CH9 semi blind vertical tasting of Pegau, Beaucastel and Salon 1990-2009 (Nordsjaelland): The best wine of the night. More delicate and less rich (less extraction, alcohol and body) than the other CH9 domaines we tasted. Perfect balance. Not a typical CH9 to be honest. Extremely nice and well balanced tertiary aroma of caramel on both the nose and palate. One of the other vintages of Secret des Sabon, 2007, was heavily influenced by caramel - that wine was tired. The 2003 was on the other hand at the top. Drink now.
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Gave it a short decant and the wine is definitely showing its age. The fruit component is fading and the earthier flavors are dominant. It was probably in its prime 4 or 5 years ago. Not even close to the wonderful experience we had with a 2003 P. Usseglio Cuvee de Mon Aieul that we had about a year ago.
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Short note - typical old CDP, strawberry jam, sweet liquorice, sweet tobacco, kirch, flint, concentrated and medium+ long finish, well structured,drink now and next 3 years. outstanding quality, 92p
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Dinner with Neeta and Manoj at our house. Second bottle opened as first one was corked. Decanted for 2.5 hours before drinking. Drank next to an 00 Clos des Papes, the decant was good for both wines, really showing well by dinner. Drank over 2 hours. Paired with my brick Chicken Toscana and Lemon/Dill potatoes.
Consistent with prior notes:" Dark purple/velvet color. Intense black fruits on the nose,black cherry, spices....While its a fruit forward wine, it didn't drink as heavy. Long finish with blackberry, cherry liqueur, black pepper..." Great finish
Texture of this wine is quite elegant for a bigger styled fruit CdP. The group loved it with a slight edge to the Clos des Papes. In a good spot right now, seems it should hold at this level for 3-5 more years (best guess).
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This was a real surprise considering the vintage. Much smoother and focused than i would have thought and this particular bottle was in the wheel house in terms of drink-ability. Soft dark cherry fruit and a beautiful lightness on the palate. The integration was flawless with an extremely satisfying silky wave of flavor. Almost more Burgundian in disposition than CNDP. Elegant and understated but a delight to drink. I really dug this bottle.
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A magnum in celebration of birthdays. Lovely fruit, elegant rather than overpowering, good with lamb it accompanied. Not as good as the Clos Erasmus 2005 that followed, but a lovely wine in its own right.
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At a friend's house for dinner, big night, this one was one that we brought for the group. Decanted for about 90 minutes prior, poured back in the bottle, was open 2 1/2 hours before we drank it.
Dark purple/velvet color. Intense black fruits on the nose,black cherry, spices. We drank this after an 89 Beaucastel - by comparison you wouldn't have thought it was a Grenache driven wine. Much bigger (not accounting for bottle age), "mouth coating" texture. While its a fruit forward wine, it didn't drink as heavy. Long finish with blackberry, cheery liqueur, pepper.
Great wine, a crowd pleaser. Has evolved considerably since the last bottle. One of the real standouts of the CdP 03 vintage. great now, has a long life ahead if you can cellar/wait.
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DOUBLE BLIND 95+ DINNER @ DEERING BAY YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB (WINE CELLAR @ DEERING BAY YACH & COUNTRY CLUB, MIAMI, FL): Mark's wine(me). Wine has evolved beautifully over the last 6 years. It was balanced and ephemeral enough to be mistaken for a Pinot by several.The first of 4 Chateauneuf, and the most aromatic(excepting the pronounced brett in the Beaucastel). Violer color, great palate and lingering finish. I had been reluctant to try this because it was so tight and unforthcoming 6 years ago.Glad I did.
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Very expressive intense black cherry liqueur, pepper, jam and kirsch scents. full bodied, mouth filling wine, yet not overripe 2003. Good level of fruitiness and wide spectrum of flavours. Long ending with concentrated, ripe black raspberry and black cherry sensations.
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Mostly Châteauneuf-du-Pape at Dinosaur BBQ (Dinosaur BBQ NYC.): Raspberry jam with a dollop of cherry preserves, spice and way too much alcohol showing. Quite low in acidity and not particularly well-balanced, the only saving grace here is the sweetness of the fruit, but it still can't stand up to the alcohol. Just not much here to keep one's interest and shows many of the faults of the vintage. Low B.
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This bottle was still tannic but the quality of material was beginning to display itself. Lush cherry folllowed by stone, tar and a sense place. Not heavy though. Long finish. Impressive.
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Decanted for 3 hours and wine responded nicely. Translucent hue with nice spice on the palate. While enjoyable, not worth the price. If you are going to spend $200 I would buy Rayas or Bonneau.
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This blasted from the glass with intense black cherry liqueur, pepper, jam and kirsch scents. This full bodied, mouth filling wine displays none of the over ripe qualities that many 03 Chateauneuf wines display. There is a purity of fruit and vitality that keeps it interesting. The wine ends with concentrated, ripe black raspberry and black cherry sensations.
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Sabon Prestige/Secret Vertical (Restaurant AOC): Nose: Acidic red currants, manure. Intense. Palate: Watery fruit and very light. Overly dry on the palate and just seems very old. Could be an off bottle but perhaps it is just not very good?
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Strange, and not consistent with my last bottle. Not particularly grenache-driven, with a darker, more rustic character. Somewhat disjointed. Fine tannins. Only medium bodied. Enjoyable enough, but not really living up to expectations.
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Je crois que la bouteille datait de quelques jours, donc le vin n’était pas à son stade « normal ». Très marqué par le millésime avec des notes de raisins de corinthe et de fruits très murs, c’est un vin savoureux et très long. J’ai préféré le Pegau 2003, que je trouve similaire en termes de concentration et de style.
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Huge, inky and alcoholic. Attacks the palate with flavor, but was in very tough company tonight. Don’t know if it is the vintage or the wine, but this was simply too much of everything. (82?)
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At Pastis w Paul & Arlene Rogoff. Had brought because Bob & Delia were to join us. Told Paul & Arlene they were the benificiaries of Bob's visit. Excellent CdP, some what muted nose, good red fruits, and persistent 30+ second finish.Wine is inferior, however, to extraordinary 03 Pegau Reservee which is 1/3 the price. Good wine, but lousy QPR. Will store other 2 bottles, to ascertain, if they will evolve into something more.
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10/2/2020 - Kim Gerner wrote: 93 Points
CH9 semi blind vertical tasting of Pegau, Beaucastel and Salon 1990-2009 (Nordsjaelland): The best wine of the night. More delicate and less rich (less extraction, alcohol and body) than the other CH9 domaines we tasted. Perfect balance. Not a typical CH9 to be honest. Extremely nice and well balanced tertiary aroma of caramel on both the nose and palate. One of the other vintages of Secret des Sabon, 2007, was heavily influenced by caramel - that wine was tired. The 2003 was on the other hand at the top. Drink now.
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4/13/2020 - SparkyMI Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bottle with good fruit still showing. This is a big wine that wants food with it.
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3/4/2020 - becassine wrote: 89 Points
already to late!
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1/26/2019 - Jean-Philippe M wrote:
Sans notes. Rien d'extra.
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11/14/2017 - VlgJeff wrote: 88 Points
Gave it a short decant and the wine is definitely showing its age. The fruit component is fading and the earthier flavors are dominant. It was probably in its prime 4 or 5 years ago.
Not even close to the wonderful experience we had with a 2003 P. Usseglio Cuvee de Mon Aieul that we had about a year ago.
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7/1/2017 - Ebrim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Short note - typical old CDP, strawberry jam, sweet liquorice, sweet tobacco, kirch, flint, concentrated and medium+ long finish, well structured,drink now and next 3 years. outstanding quality, 92p
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6/4/2017 - beatles wrote:
Oh, dear, 2003... this is rich, but dry, a wee bit oxidized - freshness left, minerality also, but nowhere near the quality, that this wine should be
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12/19/2016 - ledwards wrote: 89 Points
Bretty with stewed fruit. Others at the table really liked this but too port-like for me. Definitely significant bottle variation from last few.
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2/6/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Neeta and Manoj at our house. Second bottle opened as first one was corked. Decanted for 2.5 hours before drinking. Drank next to an 00 Clos des Papes, the decant was good for both wines, really showing well by dinner. Drank over 2 hours. Paired with my brick Chicken Toscana and Lemon/Dill potatoes.
Consistent with prior notes:" Dark purple/velvet color. Intense black fruits on the nose,black cherry, spices....While its a fruit forward wine, it didn't drink as heavy. Long finish with blackberry, cherry liqueur, black pepper..." Great finish
Texture of this wine is quite elegant for a bigger styled fruit CdP. The group loved it with a slight edge to the Clos des Papes. In a good spot right now, seems it should hold at this level for 3-5 more years (best guess).
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2/6/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: flawed
Corked...could tell the second it was open...very unfortunate...
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1/9/2016 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
New Years Eve at Berg & Maggie Atkinson's with the Domaine Crew. Very good but not worth the price vs 03 Pegaua Reservee
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12/31/2014 - bon vivant wrote:
This was a real surprise considering the vintage. Much smoother and focused than i would have thought and this particular bottle was in the wheel house in terms of drink-ability. Soft dark cherry fruit and a beautiful lightness on the palate. The integration was flawless with an extremely satisfying silky wave of flavor. Almost more Burgundian in disposition than CNDP. Elegant and understated but a delight to drink. I really dug this bottle.
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12/11/2014 - bingram wrote: 96 Points
No good......great! Super nose and then it delivered what the nose promised. This was Coravined a few days ago before I could taste it.
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11/16/2014 - Allanrydercook Likes this wine: 93 Points
A magnum in celebration of birthdays. Lovely fruit, elegant rather than overpowering, good with lamb it accompanied. Not as good as the Clos Erasmus 2005 that followed, but a lovely wine in its own right.
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6/16/2014 - ledwards wrote: 94 Points
Give it a 1hr plus decant to open. Drinking beautifully.
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11/2/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
At a friend's house for dinner, big night, this one was one that we brought for the group. Decanted for about 90 minutes prior, poured back in the bottle, was open 2 1/2 hours before we drank it.
Dark purple/velvet color. Intense black fruits on the nose,black cherry, spices. We drank this after an 89 Beaucastel - by comparison you wouldn't have thought it was a Grenache driven wine. Much bigger (not accounting for bottle age), "mouth coating" texture. While its a fruit forward wine, it didn't drink as heavy. Long finish with blackberry, cheery liqueur, pepper.
Great wine, a crowd pleaser. Has evolved considerably since the last bottle. One of the real standouts of the CdP 03 vintage. great now, has a long life ahead if you can cellar/wait.
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5/14/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
DOUBLE BLIND 95+ DINNER @ DEERING BAY YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB (WINE CELLAR @ DEERING BAY YACH & COUNTRY CLUB, MIAMI, FL): Mark's wine(me). Wine has evolved beautifully over the last 6 years. It was balanced and ephemeral enough to be mistaken for a Pinot by several.The first of 4 Chateauneuf, and the most aromatic(excepting the pronounced brett in the Beaucastel). Violer color, great palate and lingering finish. I had been reluctant to try this because it was so tight and unforthcoming 6 years ago.Glad I did.
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12/27/2012 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Very expressive intense black cherry liqueur, pepper, jam and kirsch scents. full bodied, mouth filling wine, yet not overripe 2003.
Good level of fruitiness and wide spectrum of flavours. Long ending with concentrated, ripe black raspberry and black cherry sensations.
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10/5/2012 - BradKNYC wrote:
Mostly Châteauneuf-du-Pape at Dinosaur BBQ (Dinosaur BBQ NYC.): Raspberry jam with a dollop of cherry preserves, spice and way too much alcohol showing. Quite low in acidity and not particularly well-balanced, the only saving grace here is the sweetness of the fruit, but it still can't stand up to the alcohol. Just not much here to keep one's interest and shows many of the faults of the vintage. Low B.
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9/21/2012 - ledwards wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was still tannic but the quality of material was beginning to display itself. Lush cherry folllowed by stone, tar and a sense place. Not heavy though. Long finish. Impressive.
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11/3/2011 - madia wrote: 90 Points
Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting (Wine Route Savion): Ruby with hints of brown. Sherry and ripe fruits in the nose. Medium to full bodied, predominant tannins and a bitter finish (160$)
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4/8/2011 - cardsandwine wrote:
Decanted for 3 hours and wine responded nicely. Translucent hue with nice spice on the palate. While enjoyable, not worth the price. If you are going to spend $200 I would buy Rayas or Bonneau.
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8/17/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
This blasted from the glass with intense black cherry liqueur, pepper, jam and kirsch scents. This full bodied, mouth filling wine displays none of the over ripe qualities that many 03 Chateauneuf wines display. There is a purity of fruit and vitality that keeps it interesting. The wine ends with concentrated, ripe black raspberry and black cherry sensations.
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8/1/2010 - cardsandwine wrote:
Nice wine. Clear red hue, soft tannins. While enjoyable not worth the price tag.
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4/9/2010 - canan wrote: 87 Points
Sabon Prestige/Secret Vertical (Restaurant AOC): Nose: Acidic red currants, manure. Intense.
Palate: Watery fruit and very light. Overly dry on the palate and just seems very old. Could be an off bottle but perhaps it is just not very good?
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4/3/2010 - psmith wrote:
Strange, and not consistent with my last bottle. Not particularly grenache-driven, with a darker, more rustic character. Somewhat disjointed. Fine tannins. Only medium bodied. Enjoyable enough, but not really living up to expectations.
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10/9/2009 - ludwigbpm wrote: 94 Points
Je crois que la bouteille datait de quelques jours, donc le vin n’était pas à son stade « normal ». Très marqué par le millésime avec des notes de raisins de corinthe et de fruits très murs, c’est un vin savoureux et très long. J’ai préféré le Pegau 2003, que je trouve similaire en termes de concentration et de style.
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12/29/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 82 Points
Huge, inky and alcoholic. Attacks the palate with flavor, but was in very tough company tonight. Don’t know if it is the vintage or the wine, but this was simply too much of everything. (82?)
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2/16/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
At Pastis w Paul & Arlene Rogoff. Had brought because Bob & Delia were to join us. Told Paul & Arlene they were the benificiaries of Bob's visit. Excellent CdP, some what muted nose, good red fruits, and persistent 30+ second finish.Wine is inferior, however, to extraordinary 03 Pegau Reservee which is 1/3 the price. Good wine, but lousy QPR. Will store other 2 bottles, to ascertain, if they will evolve into something more.
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