Crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 14% ABV. Classic nose of red fruits, garrigue, herbes de Provence and iron. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Perfect balance of fruit and tannins. Kirsch, plums, blood and cracked black pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. The last of six bottles bought long ago and from memory this was the best. Traditional CdP from a great producer in an under appreciated vintage. Best over the next several years.
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Showing a little age in the color. Garrigue, berries, etc on the nose. Medium body with good tannin and acidity. Lovely bottle that will age gracefully for several more years.
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Ruby red in color. 14% ABV. Soaring nose of red fruits, garrigue, wet pavement and licorice. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Fresh, charming and traditional through and through. Kirsch, plums, blood and roasted herbs on the palate. Medium length on the finish with ever so present tannins. Really well made CdP that exceeded expectations. In fact this wine was markedly better than a bottle I had several years ago. Well stored bottles will make it to twenty years of age but there is also no reason to wait.
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Exceeded expectations. At first the nose had a funk like a right bank Bordeaux but when it got some air in a carafe after an hour or so it tasted like a perfectly aged Pauillac. Nicely integrated.
Tobacco, cigar box and densely packed fig
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Medium dark red color. PNP, opened for dinner and split bottle over 4 hours. We were really in the mood for a CdP with the cold and wind bristling, so we opened this to drink with my slow cooked chicken thighs with baby bellas. What a wonderful pairing and this was in a great place. This is why I fell in love with CdP to begin with: old school school elegance, mid-weight body with classical CdP character. Oh, if they were all still like this. This has a captivating nose, baked cherry, lots of garrigue and Provenal herbs and spice. The floral notes really hit the upper register with roses, violets, and sandalwood. The palate shows all that and more with great spices, garrigue, sappy red berries and red cherry notes on a long earthy, tongue tingling finish that speaks to the soul of place. This certainly looks to be at peak, but I wouldn't have any worries for at least 5 years. Loved it. 93+ to 94pts.
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Good wine, not great but perhaps it’s this bottle. After the pop, nice color with moderate bricking. Nose evolved quite a bit over a couple hours: flat at first, then expressive with fruit and pie spices and finally plummy and flat after a couple hours. Smooth on the palate, there’s still tart acidity/juiciness. Length moderate. Felt older than it actually is.
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Clear medium red with some browning and clear edges. Medium intense nose, showing funk, pepper and dark berry fruit. Dry earthy berry flavours with a bit of smoked meat on the finish. The finish was still a bit tannic.
This has aged very well, much to my surprise.
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Wow, what a lovely ChdPape. Now drinking reasonably well but will age more. Tannins pretty much rounded out and exhibits a long full velvety finish. Has hints of leather, blackcurrent, tobacco and had a sort of chewy texture. Classic example of this appellation.
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Gorgeous. Rich strong red berry fruit, spicy, slightly tart, maybe some tobacco hints. Everything is well balanced, and is nice and mellow. Long finish.
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Brought for Thanksgiving dinner with family in Bend. Opened 90 minutes before dinner. Dark red in color. Cedar, leather and dark fruit in the nose. On the palate we have blackberries, dark plums, roasted meats, with some pepper and other spices and herbs tingling the tongue. A very nice finish. Even though opened prior to dine. got better over time. Went well with many of the varied Thanksgiving dishes.
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This was drinking extremely well last night. A beautiful nose of leather and earthy red fruits started things off. There was great balance to this traditional styled CDP, and rather elegant, medium bodied flavours of plums, cherries, earth, leather and iron.This is great now, but there's no rush (A-).
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Really, nice mature CdP with spice sandalwood nose. Red fruited palate, kirsch and Christmas cake mixed in. Lengthy sandalwood finish. Quite fresh but still mature for me.
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Drinking very well right now. Red/black cherry and plum fruit with earth and white pepper notes, and some dusty smooth tannins, long finish. Probably still a year or two of life left but wouldn't wait much longer.
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Light crimson in color. 14% ABV. Rustic nose of red fruits, iron, garrigue and herbes de provence. Medium body with ample acidity. Fresh and lively on the palate. Flavors of kirsch, saline, plums and cherries. Medium length on the finish. Delicious, traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Drink over the next 1-3 years.
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Medium-deep ruby red in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of complex, dark ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of sous bois & garrigue notes, floral notes of lavender & dried Provençal herbs with some pepper, earthy/dusty & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, Complex, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with earthy, herbs, pepper, beefy, minerals & a hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present. At 12 years of age, it has held up beautifully & has some limited potential if cellared properly.
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Ready to go, medium bodied, with a fresh, kirsch, spice and garrigue nose, there is a lot of freshness in the sweet, ripe, spicy, peppery, red berry finish.
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Was surprised how clean, bright and delicious the red fruit is, medium light texture....but there was nothing but the fruit. Not a single other expected CdP note or anything of interest. Still, cannot argue with the fruit.
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Nice old school CDP just entering its prime drinking years. Initial aromas of olives and meat on the nose. With a half hour of air, settled into a gentler, fruitier place of sour cherry and garrigue. Nice, almost Burgundian texture. On the light end of middle weight, with good acidic balance. A small amount of chunky sediment, otherwise deep, clear garnet with a smallish clear rim. Just fine to drink now, but with years and years to go.
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Popped and poured. This is a solid ruby wine with some modest end-of-bottle sediment. On the nose, I get ripe cherry and garrigue odors -- this has a classic CdP nose. In the mouth, the acid dominates, although there is some nice, ripe fruit that leaves a sour cherry finish. Overall, this wine is good to go; it wears its old schools credentials with pride and brings a sense of pleasure through the whole wine. 91 points.
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At home with turkey chili (mild spice). Decanted for about 45 minutes, drank over 2 hours.
Medium red color, clear, no sediment. Some bricking at the rim. Nose was very funky on the decant, thought it might be corked. The air time completely changed/improved the wine. Could use up to 2 hours.
Palate is black cherry, pepper, garrigue, earth, tobacco. Well aged, mouth feel is elegant and smooth. Was expecting this to be heavier. This vintage has surprised to the upside...in a good spot, should hold at this level for 3-5 years
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Some lightening at the rim. Opens with a blast of garigue. Age-smoothed entry. Garrigue, kirsch and black cherry on the palate. Finishes with some heat and a tannic fence. 89-90
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Really nice. Opened for about an hour and a half before dinner, but not decanted. Happily there was not a lot of sediment. The flavors are fairly sharp and it was much better with food than by itself. The nose has some mild barnyard and garrigue. There's a lot going on when you drink it: by turns cherry or red berry, some garrigue flavors, some licorice, spicy, some mineral flavors, maybe a little bit of tobacco. The finish is lengthy and smooth.
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Drinking very well and I don't see it getting better. Very expressive nose of dried fruits, sandalwood, and garrigue. Soft palate, spicy and smooth with animal notes. Elegant and balanced. Lengthy finish. Hard not to like. Everything you would want in a CdP.
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What a beautiful wine this became. Decanted (some solids) and let rest for a few minutes. Drank over a three hour period. Nice deep red in color. Nose of red fruit and spices. Very pure and clean flavors of red fruits and plums. Nice mouth feel and very pleasant aftertaste.
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18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): This seems to be on plateau; very resolved in this tasting. A lighter styled wine that is very smooth with some black cherry/kirsch, licorice, meat/leather, and kelp notes. 89 on day 2.
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Purple with the beginnings of some bricking. Beautiful nose of briary fruits, meat, licorice kirsh with a hint of barnyard. Similar palate with some spice and heat. Still quite tannic and should last for many years to come.
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Some attractive character, but the sourness (as described by others at the table) spoilt its balance. I think it was better a couple of years ago which I rarely say about Chateauneuf because I like them old. I have recently had some 2004 Cotes du Rhone Villages that are very much better.
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Some lightening on the edge. Rich nose, but a hint of brett knocks it down. Smooth entry. This tightened up over time. Some astringency and acidity on the palate and a clipped finish. I'll chalk this up as flawed.
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This is a bit sharp by itself but married nicely with food. Decanted this for a couple of hours before dinner. Smells really nice and tastes good too with a long, but as I said earlier, sharp finish. Some plum flavors but nicely balanced with garrigue, leather, and earth.
Popped and poured. This was good, but did not make quite as favorable an impression as the previous bottle. This will probably last a few more years, but I'd suggest drinking sooner rather than later since I don't expect improvement from here. The 2004 was a step behind the 2001 IMO. It's good, but doesn't quite have the complexity and excitement of the best vintages.
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Drank my last bottle of this last night, along with a 2003 Pegau and a 2003 Clos des Papes. All three were very nice wines, but the Clos des Papes and Donjon, for me, edged out the Pegau. All three were big wines, with lots of fruit, and tannins that now have fully integrated into the mix. No edges at all to any of the three. I should have waited on all of my '03's and '04's. Lesson learned, perhaps.
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Aromas of red fruits (raspberries?), forest floor and a herbal element. Smooth, full bodied, a long finish with moderate acidity. Tannins are still evident.
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Medium depth of transparent ruby color. Nose is rather mute, shows hints of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, leather and sweet spice. Quite full bodied, with opulent mouthfeel, more flavorful than on the nose, mellow tannins and high-ish alcohol. Might have been better younger and might become more interesting in the future. Quite tame comared to my memory of the bretty beast of '98.
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Half bottle. Medium red, maturing. Lovely mix of discretely ripe red fruit, just a hint of fig, and herbs. Medium weight, savory, good length, no gratuitous sweetness. I've had great success with this wine in this format. Chateauneuf as it used to be.
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Decanted shortly before dinner, and it helped as the wine improved over time. The best bottle of this so far, with a complex nose and smoothe on the palate. Drinking very well now with a little air.
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Ruby red in color with some bricking on the edges. Plums, kirsch, saline and spice cake on the nose. Medium in weight with light tannins. Garrigue, Asian spices, raspberry, raisin, cranberry and iodine on the palate. Delicious wine that is drinking beautifully right now. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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Opened at Otis' CDP. 2nd time I've had this within a month. The last bottle showed much better (perhaps because of the decant or air time). No formal notes on this one. 90-91 points.
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Opened by Lostverse. The cepage is normally 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault. This was the best Donjon CdP that I have had. I liked it better than the 1995, 1996, 1999 or 2001. Deep red color. Exceedingly smooth. Berries, earthy and a little chocolate. Integrated tannins. Elegant finish. Really enjoyed this wine and thought it was in a sweet spot right now. 93-94 points.
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Medium weight, feminine version of Donjon. Very pure with almost no tannins whatsoever. Delicious garrigue flavors. I wonder how this will evolve considering the lack of structure?
Medium light red. Burgundian style, mineral, black raspberry, smoked meat and thyme. Delicious raspberry and mineral flavours and a dry finish with a lot of acid and light tannins.
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Solid CdP entering maturity. Spice cake, sandalwood, and iodine on the nose. Palate is smooth and rather round, with a hint of heat, but adding iron, blood, and mature dried red fruits to the mix. Moderate finish with a little tar coming in with mature fruit. Lacking a little complexity on the finish to go to the next level. Very approachable though may not have been the best stored example. (Winebid) lacks a little freshness that I associate with this producer.
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Good wine! An intense and interesting nose, combining sweet red fruits, garrigues and herbes, and animal notes. It has medium to full body and a good aroma intensity. The tannins are well resolved. Drinking very well right now, but will last at least 5 more years.
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Le Vieux Donjon Vertical tasting 2004, 2006, 2010. Prime rib dinner with portabello mushroom reduction. Added 2004 Duhart Milon for dinner.
Garnet red. Nose of tar, forest floor, saddle soap. Full bodied, dark fruit, tar, earthy. Integrated tannin and long finish. Drinking well at this point. Great pairing with dinner. Sad that I only had one.
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Better than expected based on other CT reviews. Drank from a magnum, decanted 1 hour. Medium bodied and not exceptional, but still a nice bottle of CDP that paired well with duck for Christmas eve dinner. That said, it got a bit sour after being open a few hours, and the bit that was left wasn't as good on day 2.
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A weird orangey purple color. The nose is slightly barnyardy, with cherry and cranberry fruit and herby garrigue. Still warming up from the cellar but the palate is the same as the nose. Medium bodied with firm tannins. Just a bit thin on the finish and a bit grape-soupy overall. Good but not inspiring.
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Drank from a magnum. Paired with a boeuf bourguignon. Quite shut down at first; decanted and aired for a while - after two hours there was a short window where some pleasant aromatics showed up, and then rather quickly it faded in the glass.
Kirsch, sichuan peppercorn spice, some garrigue - I don't get any of the barnyard or smoke that other CTs have noted. Medium grip, rather low energy level, and acidity just a little astringent, but still a wine in balance. Like other 'trackers I see very little upside in storing this for much longer.
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The intensity of this vintage continues to wind down. The remeniscent guarigue of Donjon is ever present with notes of Herbs du Provence. A slight thinning on the edge of this medium ruby color. Popped from the cellar and allowed to airate while I consumed over a three hour period. EG WineArchitect
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Decanted and poured, this wine gave a very good showing with aromatics that showed a blend of raspberry, leather, granite and some underlying funky elements. The bouquet, although expressive, never fully unifies and gives a somewhat uneven impression. The medium (full) bodied palate shows good overall balance and a blend of youthful and maturing notes; however an underlying funky element detracts from the overall impression. Based on this bottle, this wine may or may not benefit from additional bottle age.
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--- COLOR: Light garnet with ruby rim NOTE: Typical CDP. CDP funk in the nose, then some pepper, then it smells like a London butcher shop, then it smells like lanolin, then some pungent red raspberry shows up. Why do so many CDPs smell exactly like this? It's irritating and off-putting. The mouth is medium-heavy body with nice glycerin, but once again its all the savory notes that hit first. Loads of garrigue, pepper, roast beef and a smattering of red berry fruits again. The finish just compounds this and adds to it, like you were drinking the mixture from a dirty ashtray. I think 85 is a nice score, because from a pleasure standpoint this would probably be in the low 70's. It's not flawed. It's well-made. But it's made for someone else that I may never become. I just regret cellaring it for so many years when I could have just dispatched it and made room for something more worthy. Yet another disappointing trip down the CDP lane. Long live California Rhones!
DECANT: 1-3 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 8.5 OTHER: COST: 44 VALUE: 3.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: like 3-5 years ago or something, dunno TRY AGAIN: now - 2015 PAIRING: none Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Tasted from a half bottle over two nights, this was very enjoyable. Dark in the glass with a bit of sediment in the bottle. Nose of dark fruit, herbs and spice. There is raspberry on the palate with a long finish of tart cherry and pepper. Did I mention the long finish? The tannins are still present, so I feel there is life ahead for this wine. I picked up the half bottle at a close out so I could hold on to my last three full bottles to hopefully let them show me a more mature characteristic.
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Bastille Day Tastings-Mostly French (San Francisco): Half bottle. Medium ruby. Classic aromatic blend of cool green herbs and raspberry fruit. Lovely weight and freshness of fruit enlivened by firm acidity. I opened this to replace an imperfect Gigondas and was very pleased with its purity and vigor compared to that wine. Unlike the last time I tasted it, no off chemical smells. The '04s continue to acquit themselves well although the vintage sits in the shadow of bigger, riper years that bracket it.
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Medium red. Lots of roasted, plummy dark fruit. Nice rich plum flavours and a decent slightly simple finish. This will never be a savage wine like the 01 or 90 or 05.
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Le Vieux Donjon Vertical Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Medium red in colour. Lots of herbal notes on the nose along with red fruits and white pepper aromas. In the mouth this was the freshest and lightest of the wines so far with good balance, high acidity, medium tannins and smooth mouthfeel. Drinking well now but not as good as the previous 3 times that I’ve had it. Excellent.
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Distinctly herbal and slightly bretty nose with "bouquet de garrigue", saddle leather and dried tea-leaves, a bit like sangiovese. Elegant aromatics, refreshing acidity, harmonious proportions, medium grip and weight. 14% alcohol at the most. Drinks nicely at the moment, probably no upside in further cellaring. Always like the style here...
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I opened this bottle right from the cellar. The color was a medium ruby. The nose was beginning to open. There was no trace of sediment in the bottle like other years! The flavors of red fruit and guarigue were medium to light. I did notice that the flavors began to fade after being open two hours. Drink them up as they seem to be in their prime. EG WineArchitect, #Rhone, #Le Vieux Donjon
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Here we go again! This bottle was drinking perfect. It seems to be that when my ratings for these wines are bad, there are more views. Why? Well, this is a good review, I am sad to say and this bottle was drinking perfectly. No age, like other bottles and solid cherry fruit core without maderized friut. Every 2004 should drink like this bottles. Guarigue was a bit on the low side as compared to other years. Bottle variation occurs. EG WineArchitect, #Rhone, #Le Vieux Donjon
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Splash decanted and follwed over several hours. Ripe fruit with a cherry liquor profile, spicy, with a touch of barnyard and later a distinct animal character. Dry palate with nice kirsch and spice, but a little bitter with strong sandlewood. Fine woody gritty finish with earth and spice and dried fruit. Quite tannic. Not quite ready, but very close. 92-93
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Brought up from the cellar and allowed to comed to room temp. Opened as our second bottle with dinner and first bouquet from bottle was right on the money. I was concerned about early advancement, but not with this bottle. One the mark with aromeas as well as flavors. Nice guariugue in the mouth with nose of black cherry fruits and smoke. Aging as nicely as I could expect for a 2004. This is why I love this wine. EG WineArchitect #wine
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Half bottle. Medium color. There is a funny chemical, ethyl acetate note which runs through the wine but does not ruin it. Beyond or beneath that, lighter style, crisp acidity, tart red fruit, green olive and a host of herbs. Quite powerful in the mouth because of the acidity. Good traditional Chateauneuf and very true to Vieux Donjon-savory, complex, not too lush or overblown. I bet that better bottles exist. Reminiscent of '99 in its leaner, greener style.
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Decanted for an hour and a half to have with beef stew. Drank over the course of two hours. Aroma has significant leather, as well as some tart cherry and blueberry. Taste has muted fruit of blueberry and blackberry as well as tobacco and a bit of chocolate. Finish is a bit short, with some acidity and mild tannins. It didn't seem to be altogether, but after three hours in the decanter, this really started to hit its stride, though. I would recommend a decant of at least 3 hours before drinking at this point. It certainly seems to show potential for future dividends.
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Yes, I said in April I would wait a few years. Still young but pairs so well with lamb steaks marinated in oil and Provencal herbs and garlic then grilled medium rare.
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I was looking for a wine to add to the chilli, and this was a good candidate. Nose predominantly of alcohol on first opening. Initial impression...where's the fruit? It's like the bottom fell out of this wine, leaving wood, alcohol, and a thin layer of fruit somewhere. Could it be bottle variation? Sure. I have a few more, but for now, this one's fine for cooking. Light bodied, if that's what you're after. At least now I know not to gift this.
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Really nice showing. Red with slight bricking. Nice nose with dark fruits, a slight whiff of barnyard, and spice. Palate of cherry, licorice, plum. Great balance, tannins still evident but only after a while in the decanter. Clean finish. A lighter wine than normal for VD, but excellent.
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Good showing. Begins with a very clear, pure presentation of CdP fruit, red fruits with hints of incense, light garrigue and complicated by notes of forest growth. The characteristic Donjon attributes of melted truffle and browner, animal notes are minimal at this point; this is more about a linear, still primary-fruited palate. While primary, it is tapered in attack and well-defined. The tannins seems to be hidden or absorbed by the fruit, until after a few hours of air when the tannins begin to emerge. No degradation overnight, the wine is still precise, showing a beam of clean red fruit, and gone are the foresty complications. The tannins are fine and sweet on the second night. Overall, a really pleasing CdP. Less "brown" than the 98/00/01 Donjons tend to show, which is not to suggest baked fruit, but rather that truffly, earthy, horsey, animal thing that seems to typify Donjon across multiple vintages, although there were hints of that on the first night. Just a lovely, suave, pure CdP. More a natural ballerina than a flashy hip hop dancer.
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Medium-bodied, with blackberry fruit accompanied with gamy leathery secondary aspects. A little stick on the finish, but it should get untracked with a little more cellar time.
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Very nice wine showing dark fruit with pepper and spice on the palate. Long finish. Young still so will hold a few years before opening another bottle. Great with rack of lamb.
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Still young and somewhat subdued. Medium bodied and density, sage and dust, light on the acid but not through over the top ripeness so somewhat elegant. Wait.
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Popped and poured. Clear garnet. Nose of leather, smoke, black cherry, and licorice. Medium palate of ripe black cherry, intense pepper, meat, and noticeable alcohol. Excellent length. Lowish acidity. Mild tannins.
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Decanted for 30' before trying it, then 2 glasses over the next 90'. It has an unremarkable color, typical for its age. The nose and the wine got better over time, eventually revealing some dark fruit with hints of garrigue, licorice, kelp, and pepper. Texture is a high point, very smooth. Wait (2-3 years), decant, then wait some more.
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Drinking well for someone interested in well settled primary characteristics, but no secondary development yet. Decanted for just over 90 minutes. White pepper, black currant and violets fold into a silky finish that lasts over 20 seconds. If you're looking for a smoked meat, tobacco and earth CDP...this may get there....but my guess is it'll be another 3-4 years.
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Drinking very well now. Good nose of bramble and dark fruit, more dark fruit on a medium palate, good clean finish. Complements food very well, did great with Salmon, and is also very nice by itself. A very pleasant bottle for a winter evening, not a star.
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This particular year of this wine does not seem to be evolving at this point in time. The light ruby color remains along with its lighter flavors so reminiscent of Donjon. EG WineArchitect
Opened and served right away. Medium ruby red in colour. Musty nose with beautiful cool red fruits with hints of mushroom and barnyard funk. Lots of bright red fruits in the mouth with a silky texture. Perfectly balanced yet still youthful with loads of acidity and some tannins and a lengthy finish. Very nice to drink now but patience will be rewarded. Try again in 5+ years. Excellent. 91+
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Reading the other notes, I think this was a flawed bottle. Tons of Brett on the nose with some dark fruit underneath. Palate was nice with dark, plummy fruit and spicy earth. Nice structure and acidity. I could sense the quality here, but the Brett-bomb nose killed it for me.
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Judging by the other reviews I must have had a less-than-pristine bottle. This had a very significant amount of volatile acidity. The nose was nice and floral, but the palate was relatively thin. Nonetheless, it was a nice wine -- but the volatile acidity was very out of character. In a blind tasting I might have guessed it was a mid-range Spanish wine or maybe a Musar from a lesser vintage. Odd.
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Awesome nose...super aromatic with CdP fragrances, albeit little if any meat/bacon/funk. Deeply perfumed. Unfortunately, the palate doesn't match the promise, and seems relatively thin in comparison. To be fair, this was served on a night with multiple California syrahs, so the field in general was very full bodied.
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Pleasing, elegant CdP, not a "tour de force" and without "gobs of fruit", which means that to my palate, this wine is just fine. The fruit is very clean, with cherry and a core of red raspberry, cocoa, and a bit of rusticity around the edges. Opens up by the second night, broadens horizontally on the palate as well as vertically with additional depth of fruit, garrigue, and the trademark Donjon attribute of melted black truffle, brown spice and animal fur. The tannin also comes out more on the second night, suggesting that any initial impression of weakness or lack of fortitude may be premature. Drink now with a decant or let it age for a few more years.
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Light ruby color. Opened from the cellar with a light bouquet of cherry and a touch of guarigue. I expected more power from this year of this wine. Allowed to decant overnight and the wine only opened to reveal a tiny bit more cherry nose. The weight in the mouth also only came up slightly. I wonder if it will open up more with age? EG WineArchitect
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Light ruby color. Opened from the cellar with a light bouquet of cherry and a touch of guarigue. I expected more power from this year of this wine. Allowed to decant..
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Drinking well, just not a lot of stuff going on relative to other vintages. Perfectly pleasant wine with food, lighter than usual, good flavor profile, clean finish. No oomph. Drinks well with grilled salmon, I don't believe it would hold up well to a real meat dish.
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Beautiful dark purple color, opaque throughout. Popped and poured. Initial nose of leather, meat and floral. Palate is similar with addition of some dark fruits. This is well balanced and the tannins have integrated nicely for a velvety smooth mouthfeel. Not enough history with CdP to know whether this will improve, but my gut says yes. Although, it is beautiful now and I wish I had more.
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Popped and poured. Nose: Big white pepper and garrique with some other spices and herbs present. Palate: Fairly rich mouthfeel with the white pepper, spice and herbs showing and some faint red fruits on the finish. Good acidity that integrates with the fruit with air and becomes less dominant. Good tannins and a medium length finish. Not the most massive Donjon but drinking well now and probably has another 3-5 years (unless you like your CDPs really aged). Based on other Donjon vintages good but not great.
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My first notes on this year of this wine. Out of the cellar, cold, the wine's bouquet was filled with tart cherry and herbs de provence. The color was a clear medium ruby. The mouth was filled with the same but also a Cumin like character. It made a bold statement for a Vieux Donjon! Even on the second day the wine exhibited similar characteristics.
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Trish's wine. Decanted for 30 min, but could have used several hours. Quite young-tasting, with red fruit and earth. The Grenache is definitely front and center, with some structure coming in from the other varietal(s). I have no idea what the blend is...Tart cherry on the finish, this went well with our beef main course, but was a chore to drink without food.
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Nice grip and structure, not a lot fruit but other subtle flavors. Several hours in the decanter brought out some more flavor. I did wonder whether this was "closed".
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Very impressive, and I loved that it became move complex as we moved through the evening, not as intense as the 2007 we had alongside, but perhaps a touch more elegant - Dark red, medium/full bodied with a nose of cherry, plum, cinammon spice, pepper and vanilla, very balanced, complex and velvety smooth on the palate with excellent length (91 Points).
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Surprisingly nice to drink, not in any kind of closed stage. Not to say it won't evolve, but this wine drinks nicely now. The nose needs maybe half an hour of air to reveal the complexity, but once it does, many layers: sandalwood, clove or nutmeg, rosemary or oregano then fruit, hint of menthol. Long palate that adds earth notes and cherry flavors to lots of grip. Long deep finish.
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I decanted the wine for 2 1/2 hours before I poured it back into the bottle and consumed it over three evenings (vacuum-pumped). The wine was rather limited on the nose on day one, but opened up over night, then showing an incredible nose with lots of raspberries, cherry, lavender, Hoisin sauce, herbs and spices as well as campfire smoke.
The experience on the palate was quite similar; on day one the fruit was somewhat subdued, I predominantly got herbs and spices and a hint of tobacco on the back-end. But the wine opened up over night and became very concentrated on the palate, with cherry, dark fruits, leather, herbs and a hint of tobacco. Surprisingly, the wine was a little short and flat on the finish, and was a little hot from the alcohol. The wine got more and more balanced over time though.
To me the wine is drinkable now, but even after serious decanting was still not able to show its best. I will not touch my remaining bottles for at least another two or three years as this wine is good now, but will most likely be great in a few years.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Gave it a swirl and taste at the pour and the nose was super tight (as others have mentioned) with hints of raspberry, florals and cherry. That was it. In the glass it was a really beautiful ruby with a hint of amber at the edge. After the decant it opend up quite a bit and the nose was vastly more complex with raspberry, red cherries, herbs, leather, anise, lavender and some dark fruit. Really nice! On the palate it had a really focused flavor profile of juicy raspberres - the kinds that are bursting when you bite into them, juicy red cherries, soy, lavender, herbs, cocoa and smoke. The fruit was wonderful with a bright and refreshing acidity balanced with firm and well integrated tannins. It had a really nice balance and complexity to it with a pretty long finish of the entire flavor profile with a touch of white pepper heat thrown in. The heat was a bit out of wack at the end but I see this diminishing with some age on it. This is really an outstanding CDP and I am glad I have more. This has got some significant life in it and I am going to let the remaining bottles sleep awhile. Won't touch the next one for 3-5 years. 50+5+13+17+8=93
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Deep ruby throughout. Fantastic nose of cherries, provencial herbs, and Korean soy sauce. Lithe body and wonderful mouthfeel of raspberries and sour cherries, leather, kirsch, and slight licorice. Slight oakiness/cedar throughout, but loses some balance by being just a touch hot. Another couple of years and this may be in the sweet spot.
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(2+) Drank at Dad’s with Mom, Mike & Elizabeth. Didn’t decant for long, maybe needed more time in the decanter and/or more age. Quite floral with some brett on the nose and a hint of grapefruit on the palate. Very nice but was expecting more.
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decanted for 3 hours, started out very closed but really came in to its own need lots of air magnificent wine ready for buisness, bursted with fruits and nice tannins
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Popped and poured. Garnet hue. Initially showing a little tight, took about 2 hours to open up. Aromas of raspberry, kirsch, provencal herbs, earth, and lavender. Medium body, shows nice flavor depth with unobtrusive tannins with a classic Chateauneuf flavor profile of red fruits, French herb garden, and some mineral notes. Not a big wine, rather more elegant and charming in a rustic way. I would say hold for another 12-16 months, should be open for business.
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Popped and let my first glass sit for about 30 mins. Nose was pretty darn stingy at first, giving up just a hint of herbs, kirsch, and raspberries. Fairly structured on the palate--fruit, acid, and a little bit of a stranglehold on your tongue from the tannins. I fully expected this wine to open up but it never really did. Maybe I just didn't give it enough time or maybe it's not ready. Even at more than two hours in, the nose was still fighting to give anything up (kind of like my high school girlfriend). Some strawberries, sweetness, and bitter chocolate (maybe was just the tannin) made an appearance and gave me a glimpse of what could be, but without a ton of CdP experience I may have just drank it too early. It's a well made Old World wine--it just lacked a knockout punch (which my high school girlfriend definitely had:). 90pts.
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Dark red. Dark fruit profile on the nose with some leather, herbs, and smoke. Good complexity and interesting. Medium to full body on the palate with good balance and lively acidity. Moderate tannin and good length to the finish. A very enjoyable wine that will certainly improve with a few years in the cellar.
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Notes from memory, so not formal: Fairly simple CdP. Pretty straight forward and juicy at this point. Plenty of stuffing to last for quite a few years. Good, not great.
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Drunk in a vertical with 1998, 2000, 2003. Suffered in comparison to the 1998 in that it does not have that weight, but a pretty nose and a lighter than usual palate for this producer; worked very well with food, less impressive on its own.
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Still a too young to drink at this point, however I wanted to see what was going on. A classic nose of kirsch, raspberry & herb. Lovely raspberry fruit that is lush & open. The sharp tannins kick in on the finish. A keeper!
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Drank at Five Sails – Opened, poured into decanter, and served right away. Drank over 2 hours. Great nose of roasted meat, funk and underlying light fruit. As it opened up the nose got even more funky. Very nice. Flavours of raspberries, bitter chocolate and dark cherries. Firm tannins. 20 second finish. Enjoyable now but will reward 5+ years of cellaring. 91+
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Color: Medium purple Nose: Spice, cedar, floral Taste: Spice, floral, bitter and a hard edge Finish: Medium and just a bit over the top Evaluation: 87 points
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Smoother and lighter than I expected; I would have expected more spice, power and depth. There is a fair amount of tannin, but keep going back to have smooth, accessable and light the wine seemed. The 2001 I had last month was so much more in all areas...
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Purple. Sweet and juicy start. Full bodied, cherries, blackberries and some raspberry. A lot of concentration and alcohol. Flint stone. Round and juicy wine which is not immense complex but beautiful and still very young. Will probably gain some points in the future.
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Too young at this point. Nose is peppery but has the telltale elements of leather and tar. Tannins are still hiding the fruit. Taste is tannic but shows great promise. Wait one year at least.
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light ruby, garnet, full drops strawberry jam, five spice; nose briar fruit light to med tannins, light in acidity, classic style ready to drink, worth $50?
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Clear ruby with purple reflections. Interesting, smokey bacon nose, with considerable barnyard that largely blew off. but still very vinous. Spice, mineral, plum and tart cherry on the round palate, with moderately firm but sweet tannins, and considerable acidity. A bit of barnyard reappears on the relatively short and fruity finish. This wine should age well and develop some nice nuance. Shows more short-term depth and promise than the 2005, but I still wouldn't open this for at least three more years.
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Camille's notes (blind) The Thunder Show on Aug. 26 Decanted 4 hours, but still did way better on the next day. Garnet color. Lots of sour cherry, plum, spice box on the nose, with tart cherry, massive acidity and gripping tannins on the palate. Clashed with food a bit more than the Domaine du Pegau 2004. 90 pts. now, but still closed. Potential for 92+ in the future. Camille's guess, CdP.
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Exploring Chateauneuf-du-Pape @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Purple in the edge. Inviting nose of forest floor, blueberries, hazelnuts and flint. Palate is dominated by fresh red fruit and a soft but supportive tannic structure. Some alcoholic heat in the back. A good wine, not very complex though. 15.5/20
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Ruby / garnet color. Interesting combination of fruit and menthol on the nose. This wine is lean and young compared to the others. Hopefully, it will flesh out with 5 years in the bottle. (88+)
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Lovely wine. From the moment the wine was poured (no decanting), this exuded a gorgeous note of raspberry followed by a spicy, dark, dusky core. The palate was powerful, brooding, quite structured and dry at this stage, but lovely, nothing out of place. The best was the finish, miles long, just exploding with Provencale herbs, faintly peppery as well, long and beautiful. Not a hedonistic wine at this stage but still very enjoyable nonetheless and an incredibly pure, structured example of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Methinks I need to buy and taste more wine from this estate.
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Decanted for a hour on a warm night and still needed more. Alcohol blocked flavor. Recommend cellar a while longer.. Tasted after about 3 hours and really started to shine. Light fruity, spicy taste a tiny bit candied. Tannins were nicely managed. Trying to buy some more for consumption in 3-4 years.
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Decanted for just one hour. Nice CdP barnyard, spicey funk on the nose. Hits the mouth with juicy red fruit and wonderfully managed tannins. Wow! Can't wait to revisit in two or three years. Paired with roasted rosemary/garlic tri tip.
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Estery, slightly candied nose. Very rich, young and primary, with lots of sweet dark fruit on the palate. This is pretty huge, and really just too jammy/sweet for my taste. I guessed California, and was kind of shocked that this is a VD. Wonder what this will taste like when it settles down? Tasted blind.
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Popped and poured - then slow oxygenation. Once this gets a couple years on it, I believe this will be a classic wine. Muted, but complex nose of tar, black licorice and herbs. Nose is somewhat reminsicent of a nebbiolo. Black, brooding, dark black fruit just explodes like the juice inside one of those old Hubba Bubba gums with the liquid center. So smooth and lush, the finish goes on and on.
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Bright ruby color. Decanted for 3 hours prior to tasting. We tasted this double blind for the first glass - it seemed like an amazing Pinot Noir at the time. Wasn't even thinking of CdP. Nose was very delicate with some cherry, and mineral aromas. Flavors of cherry with some smoke and game. Incredible mouthfeel, and a seemless progression through the mid-palate to the finish which lasted for close to a minute. None of us in the group had tasted a quality CdP before, and we are all life long fans due to this bottle. This paired incredibly well with bison steaks seasoned with a little garlic and onion. Pairings just don't get much better than that. Unanimous WOTN.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting at Pike and Western 2/8/07: Meat, meat, baby. Funky game, tar, smoke and intense raspberry and dark cherry on a big old world nose. Smooth intense fruit and a strong mineral presence on the palate. Great long finish. Disjointed. Wait.
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Closing down... This was 92-95 when tasted four months ago. It was medium bodied, long, and subtle. Now it's feeling dark, austere & tannic, and upon decanting - simply peppery without any of the expected grenache fruit.
This is a darn shame. The 2004 Donjon was so exciting as a young star, one of the very best among the 2004 CdP's. The only stronger one I've tasted is the Cuvee du Quet... which I hope stays tame all throughout its' aging process.
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still young purple. after 4 hours in the decanter this is still showing a margerine container nose. but the fruit has opened up, very clean red cherry, blueberry, garaguire, and spices, the wine was very nice with our grilled bbq steak. it is coming around but I just do not get much power and weight, maybe the 2003's have spoiled me. very well made it certainly needs some bottle age. I may normally drink these later in life, so my comments may not be fair, but just do not see this in the 90/01 camp.
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This wine was a little tight. Needed at least 1 hour to open up. Once it did it showed elegance w/ nice pepper notes, dark fruit with earthy tones. Overall enjoyable....needs more bottle aging!
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2004 Chateauneuf du Pape (Great Wine Buys): Beautiful vanilla and light fruit nose. Dark cherries and light berry (strawberry?) on the palate. Nice, but disappointingly short finish. Red Rhone Blend - primarily grenache.
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Tasted side by side with the 2004 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape (see TN). The nose on the Vieux Donjon was slightly more espressive, with notes of potpourri / baking spices, licorice and red / black fruit. It has a slightly overripe / liquor element that made me give the nod to Avril's wine today (not that it was a contest), as it seems better balanced and more pure / clean, overall. That said, obviously, both are very young and just arrived in the US... I look forward to revisiting both in the future...
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Dinner at 112 Eatery (Chave, Beaucastel, Pegau, Voge, Donjon, and others): Tasted side-by-side with the 2004 Clos des Papes. Wow is this bottle showing well. The nose is classic Vieux Donjon, showing dark fruit, smoke, and an earthy garrigue. On the palate this is medium bodied with plenty of dark fruit, and an enjoyable earthiness. This shows good structure, some tannin, and a great finish. This is a great wine to cellar, although we all tended to think it would shut down in the near future. I preferred this to the 2004 Clos des Papes for drinking at this point -- although Steve and Ben disagreed with me.
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Tasted side-by-side with the 2004 Clos des Papes. This was more brooding than the CdP, showing black as opposed to red fruits. Provencal herbs, pepper, earth, and a touch of tobacco. Lots of structure and tannin. This is an excellent wine that is closing down and needs to sleep; give it plenty of air if you open one now.
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Consumed unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Medium ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of black pepper, cherries and herbs. Relatively light-bodied on the palate, with a thin mouth texture, medium acidity and light-to-medium, dry tannins. The flavors mirror the nose. Short, coarse finish. Disappointing and, to my palate, not typical of the beautiful bottlings of the previous good vintage years. This was also the consensus of the tasting group.
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12/26/2023 - Alok Kapoor wrote: 93 Points
Started weak even after two hours…. But by 4-5 hours in was fantastic.
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5/11/2023 - Winance Tom wrote: 89 Points
Bit of a disappointment , expected a tastier wine, perhaps cellared too long or my taste buds were wonky.
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4/10/2022 - tomlee wrote: 93 Points
Crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 14% ABV. Classic nose of red fruits, garrigue, herbes de Provence and iron. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Perfect balance of fruit and tannins. Kirsch, plums, blood and cracked black pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. The last of six bottles bought long ago and from memory this was the best. Traditional CdP from a great producer in an under appreciated vintage. Best over the next several years.
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3/12/2022 - kris.h Likes this wine: 92 Points
Showing a little age in the color. Garrigue, berries, etc on the nose. Medium body with good tannin and acidity. Lovely bottle that will age gracefully for several more years.
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2/19/2022 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Like-new cork. Dark colour, with little/no bricking; Obviously mature, dark, meaty, broody entry and long finish. Drink up
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2/8/2021 - Get Real Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still in great condition. Lots of savoury earthy flavours, smooth tannins, still some fruit there.
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11/16/2020 - ARiverofPisoni wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red, plenty of life left on this one. Nicely balanced.
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9/3/2020 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red in color. 14% ABV. Soaring nose of red fruits, garrigue, wet pavement and licorice. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Fresh, charming and traditional through and through. Kirsch, plums, blood and roasted herbs on the palate. Medium length on the finish with ever so present tannins. Really well made CdP that exceeded expectations. In fact this wine was markedly better than a bottle I had several years ago. Well stored bottles will make it to twenty years of age but there is also no reason to wait.
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8/25/2020 - Nmilau Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exceeded expectations. At first the nose had a funk like a right bank Bordeaux but when it got some air in a carafe after an hour or so it tasted like a perfectly aged Pauillac. Nicely integrated.
Tobacco, cigar box and densely packed fig
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1/27/2020 - David J Cooper wrote: flawed
A quick sniff on opening seemed ok, but after some time in the decanter this turned nasty. Roasted fruit, heat and old style Soy sauce.
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1/19/2020 - Neecies wrote: flawed
Pure soy sauce; DOA.
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1/18/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Medium dark red color. PNP, opened for dinner and split bottle over 4 hours. We were really in the mood for a CdP with the cold and wind bristling, so we opened this to drink with my slow cooked chicken thighs with baby bellas. What a wonderful pairing and this was in a great place. This is why I fell in love with CdP to begin with: old school school elegance, mid-weight body with classical CdP character. Oh, if they were all still like this. This has a captivating nose, baked cherry, lots of garrigue and Provenal herbs and spice. The floral notes really hit the upper register with roses, violets, and sandalwood. The palate shows all that and more with great spices, garrigue, sappy red berries and red cherry notes on a long earthy, tongue tingling finish that speaks to the soul of place. This certainly looks to be at peak, but I wouldn't have any worries for at least 5 years. Loved it. 93+ to 94pts.
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12/14/2019 - Squirreljam Likes this wine:
Good wine, not great but perhaps it’s this bottle. After the pop, nice color with moderate bricking. Nose evolved quite a bit over a couple hours: flat at first, then expressive with fruit and pie spices and finally plummy and flat after a couple hours. Smooth on the palate, there’s still tart acidity/juiciness. Length moderate. Felt older than it actually is.
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7/31/2019 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Clear medium red with some browning and clear edges. Medium intense nose, showing funk, pepper and dark berry fruit. Dry earthy berry flavours with a bit of smoked meat on the finish. The finish was still a bit tannic.
This has aged very well, much to my surprise.
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7/5/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well knit; earthy, raspberry-cherry-raisen; balanced with integrated tannin; long finish.
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10/11/2018 - 100pp wrote: 93 Points
It looks like my previous bottle had a flaw. This one was delicious, opened up much faster and was still very lively. Regretfully the last one.
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7/27/2018 - CES911 wrote: 93 Points
Opened and drank. Soft age on it with a long finish. Drinking beautifully and paired well with fish and meat.
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6/30/2018 - Sievvy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, what a lovely ChdPape. Now drinking reasonably well but will age more. Tannins pretty much rounded out and exhibits a long full velvety finish. Has hints of leather, blackcurrent, tobacco and had a sort of chewy texture. Classic example of this appellation.
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2/10/2018 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Gorgeous. Rich strong red berry fruit, spicy, slightly tart, maybe some tobacco hints. Everything is well balanced, and is nice and mellow. Long finish.
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11/23/2017 - mhudes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brought for Thanksgiving dinner with family in Bend. Opened 90 minutes before dinner. Dark red in color. Cedar, leather and dark fruit in the nose. On the palate we have blackberries, dark plums, roasted meats, with some pepper and other spices and herbs tingling the tongue. A very nice finish. Even though opened prior to dine. got better over time. Went well with many of the varied Thanksgiving dishes.
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11/23/2017 - JohnSh wrote: 93 Points
This was drinking extremely well last night. A beautiful nose of leather and earthy red fruits started things off. There was great balance to this traditional styled CDP, and rather elegant, medium bodied flavours of plums, cherries, earth, leather and iron.This is great now, but there's no rush (A-).
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11/15/2017 - 100pp wrote: 88 Points
Barnyard. Barnyard. Barnyard. Decanting and leaving it alone for a while helps a bit.
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2/24/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really, nice mature CdP with spice sandalwood nose. Red fruited palate, kirsch and Christmas cake mixed in. Lengthy sandalwood finish. Quite fresh but still mature for me.
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1/28/2017 - Chef B wrote:
Total dead spot. Need to wait years before trying again.
Gritty, closed and lifeless. But I hope there's beauty in there like you all say! See you in 2020.
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1/13/2017 - Sweet Nancy Likes this wine:
Raspberry and currant fruit followed by a nice acidic backbone. Long finish.
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12/28/2016 - JOsgood wrote:
Delicious and still drinking young. Lots of life left ahead for this wine. Gorgeous stinky nose.
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11/26/2016 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well right now. Red/black cherry and plum fruit with earth and white pepper notes, and some dusty smooth tannins, long finish. Probably still a year or two of life left but wouldn't wait much longer.
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11/18/2016 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Light crimson in color. 14% ABV. Rustic nose of red fruits, iron, garrigue and herbes de provence. Medium body with ample acidity. Fresh and lively on the palate. Flavors of kirsch, saline, plums and cherries. Medium length on the finish. Delicious, traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Drink over the next 1-3 years.
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11/11/2016 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium-deep ruby red in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of complex, dark ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of sous bois & garrigue notes, floral notes of lavender & dried Provençal herbs with some pepper, earthy/dusty & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, Complex, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with earthy, herbs, pepper, beefy, minerals & a hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present. At 12 years of age, it has held up beautifully & has some limited potential if cellared properly.
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10/5/2016 - pwillen1 wrote:
consistent with others' notes, this is clean, pure and pretty.
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8/19/2016 - king-bing wrote:
Decent, straight CdP. Better after an hour when the herbiness came through.
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8/9/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Ready to go, medium bodied, with a fresh, kirsch, spice and garrigue nose, there is a lot of freshness in the sweet, ripe, spicy, peppery, red berry finish.
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6/24/2016 - ctjared wrote:
too stewed but better after air
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5/10/2016 - cadamson Likes this wine: 89 Points
Was surprised how clean, bright and delicious the red fruit is, medium light texture....but there was nothing but the fruit. Not a single other expected CdP note or anything of interest. Still, cannot argue with the fruit.
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3/15/2016 - Brix Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice old school CDP just entering its prime drinking years. Initial aromas of olives and meat on the nose. With a half hour of air, settled into a gentler, fruitier place of sour cherry and garrigue. Nice, almost Burgundian texture. On the light end of middle weight, with good acidic balance. A small amount of chunky sediment, otherwise deep, clear garnet with a smallish clear rim. Just fine to drink now, but with years and years to go.
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11/8/2015 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid ruby wine with some modest end-of-bottle sediment. On the nose, I get ripe cherry and garrigue odors -- this has a classic CdP nose. In the mouth, the acid dominates, although there is some nice, ripe fruit that leaves a sour cherry finish. Overall, this wine is good to go; it wears its old schools credentials with pride and brings a sense of pleasure through the whole wine. 91 points.
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10/9/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
At home with turkey chili (mild spice). Decanted for about 45 minutes, drank over 2 hours.
Medium red color, clear, no sediment. Some bricking at the rim. Nose was very funky on the decant, thought it might be corked. The air time completely changed/improved the wine. Could use up to 2 hours.
Palate is black cherry, pepper, garrigue, earth, tobacco. Well aged, mouth feel is elegant and smooth. Was expecting this to be heavier. This vintage has surprised to the upside...in a good spot, should hold at this level for 3-5 years
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7/28/2015 - bin905 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pepper and garrigue scent. Cocoa, black cherry, tar, earth and current taste with ample fine tannins.
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6/12/2015 - David J Cooper wrote: 94 Points
medium red. Great CdP nose. Pepper, cherry, smoked meat, funky earth and thyme. Delicious flavours and a balanced long finish.
I did not expect this vintage to ever show this well.
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5/12/2015 - swade wrote: 90 Points
Some lightening at the rim. Opens with a blast of garigue. Age-smoothed entry. Garrigue, kirsch and black cherry on the palate. Finishes with some heat and a tannic fence. 89-90
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5/1/2015 - Longnose Gar wrote: 92 Points
In a good place. Not elegant like VT, pegau or beaucastel. But a good match for gamey meat and lamb chops.
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1/30/2015 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Really nice. Opened for about an hour and a half before dinner, but not decanted. Happily there was not a lot of sediment. The flavors are fairly sharp and it was much better with food than by itself. The nose has some mild barnyard and garrigue. There's a lot going on when you drink it: by turns cherry or red berry, some garrigue flavors, some licorice, spicy, some mineral flavors, maybe a little bit of tobacco. The finish is lengthy and smooth.
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1/9/2015 - Longnose Gar wrote: 90 Points
Very fruit forward at the moment. Seems like this needs at least another five years. Not closed but no depth yet.
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12/26/2014 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well and I don't see it getting better. Very expressive nose of dried fruits, sandalwood, and garrigue. Soft palate, spicy and smooth with animal notes. Elegant and balanced. Lengthy finish. Hard not to like. Everything you would want in a CdP.
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12/5/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a beautiful wine this became. Decanted (some solids) and let rest for a few minutes. Drank over a three hour period. Nice deep red in color. Nose of red fruit and spices. Very pure and clean flavors of red fruits and plums. Nice mouth feel and very pleasant aftertaste.
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11/2/2014 - Grinner wrote: 90 Points
18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): This seems to be on plateau; very resolved in this tasting. A lighter styled wine that is very smooth with some black cherry/kirsch, licorice, meat/leather, and kelp notes. 89 on day 2.
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10/4/2014 - cgrimes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purple with the beginnings of some bricking. Beautiful nose of briary fruits, meat, licorice kirsh with a hint of barnyard. Similar palate with some spice and heat. Still quite tannic and should last for many years to come.
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7/22/2014 - john_s wrote: 80 Points
Some attractive character, but the sourness (as described by others at the table) spoilt its balance. I think it was better a couple of years ago which I rarely say about Chateauneuf because I like them old. I have recently had some 2004 Cotes du Rhone Villages that are very much better.
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6/5/2014 - swade wrote:
Some lightening on the edge. Rich nose, but a hint of brett knocks it down. Smooth entry. This tightened up over time. Some astringency and acidity on the palate and a clipped finish. I'll chalk this up as flawed.
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5/12/2014 - Deadhead wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This was our first experience with this producer. Smooth with lots of fruit.
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4/7/2014 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
This is a bit sharp by itself but married nicely with food. Decanted this for a couple of hours before dinner. Smells really nice and tastes good too with a long, but as I said earlier, sharp finish. Some plum flavors but nicely balanced with garrigue, leather, and earth.
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3/9/2014 - Ibetian wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. This was good, but did not make quite as favorable an impression as the previous bottle. This will probably last a few more years, but I'd suggest drinking sooner rather than later since I don't expect improvement from here. The 2004 was a step behind the 2001 IMO. It's good, but doesn't quite have the complexity and excitement of the best vintages.
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3/8/2014 - Terry wrote:
Drank my last bottle of this last night, along with a 2003 Pegau and a 2003 Clos des Papes. All three were very nice wines, but the Clos des Papes and Donjon, for me, edged out the Pegau. All three were big wines, with lots of fruit, and tannins that now have fully integrated into the mix. No edges at all to any of the three. I should have waited on all of my '03's and '04's. Lesson learned, perhaps.
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2/19/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of red fruits (raspberries?), forest floor and a herbal element. Smooth, full bodied, a long finish with moderate acidity. Tannins are still evident.
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12/31/2013 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium depth of transparent ruby color.
Nose is rather mute, shows hints of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, leather and sweet spice. Quite full bodied, with opulent mouthfeel, more flavorful than on the nose, mellow tannins and high-ish alcohol. Might have been better younger and might become more interesting in the future. Quite tame comared to my memory of the bretty beast of '98.
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12/26/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Medium red, maturing. Lovely mix of discretely ripe red fruit, just a hint of fig, and herbs. Medium weight, savory, good length, no gratuitous sweetness. I've had great success with this wine in this format. Chateauneuf as it used to be.
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11/17/2013 - Ibetian Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted shortly before dinner, and it helped as the wine improved over time. The best bottle of this so far, with a complex nose and smoothe on the palate. Drinking very well now with a little air.
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10/16/2013 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
This nose was a bit reserved, but smoothe and tasty palate. Drink or hold.
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10/15/2013 - quanmeister wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as I would have expected. The finish is awkward. Maybe past it's prime.
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9/23/2013 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red in color with some bricking on the edges. Plums, kirsch, saline and spice cake on the nose. Medium in weight with light tannins. Garrigue, Asian spices, raspberry, raisin, cranberry and iodine on the palate. Delicious wine that is drinking beautifully right now. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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9/6/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Opened at Otis' CDP. 2nd time I've had this within a month. The last bottle showed much better (perhaps because of the decant or air time). No formal notes on this one. 90-91 points.
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8/14/2013 - Ibetian wrote: 90 Points
Could benefit from a little more time, but drinking well now.
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8/3/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Opened at gourmet III. Similar to last bottle, but showing some red fruits and a more velvety mouthfeel. I don't think there is any hurry here.
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8/3/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Lostverse. The cepage is normally 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault. This was the best Donjon CdP that I have had. I liked it better than the 1995, 1996, 1999 or 2001. Deep red color. Exceedingly smooth. Berries, earthy and a little chocolate. Integrated tannins. Elegant finish. Really enjoyed this wine and thought it was in a sweet spot right now. 93-94 points.
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7/29/2013 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, but not outstanding. Clean.
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7/16/2013 - jtinto Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium weight, feminine version of Donjon. Very pure with almost no tannins whatsoever. Delicious garrigue flavors. I wonder how this will evolve considering the lack of structure?
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5/12/2013 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Medium light red. Burgundian style, mineral, black raspberry, smoked meat and thyme. Delicious raspberry and mineral flavours and a dry finish with a lot of acid and light tannins.
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2/27/2013 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid CdP entering maturity. Spice cake, sandalwood, and iodine on the nose. Palate is smooth and rather round, with a hint of heat, but adding iron, blood, and mature dried red fruits to the mix. Moderate finish with a little tar coming in with mature fruit. Lacking a little complexity on the finish to go to the next level. Very approachable though may not have been the best stored example. (Winebid) lacks a little freshness that I associate with this producer.
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1/13/2013 - krispi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine! An intense and interesting nose, combining sweet red fruits, garrigues and herbes, and animal notes. It has medium to full body and a good aroma intensity. The tannins are well resolved. Drinking very well right now, but will last at least 5 more years.
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12/26/2012 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Le Vieux Donjon Vertical tasting 2004, 2006, 2010. Prime rib dinner with portabello mushroom reduction. Added 2004 Duhart Milon for dinner.
Garnet red. Nose of tar, forest floor, saddle soap. Full bodied, dark fruit, tar, earthy. Integrated tannin and long finish. Drinking well at this point. Great pairing with dinner. Sad that I only had one.
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12/24/2012 - PVJC Likes this wine:
Better than expected based on other CT reviews. Drank from a magnum, decanted 1 hour. Medium bodied and not exceptional, but still a nice bottle of CDP that paired well with duck for Christmas eve dinner. That said, it got a bit sour after being open a few hours, and the bit that was left wasn't as good on day 2.
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12/21/2012 - neilemc Likes this wine: 87 Points
A weird orangey purple color. The nose is slightly barnyardy, with cherry and cranberry fruit and herby garrigue. Still warming up from the cellar but the palate is the same as the nose. Medium bodied with firm tannins. Just a bit thin on the finish and a bit grape-soupy overall. Good but not inspiring.
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10/20/2012 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 86 Points
Drank from a magnum. Paired with a boeuf bourguignon. Quite shut down at first; decanted and aired for a while - after two hours there was a short window where some pleasant aromatics showed up, and then rather quickly it faded in the glass.
Kirsch, sichuan peppercorn spice, some garrigue - I don't get any of the barnyard or smoke that other CTs have noted. Medium grip, rather low energy level, and acidity just a little astringent, but still a wine in balance. Like other 'trackers I see very little upside in storing this for much longer.
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10/1/2012 - JBVino wrote:
no formal notes taken...on memory did not have the guarigue, secondary flavors was expecting. simpler CDP...good not great.
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9/22/2012 - WineArchitect wrote: 90 Points
The intensity of this vintage continues to wind down. The remeniscent guarigue of Donjon is ever present with notes of Herbs du Provence. A slight thinning on the edge of this medium ruby color. Popped from the cellar and allowed to airate while I consumed over a three hour period. EG WineArchitect
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9/17/2012 - sehill wrote: 86 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine gave a very good showing with aromatics that showed a blend of raspberry, leather, granite and some underlying funky elements. The bouquet, although expressive, never fully unifies and gives a somewhat uneven impression. The medium (full) bodied palate shows good overall balance and a blend of youthful and maturing notes; however an underlying funky element detracts from the overall impression. Based on this bottle, this wine may or may not benefit from additional bottle age.
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8/1/2012 - tp096255 wrote: 85 Points
---
COLOR: Light garnet with ruby rim
NOTE: Typical CDP. CDP funk in the nose, then some pepper, then it smells like a London butcher shop, then it smells like lanolin, then some pungent red raspberry shows up. Why do so many CDPs smell exactly like this? It's irritating and off-putting. The mouth is medium-heavy body with nice glycerin, but once again its all the savory notes that hit first. Loads of garrigue, pepper, roast beef and a smattering of red berry fruits again. The finish just compounds this and adds to it, like you were drinking the mixture from a dirty ashtray. I think 85 is a nice score, because from a pleasure standpoint this would probably be in the low 70's. It's not flawed. It's well-made. But it's made for someone else that I may never become. I just regret cellaring it for so many years when I could have just dispatched it and made room for something more worthy. Yet another disappointing trip down the CDP lane. Long live California Rhones!
DECANT: 1-3 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 8.5
OTHER:
COST: 44
VALUE: 3.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: like 3-5 years ago or something, dunno
TRY AGAIN: now - 2015
PAIRING: none
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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7/24/2012 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Tasted from a half bottle over two nights, this was very enjoyable. Dark in the glass with a bit of sediment in the bottle. Nose of dark fruit, herbs and spice. There is raspberry on the palate with a long finish of tart cherry and pepper. Did I mention the long finish? The tannins are still present, so I feel there is life ahead for this wine. I picked up the half bottle at a close out so I could hold on to my last three full bottles to hopefully let them show me a more mature characteristic.
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7/14/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Bastille Day Tastings-Mostly French (San Francisco): Half bottle. Medium ruby. Classic aromatic blend of cool green herbs and raspberry fruit. Lovely weight and freshness of fruit enlivened by firm acidity. I opened this to replace an imperfect Gigondas and was very pleased with its purity and vigor compared to that wine. Unlike the last time I tasted it, no off chemical smells. The '04s continue to acquit themselves well although the vintage sits in the shadow of bigger, riper years that bracket it.
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4/21/2012 - Jmartin wrote:
Drank at Panache. A nt of a disappointment. Not a bad wine, but I was hoping for something better. I think the 05 will be superior.
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4/18/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 88 Points
Medium red. Lots of roasted, plummy dark fruit. Nice rich plum flavours and a decent slightly simple finish. This will never be a savage wine like the 01 or 90 or 05.
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4/17/2012 - godx wrote: 90 Points
Le Vieux Donjon Vertical Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Medium red in colour. Lots of herbal notes on the nose along with red fruits and white pepper aromas. In the mouth this was the freshest and lightest of the wines so far with good balance, high acidity, medium tannins and smooth mouthfeel. Drinking well now but not as good as the previous 3 times that I’ve had it. Excellent.
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3/30/2012 - Finare Vinare wrote: 90 Points
Distinctly herbal and slightly bretty nose with "bouquet de garrigue", saddle leather and dried tea-leaves, a bit like sangiovese. Elegant aromatics, refreshing acidity, harmonious proportions, medium grip and weight. 14% alcohol at the most. Drinks nicely at the moment, probably no upside in further cellaring. Always like the style here...
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3/15/2012 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 90 Points
I opened this bottle right from the cellar. The color was a medium ruby. The nose was beginning to open. There was no trace of sediment in the bottle like other years! The flavors of red fruit and guarigue were medium to light. I did notice that the flavors began to fade after being open two hours. Drink them up as they seem to be in their prime. EG WineArchitect, #Rhone, #Le Vieux Donjon
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3/9/2012 - kgh wrote: 89 Points
Nice fruit, light style, medium body. Pleasant strawberry and red fruit mixed with earth and mineral notes.
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2/12/2012 - WineArchitect wrote: 91 Points
Here we go again! This bottle was drinking perfect. It seems to be that when my ratings for these wines are bad, there are more views. Why? Well, this is a good review, I am sad to say and this bottle was drinking perfectly. No age, like other bottles and solid cherry fruit core without maderized friut. Every 2004 should drink like this bottles. Guarigue was a bit on the low side as compared to other years. Bottle variation occurs. EG WineArchitect, #Rhone, #Le Vieux Donjon
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2/2/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Splash decanted and follwed over several hours. Ripe fruit with a cherry liquor profile, spicy, with a touch of barnyard and later a distinct animal character. Dry palate with nice kirsch and spice, but a little bitter with strong sandlewood. Fine woody gritty finish with earth and spice and dried fruit. Quite tannic. Not quite ready, but very close. 92-93
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1/28/2012 - WineArchitect wrote: 89 Points
She's aging. Drink them up soon! EG WineArchitect #wine #Rhone
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1/19/2012 - WineArchitect wrote: 91 Points
Brought up from the cellar and allowed to comed to room temp. Opened as our second bottle with dinner and first bouquet from bottle was right on the money. I was concerned about early advancement, but not with this bottle. One the mark with aromeas as well as flavors. Nice guariugue in the mouth with nose of black cherry fruits and smoke. Aging as nicely as I could expect for a 2004. This is why I love this wine. EG WineArchitect #wine
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1/6/2012 - lvjohn wrote: 93 Points
Very clean and elegant, but a bit one dimensional. That said, it is delicious CPD. Dark raspberry fruit and earthiness.
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12/22/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Medium color. There is a funny chemical, ethyl acetate note which runs through the wine but does not ruin it. Beyond or beneath that, lighter style, crisp acidity, tart red fruit, green olive and a host of herbs. Quite powerful in the mouth because of the acidity. Good traditional Chateauneuf and very true to Vieux Donjon-savory, complex, not too lush or overblown. I bet that better bottles exist. Reminiscent of '99 in its leaner, greener style.
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11/29/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour and a half to have with beef stew. Drank over the course of two hours. Aroma has significant leather, as well as some tart cherry and blueberry. Taste has muted fruit of blueberry and blackberry as well as tobacco and a bit of chocolate. Finish is a bit short, with some acidity and mild tannins. It didn't seem to be altogether, but after three hours in the decanter, this really started to hit its stride, though. I would recommend a decant of at least 3 hours before drinking at this point. It certainly seems to show potential for future dividends.
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11/6/2011 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Yes, I said in April I would wait a few years. Still young but pairs so well with lamb steaks marinated in oil and Provencal herbs and garlic then grilled medium rare.
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11/6/2011 - Deb293 wrote: 87 Points
I was looking for a wine to add to the chilli, and this was a good candidate. Nose predominantly of alcohol on first opening. Initial impression...where's the fruit? It's like the bottom fell out of this wine, leaving wood, alcohol, and a thin layer of fruit somewhere. Could it be bottle variation? Sure. I have a few more, but for now, this one's fine for cooking. Light bodied, if that's what you're after. At least now I know not to gift this.
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11/2/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Really nice showing. Red with slight bricking. Nice nose with dark fruits, a slight whiff of barnyard, and spice. Palate of cherry, licorice, plum. Great balance, tannins still evident but only after a while in the decanter. Clean finish. A lighter wine than normal for VD, but excellent.
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10/31/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine but uninteresting. Good but not great and what I normally expect.
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10/12/2011 - Pknut wrote:
Good showing. Begins with a very clear, pure presentation of CdP fruit, red fruits with hints of incense, light garrigue and complicated by notes of forest growth. The characteristic Donjon attributes of melted truffle and browner, animal notes are minimal at this point; this is more about a linear, still primary-fruited palate. While primary, it is tapered in attack and well-defined. The tannins seems to be hidden or absorbed by the fruit, until after a few hours of air when the tannins begin to emerge. No degradation overnight, the wine is still precise, showing a beam of clean red fruit, and gone are the foresty complications. The tannins are fine and sweet on the second night. Overall, a really pleasing CdP. Less "brown" than the 98/00/01 Donjons tend to show, which is not to suggest baked fruit, but rather that truffly, earthy, horsey, animal thing that seems to typify Donjon across multiple vintages, although there were hints of that on the first night. Just a lovely, suave, pure CdP. More a natural ballerina than a flashy hip hop dancer.
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9/11/2011 - Maverick wrote: 88 Points
improving but needs more age. medium body and density. a bit of raisin
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7/17/2011 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 89 Points
Missing terroir. Drink these babies up now! EG WineArchitect
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6/12/2011 - Jmartin wrote:
Wonderful wine, if lacking a bit of punch considering the vintage and pedigree. Needs more time maybe?
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5/1/2011 - otisabdul wrote: 90 Points
Medium-bodied, with blackberry fruit accompanied with gamy leathery secondary aspects. A little stick on the finish, but it should get untracked with a little more cellar time.
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4/24/2011 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Very nice wine showing dark fruit with pepper and spice on the palate. Long finish. Young still so will hold a few years before opening another bottle. Great with rack of lamb.
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4/15/2011 - antiwood wrote:
Still young and somewhat subdued. Medium bodied and density, sage and dust, light on the acid but not through over the top ripeness so somewhat elegant. Wait.
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4/12/2011 - Wink wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Clear garnet. Nose of leather, smoke, black cherry, and licorice. Medium palate of ripe black cherry, intense pepper, meat, and noticeable alcohol. Excellent length. Lowish acidity. Mild tannins.
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4/10/2011 - well-red wrote: 90 Points
decanted for an hour but needed more time. Much b
etter on day 2. Recommend waiting min. 3 more years before opening another.
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3/27/2011 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30' before trying it, then 2 glasses over the next 90'. It has an unremarkable color, typical for its age. The nose and the wine got better over time, eventually revealing some dark fruit with hints of garrigue, licorice, kelp, and pepper. Texture is a high point, very smooth. Wait (2-3 years), decant, then wait some more.
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2/20/2011 - PASimon wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well for someone interested in well settled primary characteristics, but no secondary development yet. Decanted for just over 90 minutes. White pepper, black currant and violets fold into a silky finish that lasts over 20 seconds. If you're looking for a smoked meat, tobacco and earth CDP...this may get there....but my guess is it'll be another 3-4 years.
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2/13/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very well now. Good nose of bramble and dark fruit, more dark fruit on a medium palate, good clean finish. Complements food very well, did great with Salmon, and is also very nice by itself. A very pleasant bottle for a winter evening, not a star.
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2/3/2011 - WineArchitect wrote: 89 Points
This particular year of this wine does not seem to be evolving at this point in time. The light ruby color remains along with its lighter flavors so reminiscent of Donjon. EG WineArchitect
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12/25/2010 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Opened and served right away. Medium ruby red in colour. Musty nose with beautiful cool red fruits with hints of mushroom and barnyard funk. Lots of bright red fruits in the mouth with a silky texture. Perfectly balanced yet still youthful with loads of acidity and some tannins and a lengthy finish. Very nice to drink now but patience will be rewarded. Try again in 5+ years. Excellent. 91+
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12/20/2010 - WAS wrote:
Slightly corked.
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12/4/2010 - cartime wrote:
Reading the other notes, I think this was a flawed bottle. Tons of Brett on the nose with some dark fruit underneath. Palate was nice with dark, plummy fruit and spicy earth. Nice structure and acidity. I could sense the quality here, but the Brett-bomb nose killed it for me.
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11/22/2010 - ctjared wrote:
Decant this for at least two hours and you will be very happy.
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11/19/2010 - Maestro wrote: 88 Points
Judging by the other reviews I must have had a less-than-pristine bottle. This had a very significant amount of volatile acidity. The nose was nice and floral, but the palate was relatively thin. Nonetheless, it was a nice wine -- but the volatile acidity was very out of character. In a blind tasting I might have guessed it was a mid-range Spanish wine or maybe a Musar from a lesser vintage. Odd.
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10/2/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Awesome nose...super aromatic with CdP fragrances, albeit little if any meat/bacon/funk. Deeply perfumed. Unfortunately, the palate doesn't match the promise, and seems relatively thin in comparison. To be fair, this was served on a night with multiple California syrahs, so the field in general was very full bodied.
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9/26/2010 - Pknut wrote:
Pleasing, elegant CdP, not a "tour de force" and without "gobs of fruit", which means that to my palate, this wine is just fine. The fruit is very clean, with cherry and a core of red raspberry, cocoa, and a bit of rusticity around the edges. Opens up by the second night, broadens horizontally on the palate as well as vertically with additional depth of fruit, garrigue, and the trademark Donjon attribute of melted black truffle, brown spice and animal fur. The tannin also comes out more on the second night, suggesting that any initial impression of weakness or lack of fortitude may be premature. Drink now with a decant or let it age for a few more years.
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9/20/2010 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 88 Points
Light ruby color. Opened from the cellar with a light bouquet of cherry and a touch of guarigue. I expected more power from this year of this wine. Allowed to decant overnight and the wine only opened to reveal a tiny bit more cherry nose. The weight in the mouth also only came up slightly. I wonder if it will open up more with age? EG WineArchitect
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9/20/2010 - WineArchitect Likes this wine:
Light ruby color. Opened from the cellar with a light bouquet of cherry and a touch of guarigue. I expected more power from this year of this wine. Allowed to decant..
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8/20/2010 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Notes consistant with the bottle drank on 4/9/10. Last bottle of this.
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6/19/2010 - ed-d wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful now.
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5/23/2010 - Mattshank wrote: 90 Points
Not quite as complex as the last bottle (4/9/10) but still a nice bottle.
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5/14/2010 - Rechrom wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well, just not a lot of stuff going on relative to other vintages. Perfectly pleasant wine with food, lighter than usual, good flavor profile, clean finish. No oomph. Drinks well with grilled salmon, I don't believe it would hold up well to a real meat dish.
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4/18/2010 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful dark purple color, opaque throughout. Popped and poured. Initial nose of leather, meat and floral. Palate is similar with addition of some dark fruits. This is well balanced and the tannins have integrated nicely for a velvety smooth mouthfeel. Not enough history with CdP to know whether this will improve, but my gut says yes. Although, it is beautiful now and I wish I had more.
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4/9/2010 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Nose: Big white pepper and garrique with some other spices and herbs present. Palate: Fairly rich mouthfeel with the white pepper, spice and herbs showing and some faint red fruits on the finish. Good acidity that integrates with the fruit with air and becomes less dominant. Good tannins and a medium length finish. Not the most massive Donjon but drinking well now and probably has another 3-5 years (unless you like your CDPs really aged). Based on other Donjon vintages good but not great.
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3/27/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 91 Points
Peppery, fruity, sweet and creamy, shortish with a little heat. Nice, with some upside over the next few years.
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2/14/2010 - WineArchitect wrote: 92 Points
My first notes on this year of this wine. Out of the cellar, cold, the wine's bouquet was filled with tart cherry and herbs de provence. The color was a clear medium ruby. The mouth was filled with the same but also a Cumin like character. It made a bold statement for a Vieux Donjon! Even on the second day the wine exhibited similar characteristics.
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12/22/2009 - RPerro wrote: 90 Points
Trish's wine. Decanted for 30 min, but could have used several hours. Quite young-tasting, with red fruit and earth. The Grenache is definitely front and center, with some structure coming in from the other varietal(s). I have no idea what the blend is...Tart cherry on the finish, this went well with our beef main course, but was a chore to drink without food.
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11/29/2009 - wpd wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes, garnet color, earthy nose and flavors, good fruits smooth tannins. Decanting helped this excellent wine.
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11/29/2009 - skifree wrote: 90 Points
Nice grip and structure, not a lot fruit but other subtle flavors. Several hours in the decanter brought out some more flavor. I did wonder whether this was "closed".
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10/24/2009 - Tarrant wrote: 91 Points
Very impressive, and I loved that it became move complex as we moved through the evening, not as intense as the 2007 we had alongside, but perhaps a touch more elegant - Dark red, medium/full bodied with a nose of cherry, plum, cinammon spice, pepper and vanilla, very balanced, complex and velvety smooth on the palate with excellent length (91 Points).
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10/2/2009 - ed-d wrote: 91 Points
Notes of coffee, mocha & strawberry on the nose. Lean & focused black cherry with good grip. Nice.
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9/26/2009 - nathanhartwright wrote:
Drank with Jeff and Johnna on Marche au Fleur on Clara's first birthday.
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9/4/2009 - Squirreljam wrote:
Surprisingly nice to drink, not in any kind of closed stage. Not to say it won't evolve, but this wine drinks nicely now. The nose needs maybe half an hour of air to reveal the complexity, but once it does, many layers: sandalwood, clove or nutmeg, rosemary or oregano then fruit, hint of menthol. Long palate that adds earth notes and cherry flavors to lots of grip. Long deep finish.
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8/10/2009 - PSPatrick wrote: 89 Points
I decanted the wine for 2 1/2 hours before I poured it back into the bottle and consumed it over three evenings (vacuum-pumped). The wine was rather limited on the nose on day one, but opened up over night, then showing an incredible nose with lots of raspberries, cherry, lavender, Hoisin sauce, herbs and spices as well as campfire smoke.
The experience on the palate was quite similar; on day one the fruit was somewhat subdued, I predominantly got herbs and spices and a hint of tobacco on the back-end. But the wine opened up over night and became very concentrated on the palate, with cherry, dark fruits, leather, herbs and a hint of tobacco. Surprisingly, the wine was a little short and flat on the finish, and was a little hot from the alcohol. The wine got more and more balanced over time though.
To me the wine is drinkable now, but even after serious decanting was still not able to show its best. I will not touch my remaining bottles for at least another two or three years as this wine is good now, but will most likely be great in a few years.
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7/31/2009 - godx wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes. Earthy and vegetal notes. Lots of structure. Very tasty now but id recommend holding. Excellent. 92+
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6/5/2009 - mghomula wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Gave it a swirl and taste at the pour and the nose was super tight (as others have mentioned) with hints of raspberry, florals and cherry. That was it. In the glass it was a really beautiful ruby with a hint of amber at the edge. After the decant it opend up quite a bit and the nose was vastly more complex with raspberry, red cherries, herbs, leather, anise, lavender and some dark fruit. Really nice! On the palate it had a really focused flavor profile of juicy raspberres - the kinds that are bursting when you bite into them, juicy red cherries, soy, lavender, herbs, cocoa and smoke. The fruit was wonderful with a bright and refreshing acidity balanced with firm and well integrated tannins. It had a really nice balance and complexity to it with a pretty long finish of the entire flavor profile with a touch of white pepper heat thrown in. The heat was a bit out of wack at the end but I see this diminishing with some age on it. This is really an outstanding CDP and I am glad I have more. This has got some significant life in it and I am going to let the remaining bottles sleep awhile. Won't touch the next one for 3-5 years. 50+5+13+17+8=93
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4/5/2009 - nopat wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby throughout. Fantastic nose of cherries, provencial herbs, and Korean soy sauce. Lithe body and wonderful mouthfeel of raspberries and sour cherries, leather, kirsch, and slight licorice. Slight oakiness/cedar throughout, but loses some balance by being just a touch hot. Another couple of years and this may be in the sweet spot.
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12/26/2008 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2+) Drank at Dad’s with Mom, Mike & Elizabeth. Didn’t decant for long, maybe needed more time in the decanter and/or more age. Quite floral with some brett on the nose and a hint of grapefruit on the palate. Very nice but was expecting more.
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12/20/2008 - David J Cooper wrote:
Medium red. Lots of balsam and leather notes. Some raspberry fruit but not a lot. Other things though. I like this. Lots of tannin and acid though.
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12/2/2008 - Hecht_Pede wrote: 93 Points
decanted for 3 hours, started out very closed but really came in to its own need lots of air magnificent wine ready for buisness, bursted with fruits and nice tannins
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11/30/2008 - costamalfitana wrote: 88 Points
rather light color, not typical chateauneuf, seems ready for drinking? I would expect more structure.
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11/8/2008 - *Vine* wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Garnet hue. Initially showing a little tight, took about 2 hours to open up. Aromas of raspberry, kirsch, provencal herbs, earth, and lavender. Medium body, shows nice flavor depth with unobtrusive tannins with a classic Chateauneuf flavor profile of red fruits, French herb garden, and some mineral notes. Not a big wine, rather more elegant and charming in a rustic way. I would say hold for another 12-16 months, should be open for business.
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10/10/2008 - Jared wrote: 90 Points
Popped and let my first glass sit for about 30 mins. Nose was pretty darn stingy at first, giving up just a hint of herbs, kirsch, and raspberries. Fairly structured on the palate--fruit, acid, and a little bit of a stranglehold on your tongue from the tannins. I fully expected this wine to open up but it never really did. Maybe I just didn't give it enough time or maybe it's not ready. Even at more than two hours in, the nose was still fighting to give anything up (kind of like my high school girlfriend). Some strawberries, sweetness, and bitter chocolate (maybe was just the tannin) made an appearance and gave me a glimpse of what could be, but without a ton of CdP experience I may have just drank it too early. It's a well made Old World wine--it just lacked a knockout punch (which my high school girlfriend definitely had:). 90pts.
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8/20/2008 - kris.h wrote: 92 Points
Dark red. Dark fruit profile on the nose with some leather, herbs, and smoke. Good complexity and interesting. Medium to full body on the palate with good balance and lively acidity. Moderate tannin and good length to the finish. A very enjoyable wine that will certainly improve with a few years in the cellar.
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5/19/2008 - kampster wrote: 90 Points
Notes from memory, so not formal:
Fairly simple CdP. Pretty straight forward and juicy at this point.
Plenty of stuffing to last for quite a few years. Good, not great.
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5/4/2008 - Rechrom wrote: 90 Points
Drunk in a vertical with 1998, 2000, 2003. Suffered in comparison to the 1998 in that it does not have that weight, but a pretty nose and a lighter than usual palate for this producer; worked very well with food, less impressive on its own.
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5/3/2008 - ed-d wrote: 93 Points
Still a too young to drink at this point, however I wanted to see what was going on. A classic nose of kirsch, raspberry & herb. Lovely raspberry fruit that is lush & open. The sharp tannins kick in on the finish. A keeper!
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5/2/2008 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Five Sails – Opened, poured into decanter, and served right away. Drank over 2 hours. Great nose of roasted meat, funk and underlying light fruit. As it opened up the nose got even more funky. Very nice. Flavours of raspberries, bitter chocolate and dark cherries. Firm tannins. 20 second finish. Enjoyable now but will reward 5+ years of cellaring. 91+
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4/23/2008 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 87 Points
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, cedar, floral
Taste: Spice, floral, bitter and a hard edge
Finish: Medium and just a bit over the top
Evaluation: 87 points
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4/23/2008 - BradA wrote: 89 Points
Smoother and lighter than I expected; I would have expected more spice, power and depth. There is a fair amount of tannin, but keep going back to have smooth, accessable and light the wine seemed. The 2001 I had last month was so much more in all areas...
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3/30/2008 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
Purple. Sweet and juicy start. Full bodied, cherries, blackberries and some raspberry. A lot of concentration and alcohol. Flint stone. Round and juicy wine which is not immense complex but beautiful and still very young. Will probably gain some points in the future.
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3/10/2008 - fabfoods wrote: 92 Points
Too young at this point. Nose is peppery but has the telltale elements of leather and tar. Tannins are still hiding the fruit. Taste is tannic but shows great promise. Wait one year at least.
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2/24/2008 - AZ Cat wrote:
(1) Decanted for 2 hours. Very good but still tight - has 1+ potential with some age if it opens up.
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2/3/2008 - wpd wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet color, good fruit and balance. Complex earthy, spice flavors.
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1/23/2008 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 92 Points
Great old school CDP.
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10/7/2007 - eksata wrote: 86 Points
light ruby, garnet, full drops
strawberry jam, five spice; nose
briar fruit light to med tannins, light in acidity, classic style ready to drink, worth $50?
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9/28/2007 - Maverick wrote: 92 Points
Already starting to come around. Thick and chewy with tobacco and dark fruit. A hint of spice. Start to round out. Good depth.
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9/25/2007 - wmbar wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well this early, but will benefit with time.
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9/10/2007 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Clear ruby with purple reflections. Interesting, smokey bacon nose, with considerable barnyard that largely blew off. but still very vinous. Spice, mineral, plum and tart cherry on the round palate, with moderately firm but sweet tannins, and considerable acidity. A bit of barnyard reappears on the relatively short and fruity finish. This wine should age well and develop some nice nuance. Shows more short-term depth and promise than the 2005, but I still wouldn't open this for at least three more years.
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8/26/2007 - cmbond wrote:
Camille's notes (blind) The Thunder Show on Aug. 26 Decanted 4 hours, but still did way better on the next day. Garnet color. Lots of sour cherry, plum, spice box on the nose, with tart cherry, massive acidity and gripping tannins on the palate. Clashed with food a bit more than the Domaine du Pegau 2004. 90 pts. now, but still closed. Potential for 92+ in the future. Camille's guess, CdP.
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8/18/2007 - jkoenen wrote: 86 Points
Exploring Chateauneuf-du-Pape @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Purple in the edge. Inviting nose of forest floor, blueberries, hazelnuts and flint. Palate is dominated by fresh red fruit and a soft but supportive tannic structure. Some alcoholic heat in the back. A good wine, not very complex though. 15.5/20
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8/13/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
Ruby / garnet color. Interesting combination of fruit and menthol on the nose. This wine is lean and young compared to the others. Hopefully, it will flesh out with 5 years in the bottle. (88+)
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8/1/2007 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine. From the moment the wine was poured (no decanting), this exuded a gorgeous note of raspberry followed by a spicy, dark, dusky core. The palate was powerful, brooding, quite structured and dry at this stage, but lovely, nothing out of place. The best was the finish, miles long, just exploding with Provencale herbs, faintly peppery as well, long and beautiful. Not a hedonistic wine at this stage but still very enjoyable nonetheless and an incredibly pure, structured example of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Methinks I need to buy and taste more wine from this estate.
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7/3/2007 - Maverick wrote: 92 Points
Nice. A bit more expressive than last time.
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5/29/2007 - venturen wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for a hour on a warm night and still needed more. Alcohol blocked flavor. Recommend cellar a while longer.. Tasted after about 3 hours and really started to shine. Light fruity, spicy taste a tiny bit candied. Tannins were nicely managed. Trying to buy some more for consumption in 3-4 years.
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5/5/2007 - trankin wrote:
Hospice du Rhone; 5/3/2007-5/6/2007 (Paso Robles, CA): Serious barnyard nose. Excellent. One of my favorites of the trip
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4/14/2007 - 100pp wrote: 90 Points
Concentration. dark red. some development in taste
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4/5/2007 - Grinder wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for just one hour. Nice CdP barnyard, spicey funk on the nose. Hits the mouth with juicy red fruit and wonderfully managed tannins. Wow! Can't wait to revisit in two or three years. Paired with roasted rosemary/garlic tri tip.
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3/17/2007 - 5laton wrote:
Estery, slightly candied nose. Very rich, young and primary, with lots of sweet dark fruit on the palate. This is pretty huge, and really just too jammy/sweet for my taste. I guessed California, and was kind of shocked that this is a VD. Wonder what this will taste like when it settles down? Tasted blind.
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3/16/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured - then slow oxygenation. Once this gets a couple years on it, I believe this will be a classic wine. Muted, but complex nose of tar, black licorice and herbs. Nose is somewhat reminsicent of a nebbiolo. Black, brooding, dark black fruit just explodes like the juice inside one of those old Hubba Bubba gums with the liquid center. So smooth and lush, the finish goes on and on.
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2/24/2007 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Bright ruby color. Decanted for 3 hours prior to tasting. We tasted this double blind for the first glass - it seemed like an amazing Pinot Noir at the time. Wasn't even thinking of CdP. Nose was very delicate with some cherry, and mineral aromas. Flavors of cherry with some smoke and game. Incredible mouthfeel, and a seemless progression through the mid-palate to the finish which lasted for close to a minute. None of us in the group had tasted a quality CdP before, and we are all life long fans due to this bottle. This paired incredibly well with bison steaks seasoned with a little garlic and onion. Pairings just don't get much better than that. Unanimous WOTN.
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2/8/2007 - greenblanket wrote:
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting at Pike and Western 2/8/07: Meat, meat, baby. Funky game, tar, smoke and intense raspberry and dark cherry on a big old world nose. Smooth intense fruit and a strong mineral presence on the palate. Great long finish. Disjointed. Wait.
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1/12/2007 - Maverick wrote: 92 Points
Very nice and balanced.
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1/5/2007 - monty401 wrote: 88 Points
Closing down... This was 92-95 when tasted four months ago. It was medium bodied, long, and subtle. Now it's feeling dark, austere & tannic, and upon decanting - simply peppery without any of the expected grenache fruit.
This is a darn shame. The 2004 Donjon was so exciting as a young star, one of the very best among the 2004 CdP's. The only stronger one I've tasted is the Cuvee du Quet... which I hope stays tame all throughout its' aging process.
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12/17/2006 - beachbum wrote: 90 Points
still young purple. after 4 hours in the decanter this is still showing a margerine container nose. but the fruit has opened up, very clean red cherry, blueberry, garaguire, and spices, the wine was very nice with our grilled bbq steak. it is coming around but I just do not get much power and weight, maybe the 2003's have spoiled me. very well made it certainly needs some bottle age. I may normally drink these later in life, so my comments may not be fair, but just do not see this in the 90/01 camp.
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12/5/2006 - Double-A Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spice, currant, leather and dried berry nose. Full and assertive palate; very flavourful with a long spiced finish.
4.5/5
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11/9/2006 - rmaile wrote: 87 Points
This wine was a little tight. Needed at least 1 hour to open up. Once it did it showed elegance w/ nice pepper notes, dark fruit with earthy tones. Overall enjoyable....needs more bottle aging!
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10/20/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
WS California Wine Experience Four Chefs Tasting (San Francisco Marriott): Full opaque black/red. Subdued nose of garrique, black fruit, and forest floor. Mmmn, really nice spice black fruit with good acidity. Young.
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9/8/2006 - billz wrote: 93 Points
2004 Chateauneuf du Pape (Great Wine Buys): Beautiful vanilla and light fruit nose.
Dark cherries and light berry (strawberry?) on the palate.
Nice, but disappointingly short finish.
Red Rhone Blend - primarily grenache.
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7/18/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Tasted side by side with the 2004 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape (see TN). The nose on the Vieux Donjon was slightly more espressive, with notes of potpourri / baking spices, licorice and red / black fruit. It has a slightly overripe / liquor element that made me give the nod to Avril's wine today (not that it was a contest), as it seems better balanced and more pure / clean, overall. That said, obviously, both are very young and just arrived in the US... I look forward to revisiting both in the future...
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7/18/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Dinner at 112 Eatery (Chave, Beaucastel, Pegau, Voge, Donjon, and others): Tasted side-by-side with the 2004 Clos des Papes. Wow is this bottle showing well. The nose is classic Vieux Donjon, showing dark fruit, smoke, and an earthy garrigue. On the palate this is medium bodied with plenty of dark fruit, and an enjoyable earthiness. This shows good structure, some tannin, and a great finish. This is a great wine to cellar, although we all tended to think it would shut down in the near future. I preferred this to the 2004 Clos des Papes for drinking at this point -- although Steve and Ben disagreed with me.
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7/18/2006 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
Tasted side-by-side with the 2004 Clos des Papes. This was more brooding than the CdP, showing black as opposed to red fruits. Provencal herbs, pepper, earth, and a touch of tobacco. Lots of structure and tannin. This is an excellent wine that is closing down and needs to sleep; give it plenty of air if you open one now.
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6/2/2006 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 84 Points
Consumed unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Medium ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of black pepper, cherries and herbs. Relatively light-bodied on the palate, with a thin mouth texture, medium acidity and light-to-medium, dry tannins. The flavors mirror the nose. Short, coarse finish. Disappointing and, to my palate, not typical of the beautiful bottlings of the previous good vintage years. This was also the consensus of the tasting group.
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