This was delightful tonight with lots of softer, well integrated dark blue and black fruit, earthy sanguine notes, some graphite undertones and well integrated tannins on the mid length finish. All in all, quite nice and sadly my last bottle. This did need about an hour in the decanter to open.
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Beautiful nose of flowers, tar and smoked meat. Elegant style, lively fruit, tar, bacon fat, flowers. This is vraiment Côte-Rôtie. There’s more complexity compared to my last bottle in 2016 and while this great now, there is no need to hurry up.
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Fourth bottle from a half case purchased at auction in 2010. I'm on the fence about this bottle. At 18 years of age it is almost preternaturally fresh and youthful, no doubt sustained by its acidity and (still pretty fierce tannins). It isn't until the second day that some evolution becomes apparent. Stylistically it is pure, precise and transparent, and it would be elegant if it didn't have these grainy tannins. There is a lot of lift on the nose - a bit too much in fact, the level of volatile acidity is very high, and the finish sometimes seems to turn slightly acetic. I don't think that this is technically correct, so I will not rate it.
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Third bottle from a half case purchased at auction in 2010. More than 95% Syrah (sélection massale) with some complanted Viognier, vineyards in the north of the AOC, organic viticulture (ULASE certified since 2004), part whole bunch, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged for two years in barrique (1/3 new), bottled with minimal sulphur, 12% ABV. Last tasted in February 2020, when I was worried that the tannins might outlast the fruit - a concern with many 2005's all over France. Will they ever come round? This bottle seems to have finally escaped the grip of the tannins, and the aromas of crushed red berries, peaches and flowers are starting to show again after a closed phase that lasted the better part of 15 years. Directly after opening the nose feels quite dusty, but after an hour or so this character recedes. It does come across as quite nerveux - almost a bit volatile on the nose and the finish. I am optimistic, but I need to retaste. Provisional score.
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5/12, good cork. Decanted 1 hr. Youthful appearance - deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby rim. Aromatic, bright nose with spicy red fruit, florals, touch of bacon. Medium bodied, elegant, with spicy red fruit which floats pleasantly across the mid-palate, bacon notes, fine tannins, vibrant acidity carrying a good length, spicy finish. Lovely, classic Cote-Rotie which seems to me to be just starting to fire but with plenty left in the tank - to 2030ish?
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Tasting Note after an hour: Quite dry to start with but softened with something to eat. Typical Clusel style; a Burgundian lightness. Some fruit on the palate but fading; very light leather note. Lovely wine to drink and appreciate. Has peaked and unlikely IMHO to last much longer.
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Pristine bottle. Not tasted since November 2015, so time to revisit. The style remains dusty and leathery, but there is some ripe fruit, and the tannins have softened considerably, even if they remain firm on the finish. It’s a masculine, energetic, athletic wine, but this is not why I buy Côte Rôtie. Eventually the tannins will overwhelm the fruit, and the wine is a bit oxidative on the second day, so don’t wait too long.
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Garnet colored with a reticent nose of red fruit and earth. Red fruit, spice, earth and minerals on the palate. The fruit is ever so slightly roasted. Appropriate acidity, tannins are fine-grained.
Drinks you get than it’s age. Good, but lacks an extra gear to be very good, let alone great. 12%abv.
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This was in a good place tonight with lots of earthy, meaty, almost chewy, sanguine characteristics that leaves the dark cassis fruit as a fairly reserved undertone. All in all, quite nice and drinking well with a PnP.
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Deep red, clear edge, thick slow drops. Red currant, turpentine, gooseberry, undergrowth, leather, vanilla nose. Red currant, some lemon, undergrowth, red fruit taste. Still tart, fruity with light tannic structure overall. Should last years more, though this bottle was not as rich and luscious as the previous one.
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Another disappointment as with 01. Comments below are accurate in terms of what I think the style being targeted is but I have to say it was just thin from nose to finish. I wonder if these wines have to be left for a really long time. I hope so will try again in 5 years or so.
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First bottle from a case of 12. It's been a while since I've had a genuine Côte-Rotie, but here we go. A beautiful, floral nose, understated, calm. Pure and understated on the palate, precise and focused with lively, pebbly fruit. Very young still, fresh acidity, this has years to go. This is feminine, almost Burgundian in style, yet there is a hint of meat and smoke. Vraiment Côte-Rotie.
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Transparent but lively colour, very youthful for age, hardly any evolution even after a decade; deep and dusty nose, very stony, some black fruit and spice but needs a lot of time in the decanter to open up hesitantly to smoked bacon and black pepper; the palate is very dry and tannic, masculine, taut and energetic, tightly coiled but virtually devoid of any charm and elegance; austere finish but length is good to very good. If my score seems non-committal, it is. Clearly a long-haul wine, but I wonder if this will ever come out of its tannic shell?
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Drank during PAX. Deep purple color. Took a while in the glass. Minimal fruit at first, but developed after an hour. Dark fruits on the palate- nice balance, but not overly complex. A good northern Rhone Syrah.
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med+ ruby w/ decent water line; med developing, leather, black pepper, floral, red fruit; dry, med+ acid, med+ tannin (slightly chewy), med body/alcohol, med intensity/finish, good
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The wine pours a deep dark purple color, medium plus almost deep intensity, a small amount of gradation around the rim made the wine appear to be newer than true age. On the nose, a medium plus intensity of black cherry, dusty smoke, and spice, a touch of methanol and a layer of sweetness comes through. It has a medium plus complexity and good fruit concentration. On the palette, it has high acidity and medium plus tannin with layers of smokiness, spices, and cherries. It is a full bodied wine and well balanced with a long finish. Overall an outstanding wine. Ready to drink however it will continue to develop.
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Decanted 1 hour. Youthful appearance with medium/deep purple/ruby core, bright narrow pale ruby rim. Nose shows intense blackberry fruit, notes of mineral and coffee, some florality. Deep if a little closed at the present time. Medium bodied on the palate with deep black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, some black cherry, notes of minerals and coffee as on nose. Tannins are fine but still firm enough at the current time to leave this a little tight, particularly on the good length, attractively savoury finish. What makes this wine however is the tremendous clarity and precision of the fruit together with the wonderfully vibrant, almost nervy acidity running through its core. A little early right now but the portents are excellent. Next bottle 2 years. 92? (12% ABV)
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pop and pour - nose - slightly reticent, dark fruit and a little heat first sip was dusty dark fruit with blackberry and dark sour cherries being the predominate flavors - a slight dustyness or earthyness was present the entire time we enjoyed this bottle. Decent finish, but not noticably long.
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12/14/2023 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was delightful tonight with lots of softer, well integrated dark blue and black fruit, earthy sanguine notes, some graphite undertones and well integrated tannins on the mid length finish. All in all, quite nice and sadly my last bottle. This did need about an hour in the decanter to open.
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10/21/2023 - pbaek wrote:
Beautiful nose of flowers, tar and smoked meat. Elegant style, lively fruit, tar, bacon fat, flowers. This is vraiment Côte-Rôtie. There’s more complexity compared to my last bottle in 2016 and while this great now, there is no need to hurry up.
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3/10/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:
Fourth bottle from a half case purchased at auction in 2010. I'm on the fence about this bottle. At 18 years of age it is almost preternaturally fresh and youthful, no doubt sustained by its acidity and (still pretty fierce tannins). It isn't until the second day that some evolution becomes apparent. Stylistically it is pure, precise and transparent, and it would be elegant if it didn't have these grainy tannins. There is a lot of lift on the nose - a bit too much in fact, the level of volatile acidity is very high, and the finish sometimes seems to turn slightly acetic. I don't think that this is technically correct, so I will not rate it.
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12/20/2021 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Third bottle from a half case purchased at auction in 2010. More than 95% Syrah (sélection massale) with some complanted Viognier, vineyards in the north of the AOC, organic viticulture (ULASE certified since 2004), part whole bunch, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged for two years in barrique (1/3 new), bottled with minimal sulphur, 12% ABV. Last tasted in February 2020, when I was worried that the tannins might outlast the fruit - a concern with many 2005's all over France. Will they ever come round? This bottle seems to have finally escaped the grip of the tannins, and the aromas of crushed red berries, peaches and flowers are starting to show again after a closed phase that lasted the better part of 15 years. Directly after opening the nose feels quite dusty, but after an hour or so this character recedes. It does come across as quite nerveux - almost a bit volatile on the nose and the finish. I am optimistic, but I need to retaste. Provisional score.
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4/2/2021 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine: 90 Points
After a few weird bottles this has settled into a nice place. Salty, savory, leather, plum. Well within its good place. Definitely worth a look.
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11/8/2020 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
5/12, good cork. Decanted 1 hr.
Youthful appearance - deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby rim. Aromatic, bright nose with spicy red fruit, florals, touch of bacon. Medium bodied, elegant, with spicy red fruit which floats pleasantly across the mid-palate, bacon notes, fine tannins, vibrant acidity carrying a good length, spicy finish. Lovely, classic Cote-Rotie which seems to me to be just starting to fire but with plenty left in the tank - to 2030ish?
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2/22/2020 - AFulk wrote: 89 Points
A bit short and not as much going on as I would have liked. Not great, not bad either.
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2/22/2020 - bertie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting Note after an hour: Quite dry to start with but softened with something to eat. Typical Clusel style; a Burgundian lightness. Some fruit on the palate but fading; very light leather note. Lovely wine to drink and appreciate. Has peaked and unlikely IMHO to last much longer.
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2/6/2020 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Pristine bottle. Not tasted since November 2015, so time to revisit. The style remains dusty and leathery, but there is some ripe fruit, and the tannins have softened considerably, even if they remain firm on the finish. It’s a masculine, energetic, athletic wine, but this is not why I buy Côte Rôtie. Eventually the tannins will overwhelm the fruit, and the wine is a bit oxidative on the second day, so don’t wait too long.
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2/4/2019 - CMN wrote: 88 Points
Garnet colored with a reticent nose of red fruit and earth. Red fruit, spice, earth and minerals on the palate. The fruit is ever so slightly roasted. Appropriate acidity, tannins are fine-grained.
Drinks you get than it’s age. Good, but lacks an extra gear to be very good, let alone great. 12%abv.
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2/2/2019 - hprphf wrote:
La Tablee 2019: Less sensual but still elegant.
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2/2/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
La Tablee: Grand Tasting (26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn): Great again to get some age. Lots of darker fruits, more herbal notes. Some of those exotic spices again. Very pretty wine. Amazing for the price.
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2/2/2019 - LW31 Does not like this wine:
Rather disappointing, a bit tough and angular. There's good material here but hard to find. Tannic finish.
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1/6/2019 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was in a good place tonight with lots of earthy, meaty, almost chewy, sanguine characteristics that leaves the dark cassis fruit as a fairly reserved undertone. All in all, quite nice and drinking well with a PnP.
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12/31/2017 - pernod Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep red, clear edge, thick slow drops. Red currant, turpentine, gooseberry, undergrowth, leather, vanilla nose. Red currant, some lemon, undergrowth, red fruit taste. Still tart, fruity with light tannic structure overall. Should last years more, though this bottle was not as rich and luscious as the previous one.
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11/19/2016 - pernod Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep red, quick thin drops, clear edge appearance. Blackberry, raspberry, leather, undergrowth, vanilla, spices nose. Blackberry, leather, raspberry, undergrowth taste. Bright fruit, smooth tannins with a slight bite, very delicate.
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3/13/2016 - Sonoffalstaff wrote: 84 Points
Another disappointment as with 01. Comments below are accurate in terms of what I think the style being targeted is but I have to say it was just thin from nose to finish. I wonder if these wines have to be left for a really long time. I hope so will try again in 5 years or so.
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3/2/2016 - pbaek wrote:
First bottle from a case of 12. It's been a while since I've had a genuine Côte-Rotie, but here we go. A beautiful, floral nose, understated, calm. Pure and understated on the palate, precise and focused with lively, pebbly fruit. Very young still, fresh acidity, this has years to go. This is feminine, almost Burgundian in style, yet there is a hint of meat and smoke. Vraiment Côte-Rotie.
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2/23/2016 - mmcdds Likes this wine:
In a good place
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11/1/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Transparent but lively colour, very youthful for age, hardly any evolution even after a decade; deep and dusty nose, very stony, some black fruit and spice but needs a lot of time in the decanter to open up hesitantly to smoked bacon and black pepper; the palate is very dry and tannic, masculine, taut and energetic, tightly coiled but virtually devoid of any charm and elegance; austere finish but length is good to very good. If my score seems non-committal, it is. Clearly a long-haul wine, but I wonder if this will ever come out of its tannic shell?
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2/23/2014 - bugdoced wrote: 90 Points
opened up in 30 minutes to french clay and some tart fruit
nice pairing with wood fired pizza
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2/13/2014 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
Drank during PAX. Deep purple color. Took a while in the glass. Minimal fruit at first, but developed after an hour. Dark fruits on the palate- nice balance, but not overly complex. A good northern Rhone Syrah.
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12/10/2012 - nytiger wrote: 89 Points
very good
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11/25/2012 - Obalde wrote:
med+ ruby w/ decent water line; med developing, leather, black pepper, floral, red fruit; dry, med+ acid, med+ tannin (slightly chewy), med body/alcohol, med intensity/finish, good
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5/1/2012 - nytiger wrote: 91 Points
very nice
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4/16/2012 - nytiger wrote: 88 Points
decent
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3/8/2012 - MarkR wrote:
Good balance, acidity and fruit, but no real secondary characteristics.
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8/12/2011 - jhamari wrote: 91 Points
The wine pours a deep dark purple color, medium plus almost deep intensity, a small amount of gradation around the rim made the wine appear to be newer than true age. On the nose, a medium plus intensity of black cherry, dusty smoke, and spice, a touch of methanol and a layer of sweetness comes through. It has a medium plus complexity and good fruit concentration. On the palette, it has high acidity and medium plus tannin with layers of smokiness, spices, and cherries. It is a full bodied wine and well balanced with a long finish. Overall an outstanding wine. Ready to drink however it will continue to develop.
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1/23/2011 - MEKWINE wrote:
peppery and rich.
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9/2/2010 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Youthful appearance with medium/deep purple/ruby core, bright narrow pale ruby rim. Nose shows intense blackberry fruit, notes of mineral and coffee, some florality. Deep if a little closed at the present time. Medium bodied on the palate with deep black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, some black cherry, notes of minerals and coffee as on nose. Tannins are fine but still firm enough at the current time to leave this a little tight, particularly on the good length, attractively savoury finish. What makes this wine however is the tremendous clarity and precision of the fruit together with the wonderfully vibrant, almost nervy acidity running through its core. A little early right now but the portents are excellent. Next bottle 2 years. 92? (12% ABV)
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7/16/2009 - Phin wrote: 88 Points
Med body. Blackberry. Disappointing finish. Typical french acid at end.
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4/6/2009 - marcobellini wrote:
Encore un peu jeune, assez fruité au nez. Bonne concentration
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11/16/2008 - thirstyman wrote: 90 Points
pop and pour -
nose - slightly reticent, dark fruit and a little heat
first sip was dusty dark fruit with blackberry and dark sour cherries being the predominate flavors - a slight dustyness or earthyness was present the entire time we enjoyed this bottle. Decent finish, but not noticably long.
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5/14/2007 - Siggy wrote:
2007 France Trip - Vernay, Levet, Clusel-Roch, Jasmin (Northern Rhone): Barrel sample. Reticent nose. Tart cherries. One-dimensional and tart on the palate.
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6/20/2006 - Siggy wrote:
France Trip Part 2 - Northern Rhône; 6/18/2006-6/20/2006: Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. 15% new oak. Still undergoing malo. Reduced. Tough to evaluate at this stage.
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