Gorgeous wine and not too old. Big oily rich palate. Nuts, candied peel and raisons feature on the palate. Long and complex. Gorgeous now don't leave any longer.
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Abbot Street Delights (Abbot Street, Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): Very developed and tropical nose, with pronounced butterscotch notes, and classic white floral aromas. The palate is very rich, shows a hint of oxidation, and has fabulous concentration - a palate that shows its structure through the opulent personality especially near the end of the finish, which tightens as it lingers. Classic Hermitage in a quite ripe style. Absolutely mature, but likely hit its peak 3-5 years ago.
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New Year's Eve, 2019 Pokai Parera (Pokai Parera, Ekatahuna, New Zealand): Rich, soft, and certainly oxidative. Paired with a lobster ravioli in a yuzu-butter sauce, this was a first-rate match. On its own (and served a little too warm), it lacks a slight amount of focus. Unlike the extraordinary Le Meal 2000, this wine feels ready, or even slightly past its peak. If served cooler, I believe the focus of the wine would have improved. Warm honeysuckle notes, walnuts, and green herbs mingle in a classic (older school) Hermitage style. The wine is unlikely to improve.
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A wine in fantastic shape and clearly well looked after since release. Opens up to a lovely butter and melon feel with a glorious silky smooth mouthful. It’s a heady and powerful wine that dances around its weight pretty well and the 14.5 % is a little apparent or I’d be pushing a higher score. A stunning Rhône blanc that must be up there as one of the best. It’s got many many years left but I fear the remaining bottles won’t last too long.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #288: Complete surprise which appeared to be Rhone. (@ JdB): I know de l'Orée can age beautifully and then this bottle is a great disappointment. In the bouquet caramel, raisins, currants, coffee and oxidized flavors. Same on the palate. The acidity and sweetness are still ok, but this should perform much better. The wine was bought at an auction.
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nose - lemon rind, whisky. jasmin. unique nose mouth - dense and full, anise, creamy lemon, digest-type herbal flavors. complex, long and strong. also oily in texture but not out of control
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wow this is impressive. great presence, open. Just early in the evolution, no oxidation, but spectrum of aromas. Very long. Perfect with the lobster bisque.
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Should decant. Just gets better and better. Huge burnt sugar, honey, nuts. Golden and sweet, full body, apricot, dried fruit. Large scale, very long. Well balanced but still young/ middle age. Better with years.
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They wine is truly a sense of perfection. It is only going to get better. It has an amazing nose of Honeysuckle, Licorice, and minerals. It tastes boost a Lemon Meringue with fresh flowers. It's extremely intense, pure and wonderfully textured. I sense this wine will live effortlessly for another 20yrs and only get better. Love this wine and can't wait to enjoy more!
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1500 Parker Points of Wines (GHT): This was a very interesting wine. White Rhones are different, but this seems like a good time to open this. The nose is complex with marzipan, honey and wax. Tom F. thought it slightly oxidized, but I am not sensitive to that. Others had no issue. On the palate, this I very dry, complex and quite elegant. Tom W noted a light resemblance to aged Riesling which I agreed with. It seemed like more than most wines, this showed differently for everyone at the table. Sadly, the food was a delicious cabbage salad but with fresh Jalapenos which while delicious, dominated the wine.
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Popped & poured, this really blossomed after an hour or so in the glass. Lemon, almond, butterscotch and, wax and mineral aromas. Rich but not heavy and well-balanced, the palate features lemon verbena, butterscotch and lemon curd flavors. Stone and mineral elements on the long finish. Beautiful now but has plenty of life ahead. 94-95 pts for both Domino and I.
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Opened by Allred. Opened and poured at Salt of the Earth in Fennville, MI. Carmel aromas on the nose. Touch of alcohol with notes of lemon curd, vanilla and a fine minerality. We'll balanced. Better than the 1991 but just a step behind the 1992 that I had 2 years ago. 94 points.
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Gorgeous nose of pie crust, caramel and apple. Medium bodied, but very powerful with nice mature flavors. Baked apple, caramel, very light sherry notes, good minerality and a powerful acidity. Superb. I think this will be good for a solid 5-10 years and I do not believe it has peaked.
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Taste: Full bodied with lower acidity. The feel has a richness to it with nutty tones, tropical citrus notes, lemon curds, oranges, marzipan, and some almond paste on the back end. Even though the acidity was lower, this was far from flabby.
Overall: This was a real pleasure to drink. It showed perfect maturity and there were no oxidative tones.
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2000 Chapoutier L'Oree - Layers upon layers of tropical fruit, lemon citrus, and wonderful anise ( my favorite herbaceous flavor profile in a white). I also got marzipan that seemed to be attached to the weight of the wine, giving tremendous depth. The finish was long and satisfying. Hedonistic.
I think I may have been the only one at the table to prefer the 2000 over the 1998. I found it slightly more open and inviting. From other hermitage blancs (of lesser pedigree) I've had in the past, these both held the characteristic Hermitage profile (as these wines probably wrote the book on classic Hermitage !) I really enjoy the Marsanne variatel profile. I find Marsanne to have a waxiness/paraffin/pastey texture/flavor that I just love (from reading others tasting notes - maybe other tasters describe this as oily?). I did not pick up on any oxidation in either of the wines. Both are easily classics IMHO.
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If you are a fan of white Rhonies this will make you very happy. Fantastic extraction and superb balance. Rich but not oily with layers upon layers of structure and a long finish. Garden herbs and roasted nuts and a long finish. Went great with a Cauliflower, leak & potato cream soup but kept us entertained long after the dish. A great wine for geeks and those looking for a walk on the wild side. This ain't no Cougar Chardonnay. :o)
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This jumped from the glass with a mélange of tropical fruit, citrus, minerals, wet stone. On The palate surprisingly light and smooth with chalk, citrus. Still low in acidity, but this has developed spectacularly well. Really really good.
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Liquid rock, honeycomb, flowers, heavy and bright in the mouth with a palpable oily texture. Glacial freshness, pollen, smoky grapefruit pith. What a bizarre wine! So much richness and complexity yet so little fruit, I have a hard time deciphering this but it was gorgeous with lobster and saffron cream.
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Exotic melon, beeswax and orange peel. A bit of bitterness from all that extract, but this is super rich and long. Awesome juice. It is unusual so I can see how not everyone will like it, but I do.
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This is really an extraordinary wine. The nose is honey and apricot. Really exotic, weird, wild stuff. It seems to be alive!! This was from a magnum stored at 55 degrees since purchase in 2006. I've been dying to try it, but was careful to wait as long as I could based on Parker's review. It's bordering on a dessert wine in terms of sweetness, but doesn't have the viscosity of a dessert wine. Dry finish. I really love this one!! It will continue to age well, but doesn't seem to be closed down any longer.
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Wine Flock does Great Whites (My House): Dark aromas of coffee bean, vanilla, and forest floor, ripe fruit scent. Carmel. Very dry on palate, quite different on palate vs nose. A touch bitter on finish and fruit is in background. Somewhat high pitched on palate. Rich mouthfeel with an oily viscous feel. Good acidity lends backbone. Seems old world, but from where? What varietal? Long on finish, more of a food wine. 89 Complex and long, yet Not a lot of fruit showing today.
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bottle seemed to be very closed, shut down. after 2-3 hours in decanter we coaxed a bit of honey and white fruits. oh well, back to visit this in 2017....strange though as a 99 l'ermite next to it drank well and was expressive
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This wine was consumed with lobster risotto at Tapenade restaurant in La Jolla, CA. The bottle was kindly provided by Ken Johnson. Medium gold in color, the nose shows moderately intense aromas of butterscotch, honeysuckle, minerals and damp earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, an oily mouth texture and slightly hot alcohol. The flavors are in line with the nose and the middle palate is solid. The medium-length finish ends with a whiff of heat. Drink now-12/15.
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Gorgeous aromatics of honeysuckle, orange blossom and custard apple. So rich and exotic in the mouth without being heavy. There are spicy oak notes and a lovely bed of minerality upon which the tropical fruits frolic. Has the feel of a wine of supreme youth and cries out for more cellar time.
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Quick follow up post a Chapoutier Masterclass, given by the man himshelf. He confirmed the notiona that most of the white hermitage (and his especially) seem to close down around year 7 and open again in yr 15 or so. Keep this in mind and good luck.
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Dinner Eric Mao Chris and gang – Also a great wine this evening, a beauty. Showing more development than the last bottle I had less than a year ago. A wonderful food pairing as well – halibut roasted in sage with butter sautéed morels. Dark gold in color. Next to a ’97 Beaucastel Blanc this showed more youthfully of course, but still had plenty of wonderful development. And the wines side by side were remarkably similar. Gorgeous spicy crystallized caramel, candied ginger, coconut and a touch of lime. Almost reminded me of a high-quality exotic sake with that spicy coconut tropical fruit jellybean note. Ahhh, the glories of white Rhone!
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This wine is a mystery for both of us. Parker says that this wine is great young and then goes to sleep for 20years. in 2003 he rated this 100! Last night all five of us found this undrikable. Not only that but it also deteriorated massively as time went by.. We both struggle to see how this would age into greatness.. Maybe WS@84 is more accurate, maybe we luck the experience and patience to get it...
A friend tried a 95 2 months ago and loved it then with the same guy we tried another 95 1 month ago and the experience was as above. I dont think its a bottle issue.
This wine is a gamble and for us it didnt pay off. Good luck to you.
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LdC 4th Annual Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Medium yellow color. Rich nose of floral perfume with a hint of sweet - great complexity. More restrained tight spicy yellow fruit with a prickly perfume note on the finish.
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Paired with homemade pasta with white truffle from Alba, w/ Rob and Cyn -- wonderful dreamy creamy white Hermitage. As others here say, slightly closed at first but with some air and warming in the glass all the classic elements emerged--white truffle, honey, chamomile, mint, hazelnut, toasted pinenuts. A spectacular match for a simple pasta with white truffles, the definition of food and wine combo--everything in balance, nothing overwhelming. Golden in color, a wonderful sweet honeyed apricot + white truffle on the nose. The only reason I don't rate it even higher is that it wasn't quite as mesmerizing as I remembered other Chapoutier single vineyard whites (like a '97 Meal Blanc), and was a bit lighter and less complex on the palate than I would have liked. Gorgeous for sure, but not quite above that 95 point threshold where you want to just sit and smell the glass all evening. Still a stunner, and something I would never turn away from an empty glass. All class, elegant silk.
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Not nearly as good as a bottle we had two weeks ago, the nose on this was strangely subdued. There was a strange note that I couldn't identify, but it was almost off-putting. I was worried about the wine, but in the mouth it was fine, although again, not nearly as expressive as the aforementioned previous bottle. There were strong floral notes combined with lots of minerals, and a hint of white pepper. I really enjoy these wines, and even though this wasn't the best bottle, it was still pretty nice.
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A Mix: Infanticide for Science and Some Mature Beauties (85 Krug, 82 Lafleur, 5 others): Beautiful deep gold and evident viscosity. Despite a good decanting (several hours?), the nose was very closed at first. I got a good workout swirling this try to get it to open up. Finally, it does open up to show a rich, deep, and almost undefinable nose that passes through stages of Armagnac, fresia, ginger spice, and tropical and stone fruit. This wine is quite a workout for the arm. Swirl vigorously and it opens to show something new. Let it rest a second and it closes back up. Swirl again and there’s something else to enjoy. Let it sit and it closes up again. Palate is relatively more closed than the nose, showing mostly a rich and clingy fruit-sweet texture that never quite gets spirity. Dominant note other than fruit is white pepper on the otherwise mostly textural finish. This has all of one foot and most of the other over the “shut down hard” line. Give it a decade or more. Not sure it’s equal to the Parker review at this point in time, but there’s no question it will have a lot to offer when it comes out of hibernation. I’d love to try it then.
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12/03 (NYE): Huge disappointment. Idiosyncratic an understatement. No nose, and to me, little flavor. No fruit, acid or tannin. Did have the famous "waxy" texture. We'll hope was closed down and will emerge in a decade...
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12/28/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous wine and not too old. Big oily rich palate. Nuts, candied peel and raisons feature on the palate. Long and complex. Gorgeous now don't leave any longer.
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6/6/2021 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Abbot Street Delights (Abbot Street, Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): Very developed and tropical nose, with pronounced butterscotch notes, and classic white floral aromas. The palate is very rich, shows a hint of oxidation, and has fabulous concentration - a palate that shows its structure through the opulent personality especially near the end of the finish, which tightens as it lingers. Classic Hermitage in a quite ripe style. Absolutely mature, but likely hit its peak 3-5 years ago.
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5/30/2021 - cnichelson Likes this wine: 100 Points
Honey. Lemon zest. Incredible texture. Viscous and clean finish. Amazing.
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12/31/2018 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
New Year's Eve, 2019 Pokai Parera (Pokai Parera, Ekatahuna, New Zealand): Rich, soft, and certainly oxidative. Paired with a lobster ravioli in a yuzu-butter sauce, this was a first-rate match. On its own (and served a little too warm), it lacks a slight amount of focus. Unlike the extraordinary Le Meal 2000, this wine feels ready, or even slightly past its peak. If served cooler, I believe the focus of the wine would have improved. Warm honeysuckle notes, walnuts, and green herbs mingle in a classic (older school) Hermitage style. The wine is unlikely to improve.
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11/2/2018 - Mbad77 Likes this wine: 96 Points
A wine in fantastic shape and clearly well looked after since release. Opens up to a lovely butter and melon feel with a glorious silky smooth mouthful. It’s a heady and powerful wine that dances around its weight pretty well and the 14.5 % is a little apparent or I’d be pushing a higher score.
A stunning Rhône blanc that must be up there as one of the best.
It’s got many many years left but I fear the remaining bottles won’t last too long.
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5/28/2018 - Zweder wrote:
Weekly tasting group RWP #288: Complete surprise which appeared to be Rhone. (@ JdB): I know de l'Orée can age beautifully and then this bottle is a great disappointment. In the bouquet caramel, raisins, currants, coffee and oxidized flavors. Same on the palate. The acidity and sweetness are still ok, but this should perform much better. The wine was bought at an auction.
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4/15/2018 - BPidgeon wrote: flawed
Oxidation
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12/28/2017 - styrofoamboots wrote: flawed
Corked :(
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9/9/2016 - soyhead wrote:
nose - lemon rind, whisky. jasmin. unique nose
mouth - dense and full, anise, creamy lemon, digest-type herbal flavors. complex, long and strong. also oily in texture but not out of control
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3/20/2016 - steinersing wrote: 97 Points
wow this is impressive. great presence, open. Just early in the evolution, no oxidation, but spectrum of aromas. Very long. Perfect with the lobster bisque.
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1/8/2016 - The Guzz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Should decant. Just gets better and better. Huge burnt sugar, honey, nuts. Golden and sweet, full body, apricot, dried fruit. Large scale, very long. Well balanced but still young/ middle age. Better with years.
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11/26/2015 - ehodin wrote: flawed
Oxidized
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11/26/2015 - ehodin wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/20/2015 - tinybubbles Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Harsh, high alcohol, with fruit notes that are intense and artificial in overall impression.
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7/11/2015 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 97 Points
They wine is truly a sense of perfection. It is only going to get better. It has an amazing nose of Honeysuckle, Licorice, and minerals. It tastes boost a Lemon Meringue with fresh flowers. It's extremely intense, pure and wonderfully textured. I sense this wine will live effortlessly for another 20yrs and only get better. Love this wine and can't wait to enjoy more!
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6/28/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 98 Points
1500 Parker Points of Wines (GHT): This was a very interesting wine. White Rhones are different, but this seems like a good time to open this. The nose is complex with marzipan, honey and wax. Tom F. thought it slightly oxidized, but I am not sensitive to that. Others had no issue. On the palate, this I very dry, complex and quite elegant. Tom W noted a light resemblance to aged Riesling which I agreed with. It seemed like more than most wines, this showed differently for everyone at the table. Sadly, the food was a delicious cabbage salad but with fresh Jalapenos which while delicious, dominated the wine.
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3/2/2015 - fatfishzsy wrote: 94 Points
（帕克100分，适饮期2003-2053，RVF16分）这是一瓶伟大的酒，幸好我还有一瓶可以等待十数年乃至数十年后尝试。l'Oree年产量也在500箱上下，这种重口味的酒刚一入口，伴随着甘草、金银花、黄油、白胡椒的香气，恰如帕克指出，会有一股氧化的味道，令某些饮家皱眉。然则，我们经过了细腻的醒酒，入杯两小时后，酒体逐渐变化，矿物质口感、油润感伴随着强大的口感，慢慢滑向顶级Montrachet的方向！看来，注重生态平衡的本庄，给酒注入了无限的自然之力，仿若在海面冲浪，晴空万里，远处亦可见海浪滔滔，一波接一波涌向身旁，无帆的颠簸，仰望蓝天，仿若看到了天空与海洋的彼岸！
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8/15/2014 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Popped & poured, this really blossomed after an hour or so in the glass. Lemon, almond, butterscotch and, wax and mineral aromas. Rich but not heavy and well-balanced, the palate features lemon verbena, butterscotch and lemon curd flavors. Stone and mineral elements on the long finish. Beautiful now but has plenty of life ahead. 94-95 pts for both Domino and I.
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8/15/2014 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Allred. Opened and poured at Salt of the Earth in Fennville, MI. Carmel aromas on the nose. Touch of alcohol with notes of lemon curd, vanilla and a fine minerality. We'll balanced. Better than the 1991 but just a step behind the 1992 that I had 2 years ago. 94 points.
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8/9/2014 - ericindc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gorgeous nose of pie crust, caramel and apple. Medium bodied, but very powerful with nice mature flavors. Baked apple, caramel, very light sherry notes, good minerality and a powerful acidity. Superb. I think this will be good for a solid 5-10 years and I do not believe it has peaked.
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7/10/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
A fond farewell for Izzy and Rachel (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is deep and layered with nutty tones, marzipan, hot oils, lemon curds, and oranges. There is a larger quality to the nose with there also being good intensity to the tones as well.
Taste: Full bodied with lower acidity. The feel has a richness to it with nutty tones, tropical citrus notes, lemon curds, oranges, marzipan, and some almond paste on the back end. Even though the acidity was lower, this was far from flabby.
Overall: This was a real pleasure to drink. It showed perfect maturity and there were no oxidative tones.
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7/10/2014 - tooch wrote: 83 Points
Goodbye to Izzy & Rachel (and Meyer!) (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): I've always had trouble with Hermitage Blancs. This was super dense and a bit sticky and had a bit too much banana and ripe mango/peach for my tastes. Wish it had more acidity.
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5/29/2013 - pilot360 wrote:
2000 Chapoutier L'Oree - Layers upon layers of tropical fruit, lemon citrus, and wonderful anise ( my favorite herbaceous flavor profile in a white).
I also got marzipan that seemed to be attached to the weight of the wine, giving tremendous depth. The finish was long and satisfying. Hedonistic.
I think I may have been the only one at the table to prefer the 2000 over the 1998. I found it slightly more open and inviting. From other hermitage blancs (of lesser pedigree) I've had in the past, these both held the characteristic Hermitage profile (as these wines probably wrote the book on classic Hermitage !) I really enjoy the Marsanne variatel profile. I find Marsanne to have a waxiness/paraffin/pastey texture/flavor that I just love (from reading others tasting notes - maybe other tasters describe this as oily?). I did not pick up on any oxidation in either of the wines. Both are easily classics IMHO.
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1/5/2013 - bon vivant wrote:
If you are a fan of white Rhonies this will make you very happy. Fantastic extraction and superb balance. Rich but not oily with layers upon layers of structure and a long finish. Garden herbs and roasted nuts and a long finish. Went great with a Cauliflower, leak & potato cream soup but kept us entertained long after the dish. A great wine for geeks and those looking for a walk on the wild side. This ain't no Cougar Chardonnay. :o)
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12/4/2012 - mwanasheria Likes this wine: 96 Points
This jumped from the glass with a mélange of tropical fruit, citrus, minerals, wet stone. On The palate surprisingly light and smooth with chalk, citrus. Still low in acidity, but this has developed spectacularly well. Really really good.
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5/19/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 94 Points
Liquid rock, honeycomb, flowers, heavy and bright in the mouth with a palpable oily texture. Glacial freshness, pollen, smoky grapefruit pith. What a bizarre wine! So much richness and complexity yet so little fruit, I have a hard time deciphering this but it was gorgeous with lobster and saffron cream.
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5/3/2012 - robmatic wrote: 95 Points
Exotic melon, beeswax and orange peel. A bit of bitterness from all that extract, but this is super rich and long. Awesome juice. It is unusual so I can see how not everyone will like it, but I do.
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2/25/2012 - Invinoverytas wrote: 96 Points
This is really an extraordinary wine. The nose is honey and apricot. Really exotic, weird, wild stuff. It seems to be alive!! This was from a magnum stored at 55 degrees since purchase in 2006. I've been dying to try it, but was careful to wait as long as I could based on Parker's review. It's bordering on a dessert wine in terms of sweetness, but doesn't have the viscosity of a dessert wine. Dry finish. I really love this one!! It will continue to age well, but doesn't seem to be closed down any longer.
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9/2/2011 - KenK wrote: 89 Points
Wine Flock does Great Whites (My House): Dark aromas of coffee bean, vanilla, and forest floor, ripe fruit scent. Carmel. Very dry on palate, quite different on palate vs nose. A touch bitter on finish and fruit is in background. Somewhat high pitched on palate. Rich mouthfeel with an oily viscous feel. Good acidity lends backbone. Seems old world, but from where? What varietal? Long on finish, more of a food wine. 89 Complex and long, yet Not a lot of fruit showing today.
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5/31/2011 - reichken wrote: 90 Points
bottle seemed to be very closed, shut down. after 2-3 hours in decanter we coaxed a bit of honey and white fruits. oh well, back to visit this in 2017....strange though as a 99 l'ermite next to it drank well and was expressive
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1/14/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 87 Points
This wine was consumed with lobster risotto at Tapenade restaurant in La Jolla, CA. The bottle was kindly provided by Ken Johnson. Medium gold in color, the nose shows moderately intense aromas of butterscotch, honeysuckle, minerals and damp earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, an oily mouth texture and slightly hot alcohol. The flavors are in line with the nose and the middle palate is solid. The medium-length finish ends with a whiff of heat. Drink now-12/15.
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10/30/2010 - thirstyman wrote:
golden honey, stone fruits and a hint of tropical fruit. Finish that lasts for years. Beautiful wine.... Will be buying more.
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12/13/2009 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Gorgeous aromatics of honeysuckle, orange blossom and custard apple. So rich and exotic in the mouth without being heavy. There are spicy oak notes and a lovely bed of minerality upon which the tropical fruits frolic. Has the feel of a wine of supreme youth and cries out for more cellar time.
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11/21/2009 - Papies wrote:
Quick follow up post a Chapoutier Masterclass, given by the man himshelf. He confirmed the notiona that most of the white hermitage (and his especially) seem to close down around year 7 and open again in yr 15 or so. Keep this in mind and good luck.
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10/19/2009 - danstrings wrote: 94 Points
Dinner Eric Mao Chris and gang – Also a great wine this evening, a beauty. Showing more development than the last bottle I had less than a year ago. A wonderful food pairing as well – halibut roasted in sage with butter sautéed morels. Dark gold in color. Next to a ’97 Beaucastel Blanc this showed more youthfully of course, but still had plenty of wonderful development. And the wines side by side were remarkably similar. Gorgeous spicy crystallized caramel, candied ginger, coconut and a touch of lime. Almost reminded me of a high-quality exotic sake with that spicy coconut tropical fruit jellybean note. Ahhh, the glories of white Rhone!
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9/28/2009 - Papies wrote:
This wine is a mystery for both of us. Parker says that this wine is great young and then goes to sleep for 20years. in 2003 he rated this 100! Last night all five of us found this undrikable. Not only that but it also deteriorated massively as time went by.. We both struggle to see how this would age into greatness.. Maybe WS@84 is more accurate, maybe we luck the experience and patience to get it...
A friend tried a 95 2 months ago and loved it then with the same guy we tried another 95 1 month ago and the experience was as above. I dont think its a bottle issue.
This wine is a gamble and for us it didnt pay off. Good luck to you.
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6/25/2009 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
very light yellow color. waxy nose. a mouthful of white peaches/stone fruits. wine seems a bit warm, medium long.
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1/9/2009 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Fourth Annual White Truffle Dinner (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Floral start with sweet peach aromas. Subdued (shut down?) peach and pear on palate with background spice hints and some heat on finish.
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1/9/2009 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
LdC 4th Annual Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Medium yellow color. Rich nose of floral perfume with a hint of sweet - great complexity. More restrained tight spicy yellow fruit with a prickly perfume note on the finish.
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11/27/2008 - danstrings wrote: 94 Points
Paired with homemade pasta with white truffle from Alba, w/ Rob and Cyn -- wonderful dreamy creamy white Hermitage. As others here say, slightly closed at first but with some air and warming in the glass all the classic elements emerged--white truffle, honey, chamomile, mint, hazelnut, toasted pinenuts. A spectacular match for a simple pasta with white truffles, the definition of food and wine combo--everything in balance, nothing overwhelming. Golden in color, a wonderful sweet honeyed apricot + white truffle on the nose. The only reason I don't rate it even higher is that it wasn't quite as mesmerizing as I remembered other Chapoutier single vineyard whites (like a '97 Meal Blanc), and was a bit lighter and less complex on the palate than I would have liked. Gorgeous for sure, but not quite above that 95 point threshold where you want to just sit and smell the glass all evening. Still a stunner, and something I would never turn away from an empty glass. All class, elegant silk.
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5/7/2006 - jclary wrote: 94 Points
Not nearly as good as a bottle we had two weeks ago, the nose on this was strangely subdued. There was a strange note that I couldn't identify, but it was almost off-putting. I was worried about the wine, but in the mouth it was fine, although again, not nearly as expressive as the aforementioned previous bottle. There were strong floral notes combined with lots of minerals, and a hint of white pepper. I really enjoy these wines, and even though this wasn't the best bottle, it was still pretty nice.
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12/9/2005 - jrufusj wrote:
A Mix: Infanticide for Science and Some Mature Beauties (85 Krug, 82 Lafleur, 5 others): Beautiful deep gold and evident viscosity. Despite a good decanting (several hours?), the nose was very closed at first. I got a good workout swirling this try to get it to open up. Finally, it does open up to show a rich, deep, and almost undefinable nose that passes through stages of Armagnac, fresia, ginger spice, and tropical and stone fruit. This wine is quite a workout for the arm. Swirl vigorously and it opens to show something new. Let it rest a second and it closes back up. Swirl again and there’s something else to enjoy. Let it sit and it closes up again. Palate is relatively more closed than the nose, showing mostly a rich and clingy fruit-sweet texture that never quite gets spirity. Dominant note other than fruit is white pepper on the otherwise mostly textural finish. This has all of one foot and most of the other over the “shut down hard” line. Give it a decade or more. Not sure it’s equal to the Parker review at this point in time, but there’s no question it will have a lot to offer when it comes out of hibernation. I’d love to try it then.
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9/10/2005 - amred wrote: 85 Points
12/03 (NYE): Huge disappointment. Idiosyncratic an understatement. No nose, and to me, little flavor. No fruit, acid or tannin. Did have the famous "waxy" texture. We'll hope was closed down and will emerge in a decade...
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