Mörkt tegel, minimalt grumsigt. Medelgardiner. 12 procent. Doft av russin och även något parfymerat, rosor och gammeldags fruktaffär. Blå plommon och en nypa svartpeppar. (Eller kanske inte.) Ett och annat höstlöv. Nästan obefintliga tanniner, bara en mycket liten fördröjd strävhet. Mer röd än blå frukt i smaken. Sötma som gör vinet härligt lättdrucket. Mellanlång eftersmak med aningen beska som piggar upp. Inte längre så väldigt syrah men väldigt gott.
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Northern Rhone Dinner (2012/2005/1998 focus) (Chez Lagragne): 94/87/86. Overshadowed by the more complete 1987, but this is no slouch in terms of the complexity and nuance that comes with aging. A touch more evolved and lightweight relative to the 87.
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(Mostly) 1998, 2005, 2012 Northern Rhône (Chicago, IL): A little less impressive having this next to the 1987. This was showing even more mature, but still had lots of the same aromatic perfume. However, it's definitely even more autumnal, and while there is still some dried fruit here, it's not as bright and precise as its younger sibling. Drink up.
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Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Fully matured nose displaying warm red fruit, strawberry, a hint of cherry compote, leather, grilled fat, caramel, tapenade and earth. There is a hint of dirty damp cellar that blows off. Fully mature palate, generous soft red fruit, soft, sweet and round, medium acidity and mineral, and a medium to long soft red fruit driven finish. Drinking nicely but no need to wait.
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Rhone Admissions (Vaucluse): Bonus bottle! And showed really well. So well that a few times folks thought this was the '85 instead of the '86. I really liked it as well. More black fruits and lots of pepper notes. Less brine/olives/meat than I sometimes get in these wines (or perhaps that was just a bit more overshadowed since this was served next to a Chave where those are extra dominant).
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"White wine is fucking awesome" (Chicago, IL): The second vintage of The Turk. The nose here is stunning, emphasizing salinity and olives, with a slight bit of polished fruit (still?!). It's intoxicating and really has everything that I love about northern Rhone syrah. The palate falters a little bit, showing a nice black-fruited attack with a hint of peppercorn, but then the midpalate and finish hollow out. The tannins are a little grainy, but at this point, fully resolved. Drink up; this is probably at the tail end of the maturity plateau.
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This was drinking beautifully in a fully mature almost Burgundian state. Lovely nose of blue fruit, smoked meats, herbs, spices, forest floor. Many layers of flavor with moderate fine tannins. I don't think this gets better.
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Four Decades of LaLa, plus a "sneaky" Saxum (Chez Kenny): Tasted blind among 13 wines, 11 of which were LaLas. Ruby red and fading at the edge. Full nose of savory black fruit, game and black pepper. Palate has lively fruit that is still sweet and round with just a wicked dose of cracked black pepper. With time in the glass, this gets better and better. My #4, Group #3 in the flight (though I would have ranked this higher if voting was taken a bit later).
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Light mustiness, black raspberry, light spice and a light sweetness on the nose. A surprising lack of earthy secondary elements. Enjoyable and a fine wine with food but operating in a somewhat narrow range at this point.
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Raisin and fig aromas which had me worried that it was oxidised but luckily after a mouthful, my worries were put to rest. I would say it was a little over the hill but still delicious and ever changing in the glass. Earthy, meaty, herbal, spice and iodine with a hint of something sweet I couldn't put my finger on. I'm guessing it's best days had passed but still a cracker of a wine.
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A fully mature colour, but without turning to browning. A very evolved, fully mature nose - perhaps just a little more than it should be? Good colour - a fairly deep burgundy. After ten minutes in the glass, the more volatile, orangey, nutty notes on the nose have dissipated, leaving a crisp, herbal black fruits nose with some hints of very fine dark chocolate (think Valrhona single estate). The herbal notes seem to comprise a mixture of freshly mown lawns and eucalyptus with some scented geranium leaf. On the palate, it's fully mature. Initially there's fairly sweet, precise, focused black fruit witha freshness that probably comes more from a volatile lift. Wide and savoury as it sits in the mouth with a certain element that focuses itself down and down to a pin prick of spirit on the finish. Very savoury after, but still with a great black fruit character. Some sandy tannins appear on the finish and linger afterwards: there's still time for the remaining tannins to integrate finally, though the rest of it feels sufficiently mature that there's probably not time. Incredible, haunting length.
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11/12/2023 - Jonne Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mörkt tegel, minimalt grumsigt. Medelgardiner. 12 procent.
Doft av russin och även något parfymerat, rosor och gammeldags fruktaffär. Blå plommon och en nypa svartpeppar. (Eller kanske inte.) Ett och annat höstlöv.
Nästan obefintliga tanniner, bara en mycket liten fördröjd strävhet.
Mer röd än blå frukt i smaken. Sötma som gör vinet härligt lättdrucket.
Mellanlång eftersmak med aningen beska som piggar upp. Inte längre så väldigt syrah men väldigt gott.
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10/27/2023 - Nanda wrote:
Northern Rhone Dinner (2012/2005/1998 focus) (Chez Lagragne): 94/87/86. Overshadowed by the more complete 1987, but this is no slouch in terms of the complexity and nuance that comes with aging. A touch more evolved and lightweight relative to the 87.
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10/27/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
(Mostly) 1998, 2005, 2012 Northern Rhône (Chicago, IL): A little less impressive having this next to the 1987. This was showing even more mature, but still had lots of the same aromatic perfume. However, it's definitely even more autumnal, and while there is still some dried fruit here, it's not as bright and precise as its younger sibling. Drink up.
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3/18/2023 - hectic wrote: 97 Points
Exquisite. Tremendous complexity. Very much still alive.
Began to decline 20 minutes after pouring so don't dawdle.
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3/17/2023 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Fully matured nose displaying warm red fruit, strawberry, a hint of cherry compote, leather, grilled fat, caramel, tapenade and earth. There is a hint of dirty damp cellar that blows off. Fully mature palate, generous soft red fruit, soft, sweet and round, medium acidity and mineral, and a medium to long soft red fruit driven finish. Drinking nicely but no need to wait.
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12/15/2022 - Karl Kellar Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolutely fabulous, perfectly ready, no tannin left, beautiful sweet fruit. Very complex. Wish I had more than one bottle.
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9/5/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rhone Admissions (Vaucluse): Bonus bottle! And showed really well. So well that a few times folks thought this was the '85 instead of the '86. I really liked it as well. More black fruits and lots of pepper notes. Less brine/olives/meat than I sometimes get in these wines (or perhaps that was just a bit more overshadowed since this was served next to a Chave where those are extra dominant).
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6/14/2018 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
"White wine is fucking awesome" (Chicago, IL): The second vintage of The Turk. The nose here is stunning, emphasizing salinity and olives, with a slight bit of polished fruit (still?!). It's intoxicating and really has everything that I love about northern Rhone syrah. The palate falters a little bit, showing a nice black-fruited attack with a hint of peppercorn, but then the midpalate and finish hollow out. The tannins are a little grainy, but at this point, fully resolved. Drink up; this is probably at the tail end of the maturity plateau.
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5/15/2016 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was drinking beautifully in a fully mature almost Burgundian state. Lovely nose of blue fruit, smoked meats, herbs, spices, forest floor. Many layers of flavor with moderate fine tannins. I don't think this gets better.
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3/10/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Guigal Côte-Rôtie Mostly From the 1990s (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Fully mature black fruit and soft spice, very elegant and charming. Drank very nicely, but certainly time to drink up.
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2/17/2016 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Four Decades of LaLa, plus a "sneaky" Saxum (Chez Kenny): Tasted blind among 13 wines, 11 of which were LaLas. Ruby red and fading at the edge. Full nose of savory black fruit, game and black pepper. Palate has lively fruit that is still sweet and round with just a wicked dose of cracked black pepper. With time in the glass, this gets better and better. My #4, Group #3 in the flight (though I would have ranked this higher if voting was taken a bit later).
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4/11/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light mustiness, black raspberry, light spice and a light sweetness on the nose. A surprising lack of earthy secondary elements. Enjoyable and a fine wine with food but operating in a somewhat narrow range at this point.
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4/10/2015 - BPej Likes this wine: 95 Points
Raisin and fig aromas which had me worried that it was oxidised but luckily after a mouthful, my worries were put to rest. I would say it was a little over the hill but still delicious and ever changing in the glass. Earthy, meaty, herbal, spice and iodine with a hint of something sweet I couldn't put my finger on.
I'm guessing it's best days had passed but still a cracker of a wine.
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6/6/2014 - Old Claret wrote: 93 Points
Holding up well at 36 years of age! Has the feel of an old burg, but with that slightly peppery Rhone element. But don't wait too long to drink.
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2/15/2014 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Lighter body, bacon flavors, elegant
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8/8/2013 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Incredibly burgundian. Only hint that it was a northern rhone was the herbal element. Elegant, focused, complex and incredibly quaffable!
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8/8/2013 - Rupert wrote:
Impromptu wine dinner (The Square, Mayfair, London): Blood, iron, smoke, vibrant, exciting, gutsy, even after the Chabarnon, and hard to believe this is 27 years old
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3/5/2009 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 93 Points
A fully mature colour, but without turning to browning. A very evolved, fully mature nose - perhaps just a little more than it should be? Good colour - a fairly deep burgundy. After ten minutes in the glass, the more volatile, orangey, nutty notes on the nose have dissipated, leaving a crisp, herbal black fruits nose with some hints of very fine dark chocolate (think Valrhona single estate). The herbal notes seem to comprise a mixture of freshly mown lawns and eucalyptus with some scented geranium leaf. On the palate, it's fully mature. Initially there's fairly sweet, precise, focused black fruit witha freshness that probably comes more from a volatile lift. Wide and savoury as it sits in the mouth with a certain element that focuses itself down and down to a pin prick of spirit on the finish. Very savoury after, but still with a great black fruit character. Some sandy tannins appear on the finish and linger afterwards: there's still time for the remaining tannins to integrate finally, though the rest of it feels sufficiently mature that there's probably not time. Incredible, haunting length.
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4/12/2007 - MFong wrote:
4 Decades of Guigal’s La-La-La’s (World Gourmet Summit 2007) (Grand Hyatt Singapore): Fresh raspberries, complex and round.
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