whiff of nutmeg. Pure silk in the mouth, no edges or heat, just goes and goes. 45+ seconds finish.

2/2/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Vibrant nose of ripe cherries and raspberries. Chocolaty on palate, spicy finish. Exceptionally refined and balanced wine for its price.

1/28/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

Nicely balanced Syrah - scent of ripe dark berries, toasted oak and peppery finish. Good balance.

1/26/2007 - archer752000 wrote:

When we pop-out the cork - it was obviously Zin port, although I never tasted this winery before.
Vanilla tart, strawberries - this is my first aged vintage Cal Port. Quite interesting, a little bit acidic though - which is to me not a good port characteristic.