Mixed Bag at Irene's (Irene's House, St. Paul): Light medium gold color. Drank a glass over 3 hours. This was a really odd showing for this tonight. IT started out with fusil, wax, stone and subtle lemon, linear, tart a touch of stone fruit, and the impression that the train had left the station. Then oddly 3 hours later, it had rounded the bend and was heading for home. Really swampy and earthy now, brine, dried apple, stones, sour lemon, no fusil, and nice length. Well, interesting, but I'm not so sure i would hang on to these though. Ultimately, 91pts.
At home dinner with friends. This wine opened consistent with past bottles. The fresh pale green gold colour persists with a fine nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint balanced with savoury touches of cashew and spice. There is great presence on the palate with layers of flavour persisting with some mineral and lemon zest characters. The length is terrific as is the overall impact of this complex and layered mature chardonnay.
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This remains a beautifully textured bottle of wine with a lovely touch of finesse and minerality balancing the layers of complex fruit and savoury characters. The fresh pale green gold colour persists with a fine nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint balanced with savoury touches of cashew and spice. There is great presence on the palate with layers of flavour persisting with some mineral and lemon zest characters. Consistently delicious.
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Drank over the course of three days, which must be some sort of record for me and this bottle. Oddly, really amazing on day two. So I guess keep right on holding and don't worry about it!
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Our last bottle of this vintage and it shows no sign of slowing down. Still vibrant and delicious but with a touch of burnt toffee now on the finish. As always it seems to improve as it warms in the glass.
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Had this against a 2008. Very different, a lighter colour, more straw. Similar nose. Palate is grapefruit, peach, but more mineral / kero hints and not the same sweetness / honey. Very enjoyable wine. Hard to split them, would come down to personal preference and this probably got the nod from me although it was an even split across the group.
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I had really been looking forward to sampling this and was initially bowled over simply because it seemed so fresh and crystalline with pleasing acidity and lift. Notes of lanolin preceded lemon and lime sherbet, cream, butter, vanilla, caramel and spice and I was impressed by its complexity and length. As the wine opened up in the glass the honeyed finish became progressively more prominent and distracting and while it never cloyed I found it detracted from the first positive impression. In fact the longer it lingered the more sweet, simple and unremarkable it became. So much so that when I finished the bottle 48 hours later I found this to be nothing more than a distinctly ordinary well-crafted New World Chardonnay and couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. So not at all bad but not worth the spend. CHP 89 pts
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Drank over the course of two days and still going strong. Lovely. More elegant this vintage which I would think is because of lower alcohol and thus cooler vintage?
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Robe jaune dorée. Vin très complexe sur la brioche, miel, banane, minéral et boisé. Décanté 1h. Long en bouche, rond mais avec une acidité présente. Très beau vin, a ne pas boire trop frais.
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Drinking wonderfully well under screwcap. Pours out with a green tinge. The nose is all peach, fig and cashew. It is rich, direct and powerful, with intense fruit flavours and a touch of spice. It has good shape and the finish has plenty of drive and authority and length is superb.
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Seriously good and seriously singing at 11 years young. It could age further, but why? The oak has pretty much fully folded into the fruit, with peach, pear, grapefruit, butter, nuts. Such lively acid driving along the very long flavours. This is a real delight. Long flavours. Once of those wines you wish you had more stashed away.
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Two consistent bottles of Leeuwin with a pale green gold colour and a lifted nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint and a touch of cashew. The wine has medium weight with lovely fruit characters on a rich background that leads into a fine finish with good drive and matiere. Simply lovely bottle of Chardonnay.
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Lemon colour, still youthful on the eye. Fresh, herbaceous, citrus fruits of grapefruit, lemon and lime. The palate has also lots of citrus fruits but on the ripe and rich side with some pineapple too. Uterrly delicious and classy wine which seems to always show better than white burgundy of the same age. Under screw cap may help?
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Another consistent bottle of Leeuwin from a less intense year with a pale green gold colour and a lifted nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint and a touch of cashew. The wine has medium weight with lovely fruit characters on a background of New World richness leading to a fine finish with good drive and matiere. In a perfect spot now.
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Yellow stone fruit on the nose, minerality, oatmeal, cream. On the palate fresh and vibrant with good concentration of fruit and a lovely creaminess. Great acidity leading to a long and intense finish. Very fine and no rush drinking up. 93-95
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Virtual New Years Eve: F#%K 2020: Four years ago I noticed that this wine had some Chablis characteristics. At this age, those characteristics have almost completely taken over and it reminds me of a 1er Chablis. Lime, lemon, light, bright, lots of acidity, crisp sea spray.
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Virtual New Years Eve Tasting with Open a Nice Bottle
The Lineup: NV Champagne Le Mesnil Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 2004 Union Champagne de Saint Gall Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Orpale BdB 2011 Domaine Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres 2011 Leeuwin Estates Chardonnay Art Series 2013 Shea Pinot Noir Block 7 (mag) 1995 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Montelena Estates 1995 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 2000 Chateau Baychevelle (mag) 2000 Chateau Malescot St Exupery 2003 Chateau Hosanna 2012 Cliff Lede Cabernet Stags Leap 2006 The Standish Wine Company "The Relic" NV A. R. Lenoble Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Mag 14
Prep: All whites and Champagnes were PnP into jars for transport around 6:30 p.m. for tasting beginning at 8:00 p.m. All reds received additional decant time ranging from 80 minutes to 100 minutes. Also, wines drank in the order listed, finishing with the last Champagne at Midnight (so extra time in jars).
Voting/Ranks: We did not do a group voting or ranking, so unfortunately readers are stuck with my ranks. Here are my rankings (I ranked everything): WOTN - Hands down for me was 1995 Chateau Montelena #2 - 1995 Pichon-Longueville Baron #3 - Domaine Drouhin Puigny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres #4 (tie) - 2011 Leeuwin Estates Chardonnay Art Series #4 (tie) - 2006 The Standish Wine Company "The Relic" #6 (tie) - 2000 Ch. Malescot St Exupery #6 (tie) - 2004 Union Champagne #8 - 2012 Cliff Lede Cabernet #9 (tie) - 2003 Hosanna #9 (tie) - NV A.R. Lenoble Champagne Mag 14 #11 - 2000 Ch.Beychevelle #12 - NV Champagne Le Mesnil #13 - Shea Pinot Noir Block 7 Note: All wines were very good to excellent...my lowest score was 91 and highest score was 95+....for me, not a shabby lineup! Thanks to all who contributed, and special thanks to Kevin (Rocknroller) for putting this event together!
Wine Review: 2011 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series - This wine is always stellar, and my favorite Chardonnay producer from Australia. This wine was drinking quite well, with a nose of citrus, seashell and flint, and a palate of green apple, pear, sweet toasted oak and a touch of citrus. There was enough acidity to tell me this wine could be held for a few more years, although I am not sure if it will improve. I would recommend drinking sooner than later, but no rush. For me, an effortless 93+
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Decant for 2 hours and allowed to come up towards room temperature. Complex, plenty of mineral. Enjoyed with oysters, prawns and lobster roll. HNY! A very good example of Art Series and a strong vintage.
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Virtual New Years Eve: F#%K 2020 (Home): Light gold color. PNP into vessels at 6:00pm for transport. Drank a 2oz pour over 30 minutes starting about 8:45pm. Ocean air, crushed oyster shell, lemon; A little Chablisesque again on the nose, albeit somewhat bigger overall. Lemon, tart citrus, a little sour white grapefruit, flinty minerals, oak, lots of acid and a touch of bitters on the finish. Not as expressive as the last bottle a few years back. 91+ to 92pts.
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Quay lunch (Quay): In contrast to the Mount Mary Chardonnay 2006, the Leeuwin Estate had a slight grassy note to the nose. Oak on the nose less dominating, palate texture richer and more viscous, prominent phenolics and oak, powerful and driving. Sealed under screwcap.
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Another lovely bottle of Leeuwin albeit a little less intense than other years, this wine opened with a pale green gold colour and a lovely nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint and a touch of cashew. The wine has medium weight with lovely fruit characters and a fine finish with plenty of drive and matiere. This is in beautiful shape and is delicious drinking.
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Mind-boggling. Like drinking a beam of light – clear, bright, focused, and dazzling. The nose and palate are full of luscious florals, but the river-rock mineral cut transforms the lemon undertones into terroir overtones. Truly outstanding in every way.
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Bosc pear, with honeydew melon, cream and butterscotch. Very balanced with an elegant finish. Drinking well now but can potentially improve further. 13.5% alcohol. Burgundian in style.
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"Let's spend all our money on grape juice" (Chicago, IL): For some reason in my last tasting note, I wrote that no one is mistaking this for white Burgundy. Sounds like a stupid thing to say -- I'd love to put this side by side with a Roulot Meursault. There's that awesome mineral reduction here with plenty of acidic cut, as well as some white fruit and some serious complexity. Great stuff -- I should be putting this in my cellar.
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Colour - pale straw bright and clear 15/15 Nose med intensity , citrus - lemon , lime and mandarin, stone fruits peach, nectarine , trop fruits melon, pineapple, almond ,florals, very layer nose 28/30 Palate Full bodied rich, many layers of flavour and complexity, vanilla oak creamy with long finish 42/44 overall excellent wine and served at room temperature which bought out all there aromas and flavours 10/11
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Colour - pale straw bright and clear 15/15 Nose med intensity , citrus - lemon , lime and mandarin, stone fruits peach, nectarine , trop fruits melon, pineapple, almond ,florals, very layer nose 28/30 Palate Full bodied rich, many layers of flavour and complexity, vanilla oak creamy with long finish 42/44 overall The richness and creaminess made me think there was some MLF going on but on the the revel the Art Series has no MLF fooled again excellent wine and served at room temperature which bought out all there aromas and flavours 10/11
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Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of light lemon, with watery rim and legs. Nose: Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of citrus fruit of lime, green fruit of ripe apple and pear, floral notes of jasmine, stone fruit of peach, mineral notes of flint, kernel notes of roasted almond. The wine is developing. Palate: Dry with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium alcohol, medium (+) body, with pronounced flavours of citrus fruit of lemon and grapefruit, green fruit of ripe pear, kernel notes of toasted almond, autolytic notes of brioche, dairy notes of cream, mineral notes of stony. The wine has a long finish. Conclusion: Very good quality Australian Chardonnay with an intense nose showing great complexity, with plenty of fruit and floral characters complementing the mineral and almond notes, the wine is even more impressive on the palate, with good lively acidity, well-balanced and rich, demonstrating a great concentration of flavors and a very long finish. It is ready to drink now though can further develop for another 4-6 years.
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Another great bottle. If anything this is getting better with age, even if my score doesn't reflect that. White peach, melon, lemon and lovely oak integrated through the length of the wine.
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White and yellow stone fruit, oatmeal, cold cream, a little herbal on the nose at times. On the palate very well balanced - lots of acidity, generous fruit, minerality - harmonious and long. 92-94
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A slight green tint. Citrus, mineral, stone fruit and a floral note. Tight and crisp. One of my favorite Chardonnays every year. A little early for this vintage. Needs plenty of air or more time in bottle to hit its prime, preferably the latter. Good upside potential.
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From the low alcohol leaner vintage, and in cap, and therefor still need time. Its got all the substance, just takes a couple of hours to fully open up. Hold for a while longer yet.
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Deceptively mature tasting, with some of that weightless, cider quality, that comes to exceptionally grand old burgundies - but there's exotic young fruit in there too - superb
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Annual BYO Lunch. Apricot, honey and vanilla on the nose. Rich and buttery mouthfeel balanced by refreshing minerality and melon notes with a toasty finish. Well balanced and harmonious. Very good indeed and should continue to develop. Many thanks to Alex for this.
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i think this is a bit over hyped by WS. i cant get to a 96pt rating. was def a VERY good btl wiht a great backbone of minerality and the finish was long as well
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Third and final bottle. Flavor profile hasn't changed much at all since the original bottle was popped a few years ago. Tons of minerality with lemon lime notes. Plenty of acidity with some complexity. Not a memorably experience, but still enjoyable.
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I agree with Jeremy's latest tasting note. I visited these guys way back in 1990. Always nice to taste a refresher on this winery. Greenish gold in tint. Fruits here tend toward more tropical. You really only notice the oak on the long finish. There is a bit of waxiness here as well. This will hold for along time from here. Still seems a bit tight.
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I agree with Jeremy's latest tasting note. I visited these guys way back in 1990. Always nice to taste a refresher on this winery. Greenish gold in tint. Fruits here tend toward more tropical. You really only notice the oak on the long finish. There is a bit of waxiness here as well. This will hold for along time from here. Still seems a bit tight.
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Pure white peach, vanilla, toast and honey. Buttery rich in the mouth with good volume and freshness. The fruit has a light candied feel and length is impressive.
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Light gold color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over an hour. This was a [particularly refreshing bottle of Leeuwin. While this was extremely vibrant and energetic, in other ways it was equally retained in such a good way. Nice minerals with a Chablisesque quality, bright white flowers, white fruits, pear, apple, melon on the nose with modest oak. The palate feels medium bodied, lively, crisp acid and mineral notes lead the way, the fruit is bright and fully balanced, wonderful green and white fruits, modest and complimentary oak, some sea shore essence, long penetrating finish. 93+pts.
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Dinner at Boston Fish Market (Des Plaines, IL): Nobody is mistaking this for white Burgundy, but it's clearly great chardonnay. It comes with waxy and thick textures, ripe stone fruits, and generally a bit less acidity than I prefer, but it's somehow still knit in a very convincing package. One of the things I liked the most about this was the smoky reductiveness.
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Je l'ai préféré à la dernière bouteille bue - je crois qu'il a intégré davantage ses arômes fermentaires. Une belle texture grasse, une rondeur en bouche, avec des notes d'élevage mais sans lourdeur. Les fruits sont mûrs mais il persiste une belle fraîcheur. Pour moi, du niveau d'un bon village en Côte-de-Beaune.
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This is one of the most consistent chardonnays in the world in my view. Perhaps a little more restraint than in the past but tremendous balance, length and complexity. Youthful but already delicious. 10 years plus to go.
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New Years Eve Celebration (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Medium gold color. Decanted for 30 minutes, drank 1 glass over an hour. There's a bit of effervescence here. The nose has plenty of brisk saline like minerality out front and a distinct earthiness, light-medium toasted oak, lemon and subtle pineapple. The palate shows the same earthiness, lemon, lemon zest, tangerine, and pineapple, with saline, zingy acid and moderate toasted oak barrel. This mixes styles and brings a lot refinement. 92+pts.
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cannot do better than WA and WS in describing this fabulous wine - so different from California chardonnays - an absolutley incredible wine quaff. worth every dollar!
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Luis Tilia WTDS plus Happy Birthday to Gary and Me (Tilia): Pop and pour, shared a bottle with 7 others. Minerality and salinity combined with golden fruit, elegance and high alcohol. Yes, this is a strange combination, with aspects of Chablis, California and a bit of Australia. Unquestionably a world-class chardonnay.
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I always have a hard time getting over the start to this wine. Screw cap, pale yellow, clear, almost watery. But let it decant. Bouquet is minerally and floral. Truly floral--most say it but I never detect it--but this is pure crushed rock and rose petals on the nose. Flavors are tropical with excellent acidity. Finish is very long. Really good. For whatever reason I enjoy it more than the California chards that are cloudy and flabby and for which I'm supposed to fork over a house payment. Find this wine--any vintage--for $60 and buy a case.
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Il m'a moins ébloui que les précédentes, le bois me paraissant plus proéminent, laissant un côté beurré et exotique. Mais ça reste un vin fort intéressant et, sans surprise (pour moi!), les gens croyaient tous en un Côte de Beaune, soit Meursault ou Puligny. La finale a une belle salinité. 90-91 pts
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Lunch at 67 Pall Mall (67 Pall Mall): Clear pale lemon in appearance. Lovely nose of citrus (lemon, lime), stone (peach) and tropical fruits (pineapple), vanilla, oak, some smokiness, minerals. Quite complex and well balanced. High acidity, medium(+) body, longish finish. Fabulous wine.
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Kinda mumpy fruit on this one on the nose compare to '12 and '13. ANd shows more open ripefruit as well. Hmm... not my favorite so far, but I still love it.
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Excellent Chardonnay. This is where minerality, fruits and smokiness meet. Already quite complex, it offers a great tasting experience. Balanced and long. Drink or hold for another 5-7 years.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Whites at Monello (Monello, Mpls, MN): Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. This was significantly better than a bottle a year ago and starting to hit the sweet spot. Round, full bodied, tangerine, citrus, white peach, saline, great minerality. This has settled down considerably and shows more finesse. 93+pts.
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wow, a great chard! i know this wine always garners lots of +ve reviews and now i can see why. was loaded with everything you would expect but nothing was overdone, was very well balanced.
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Beautifully structured and balanced chardonnay. Fresh and vibrant with intense, powerful fruit. White peach, pear and enough citrus to keep this alive. The oak is skilfully handled. Great wine with many years ahead of it.
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Great notes of fruit and acidity with light oak adding a soft spice touch. A Chardonnay that is like Chablis meeting Sonoma Coast. So good with a lot of life left!
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("popped and poured") Très bien pour un Australien (je l'utiliserai comme pirate dans une dégustation bourguignonne) mais il manque un peu de fond pour le prix - un peu d'amertume lactée qui aurait bénéficié d'un coup de carafe.
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A little creamy, rich on the nose with notes of ripe yellow stone fruit, gooseberries, hints of caramel. On the palate just wonderfully balanced - rich, bright, nuanced, elegant at the same time. Great mouthfeel, excellent length. Superb! Drink or keep. 94-96
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Light, bright yellow. Sexy nose of lime, pear, iodine, and oaky spice. Citrus, minerals, and spice on the palate. Great, griping acidity. Long, lingering finish of chamomile and spice. Like a 1er Puligny-Montrachet.
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Lunch de Noël des anciens de C&S 2015 (au Quartier Général): Une superbe richesse bien domptée, c'est aromatique et pur, de forme très classique, je le mettais sur Puligny lorgnant Meursault....! Superbe équilibre, son opulence aurait pu en trahir l'origine, mais la fraicheur le rendait très bourguignon. 93-94 pts
C'est la deuxième fois que ce vin me bluffe complètement.
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2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): This light yellow/gold wine is heavily perfumed, with white flower, stone fruit, orange zest, saline and ginger. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic and without alcoholic heat, it delivers flavors which mirror the nose. Focused and layered in the middle, it restrains its oak to a complimentary role. The lengthy finish culminates with a nice wet stone element. Deftly balanced and wonderfully complex, this is a world-class Chardonnay that should drink well over the next decade. Drink now-2025.
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Very tropical nose of pineapple and coconuts with a Meursault minerality Palate is the same as nose, very fresh, very intense. I decanted this wine for 30 minutes but could use another 30. Give other bottles 3 years. Had with grilled Maui Opah on the Barbie!
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Light, yellowish-green on the eye. Lively, pleasant lime, vanilla and creamy nose. Almonds and citrus fruits on the palate. Relatively straight-forward. Soft finish. Nice wine, but a bit over-priced given the hype and delivery.
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Pronounced nose of toasty oak, smoke. Ripe citrus - cooked lemon, stone fruit - peach. Nutty, biscuit, yeasty. Melon. Youthful nose. Palate is dry, high acid, full body, pronounced flavours high alcohol, long finish. notes of RIpe citrus, lemon, stone fruit peach. Oak, smoke, vanilla, toast. biscuit, yeast, spice ginger nutmeg clove. delicate tropical notes. Massive, very very rich wine. Outstanding, excellent balance, very complex and huge concentration. Very modern, unmistakably new world, but everything is in its place.
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Des vins de rêve en blanc (Aux Délices de Fred): Nez discret finement citronné. Un magnifique vin frais et minéral, pierreux, avec une finale pure, cristalline, saline. Très belle longueur et un équilibre sur la fraîcheur. J'hésitais vers un Puligny, tout en lui trouvant la minéralité d'un grand Chablis. J'aime vraiment beaucoup et j'adore de telles surprises. Personne n'était ailleurs qu'en Bourgogne. 94 pts
Dinner at La Belle Vie (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Light gold color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over an hour. This is usually a wine that I find very complex and intriguing. This bottle struck me a bit more one dimensional than others, still excellent but not quite as exhilarating as other vintages. The nose shows a lot of fresh cut cedar planks, toasted oak, lemon, lighter banana, sea breeze minerals. The palate is toasted, cedar, pear, lemon, banana, good minerality, fresh oak, youthful with a good finish. Give this a couple years and we'll see what happens. 91+ to 92pts.
Nose of lime zest, pear, and iodine. Tart citrus, chamomile, and oaky coconut in the mouth. Long, lengthy finish of intense minerality. Drink now through 2020.
Nose of zesty lime, pear, white flowers, and spice. Intense, focused, and penetrating, with flavors of citrus fruit and chamomile. A mineral finish lingers for a minute. This reminds me of a 1er Puligny-Montrachet. Drink now through 2020, at least.
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Light, yellowish-green, pleasant nose, a bit of cream and vanilla, pedestrian and straight-forward. Sadly, we sipped after the Giaconda, which is a significantly better drop!
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My first thoughts: low alcohol for an Art Series, and incredibly harmonious. Needing some time in the cellar or decanter -just opened though. Not sure why this would Wine Spectator so hard this year... we shall see.
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Tight, restrained and focus, part of the new wave of restraint shown by Aussie winemakers when it comes to the making of Chardonnay these days. It smells of tangerine, white peach and citrus blossom. There is a whiff of spice from some well seasoned oak. In the mouth it is linear and quite dense with a suggestion of green melon and plenty of citrus. Length of flavour is very good.
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(tasting@LeeuwinEstate) Lifted white florals, nougat, soft oak, light leafy herbs. Clean, crisp acidity, intense yet supremely balanced. Interesting hint Christmas spices. Oily acid clarity. Long lingering finish, full yet light: toasted cashews, brioche, green herbs, floral petals. Pure, and a lifetime ahead of it!
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NY Wine Experience 2014 (Marriot Marquis): a bit too much oak for me. probably too young, but wasn't crazy about the fruit profile hear. too much buttered popcorn and not enough tartness for my palate.
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Wonderful florals, big attack, elegant, loooong finish. So why the low score? Because like many Australian Chards I have run into over the years, it lacks a certain upmph and classy finish - at first taste it was wonderful. At second taste it started to get a little flabby. At third taste the florals were gone, the middle fat and the finish oiling up. At fourth taste shot.
WTHIGO?
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2/17/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Mixed Bag at Irene's (Irene's House, St. Paul): Light medium gold color. Drank a glass over 3 hours. This was a really odd showing for this tonight. IT started out with fusil, wax, stone and subtle lemon, linear, tart a touch of stone fruit, and the impression that the train had left the station. Then oddly 3 hours later, it had rounded the bend and was heading for home. Really swampy and earthy now, brine, dried apple, stones, sour lemon, no fusil, and nice length. Well, interesting, but I'm not so sure i would hang on to these though. Ultimately, 91pts.
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1/25/2024 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
At home dinner with friends. This wine opened consistent with past bottles. The fresh pale green gold colour persists with a fine nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint balanced with savoury touches of cashew and spice. There is great presence on the palate with layers of flavour persisting with some mineral and lemon zest characters. The length is terrific as is the overall impact of this complex and layered mature chardonnay.
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2/28/2023 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
This remains a beautifully textured bottle of wine with a lovely touch of finesse and minerality balancing the layers of complex fruit and savoury characters. The fresh pale green gold colour persists with a fine nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint balanced with savoury touches of cashew and spice. There is great presence on the palate with layers of flavour persisting with some mineral and lemon zest characters. Consistently delicious.
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2/26/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Drank over the course of three days, which must be some sort of record for me and this bottle. Oddly, really amazing on day two. So I guess keep right on holding and don't worry about it!
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2/5/2023 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
Our last bottle of this vintage and it shows no sign of slowing down. Still vibrant and delicious but with a touch of burnt toffee now on the finish. As always it seems to improve as it warms in the glass.
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12/29/2022 - mrwineface Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this against a 2008. Very different, a lighter colour, more straw. Similar nose. Palate is grapefruit, peach, but more mineral / kero hints and not the same sweetness / honey. Very enjoyable wine. Hard to split them, would come down to personal preference and this probably got the nod from me although it was an even split across the group.
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12/22/2022 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 89 Points
I had really been looking forward to sampling this and was initially bowled over simply because it seemed so fresh and crystalline with pleasing acidity and lift. Notes of lanolin preceded lemon and lime sherbet, cream, butter, vanilla, caramel and spice and I was impressed by its complexity and length.
As the wine opened up in the glass the honeyed finish became progressively more prominent and distracting and while it never cloyed I found it detracted from the first positive impression. In fact the longer it lingered the more sweet, simple and unremarkable it became. So much so that when I finished the bottle 48 hours later I found this to be nothing more than a distinctly ordinary well-crafted New World Chardonnay and couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. So not at all bad but not worth the spend. CHP 89 pts
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9/28/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Drank over the course of two days and still going strong. Lovely. More elegant this vintage which I would think is because of lower alcohol and thus cooler vintage?
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7/22/2022 - flussier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Robe jaune dorée. Vin très complexe sur la brioche, miel, banane, minéral et boisé. Décanté 1h. Long en bouche, rond mais avec une acidité présente. Très beau vin, a ne pas boire trop frais.
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7/21/2022 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Drinking wonderfully well under screwcap. Pours out with a green tinge. The nose is all peach, fig and cashew. It is rich, direct and powerful, with intense fruit flavours and a touch of spice. It has good shape and the finish has plenty of drive and authority and length is superb.
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4/28/2022 - azzah Likes this wine: 95 Points
Seriously good and seriously singing at 11 years young. It could age further, but why? The oak has pretty much fully folded into the fruit, with peach, pear, grapefruit, butter, nuts. Such lively acid driving along the very long flavours. This is a real delight. Long flavours. Once of those wines you wish you had more stashed away.
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3/11/2022 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Two consistent bottles of Leeuwin with a pale green gold colour and a lifted nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint and a touch of cashew. The wine has medium weight with lovely fruit characters on a rich background that leads into a fine finish with good drive and matiere. Simply lovely bottle of Chardonnay.
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12/21/2021 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
Still tastes young and fresh.
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11/24/2021 - robferguson1 wrote: 93 Points
Very California, great condition, class.
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10/24/2021 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lemon colour, still youthful on the eye. Fresh, herbaceous, citrus fruits of grapefruit, lemon and lime. The palate has also lots of citrus fruits but on the ripe and rich side with some pineapple too. Uterrly delicious and classy wine which seems to always show better than white burgundy of the same age. Under screw cap may help?
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7/6/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Sabina noted that she liked the '16 better. Two cool years for Arty Chardy. I think I liked this vintage better. But we drank it fast.
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6/26/2021 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another consistent bottle of Leeuwin from a less intense year with a pale green gold colour and a lifted nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint and a touch of cashew. The wine has medium weight with lovely fruit characters on a background of New World richness leading to a fine finish with good drive and matiere. In a perfect spot now.
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5/24/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Another delicious Art Series and right in the prime of its life.
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4/14/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
So youthful, delicious, lots of fruit and sharpness, sweet palate and oh so good of a finish. I am so bold to say BUY or hold if you got it.
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3/26/2021 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Yellow stone fruit on the nose, minerality, oatmeal, cream. On the palate fresh and vibrant with good concentration of fruit and a lovely creaminess. Great acidity leading to a long and intense finish. Very fine and no rush drinking up. 93-95
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2/18/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP into Schott Zwiesel Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Medium golden to the eyes.
Oak driven flavours. Ripe citrus fruits like grapefruits.
Fine boned acidity (compared to the 2019 Kumeu River’s Mate’s Vineyard). Signature toasty finish.
93-94 points.
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1/3/2021 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Virtual New Years Eve: F#%K 2020: Four years ago I noticed that this wine had some Chablis characteristics. At this age, those characteristics have almost completely taken over and it reminds me of a 1er Chablis. Lime, lemon, light, bright, lots of acidity, crisp sea spray.
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1/1/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Virtual New Years Eve Tasting with Open a Nice Bottle
The Lineup:
NV Champagne Le Mesnil Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
2004 Union Champagne de Saint Gall Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Orpale BdB
2011 Domaine Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres
2011 Leeuwin Estates Chardonnay Art Series
2013 Shea Pinot Noir Block 7 (mag)
1995 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Montelena Estates
1995 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron
2000 Chateau Baychevelle (mag)
2000 Chateau Malescot St Exupery
2003 Chateau Hosanna
2012 Cliff Lede Cabernet Stags Leap
2006 The Standish Wine Company "The Relic"
NV A. R. Lenoble Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Mag 14
Prep:
All whites and Champagnes were PnP into jars for transport around 6:30 p.m. for tasting beginning at 8:00 p.m. All reds received additional decant time ranging from 80 minutes to 100 minutes. Also, wines drank in the order listed, finishing with the last Champagne at Midnight (so extra time in jars).
Voting/Ranks:
We did not do a group voting or ranking, so unfortunately readers are stuck with my ranks. Here are my rankings (I ranked everything):
WOTN - Hands down for me was 1995 Chateau Montelena
#2 - 1995 Pichon-Longueville Baron
#3 - Domaine Drouhin Puigny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres
#4 (tie) - 2011 Leeuwin Estates Chardonnay Art Series
#4 (tie) - 2006 The Standish Wine Company "The Relic"
#6 (tie) - 2000 Ch. Malescot St Exupery
#6 (tie) - 2004 Union Champagne
#8 - 2012 Cliff Lede Cabernet
#9 (tie) - 2003 Hosanna
#9 (tie) - NV A.R. Lenoble Champagne Mag 14
#11 - 2000 Ch.Beychevelle
#12 - NV Champagne Le Mesnil
#13 - Shea Pinot Noir Block 7
Note: All wines were very good to excellent...my lowest score was 91 and highest score was 95+....for me, not a shabby lineup! Thanks to all who contributed, and special thanks to Kevin (Rocknroller) for putting this event together!
Wine Review:
2011 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series - This wine is always stellar, and my favorite Chardonnay producer from Australia. This wine was drinking quite well, with a nose of citrus, seashell and flint, and a palate of green apple, pear, sweet toasted oak and a touch of citrus. There was enough acidity to tell me this wine could be held for a few more years, although I am not sure if it will improve. I would recommend drinking sooner than later, but no rush. For me, an effortless 93+
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12/31/2020 - mrwineface Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decant for 2 hours and allowed to come up towards room temperature. Complex, plenty of mineral. Enjoyed with oysters, prawns and lobster roll. HNY! A very good example of Art Series and a strong vintage.
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12/31/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Virtual New Years Eve: F#%K 2020 (Home): Light gold color. PNP into vessels at 6:00pm for transport. Drank a 2oz pour over 30 minutes starting about 8:45pm.
Ocean air, crushed oyster shell, lemon; A little Chablisesque again on the nose, albeit somewhat bigger overall. Lemon, tart citrus, a little sour white grapefruit, flinty minerals, oak, lots of acid and a touch of bitters on the finish. Not as expressive as the last bottle a few years back. 91+ to 92pts.
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11/29/2020 - lightning wrote: 91 Points
Quay lunch (Quay): In contrast to the Mount Mary Chardonnay 2006, the Leeuwin Estate had a slight grassy note to the nose. Oak on the nose less dominating, palate texture richer and more viscous, prominent phenolics and oak, powerful and driving. Sealed under screwcap.
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10/20/2020 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another lovely bottle of Leeuwin albeit a little less intense than other years, this wine opened with a pale green gold colour and a lovely nose of white peach, freshly cut pears, touches of lime and mint and a touch of cashew. The wine has medium weight with lovely fruit characters and a fine finish with plenty of drive and matiere. This is in beautiful shape and is delicious drinking.
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9/13/2020 - cweiner Likes this wine: 90 Points
May have been the food pairing but far more sweeter tyhan I recall.
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4/25/2020 - danckie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous wine. Lived up to it’s reputation. Less weight then other vintages. Great mineral backbone. Still a baby.
Will go for years and years.
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4/8/2020 - crooksie Likes this wine: 94 Points
My favorite vintage. Leeuwin really brought it together. Crisp and Burgundian like. Decanted as usual
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1/9/2020 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 94 Points
Mind-boggling. Like drinking a beam of light – clear, bright, focused, and dazzling. The nose and palate are full of luscious florals, but the river-rock mineral cut transforms the lemon undertones into terroir overtones. Truly outstanding in every way.
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8/27/2019 - yaki wrote: 94 Points
Bosc pear, with honeydew melon, cream and butterscotch. Very balanced with an elegant finish. Drinking well now but can potentially improve further. 13.5% alcohol. Burgundian in style.
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7/7/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
"Let's spend all our money on grape juice" (Chicago, IL): For some reason in my last tasting note, I wrote that no one is mistaking this for white Burgundy. Sounds like a stupid thing to say -- I'd love to put this side by side with a Roulot Meursault. There's that awesome mineral reduction here with plenty of acidic cut, as well as some white fruit and some serious complexity. Great stuff -- I should be putting this in my cellar.
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6/16/2019 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 95 Points
Colour - pale straw bright and clear 15/15
Nose med intensity , citrus - lemon , lime and mandarin, stone fruits peach, nectarine , trop fruits melon, pineapple, almond ,florals, very layer nose 28/30
Palate Full bodied rich, many layers of flavour and complexity, vanilla oak creamy with long finish 42/44
overall excellent wine and served at room temperature which bought out all there aromas and flavours 10/11
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5/17/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Fresh fruit and pear and lively.
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5/9/2019 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 95 Points
Colour - pale straw bright and clear 15/15
Nose med intensity , citrus - lemon , lime and mandarin, stone fruits peach, nectarine , trop fruits melon, pineapple, almond ,florals, very layer nose 28/30
Palate Full bodied rich, many layers of flavour and complexity, vanilla oak creamy with long finish 42/44
overall The richness and creaminess made me think there was some MLF going on but on the the revel the Art Series has no MLF fooled again excellent wine and served at room temperature which bought out all there aromas and flavours 10/11
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4/21/2019 - peterchoy wrote: 93 Points
Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of light lemon, with watery rim and legs.
Nose: Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of citrus fruit of lime, green fruit of ripe apple and pear, floral notes of jasmine, stone fruit of peach, mineral notes of flint, kernel notes of roasted almond. The wine is developing.
Palate: Dry with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium alcohol, medium (+) body, with pronounced flavours of citrus fruit of lemon and grapefruit, green fruit of ripe pear, kernel notes of toasted almond, autolytic notes of brioche, dairy notes of cream, mineral notes of stony. The wine has a long finish.
Conclusion: Very good quality Australian Chardonnay with an intense nose showing great complexity, with plenty of fruit and floral characters complementing the mineral and almond notes, the wine is even more impressive on the palate, with good lively acidity, well-balanced and rich, demonstrating a great concentration of flavors and a very long finish. It is ready to drink now though can further develop for another 4-6 years.
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4/7/2019 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
Another excellent bottle. To my taste at least, this wine improves with time in glass and as it warms toward room temperature.
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3/31/2019 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another great bottle. If anything this is getting better with age, even if my score doesn't reflect that. White peach, melon, lemon and lovely oak integrated through the length of the wine.
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12/3/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
White and yellow stone fruit, oatmeal, cold cream, a little herbal on the nose at times. On the palate very well balanced - lots of acidity, generous fruit, minerality - harmonious and long. 92-94
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9/8/2018 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still somewhat subdued - the usual Leeuwin taste profile but not terribly expressive. Maybe it needs more time.
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8/14/2018 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
A slight green tint. Citrus, mineral, stone fruit and a floral note. Tight and crisp. One of my favorite Chardonnays every year. A little early for this vintage. Needs plenty of air or more time in bottle to hit its prime, preferably the latter. Good upside potential.
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8/14/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
From the low alcohol leaner vintage, and in cap, and therefor still need time. Its got all the substance, just takes a couple of hours to fully open up. Hold for a while longer yet.
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8/7/2018 - bugdoced wrote: 92 Points
terrific effort and consistent year to year
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7/19/2018 - cweiner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Simply lovely at this time- my kind of chardonnay!
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5/29/2018 - robferguson1 wrote: 90 Points
I found this just too much wood
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5/8/2018 - cweiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Idea; with shellfish and softshell crab
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4/29/2018 - Al-Vino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine with moderate oak that ideally should be paired with food. Ageworthy and one of the better producers of Chardonnays.
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4/13/2018 - cweiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle- bone dry yet with a hint of fruit. Improved over a hour or so.
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2/26/2018 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
Deceptively mature tasting, with some of that weightless, cider quality, that comes to exceptionally grand old burgundies - but there's exotic young fruit in there too - superb
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1/2/2018 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
delicious start to the new year
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12/17/2017 - Adrian Wood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Annual BYO Lunch. Apricot, honey and vanilla on the nose. Rich and buttery mouthfeel balanced by refreshing minerality and melon notes with a toasty finish. Well balanced and harmonious. Very good indeed and should continue to develop. Many thanks to Alex for this.
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11/10/2017 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another 18 months on this wine, but the comments are very similar. Perhaps there is a hint of mellowing, but only a hint. Still vibrant and fresh.
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9/28/2017 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 93 Points
i think this is a bit over hyped by WS. i cant get to a 96pt rating. was def a VERY good btl wiht a great backbone of minerality and the finish was long as well
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9/24/2017 - JEP007 wrote: 93 Points
Third and final bottle. Flavor profile hasn't changed much at all since the original bottle was popped a few years ago. Tons of minerality with lemon lime notes. Plenty of acidity with some complexity. Not a memorably experience, but still enjoyable.
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9/24/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really smooth, earthy, fruit, pear, nice palate feel, really young. Wait!
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7/13/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
I agree with Jeremy's latest tasting note. I visited these guys way back in 1990. Always nice to taste a refresher on this winery. Greenish gold in tint. Fruits here tend toward more tropical. You really only notice the oak on the long finish. There is a bit of waxiness here as well. This will hold for along time from here. Still seems a bit tight.
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7/10/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
I agree with Jeremy's latest tasting note. I visited these guys way back in 1990. Always nice to taste a refresher on this winery. Greenish gold in tint. Fruits here tend toward more tropical. You really only notice the oak on the long finish. There is a bit of waxiness here as well. This will hold for along time from here. Still seems a bit tight.
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5/23/2017 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Pure white peach, vanilla, toast and honey. Buttery rich in the mouth with good volume and freshness. The fruit has a light candied feel and length is impressive.
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4/9/2017 - Isaac L Likes this wine: 92 Points
Apricot, orange peel and honey on the palate. Petroleum nose. Nice and chewy mouthfeel, with some slate coming through as well. A very nice wine.
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3/23/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Light gold color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over an hour. This was a [particularly refreshing bottle of Leeuwin. While this was extremely vibrant and energetic, in other ways it was equally retained in such a good way. Nice minerals with a Chablisesque quality, bright white flowers, white fruits, pear, apple, melon on the nose with modest oak. The palate feels medium bodied, lively, crisp acid and mineral notes lead the way, the fruit is bright and fully balanced, wonderful green and white fruits, modest and complimentary oak, some sea shore essence, long penetrating finish. 93+pts.
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3/13/2017 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Boston Fish Market (Des Plaines, IL): Nobody is mistaking this for white Burgundy, but it's clearly great chardonnay. It comes with waxy and thick textures, ripe stone fruits, and generally a bit less acidity than I prefer, but it's somehow still knit in a very convincing package. One of the things I liked the most about this was the smoky reductiveness.
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3/11/2017 - pmk wrote: 92 Points
equal to a top notch mantrachet.
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3/3/2017 - Mazy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Je l'ai préféré à la dernière bouteille bue - je crois qu'il a intégré davantage ses arômes fermentaires. Une belle texture grasse, une rondeur en bouche, avec des notes d'élevage mais sans lourdeur. Les fruits sont mûrs mais il persiste une belle fraîcheur. Pour moi, du niveau d'un bon village en Côte-de-Beaune.
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3/3/2017 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 92 Points
This is one of the most consistent chardonnays in the world in my view. Perhaps a little more restraint than in the past but tremendous balance, length and complexity. Youthful but already delicious. 10 years plus to go.
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12/31/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
New Years Eve Celebration (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Medium gold color. Decanted for 30 minutes, drank 1 glass over an hour. There's a bit of effervescence here. The nose has plenty of brisk saline like minerality out front and a distinct earthiness, light-medium toasted oak, lemon and subtle pineapple. The palate shows the same earthiness, lemon, lemon zest, tangerine, and pineapple, with saline, zingy acid and moderate toasted oak barrel. This mixes styles and brings a lot refinement. 92+pts.
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12/31/2016 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 95 Points
Exceptional balance of lemon, butter, and mineral. This continues to be my favorite chardonnay worldwide.
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12/22/2016 - pmk wrote: 96 Points
cannot do better than WA and WS in describing this fabulous wine - so different from California chardonnays - an absolutley incredible wine quaff. worth every dollar!
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12/16/2016 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Luis Tilia WTDS plus Happy Birthday to Gary and Me (Tilia): Pop and pour, shared a bottle with 7 others. Minerality and salinity combined with golden fruit, elegance and high alcohol. Yes, this is a strange combination, with aspects of Chablis, California and a bit of Australia. Unquestionably a world-class chardonnay.
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12/9/2016 - ckellermd wrote: 93 Points
I always have a hard time getting over the start to this wine. Screw cap, pale yellow, clear, almost watery. But let it decant. Bouquet is minerally and floral. Truly floral--most say it but I never detect it--but this is pure crushed rock and rose petals on the nose. Flavors are tropical with excellent acidity. Finish is very long. Really good. For whatever reason I enjoy it more than the California chards that are cloudy and flabby and for which I'm supposed to fork over a house payment. Find this wine--any vintage--for $60 and buy a case.
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12/4/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Il m'a moins ébloui que les précédentes, le bois me paraissant plus proéminent, laissant un côté beurré et exotique. Mais ça reste un vin fort intéressant et, sans surprise (pour moi!), les gens croyaient tous en un Côte de Beaune, soit Meursault ou Puligny. La finale a une belle salinité. 90-91 pts
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8/20/2016 - HStaal wrote: 91 Points
Lunch at 67 Pall Mall (67 Pall Mall): Clear pale lemon in appearance. Lovely nose of citrus (lemon, lime), stone (peach) and tropical fruits (pineapple), vanilla, oak, some smokiness, minerals. Quite complex and well balanced. High acidity, medium(+) body, longish finish. Fabulous wine.
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7/29/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Kinda mumpy fruit on this one on the nose compare to '12 and '13. ANd shows more open ripefruit as well. Hmm... not my favorite so far, but I still love it.
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7/16/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Chardonnay. This is where minerality, fruits and smokiness meet. Already quite complex, it offers a great tasting experience. Balanced and long. Drink or hold for another 5-7 years.
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7/9/2016 - tbyrne49 wrote:
- Yellow color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body with a long finish.
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6/26/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Whites at Monello (Monello, Mpls, MN): Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. This was significantly better than a bottle a year ago and starting to hit the sweet spot. Round, full bodied, tangerine, citrus, white peach, saline, great minerality. This has settled down considerably and shows more finesse. 93+pts.
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5/19/2016 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 94 Points
wow, a great chard! i know this wine always garners lots of +ve reviews and now i can see why. was loaded with everything you would expect but nothing was overdone, was very well balanced.
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5/9/2016 - pmk wrote: 94 Points
wonderfully layered and balanced with acidity and minerality in perfect measures, citrus fruit and honey fruit, hint of toast.
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5/7/2016 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautifully structured and balanced chardonnay. Fresh and vibrant with intense, powerful fruit. White peach, pear and enough citrus to keep this alive. The oak is skilfully handled. Great wine with many years ahead of it.
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5/4/2016 - Oldmanzin wrote: 94 Points
Great notes of fruit and acidity with light oak adding a soft spice touch. A Chardonnay that is like Chablis meeting Sonoma Coast. So good with a lot of life left!
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4/10/2016 - Mazy Likes this wine: 88 Points
("popped and poured") Très bien pour un Australien (je l'utiliserai comme pirate dans une dégustation bourguignonne) mais il manque un peu de fond pour le prix - un peu d'amertume lactée qui aurait bénéficié d'un coup de carafe.
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3/21/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
A little creamy, rich on the nose with notes of ripe yellow stone fruit, gooseberries, hints of caramel. On the palate just wonderfully balanced - rich, bright, nuanced, elegant at the same time. Great mouthfeel, excellent length. Superb! Drink or keep. 94-96
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1/7/2016 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Light, bright yellow. Sexy nose of lime, pear, iodine, and oaky spice. Citrus, minerals, and spice on the palate. Great, griping acidity. Long, lingering finish of chamomile and spice. Like a 1er Puligny-Montrachet.
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1/1/2016 - Tarpon222 wrote: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully. Always a delicious, although too expensive, Chardonnay. Nice treat occasionally.
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12/31/2015 - patbod wrote: 75 Points
Beau vin mais mériterais de dormir encore quelques années en cave.
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12/23/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Lunch de Noël des anciens de C&S 2015 (au Quartier Général): Une superbe richesse bien domptée, c'est aromatique et pur, de forme très classique, je le mettais sur Puligny lorgnant Meursault....!
Superbe équilibre, son opulence aurait pu en trahir l'origine, mais la fraicheur le rendait très bourguignon. 93-94 pts
C'est la deuxième fois que ce vin me bluffe complètement.
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10/24/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 97 Points
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): This light yellow/gold wine is heavily perfumed, with white flower, stone fruit, orange zest, saline and ginger. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic and without alcoholic heat, it delivers flavors which mirror the nose. Focused and layered in the middle, it restrains its oak to a complimentary role. The lengthy finish culminates with a nice wet stone element. Deftly balanced and wonderfully complex, this is a world-class Chardonnay that should drink well over the next decade. Drink now-2025.
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10/24/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Slight hint of spicy pepper, then fairly dry, elegant styled chard with just a hint of heaviness on the finish. Maybe age worthy?
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10/20/2015 - Scottlmatthews Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very tropical nose of pineapple and coconuts with a Meursault minerality
Palate is the same as nose, very fresh, very intense. I decanted this wine for 30 minutes but could use another 30. Give other bottles 3 years. Had with grilled Maui Opah on the Barbie!
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9/13/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Light, yellowish-green on the eye. Lively, pleasant lime, vanilla and creamy nose. Almonds and citrus fruits on the palate. Relatively straight-forward. Soft finish. Nice wine, but a bit over-priced given the hype and delivery.
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9/1/2015 - PT insurgent wrote:
Pronounced nose of toasty oak, smoke. Ripe citrus - cooked lemon, stone fruit - peach. Nutty, biscuit, yeasty. Melon. Youthful nose.
Palate is dry, high acid, full body, pronounced flavours high alcohol, long finish. notes of RIpe citrus, lemon, stone fruit peach. Oak, smoke, vanilla, toast. biscuit, yeast, spice ginger nutmeg clove. delicate tropical notes. Massive, very very rich wine.
Outstanding, excellent balance, very complex and huge concentration.
Very modern, unmistakably new world, but everything is in its place.
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8/3/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Des vins de rêve en blanc (Aux Délices de Fred): Nez discret finement citronné. Un magnifique vin frais et minéral, pierreux, avec une finale pure, cristalline, saline. Très belle longueur et un équilibre sur la fraîcheur. J'hésitais vers un Puligny, tout en lui trouvant la minéralité d'un grand Chablis. J'aime vraiment beaucoup et j'adore de telles surprises. Personne n'était ailleurs qu'en Bourgogne. 94 pts
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7/20/2015 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
If you don't like oak, you won't like Leeuwin. But for those who do, oh, this is a wonderful Aussie Chard.
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7/17/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at La Belle Vie (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Light gold color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over an hour. This is usually a wine that I find very complex and intriguing. This bottle struck me a bit more one dimensional than others, still excellent but not quite as exhilarating as other vintages. The nose shows a lot of fresh cut cedar planks, toasted oak, lemon, lighter banana, sea breeze minerals. The palate is toasted, cedar, pear, lemon, banana, good minerality, fresh oak, youthful with a good finish. Give this a couple years and we'll see what happens. 91+ to 92pts.
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6/20/2015 - JARConcord Likes this wine: 93 Points
Young, fruit-driven, mineral, well delineated - needs time to put on some weight and lusciousness.
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6/18/2015 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Nose of lime zest, pear, and iodine. Tart citrus, chamomile, and oaky coconut in the mouth. Long, lengthy finish of intense minerality. Drink now through 2020.
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5/16/2015 - DSR wrote: 93 Points
Citrus and stone fruit with some floral notes. Crisp acidity, perhaps a touch too much oak, but otherwise well-balanced. Great long finish.
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5/10/2015 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Nose of zesty lime, pear, white flowers, and spice. Intense, focused, and penetrating, with flavors of citrus fruit and chamomile. A mineral finish lingers for a minute. This reminds me of a 1er Puligny-Montrachet. Drink now through 2020, at least.
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3/22/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Light, yellowish-green, pleasant nose, a bit of cream and vanilla, pedestrian and straight-forward. Sadly, we sipped after the Giaconda, which is a significantly better drop!
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1/22/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
My first thoughts: low alcohol for an Art Series, and incredibly harmonious. Needing some time in the cellar or decanter -just opened though. Not sure why this would Wine Spectator so hard this year... we shall see.
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1/8/2015 - fdub Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale greenish yellow. Stones, lemon and lime. Penetrating nose, wet rocks, super bright. Touch of zip on the finish.
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1/7/2015 - fdub Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale greenish yellow. Stones, lemon and lime. Penetrating nose, wet rocks, super bright. Touch of zip on the finish.
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1/5/2015 - ehodin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious; tending towards Burgundy style, Should be long-lived
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12/26/2014 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Tight, restrained and focus, part of the new wave of restraint shown by Aussie winemakers when it comes to the making of Chardonnay these days. It smells of tangerine, white peach and citrus blossom. There is a whiff of spice from some well seasoned oak. In the mouth it is linear and quite dense with a suggestion of green melon and plenty of citrus. Length of flavour is very good.
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11/19/2014 - JerM wrote: 94 Points
(tasting@LeeuwinEstate) Lifted white florals, nougat, soft oak, light leafy herbs. Clean, crisp acidity, intense yet supremely balanced. Interesting hint Christmas spices. Oily acid clarity. Long lingering finish, full yet light: toasted cashews, brioche, green herbs, floral petals. Pure, and a lifetime ahead of it!
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10/17/2014 - lolo66 wrote: 86 Points
NY Wine Experience 2014 (Marriot Marquis): a bit too much oak for me. probably too young, but wasn't crazy about the fruit profile hear. too much buttered popcorn and not enough tartness for my palate.
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10/8/2014 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 89 Points
Wonderful florals, big attack, elegant, loooong finish. So why the low score? Because like many Australian Chards I have run into over the years, it lacks a certain upmph and classy finish - at first taste it was wonderful. At second taste it started to get a little flabby. At third taste the florals were gone, the middle fat and the finish oiling up. At fourth taste shot.
WTHIGO?
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7/4/2014 - Fur in the glass Likes this wine:
Never really been disappointed with this. Nice, creamy fruit.
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5/15/2014 - JerM wrote: 94 Points
(Mich&Bo@LangtonsVI) [vertical with 2010] Lifted florals, melon, toasted cashew. Linear, crisp, sweet, forward oak, ending gentle. Nothing like the 2010. Rather enjoyable already.
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5/1/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
Australian Wine Unearthed Public Tasting (Sydney, Australia): Pear, peach and plenty of oak. A touch of alcohol shows on the palate. Good length but I'm not sure this style is for me anymore.
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