On the nose cherries, mushrooms and damp forest floor. The taste is remarkable for its delicate balance. There’s tart cherries, anise, a note of bitter black tea singing above the long finish. All with a rare delicacy you only experience in the finest burgundies. This is a rare showing for a 1997 La Landonne. Drink now - 2028.
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Bricking. Smooth, tannins melded. Goes down easy with cherries, earthy beets, forest mushrooms, and anise on the finish. Good complexity. Really needs a five to six hours in a decanter. At first a bit thin and acidic. Gains a lot of body with time as the acidity diminishes.
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This was tasty but not mind-blowing. Ate with pulled pork after some 2010 Dom and 2000 Leflaive Pucelles (which we’re both perfect btw), so this had some stiff competition. It was a nice weight with beautiful smoke and mineral throughout vertical. The challenge was the fruit which didn’t layer-in as elegantly as other La Las. It was something like low-acid, tart cherry (if that makes sense). It didn’t overwhelm but it also threw off the balance a bit.
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Kleur: Fluwelig lichtrood, de kleur lijkt bijna op die van een belegen Pinot Noir. Aroma / bouquet: Ongelofelijk aangenaam, zacht en verleidelijk geparfumeerd bouquet. Minder uitgesproken dan de fles van 20-03-2021 maar niet minder aangenaam. Zacht zoete kruiderij, gedroogd donker fruit, cederhout. Smaak / Afdronk: Briljante, verfijnde en evenwichtige wijn. Verfijnde zachte zuurgraad, boterzachte tannines, alles in een geweldig mooie harmonie. Boterzacht maar voldoende krachtig. Lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: What is it gonna be boy? De uiteindelijk toch iets meer elegante Syrah uit de oude wereld zoals deze briljante La Landonne? Of de meer krachtpatserige Syrah uit de nieuwe wereld zoals Hill of Grace, The Dead Arm, Penfolds Grange of Sine Qua Non? Ik denk dat ik de rest van mijn leven nodig heb om een definitief antwoord te vinden op deze vraag ;-). Life is good! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 10 = 98/100
Colour: Velvety light red, the color almost resembles that of a mature Pinot Noir. Aroma / bouquet: Incredibly pleasant, soft and seductive perfumed bouquet. Less pronounced than the bottle of 20-03-2021 but no less pleasant. Soft sweet condiment, dried dark fruit, cedar wood. Taste / Aftertaste: Brilliant, refined and balanced wine. Refined soft acidity, buttery tannins, all in a wonderfully beautiful harmony. Buttery soft but sufficiently strong. Long finish. General / potential: What's it gonna be boy? The ultimately slightly more elegant Syrah from the old world like this brilliant La Landonne? Or the more powerful Syrah from the new world like Hill of Grace, The Dead Arm, Penfolds Grange or Sine Qua Non? I think it will take me the rest of my life to find a definitive answer to this question ;-). Life is good! 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 14 + Taste / Aftertaste: 19 + General / Potential: 10 = 98/100
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The 1997 E. Guigal "La Landonne" Cote Rotie was is another dynamo from the northern rhone that was singing. Ripe blackberries, tobacco, smoke and leather notes with elegant mouthfeel. Stunner. -DD97
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Another lost Friday afternoon gathering - mostly French (Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD): Medium expressive nose displaying cool black fruit, blackberry. Black cherry, licorice, smoke, tapenade, black pepper, charred rare steak, cedar and earth. Fully integrated palate, nicely layered black fruit, silky and polished, good acidity, strong mineral, mostly resolved sweet tannins and a seamless long ripe black fruit driven finish. My only complain is that the fruit is not as sweet and overall expression not as complex as the top vintages like the 90 or 99. It is a claiss La La, nevertheless.
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A total stunner, with aromas leaping from the glass. You can smell it just being nearby. Its ultra intense and layered aromatics of smoked meats, campfire smoke, black licorice and both black and red fruit couldn’t be more assertive. Its flavors expand on the palate showing superb richness and a searing intensity, and detonate like little tiny grenades saturating the mouth.
There is a supreme elegance to this wine that provides impeccable balance to complement its rich and robust flavors. Finishes exceptionally long with soft caressing tannins. A well stored bottle has much life left indeed. Fantastic showing, especially for what can be considered a relatively unheralded vintage for the Northern Rhône. But no problem for the La La’s 💥
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The superlatives line up... I have had this in the cellar for more than 15 years. What a great wine. Dark fruit - meaty and with dense spiciness. Perfectly mature but the right bottles would be able to age for a decade or even two.
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Aaargh... In Nederland noemen we dit "VLURK". Ofwel, een "VL eugje k URK", een klein beetje kurk. Voldoende kurk om het aroma te maskeren, maar niet voldoende om in een voldoende geconcentreerde wijn nog retronasale aroma's te kunnen waarnemen. Zelfde kleur, nauwelijks geur en in de mond een uiterst aangename schaduw van de vorige fles...
Aaargh ... In the Netherlands we call this "VLURK". In other words, a "VL eugje k URK", a little bit of cork. Sufficient cork to mask the aroma, but not enough to detect retronasal aromas in a sufficiently concentrated wine. Same color, hardly any odor and on the palate an extremely pleasant shade of the previous bottle ...
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Kleur: Diep donkerrood met een brede oranjeruine rand. Aroma / bouquet: Zwaar en geparfumeerd bouquet met, bij de eerste indruk, vooral zoete kruiderij en geteerd hout domineren. Een verleidelijk restant van gedroogde pruimen. Net als in 2010 heeft de wijn een zekere 'rokerigheid'. Veelbelovend. Smaak / Afdronk: In de mond presenteert deze wijn zich in eerste instantie bescheidener, maar niet minder mooi. zacht in al haar aspecten. Zachte zuren, een ten opzichte van deze tijd bescheiden alcoholgehalte, boterzachte tannines, die deze wijn echter nog steeds een subtiel bittertje en structuur geven. Prachtige balans. Lange afdronk met een zacht bittere finale. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige en indrukwekkende La Landonne! Het geduld meer dan waard. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 97/100
Color: Deep dark red with a broad orange-orange edge Aroma / bouquet: Heavy and perfumed bouquet with, on first impression, mostly sweet spices and tar wood dominate. A tempting leftover of dried plums. As in 2010, the wine has a certain 'smokiness'. Promising. Taste / Finish: On the palate, this wine presents itself more modestly at first, but no less beautiful. gentle in all its aspects. Soft acidity, a modest alcohol content compared to this time, buttery tannins, which, however, still give this wine a subtle bitterness and structure. Beautiful balance. Long finish with a soft bitter finish. Overall / potential: Beautiful and impressive La Landonne! Well worth the patience. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Taste / Finish: 19 + Overall / potential: 9 = 97/100
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Decanted for about 2 hours then double decanted back to bottle. Nose of red fruits and spices but no funk in contrast to the '95. On the palate cranberry and tart cherry, spices and earth, lifted acidity and an overall soft mouthfeel. Good not great - lacks some additional layering and depth that would push this to the next level.
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Intronization into Rhone (Riverpark): Drank side by side with the 1995. I think this started a touch more closed. I love this vintage, but I feel like it's often still drinking on the young side. With time in the glass (and we drank over the course of a few hours) it started to open up and I think overtook it's older brother. Lots of black fruits, lots of meaty notes. Still quite young with a long life ahead. Will continue to hold on our bottle.
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Dark and brooding and not very giving. Texturally, it's smooth, but it's lean on the palate. Nice high notes on the nose. I think this wine needs more time in the cellar. Seems a bit reserved today. Tom G's bottle. Nice Matin with James, Fernando and Tom.
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A study in contrasts next to the 1990 Grange tasted alongside it. Whereas the Grange was all sweet red raspberry fruit, this was brooding mushrooms and prunes with lots of nuance and complexity. Very well made and thoroughly enjoyable.
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Simply outstanding wine. Decanted for 90min. Took to restaurant who served it very well. Nose was ripe blackberries and warm chocolate. The Taste is strawberries, tabbaco, and spice box. This wine is ready and mature. There is no doubt it will cellar effortlessly another 10yrs but it's a true joy to pop one open today.
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Rich fruit, pepper, and slight menthol on the finish. Dark fruit and tar aroma. Did I say pepper? Lots of pepper. A serious wine, better with air, and tonight showed better than La Mouline.
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Surprisingly forward for a solid vintage for Guigal La Landonne, 30 minutes of air opened the wine and within another 15-20 minutes, the bottle really blossomed. Full bodied and concentrated, there is an elegance to the ripe, dark fruits. Plushly textured, and still a bit wild, this is a lot of fun to drink now and it should get better from here.
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Tasted blind after an hour of decanting and guessed Cote Rotie early 2000 cockily even saying La Turque 2000. A masterclass of a wine, from sight to finish. The nose is ever so classic of the area, smoky, roast meat, leather supercomplex and just one to go back and back. The tune continues on the palate and its effortlessly blanched and elegant. We could talking about this wine for a long time. Simply magical 96-98 and at a great time to drink but with a good decade of life.
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an evening with good friends at home: Decanted an hour before service. On the nose, soaring aromatics, currants, sandalwood, salt water, cedar. So inviting and so beguiling - you knew this was going to be special before you've even had a chance to take a sip. On the palate, a deceptively light texture coupled with a spectrum of flavors, all in balance: currants, bacon, violets, plums, with a long, luxurious finish. The aged notes are there, the fruit is there, the complexity is there, it's all there.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm not scoring this wine higher, as I really can't find any fault with this wine. If I've had a better Syrah than this, I can't remember it. So, so good.
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Chicken poop , Minty with blackcurrants and polished black cherries. Lucious supple and moreish. Quite delightful and I dare say even like an iron fist in velvet glove
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Cork was in perfect shape and level very high, almost too high I was wondering. Very young and powerful, still tannic, decanted 3 hours and still not very drinkable, nose was great all along, the other same vintage Mouline was good out the bottle. Should be no problem another 5-10 years.
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First off let me say WOW. I opened this wine and decanted it for 3hrs. Took it to restaurant for lunch and this wine was all I wished and hoped it to be. Amazing nose of lead pencil, red current and, tabbaco. The taste was the sweet tannins of the terroir with blueberries and plums. This tells me this wine easily has 7-10 years I'm so glad to have more. The Finnish went on for a full minute. What a wine and truly awesome vino. My score 99
Drank at Via Alloro. Decanted for about an hour before diving in. A bit closed at first with an earthy funky nose that blew off after some more time in the glass. Not a great first impression but consistently started getting better with more time, developing smoky, gamey notes with a backbone of dark fruit that started showing up. I think score would have been higher if (1) it had been decanted a couple hours longer and (2) it didn't follow an SQN Ode to E Grenache which is a hard act to follow.
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A perfect wine. Brawny, muscular but a rush of nuanced flavors on nose and in mouth. Classic meaty, smoky flavors, dark fruit, cassis, even some graphite. Reminded me of a St. Emillion. 120-second finish. Wow!!
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Some of the greatest wines available to human kind (@KG's in Tavelsjö (Umeå)): A beautifully perfumed stunner of greatness. We were lucky to not need to suffer an over-oaked or over-smoked specimen. This LaLa is magnificently balanced and was obviously brought up well. Still early drinking. Perfect cork. Smoked meat products, several red fruits, violets (and "flowers") singing with decisive voices. A fantastic kind of wine that can only be described as FANTASTIC. In this flight, all three Northern Rhones were my favorites, from little different angles. This one for its superb balance and distinct personality. Several ppl's WOTN.
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Nose of smoke, dark toast, burnt rubber, tar, and charred wood, so much of all this that everything else present, terroir, pepper, fruit, etc, takes back seats. The smoke-like qualities explode on the attack and do not quit through the very long finish. Pepper also makes an emphatic appearance. I would not use the adjective 'jammy' to describe any part of this wine. That word implies a certain weightiness, sweetness, and also confection, none of which are present. Balance and completeness are the strengths of this wine; it exudes harmoniousness in structure, acid, tannin, weight, and texture. It knows exactly what it is and it is exactly what it claims to be. In these regards, this wine is flawless.
Honestly, I am not a fan of all the smoke, it lends a sense of 'overdone manufacture' to the wine. I do not care for heavy oak. I spent a lot of time with this wine pondering whether the smoke is oak or terroir imparted. If it is predominantly terroir imparted, then I readily beg clemency. However, it seems oak imparted, and the 42 months of barrel aging lend credence to this assessment. I have never met a three year aged wine that wasn't excessively oaky. Still, the perfect balance and completeness of this offering make it exceptional.
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At Recettte in NYC with Ray and CVA . Great meal, great staff and one of the few in NYC that are corkage friendly. Ray was very generous to bring this from his cellar.
Stunning wine, opened for about an hour before we drank it. Nose had smoke, bacon, mushrooms, truffles..very complex and rich. One the palate, still drinks like a very young wine. Jammy black fruits, spicy, earth, leather. Would characterize this as a robust wine - paired with Recette's Pork Belly (a winner!)
Finish was 30 seconds+, black cherry, licorice, herbs. This is beautiful now but will have a long life ahead of it.
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Still deep in color, aromas of kirsch, jammy black raspberry, stone, fresh herbs, cracker black pepper, spice box and smoke pop with little effort. Rich, lush, silky, pure black and red spicy fruits effortless coat your palate. There is a beautiful sense of purity to the velvety fruit. The wine finishes with bright, fresh, spicy, black cherry and licorice with a lot of energy. This is become a much better wine over the past few years. Drink it now or age it for a decade and enjoy over the next few decades after that.
Over the years I've always favored La Mouline, but La Landonne continues gaining ground in the race to naming a favorite of the three La La's. Guigal La Landonne is always an expensive wine. But if you want a good example of why these wines are so prized, this is probably the best priced example in the marketplace today.
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Drinking wonderfully well after a 2.5 hour decant, this supports two separate theories. 1 - Producer vs Vintage, and 2 - The 15 year rule for Cote Rotie. After a good decant this is lovely and smooth with notes of figs, christmas cake, blackcurrants, earth and sweet spices, with great balance and harmony. The oak is perfectly integrated and on the palate this is generous and expressive with a delicious long finish. Outstanding
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First bottle of this, and it was good, but didn't seem to match the 97 Mouline or 97 Turque which I've had multiple times. Will have to check back in - bottle issue?
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A very nice treat from Eric over lunch at The Pawn. Amber around the edge. Not as expressive and rich as i'd expect with only subtle notes of sweet earth and dark fruits. Probably needed a couple of hours in the decanter. Recent LaLaLa experiences bit of a letdown.
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Edward Roberts International Pre-Auction Tasting (Union League Club of Chicago): Tasted beside the '97 Guigal Mouline. Similar styling - really funky, cheesy, ripe - heady and hedonistic. Really nice balanced finish - great mid palate. Still really young, this was great, but didn't have the complexity and rich layering the Mouline displayed. Less approachable now than the Mouline as well. Gripping masculine structure. Great acidity on the back end. Fantastic wine. I was surprised how similar in style the two bottlings turned out to be.
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Completely different from previous occasions. The typical Northern Rhone spiciness is hidden. The tannin is firm and sticky. A lot of acidity. Very full bodied, but lacking the elegance I expected.
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Expressive nose, but faded fruit and an unpleasant bite at the back end. No real finish. Purchased from clearance sale at Calvert-Woodley, and I have concerns about how it was stored. Over the hill.
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1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne (Frankrijk, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie) Kleur: Diep donkerrood, ietsje oranje. Aroma / bouquet: Expressief en prachtig gecompliceerd: Aanzet van jammig rood fruit, vooral bramen en cassis. Zoet-kruidig, mooi geïntegreerd cederhout, ook wat zoethout en zachte drop. Tertiaire tonen, stallerig / koffieboontjes bittere chocola. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige maar chique aanzet, zachte zuren, boordevol krachtige maar perfect rijpe tannines, klein beetje drogend door een prettig bittertje. Veel materie. Zachte maar krachtige afdronk met een indrukwekkende lengte en een mooie rijpheid. Algemeen / potentieel: Fabeltastisch mooi glas van 'de meester van de Rhône', nu perfect op dronk maar voldoende rijpingspotentieel voor nog een jaartje of 10-15. Maar ja… wie brengt het geduld op. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 96/100
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(Peter Pratt's Luncheon) Decanted for about 2 hours. This had just a little more going for it than the 2000 and was more open. Some meatiness, lively fruit. Lovely wine that unfortunately followed some amazing Chateauneuf wines and couldn't match their richness.
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After the scores and reviews I saw on this, I was a bit disappointed. This bottle showed no signs of a flaw, and the wine showed definite Londonne character (it was tasted among six different Ladonne bottlings) but it seemed a bit heavy handed and one dimensional. Both the 90 and the 96 showed much better, IMHO.
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Not so many notes. With beautiful wines like this they should be extensive, but enjoying the wine takes over. Typical northern Rhone spiciness. Elegant and complex. Ripe juice. Mature but with enough power. Delicious!
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June 14th Rhone Celebration with Jonathon Dinh (Waterfront Seafood Grilll): seemed a bit more advanced than the 96, but very smooth. I think I may have been a bit drunk at this point. A great shame I don’t have it written better as this may be the best N. Rhone flight I will even has the pleasure of drinking.
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Coffee, black fruit, pepper and earthy notes were easily findable. Very concentrated with a finish lasting over 40 seconds, this intense, round, rip, rich wine has a lot to offer.
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1/3/2024 - Lipsman wrote: 95 Points
On the nose cherries, mushrooms and damp forest floor. The taste is remarkable for its delicate balance. There’s tart cherries, anise, a note of bitter black tea singing above the long finish. All with a rare delicacy you only experience in the finest burgundies. This is a rare showing for a 1997 La Landonne. Drink now - 2028.
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12/24/2022 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
Bricking. Smooth, tannins melded. Goes down easy with cherries, earthy beets, forest mushrooms, and anise on the finish. Good complexity. Really needs a five to six hours in a decanter. At first a bit thin and acidic. Gains a lot of body with time as the acidity diminishes.
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8/22/2022 - Brolawa Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was tasty but not mind-blowing. Ate with pulled pork after some 2010 Dom and 2000 Leflaive Pucelles (which we’re both perfect btw), so this had some stiff competition. It was a nice weight with beautiful smoke and mineral throughout vertical. The challenge was the fruit which didn’t layer-in as elegantly as other La Las. It was something like low-acid, tart cherry (if that makes sense). It didn’t overwhelm but it also threw off the balance a bit.
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1/2/2022 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 98 Points
Kleur: Fluwelig lichtrood, de kleur lijkt bijna op die van een belegen Pinot Noir. Aroma / bouquet: Ongelofelijk aangenaam, zacht en verleidelijk geparfumeerd bouquet. Minder uitgesproken dan de fles van 20-03-2021 maar niet minder aangenaam. Zacht zoete kruiderij, gedroogd donker fruit, cederhout. Smaak / Afdronk: Briljante, verfijnde en evenwichtige wijn. Verfijnde zachte zuurgraad, boterzachte tannines, alles in een geweldig mooie harmonie. Boterzacht maar voldoende krachtig. Lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: What is it gonna be boy? De uiteindelijk toch iets meer elegante Syrah uit de oude wereld zoals deze briljante La Landonne? Of de meer krachtpatserige Syrah uit de nieuwe wereld zoals Hill of Grace, The Dead Arm, Penfolds Grange of Sine Qua Non? Ik denk dat ik de rest van mijn leven nodig heb om een definitief antwoord te vinden op deze vraag ;-). Life is good! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 10 = 98/100
Colour: Velvety light red, the color almost resembles that of a mature Pinot Noir. Aroma / bouquet: Incredibly pleasant, soft and seductive perfumed bouquet. Less pronounced than the bottle of 20-03-2021 but no less pleasant. Soft sweet condiment, dried dark fruit, cedar wood. Taste / Aftertaste: Brilliant, refined and balanced wine. Refined soft acidity, buttery tannins, all in a wonderfully beautiful harmony. Buttery soft but sufficiently strong. Long finish. General / potential: What's it gonna be boy? The ultimately slightly more elegant Syrah from the old world like this brilliant La Landonne? Or the more powerful Syrah from the new world like Hill of Grace, The Dead Arm, Penfolds Grange or Sine Qua Non? I think it will take me the rest of my life to find a definitive answer to this question ;-). Life is good! 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 14 + Taste / Aftertaste: 19 + General / Potential: 10 = 98/100
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10/6/2021 - ddamron wrote: 97 Points
The 1997 E. Guigal "La Landonne" Cote Rotie was is another dynamo from the northern rhone that was singing. Ripe blackberries, tobacco, smoke and leather notes with elegant mouthfeel. Stunner. -DD97
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9/10/2021 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Another lost Friday afternoon gathering - mostly French (Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD): Medium expressive nose displaying cool black fruit, blackberry. Black cherry, licorice, smoke, tapenade, black pepper, charred rare steak, cedar and earth. Fully integrated palate, nicely layered black fruit, silky and polished, good acidity, strong mineral, mostly resolved sweet tannins and a seamless long ripe black fruit driven finish. My only complain is that the fruit is not as sweet and overall expression not as complex as the top vintages like the 90 or 99. It is a claiss La La, nevertheless.
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7/15/2021 - finediningnyc Likes this wine: 97 Points
A total stunner, with aromas leaping from the glass. You can smell it just being nearby. Its ultra intense and layered aromatics of smoked meats, campfire smoke, black licorice and both black and red fruit couldn’t be more assertive. Its flavors expand on the palate showing superb richness and a searing intensity, and detonate like little tiny grenades saturating the mouth.
There is a supreme elegance to this wine that provides impeccable balance to complement its rich and robust flavors. Finishes exceptionally long with soft caressing tannins. A well stored bottle has much life left indeed. Fantastic showing, especially for what can be considered a relatively unheralded vintage for the Northern Rhône. But no problem for the La La’s 💥
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3/26/2021 - KristianT Likes this wine: 97 Points
The superlatives line up... I have had this in the cellar for more than 15 years. What a great wine. Dark fruit - meaty and with dense spiciness. Perfectly mature but the right bottles would be able to age for a decade or even two.
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3/20/2021 - WildeMeeuw wrote: flawed
Aaargh... In Nederland noemen we dit "VLURK". Ofwel, een "VL eugje k URK", een klein beetje kurk.
Voldoende kurk om het aroma te maskeren, maar niet voldoende om in een voldoende geconcentreerde wijn nog retronasale aroma's te kunnen waarnemen.
Zelfde kleur, nauwelijks geur en in de mond een uiterst aangename schaduw van de vorige fles...
Aaargh ... In the Netherlands we call this "VLURK". In other words, a "VL eugje k URK", a little bit of cork.
Sufficient cork to mask the aroma, but not enough to detect retronasal aromas in a sufficiently concentrated wine.
Same color, hardly any odor and on the palate an extremely pleasant shade of the previous bottle ...
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3/20/2021 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 97 Points
Kleur: Diep donkerrood met een brede oranjeruine rand. Aroma / bouquet: Zwaar en geparfumeerd bouquet met, bij de eerste indruk, vooral zoete kruiderij en geteerd hout domineren. Een verleidelijk restant van gedroogde pruimen. Net als in 2010 heeft de wijn een zekere 'rokerigheid'. Veelbelovend. Smaak / Afdronk: In de mond presenteert deze wijn zich in eerste instantie bescheidener, maar niet minder mooi. zacht in al haar aspecten. Zachte zuren, een ten opzichte van deze tijd bescheiden alcoholgehalte, boterzachte tannines, die deze wijn echter nog steeds een subtiel bittertje en structuur geven. Prachtige balans. Lange afdronk met een zacht bittere finale. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige en indrukwekkende La Landonne! Het geduld meer dan waard. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 97/100
Color: Deep dark red with a broad orange-orange edge Aroma / bouquet: Heavy and perfumed bouquet with, on first impression, mostly sweet spices and tar wood dominate. A tempting leftover of dried plums. As in 2010, the wine has a certain 'smokiness'. Promising. Taste / Finish: On the palate, this wine presents itself more modestly at first, but no less beautiful. gentle in all its aspects. Soft acidity, a modest alcohol content compared to this time, buttery tannins, which, however, still give this wine a subtle bitterness and structure. Beautiful balance. Long finish with a soft bitter finish. Overall / potential: Beautiful and impressive La Landonne! Well worth the patience. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Taste / Finish: 19 + Overall / potential: 9 = 97/100
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9/20/2020 - Vascular46 wrote: 95 Points
Probably a little past peak but still a great wine. Black fruit with a little saddle leather. More elegant than powerfulat this point.
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4/13/2020 - robferguson1 wrote: 96 Points
Brilliant, dark deep and goes on and on and will live long .
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2/7/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Olives, black currant, leather and spice on the nose. Palate was deep and powerful yet retaining the Lalala elegance with lots of spice. Lovely.
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12/7/2019 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Occasional dinner group. Keller, Coche Dury, Guigal La Landonne plus some ringers. (By PVa @ Monarh in Tilburg, The Netherlands): In the bouquet herbs and spices, blood and minerals like iron. Same on the palate. A firm amount of juicy acidity and impressions of medicine.
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12/3/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Decanted for about 2 hours then double decanted back to bottle. Nose of red fruits and spices but no funk in contrast to the '95. On the palate cranberry and tart cherry, spices and earth, lifted acidity and an overall soft mouthfeel. Good not great - lacks some additional layering and depth that would push this to the next level.
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12/3/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Intronization into Rhone (Riverpark): Drank side by side with the 1995. I think this started a touch more closed. I love this vintage, but I feel like it's often still drinking on the young side. With time in the glass (and we drank over the course of a few hours) it started to open up and I think overtook it's older brother. Lots of black fruits, lots of meaty notes. Still quite young with a long life ahead. Will continue to hold on our bottle.
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9/29/2018 - rlove wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit on the nose evolving toward roast meat. Lean palate. A rather austere showing.
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6/7/2018 - Pknut wrote:
Dark and brooding and not very giving. Texturally, it's smooth, but it's lean on the palate. Nice high notes on the nose. I think this wine needs more time in the cellar. Seems a bit reserved today. Tom G's bottle. Nice Matin with James, Fernando and Tom.
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12/19/2017 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A study in contrasts next to the 1990 Grange tasted alongside it. Whereas the Grange was all sweet red raspberry fruit, this was brooding mushrooms and prunes with lots of nuance and complexity. Very well made and thoroughly enjoyable.
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6/11/2017 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 97 Points
Simply outstanding wine. Decanted for 90min. Took to restaurant who served it very well. Nose was ripe blackberries and warm chocolate. The Taste is strawberries, tabbaco, and spice box. This wine is ready and mature. There is no doubt it will cellar effortlessly another 10yrs but it's a true joy to pop one open today.
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6/6/2017 - Chuck Miller wrote: flawed
Squashy.
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5/7/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
Very fresh, spicy, pepper, subtle and sublime fruit, in the beginning of his beauty, 98
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2/11/2017 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Rich fruit, pepper, and slight menthol on the finish. Dark fruit and tar aroma. Did I say pepper? Lots of pepper. A serious wine, better with air, and tonight showed better than La Mouline.
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10/7/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Surprisingly forward for a solid vintage for Guigal La Landonne, 30 minutes of air opened the wine and within another 15-20 minutes, the bottle really blossomed. Full bodied and concentrated, there is an elegance to the ripe, dark fruits. Plushly textured, and still a bit wild, this is a lot of fun to drink now and it should get better from here.
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7/15/2016 - Papies wrote: 97 Points
Tasted blind after an hour of decanting and guessed Cote Rotie early 2000 cockily even saying La Turque 2000.
A masterclass of a wine, from sight to finish. The nose is ever so classic of the area, smoky, roast meat, leather supercomplex and just one to go back and back. The tune continues on the palate and its effortlessly blanched and elegant. We could talking about this wine for a long time. Simply magical 96-98 and at a great time to drink but with a good decade of life.
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1/25/2016 - jshufelt wrote: 97 Points
an evening with good friends at home: Decanted an hour before service. On the nose, soaring aromatics, currants, sandalwood, salt water, cedar. So inviting and so beguiling - you knew this was going to be special before you've even had a chance to take a sip. On the palate, a deceptively light texture coupled with a spectrum of flavors, all in balance: currants, bacon, violets, plums, with a long, luxurious finish. The aged notes are there, the fruit is there, the complexity is there, it's all there.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm not scoring this wine higher, as I really can't find any fault with this wine. If I've had a better Syrah than this, I can't remember it. So, so good.
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11/6/2015 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
Chicken poop , Minty with blackcurrants and polished black cherries. Lucious supple and moreish. Quite delightful and I dare say even like an iron fist in velvet glove
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12/1/2014 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyable
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10/23/2014 - danielk168 wrote: 94 Points
Cork was in perfect shape and level very high, almost too high I was wondering. Very young and powerful, still tannic, decanted 3 hours and still not very drinkable, nose was great all along, the other same vintage Mouline was good out the bottle. Should be no problem another 5-10 years.
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8/19/2014 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 99 Points
TN: E.Guigal La Landonne 1997
First off let me say WOW. I opened this wine and decanted it for 3hrs. Took it to restaurant for lunch and this wine was all I wished and hoped it to be. Amazing nose of lead pencil, red current and, tabbaco. The taste was the sweet tannins of the terroir with blueberries and plums. This tells me this wine easily has 7-10 years I'm so glad to have more. The Finnish went on for a full minute. What a wine and truly awesome vino. My score 99
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4/13/2014 - Fid wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Via Alloro. Decanted for about an hour before diving in. A bit closed at first with an earthy funky nose that blew off after some more time in the glass. Not a great first impression but consistently started getting better with more time, developing smoky, gamey notes with a backbone of dark fruit that started showing up. I think score would have been higher if (1) it had been decanted a couple hours longer and (2) it didn't follow an SQN Ode to E Grenache which is a hard act to follow.
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12/13/2013 - eudora Likes this wine: 100 Points
A perfect wine. Brawny, muscular but a rush of nuanced flavors on nose and in mouth. Classic meaty, smoky flavors, dark fruit, cassis, even some graphite. Reminded me of a St. Emillion. 120-second finish. Wow!!
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10/26/2013 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 98 Points
Some of the greatest wines available to human kind (@KG's in Tavelsjö (Umeå)): A beautifully perfumed stunner of greatness.
We were lucky to not need to suffer an over-oaked or over-smoked specimen.
This LaLa is magnificently balanced and was obviously brought up well. Still early drinking. Perfect cork. Smoked meat products, several red fruits, violets (and "flowers") singing with decisive voices.
A fantastic kind of wine that can only be described as FANTASTIC.
In this flight, all three Northern Rhones were my favorites, from little different angles. This one for its superb balance and distinct personality.
Several ppl's WOTN.
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3/18/2013 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
Nose of smoke, dark toast, burnt rubber, tar, and charred wood, so much of all this that everything else present, terroir, pepper, fruit, etc, takes back seats. The smoke-like qualities explode on the attack and do not quit through the very long finish. Pepper also makes an emphatic appearance. I would not use the adjective 'jammy' to describe any part of this wine. That word implies a certain weightiness, sweetness, and also confection, none of which are present. Balance and completeness are the strengths of this wine; it exudes harmoniousness in structure, acid, tannin, weight, and texture. It knows exactly what it is and it is exactly what it claims to be. In these regards, this wine is flawless.
Honestly, I am not a fan of all the smoke, it lends a sense of 'overdone manufacture' to the wine. I do not care for heavy oak. I spent a lot of time with this wine pondering whether the smoke is oak or terroir imparted. If it is predominantly terroir imparted, then I readily beg clemency. However, it seems oak imparted, and the 42 months of barrel aging lend credence to this assessment. I have never met a three year aged wine that wasn't excessively oaky. Still, the perfect balance and completeness of this offering make it exceptional.
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3/4/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 97 Points
At Recettte in NYC with Ray and CVA . Great meal, great staff and one of the few in NYC that are corkage friendly. Ray was very generous to bring this from his cellar.
Stunning wine, opened for about an hour before we drank it. Nose had smoke, bacon, mushrooms, truffles..very complex and rich. One the palate, still drinks like a very young wine. Jammy black fruits, spicy, earth, leather. Would characterize this as a robust wine - paired with Recette's Pork Belly (a winner!)
Finish was 30 seconds+, black cherry, licorice, herbs. This is beautiful now but will have a long life ahead of it.
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12/26/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Still deep in color, aromas of kirsch, jammy black raspberry, stone, fresh herbs, cracker black pepper, spice box and smoke pop with little effort. Rich, lush, silky, pure black and red spicy fruits effortless coat your palate. There is a beautiful sense of purity to the velvety fruit. The wine finishes with bright, fresh, spicy, black cherry and licorice with a lot of energy. This is become a much better wine over the past few years. Drink it now or age it for a decade and enjoy over the next few decades after that.
Over the years I've always favored La Mouline, but La Landonne continues gaining ground in the race to naming a favorite of the three La La's. Guigal La Landonne is always an expensive wine. But if you want a good example of why these wines are so prized, this is probably the best priced example in the marketplace today.
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12/25/2012 - PJRONeill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking wonderfully well after a 2.5 hour decant, this supports two separate theories. 1 - Producer vs Vintage, and 2 - The 15 year rule for Cote Rotie. After a good decant this is lovely and smooth with notes of figs, christmas cake, blackcurrants, earth and sweet spices, with great balance and harmony. The oak is perfectly integrated and on the palate this is generous and expressive with a delicious long finish. Outstanding
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10/21/2012 - Mike V wrote: flawed
Corked! That hurts.
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12/31/2011 - BradE wrote:
First bottle of this, and it was good, but didn't seem to match the 97 Mouline or 97 Turque which I've had multiple times. Will have to check back in - bottle issue?
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10/24/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 90 Points
A very nice treat from Eric over lunch at The Pawn. Amber around the edge. Not as expressive and rich as i'd expect with only subtle notes of sweet earth and dark fruits. Probably needed a couple of hours in the decanter. Recent LaLaLa experiences bit of a letdown.
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9/12/2010 - IWineAlot wrote: 94 Points
Edward Roberts International Pre-Auction Tasting (The Union League Club (Chicago)): Expressive on the nose as well as on the palate…notes of pepper, coffee, meatiness, earthy. Really enjoyed both of Guigal’s La La wines, this I thought was showing better than the Mouline. 94 pts.
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9/12/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Edward Roberts International Pre-Auction Tasting (Union League Club of Chicago): Tasted beside the '97 Guigal Mouline. Similar styling - really funky, cheesy, ripe - heady and hedonistic.
Really nice balanced finish - great mid palate. Still really young, this was great, but didn't have the complexity and rich layering the Mouline displayed.
Less approachable now than the Mouline as well. Gripping masculine structure. Great acidity on the back end. Fantastic wine.
I was surprised how similar in style the two bottlings turned out to be.
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7/17/2010 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Completely different from previous occasions. The typical Northern Rhone spiciness is hidden. The tannin is firm and sticky. A lot of acidity. Very full bodied, but lacking the elegance I expected.
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5/19/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 81 Points
1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne (Frankrijk, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie) Kleur: Diep donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Gebrand donker fruit, opvallend veel (en zwaar getoast) hout, getoast witbrood, groene kruiden. Smaak / Afdronk: Zondoorstoofd, weinig zuren, beetje harde tannines, wel vol maar onvoldoende in balans. Iets te royaal (branderig) in de alcohol. Algemeen / potentieel: Flesfout? 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Smaak / Afdronk: 11 + Algemeen / potentieel: 6 = 81/100
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2/14/2010 - eudora wrote: 88 Points
Expressive nose, but faded fruit and an unpleasant bite at the back end. No real finish. Purchased from clearance sale at Calvert-Woodley, and I have concerns about how it was stored. Over the hill.
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5/24/2009 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 96 Points
1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne (Frankrijk, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie) Kleur: Diep donkerrood, ietsje oranje. Aroma / bouquet: Expressief en prachtig gecompliceerd: Aanzet van jammig rood fruit, vooral bramen en cassis. Zoet-kruidig, mooi geïntegreerd cederhout, ook wat zoethout en zachte drop. Tertiaire tonen, stallerig / koffieboontjes bittere chocola. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige maar chique aanzet, zachte zuren, boordevol krachtige maar perfect rijpe tannines, klein beetje drogend door een prettig bittertje. Veel materie. Zachte maar krachtige afdronk met een indrukwekkende lengte en een mooie rijpheid. Algemeen / potentieel: Fabeltastisch mooi glas van 'de meester van de Rhône', nu perfect op dronk maar voldoende rijpingspotentieel voor nog een jaartje of 10-15. Maar ja… wie brengt het geduld op. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 96/100
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1/26/2009 - davergny wrote: 95 Points
(Peter Pratt's Luncheon) Decanted for about 2 hours. This had just a little more going for it than the 2000 and was more open. Some meatiness, lively fruit. Lovely wine that unfortunately followed some amazing Chateauneuf wines and couldn't match their richness.
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12/8/2008 - Jozefs wrote: 93 Points
Tasting @ Folliez. Still quite young.
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11/17/2008 - winefool wrote:
After the scores and reviews I saw on this, I was a bit disappointed. This bottle showed no signs of a flaw, and the wine showed definite Londonne character (it was tasted among six different Ladonne bottlings) but it seemed a bit heavy handed and one dimensional. Both the 90 and the 96 showed much better, IMHO.
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8/31/2008 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Not so many notes. With beautiful wines like this they should be extensive, but enjoying the wine takes over. Typical northern Rhone spiciness. Elegant and complex. Ripe juice. Mature but with enough power. Delicious!
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6/14/2007 - Not Levine wrote:
June 14th Rhone Celebration with Jonathon Dinh (Waterfront Seafood Grilll): seemed a bit more advanced than the 96, but very smooth. I think I may have been a bit drunk at this point. A great shame I don’t have it written better as this may be the best N. Rhone flight I will even has the pleasure of drinking.
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4/14/2007 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 98 Points
There is no doubt that Guigal is in the upper echelon of the world's best wine makers. In a year like 1997, to make a wine this good, is astounding.
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5/12/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Coffee, black fruit, pepper and earthy notes were easily findable. Very concentrated with a finish lasting over 40 seconds, this intense, round, rip, rich wine has a lot to offer.
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2/14/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
The most accessible young La Landonne of the night. Elegant and sophisticated as well as complex.
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2/14/2005 - Eric wrote:
La La's with Leve in La La Land (Los Angeles, CA): Green and leafy but with a nice core. I wrote a 90 in my book.
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11/7/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: flawed
Corked. Judgement deferred..
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6/7/2002 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Weiner: MOre spice than “la Mouline”; sweetish smell; darker veggies; heavier t’s.
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