The top of the wine-impregnated cork is black. In a weird way I find this reassuring. Some of my favorite wines have had similar outward appearances. ALMOND PASTE, savory, umber tufo, cucumber gin, lily pond, tightly organized. Sweet attack, high tempo, bouyant, bitter succulent herbs, aloe. I feel a certain excitement as the acidity begins to rouse. I immerse in it, and the notes of almond expand and gain weight. Rice proteins and starches. Musk. Thriving, muscular GREEN ROOTS. Tensile strength. Flexible. Whistle-clean, cool, linear edges. Where are those acids? Let it aerate. After all, it’s Chenin, and still far from its expiration. Freshly opened, it tastes best at 50 deg. F. By tomorrow, the acids will pop, and you’ll want to drink it at 60. I’ll try to resist draining it! But for now, it keeps hanging and changing: SALTIER now, muscat raisins, BROWN BUTTERED PEPPERMINT. Apple blossoms. STONE. Bitter stone. Lilac. Quince, certainly. UPDATE, 24 hours later. Yup. It all comes together. As remarkable as this bottle was when I opened it, I’d certainly rather drink it this way. At 63 deg. F. No hint of oxidation. Creamy, bright with boney acidity. This is a special wine. Drink now (with lots of air) – 2028.
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We went to the vinyard about 5 years ago and had a wonderful time with the vintner. We have been drinking 1 or 2 bottles every year to watch it age over the years. This is our last bottle and while it may have lost a bit of its acidity and luster, it's still drinking beautifully. There is a wonderful golden color and honey and dried fruit notes are still very much in tact. There is still more than enough acid to make it very enjoyable for at least a few more years. So happy to be drinking it and will absolutely try to get a few more bottles before there are no more.
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The cork had lots of mold on it, but luckily not on the wine side of it. Fresh nose of honey. Medium acidity, quite a bit of sweetness. Oily mouthfeel. Dried apricots, honey, Mirabelle plums. Some noble rot? Long honey aftertaste. Truly delicious!
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Offered a glass at ThinkWine in Hong Kong. Deep yellow color. Quince and honey notes. Graceful. Not cloying, with admirable lightness, especially on the finish. Paired very well with sauteed foie gras.
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Cork a bit soft but intact. Golden colour. Very rich with beeswax and honey on palate. Finishes lightly, not cloying. Delicious and still very much alive, belying the lowly rating of this vintage in the Loire.
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Dinner (Quince, San Francisco): Aromatic nose with peach, pear; palate is off-dry, medium acid, tropical fruit; medium finish. Very nice wine, pairs well with food. 87-88
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Nice enough, but not nearly enough acid for balance - yeah, I know, but I hoped anyway, since other '03s have surprised pleasantly. Relegated to Sichuan Fire-control.
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one of the most ridiculous wines I've had, sweet like concentrate, but with the viscosity of olive oil, green olive bitterness, rum and burnt butterscotch, very strange, hard to down more than a glass, was better everyday for the fist week then faded
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"Punch in the face" with green olives and pimentos, very very olive oil like. Beautiful orange/dull yellow color, on the palate: golden raisins!, a little straw action, reeeeeaaaally figgy, I agree with the "quince" this reminds me of my moms homemade quince wine, very sweet/dessert like wine, I was not expecting that I could only drink a 1/4 glass at a time. Powerful stuff, not all that balanced not really my style, but it was very interesting stuff
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Color was a surprisingly rich amber golden. Nosed of dried peaches and honeyed lemons. Honeyed peaches on the palate. Some spicy, white pepper notes. Almonds on the finish. The sweetness was well balanced with the acidity.
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Medium yellow. Medium intense nose of honey, tangerine, white figs/peaches. On the palate this is sweet on entry, fresh, energetic, expansive and spicy botrytis on the mid-palate, with a very spicy finish. Medium length. It's all about the palate right now. Really quite good and looking forward to future bottles.
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Quince, white plum and brown spiced figs- really exotic nose on this. honeyed, intense with a real viscous mouthfeel. Drinking pretty well now, not likely a super long ager, but really nice and great with escargot. Intense and ripe chenin.
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deep honeyed yellow with smells of lemon icing and lemon balm, and some tropical fruit. thick almost oily mouthfeel. very intense stuff, but well balanced. flavors of citrus and melon, with some nutty/bready depth and bright acidity. a great effort from a tough year. needs a rich meal to accompany, like chicken with mushrooms and cream or something.
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4/8/2021 - Putnam Weekley wrote: 93 Points
The top of the wine-impregnated cork is black. In a weird way I find this reassuring. Some of my favorite wines have had similar outward appearances. ALMOND PASTE, savory, umber tufo, cucumber gin, lily pond, tightly organized. Sweet attack, high tempo, bouyant, bitter succulent herbs, aloe. I feel a certain excitement as the acidity begins to rouse. I immerse in it, and the notes of almond expand and gain weight. Rice proteins and starches. Musk. Thriving, muscular GREEN ROOTS. Tensile strength. Flexible. Whistle-clean, cool, linear edges. Where are those acids? Let it aerate. After all, it’s Chenin, and still far from its expiration. Freshly opened, it tastes best at 50 deg. F. By tomorrow, the acids will pop, and you’ll want to drink it at 60. I’ll try to resist draining it! But for now, it keeps hanging and changing: SALTIER now, muscat raisins, BROWN BUTTERED PEPPERMINT. Apple blossoms. STONE. Bitter stone. Lilac. Quince, certainly. UPDATE, 24 hours later. Yup. It all comes together. As remarkable as this bottle was when I opened it, I’d certainly rather drink it this way. At 63 deg. F. No hint of oxidation. Creamy, bright with boney acidity. This is a special wine. Drink now (with lots of air) – 2028.
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4/21/2020 - Nickac1984 Likes this wine: 89 Points
We went to the vinyard about 5 years ago and had a wonderful time with the vintner. We have been drinking 1 or 2 bottles every year to watch it age over the years. This is our last bottle and while it may have lost a bit of its acidity and luster, it's still drinking beautifully. There is a wonderful golden color and honey and dried fruit notes are still very much in tact. There is still more than enough acid to make it very enjoyable for at least a few more years. So happy to be drinking it and will absolutely try to get a few more bottles before there are no more.
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4/13/2020 - perisolb Likes this wine:
The cork had lots of mold on it, but luckily not on the wine side of it. Fresh nose of honey. Medium acidity, quite a bit of sweetness. Oily mouthfeel. Dried apricots, honey, Mirabelle plums. Some noble rot? Long honey aftertaste. Truly delicious!
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10/30/2019 - M.Batard wrote: 89 Points
Offered a glass at ThinkWine in Hong Kong. Deep yellow color. Quince and honey notes. Graceful. Not cloying, with admirable lightness, especially on the finish. Paired very well with sauteed foie gras.
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9/8/2019 - batstongue wrote: 91 Points
Cork a bit soft but intact. Golden colour. Very rich with beeswax and honey on palate. Finishes lightly, not cloying. Delicious and still very much alive, belying the lowly rating of this vintage in the Loire.
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9/30/2018 - Cali vino Likes this wine: 89 Points
I agree that it is still drinking nicely, and so does our entire wine tasting group!
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5/15/2018 - topherg3 wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking very nice!
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1/23/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Dinner (Quince, San Francisco): Aromatic nose with peach, pear; palate is off-dry, medium acid, tropical fruit; medium finish. Very nice wine, pairs well with food. 87-88
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11/8/2010 - PMDias wrote: 87 Points
Nice enough, but not nearly enough acid for balance - yeah, I know, but I hoped anyway, since other '03s have surprised pleasantly. Relegated to Sichuan Fire-control.
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6/7/2010 - Joelene wrote: 81 Points
one of the most ridiculous wines I've had, sweet like concentrate, but with the viscosity of olive oil, green olive bitterness, rum and burnt butterscotch, very strange, hard to down more than a glass, was better everyday for the fist week then faded
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6/7/2010 - collinb227 wrote: 88 Points
"Punch in the face" with green olives and pimentos, very very olive oil like.
Beautiful orange/dull yellow color, on the palate: golden raisins!, a little straw action, reeeeeaaaally figgy,
I agree with the "quince" this reminds me of my moms homemade quince wine,
very sweet/dessert like wine, I was not expecting that
I could only drink a 1/4 glass at a time. Powerful stuff, not all that balanced
not really my style, but it was very interesting stuff
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11/26/2009 - Beavis77 wrote:
Color was a surprisingly rich amber golden.
Nosed of dried peaches and honeyed lemons.
Honeyed peaches on the palate. Some spicy, white pepper notes. Almonds on the finish. The sweetness was well balanced with the acidity.
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11/6/2009 - Machiavelli wrote:
Medium yellow. Medium intense nose of honey, tangerine, white figs/peaches. On the palate this is sweet on entry, fresh, energetic, expansive and spicy botrytis on the mid-palate, with a very spicy finish. Medium length. It's all about the palate right now. Really quite good and looking forward to future bottles.
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1/22/2009 - hutch wrote:
Bonny Doon and Yorkville Cellars with Organic Friends (Chex Pascel): Sweet. Not much there. A victim of the vintage? Really not interesting, and not cheap, either.
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7/5/2008 - nwk wrote:
Quince, white plum and brown spiced figs- really exotic nose on this. honeyed, intense with a real viscous mouthfeel. Drinking pretty well now, not likely a super long ager, but really nice and great with escargot. Intense and ripe chenin.
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8/19/2006 - brooklynguy wrote: 88 Points
deep honeyed yellow with smells of lemon icing and lemon balm, and some tropical fruit. thick almost oily mouthfeel. very intense stuff, but well balanced. flavors of citrus and melon, with some nutty/bready depth and bright acidity. a great effort from a tough year. needs a rich meal to accompany, like chicken with mushrooms and cream or something.
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4/25/2006 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Winery: Winery: Intense nose, floral, white frt, exotic foods for this one!!! Beaut. viscous mth; bolanced, rich, long mineral fin.
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11/1/2005 - rourkem wrote: 86 Points
Was drinkable, but not exciting in any way. Wouldn't purchase again.
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