Really outstanding CDP and an absolute joy to drink, delightful, fresh, vibrant fruit, a really lovely mouthfee, l and a silky finish that had a decent amount of length. This wine had a great melange of red berries, some plum, a bit of cedar, and some nice spice elements. This was a good wine with excellent pedigree. I will be looking for more of it.
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Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): Not quite my style. A bit too dark and too much licorice root here for me. Sweet, bordering on sappy, with a bit of oak astringency as well.
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Bright garnet color, not separation. Nose showing red fruits, spice. Palate of blackberry, cherry, plum, cola. Spice and fruit cake. Texture is viscous and jammy at this stage, spices through the mid palate. Full body, long finish.
Great showing on this evening. Still young, should evolve nicely over the next decade.
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This was a real step up from the one I had before. Felt so accomplished, aloof, reserved but also hedonistic in its own way. There is a backbone and firmness but also so expressive with beautiful, lively fruit. Glad I've a couple more.
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60 minute decant. Deep, rich nose of dark cherry, cocoa, and strong meaty aromas. Bright and bold high-toned cherry hits its note quick and holds it, adding spice, acidity, macerated raspberry, and raw meat as it sustains. Spice and cherry unfolds on the finish with long tannins, earth, vanilla, and oak. Spectacular!
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This sits in a overtly cloying state that isn't my favorite. It's extracted and jammy: Black Forest cake (great descriptor I borrowed), black cherry cola, iron, licorice. New World wine lovers might prefer this. I can enjoy but not love it. In another 3+ years, secondary flavors should take over, and those will be better IMO. I'd rate this 92 today and predict 93-95 when really mature. I wonder whether those who drank upon release experienced a high point for the wine.
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Very enjoyable already and will improve over time. Has a very wide gambit of rich flavor, kind of what I expect from a very good CDP, well balanced and great concentration, showing well. Can't ask for much more and good value at the $55 or so I paid after sales tax. 93++pts.
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This bottle not corked!!….. Very nice CDP with fruit playing second seat to garrigue and secondary flavors….excellent structure and balance… Very nice wine on the serious side of CDP
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Rating suspended …. Weirdly there was no TCA on the nose which is where I usually get it right off the bat… It was on the front and side of the tongue…. Enough fruit and structure that it was still drinkable which is also unusual for me… Such a buzzkill when you have properly stored and patiently waited 5 years… I have one 2015 left…. Will open today to see if it was an outlier…
Also in reading all prior reviews, it appears I was the only one who sensed it being corked…
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Decanted for several hours then consumed over 2 nights. As the scores suggest, this bottle was consistent over the two days showing lovely fruit with garrigue/minerality all across the palate. So easy to keep reaching for this lush charmer.
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14.5% abv. Compared to 2015 colombis, this had plenty more structure and personality. Darker cherry/garnet color. Some garrigue, mostly red fruit and sweet garden herbs on nose. On palate this shows Black Forest cake, cola, malt chocolate balls. Med plus acidity and length. Feels like a great drinking window, suggest you pop bottles if you have them, and over next 5-7 years.
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Medium garnet in color, notes of strawberry, vanilla and pencil lead. Medium tannins with low acidity, very little heat consider this is a 14.5% ABV. Finish was quite long, juicy and quite complex.
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Spectacular. For those of you who are so inclined, and for a real treat, have a glass after a cigar. Wow. For CDP aficionados, not much needs to be written other than, "you know something special when you drink it."
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1 hr decant, a wonderful CDP - exhibits more pepper than the usual CDP, with a cherry tinge on layered rich fruitiness, but balanced and lengthy. Great now, and will certainly improve in next several years.
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Really really good. I would echo the notes that say it’s fine to pull one now. I prefert young, actually. Cool toned, grenache dominant, fairly open knit, high perception of alcohol, powdery tannins, nice showing
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Really tough to say. Tightly wound. Funky nose. I think it has all the right bits but boy does this need some time. Hold for at least 3 years before taking another crack at this
Two hours later. Wow. This will be excellent
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The initial nose only spits dusty cedar and some of grandma’s dresser drawer at you, making you wish you could put the cork back in and pretend you didn’t make this mistake for another 3-5+ years. On the palate, linear but surprisingly soft and medium on entry. Pleasant and shoulder-shrugging ‘good,’ with some red and black cherry, garrigue, purple plum, and dust (as if Rutherford won a fist-fight with CdP and spread its terroir all over the Prefert’s face). Intensity and concentration remained at somewhat pedestrian levels, but still offered decent food-friendly flavors. Finished a tad hollow.
Enter air... in the form of three hours in the decanter, and signs of life started to show. It never fully dropped into anything that I would consider to be a stretched flavor expansion, but it sure started trying its little heart out. Give it at least 3-4 years to find better depth. Purity of fruit seems evident, but is seemingly masked by a bit of booze and wood dust. Try again in 2023+. 94+ conservative points for now.
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Surprisingly open-knit and quite delicious with rich dark fruits and strong spicy garrigue notes. Finishes grippy with excellent mineral crunch. It should age well but it's so good now. 93
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Wow, just a wonderful CDP. I agree with others on this one. Was afraid I was opening too early but not ashamed that I did. Just a perfect fruit/alcohol, balance in my mind with a hint of spice that leaves you craving for more. Super smooth tannins.
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Really nice, nice tanins and structure Nice bouquet, drink now and at least next 10 years Red berries, raspberries, ribs 400kr philipson Good balance, elegant 15%
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The 'Réserve Auguste Favier' is a total beauty in this vintage from Domaine Saint Préfert. Composed of 80% Grenache, 10% Cinsault and 10% Syrah, this opens to simply dazzling aromatics of ripe black raspberries and dark plum woven together with Indian spices, cured meats, iron and wet stones all soaring from the glass. On the palate this displays outstanding overall structure and balance, with gorgeous silky tannins and a wonderful combination of ripe fruit and acidity making it nearly impossible to resist. This is amongst one of the most impressive examples of this cuvèe, which I can recall, and although it is absolutely fantastic now, this will only become more appealing with time. (Best 2020-3034)
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This one is a beauty. Fresh CndP style with tons of grenache charm. If you are looking for the overdone vintage port-like CndP, this is not it. This one is more Ruby like. Sweet licorice and notes of flowers. Red berries all over, charming, hints of delicate Syrah peber and cinnamon spices and a texture out of this world. Winemaking at its best. Complex, layered and so vivid. Masterpiece, that deserves all the attention it gets out there. If you like the style - this is a top driver! It was so enjoyable now (1hour decant) - but it will stay lively for at least 10 more yrs. Enjoy. Excellent price value ratio. Had it been a Californian wine, price would have been up at least 200 %.
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Supple textures, sweet, ripe, fresh, juicy, red fruits, silky tannins and when that's done, there is even more fruit in the elegant finish, and with that, well you get the picture of this stellar wine. Produced from a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault, the wine reached 15% alcohol.
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4/12/2024 - spidermark Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really outstanding CDP and an absolute joy to drink, delightful, fresh, vibrant fruit, a really lovely mouthfee, l and a silky finish that had a decent amount of length. This wine had a great melange of red berries, some plum, a bit of cedar, and some nice spice elements. This was a good wine with excellent pedigree. I will be looking for more of it.
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3/17/2024 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): Not quite my style. A bit too dark and too much licorice root here for me. Sweet, bordering on sappy, with a bit of oak astringency as well.
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2/7/2024 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Guest somm with a work colleague for the evening - supplied wine from our cellars for a work dinner (Pro Bono, Palo Alto CA): First red of the evening. Supplied from Robin's cellar. Decanted about 90 minutes.
Bright garnet color, not separation. Nose showing red fruits, spice. Palate of blackberry, cherry, plum, cola. Spice and fruit cake. Texture is viscous and jammy at this stage, spices through the mid palate. Full body, long finish.
Great showing on this evening. Still young, should evolve nicely over the next decade.
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1/11/2024 - rm97 wrote: 94 Points
Terrific
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10/7/2023 - John McCabe wrote: 96 Points
This was a real step up from the one I had before. Felt so accomplished, aloof, reserved but also hedonistic in its own way. There is a backbone and firmness but also so expressive with beautiful, lively fruit. Glad I've a couple more.
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8/25/2023 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 97 Points
60 minute decant. Deep, rich nose of dark cherry, cocoa, and strong meaty aromas. Bright and bold high-toned cherry hits its note quick and holds it, adding spice, acidity, macerated raspberry, and raw meat as it sustains. Spice and cherry unfolds on the finish with long tannins, earth, vanilla, and oak. Spectacular!
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4/2/2023 - twoheadedguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
A little muted at the moment but a nice wine. Picking up a little tar and iron. Rich cherry, roasted meats. Big finish could use some acidity.
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3/31/2023 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 93 Points
This sits in a overtly cloying state that isn't my favorite. It's extracted and jammy: Black Forest cake (great descriptor I borrowed), black cherry cola, iron, licorice. New World wine lovers might prefer this. I can enjoy but not love it. In another 3+ years, secondary flavors should take over, and those will be better IMO. I'd rate this 92 today and predict 93-95 when really mature. I wonder whether those who drank upon release experienced a high point for the wine.
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1/19/2023 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Very enjoyable already and will improve over time. Has a very wide gambit of rich flavor, kind of what I expect from a very good CDP, well balanced and great concentration, showing well. Can't ask for much more and good value at the $55 or so I paid after sales tax. 93++pts.
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12/26/2022 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle not corked!!…..
Very nice CDP with fruit playing second seat to garrigue and secondary flavors….excellent structure and balance…
Very nice wine on the serious side of CDP
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12/25/2022 - KJD45$ wrote:
Rating suspended ….
Weirdly there was no TCA on the nose which is where I usually get it right off the bat…
It was on the front and side of the tongue….
Enough fruit and structure that it was still drinkable which is also unusual for me…
Such a buzzkill when you have properly stored and patiently waited 5 years…
I have one 2015 left…. Will open today to see if it was an outlier…
Also in reading all prior reviews, it appears I was the only one who sensed it being corked…
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10/5/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lighter in style and length. Nice but was expecting a bit more
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7/27/2022 - jeagle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for several hours then consumed over 2 nights. As the scores suggest, this bottle was consistent over the two days showing lovely fruit with garrigue/minerality all across the palate. So easy to keep reaching for this lush charmer.
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12/29/2021 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 94 Points
14.5% abv. Compared to 2015 colombis, this had plenty more structure and personality. Darker cherry/garnet color. Some garrigue, mostly red fruit and sweet garden herbs on nose. On palate this shows Black Forest cake, cola, malt chocolate balls. Med plus acidity and length. Feels like a great drinking window, suggest you pop bottles if you have them, and over next 5-7 years.
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11/26/2021 - rm97 wrote: 94 Points
Hour decant
Wonderful mouthfeel. Tannins died down a little since last time. Great balance and length. Opened up beautifully over next two hours.
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11/24/2021 - Chateau g2pa Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hint of vanilla and raspberry on nose. Dark fruits. Smooth. Medium finish. Great wine.
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8/27/2021 - AwineHog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium garnet in color, notes of strawberry, vanilla and pencil lead. Medium tannins with low acidity, very little heat consider this is a 14.5% ABV. Finish was quite long, juicy and quite complex.
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5/23/2021 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular. For those of you who are so inclined, and for a real treat, have a glass after a cigar. Wow. For CDP aficionados, not much needs to be written other than, "you know something special when you drink it."
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4/19/2021 - ab18 Likes this wine: 94 Points
1 hr decant, a wonderful CDP - exhibits more pepper than the usual CDP,
with a cherry tinge on layered rich fruitiness, but balanced and lengthy.
Great now, and will certainly improve in next several years.
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2/5/2021 - Plabella wrote:
BD Harriet
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11/25/2020 - Bwallace Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just as good as prior bottles. Perfectly balanced CDP.
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7/6/2020 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very fruity. Nice wine.
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6/6/2020 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
Really really good. I would echo the notes that say it’s fine to pull one now. I prefert young, actually. Cool toned, grenache dominant, fairly open knit, high perception of alcohol, powdery tannins, nice showing
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3/23/2020 - rm97 wrote: 93 Points
Really tough to say. Tightly wound. Funky nose. I think it has all the right bits but boy does this need some time. Hold for at least 3 years before taking another crack at this
Two hours later. Wow. This will be excellent
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1/19/2020 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
The initial nose only spits dusty cedar and some of grandma’s dresser drawer at you, making you wish you could put the cork back in and pretend you didn’t make this mistake for another 3-5+ years. On the palate, linear but surprisingly soft and medium on entry. Pleasant and shoulder-shrugging ‘good,’ with some red and black cherry, garrigue, purple plum, and dust (as if Rutherford won a fist-fight with CdP and spread its terroir all over the Prefert’s face). Intensity and concentration remained at somewhat pedestrian levels, but still offered decent food-friendly flavors. Finished a tad hollow.
Enter air... in the form of three hours in the decanter, and signs of life started to show. It never fully dropped into anything that I would consider to be a stretched flavor expansion, but it sure started trying its little heart out. Give it at least 3-4 years to find better depth. Purity of fruit seems evident, but is seemingly masked by a bit of booze and wood dust. Try again in 2023+. 94+ conservative points for now.
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2/4/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprisingly open-knit and quite delicious with rich dark fruits and strong spicy garrigue notes. Finishes grippy with excellent mineral crunch. It should age well but it's so good now. 93
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1/20/2019 - Bwallace Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, just a wonderful CDP. I agree with others on this one. Was afraid I was opening too early but not ashamed that I did. Just a perfect fruit/alcohol, balance in my mind with a hint of spice that leaves you craving for more. Super smooth tannins.
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10/31/2018 - Boffenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really nice, nice tanins and structure
Nice bouquet, drink now and at least next 10 years
Red berries, raspberries, ribs
400kr philipson
Good balance, elegant
15%
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10/18/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): This was just over the top for me. Very high fruit and intensity and lower acidity. It's the hot style of CdP which isn't always my favorite.
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10/17/2018 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 95 Points
The 'Réserve Auguste Favier' is a total beauty in this vintage from Domaine Saint Préfert. Composed of 80% Grenache, 10% Cinsault and 10% Syrah, this opens to simply dazzling aromatics of ripe black raspberries and dark plum woven together with Indian spices, cured meats, iron and wet stones all soaring from the glass. On the palate this displays outstanding overall structure and balance, with gorgeous silky tannins and a wonderful combination of ripe fruit and acidity making it nearly impossible to resist. This is amongst one of the most impressive examples of this cuvèe, which I can recall, and although it is absolutely fantastic now, this will only become more appealing with time. (Best 2020-3034)
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3/31/2018 - Rolle27 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This one is a beauty. Fresh CndP style with tons of grenache charm. If you are looking for the overdone vintage port-like CndP, this is not it. This one is more Ruby like. Sweet licorice and notes of flowers. Red berries all over, charming, hints of delicate Syrah peber and cinnamon spices and a texture out of this world. Winemaking at its best. Complex, layered and so vivid. Masterpiece, that deserves all the attention it gets out there. If you like the style - this is a top driver!
It was so enjoyable now (1hour decant) - but it will stay lively for at least 10 more yrs. Enjoy.
Excellent price value ratio. Had it been a Californian wine, price would have been up at least 200 %.
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8/21/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Supple textures, sweet, ripe, fresh, juicy, red fruits, silky tannins and when that's done, there is even more fruit in the elegant finish, and with that, well you get the picture of this stellar wine. Produced from a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault, the wine reached 15% alcohol.
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