Much better than our previous bottle but still not great. Tastes ok, some cherry, nice acidity to keep it fresh. But the nose it tough to get past so only drank about 1/2 the bottle.
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It was interesting to taste this after 45 year in the bottle, some earth and leafs with clear cab. franc signatures but mild tannins and strong acidity and clearly past its prime.
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There is frankly not enough mid palate fruit for this wine at this stage. Interesting, and yes very much alive, but that is all I can say..earth and herbs remain in this bottle
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At first pour it's surprisingly red fruited and fresh with strong hints of green peppers. It doesn't take long for a bretty-ish barnyard funk to show up, but that quickly blows off. What's left are notes of smokey leather and decomposed earth. The palate is thin but sharp with a surprising amount of red fruit present (don't interpret this too mean there's a lot, more that I can still taste some on a 39 year old bottle of wine). The tannins have all but dissappeared, integrating well into the overall balance. The finish is austere with tart red fruits and loads of smoked peppers, if not a bit lite. It's a well matured, enjoyable Chinon that is in a good place right now with an easy few years of life left.
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At times I close my eyes and I'm reminded of great old classed growth Bdx on the nose; it's slightly green, some currant fruit, woodsmoke, leather, mint, damp earth. Unfortunately there's just no fruit sweetness on the palate, the acidity takes over, buffered only by tea, capsicum, and dirt. Thin body. Interesting to drink, but not very satisfying.
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Color is fairly light, with a brick rim. Floral, lightly earthy/waxy smell. Taste is a little watery. Acidity very prominent in the finish. Not bad, but it seems a little too plain.
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I'll second Stefan's notes with similar experience. Black truffle, forest floor, tannins present but must have been massive before, fruit has just about left but what remains is a wonder. Since others mentioned cork condition, I used a Durand and it came out in one piece and looked excellent and plump. The aftertaste as you take in some air as it goes down is just beautiful. I have been trying a number of these older Couly's and have not been disappointed once. I don't see this improving but if you store it well I think you'd have the same experience 10 or more years from now. Enjoy!
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3rd time lucky! 1st btl was smashed inside the suitcase, 2nd was incredibly, undrinkably dead.
Magnificiently black cork, with layers of "black hard stuff", like crystals. Broke upon extraction, the bottom part crumbled. Took some tinkering... Very light matured red. Aromas are faint to start with but blooms in to a purple, flowery CF-bouquet with cold cut veggies and (especially) star fruit en masse. Elegant, gentle, mature and graceful. After a while, also faint grilled Schinken. The foundation is always a strong mineral character of wet terracotta. In the mouth this is superbly balanced: it has matured with astonishing grace. An amazing wine with a gentle structure, completely transparent. M tannins are almost molten but the intensity of the fruit will live long, still. The mid-palate is flawless but the long finish is a little blurry and not 100% distinct. The M++ acids make this wine lively and a food wine of sorts. (Married the extra hot chorizos: directly from the microwave.) What is there not to love with this etheral wine? Must have had some amazingly tough tannins when it was young.
Mature Loire CF is almost always right in my teapot. Bam! A smacker!
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Doftar övermogna jordgubbar, grön paprika, inlagd gurka och multna löv. Smakmässigt samma ljusa frukt och de väldigt gröna, lite picklade, tonerna. Inte mycket till tanniner att tala om. Ganska kort och lite tunt.
Mer intressant än gott. Har sett bättre dagar. Det gröna ogina tar över samtidigt som det är för lite stoppning i vinet. Drickbart men flaskan avslutades inte (brukar säga en del). Andra verkar ha haft bättre upplevelser av vinet i relativ närtid så misstänker att det finns en hel del flaskvariation där några klarat sig bättre genom åren. Poängsätter ej.
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Having read numerous tasting notes, I expected this wine to have a funky nose. It did not! Very transparent and pure dark fruit. I would have guessed there was a bit of Merlot blended in. Somewhat reminiscent of a mature Pichon Lalande. A bit simple in the mouth, but a pleasure to drink with hearty food. Will hold, but not likely improve.
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Facinating bottles, we had two. The cork broke while opening on both bottles. The wine is really nice. Nose of ceder, leather, coffe, herbs etc. The mouth is slighly earthy but with ceder, leather, coffe herbs, plus more integrated to a big taste pallet. The wine went extremly well to moose entrcote with rose pepper sauce and gratinted brussels sprouts.
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Dinner with a few Berserkers (Will, Philadephia, PA): There was some discussion and disagreement as to whether this was slightly corked. I don't think it was. Lots of earthy, leathery, mushroom notes with hints of anise. Slight leafy, herbaceous, green pepper notes. Olive as well. Soft and very dry on the finish. Lean and needs food. I thought this was fun and interesting but probably not something I would want more than a glass of.
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BYOB HT14#1; 9/6/2014-9/7/2014: Lots of mushrooms, freshly picked porcini, dirt and pine forest undergrowth. High acidity, ok fruit with a dry finish. Impressively alive for its age, but painfully lacking both length and complexity.
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Library offer directly from producer so wine has been impeccably stored for last 40 years. Very high shoulder fill; cork was soft but did not break upon opening. Aromas of plum, cassis, leather, tobacco and earthiness. At this point, the leather and earthiness were most pronounced aromas, but the fruit was still there. For its age, this wine did not lose steam after opening. Kept getting better and more vibrant for hours after opening. In the mouth, acid was still med+ and the wine was silky with a medium body. There was almost a sweet quality to it. Everything was in perfect harmony; I did not want to put this wine down. Amazing for the money.
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The top of the cork is covered in black mould and the entire thing is crumbling to pieces as I pull it, but boy there was a beauty hiding in there. Mature ruby, bricking. Cabbage, old cellar at first, then leather, dried fruits, and intense black truffle. Intriguing. Soft and generous on the palate, dried fruits, still fresh acidity. Long, oaky, nutty finish. Settled and absolutely lovely. I usually don't find black truffle in wine but this is screaming Perigord Class A loud and clear.
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K&L Loire/Alsace tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Browning, bricking, still has some fruit, caramelized, brown sugar; palate is lacking vibrant fruit. Over the hill. Not flawed, just old. 84
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2/18/2024 - domco wrote:
Much better than our previous bottle but still not great. Tastes ok, some cherry, nice acidity to keep it fresh. But the nose it tough to get past so only drank about 1/2 the bottle.
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11/17/2021 - dke wrote:
It was interesting to taste this after 45 year in the bottle, some earth and leafs with clear cab. franc signatures but mild tannins and strong acidity and clearly past its prime.
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6/1/2020 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
A little bit tired
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5/31/2020 - gordoyflaca Likes this wine: 93 Points
If well treated and correctly paired, this is rockin. Cherryskin and green pepper, with brisk acidity
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5/21/2018 - domco wrote: flawed
C's quote 'oh man, that smells like my grandparents basement!' (that was probably being kind). didn't taste any better from there. bummer...
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3/24/2018 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 85 Points
BYOB with wines 30+ years (Sollentuna): Sweet fruit with some band aid. Not very fun on the nose. I guessed Bandol or Landguedoc.
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2/3/2018 - thunberg wrote: 84 Points
@BYOB, tasted blind
Green classic cab franc nose, cheese, heat, good but nothing special
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6/24/2016 - Sheila62 wrote:
There is frankly not enough mid palate fruit for this wine at this stage. Interesting, and yes very much alive, but that is all I can say..earth and herbs remain in this bottle
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6/18/2016 - thunberg wrote: 85 Points
I am not as positive as others, not oxidized but way too funky for me.
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3/5/2016 - bu11itt Likes this wine:
At first pour it's surprisingly red fruited and fresh with strong hints of green peppers. It doesn't take long for a bretty-ish barnyard funk to show up, but that quickly blows off. What's left are notes of smokey leather and decomposed earth. The palate is thin but sharp with a surprising amount of red fruit present (don't interpret this too mean there's a lot, more that I can still taste some on a 39 year old bottle of wine). The tannins have all but dissappeared, integrating well into the overall balance. The finish is austere with tart red fruits and loads of smoked peppers, if not a bit lite. It's a well matured, enjoyable Chinon that is in a good place right now with an easy few years of life left.
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1/29/2016 - andtheodor wrote: 89 Points
At times I close my eyes and I'm reminded of great old classed growth Bdx on the nose; it's slightly green, some currant fruit, woodsmoke, leather, mint, damp earth. Unfortunately there's just no fruit sweetness on the palate, the acidity takes over, buffered only by tea, capsicum, and dirt. Thin body. Interesting to drink, but not very satisfying.
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6/23/2015 - shleepy wrote: 87 Points
Color is fairly light, with a brick rim. Floral, lightly earthy/waxy smell. Taste is a little watery. Acidity very prominent in the finish. Not bad, but it seems a little too plain.
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6/20/2015 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 94 Points
I'll second Stefan's notes with similar experience. Black truffle, forest floor, tannins present but must have been massive before, fruit has just about left but what remains is a wonder. Since others mentioned cork condition, I used a Durand and it came out in one piece and looked excellent and plump. The aftertaste as you take in some air as it goes down is just beautiful. I have been trying a number of these older Couly's and have not been disappointed once. I don't see this improving but if you store it well I think you'd have the same experience 10 or more years from now. Enjoy!
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1/23/2015 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 94 Points
3rd time lucky! 1st btl was smashed inside the suitcase, 2nd was incredibly, undrinkably dead.
Magnificiently black cork, with layers of "black hard stuff", like crystals. Broke upon extraction, the bottom part crumbled. Took some tinkering...
Very light matured red.
Aromas are faint to start with but blooms in to a purple, flowery CF-bouquet with cold cut veggies and (especially) star fruit en masse. Elegant, gentle, mature and graceful. After a while, also faint grilled Schinken. The foundation is always a strong mineral character of wet terracotta.
In the mouth this is superbly balanced: it has matured with astonishing grace. An amazing wine with a gentle structure, completely transparent. M tannins are almost molten but the intensity of the fruit will live long, still. The mid-palate is flawless but the long finish is a little blurry and not 100% distinct. The M++ acids make this wine lively and a food wine of sorts. (Married the extra hot chorizos: directly from the microwave.)
What is there not to love with this etheral wine?
Must have had some amazingly tough tannins when it was young.
Mature Loire CF is almost always right in my teapot. Bam! A smacker!
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12/26/2014 - Gurto wrote:
Doftar övermogna jordgubbar, grön paprika, inlagd gurka och multna löv. Smakmässigt samma ljusa frukt och de väldigt gröna, lite picklade, tonerna. Inte mycket till tanniner att tala om. Ganska kort och lite tunt.
Mer intressant än gott. Har sett bättre dagar. Det gröna ogina tar över samtidigt som det är för lite stoppning i vinet. Drickbart men flaskan avslutades inte (brukar säga en del). Andra verkar ha haft bättre upplevelser av vinet i relativ närtid så misstänker att det finns en hel del flaskvariation där några klarat sig bättre genom åren. Poängsätter ej.
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12/3/2014 - ATBridge wrote:
Having read numerous tasting notes, I expected this wine to have a funky nose. It did not! Very transparent and pure dark fruit. I would have guessed there was a bit of Merlot blended in. Somewhat reminiscent of a mature Pichon Lalande. A bit simple in the mouth, but a pleasure to drink with hearty food. Will hold, but not likely improve.
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11/30/2014 - jerkerdelsing wrote: 92 Points
Facinating bottles, we had two. The cork broke while opening on both bottles. The wine is really nice. Nose of ceder, leather, coffe, herbs etc. The mouth is slighly earthy but with ceder, leather, coffe herbs, plus more integrated to a big taste pallet. The wine went extremly well to moose entrcote with rose pepper sauce and gratinted brussels sprouts.
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11/17/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Dinner with a few Berserkers (Will, Philadephia, PA): There was some discussion and disagreement as to whether this was slightly corked. I don't think it was. Lots of earthy, leathery, mushroom notes with hints of anise. Slight leafy, herbaceous, green pepper notes. Olive as well. Soft and very dry on the finish. Lean and needs food. I thought this was fun and interesting but probably not something I would want more than a glass of.
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9/6/2014 - Lilja Likes this wine: 87 Points
BYOB HT14#1; 9/6/2014-9/7/2014: Lots of mushrooms, freshly picked porcini, dirt and pine forest undergrowth. High acidity, ok fruit with a dry finish. Impressively alive for its age, but painfully lacking both length and complexity.
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7/6/2014 - vine farmer wrote:
Library offer directly from producer so wine has been impeccably stored for last 40 years. Very high shoulder fill; cork was soft but did not break upon opening. Aromas of plum, cassis, leather, tobacco and earthiness. At this point, the leather and earthiness were most pronounced aromas, but the fruit was still there. For its age, this wine did not lose steam after opening. Kept getting better and more vibrant for hours after opening. In the mouth, acid was still med+ and the wine was silky with a medium body. There was almost a sweet quality to it. Everything was in perfect harmony; I did not want to put this wine down. Amazing for the money.
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4/12/2014 - Timbalimba wrote: 93 Points
The top of the cork is covered in black mould and the entire thing is crumbling to pieces as I pull it, but boy there was a beauty hiding in there. Mature ruby, bricking. Cabbage, old cellar at first, then leather, dried fruits, and intense black truffle. Intriguing. Soft and generous on the palate, dried fruits, still fresh acidity. Long, oaky, nutty finish. Settled and absolutely lovely. I usually don't find black truffle in wine but this is screaming Perigord Class A loud and clear.
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4/4/2014 - La Peste Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely.
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3/13/2014 - rsbeck wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, fully mature Chinon drinking fabulously.
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12/31/2013 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Feels surprisingly young for a 37 years old Chinon!
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11/30/2013 - theguy wrote: flawed
Cork was black with white fuzzy areas. Wine was undrinkable.
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8/3/2013 - jibby Likes this wine: 92 Points
K&L Hollywood Loire Tasting (K&L Wines, Hollywood): Brick color. Pomegranate, wax, bell pepper. Fresh red berries, med+ acids. Nicely aged.
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6/8/2013 - rhanke wrote:
still tasting good
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3/24/2012 - rentmp3 wrote: 89 Points
Funky, green bell pepper, chalky minerality; great acid; still quite tight given it's age; needs more time or a good decant but aging really nicely
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3/24/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 84 Points
K&L Loire/Alsace tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Browning, bricking, still has some fruit, caramelized, brown sugar; palate is lacking vibrant fruit. Over the hill. Not flawed, just old. 84
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