Piemonte: Back to the truffling!; 11/24/2022-12/3/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): I love everything this producer does especially with some time and this wine was no different. It’s bright and fresh and herbal and while perhaps Fonsalette isn’t quite the precision that you find in the older brother Rayas the family ties are quite clear. In the line-up I found myself going back to this and the barolo more often (versus the burgundy).
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(Tasted next to a 2001 Rayas) Again, Fonsalette is bringing the thunder. A big, aromatic nose--but more savory, showing more Syrah character. The palate echoed, showing fruit on the darker end of the spectrum. But showing really well.
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Lovely earthy aromas of forest floor and mushrooms. Very pretty wine but really needed a few hours in decanter before this started blossoming. Last sip was the best sip. I would give this a full 3hours minimum of decant next time, or just open the bottle in the morning and slow-ox. This is in a very good place right now with air, but definitely not rush to drink up.
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What a wonderful mouthful of unique excellence! At its peak drinking point, this wine shows modestly auburn edges surrounding a medium red,deep forest core. Mixtures of youthful and well-aged red fruits dominate the nose, with a palate that immediately plays on the tongue in at least 4 distinct tones. An overriding sense of focused sweet cherry, dark forest brambles, moist oak, moist earth and a scene of medieval forest elegance. Not Rayas, of course, but on its own a true pleasure.
Second tasting after Coravin (3/28): Still magnificent, though less fruit roundness and a tiny bit fewer foresty notes.
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Excellent bottle, what a pleasure! Velvet texture with strawberry and blackcurrant flavours. Long finnish, a masterpiece. Too bad this was my only bottle and now the price has become crazy!
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SLDS April 2019: Leather and earth - menthol and barnyard that comes out more with air - some florals behind the meaty notes. Savoury and meaty on the palate as well. Plenty of character but I'd worry about the barnyard taking over in some bottles.
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Served blind. It shows much aged notes of leather, fur, tobacco leaves, forest floor. It also has lots of brett. The fruit is starting to fade with some raspberry, strawberry but not fresh ones. I think it might be an early 90s Cdp.
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Massively barnyard nose, which never really blew off. Underneath, the tart raspberry and kirsch notes evidenced good typicity, though the wine was a bit austere and probably should be consumed sooner than later. All in all, I could not get past the brett.
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Beautifully concise with spice and sage notes. The merest touch of funk in the best sense--garrique--but not bretty as others report. (Purchased mine out of an underground cellar in Burgundy and self-imported.)
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Mea culpa. My miss. At first this night I picked the 2000 over the 2001 even though I had just had a Chapoutier L'Ermite comparison of the same vintages. I reasoned northern rhone vs. southern and yet I should have conceded that it was the north where 2000 really shown and the south where 2001 had its heydey. This was lovely. Bright and fresh and great acidity and yet still a gravitas to the wine. Not really sure where CT window of 2014 is coming from. It was def well aged, but this wine wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Very well done.
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Full frontal barnyard with loads of brett and smoke. Good acid, and the traditional "dirty" flavour of northern Rhone.
It worked excellent outside on a chilly Norwegian summer night with hickory smoked ribeye. But when taking the bottle inside after dinner without food it was a bit of an overload.
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Very Bretty, but if you can get past that, this was actually a pretty pleasant wine. Sweat, earth and animale funk were the first notes I got on the nose, before those lifted slightly to show more fragrant notes of ripe berries and cherries garlanded with sweet garrigue and spice. The palate lacked some of the weight and lushness one would expect of a straight Rayas of equivalent age, coming on a touch on the lean side, with a layer of red fruit and minty garrigue playing alongside another whiff of bretty funk. What I really liked though was the characteristic elegance, clarity and grace of the house, with the wine showing an impeccable fresh balance beautiful silky tannins easing into a longish, spice-filled finish. Enjoyable, especially with a yummy veal chop, but high-time to drink these up I think.
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En bouche, des tannins souples et un équilibre exceptionnel. Fabuleuse précision et la pureté du fruit que l'on retrouve avec les grands vins. Un grand merci à Neecies pour cette bouteille insolite, rare aux USA.
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Nez floral et de fraises j'étais en Bourgogne au nez mais à la première gorgée, j'ai vu un vin de Reynaud. C'est aérien et frais, épicé, je pensais à un Rayas 1999. Délicieux. 91-92 pts
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Color: Nose: earth n barnyard with tinge of red cherries, nose too musky for my taste, same nose as the last bottle, smelly socks Palate: medium bodied, good balance of fruits and tannins, fully mature, if you have bottles of these drink up, 89
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36 heures après l'avoir ouvert avec bouchon dessus, comme le proposait Yves. Superbe nez sur les petits fruits, avec quelques notes d'évolution. Le style du domaine, en fraîcheur mais avec une certaine gourmandise. Aucune fatigué, il me semble sur son plateau.
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Blind tasting. Decanted three hours. Dark hue, very mature, under 2000's supposed. Nose complex and noble, with syrah predominant details, i thought : leather, tobacco, sap, black ink, ash, smoked ham. An old world style. Mouth fresh, shy old fruits, mostly tertiary notes prevail. Nice tannins. Mid bodied, very interesting, but some discret angle are not compensated with fat. A very good wine, either to old or to decanted. Some people would say it is elegant, I think it is a beginning of tiredness.
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Color: medium red Nose: very funky, has a distinct barnyard smell, pleasant, a good nose, we have tried the 08 & 05 fonsalette but by far this is the most funky Palate: short finish, has a bite tannin wise, nose better than palate, a good wine but not great, doesnt seem to have everything in balance, perhaps still needs cellaring.
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Bouteille épaulée 3h Couleur rouge clair, nez discret sur les fruits rouges, bouche comportant des arômes de fraise, de groseille et un petit coté résineux. Tanins fondus. Un bon vin
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Ruby color, very clear, clean and transparent, nose was a bit of brett, not bad brett, earth and a good amount of fruit for 2001 cotes du rhone; annis, pepper, red current. Palate was same as nose with good tannin structure; this is a wine geeks wine for someone who loves burgundy funk crossed with rhone funk squared for a hefty price. This wine almost needs its own AOC, sitting in Cotes Du Rhone; it is a fabulous wine. (@ Casanova Carmel)
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Ouverte la veille. Robe plus sombre, bouche souple emprunte d’une belle salinité. Nez moins expressif que Rayas ou Pignan, bouche moins claire et léger manque de longueur. Le vin est gourmand mais ne joue pas dans la même cour… Le lendemain, sans ces partenaires lui faisant de l’ombre, le vin semble tout de même plus en place et laisse exploser un côté lard fumé, et truffe, impressionnant. Foncièrement meilleur donc, avec 2 jours d’ouverture… 90
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good, but in the nick of time - the fruit had almost left the bottle but fantastic terroir, which was almost Rayas-like - wow. very nice still, but wouldnt keep much longer
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Decanted half an hour ahead. Brownish-crimson color; clearly aging, it seems. Lovely nose of cherry, dirt, leather, and other, more subtle aromas. Smooth texture, with cherry and leather on the palate. Elegant.
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(Ofer Ronen hosts the renewed wine-group, 10 wine-buddies) a strong classic aroma together with a good & tasty wine. Nevertheless it was obvious that this wine needs further aging of 3-5 years to reach its peak. The Aroma was evident in glass for a long period of time, and the wine was chewy and full bodied. It could be enjoyed for hours.
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Aromas of red plums, raw meat and white pepper. Very ripe fruit in the mouth with good depth and length. If not for having a slightly roasted character I would have scored this wine higher.
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Really enjoyed this from start to finish. But I think this wine’s forte is its finish— goes down nicely with fruit and a hint of pleasant sourness, and then fills the palette with warm, light fruit. The aromas rise upwards and linger. Fascinating. Liked by a diverse group of tastes. Went gorgeously with salmon that had hickory smoked salt as part of the glaze.
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4. Southern Rhone tasting. Fermented raspberries and horse's ass on the nose. Nice acidity with medium++ alcohol. Cherry, raspberry with a lovely peppery note on the finish. This one could take a little age. It'd be interesting to taste again in 2-5 years.
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11/26/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Piemonte: Back to the truffling!; 11/24/2022-12/3/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): I love everything this producer does especially with some time and this wine was no different. It’s bright and fresh and herbal and while perhaps Fonsalette isn’t quite the precision that you find in the older brother Rayas the family ties are quite clear. In the line-up I found myself going back to this and the barolo more often (versus the burgundy).
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10/10/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:
(Tasted next to a 2001 Rayas) Again, Fonsalette is bringing the thunder. A big, aromatic nose--but more savory, showing more Syrah character. The palate echoed, showing fruit on the darker end of the spectrum. But showing really well.
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8/7/2021 - jonanator wrote: 94 Points
Lovely earthy aromas of forest floor and mushrooms. Very pretty wine but really needed a few hours in decanter before this started blossoming. Last sip was the best sip. I would give this a full 3hours minimum of decant next time, or just open the bottle in the morning and slow-ox. This is in a very good place right now with air, but definitely not rush to drink up.
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2/14/2021 - Sotto325 wrote: 95 Points
What a wonderful mouthful of unique excellence! At its peak drinking point, this wine shows modestly auburn edges surrounding a medium red,deep forest core. Mixtures of youthful and well-aged red fruits dominate the nose, with a palate that immediately plays on the tongue in at least 4 distinct tones. An overriding sense of focused sweet cherry, dark forest brambles, moist oak, moist earth and a scene of medieval forest elegance. Not Rayas, of course, but on its own a true pleasure.
Second tasting after Coravin (3/28): Still magnificent, though less fruit roundness and a tiny bit fewer foresty notes.
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3/31/2020 - Pinder Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent bottle, what a pleasure! Velvet texture with strawberry and blackcurrant flavours. Long finnish, a masterpiece. Too bad this was my only bottle and now the price has become crazy!
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4/10/2019 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
SLDS April 2019: Leather and earth - menthol and barnyard that comes out more with air - some florals behind the meaty notes. Savoury and meaty on the palate as well. Plenty of character but I'd worry about the barnyard taking over in some bottles.
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3/3/2018 - cool53 wrote: 90 Points
Served blind. It shows much aged notes of leather, fur, tobacco leaves, forest floor. It also has lots of brett. The fruit is starting to fade with some raspberry, strawberry but not fresh ones. I think it might be an early 90s Cdp.
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9/25/2017 - JonnyG wrote: 90 Points
Massively barnyard nose, which never really blew off. Underneath, the tart raspberry and kirsch notes evidenced good typicity, though the wine was a bit austere and probably should be consumed sooner than later. All in all, I could not get past the brett.
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8/19/2017 - jorivesud Likes this wine:
Pas de note, superbe. Vin de la soirée, sevri avec cote de veau. Autre vins en presence, Fonsalette 1995 et Roulier 11/12.
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8/2/2017 - Neecies wrote:
Beautifully concise with spice and sage notes. The merest touch of funk in the best sense--garrique--but not bretty as others report. (Purchased mine out of an underground cellar in Burgundy and self-imported.)
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8/1/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Mea culpa. My miss. At first this night I picked the 2000 over the 2001 even though I had just had a Chapoutier L'Ermite comparison of the same vintages. I reasoned northern rhone vs. southern and yet I should have conceded that it was the north where 2000 really shown and the south where 2001 had its heydey. This was lovely. Bright and fresh and great acidity and yet still a gravitas to the wine. Not really sure where CT window of 2014 is coming from. It was def well aged, but this wine wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Very well done.
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6/27/2017 - InVinjeVeritas wrote: 90 Points
Full frontal barnyard with loads of brett and smoke. Good acid, and the traditional "dirty" flavour of northern Rhone.
It worked excellent outside on a chilly Norwegian summer night with hickory smoked ribeye. But when taking the bottle inside after dinner without food it was a bit of an overload.
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3/29/2017 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Very Bretty, but if you can get past that, this was actually a pretty pleasant wine. Sweat, earth and animale funk were the first notes I got on the nose, before those lifted slightly to show more fragrant notes of ripe berries and cherries garlanded with sweet garrigue and spice. The palate lacked some of the weight and lushness one would expect of a straight Rayas of equivalent age, coming on a touch on the lean side, with a layer of red fruit and minty garrigue playing alongside another whiff of bretty funk. What I really liked though was the characteristic elegance, clarity and grace of the house, with the wine showing an impeccable fresh balance beautiful silky tannins easing into a longish, spice-filled finish. Enjoyable, especially with a yummy veal chop, but high-time to drink these up I think.
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1/17/2017 - Chaz Bham wrote:
En bouche, des tannins souples et un équilibre exceptionnel.
Fabuleuse précision et la pureté du fruit que l'on retrouve avec les grands vins.
Un grand merci à Neecies pour cette bouteille insolite, rare aux USA.
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12/16/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez floral et de fraises j'étais en Bourgogne au nez mais à la première gorgée, j'ai vu un vin de Reynaud. C'est aérien et frais, épicé, je pensais à un Rayas 1999. Délicieux. 91-92 pts
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8/19/2015 - Claret & CdP Gang wrote: 89 Points
Color:
Nose: earth n barnyard with tinge of red cherries, nose too musky for my taste, same nose as the last bottle, smelly socks
Palate: medium bodied, good balance of fruits and tannins, fully mature, if you have bottles of these drink up,
89
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3/1/2015 - dave17d Likes this wine: 99 Points
Vraiment un superbe vin. Chance exceptionnel d'avoir pu en déguster
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2/21/2015 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
36 heures après l'avoir ouvert avec bouchon dessus, comme le proposait Yves. Superbe nez sur les petits fruits, avec quelques notes d'évolution. Le style du domaine, en fraîcheur mais avec une certaine gourmandise. Aucune fatigué, il me semble sur son plateau.
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3/16/2014 - AudunG wrote: 87 Points
Red berries and herb aromas. Expressive, sappy and open. Fresh and seductive. A lovely wine, which must be at the peak now.
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1/18/2014 - dead puddle Likes this wine: 87 Points
Blind tasting. Decanted three hours. Dark hue, very mature, under 2000's supposed. Nose complex and noble, with syrah predominant details, i thought : leather, tobacco, sap, black ink, ash, smoked ham. An old world style. Mouth fresh, shy old fruits, mostly tertiary notes prevail. Nice tannins. Mid bodied, very interesting, but some discret angle are not compensated with fat. A very good wine, either to old or to decanted. Some people would say it is elegant, I think it is a beginning of tiredness.
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9/18/2013 - Claret & CdP Gang wrote: 88 Points
Color: medium red
Nose: very funky, has a distinct barnyard smell, pleasant, a good nose, we have tried the 08 & 05 fonsalette but by far this is the most funky
Palate: short finish, has a bite tannin wise, nose better than palate, a good wine but not great, doesnt seem to have everything in balance, perhaps still needs cellaring.
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3/2/2013 - mdonovan wrote: 91 Points
Bouteille épaulée 3h
Couleur rouge clair, nez discret sur les fruits rouges, bouche comportant des arômes de fraise, de groseille et un petit coté résineux. Tanins fondus. Un bon vin
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12/28/2012 - Dutchreport wrote: 92 Points
Ruby color, very clear, clean and transparent, nose was a bit of brett, not bad brett, earth and a good amount of fruit for 2001 cotes du rhone; annis, pepper, red current. Palate was same as nose with good tannin structure; this is a wine geeks wine for someone who loves burgundy funk crossed with rhone funk squared for a hefty price. This wine almost needs its own AOC, sitting in Cotes Du Rhone; it is a fabulous wine. (@ Casanova Carmel)
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10/1/2012 - abistodenas wrote: 90 Points
Ouverte la veille.
Robe plus sombre, bouche souple emprunte d’une belle salinité. Nez moins expressif que Rayas ou Pignan, bouche moins claire et léger manque de longueur. Le vin est gourmand mais ne joue pas dans la même cour… Le lendemain, sans ces partenaires lui faisant de l’ombre, le vin semble tout de même plus en place et laisse exploser un côté lard fumé, et truffe, impressionnant. Foncièrement meilleur donc, avec 2 jours d’ouverture…
90
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9/11/2012 - PhDP wrote:
Emmanuel Reynaud, Fonsalette & cie (groupe du mardi, chez Jérémie Leroy): tbc
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2/4/2012 - kmorch wrote: 91 Points
good, but in the nick of time - the fruit had almost left the bottle but fantastic terroir, which was almost Rayas-like - wow. very nice still, but wouldnt keep much longer
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9/15/2011 - mappleton Likes this wine:
Tight on night 1 and still seeming quite young. Lots of barnyard throughout. Day two more fruit coming through.
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5/28/2011 - M.Batard wrote: 91 Points
Decanted half an hour ahead. Brownish-crimson color; clearly aging, it seems. Lovely nose of cherry, dirt, leather, and other, more subtle aromas. Smooth texture, with cherry and leather on the palate. Elegant.
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9/11/2010 - 5laton wrote:
Interesting aromatically but a bit stewy/roasted; basically, it’s grenache. Not surprisingly, others enjoyed this more.
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9/11/2010 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Slaton's 40th Pizza Making & Wine Bash (Ryan's pad, San Francisco, California): Big, tart berry, spice, plum, oak nose; tasty, tart berry, black fruit, spice palate; medium finish
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11/30/2009 - Yagil wrote: 90 Points
(Ofer Ronen hosts the renewed wine-group, 10 wine-buddies) a strong classic aroma together with a good & tasty wine. Nevertheless it was obvious that this wine needs further aging of 3-5 years to reach its peak. The Aroma was evident in glass for a long period of time, and the wine was chewy and full bodied. It could be enjoyed for hours.
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10/3/2008 - jamesdoeser wrote: 72 Points
disappointing given price. tasted quiet heavy.
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9/1/2008 - hsacks wrote: 90 Points
Aromas of red plums, raw meat and white pepper. Very ripe fruit in the mouth with good depth and length. If not for having a slightly roasted character I would have scored this wine higher.
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8/28/2008 - hotlawguy wrote:
it was excellent, yo, meaty
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3/23/2008 - mmager wrote:
WineKatz - Easter Tasting (Michael & Mary's Place - Seattle, WA): tbd
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9/2/2007 - mmager wrote:
WineKatz - Labor Day tasting (West Seattle, WA): Labor Day tasting - Main Flight wine
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3/25/2006 - Haj wrote: 90 Points
Really enjoyed this from start to finish. But I think this wine’s forte is its finish— goes down nicely with fruit and a hint of pleasant sourness, and then fills the palette with warm, light fruit. The aromas rise upwards and linger. Fascinating. Liked by a diverse group of tastes. Went gorgeously with salmon that had hickory smoked salt as part of the glaze.
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3/10/2006 - wolffire wrote:
4. Southern Rhone tasting. Fermented raspberries and horse's ass on the nose. Nice acidity with medium++ alcohol. Cherry, raspberry with a lovely peppery note on the finish. This one could take a little age. It'd be interesting to taste again in 2-5 years.
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