Much better bottle than last year... nutty, marzipan, dried honeysuckle, good acidity and exquisite balance. Drinking beautifully now (this bottle) and I think can improve but delivering lots of pleasure already.
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Past its prime but still delivering pleasure... nutty, marzipan, dried apricot, and long, honeyed lip smacking flavour. I don't see it improving much with time, and my bottles were cellared well. Drink up!
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Amazingly youthful for its age. Cold cellared since release. Nice, nutty finish. No sense of oxidation. Great complexity. Properly cellared, it should last. Lingering finish.
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A mature nose of sherry, earth and nuts; there was almost a hint of this being corked, but not quite. The palate was much better... bright, lifted and full of candied fruit, marzipan, honey and nuts. An interesting wine.
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Medium gold color; reluctant nose of apricot, lanolin and white flowers; a touch of oxidation, soft textured mouthfeel but fairly firm acidity comes rushing in at the end. Surprisingly dry and lacking real complexity. But good+
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Similar to my last bottle, but perhaps showing a bit more age to it. Waxy, with citrus, vanilla and cream. I would prefer a bit more purity, but this was enjoyable nonetheless.
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Mature but still showing freshness. Dried peaches and cream, with honey, vanilla and uplifting citrus notes. A rounded palate (but with balanced acidity) gives away the oak treatment, but this is in no way has oaky flavors. Much better than the 1997 version, which showed a bit more tired and oxidized. This has aged well.
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I loved it. Esther thought it "too old and Madeirized" Tremendous character. The nuttiness that comes with age. Rich and almost creamy. On the edge of sweet. Lots of tree fruit.
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Best of the lot all sourced from Sothebys NY auction and unfortunately my last bottle. Subdued honey and wax notes at first, this wine came on strong after 30 minutes in the glass. Lovely minerality and surprising freshness to balance the Chenin Blanc honey and toffee notes. Very long finish. This wine could go another 5 years. What a treat to drink.
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Gorgeous honey, apricot and lanolin nose. Bone dry on palate with some sherry aspects. Stylistically difficult to get one's head around that contrast. But it stays with you. Good condition.
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Has that unique aroma of an aged Loire chenin -- can only be from one place on this planet. The wine seemed awfully mellow and round, though -- malo? Don't know this bottling well, but I'd like more verve and bite, even at this age. Somehow, martyrs that we are, we managed to choke it down...
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A lite golden color. Floral aromas of lychee nuts, lemon, a very slight touch of orange. A dry, mature-like chenin blanc. In the mouth, flavors of honey and average fruit concentration. A smooth finish of medium duration. Pairs nicely with baked boned pork chops. I think its moving toward the later part of its drinking plateau. The wine was more fruit driven when I last tasted it in April 2010. Later: after a while the wine seemed to open up more; fragrance of the nose became more intense and a little longer finish with the food. Rating changed from 89 to 90.
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Consumed as part of a larger Baumard tasting (multiple Trie Speciale, Clos Papillon, Clos Ste Catherine and Quarts de Chaume vintages).
This bottle suffered by comparison to the dry savennieres bottles that were "on". Nose of boiled wool, hay, palate of honeydew, quince, minerals, slightly disjointed... nowhere near as fantastic as my prior bottles of the 1995 Trie.
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Drop-dead gorgeous golden color. Fascinating, almost indescribable bouquet that includes a few familiar touchstones, such as wool and--is it tea? Nothing I would describe as fruity or floral. But most of the aromas I sense exist in wine only. Still, something about what I smell leads me to expect sweetness in the mouth and it's absolutely not there. This is completely dry. I could never do justice to the flavors: there may be touches of melon, quinine, golden raisin, but they're dwarfed by characteristics unique to this wine. Good acidity; alcohol seems in balance. Plenty to contemplate here.
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When I first opened this I thought it was dead and oxidized. Now that it has been able to breath for 4 hours it is starting to come to life. It still has a slightly oxidized hint to it, but the fruit and funky chenin flavors are showing themselves. I am not sure what to pair this with but it is an interesting wine to drink.
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Incredible nose of honey, gets you to anticipate a sweet wine. The palate then astounds with bone dry lanolin, dried honey, lemon, acidity, and minerals, minerals, minerals. Balance impeccable. We all wondered how many years this wine could continue to mature and improve-- consensus was 20+ years.
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Lovely match for the white aspragus course. Pale gold color, nose initially shy, but opened with air to aromas of honey and minerals. Palate is nicely balanced between acid and fruit. Shows some development, but has a long life still left. Medium finish, carried by the subtle acids.
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Golden color with hugely floral nose somewhere between an Alsace riesling and gewurztraminer. Full bodied with perfect Loire flavors of honeysuckle and minerals. Fully mature though not at all over-the-hill. Still fine the second night (vacu-vined). Much better at cellar temp rather than straight out of the 'fridge. I really enjoyed this!
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Polygamists Dinner at Michael's (Winnetka, IL): Gold in color with an aromatic flinty mineral and floral nose. Medium bodied, oily palate is elegant and balanced. White fruits and copious amounts of honey on the finish.
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Stange but good. This had a floral nose like a reisling or dry vionger. The palate was completely different. I'm at a loss of words in how to describe it, completely different than anything else I've had but that was the great thing about it. Sort of cat pee mixed with burned electrical wire, but in a good way. I kept sipping more trying to define it. Did I like it? I'm not sure. Did I love the wine experience? You bet. In the words of Dana Carvey doing Johhny Carson - "Weird, wild stuff".
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Unreal German, Alsacian and Loire wines with Thai lunch... (Bellevue, WA, USA): On the nose this showed honey, honey, and more honey. The palate couldn't have been more different though as it was bone dry. On its own I think I really could have appreciated this, but as a transition from so many sweet German wines this was really tough.
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Medium yellow. Sweet sugar cane nose with some elements of toast. Big wine in the mouth. Thick, rich, buttery and milky in texture. Notes of custard, minerals and spice. Very long, dusty, chalky finish. Chewy texture with nervy acidity. Lots of stuff going on in this wine. I have little experience with Savinnieres, but this seems to have the balance of fruit and acids to allow aging. Unusual, but very enjoyable. A wonderful alternative to Chardonnay. Excellent wine.
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4/1/2022 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nearly identical to my note of Christmas Day 2017.
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6/1/2020 - jmht wrote: 91 Points
Much better bottle than last year... nutty, marzipan, dried honeysuckle, good acidity and exquisite balance. Drinking beautifully now (this bottle) and I think can improve but delivering lots of pleasure already.
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2/18/2019 - jmht wrote: 90 Points
Past its prime but still delivering pleasure... nutty, marzipan, dried apricot, and long, honeyed lip smacking flavour. I don't see it improving much with time, and my bottles were cellared well. Drink up!
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9/2/2018 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amazingly youthful for its age. Cold cellared since release. Nice, nutty finish. No sense of oxidation. Great complexity. Properly cellared, it should last. Lingering finish.
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6/9/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Hezi's 65th Birthday Celebration (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Nutty with apricot and marzipan, just reasonably mature and time to drink up.
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2/10/2018 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
A mature nose of sherry, earth and nuts; there was almost a hint of this being corked, but not quite. The palate was much better... bright, lifted and full of candied fruit, marzipan, honey and nuts. An interesting wine.
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1/9/2018 - akim_hobo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pale honey. Nutty, with bread, cooked peach and citrus rind. Just enough acidity to keep the palate lively and interesting. Med finish.
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12/25/2017 - jmoore431 wrote: 90 Points
Medium gold color; reluctant nose of apricot, lanolin and white flowers; a touch of oxidation, soft textured mouthfeel but fairly firm acidity comes rushing in at the end. Surprisingly dry and lacking real complexity. But good+
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11/4/2017 - grapist wrote: 94 Points
Love the taste of mature Chenin Blanc. Some don't. Nutty, Honied and rich with some smoke and earthiness.
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10/6/2017 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Similar to my last bottle, but perhaps showing a bit more age to it. Waxy, with citrus, vanilla and cream. I would prefer a bit more purity, but this was enjoyable nonetheless.
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9/7/2017 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Mature but still showing freshness. Dried peaches and cream, with honey, vanilla and uplifting citrus notes. A rounded palate (but with balanced acidity) gives away the oak treatment, but this is in no way has oaky flavors. Much better than the 1997 version, which showed a bit more tired and oxidized. This has aged well.
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12/2/2016 - grapist wrote:
I loved it. Esther thought it "too old and Madeirized" Tremendous character. The nuttiness that comes with age. Rich and almost creamy. On the edge of sweet. Lots of tree fruit.
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10/31/2015 - grapist Likes this wine: 93 Points
Unexpectedly fresh and youthful. Actually missing some of the character I expected. That said, there was plenty of flavor richness and depth.
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12/28/2014 - grapist wrote: 95 Points
Fresh as a daisy. Nose of honey and white flowers. Tasting of lots of honey without it being sweet. Waxy smooth and still complex.
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4/25/2014 - ob2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best of the lot all sourced from Sothebys NY auction and unfortunately my last bottle. Subdued honey and wax notes at first, this wine came on strong after 30 minutes in the glass. Lovely minerality and surprising freshness to balance the Chenin Blanc honey and toffee notes. Very long finish. This wine could go another 5 years. What a treat to drink.
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10/3/2013 - ob2 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Gorgeous honey, apricot and lanolin nose. Bone dry on palate with some sherry aspects. Stylistically difficult to get one's head around that contrast. But it stays with you. Good condition.
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7/12/2013 - ctbob wrote:
Has that unique aroma of an aged Loire chenin -- can only be from one place on this planet. The wine seemed awfully mellow and round, though -- malo? Don't know this bottling well, but I'd like more verve and bite, even at this age. Somehow, martyrs that we are, we managed to choke it down...
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11/24/2012 - lesz Likes this wine: 92 Points
I liked a lot,my wife not as much. Still time to go.
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4/5/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 90 Points
A lite golden color. Floral aromas of lychee nuts, lemon, a very slight touch of orange. A dry, mature-like chenin blanc. In the mouth, flavors of honey and average fruit concentration. A smooth finish of medium duration. Pairs nicely with baked boned pork chops. I think its moving toward the later part of its drinking plateau. The wine was more fruit driven when I last tasted it in April 2010. Later: after a while the wine seemed to open up more; fragrance of the nose became more intense and a little longer finish with the food. Rating changed from 89 to 90.
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8/1/2011 - jmht wrote: 89 Points
Consumed as part of a larger Baumard tasting (multiple Trie Speciale, Clos Papillon, Clos Ste Catherine and Quarts de Chaume vintages).
This bottle suffered by comparison to the dry savennieres bottles that were "on". Nose of boiled wool, hay, palate of honeydew, quince, minerals, slightly disjointed... nowhere near as fantastic as my prior bottles of the 1995 Trie.
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3/22/2011 - slanum wrote:
Drop-dead gorgeous golden color. Fascinating, almost indescribable bouquet that includes a few familiar touchstones, such as wool and--is it tea? Nothing I would describe as fruity or floral. But most of the aromas I sense exist in wine only. Still, something about what I smell leads me to expect sweetness in the mouth and it's absolutely not there. This is completely dry. I could never do justice to the flavors: there may be touches of melon, quinine, golden raisin, but they're dwarfed by characteristics unique to this wine. Good acidity; alcohol seems in balance. Plenty to contemplate here.
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11/4/2010 - CerveloGuy wrote:
When I first opened this I thought it was dead and oxidized. Now that it has been able to breath for 4 hours it is starting to come to life. It still has a slightly oxidized hint to it, but the fruit and funky chenin flavors are showing themselves. I am not sure what to pair this with but it is an interesting wine to drink.
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10/6/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Light and mature, I can't think of matching food beside light cheese.
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10/28/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 88 Points
Les Degustateurs (Vie Restaurant Western Springs, IL): Darker color, almost amber, a favorite of the flight for many, not me. Off smell, like the beginning of oxidation.
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7/27/2008 - cfe wrote:
similar to prior bottle. lovely, mature, but long life ahead. honeyed, marzipan, minerals. Matched with cauliflower soup (cold), outstanding.
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5/25/2008 - jmht wrote: 93 Points
Incredible nose of honey, gets you to anticipate a sweet wine. The palate then astounds with bone dry lanolin, dried honey, lemon, acidity, and minerals, minerals, minerals. Balance impeccable. We all wondered how many years this wine could continue to mature and improve-- consensus was 20+ years.
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5/5/2008 - cfe wrote:
Lovely match for the white aspragus course. Pale gold color, nose initially shy, but opened with air to aromas of honey and minerals. Palate is nicely balanced between acid and fruit. Shows some development, but has a long life still left. Medium finish, carried by the subtle acids.
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4/28/2008 - stoneb wrote: 92 Points
Golden color with hugely floral nose somewhere between an Alsace riesling and gewurztraminer. Full bodied with perfect Loire flavors of honeysuckle and minerals. Fully mature though not at all over-the-hill. Still fine the second night (vacu-vined). Much better at cellar temp rather than straight out of the 'fridge. I really enjoyed this!
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8/8/2006 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Polygamists Dinner at Michael's (Winnetka, IL): Gold in color with an aromatic flinty mineral and floral nose. Medium bodied, oily palate is elegant and balanced. White fruits and copious amounts of honey on the finish.
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8/12/2005 - jaybdavis wrote:
Stange but good. This had a floral nose like a reisling or dry vionger. The palate was completely different. I'm at a loss of words in how to describe it, completely different than anything else I've had but that was the great thing about it. Sort of cat pee mixed with burned electrical wire, but in a good way. I kept sipping more trying to define it. Did I like it? I'm not sure. Did I love the wine experience? You bet. In the words of Dana Carvey doing Johhny Carson - "Weird, wild stuff".
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8/9/2003 - Eric wrote: 84 Points
Unreal German, Alsacian and Loire wines with Thai lunch... (Bellevue, WA, USA): On the nose this showed honey, honey, and more honey. The palate couldn't have been more different though as it was bone dry. On its own I think I really could have appreciated this, but as a transition from so many sweet German wines this was really tough.
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6/21/1998 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
Medium yellow. Sweet sugar cane nose with some elements of toast. Big wine in the mouth. Thick, rich, buttery and milky in texture. Notes of custard, minerals and spice. Very long, dusty, chalky finish. Chewy texture with nervy acidity. Lots of stuff going on in this wine. I have little experience with Savinnieres, but this seems to have the balance of fruit and acids to allow aging. Unusual, but very enjoyable. A wonderful alternative to Chardonnay. Excellent wine.
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