March 31, 2022 - From memory, drank in 2022, so some months back now. Nicely mellowed by age, but still very much in its drinking window. Plenty of dark fruit with a beguiling purity, violets, and. a little bit of that blood soaked iron dagger. A happy find !
January 11, 2020 - A little past prime. Drink if you have it. Very soft and elegant.
November 20, 2018 - Mocha notes, meat broth. Marked tannins, surprisingly. Dark fruited, complex. May need more time actually.
December 13, 2014 - The Gallet was a bottle I hand carried back from the 2002 Marche aux Vins and was good but not great, which is a fair representation of the vintage. Initially it showed some lactic character on the nose which blew off quickly. A little lean with a taut acidic backbone, fairly pure red fruit, which is characteristic of Lancement in my experience, and though it filled in with air and time, it would never be considered to be opulent. A warning to those who are less tolerant of brett that I am, it showed a fair bit of brett early that toned down as air brought out more fruit.
November 23, 2013 - Medium red color. Tight, herbaceous nose at first, with three hours adding meat, peppercorn, violets. Next day (ungassed, refrigerated) the aromas burst with campfire, violets, roast pork. On arrival, medium-low tannin, medium acidity. Flavors tight initially; needs much air to relax, but give a day or two - wow. Finishes long, game-y and floral. Bottle #6 of twelve.
April 30, 2013 - What Salil said -- an honest wine impressive in its array of Northern Rhone funkiness, but this is at least five years too young. Nonetheless it was a pleasure to drink.
April 29, 2013 - Drinks at La Silhouette (NYC): A rustic, leaner styled Côte-Rôtie with black olives, dark fruits, higher toned stemmy/herbal notes and leather on a medium weight frame. It comes across rather young though with some tannic grip on the back end, but the balance here is lovely and I get the impression this will be fantastic with more time in the cellar.
May 8, 2011 - Medium red. Highly floral nose (violets) with peppercorn, smoked pork, peaches. Medium-low acidity, low tannin. Luscious and fat in the mouth, this wine remains an elegantly-fruited and moderately structured tipple. It seems near fully-developed and probably in optimum drinking condition, given the vintage and my preferences. I'll keep opening this every few month. Bottle #5 of twelve. Postscript: The remainders were recorked and put on the kitchen counter for a sauce due preparation Tuesday night. The wine's aromatics and body had improved a click or too. That bodes well for folks wanting to keep their 2000 vintage for further development over perhaps another decade. Re-scored to 92, from 91..
March 6, 2011 - Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): I am not sure this is the right wine. Allan brought this so please correct me, as my notes by now are more difficult to read. This was ruby in color. The wine looks flat and perhaps past prime. It has a nice complexity but lacks the stuffing at this point in the evening. A lot of acidity which probably, at this point in its life, is starting to overtake the fruit. Obviously, this was a poor time to be trying this, but I did not notice it earlier. Probably much better at the dinner table. Still, there is plenty to like about this bottle.
October 23, 2010 - Medium ruby. Vivid nose of violets, bbq pork, menthol, and plum. Medium acids, medium tannin, more than I'd recalled from earlier this year. Elegant Cote Rotie flavors, very harmonious balance of structure and concentrated fruit in the mouth. Finishes medium long, some dryness, Bottle #4 of twelve.