A decade on from my last bottle of this and time has worked its magic. Bright mid ruby. Nice lift from the Grenache. Some cherry and a hint of Mourvèdre. Quite chiselled. Length and line. ****
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Despite beeing opened 5 hours before (not decanted) it come out rather earthy with damp cellartones in the nose. Freshened up in the glass it became opulent, warm and inviting. A classic older wine with lots of elegant plum fruitiness and chocolate. Having a full round taste, medium length, well balanced, it delivered according to expectation. However, I cannot see it improving much more.
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Firm tannins, elegant fruit, slightly dirty on the nose, a little bit hot, and with some green notes on the finish make this less exciting but still enjoyable.
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Slowly arriving, this is very typical for this somewhat akward vintage; rustiuc with tannin still quite present, plenty of barnyard and garrigue, a local wine. Needs food. #ChezAvril
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Absolutely with you Herdaro, this wine is really a beauty, patience is the key. Clos des Papes is always one of my favorite CDP, very elegant like a great Burgundy. Rayas, Charvin, Vieux Telegraphe, Beaucastel are also on the same path: elegance, not over ripe, very aromatic with a great balance. All this criteriums make a great wine.
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Still dark at centre with a tawny rim. The nose is quite elusive, earthy with an undercurrent of black fruits. On the palate all is in balance with restrained sweet fruit and a touch of tannin and a streak of acidity. All in perfect harmony now, with plenty of time left. My only bottle which I have had for twenty years and couldn’t have picked a better moment in its evolution. I agree with those who compare this to burgundy which some mature Chateauneufs do elegantly resemble, this and Charvin for example. My favourite style of Chateauneuf where patience is greatly rewarded.
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Decanted several hours before to blow off any must and remove sediment.
Was drinking very nicely from the gun. Well-preserved cork, clear ruby color. A bit of sour cherry and secondary, moving into tertiary flavors. Not sure how it really gets better from here. In a nice delicate balance.
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Dark still, heady nose, medium bodied, balanced, perfect time to drink with its fruits & tannins all in equilibrium, like a Pommard from 90s, easily 10 years left 93
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Perfectly mature nose displaying ripe slightly dry black fruit, black cherry, black plum, strong tobacco and garrigue, a hint of licorice, molasses, baking spices and earth. Excellent concentration, nicely layered slightly dry black fruit with a hint of red, silky and rich, good acidity, still noticeable but non-obtrusive tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with strong tobacco at the end. Consistent with the last bottle, showing the ripe and concentrated style of the property and the structure of the 95 vintage.
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Nahe^3: 10 vintages of Halenberg, Hermannshöhle and Felseneck + X (@Private location, Frankfurt): *** brief note from an extensive tasting *** Glass: Gabriel Gold Decanted about 30min before. Clear, medium tawny color with brown edges. Classic C9dP nose with some barn, camphor, rose petals, spices, leather. Complex and nice. Well-integrated, medium acidity. Balsamic notes, rose, barn, menthol, tobacco. Very elegant, balanced and round. Wonderful silky texture. Drink now or within the next 5+ years. 92-93
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A perfectly cellared example. Beautifully mature nose displaying generous black fruit, black cherry, blackberry, blackberry jam, tobacco, garrigue, licorice, grilled meat and earth. Excellent concentration, concentrated sweet black fruit, sweet and silky, good acidity and earthy mineral, and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with a hint of garrigue and tobacco at the end. This is a classic CDP that nicely demonstrate the ripe yet structured vintage character.
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Expecting this to be well over the hill. Rather, had all the elements of an aged ChdP with none of the sometimes musty, gamy, barnyard elements. Rather, smooth tannins, garrigue herbal nose and wonderful dark fruit, garrigue, soy sauce in the mouth. Not going to improve, but fabulous “old world” aged ChdP.
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Red brown in colour . On opening a surprisingly black fruited and liquorice nose.
Exposure to air quickly resolves things. Spicy dusty nose. Tannins resolved - probably on the cusp of being over the hill but enjoyable tonight good balance.
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Rhone Varietals (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Second of two bottles of this wine served double blind at today's tasting. Much like the prior bottle, showing lots of black fruit and roasted meat. This bottle came across as slightly bigger and slightly more tannic. Most tasters preferred this bottle, while I slightly preferred the former.
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Drunk at Chiu Tang Hong Kong - Rhone rusticity with fully resolved, soft tannins. Excellent vintage for this wine, a great example before the 'Age of Extraction'!
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Guy's Night Out (Jason's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red color, slightly cloudy. PNP, drank a glass over an hour plus. Wow, another fantastic bottle of '95. The nose is flat out stunning again and the palate is not too far behind. Gorgeous nose of crushed flowers, red fruits, leather, damp earth and touches of funk, anise. The palate shows more funk and earth, leather, kirsch, black fruits, garrigue, spiced, pepper, very long. My and group WOTN by a big margin. I think these are at peak, but they have a solid 10 years ahead of them with no worries
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From a 750. Tannins are completely resolved and there is very little sense of alcohol. No sign of age though, no bricking and the wonderful aromas of black and red fruit lasted all evening. More like a great Burgundy, with character and depth, then a Southern Rhone. Very impressed!
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Purchased on release and perfectly cellared ever since. The cork came out clean and was in great shape. This wine displayed a good ruby red color with some bricking on the edge. This wine was absolutely singing. Mature fruit, but still offering a brightness and freshness that lifted the palate. Meaty, with nice spice and licorice notes. Tannins are resolved and silky. Just a wonderful drinking experience. Nice investment of $25 back in the day.
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Been ages since I tasted a CdP. This is holding up well and seems it can still go a while. Wild nose, meaty and olive and licorice. Still a bit too kirsch on the palate for me, but very good for what it is at this age. Paired well with the lamb dish.
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Dark red. Medium intense nose of black cherry, earth and raspberry, still pretty primary. Nice dark fruit and earth flavours and a long dry tannic finish.
Very structured, the tannins are very strong in this one. Still improving in my opinion.
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Ruby to brickred with slightly orange tinted rim. Cherries, black fruits, licorice, meat. On the palate good poise, but still showing round tannin with a dry and adstringent finish. I think this is on its slow way down the hill. A couple of years ago I rated it 95-96 . Drink it up. 5/12/17/8
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Tasted blind. Plum, smoke, old tobacco nose with some spikes of rubbed herbs, smells like mature Syrah. Palate is softened, silky, spicy with some raspberry fruit hanging in there. Delicious but also just kind of old. Guessed old CdP.
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Tasted blind. Probably the best nose of the lineup. Cinnamon, roasted coffee beans, deep red fruit aromas. Stone and ash up front. Layered flavor profiles. The texture is slowing down and softening with age, and it seemed to lose steam the longer it was open. Drink up.
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At peak now. Well matured. So soft and sexy now. Dried floral, dried sweet red fruits, rustic, gamey, earthy, some autumn leaves. Straight forward palate but nevertheless so well balanced, pure. Very smoky, rustic, dried leaves, dried red fruits, beautiful!
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A vibrant ruby colour with no hue of any brown colour. In addition to the red berry aromas it also shows pronounced gamey and earthy notes which are not seeking for domination over the fruit notes. A medium acidity level and mouth filling tannins for a pleasant finish.
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Friday late night at Tim's place. Aired in bottle for 2.5 hours already. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of bretty earth, unwashed sweaty socks, white pepper spices, meat, red cherries. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), integrated high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet spices, red cherries, black cherries, licorice, white pepper, earth, meat. Long finish. Very good quality. Barring the brett on the nose, the palate is good. Time to drink up.
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CdP Night (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Poured into decanter after 1st pour. Improved with air. Appearance is cloudy, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose medium intensity, with initially worrying aroma of musty newspaper which thankfully blew off in the decanter. Aromas of smelly barnyard, earth, dark animal meat, green bell pepper ?green olives. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), grippy high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavors of green bell pepper ?green olives, dark earth, concentrated black cherries, blackberries, savoury animal meat, mint, smoke. Long finish. Something just feels a bit off with this bottle. Complex and did get better with more air though. Will look forward to trying another bottle again from another batch.
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Brisket Bash Deux: 10 Vintage Vertical of Clos de Papes and more (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): medium dark red color. Slow-O for 1 hour plus, drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Drank as part of a vertical of Clos des Papes (95, 98, 99, 00, 01, 04, 05, 06, 08, 09) Wow, fantastic again, and wine of the vertical. I had really hoped this wasn't just a one-off great bottle I'd had before, and at the very least it's a two off J. Killer perfumed nose with leather, dried flowers, earthy, subtle garrigue, red berry and red cherry fruit and spice. The palate is equal to the nose and shows the elegance and depth of classic aged CDP the way it was intended to be. See previous detailed note. 96+pts.
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Colour good for age. Classic nose, warm baked with deep damson fruit. Luscious mouthfeel, warm but alcohol contained. Good freshness on finish. Very good
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Raw with barnyard, fur and hint of pigs blood. Chinese herbs mixed with black olive. White pepper emerged on palate with good black fruit and backbone. Layers upon layers of complexity, this is the CDP I love.
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Garnet with orange rim. The cork was in perfect condition. Surprising light not showing as much of intensity as previous bottles. Cherries, olive tapenade, tobacco, cedar. Still quite tannic given its age. I guess it is past his prime, or a bottle that needed more time?
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Annual CDP tasting (Edina Country Club): Slow o'd for 2 hours. Drank a glass over an hour. Very floral. Great complexity. This had a lot of earth, tar and garrigue. It started out on the lighter side of medium-bodied. Sitting in the glass, it seemed to take on weight with darker fruit, more tar and soy. By the time I had finished it, was on the fuller side of medium-bodied. It was fun to watch this wine change. This was the best CDP I’ve had so far in my life.
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Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina, MN): Dark red color, no bricking. Slow-O for 2 hours, double decanted for 15 minutes and an additional 30-60 minutes open in bottle. Drank 1+ glass over 3 hours. Ethereal, absolutely incredible, a classically beautiful Clos des Pape nose with an amazing floral perfume, violets, whispy garrigue, pipe tobacco, fine leather,gorgeous red fruits, earth and a dose of funk, on top of asian spice mix and some blood. The palate does not take a backseat here at all, and it has a lot to live up to with this nose; medium bodied, silken texture, dry forest floor, raspberry, dark cherry, pipe tobacco, beef blood, leather, hints of tar, floral, near fully integrated tannins, and a ridiculously long finish. Perfect balance and a totally wow wine in as good a place as one can imagine - just makes me giddy with joy. Should hold for 5 to 10 years. This where I wish we drank all of our CDP's. Unanimous WOTN. 96+pts.
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2015 CDP Annual Dinner (Edina Country Club): Very dark. Cherry liquor with funky, floral, lead pencil and, sweet charming, captivating aromas. Many layers with a great, fruitcake, lavender, fire-roasted tomato, and harmonious balance. Delicious. 1 minute finish. Certainly in its drinking window. The group's number 1, by a unanimous vote.
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Delicious bottle of wine from the days before Clos des Papes was overripe and overdone. Mid-weight, complex, and open for business. Good now, but no hurry.
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Deeper red than VT 95 drank alongside. Damson , garrigue and old leather on nose. Restrained power on palate , plenty of fruit and earth with long finish. A good contrast with VT which on this occasion was the more elegant but both very good in their own way.
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bright colour, hint of maturity. Fresh elegant nose, hints of herb and leather, restrained at first on palate but fruit developed with time decanter into a delicious balanced wine with plenty of depth. Plenty of time left.
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Nose: Savory and balanced with black fruits, black cherries, lavender, kirsch, hot stones, Provençal spices, funk, and some violets. There is great depth and style that harkens to a more classic style.
Taste: Medium bodied with silky tannins. The feel is very balanced with black cherries, Provençal spices, black fruits, funky notes, and violets on the back end.
Overall: This is a gorgeous Clos des Papes. It shows the funkier side with a good amount of black fruits.
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Kirsch, pepper, fresh herbs, strawberries and ripe cherries open to a soft, ripe, elegant expression of Grenache. At close to 20 years of age, this seems to be a fully mature Chateauneuf du Pape that is right on top of its game.
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Anita's Fortieth (Rochelle Canteen): Ripe, slightly kirschy cherry fruit. Fresh with good acidity giving it some line and clarity. A little hot for me but very decent. Think it would have benefited from some meat or cheese protein. ****
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Burg Blowout (Woodstock, GA): Another phenomenal showing for this wine! Served double blind; resolved reddish core with orangey bricking rim; nose leaps out with barnyard, leather, light raspberry, strawberry, and light cherry, an obvious Bretty quality that was a well integrated component with the fruit rather than center stage; so fresh and alive with tons of sweet red fruit on the palate, very sappy yet so drinkable; elegant and Burgundian though this was so true to what it was that everyone nailed CdP though they thought it was much younger.
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I've had this twice in the last month... youthful in appearance and still has a fair amount of primary fruit, especially for its age. More structured than the typical Clos des Papes for me... the wine is quite clean (without brett), quite tannic and powerful, not overripe in the least, and is texturally really an excellent wine. Nearing its peak but there it is drinking very well now as well. Impressive wine.
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My last bottle of this wine and I regret I don't have more. This was the wine of the night for Torben and up there for Niels. A mature Chateauneuf showing the typical garrigue, leather, tobacco, pepper and dried cherry fruit. Typical for the vintage, the tannins are still marked and will provide support for another 3-5 years of development. Vraiment Chateauneuf, the way it can and should taste after close to two decades in the cellar. With Osso Bucco a la Union Square Cafe. Dinner at home with Niels/Tulle and Torben/Puk.
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Dinner for my personal anesthesia team (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 3 hours (some benefit). Garnet with an orange tint. Red berry nose with some cherry, tobacco, garrique, earth (elegant compared to the Vieux). Palate had medium fruit that was lifted, complex, finesseful for sure and with a streak of mineral acidity. Not nearly the palate weight and penetration of the VT, but sense of finesse and elegance put a bigger smile on my face. Best with the ravioli.
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Chateauneuf du pape tasting (Wine-Bar, Nahalat Binyamin, TLV): dark red-brwon with amber rim developed secondary & tertiary wet-earth aromas full body, still ripe fruits flavors, balanced tannins & bitterness, good level of acidity, live and enjoyable, with quality aftertaste.
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Decanted at last minute so took a little while t hit it's stride. Usual lovely damson crushed and leather nose , loads of herbs. Harmonious palate in secondary phase usual cdp elegance. Lovely
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Black cherry aromas with a little bit of cinnamon and allspice. Same fruit on the palate with a bit of black pepper as well. Very elegant structure is well integrated. At a very good place today.
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Very young appearance, ruby red and bright. Nose quite primary, Grenache garrigue mineral but with CDP refinement. Palate rich fruit with refined structure. Lot of power held in check by the fruit with long finish. This has years ahead but drinking now
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Drank at a wine tasting at Westchester Wine School. Delicious, lush fruit, great balance, beautiful aromatic nose. A winner and shows no signs of decay. Wish I had some in my cellar
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Three Dinners: Opened and decanted. Served blind. Awesome nose with red fruit, iron and dried herbs. Smooth and elegant on the palate but still showing plenty of structure. Guesses were mostly towards Bordeaux, with nobody calling CdP. A great wine with plenty of years ahead of it.
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Casa Ray 2: Dense, coffee scented, opening up to a more peppery nose. Quite full with a leggy, fat, glycerin-laden attack and mid-palate. Fresher cherry and dark fruited. Slightly liqueury. Again, mellows and improves with a couple of hours in the glass and shows more elegance and interest. ***(*)
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Medium brick red, no brown. Smoke, cedar and camphor initially, not much red fruit. Was very tight, with dusty tannins still very much apparent. We enjoyed drinking it, but I would have liked to have had more fruit to balance this wine. It needs to be drunk now - I don't think this will get any better.
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Black cherry, kirsch, earth, truffle and fresh market herbs. Robust, concentrated black cherry and herb flavors end with a dense melange of dark cherry, jam and plum flavors. This fully mature Chateauneuf du Pape might have been a little more interesting a year or two ago. There is no reason to age this any longer.
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Dark red on colour, very dark. The nose is beautiful game, however not extremely intense, blueberries and spices. The spices are complex and not the typical intense pepper kind. Add some plum, leather and barnyard and the complexity is just beautiful. Medium to full bodied, good elegant fruit. The tannins are really on the soft side, but the acid is great but could perhaps be a touch more from my point of view. A nice complex and long finish which carries the fruit all the way. The really nice element about this wine is the flavours that are all greatly integrated making the wine very elegant. So many flavours but no-one is extremely intense.
One of the better CdP I have tasted in a while, and still a wine for the future. But no shame drinking this at the current state.
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wine evening hosted by Yoram (at Yoram Solberg): blind tasting; light red-brown color, brown rim; wonderful secondary & tertiary aromas of leather & spices; tannic, balanced, still very enjoyable inspite that the wine is over its peak; long after-taste, a real pleasure.
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From a half bottle, in perfect condition. Deep purple without any bricking. Aromas of sweet red fruit(cranberry came to mind), rosemary and other herbs, violets and cinammon. Sweet and silky with good persistence. Really lovely.
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This bottle started out stinky, but unlike the last one, this cleaned up and revealed beautiful red fruit aromatics and some crushed herbs. Retained its silky feel and roundness better as well. I think we were lucky enough to catch this at its apex. Gorgeous, complex Chateauneuf in the old, savory style without too much sweetness or concentration.
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initial flight with the 90 and 93, in a good spot right now, still showing fresh fruit with budding tertiary characteristics of the grenach, comments were that it resembled the smell of old luggage. bit shorter than the 90 but a slight better balance. drinking fine for 5+ years
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Ruby center, more tawny rim. Complex, engaging aromatics of red fruit, caramel, and some definite brett (the first time I've encountered this in this wine over several bottles). Ripe, very un-95-like with good natural sweetness, but over a few hours, it lost its initial balance and charm and became harder and more acidic. Can be a lot better than this, and I am surprised to find it so affected by brett.
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Very good bottle of wine. Enjoyed with dinner at Provence. Good balance of fruit and earth. Definite Grenache on the nose and palate - hints of raspberry and lavendar.
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Medium ruby, not pristinely clear, some browning at the extreme edge. Seductive aroma of caramel, red and blue fruit, and brown spices including nutmeg and cinnamon. A touch of brett that did not interfere at all. Harmonious and round with natural sweetness on the palate, yet it still has a core of tannin that burst forth late, along with rising secondary perfume and rosemary notes. Right now, this shouts Mourvedre, and a fabulous one at that, more generous than say, a Tempier single vineyard Bandol. Gorgeous and so atypical for '95 Chateauneuf. After going through some minor '07s yesterday, it was great to have a wine that is beautifully ripe and creamy without being overdone or alcoholic.
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Rhone and Riesling dinner (Jade Palace, Forum Galleria): The pair of Clos des Papes was quite clearly the strongest red flight of the night. This was excellent. Lots of depth on the nose, with deep meaty scents wed to lush, fruity plums and dried figs, seasoned with spice, eucalyptus, a touch of barnyard and a semi-buried stream of minerality. Muscular, but elegant at the same time. Much the same on the palate - this was still so young! Fresh and lively, yet very full and deep, it had fresh flavours of red cherry fruit, licorice and pepper held up by very fine, but still grippy tannins. Lots of strength on this wine from the attack to the finish, which showed prickly freshness and a long, dry linger of dried fruit notes. This can go on for quite some time yet, picking up complexity along the way. But why wait too long though? It is drinking beautiful now.
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Enjoyed a bottle in Frisco with some grilled lamb chops. 2 hr decant and this was singing -nice earthy notes dark fruit,mature notes and quite elegant . Tasty stuff.
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Continues to be a wonderful wine. We had just tasted two 1998 ChdP (not Clos des Papes) and were very disappointed at how they were holding up. However, this 1995 Clos des Papes is still great. Wonderful nose, not much barnyard to us, rather, smoky. It has softened and is well-balanced in terms of tannins and acid. Still has traditional elements of garrigue, minerals, but with solid fruit. As others we strongly tasted that "roasted" or grilled meat elements. Not a big wine, but not at all thin. This is why we keep them!
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Very closed compared to a year ago. Still, big barnyard smell (seemed to be the theme tonight of the French wines), with big dark fruit. Flavor fills every cranny in the palate, just bursting to say something more than it was able to tonight. Still loving these, hoping the next one (I think the last!) expresses itself more. Still, plenty of life. Wish I had enough of these to try one a year the next 15 years.
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A few recent wines: Dark ruby, with some bricking. Raspberry + plum fruits but more tannin evident than I recall previously. Licourice, herbs and some earthy tones balance up the rich fruit well, but the tannins are there! Still a hugely enjoyable wine, but more austere than previous bottles
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a bit feral on opening, which lasted thru the night but not unpleasant, we debated whether it's Brett w/ Daniel, rich, drinking well, let the last bottle age a while (11/08)
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Very dark ruby garnet, with narrowish ruby garnet rim. Another dense roasted nose like the '90. Herbal and hickory smoke notes over the plum like fruit. Lighter and less dense fruit on the palate than the '90. In fact a certain dryness of style. The tannins are only just ripe and are quite imposing in comparison to the fruit. Reasonable length, but I can't quite help but feeling that this is close to maturity in many ways, but with a slight imblance of tannin to resolve. Certainly would work better in the company of food, but a narrowish drinking window here. I would drink over the next five to eight years before the tannins come to dominate the fruit.
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Clos des Papes offline (St John): Lovely nose. Purity and concentration. Beautifully rich and full, with plenty of tannic structure. Sweet liquorice. Drinking well, though not yet really secondary. This is a lovely wine. dg+
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Clos des Papes Offline: Nicely plummy, raspberry more, quite spicy. Good fruit, quite light and elegant, moderate length. A slightly austere hint to the finish. Complex. Not an overtly fruity style. Elegant. Olive and kirsch develop on the nose with air. Lovely. ****
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This was lovely, fully mature, tannins totally resolved. Very slight barnyard/brett. I have no doubt it will hold for a few years or more, but why wait?
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Finally emerging from its shell. It was so fruit and structured on release and most of the strucure remains, leaving secondary and some tertiary notes. A very pleasant '95 CdP and one I am glad to own and continue to drink.
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Really super wine, though still has a tight structure suggesting further development is to come. Expressive complex bouquet of red fruits, earth and spice. Smooth palate of ripe fruits and herbs Long finish
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Flock - Grenache Tasting (Chicago, IL): Light ruby with a complex and giving nose. Has aromas of tar, earth, sweat, herbs and red fruits. Medium bodied on the palate with sweet, but restrained red fruits. A earth and herb kick accentuates the fruit. A long delicious finish is filled with fruit, herbs and fine grippy tannins. Top flight stuff and in a fine place. Group #9, my #5.
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A nice occasion-the celebration of the play. We had this with a Mediterrean lamb stew with orange and oregano flavors, which turned out to be a great pairing. The wine was a beautiful opaque ruby. At first opening, got little of the strawberry notes that appeared after 20-30 minutes in the glass. Then, strawberry, spices as well as tobacco and tar. Also a faint barnyard aroma that we have not noticed in other vintages of this wine. The tannins were there but beautifully integrated. There seemed to be less fruit on the nose than the bottle we had last year. It made us wonder if this wine had peaked and if we should have our last 2 bottles this coming winter.
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Clos des Papes Vertical (Tribeca Grill): I had figured this would have opened up some over the years, but it remains tight and unrelenting. On the nose there is an appealing earthy raspberry character and some spiciness. It is was quite ungenerous on the palate, which is a shame because you could sense the great purity to the fruit. Nice architecture, but structure for structure's sake. Some wines are just hard wines.
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Again, fabulous with youthful appearance and fantastic development over a couple of hours. The herbal scents (sage, rosemary, thyme) were more prominent in this bottle than in the past, but the cherry/strawberry fruit continues to go strong. Amazing elegance and balance for a Chateauneuf. I will try mightily to keep my hands off my one remaining bottle for several years.
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Decanted for two hours,Drunk from bottle,then double decanted.Wine taken to restaurant,and drunk from bottle about 2 hours later.A dinner with Remington Norman and David Wainwright.
Brick red.Complex floral nose with lots of red fruit.Tastes of raspberries,leather,earth and some garrigue.Superb structure ,with great depth and complexity.Still rather tight however,but the wine opened up beautifully in the glass over the course of the evening.It was one of 5 wines we consumed during the night,and the one I wished I had more of at the end.Fortunate to have a case of this,and will keep the remaining 11 bottles at least another 5 years or so,before opening another,and hope that I will still be around to taste the last bottle in 2015,when I estimate it will be drinking at its best.Excellent
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Tasted September 26, 2007. Opened and served immediately. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, slightly dusty looking throughout. Nose of leather, smoke, mixed berries and red plums. Flavors of black licorice, berries, white pepper, cherries and a little bitters on the finish. Medium acidity, firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink now with a minimum of an hour in the decanter or continue to hold.
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Dinner with Charles & Nigel at Charles' flat. I haven't had many '95 CdPs but they all seem to fit this same mold. Good fruit, tons of acid and sort of tight & compact. Will the fruit outlast the structure? 50+11+11+7+7 = 86(+?)
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Clos des Proper once again and I only think this is going to get better, huge spicy nose with saddle and earth, explosive and elegant with silky tannins and solid acidic backbone, but it is the fruit that really stands out. Unbelievable complexity with a finish that lasts a minute plus. Drank at Hatfields in LA with dishes such as squab with ginger emulsion and foie gras, braised pork belly, grilled hangar steak, etc. What a wine, I am just in awe.
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Very nice. Perfectly mature from my passive cellar where it has resided since release. Nose classic but slightly muted, great but not outstanding length with a very clean finish, mid-palate burgundian, held up very well across three hours of drinking.
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1st bottle from a case found during a cellar move. Very nice traditional CdP! So different and anti-modern compared to a 99 Quartz yesterday. Both were good, but the 95 Clos des Papes is a meaty, herbal, red and black fruited trip to those special rocky fields. Very balanced and not overly tannic. I'm looking forward to 11 more.
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This bottle was excellent but not quite as exciting as one I drank in February. The best part was the nose, which was still ravishing and showed some toffee/caramel in addition to the elements described then. On the palate, it showed younger and less resolved, with tannins and acidity sticking out a bit more than the previous time. To me, this is an acceptable degree of variability in a 12 year old wine, and I think it means that the wine is right at that elusive cusp of entering peak drinkability versus needing a bit more cellaring. Unfortunately, I have not divined a way to tell which bottles are which!
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A good, if not excellent showing. Really aromatically pristine, mineral, and almost Burgundian. The only thing keeping it from excellence is a bit of disjointedness on the palate. I think 3 or 4 more years should cure this.
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An amazing wine. Hitting on all cylinders. This is a classic CdP. Great fruit, leather, cigar and a myriad of other 'natural' and barnyard scents that might not sound great, but really work. An amazing drink.
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took to Fringale, decanted at home first, gamy when first opened at 4pm, double decanted, by 9pm dinner had lots of nice fruit, sweet herbs, white pepper spice, very nice (3/07)
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A remarkably balanced and elegant CDP that probably suffered the most from its inclusion in a stable of thoroughbreds. This wine demanded careful attention and contemplation. No splash, no sizzle just a great wine showing extremely well and should continue to do so for many years.
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Meeting the new neighbors (and serving Clos des Papes, Usseglio Mon Aieul, Fonseca and others): The color is a clean light ruby red. The nose has a bit of funk at first but this blows off very quickly to reveal an elegant blend of deep cherry, pepper, and a slight earthiness. On the palate this offers red fruit, mushroom, licorice, and a pleasant minerality. Extremely smooth and seamless. Slight tannin appears on the excellent finish. A great wine that is understated and elegant.
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This was the "anti-wow" wine. What amazed and thrilled was not a single overwhelming component, but the incredible poise, balance, and harmony of all of its parts. Medium ruby with some fading but no browning at the rim. At first, plush strawberry aromatics with a touch of tar and smoke, followed by dark cherry and allspice, then a hint of coffee bean and secondary higher tones over 2 hours. Sappy and seamless in the mouth with bright acidity and a residual core of tannin around which the fruit unfolded. Not a hint of overripeness. Great length and stunning complexity. While Clos des Papes reminds me of Bordeaux in certain vintages like 1999, this bottle could have been a Grand Cru Burgundy. At a plateau which I imagine will hold for years, and a tremendous accomplishment in a vintage that has been roundly criticized for its lack of flesh and charm. Can't wait for the next bottle.
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Possibly the best CDP I have ever had. I could not believe the fruit on the wine after almost 12 years. Perfect and I mean perfect balance. Even the waiter at the restaurant commented that he is a Rhone fan and this is the best he had tasted.
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Roy Hersh comes to town- Raveneau, Donnhoff, Pegau, Beaucastel & more ensue. (Il Corso): This wine really highlighted the meaning of the phrase "solid core of fruit" as the purity and depth of the red fruit was paramount. I really enjoyed the nose and mouthfeel of this wine. Imagine a column of deep red fruit with garrigue and spice on its sides being held there by static cling. Solid A-.
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[From Bob Parker's cellar]. Medium ruby. Classic CDP nose: spicy red currents, garrigue, licorice, tobacco, toffee. Perhaps a hint of brett. In the mouth, medium-bodied with a long and balanced finish. Core of ripe but not overly sweet red currents; firm tannins with slight mid-palate bitterness.
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this is still a baby and it is classic CdP- great raspberry dominated nose with a hint of smoke and meat. the palate is dense- maybe a touch hot (14% alc.). this is rich with a serious tannic backbone. very good now, needs to melt away some of the tannins to be excellent.
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First bottle in a year. Still classic ChdP nose with a bit of barnyard and we got that "grilled meat" scent. Smoothed out somewhat, but still young, despite my comments last time. Classic ChdP, with solid structure, firm tannin and enough acid to be great with food. Benefitted from several hours to air. Dark fruits with typical garrigue notes, briar, grilled meat, mineral. Not at all over extracted or jammy. Continues to be a terrific wine.
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Audouzed for 90 minutes, then double decanted to remove sediment. Medium-bodied wine that is dark garnet in color with a clear rim. On the nose, dried cherries, garrigue, and light white pepper. On the palate, dark plums, leather, and herbs. This wine has acquired secondary complexities. Went very well with grilled NY strips...nice balance and structure with enough mildly chewy tannins present for continued aging. Very Beaucastel-like to my palate tonight.
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Consumed at Farmhouse Inn in Somona, CA....awesome! Everything I could ever want in a CDP...reminded me of Beaucastel so may more Mouvedre than normal. Complexity of this wine was screaming....fruit and layers of secondary flavors...yah baby!
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This is a fascinating wine for me. This is the fifth time I’ve had the ’95. The first two were in the late ‘90s. I hated it both times, and probably dumped it. I opened one in late 2000 and was surprised that I enjoyed it. I opened another one on New Years Eve a few months later, and it was equally good. This is the first bottle since then, and it has improved dramatically since then. Others thought it was stinky (in a negative way), but I loved it. I am amazed at how this ugly duckling has turned out. The nose is bursting with CDP flavors. The wine had developed many flavors, yet still seemed remarkably youthful.
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At a horizontal tasting of 11 1995 Chateauneuf (not blind). My favorite of the tasting, a little brett and saddle leather, overall lovely wine still needing a few years.
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Minneapolis Dinner and Tasting - Chateauneuf, Bordeaux, and Burgundy (mainly) (J.P.'s in Minneapolis): Same bottle as Siggy's TN... I had not had this wine since Jan. of 2000, when I included it in a '95 Chateauneuf tasting I organized, where it was one of my favorite wines of the tasting (13 or 14 '95s). As one would expect, it is now showing more gaminess, though I was still surprised by its overall youthfulness. I recently purchased a few more bottles of this, and I think I'll wait a few years to open one. Tonight, tasting it side by side with the 2003 Clos des Papes (see TN) proved quite educational, and, I felt, gave me a better idea what the 2003 is all about - and where it might be headed. The '95 is still holding nice reddish fruit, though some Rhoney funk is on the scene these days. Lightly spicey, with nice, moderately open aromatics and a balanced mouthfeel, despite the obvious tannins. Impressive.
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Going to be a great Rhone. Full, tannic, was earthy, lead, etc.. Still young, but very drinkable. Later: gone through 5 bottles, enjoyed each one. Classic nose, solid fruit with traditional ChdP elements and well built. At this point, 2005, ready to drink.
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Fabulous Chateauneuf, and the very best I 've had till now (Beats any Pegau, Beaucastel or Vieux Télégraphe I 've tasted). Deep licorice and spicy red fruit, lots of matter, tannin and structure. Hardly any change overnight, so this wine has the potential to go an extra ten years. Classic !
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Tasted at a vertical Beaucastel tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. The bottle was opened because the '95 Beaucastel was corked. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense candied black and red fruits, with spice and dry earth. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with medium residual tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Very nice. Although one must account for bottle variation, I cannnot agree with Robert Parker's assessment that this wine needs prolonged cellaring. It has likely gone through any "shut down" phase (if indeed such a phase occurred with this wine).
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Nice wine, but very young. Earthy and spicy aromas, mixed in with black fruits and freshly ground meats. Tannins seem to get in the way. Needs time, at which point I am sure the tannins will be better integrated and a higher score will result.
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2/9/2024 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
A decade on from my last bottle of this and time has worked its magic. Bright mid ruby. Nice lift from the Grenache. Some cherry and a hint of Mourvèdre. Quite chiselled. Length and line. ****
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11/23/2023 - Dionysusx wrote:
This wine might be past its prime now but still showing a delightfully creamy mouthfeel.
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1/11/2023 - wilhelmarnor wrote: 94 Points
Despite beeing opened 5 hours before (not decanted) it come out rather earthy with damp cellartones in the nose. Freshened up in the glass it became opulent, warm and inviting. A classic older wine with lots of elegant plum fruitiness and chocolate. Having a full round taste, medium length, well balanced, it delivered according to expectation. However, I cannot see it improving much more.
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11/21/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 90 Points
Firm tannins, elegant fruit, slightly dirty on the nose, a little bit hot, and with some green notes on the finish make this less exciting but still enjoyable.
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11/10/2021 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
Slowly arriving, this is very typical for this somewhat akward vintage; rustiuc with tannin still quite present, plenty of barnyard and garrigue, a local wine. Needs food.
#ChezAvril
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9/24/2021 - De la Vigneauvin wrote:
Absolutely with you Herdaro, this wine is really a beauty, patience is the key.
Clos des Papes is always one of my favorite CDP, very elegant like a great Burgundy.
Rayas, Charvin, Vieux Telegraphe, Beaucastel are also on the same path: elegance, not over ripe, very aromatic with a great balance.
All this criteriums make a great wine.
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12/25/2020 - Herdaro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still dark at centre with a tawny rim. The nose is quite elusive, earthy with an undercurrent of black fruits. On the palate all is in balance with restrained sweet fruit and a touch of tannin and a streak of acidity. All in perfect harmony now, with plenty of time left. My only bottle which I have had for twenty years and couldn’t have picked a better moment in its evolution. I agree with those who compare this to burgundy which some mature Chateauneufs do elegantly resemble, this and Charvin for example. My favourite style of Chateauneuf where patience is greatly rewarded.
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10/11/2020 - Tandrew2514 Likes this wine:
Decanted several hours before to blow off any must and remove sediment.
Was drinking very nicely from the gun. Well-preserved cork, clear ruby color. A bit of sour cherry and secondary, moving into tertiary flavors. Not sure how it really gets better from here. In a nice delicate balance.
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8/30/2020 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark still, heady nose, medium bodied, balanced, perfect time to drink with its fruits & tannins all in equilibrium, like a Pommard from 90s, easily 10 years left
93
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7/19/2020 - SimonS wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle, but this one was incredibly young. Still a little tannic and held up well after opening.
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4/2/2020 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Perfectly mature nose displaying ripe slightly dry black fruit, black cherry, black plum, strong tobacco and garrigue, a hint of licorice, molasses, baking spices and earth. Excellent concentration, nicely layered slightly dry black fruit with a hint of red, silky and rich, good acidity, still noticeable but non-obtrusive tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with strong tobacco at the end. Consistent with the last bottle, showing the ripe and concentrated style of the property and the structure of the 95 vintage.
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9/26/2019 - MRichman wrote:
Terrific. Fantastically mature. Lots of barnyard, earth, rubber, tar. This is great, in a perfect place. Wonderful & dirty.
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8/31/2019 - wineamateur Likes this wine:
Another lovely bottle, still in full fruit, no sign of tiring
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6/8/2019 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nahe^3: 10 vintages of Halenberg, Hermannshöhle and Felseneck + X (@Private location, Frankfurt): *** brief note from an extensive tasting ***
Glass: Gabriel Gold
Decanted about 30min before. Clear, medium tawny color with brown edges. Classic C9dP nose with some barn, camphor, rose petals, spices, leather. Complex and nice. Well-integrated, medium acidity. Balsamic notes, rose, barn, menthol, tobacco. Very elegant, balanced and round. Wonderful silky texture. Drink now or within the next 5+ years. 92-93
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4/25/2019 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
A perfectly cellared example. Beautifully mature nose displaying generous black fruit, black cherry, blackberry, blackberry jam, tobacco, garrigue, licorice, grilled meat and earth. Excellent concentration, concentrated sweet black fruit, sweet and silky, good acidity and earthy mineral, and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with a hint of garrigue and tobacco at the end. This is a classic CDP that nicely demonstrate the ripe yet structured vintage character.
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3/30/2019 - amred wrote: 93 Points
Expecting this to be well over the hill. Rather, had all the elements of an aged ChdP with none of the sometimes musty, gamy, barnyard elements. Rather, smooth tannins, garrigue herbal nose and wonderful dark fruit, garrigue, soy sauce in the mouth. Not going to improve, but fabulous “old world” aged ChdP.
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2/15/2019 - Ardross Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red brown in colour . On opening a surprisingly black fruited and liquorice nose.
Exposure to air quickly resolves things. Spicy dusty nose. Tannins resolved - probably on the cusp of being over the hill but enjoyable tonight good balance.
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1/5/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Rhone Varietals (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Second of two bottles of this wine served double blind at today's tasting. Much like the prior bottle, showing lots of black fruit and roasted meat. This bottle came across as slightly bigger and slightly more tannic. Most tasters preferred this bottle, while I slightly preferred the former.
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1/5/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Rhone Varietals (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): First of two bottles of this wine served double blind at today's tasting. Clearly from a good vintage, with tannins still clear, while elegant. Nicely mature black fruit with plenty of roasted meat. Good depth. I slightly preferred this bottle, while most others preferred the latter.
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11/20/2018 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk at Chiu Tang Hong Kong - Rhone rusticity with fully resolved, soft tannins. Excellent vintage for this wine, a great example before the 'Age of Extraction'!
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10/20/2018 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Guys Night Out Again (Jason's House): Consistent with previous note. Fantastic old school CDP.
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10/17/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Guy's Night Out (Jason's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red color, slightly cloudy. PNP, drank a glass over an hour plus. Wow, another fantastic bottle of '95. The nose is flat out stunning again and the palate is not too far behind. Gorgeous nose of crushed flowers, red fruits, leather, damp earth and touches of funk, anise. The palate shows more funk and earth, leather, kirsch, black fruits, garrigue, spiced, pepper, very long. My and group WOTN by a big margin. I think these are at peak, but they have a solid 10 years ahead of them with no worries
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8/13/2018 - JF999 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit harsher than the one drunk a few weeks ago.
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8/7/2018 - RhoneG Likes this wine: 97 Points
From a 750. Tannins are completely resolved and there is very little sense of alcohol. No sign of age though, no bricking and the wonderful aromas of black and red fruit lasted all evening. More like a great Burgundy, with character and depth, then a Southern Rhone. Very impressed!
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7/18/2018 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Purchased on release and perfectly cellared ever since. The cork came out clean and was in great shape. This wine displayed a good ruby red color with some bricking on the edge. This wine was absolutely singing. Mature fruit, but still offering a brightness and freshness that lifted the palate. Meaty, with nice spice and licorice notes. Tannins are resolved and silky. Just a wonderful drinking experience. Nice investment of $25 back in the day.
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7/11/2018 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Been ages since I tasted a CdP. This is holding up well and seems it can still go a while. Wild nose, meaty and olive and licorice. Still a bit too kirsch on the palate for me, but very good for what it is at this age. Paired well with the lamb dish.
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4/22/2018 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
Fresh red colour. Fruity aromas. Also fruity on the palate. Concentrated. The wine has become more elegant the past years.
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4/16/2018 - JF999 wrote: 93 Points
Good and solid colour and long on taste. Gentle blackberry and blackcurrant. Will last.
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2/19/2018 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
In great shape for a 23 year old
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1/26/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Dark red. Medium intense nose of black cherry, earth and raspberry, still pretty primary. Nice dark fruit and earth flavours and a long dry tannic finish.
Very structured, the tannins are very strong in this one. Still improving in my opinion.
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1/7/2018 - Caruso Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby to brickred with slightly orange tinted rim. Cherries, black fruits, licorice, meat. On the palate good poise, but still showing round tannin with a dry and adstringent finish. I think this is on its slow way down the hill. A couple of years ago I rated it 95-96 . Drink it up. 5/12/17/8
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12/21/2017 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Good, but not up to my expectations. Not all that much fruit and lots of leather, smoke, clove spice. My last bottle and that's fine.
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11/12/2017 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Plum, smoke, old tobacco nose with some spikes of rubbed herbs, smells like mature Syrah. Palate is softened, silky, spicy with some raspberry fruit hanging in there. Delicious but also just kind of old. Guessed old CdP.
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10/28/2017 - Doc90 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Probably the best nose of the lineup. Cinnamon, roasted coffee beans, deep red fruit aromas. Stone and ash up front. Layered flavor profiles. The texture is slowing down and softening with age, and it seemed to lose steam the longer it was open. Drink up.
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10/16/2017 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 92 Points
At peak now. Well matured. So soft and sexy now. Dried floral, dried sweet red fruits, rustic, gamey, earthy, some autumn leaves. Straight forward palate but nevertheless so well balanced, pure. Very smoky, rustic, dried leaves, dried red fruits, beautiful!
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9/29/2017 - vinelouse wrote: 93 Points
A vibrant ruby colour with no hue of any brown colour. In addition to the red berry aromas it also shows pronounced gamey and earthy notes which are not seeking for domination over the fruit notes. A medium acidity level and mouth filling tannins for a pleasant finish.
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6/30/2017 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Friday late night at Tim's place. Aired in bottle for 2.5 hours already.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of bretty earth, unwashed sweaty socks, white pepper spices, meat, red cherries. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), integrated high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet spices, red cherries, black cherries, licorice, white pepper, earth, meat. Long finish.
Very good quality. Barring the brett on the nose, the palate is good. Time to drink up.
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4/18/2017 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 91 Points
CdP Night (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Poured into decanter after 1st pour. Improved with air.
Appearance is cloudy, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose medium intensity, with initially worrying aroma of musty newspaper which thankfully blew off in the decanter. Aromas of smelly barnyard, earth, dark animal meat, green bell pepper ?green olives. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), grippy high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavors of green bell pepper ?green olives, dark earth, concentrated black cherries, blackberries, savoury animal meat, mint, smoke. Long finish.
Something just feels a bit off with this bottle. Complex and did get better with more air though. Will look forward to trying another bottle again from another batch.
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10/29/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Brisket Bash Deux: 10 Vintage Vertical of Clos de Papes and more (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): medium dark red color. Slow-O for 1 hour plus, drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Drank as part of a vertical of Clos des Papes (95, 98, 99, 00, 01, 04, 05, 06, 08, 09) Wow, fantastic again, and wine of the vertical. I had really hoped this wasn't just a one-off great bottle I'd had before, and at the very least it's a two off J. Killer perfumed nose with leather, dried flowers, earthy, subtle garrigue, red berry and red cherry fruit and spice. The palate is equal to the nose and shows the elegance and depth of classic aged CDP the way it was intended to be. See previous detailed note. 96+pts.
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6/27/2016 - redders Likes this wine: 91 Points
Colour good for age. Classic nose, warm baked with deep damson fruit. Luscious mouthfeel, warm but alcohol contained. Good freshness on finish. Very good
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6/11/2016 - AndersAnd Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lukter gammelt, men godt. Fin farge og fantastisk smak.
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4/18/2016 - Mentat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Raw with barnyard, fur and hint of pigs blood. Chinese herbs mixed with black olive. White pepper emerged on palate with good black fruit and backbone. Layers upon layers of complexity, this is the CDP I love.
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4/3/2016 - Caruso Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet with orange rim. The cork was in perfect condition. Surprising light not showing as much of intensity as previous bottles. Cherries, olive tapenade, tobacco, cedar. Still quite tannic given its age. I guess it is past his prime, or a bottle that needed more time?
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12/29/2015 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Annual CDP tasting (Edina Country Club): Slow o'd for 2 hours. Drank a glass over an hour. Very floral. Great complexity. This had a lot of earth, tar and garrigue. It started out on the lighter side of medium-bodied. Sitting in the glass, it seemed to take on weight with darker fruit, more tar and soy. By the time I had finished it, was on the fuller side of medium-bodied. It was fun to watch this wine change. This was the best CDP I’ve had so far in my life.
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12/27/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Annual Holiday CDP Tasting (Edina, MN): Dark red color, no bricking. Slow-O for 2 hours, double decanted for 15 minutes and an additional 30-60 minutes open in bottle. Drank 1+ glass over 3 hours. Ethereal, absolutely incredible, a classically beautiful Clos des Pape nose with an amazing floral perfume, violets, whispy garrigue, pipe tobacco, fine leather,gorgeous red fruits, earth and a dose of funk, on top of asian spice mix and some blood. The palate does not take a backseat here at all, and it has a lot to live up to with this nose; medium bodied, silken texture, dry forest floor, raspberry, dark cherry, pipe tobacco, beef blood, leather, hints of tar, floral, near fully integrated tannins, and a ridiculously long finish. Perfect balance and a totally wow wine in as good a place as one can imagine - just makes me giddy with joy. Should hold for 5 to 10 years. This where I wish we drank all of our CDP's. Unanimous WOTN. 96+pts.
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12/27/2015 - mzimberg wrote: 95 Points
2015 CDP Annual Dinner (Edina Country Club): Very dark. Cherry liquor with funky, floral, lead pencil and, sweet charming, captivating aromas. Many layers with a great, fruitcake, lavender, fire-roasted tomato, and harmonious balance. Delicious. 1 minute finish. Certainly in its drinking window. The group's number 1, by a unanimous vote.
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10/13/2015 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Delicious bottle of wine from the days before Clos des Papes was overripe and overdone. Mid-weight, complex, and open for business. Good now, but no hurry.
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6/20/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deeper red than VT 95 drank alongside. Damson , garrigue and old leather on nose. Restrained power on palate , plenty of fruit and earth with long finish. A good contrast with VT which on this occasion was the more elegant but both very good in their own way.
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3/28/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 91 Points
bright colour, hint of maturity. Fresh elegant nose, hints of herb and leather, restrained at first on palate but fruit developed with time decanter into a delicious balanced wine with plenty of depth. Plenty of time left.
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1/26/2015 - spillwine wrote: 87 Points
Un peu passé, rustique
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1/18/2015 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Savory and balanced with black fruits, black cherries, lavender, kirsch, hot stones, Provençal spices, funk, and some violets. There is great depth and style that harkens to a more classic style.
Taste: Medium bodied with silky tannins. The feel is very balanced with black cherries, Provençal spices, black fruits, funky notes, and violets on the back end.
Overall: This is a gorgeous Clos des Papes. It shows the funkier side with a good amount of black fruits.
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12/31/2014 - stephen locke wrote: 94 Points
spot on - drinking very well.
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12/20/2014 - steinersing wrote: 90 Points
nicely developed, smooth, mineral tones. Earth.
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11/15/2014 - SimonS wrote: 94 Points
I thought this was lovely tonight. Polished mahogany with cherries and cherry stone. Smooth, fully mature, clean with no hint of oxidation. Delicious.
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8/11/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Kirsch, pepper, fresh herbs, strawberries and ripe cherries open to a soft, ripe, elegant expression of Grenache. At close to 20 years of age, this seems to be a fully mature Chateauneuf du Pape that is right on top of its game.
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8/2/2014 - Longnose Gar wrote: 95 Points
Give this an hour to open. Another great bottle. Tasted a lot of old leather in this one.
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6/3/2014 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Anita's Fortieth (Rochelle Canteen): Ripe, slightly kirschy cherry fruit. Fresh with good acidity giving it some line and clarity. A little hot for me but very decent. Think it would have benefited from some meat or cheese protein. ****
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3/16/2014 - AudunG wrote: flawed
Corked.
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1/12/2014 - Longnose Gar wrote: 95 Points
Decant for an hour. It was closed at first pour. Classic CDP. Herbs, berries, terroir are all there. Silky smooth and elegant.
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12/26/2013 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Chateauneuf du Pape (and one Hermitage) soirée (Jaffa home dining by Dolev Rotter): Color: dark red-brwon with amber rim
Nose: developed secondary & tertiary wet-earth aromas
Palate: full body, still ripe fruits flavors, balanced tannins & bitterness, good level of acidity, live and enjoyable, with quality aftertaste.
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9/29/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Burg Blowout (Woodstock, GA): Another phenomenal showing for this wine! Served double blind; resolved reddish core with orangey bricking rim; nose leaps out with barnyard, leather, light raspberry, strawberry, and light cherry, an obvious Bretty quality that was a well integrated component with the fruit rather than center stage; so fresh and alive with tons of sweet red fruit on the palate, very sappy yet so drinkable; elegant and Burgundian though this was so true to what it was that everyone nailed CdP though they thought it was much younger.
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1/19/2013 - ParisFan wrote: 94 Points
So special. A perfectly elegant pape.
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12/4/2012 - markjanes Likes this wine: 92 Points
I've had this twice in the last month... youthful in appearance and still has a fair amount of primary fruit, especially for its age. More structured than the typical Clos des Papes for me... the wine is quite clean (without brett), quite tannic and powerful, not overripe in the least, and is texturally really an excellent wine. Nearing its peak but there it is drinking very well now as well. Impressive wine.
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10/13/2012 - pbaek wrote:
My last bottle of this wine and I regret I don't have more. This was the wine of the night for Torben and up there for Niels. A mature Chateauneuf showing the typical garrigue, leather, tobacco, pepper and dried cherry fruit. Typical for the vintage, the tannins are still marked and will provide support for another 3-5 years of development. Vraiment Chateauneuf, the way it can and should taste after close to two decades in the cellar. With Osso Bucco a la Union Square Cafe. Dinner at home with Niels/Tulle and Torben/Puk.
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8/26/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 95 Points
Dinner for my personal anesthesia team (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 3 hours (some benefit). Garnet with an orange tint. Red berry nose with some cherry, tobacco, garrique, earth (elegant compared to the Vieux). Palate had medium fruit that was lifted, complex, finesseful for sure and with a streak of mineral acidity. Not nearly the palate weight and penetration of the VT, but sense of finesse and elegance put a bigger smile on my face. Best with the ravioli.
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6/9/2012 - AudunG wrote: 91 Points
Deep red colour. Sweet fruit and some spice. Big and concentrated wine. Fully mature, but will keep for many years, still.
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4/23/2012 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Chateauneuf du pape tasting (Wine-Bar, Nahalat Binyamin, TLV): dark red-brwon with amber rim
developed secondary & tertiary wet-earth aromas
full body, still ripe fruits flavors, balanced tannins & bitterness, good level of acidity, live and enjoyable, with quality aftertaste.
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3/18/2012 - redders wrote: 91 Points
Decanted at last minute so took a little while t hit it's stride. Usual lovely damson crushed and leather nose , loads of herbs. Harmonious palate in secondary phase usual cdp elegance. Lovely
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2/4/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Black cherry aromas with a little bit of cinnamon and allspice. Same fruit on the palate with a bit of black pepper as well. Very elegant structure is well integrated. At a very good place today.
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1/11/2012 - LMK wrote: 93 Points
Xmas dinner was terrible. The 1995 Clos des papes was the saving grace. Huge and very satisfying.
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12/24/2011 - JOsgood wrote: 94 Points
Fully mature right now. Elegant with considerable complexity on the mid palate. Great with hearty food.
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12/24/2011 - the godfather wrote:
Deliciousness wine. Seems to be mature, plenty of acid, great food wine
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11/26/2011 - redders wrote: 91 Points
Very young appearance, ruby red and bright. Nose quite primary, Grenache garrigue mineral but with CDP refinement. Palate rich fruit with refined structure. Lot of power held in check by the fruit with long finish. This has years ahead but drinking now
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11/10/2011 - cephomer wrote: 95 Points
Drank at a wine tasting at Westchester Wine School. Delicious, lush fruit, great balance, beautiful aromatic nose. A winner and shows no signs of decay. Wish I had some in my cellar
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11/4/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Keith & Ken's Autumn Blind Challenge (The Square, London): Again, quite full and ripe. Sweet on the palate. Southern Rhone is the consensus, but this is the 'elegant' end of it - Clos des Papes? 2000? ***(*)
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10/16/2011 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Three Dinners: Opened and decanted. Served blind. Awesome nose with red fruit, iron and dried herbs. Smooth and elegant on the palate but still showing plenty of structure. Guesses were mostly towards Bordeaux, with nobody calling CdP. A great wine with plenty of years ahead of it.
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8/19/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Casa Ray 2: Dense, coffee scented, opening up to a more peppery nose. Quite full with a leggy, fat, glycerin-laden attack and mid-palate. Fresher cherry and dark fruited. Slightly liqueury. Again, mellows and improves with a couple of hours in the glass and shows more elegance and interest. ***(*)
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7/3/2011 - acidqueen wrote: 89 Points
Medium brick red, no brown. Smoke, cedar and camphor initially, not much red fruit. Was very tight, with dusty tannins still very much apparent. We enjoyed drinking it, but I would have liked to have had more fruit to balance this wine. It needs to be drunk now - I don't think this will get any better.
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6/21/2011 - redders wrote: 92 Points
Fabulous on fathers day watching mcilroy. Gorgeous rich leathery spicy nose smooth ripe mature. Will last for ages though
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5/15/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Black cherry, kirsch, earth, truffle and fresh market herbs. Robust, concentrated black cherry and herb flavors end with a dense melange of dark cherry, jam and plum flavors. This fully mature Chateauneuf du Pape might have been a little more interesting a year or two ago. There is no reason to age this any longer.
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4/22/2011 - rSyver wrote: 92 Points
Dark red on colour, very dark. The nose is beautiful game, however not extremely intense, blueberries and spices. The spices are complex and not the typical intense pepper kind. Add some plum, leather and barnyard and the complexity is just beautiful. Medium to full bodied, good elegant fruit. The tannins are really on the soft side, but the acid is great but could perhaps be a touch more from my point of view. A nice complex and long finish which carries the fruit all the way. The really nice element about this wine is the flavours that are all greatly integrated making the wine very elegant. So many flavours but no-one is extremely intense.
One of the better CdP I have tasted in a while, and still a wine for the future. But no shame drinking this at the current state.
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4/13/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 92 Points
wine evening hosted by Yoram (at Yoram Solberg): blind tasting;
light red-brown color, brown rim;
wonderful secondary & tertiary aromas of leather & spices;
tannic, balanced, still very enjoyable inspite that the wine is over its peak; long after-taste, a real pleasure.
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12/28/2010 - Mistress of Wine wrote:
From a half bottle, in perfect condition. Deep purple without any bricking. Aromas of sweet red fruit(cranberry came to mind), rosemary and other herbs, violets and cinammon. Sweet and silky with good persistence. Really lovely.
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10/27/2010 - kingb22 wrote: 95 Points
Even better than my last bottle. Showing extremely well, from a vintage that doesn't always deliver. Very consistent w/ my prior notes
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7/21/2010 - chrisa23 wrote: 92 Points
dark brick red. A bit of funk on the nose initially that blew off. Nice CdP.
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6/4/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Keith's Blind Challenge Offline (The Square, London): Blind. red. Slightly richer colour. More polished. Seems younger. Quite fat and leggy. Needs time.Not sure what this is. ***(*).
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5/3/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
This bottle started out stinky, but unlike the last one, this cleaned up and revealed beautiful red fruit aromatics and some crushed herbs. Retained its silky feel and roundness better as well. I think we were lucky enough to catch this at its apex. Gorgeous, complex Chateauneuf in the old, savory style without too much sweetness or concentration.
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2/4/2010 - j45 wrote:
beginning to drink nicely. meaty, barky, leathery and plummy with a firm tannin backbone, this still has room to develop.
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12/25/2009 - Ali wrote: 92 Points
Needed a few hours to come together, but when it did, a very well integrated wine. From Magnum
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12/19/2009 - beachbum wrote: 93 Points
initial flight with the 90 and 93, in a good spot right now, still showing fresh fruit with budding tertiary characteristics of the grenach, comments were that it resembled the smell of old luggage. bit shorter than the 90 but a slight better balance. drinking fine for 5+ years
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11/3/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Ruby center, more tawny rim. Complex, engaging aromatics of red fruit, caramel, and some definite brett (the first time I've encountered this in this wine over several bottles). Ripe, very un-95-like with good natural sweetness, but over a few hours, it lost its initial balance and charm and became harder and more acidic. Can be a lot better than this, and I am surprised to find it so affected by brett.
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10/26/2009 - kingb22 wrote: 94 Points
Very good bottle of wine. Enjoyed with dinner at Provence. Good balance of fruit and earth. Definite Grenache on the nose and palate - hints of raspberry and lavendar.
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8/30/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium ruby, not pristinely clear, some browning at the extreme edge. Seductive aroma of caramel, red and blue fruit, and brown spices including nutmeg and cinnamon. A touch of brett that did not interfere at all. Harmonious and round with natural sweetness on the palate, yet it still has a core of tannin that burst forth late, along with rising secondary perfume and rosemary notes. Right now, this shouts Mourvedre, and a fabulous one at that, more generous than say, a Tempier single vineyard Bandol. Gorgeous and so atypical for '95 Chateauneuf. After going through some minor '07s yesterday, it was great to have a wine that is beautifully ripe and creamy without being overdone or alcoholic.
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7/10/2009 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Rhone and Riesling dinner (Jade Palace, Forum Galleria): The pair of Clos des Papes was quite clearly the strongest red flight of the night. This was excellent. Lots of depth on the nose, with deep meaty scents wed to lush, fruity plums and dried figs, seasoned with spice, eucalyptus, a touch of barnyard and a semi-buried stream of minerality. Muscular, but elegant at the same time. Much the same on the palate - this was still so young! Fresh and lively, yet very full and deep, it had fresh flavours of red cherry fruit, licorice and pepper held up by very fine, but still grippy tannins. Lots of strength on this wine from the attack to the finish, which showed prickly freshness and a long, dry linger of dried fruit notes. This can go on for quite some time yet, picking up complexity along the way. But why wait too long though? It is drinking beautiful now.
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3/28/2009 - bon vivant wrote:
Enjoyed a bottle in Frisco with some grilled lamb chops. 2 hr decant and this was singing -nice earthy notes dark fruit,mature notes and quite elegant . Tasty stuff.
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2/19/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
plums, herbal, some brett. big wine, needs time.
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1/13/2009 - amred wrote: 93 Points
Continues to be a wonderful wine. We had just tasted two 1998 ChdP (not Clos des Papes) and were very disappointed at how they were holding up. However, this 1995 Clos des Papes is still great. Wonderful nose, not much barnyard to us, rather, smoky. It has softened and is well-balanced in terms of tannins and acid. Still has traditional elements of garrigue, minerals, but with solid fruit. As others we strongly tasted that "roasted" or grilled meat elements. Not a big wine, but not at all thin. This is why we keep them!
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12/31/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 94 Points
Incredible nose on this wine - jumping out of the glass type of stuff. Spicy and elegant on the palate. Still drinking young and fresh.
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12/28/2008 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Still youthful with berries, meat, leather and garrique. Medium finish and good concentration.
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12/27/2008 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
Very closed compared to a year ago. Still, big barnyard smell (seemed to be the theme tonight of the French wines), with big dark fruit. Flavor fills every cranny in the palate, just bursting to say something more than it was able to tonight. Still loving these, hoping the next one (I think the last!) expresses itself more. Still, plenty of life. Wish I had enough of these to try one a year the next 15 years.
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11/22/2008 - stephen locke wrote: 91 Points
A few recent wines: Dark ruby, with some bricking. Raspberry + plum fruits but more tannin evident than I recall previously. Licourice, herbs and some earthy tones balance up the rich fruit well, but the tannins are there! Still a hugely enjoyable wine, but more austere than previous bottles
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11/1/2008 - cape2cairo wrote: 92 Points
a bit feral on opening, which lasted thru the night but not unpleasant, we debated whether it's Brett w/ Daniel, rich, drinking well, let the last bottle age a while (11/08)
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10/15/2008 - TBAFB wrote: 90 Points
Very dark ruby garnet, with narrowish ruby garnet rim. Another dense roasted nose like the '90. Herbal and hickory smoke notes over the plum like fruit. Lighter and less dense fruit on the palate than the '90. In fact a certain dryness of style. The tannins are only just ripe and are quite imposing in comparison to the fruit. Reasonable length, but I can't quite help but feeling that this is close to maturity in many ways, but with a slight imblance of tannin to resolve. Certainly would work better in the company of food, but a narrowish drinking window here. I would drink over the next five to eight years before the tannins come to dominate the fruit.
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9/19/2008 - Jeff W wrote:
Clos des Papes offline (St John): Lovely nose. Purity and concentration. Beautifully rich and full, with plenty of tannic structure. Sweet liquorice. Drinking well, though not yet really secondary. This is a lovely wine. dg+
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9/19/2008 - SimonG wrote:
Clos des Papes Offline: Nicely plummy, raspberry more, quite spicy. Good fruit, quite light and elegant, moderate length. A slightly austere hint to the finish. Complex. Not an overtly fruity style. Elegant. Olive and kirsch develop on the nose with air. Lovely. ****
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8/4/2008 - Chuck Miller wrote:
This was lovely, fully mature, tannins totally resolved. Very slight barnyard/brett. I have no doubt it will hold for a few years or more, but why wait?
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7/22/2008 - ski695 wrote: 92 Points
Finally emerging from its shell. It was so fruit and structured on release and most of the strucure remains, leaving secondary and some tertiary notes. A very pleasant '95 CdP and one I am glad to own and continue to drink.
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5/25/2008 - stephen locke wrote:
Really super wine, though still has a tight structure suggesting further development is to come. Expressive complex bouquet of red fruits, earth and spice. Smooth palate of ripe fruits and herbs Long finish
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5/21/2008 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Flock - Grenache Tasting (Chicago, IL): Light ruby with a complex and giving nose. Has aromas of tar, earth, sweat, herbs and red fruits. Medium bodied on the palate with sweet, but restrained red fruits. A earth and herb kick accentuates the fruit. A long delicious finish is filled with fruit, herbs and fine grippy tannins. Top flight stuff and in a fine place. Group #9, my #5.
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5/2/2008 - Mistress of Wine wrote: 92 Points
A nice occasion-the celebration of the play. We had this with a Mediterrean lamb stew with orange and oregano flavors, which turned out to be a great pairing. The wine was a beautiful opaque ruby. At first opening, got little of the strawberry notes that appeared after 20-30 minutes in the glass. Then, strawberry, spices as well as tobacco and tar. Also a faint barnyard aroma that we have not noticed in other vintages of this wine. The tannins were there but beautifully integrated. There seemed to be less fruit on the nose than the bottle we had last year. It made us wonder if this wine had peaked and if we should have our last 2 bottles this coming winter.
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4/23/2008 - bsherwin wrote:
Clos des Papes Vertical (Tribeca Grill): I had figured this would have opened up some over the years, but it remains tight and unrelenting. On the nose there is an appealing earthy raspberry character and some spiciness. It is was quite ungenerous on the palate, which is a shame because you could sense the great purity to the fruit. Nice architecture, but structure for structure's sake. Some wines are just hard wines.
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4/23/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 94 Points
Clos des Papes Vertical (Tribeca Grill, NYC): Big and spicy wine. Initially tight but this came around with some time in the glass.
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4/4/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote: flawed
Corked.
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12/21/2007 - joni.m.anttonen@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Herbs, berries, dusty, liquorice, leather, a bit spicy, earth, complex
Palate: Full-bodied, long, elegant, berries
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12/4/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
Again, fabulous with youthful appearance and fantastic development over a couple of hours. The herbal scents (sage, rosemary, thyme) were more prominent in this bottle than in the past, but the cherry/strawberry fruit continues to go strong. Amazing elegance and balance for a Chateauneuf. I will try mightily to keep my hands off my one remaining bottle for several years.
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11/25/2007 - keith prothero wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours,Drunk from bottle,then double decanted.Wine taken to restaurant,and drunk from bottle about 2 hours later.A dinner with Remington Norman and David Wainwright.
Brick red.Complex floral nose with lots of red fruit.Tastes of raspberries,leather,earth and some garrigue.Superb structure ,with great depth and complexity.Still rather tight however,but the wine opened up beautifully in the glass over the course of the evening.It was one of 5 wines we consumed during the night,and the one I wished I had more of at the end.Fortunate to have a case of this,and will keep the remaining 11 bottles at least another 5 years or so,before opening another,and hope that I will still be around to taste the last bottle in 2015,when I estimate it will be drinking at its best.Excellent
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9/27/2007 - win wrote: 92 Points
DAWG Tasting. I really enjoyed this wine...minimal notes.
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9/26/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted September 26, 2007. Opened and served immediately. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, slightly dusty looking throughout. Nose of leather, smoke, mixed berries and red plums. Flavors of black licorice, berries, white pepper, cherries and a little bitters on the finish. Medium acidity, firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink now with a minimum of an hour in the decanter or continue to hold.
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9/5/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: 86 Points
Dinner with Charles & Nigel at Charles' flat. I haven't had many '95 CdPs but they all seem to fit this same mold. Good fruit, tons of acid and sort of tight & compact. Will the fruit outlast the structure? 50+11+11+7+7 = 86(+?)
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8/26/2007 - the godfather wrote: 98 Points
Clos des Proper once again and I only think this is going to get better, huge spicy nose with saddle and earth, explosive and elegant with silky tannins and solid acidic backbone, but it is the fruit that really stands out. Unbelievable complexity with a finish that lasts a minute plus. Drank at Hatfields in LA with dishes such as squab with ginger emulsion and foie gras, braised pork belly, grilled hangar steak, etc. What a wine, I am just in awe.
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7/1/2007 - the godfather wrote: 97 Points
Brilliant. Nose, texture, color, balance, structure, I can't say enough about these wines
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6/25/2007 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Very nice. Perfectly mature from my passive cellar where it has resided since release. Nose classic but slightly muted, great but not outstanding length with a very clean finish, mid-palate burgundian, held up very well across three hours of drinking.
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6/13/2007 - Milhous wrote: 93 Points
1st bottle from a case found during a cellar move. Very nice traditional CdP! So different and anti-modern compared to a 99 Quartz yesterday. Both were good, but the 95 Clos des Papes is a meaty, herbal, red and black fruited trip to those special rocky fields. Very balanced and not overly tannic. I'm looking forward to 11 more.
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4/29/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
This bottle was excellent but not quite as exciting as one I drank in February. The best part was the nose, which was still ravishing and showed some toffee/caramel in addition to the elements described then. On the palate, it showed younger and less resolved, with tannins and acidity sticking out a bit more than the previous time. To me, this is an acceptable degree of variability in a 12 year old wine, and I think it means that the wine is right at that elusive cusp of entering peak drinkability versus needing a bit more cellaring. Unfortunately, I have not divined a way to tell which bottles are which!
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4/14/2007 - vulgar little monkey wrote:
A good, if not excellent showing. Really aromatically pristine, mineral, and almost Burgundian. The only thing keeping it from excellence is a bit of disjointedness on the palate. I think 3 or 4 more years should cure this.
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4/4/2007 - cadamson wrote: 98 Points
An amazing wine. Hitting on all cylinders. This is a classic CdP. Great fruit, leather, cigar and a myriad of other 'natural' and barnyard scents that might not sound great, but really work. An amazing drink.
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3/1/2007 - cape2cairo wrote: 93 Points
took to Fringale, decanted at home first, gamy when first opened at 4pm, double decanted, by 9pm dinner had lots of nice fruit, sweet herbs, white pepper spice, very nice (3/07)
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2/25/2007 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
A remarkably balanced and elegant CDP that probably suffered the most from its inclusion in a stable of thoroughbreds. This wine demanded careful attention and contemplation. No splash, no sizzle just a great wine showing extremely well and should continue to do so for many years.
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2/16/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Meeting the new neighbors (and serving Clos des Papes, Usseglio Mon Aieul, Fonseca and others): The color is a clean light ruby red. The nose has a bit of funk at first but this blows off very quickly to reveal an elegant blend of deep cherry, pepper, and a slight earthiness. On the palate this offers red fruit, mushroom, licorice, and a pleasant minerality. Extremely smooth and seamless. Slight tannin appears on the excellent finish. A great wine that is understated and elegant.
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2/9/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
This was the "anti-wow" wine. What amazed and thrilled was not a single overwhelming component, but the incredible poise, balance, and harmony of all of its parts. Medium ruby with some fading but no browning at the rim. At first, plush strawberry aromatics with a touch of tar and smoke, followed by dark cherry and allspice, then a hint of coffee bean and secondary higher tones over 2 hours. Sappy and seamless in the mouth with bright acidity and a residual core of tannin around which the fruit unfolded. Not a hint of overripeness. Great length and stunning complexity. While Clos des Papes reminds me of Bordeaux in certain vintages like 1999, this bottle could have been a Grand Cru Burgundy. At a plateau which I imagine will hold for years, and a tremendous accomplishment in a vintage that has been roundly criticized for its lack of flesh and charm. Can't wait for the next bottle.
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12/3/2006 - the godfather wrote: 98 Points
Possibly the best CDP I have ever had. I could not believe the fruit on the wine after almost 12 years. Perfect and I mean perfect balance. Even the waiter at the restaurant commented that he is a Rhone fan and this is the best he had tasted.
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11/20/2006 - BradKNYC wrote:
Roy Hersh comes to town- Raveneau, Donnhoff, Pegau, Beaucastel & more ensue. (Il Corso): This wine really highlighted the meaning of the phrase "solid core of fruit" as the purity and depth of the red fruit was paramount. I really enjoyed the nose and mouthfeel of this wine. Imagine a column of deep red fruit with garrigue and spice on its sides being held there by static cling. Solid A-.
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11/9/2006 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
[From Bob Parker's cellar]. Medium ruby. Classic CDP nose: spicy red currents, garrigue, licorice, tobacco, toffee. Perhaps a hint of brett. In the mouth, medium-bodied with a long and balanced finish. Core of ripe but not overly sweet red currents; firm tannins with slight mid-palate bitterness.
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10/15/2006 - winenutnyc wrote:
this is still a baby and it is classic CdP- great raspberry dominated nose with a hint of smoke and meat. the palate is dense- maybe a touch hot (14% alc.). this is rich with a serious tannic backbone. very good now, needs to melt away some of the tannins to be excellent.
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8/29/2006 - amred wrote: 93 Points
First bottle in a year. Still classic ChdP nose with a bit of barnyard and we got that "grilled meat" scent. Smoothed out somewhat, but still young, despite my comments last time. Classic ChdP, with solid structure, firm tannin and enough acid to be great with food. Benefitted from several hours to air. Dark fruits with typical garrigue notes, briar, grilled meat, mineral. Not at all over extracted or jammy. Continues to be a terrific wine.
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8/12/2006 - DFC wrote: 93 Points
Audouzed for 90 minutes, then double decanted to remove sediment. Medium-bodied wine that is dark garnet in color with a clear rim. On the nose, dried cherries, garrigue, and light white pepper. On the palate, dark plums, leather, and herbs. This wine has acquired secondary complexities. Went very well with grilled NY strips...nice balance and structure with enough mildly chewy tannins present for continued aging. Very Beaucastel-like to my palate tonight.
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6/5/2006 - JBVino wrote: 95 Points
Consumed at Farmhouse Inn in Somona, CA....awesome! Everything I could ever want in a CDP...reminded me of Beaucastel so may more Mouvedre than normal. Complexity of this wine was screaming....fruit and layers of secondary flavors...yah baby!
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4/19/2006 - Vinobaby! wrote: 91 Points
First time. Very nice with and without food.
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3/8/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
This is a fascinating wine for me. This is the fifth time I’ve had the ’95. The first two were in the late ‘90s. I hated it both times, and probably dumped it. I opened one in late 2000 and was surprised that I enjoyed it. I opened another one on New Years Eve a few months later, and it was equally good. This is the first bottle since then, and it has improved dramatically since then. Others thought it was stinky (in a negative way), but I loved it. I am amazed at how this ugly duckling has turned out. The nose is bursting with CDP flavors. The wine had developed many flavors, yet still seemed remarkably youthful.
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2/12/2006 - Chuck Miller wrote: 93 Points
At a horizontal tasting of 11 1995 Chateauneuf (not blind). My favorite of the tasting, a little brett and saddle leather, overall lovely wine still needing a few years.
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1/15/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Minneapolis Dinner and Tasting - Chateauneuf, Bordeaux, and Burgundy (mainly) (J.P.'s in Minneapolis): Same bottle as Siggy's TN... I had not had this wine since Jan. of 2000, when I included it in a '95 Chateauneuf tasting I organized, where it was one of my favorite wines of the tasting (13 or 14 '95s). As one would expect, it is now showing more gaminess, though I was still surprised by its overall youthfulness. I recently purchased a few more bottles of this, and I think I'll wait a few years to open one. Tonight, tasting it side by side with the 2003 Clos des Papes (see TN) proved quite educational, and, I felt, gave me a better idea what the 2003 is all about - and where it might be headed. The '95 is still holding nice reddish fruit, though some Rhoney funk is on the scene these days. Lightly spicey, with nice, moderately open aromatics and a balanced mouthfeel, despite the obvious tannins. Impressive.
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1/15/2006 - Siggy wrote: 93 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Old World Wines (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): A few tasters thought this was stinky, but I couldn’t detect any brett. Mushroom, forest floor, straw, and cherries. Tasted much younger than a 1995.
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10/9/2005 - amred wrote: 92 Points
Going to be a great Rhone. Full, tannic, was earthy, lead, etc.. Still young, but very drinkable. Later: gone through 5 bottles, enjoyed each one. Classic nose, solid fruit with traditional ChdP elements and well built. At this point, 2005, ready to drink.
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5/1/2005 - jdengis wrote: 97 Points
Fabulous Chateauneuf, and the very best I 've had till now (Beats any Pegau, Beaucastel or Vieux Télégraphe I 've tasted). Deep licorice and spicy red fruit, lots of matter, tannin and structure. Hardly any change overnight, so this wine has the potential to go an extra ten years. Classic !
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4/19/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at a vertical Beaucastel tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. The bottle was opened because the '95 Beaucastel was corked. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense candied black and red fruits, with spice and dry earth. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with medium residual tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Very nice. Although one must account for bottle variation, I cannnot agree with Robert Parker's assessment that this wine needs prolonged cellaring. It has likely gone through any "shut down" phase (if indeed such a phase occurred with this wine).
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11/1/1997 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Nice wine, but very young. Earthy and spicy aromas, mixed in with black fruits and freshly ground meats. Tannins seem to get in the way. Needs time, at which point I am sure the tannins will be better integrated and a higher score will result.
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