Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear looking throughout. Nose of fertilizer, barnyard, red dirt, spice box and shite pepper. Flavors of tart cranberries, cherries and raspberries. Tangy acidity, resolved tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
Jose Rodriguez Memorial Dinner
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Lots of funk on the nose that mostly blew off in about 30 minutes. I found this bottle to be off and even with time it did not fully recover. It happens.
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Stored in cool Whistler cellar less than 45 degrees F and part of a vertical tasting of Engel Clos Vougeot. Medium red with gorgeous ripe raspberry nose. Dense Regina cherry mid palate followed by a long lusty finish with impressive grip, dusted by Varmland barnboards. Best now to 2030.
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A Somewhat Egotistical Evening of Well-Aged Wines (Los Olivos, CA): A pristine bottle, slow-ox'ed for 6 hours and it needed it. Compact, robust and undeniably classic in style, with the precise red berries interweaving harmoniously with the spice and sous bois notes. The winemakers loved these even more than my notes reflect, perhaps boosted by the emotion of experiencing an Engel for the first time.
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Served to me blind. Called it a 97 Denis Mortet gevrey because of the greenness and funk on the nose. Palate was rich with good underlying fruit and herbal note. When the bottle was revealed, I was surprised that it was a Rene Engel because it lacked his floralness and transperency. Nevertheless, it was a very good 97. 91-92
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Austin Offline; 8/24/2018-8/25/2018 (Kevin's House): Lightish in color. Advanced, cheesy nose, showing just a touch of melon. Palate is also a bit advanced, with considerable drying tannins and moderate acidity still present. With time in the glass, brighter fruit moves forward very pleasantly. Nice length.
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Very good for the vintage. Herbs, stewed red fruit, chalk, spice, rose petal and perfume. Palate has stewed red fruit. Although the finish is a bit bitter, it is still very enjoyable.
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Dinner at Jade Palace. Deep red, with quite some bricking at the rim. This probably seemed a little mature, but it was undoubtedly the best red of the evening and the quality shone through. From the first pour to my last drop, this was exotic, rich, flamboyant. Lots of spice, new leather, truffle, wild strawberries, pomegranate and with a very savoury element. Lots of beef broth and smoked meats. I've noticed that the Engel wines contain that bit of cigar box, smoke and coffee with time, adding to the complexity of the wines. Very intense on the palate, with the wildness of red fruit balanced with the acidity and length. Very alluring and seductive. And so the appreciate of these Engel wines continues...
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Garnet color in the glass, dusty looking. Nose of asphalt, black berries, spice and a bit of barnyard. Flavors of raspberries, berries and cherries. Tart acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Madison Offline 2015; 8/27/2015-8/29/2015: Deep, clear cherry-garnet color. I love the generosity here, the fascinating notes of clove, and the velvet mouthfeel. A vegetal side emerges quickly and limits the pleasure a bit, but overall this is quite nice and showing well in tough company. Not a producer I get to see very often.
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Throwndown in Madtown; 8/27/2015-8/29/2015 (Madison, WI): Nice nose with cherries, barnyard, spice, with hints of kirsch. On the palate, pie cherry, black cherry, clove, with hints of earth. Nice finish with decent grip. Probably has some life and development left but drinking very nicely at the moment.
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Real perfume on the nose with maraschino cherries, cloves, and some barnyard earth aspect which really brought the wine together. It had bricking around the edges with a nice ruby hue in the glass, but the tertiary notes gave this wine a sense of age with it showing the '97 vintage with some heat on the palate. The finish and mouthful were elegant, but this is ready to drink but could age a few more years. Drink up.
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This hits the perfect sweet spot now - with a fully open, giving nose, a consistent length and body, some interesting hints of perhaps magnesium, bits of spice.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #087; Burgundy: Vosne Romanée and Clos Vougeot. (By VD): In 2011 this wine was a feast. Compared to that, tonight's bottle disappoints. In the bouquet there is earth, toast, some mint and also organic aromas. Same on the palate plus leather, coffee, tobacco, iron and other minerals, ok acidity and some sweetness. The complexity is there, but this bottle was at the end of its mature life. No score for tonight.
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This is a feast! Enormously complex and expressive bouquet with barnyard, minerals and beautiful toast. The same beautiful complexity in the mouth with firm and good acidity, tannin and bitterness. The tannin still has a good bite and is still youthful. Complex and extremely long finish. A beauty already, but this can last at least another 5 - 8+ years, although I wonder if it will gain; it is so beautifully balanced already. 96 (+?)
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Dark cranberry red color with some dark brown at the rim. Aromas of cherry, cranberry, beet, sous bois, and baking spices. The palate exhibits a nearly kaleidoscopic mix of the flavors hinted at in the nose and is constantly engaging the taster and changing throughout a four-hour meal. The finish is long and shows dark cherry, tea, and cranberry character. Solid, drinking exceptionally well now, and seeming to have positive upside with further time in the cellar. A great Clos Vougeot and a triumphant 1997. Drink or hold.
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A top-notch 1997, rich, solid, and substantial, and still on its way up from here. Rather than cataloguing all the faults of the '97 vintage which are completely absent here, I'll instead attempt to get a handle on some of this wine's many virtues. It starts out with a deep and fascinatingly complex aroma combining cinnamon, meaty broth, and a hint of that chemical compound present in both parmesan cheese (if you find it appetizing) and vomit (if you don't) (true story! see: http://www.slate.com/id/2168762/pagenum/2). That last bit is probably enough for some to consign it to faultiness, but I'm finding it just one element in a wide array of interesting tertiary stuff. On the palate the wine is boldly fruited, blue/black in complexion, sweet, and dense.
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7/29/2022 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear looking throughout. Nose of fertilizer, barnyard, red dirt, spice box and shite pepper. Flavors of tart cranberries, cherries and raspberries. Tangy acidity, resolved tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
Jose Rodriguez Memorial Dinner
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5/30/2022 - Oskiwawa wrote:
Lots of funk on the nose that mostly blew off in about 30 minutes. I found this bottle to be off and even with time it did not fully recover. It happens.
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5/21/2022 - petitblanc wrote:
A Celebration of Jose; 5/19/2022-5/21/2022 (Madison, WI): Almost identical to a previous bottle, very funky cheesy nose, more fresh on the palate. Not scored.
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12/27/2021 - ricardito Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stored in cool Whistler cellar less than 45 degrees F and part of a vertical tasting of Engel Clos Vougeot. Medium red with gorgeous ripe raspberry nose. Dense Regina cherry mid palate followed by a long lusty finish with impressive grip, dusted by Varmland barnboards. Best now to 2030.
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12/7/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
A Somewhat Egotistical Evening of Well-Aged Wines (Los Olivos, CA): A pristine bottle, slow-ox'ed for 6 hours and it needed it. Compact, robust and undeniably classic in style, with the precise red berries interweaving harmoniously with the spice and sous bois notes. The winemakers loved these even more than my notes reflect, perhaps boosted by the emotion of experiencing an Engel for the first time.
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9/2/2019 - noir Likes this wine: 93 Points
At the peak. Decent for half hour and drink with dinner.
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11/16/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Served to me blind. Called it a 97 Denis Mortet gevrey because of the greenness and funk on the nose. Palate was rich with good underlying fruit and herbal note. When the bottle was revealed, I was surprised that it was a Rene Engel because it lacked his floralness and transperency. Nevertheless, it was a very good 97. 91-92
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8/25/2018 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Austin Offline; 8/24/2018-8/25/2018 (Kevin's House): Lightish in color. Advanced, cheesy nose, showing just a touch of melon. Palate is also a bit advanced, with considerable drying tannins and moderate acidity still present. With time in the glass, brighter fruit moves forward very pleasantly. Nice length.
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5/17/2017 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good for the vintage. Herbs, stewed red fruit, chalk, spice, rose petal and perfume. Palate has stewed red fruit. Although the finish is a bit bitter, it is still very enjoyable.
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7/13/2016 - justburg wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Jade Palace. Deep red, with quite some bricking at the rim. This probably seemed a little mature, but it was undoubtedly the best red of the evening and the quality shone through. From the first pour to my last drop, this was exotic, rich, flamboyant. Lots of spice, new leather, truffle, wild strawberries, pomegranate and with a very savoury element. Lots of beef broth and smoked meats. I've noticed that the Engel wines contain that bit of cigar box, smoke and coffee with time, adding to the complexity of the wines. Very intense on the palate, with the wildness of red fruit balanced with the acidity and length. Very alluring and seductive. And so the appreciate of these Engel wines continues...
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9/11/2015 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Garnet color in the glass, dusty looking. Nose of asphalt, black berries, spice and a bit of barnyard. Flavors of raspberries, berries and cherries. Tart acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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8/28/2015 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Madison Offline 2015; 8/27/2015-8/29/2015: Deep, clear cherry-garnet color. I love the generosity here, the fascinating notes of clove, and the velvet mouthfeel. A vegetal side emerges quickly and limits the pleasure a bit, but overall this is quite nice and showing well in tough company. Not a producer I get to see very often.
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8/28/2015 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Throwndown in Madtown; 8/27/2015-8/29/2015 (Madison, WI): Nice nose with cherries, barnyard, spice, with hints of kirsch. On the palate, pie cherry, black cherry, clove, with hints of earth. Nice finish with decent grip. Probably has some life and development left but drinking very nicely at the moment.
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8/5/2015 - astroman Likes this wine:
Open since noon. Drunk at 6, secondary notes good acid long finish. No fruits now
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6/21/2015 - Burgfiendnyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Real perfume on the nose with maraschino cherries, cloves, and some barnyard earth aspect which really brought the wine together. It had bricking around the edges with a nice ruby hue in the glass, but the tertiary notes gave this wine a sense of age with it showing the '97 vintage with some heat on the palate. The finish and mouthful were elegant, but this is ready to drink but could age a few more years. Drink up.
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12/26/2014 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
This hits the perfect sweet spot now - with a fully open, giving nose, a consistent length and body, some interesting hints of perhaps magnesium, bits of spice.
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3/12/2014 - Zweder wrote:
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #087; Burgundy: Vosne Romanée and Clos Vougeot. (By VD): In 2011 this wine was a feast. Compared to that, tonight's bottle disappoints. In the bouquet there is earth, toast, some mint and also organic aromas. Same on the palate plus leather, coffee, tobacco, iron and other minerals, ok acidity and some sweetness. The complexity is there, but this bottle was at the end of its mature life. No score for tonight.
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10/6/2011 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
This is a feast! Enormously complex and expressive bouquet with barnyard, minerals and beautiful toast. The same beautiful complexity in the mouth with firm and good acidity, tannin and bitterness. The tannin still has a good bite and is still youthful. Complex and extremely long finish. A beauty already, but this can last at least another 5 - 8+ years, although I wonder if it will gain; it is so beautifully balanced already. 96 (+?)
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4/30/2011 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark cranberry red color with some dark brown at the rim. Aromas of cherry, cranberry, beet, sous bois, and baking spices. The palate exhibits a nearly kaleidoscopic mix of the flavors hinted at in the nose and is constantly engaging the taster and changing throughout a four-hour meal. The finish is long and shows dark cherry, tea, and cranberry character. Solid, drinking exceptionally well now, and seeming to have positive upside with further time in the cellar. A great Clos Vougeot and a triumphant 1997. Drink or hold.
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11/16/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 94 Points
A top-notch 1997, rich, solid, and substantial, and still on its way up from here. Rather than cataloguing all the faults of the '97 vintage which are completely absent here, I'll instead attempt to get a handle on some of this wine's many virtues. It starts out with a deep and fascinatingly complex aroma combining cinnamon, meaty broth, and a hint of that chemical compound present in both parmesan cheese (if you find it appetizing) and vomit (if you don't) (true story! see: http://www.slate.com/id/2168762/pagenum/2). That last bit is probably enough for some to consign it to faultiness, but I'm finding it just one element in a wide array of interesting tertiary stuff. On the palate the wine is boldly fruited, blue/black in complexion, sweet, and dense.
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