March 2, 2021 - drank after two superb Bannockburn Pinots from 1993 and 1994, this Pansiot held its head high and drank very well indeed. a recent other bottle had mixed feelings but this one was fresh, lively, spicy with red fruit flavours and with some lovely acid still. a little short on the finish but it softened and lengthened in time. Showed the class of the appellation and the vintage and at 26 years old is in a lovely window. One of 3 wines Lady Frenulum bought and it was 3 from 3 for him on the night which is extremely rare as he usually brings a few corked duds. I think condition and cellaring makes all the difference, this bottle was in excellent condition and continued to open and develop complexity over 30+ minutes. Lovely
January 15, 2018 - Tart wild strawberries, sous bois, resolved tannin, not too long or complex, but very charming
July 28, 2013 - For me this is just a stellar bottle of G.C. VV! As usual with bottles of (somewhat) older red Burgundy from my cellar I've captured this one quite young but it is still wonderful. Dark red in the glass with slight edge bricking. Deep nose of red and black raspberries. Very pure and focused with a hint of menthol/camphor along with some clay type soil inflections. Quite full in the mouth with bracing acidity, some sweetness and a good dose of tannin. I can't imagine this wine slowing down any time soon.
May 28, 2013 - Colour shows a fair bit of development. A nice developed nose with an amalgam of earth, minerality, a bit of pepper and plummy (bordering on pruney) fruits. Lovely velvety mid-palate and then the tannins announce themselves courtesy of the vintage. Drunk on its own the slightly drying effect of the tannins would be more noticeable, but with food delicious. No reason to hold further.
May 30, 2011 - From magnum. Showing auburn at the edges, soft ruby throughout. Minerals on the nose. Not a lot of fruit – if you’ve become familiar with West Coast Pinots, you may find this disappointing thus far. In the mouth, this is as much about texture as it is anything else. It is velvet, soft satin, with mineral overtones and black cherry undertones. Structured, but the tannins are embedded so rather than protrude, they augment the satin on the surface. i bought this wine at least 10 years ago at a local wine shop and the salesman suggested putting this down for a while. "Oh, you'll love this in 10 years." He was so right. This was a memorable wine to marvel at and to share with with best friends on Memorial Day. If only we could find this again.
February 24, 2008 - A last call with the Astorettes (Cafe Loup): this opens with a feral nose. High toned and tight but decidely in the barnyard with notes of truffle and black pepper adding wonderfully savory depth. An attractive nose but somewhat unexpected though turning more typical with air as a bit of oaken spice and macerated cherry emerge. This is powerful and tannic in the mouth with lowish acidity and the tannins are a bit chunky and just a touch astringent. Excellent flavor intensity across the midpalate but the structure keep the finish short and tight. This needs another few years. 2010-2016
December 21, 2005 - Dark red color, only slight development on the rim. Rather bretty at first, but that blew off a little and the wine improved constantly over the evening it was consumed. Still a rather rustic wine with only moderate fruit and strong game notes. The tannins were a bit coarse but that may well be caused by the tough vintage. Drinks quite well, but I was frankly a bit disappointed after having tasted and bought the 2002s at the Domaine. Perhaps it did not get enough rest after delivery and was not on form. In any case, I believe this wine should be drunk soon as I think it will not get any better and may eventually dry out, as so many other wines from this vintage.