Tasted over 1.5 hrs, from 375 mL -med dark red no bricking -heady fig spicy fruitcake warm kirsch plum -med- acidity, big thick unctuous almost syrupy molasses fig plum faint hints of maturity and long burnt caramel somewhat warm finish with med- tannins -wow, there is a lot there and even in this format still has some years ahead of it, this is one of the few '07 CdPs in my opinion that has lived up to its hype in that it isn't ridiculously hot roasted or grossly imbalanced, while I still prefer cooler vintage old school CdP this is an '07 I can enjoy; really has evolved positively since the last time tasted 7 years ago
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Nope, not for me. Alcohol is obtrusive and makes the wine feel thin and hollow on the palate despite plenty of sweet (over)ripe red fruit. Amazing to read the diversity of notes below, I suspect it’s palate rather than bottle variation. The best thing I can say about this wine is that it smelled nice.
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I recently had 2 bottles. The first was good (minor fruit & slightly fading) but the second was great (huge black fruit flavors with smoky BBQ and spices). So I averaged to my score of 93. Cost $52 per bottle. Overall value is excellent.
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Enjoyed on a camp out with friends while eating venison bourguignon. Amazing value and drinking youthfully 15 years in. There is a purity and freshness to this wine that makes it almost Burgundian at the cooler temperature at which we were drinking it. Fortunately I have many more bottles to enjoy over the years to come.
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Dark berries, sweet licorice, garrigue in the bouquet and on the palate. Good and fresh acidity and a great length. This was a pristine bottle which was still great on day 2.
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Yummy and more youthful than expected, rather fruity even. Almost a cherry nose on top of the normal Grenache white pepper and herbs, etc. medium finish. Nice w steak. Feels at its peak now but doesn’t seem like a rush to drink.
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Excellent mature Grenache with big fruit, nice herbs, some prune and tar and some spice and beautiful nose and medium finish. At a good plateau but probably not getting better.
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Glorious texture, mouth coating glycerine like feel, huge dark fruit, smooth as silk and long long finish of sweet dark fruit!!!! So sad we have no more 🙁
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Bright raspberry and dark cherry flavors, dried herbs and black licorice aromas. Alas, it dies after the initial wave of simple fruit. Not complex at all. It seems more suitable as an aperitif than a wine to pair with food.
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I enjoyed this bottle at The Oven East with the somm, Chad, along with my favorite Indian dinner of malai kofta and soup. I did not decant the bottle and although part of me wishes I had, it was ultimately not necessary. The bottle, initially somewhat tight and reticent, did open over an hour and reveal its potential. It was very interesting, and in my view enjoyable, to experience the evolution, and gave me what I believe to be some insight into the wine's aging potential.
Dark nose, hint of garrigue and raspberry, emerging dark cherry. Chad detected a slight hint of cocoa. The primary notes were mushroom, herbs, earth. Very savory, balanced, fully integrated and mature. Great nose throughout, enough acid, will keep a few more years before decline.
This is the best sub $50 bottle I have ever had.
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Garnet coloured, rather pale. Pleasant, mature, medium intensity nose of mature dried fruit. Dry with a slight alcohol sweetness, medium(+) acidity, medium velvet tannins, medium body. Mature, still a lot of fruit. Raisins woven into complexity. Medium length with a bit sweetness and some heat in the finish. 14,5%, but well surrounded by fruit. Typical C9P with a lasting impression of complexity and elegance. Holds well day two.
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Amazing what time can do for a wine. Last bottle was four years ago, and its was hot, pruney, and overblown. This bottle? Fresh red Grenache fruit. No heat or alcohol notes to be found. Even seemed a little thin on the first glass, but it opened up and rounded out.
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From magnum. Still pretty big and somewhat sweet with lots of herbs and tar. Just beginning to get some secondary characteristics. Good finish. Probably stays at this plateau for another 3-5+ years but unclear how much better it gets. Great value.
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This is on the more flamboyant side of Chateauneuf du Pape, with almost Port-like sweetness. Some savory notes, too, but not as much as I would like. The acidity helps. It didn't work with steak for dinner, so I tried it later with some Stilton cheese, which was a better pairing. Kind of like a Port lite. Drink now.
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Special wine. A lot of sweetness, sweet licorice, celery and soy. Very ripe dark berries. Beside that also good acidity. The second day the wine had hardly changed. Still the same tertiary impressions and still pleasant acidity. In fact I finished the bottle. Nevertheless no score.
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Still youthful fruit with fine tannins, unctuous raspberry notes with good dose of black licorice, pepper, red currants. Floral nose with raspberry, blackberry and herbal notes, particularly rosemary.
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Opened alongside a to-go cassoulet from one of our fav restaurants in the area. Rich purple coloring, consistent with a previous bottle more fruit than funk here. Rich palate and holding well. Have been concerned about '07s but this did well. My wife doesn't love CdP but she liked this more fruit forward profile. One more, will plan to enjoy in next year or two.
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Drink by 2020 in my cellar; 3/1/2020-7/8/2020: Too old. Decanted for a couple of hours, but this has gotten more port-like and more stewed-fruity in the couple of years since my last bottle (which, in reviewing that note, I see that I should have closed this wine out two years ago; my bad). We switched to a 2007 Pegau Reserve C9P, which is another story.
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At home with my Dijon Chicken Burgers...looking for something with some spice/backbone to go along with them. I took BillyT's advice and decanted for 90 minutes, drank over 2
Dark purple/ruby color, no visible signs of age. Nose of red berry, cherry candy, fig, balsamic, underbrush. Rich and spicy palate of cherry, raspberry, mineral, baking spice, fruitcake, dried flowers. Full bodied, long and layered finish.
Really spectacular on this showing, probably what was envisioned for the 07 vintage when it was first rated. I think I paid $45 for these around release. For their entry level wine, this turned out great. Decant made a big difference, tight and less expressive when first opened...prior bottles were rated 90 and 92...this has gotten better with age...will go for a while if wanting to hold but worth a try now if you have a few
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Last bottle from a 6-pack bought on release. Fruitcake, figs, and garrigue. A big, extracted wine from the ripe vintage, but still maintains some freshness and character. Probably best to drink up but would be interesting to see where this goes.
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Beau nez complexe, viandé, figue, dattes, cerise au marasquin. Toute cette belle complexité est détruite en bouche par une chaleur alcoolique beaucoup trop forte. Du coup, fort court. Ne s'améliorera pas, à boire.
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Last of 6 bottles. Was good for the first hour and then it started to fall apart.
Medium red color. Fig, baked cherry, cinnamon & cherry cola on nose. On palate, similar flavor profile with ripe fruit and glycerin - medium+ body, medium acidity and tannins not noticeable. Given my prior notes on this I enjoyed this more than expected. 90+/- Drink up. Note to self- no more large purchases of CDPs in warm vintages unless drinking in the first 7-8 years post vintage.
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Delicious aged CdP. My next to last bottle of a case drank with braised pork shoulder. Dark fruits,, cassis, herbs, licorice, earth. Very concentrated with good balance.
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Just tasted three 07 CDP I had in the cellar. This one is tasting really good, best of the three. Nice balance and flavor. Interesting that this was the least expensive of the three. Not going to get any better, but has a bit of life left.
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Since trying it in 2014 it has moved on. The alcohol that I found a trifle noticeable then is a bit more noticeable now, but the flavours have matured and are very pleasing. It needs air. Lots of it. On the night we didn't feel like finishing it (it was unfairly alongside some beautiful 2014 Vosne), but next day it made a very satisfying breakfast (I'm trying to give up coffee and it was a more than acceptable substitute). Leave a few years and give it air! On balance, very interesting wine and enjoyable. A definite keeper.
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19th of 24 bottles. Really drinking well. Love the kirsch and garrigue on this. Lavender too. Very long finish. Glad I have 5 more. No rush to drink these if they have been well stored.
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Quel vin puissant, encore jeune, café et cacao avec aussi un côté clairement Grenache. C’est bon même à mon palais Bourguignon mais pas au point de me convertir
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I found this bottle undrinkable, which is to say it didn't sit well with me. It had all the qualities you might expect from an overripe 2007 CdP that has had 17 years sideways. Its very tertiary, but those notes are what I couldn't stomach. I can understand how this is an exciting wine for some or perhaps many. I wish I could have gotten past the unsavories, but that allergic gag response.
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Clear. Medium garnet in color. Clean nose. Notes of dark fruits, black pepper, black olives, herbs du provence, lavender, leather, wet wool, wet stones. It is developing. On the palate it is dry with an enormous amount of fruit at the core that shows ripeness but no overdevelopment. Tannin is medium, acidity is medium plus, alcohol is medium+ but well integrated, body is full. It is of pronounced intensity with flavors of black berry compote, bramble and sweet black cherries. It is a bit jammy but there are no raisinated flavors. Some spiciness is perceived. Forest floor, some cedar and resinous notes as well. Oak is fairly neutral as there are no toast or smokey notes. There are also some savory, salty sea breeze notes. The texture is silky and the finish is of medium+ length. It can be drank now but has potential for aging. The quality level is very good.
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Final bottle of this. Great value. Still dark but the color looks more senior citizen than young buck. Garrigue and dried dark fruit on the nose. Still drinking very well since my last bottle a year ago. Plenty of life in this so no need to worry if you like your wine aged. Going to attack a rib eye in an hour with this by my side. Should be stellar. Good stuff. :)
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This wine is all about fun and mature, sweet fruit (and a serious dose of alcohol). The color is still a deep crimson with lavish fruit and spice on the nose. There is a little rustic earthiness in the background but hard to discern with all fruit power surrounding it. There is maturity on the palate and the vibrancy on the back end just keeps it from being too much (just barely). Full throttle for sure. A crowd pleaser. Not something I would choose to drink often but on occasion why not? I’d say drink this if you have it. (90)
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This wine is delicious. It has many tertiary characteristics that are expressing themselves right now. We detected the soy that others discussed, but it is pleasant and not dominant. Leather, tobacco and red fruits on the nose, mouth, and finish. We filtered it and it threw a small amount of sediment. Decanted for approximately 30 minutes, which was perfect. It does have lovely notes of lavender and other herbs as well. If your bottle is well stored (ours was) you can get a couple more years out of it. If not, drink it sooner.
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Towards the end of my case of this great QPR CdP. PnP. Delicious dark fruits, licorice and some spiciness. Very balanced with plenty of acidity. Drink or hold. I have been enjoying this wine for 10 years and I can't recall a single bottle that disappointed.
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PNP in a hotel room, at least we had good glasses. It did not take long to open in that glass. More savory notes than fruit = my expectations. Garrigue, leather, soy, balsamic, kelp and some earth sitting on the dark cherry liqueur. On plateau, now-2020.
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Oooh! Still quite some heat, and tasted big and sweet! Would have been nice with some stew or a big steak, but we opened this at the tail end of dinner, sadly
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In the bouquet coffee, chocolate, celery, soy and impressions of couching syrup. On the palate the same. Good acidity and a lot of sweetness. There are still some very ripe dark berries, but the tertiary impressions are dominating. Still a pleasure, but probably wise to drink up.
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A: Dark garnet with sediment N: Pronounced nose. SMOKED MEAT, black pepper, rosemary and garrigue, cooked strawberry compote, blueberry, leather, plum, dried rose petals, liquorice candy, earth, wet leaves. P: Dry, high acid, high tannin (ripe), high alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity and long finish. C: The nature of the fruit is getting on for dried and the other tertiaries are on the rise. Drink now. BLIC? This has ticks in all categories and so Outstanding Quality. I didn't know that I liked CDPs till I had this one. Perhaps I just like older ones. Glad that I got the telltale cooked strawberries that Steph said was a marker for CDPs.
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Good, not great, but plenty of ripe cherry syrup fruit, fat, cough syrupy in a good way, classic bigger CdP with very silky glycerin mouth, touch of herbs, not much, good age on this now, potent. Did not check alc. level. Enjoyable and a good precurser to the '77 Port. With turkey and mashed potatoes, MDKN. Mayb 91, was actually quite good.
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PnP. Fantastic nose of Provençal herbs. In a really good place. Balanced. Lots of balsam, herbs, garrigue, melded with the cherry fruits. Rather refined and harmonious.
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PNP, drank over two nights. Savory red fruit and earthy aromatics. Savory red fruit flavors with pepper, herb, and cocoa notes. Texture is a tad thin, but the wine has held up well.
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This bottle is showing some maturity with the fruit slightly subdued. Plummy, harmonious. Still has plenty of Provençal herbs, garrigue and fennel. Tannins and acids are softening. Fairly long finish. 9 bottles left.
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Enjoyed with grilled steak with gremolata, garden potatoes and greek style salad. Beautiful nose of herbs, flowers and dark fruit. Excellent balance of tannins, fruits, mineral and chocolate and floral notes. It had enough acidity to cut through the richness of the meal without detracting from the other flavors. Medium finish. Improved the longer it was open.
A little surprised that others didn't rate it more highly, but everyone has their own preferences.
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Rich spicy wine, very much blackberry/black cherry to my palate with definite notes of leather and "sous-bois". Full in the mouth with a long finish. Seems to be in a good point in its development, with no hints of decline. Nice acid/soft tannin balance. Delicious.
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dark purple color with fresh earthy notes on the nose but not overpowering. subtle spices and leather with mild tannins paired well with smoked baby back ribs.
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Maybe the bottle was a little warm when first opened, but boy was it spicy! That seemed to blow off after a while, leaving silky tannins, a little mint(?) and plum / plum skins on the palate.
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Dark, typical purple. Dark berries, hint of licorice, and some herbs on the nose. Big fruit on the palate with some nice tannins and a bit of acidity too. Can go longer, but very nice now.
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Slow O’d for an hour. As before: sweet and fruit forward, somewhat rustic, but seemed far more advanced than 18 months ago. Almost port-like, but not stewed or pruned. A nice bottle—last night’s pairing was pot roast and mashed potatoes, which worked well—but I would say drink up within a year or so, as I don’t see this improving.
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(Old note - tasting date not accurate) Many ups and downs; Blunted when opened but opened up nicely after decanting about 20 minutes; Had another dumb phase after about an hour but then delivered its most interesting expression with a soft attack followed by a very complex thing at the back of the throat and a finish that last ages; Port-like qualifies
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Delicious! Lovely nose of garrigue and Provençal herbs. This is a big wine with a lot going on. Love the complexity on this. Long finish. No rush to drink these as they will hold a long time.
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Ruby garnet and slightly amber rim with medium plus to high optical density, very high reflectivity. Very intense nose, with aromatics that soar out of the glass. Volatile compounds, strawberry, forest brush, and savory herbs swirl around one another. Very powerful but delicate at the same time, with some floral character to the aromas. Full, rich palate, with high body and medium acidity. Very dry and fully resolved tannins provide for a plush, hedonistic texture. The flavours of strawberry and slightly stewed fruits (plum and dark berries) are intense on the attack. Rich and fruity midpalate, with some support from herbs and smokey spices. The heat does come on in the final transition to a medium plus length and intense finish of black licorice and spicy grilled fruits. There is a lot going on here, with really nice complexity and intensity. Not over the top by any means, but a nice big wine. Perhaps the alcohol is just a bit out of balance, but all-in-all, it somehow works, providing for a delicious and easy to drink wine that is powerful even so.
This is a good value-driven and complex wine. Probably very near peak at the moment, it is ready to drink now, and would go very well with grilled hamburgers or savory meat dishes. Very nice wine here!
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The bottle last night was really excellent. This wine continues to develop and improve. The fruit has become more elegant as more secondary nuances emerge. I think I drank most of my case too soon.
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PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs -nearly opaque dark red no bricking -alcoholic burnt red fruit with an underlying mineral streak -med- acidity, med/med+ weight, caramel prunes sweet dark red fruit, lot of heat on long-ish finish -thick sweet hot, needs several more years to come around (if it ever will)
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Ruby garnet with very high optical density, high reflectivity, and an amber-tinged rim. Strong nose, with ripe plums, bramble, and herb-littered dark stewed fruits. Very rich and full-bodied on the palate with a hedonistic texture that carries a lot of density and concentration. Medium minus acidity and soft back-end tannins that melt the coating on the palate toward the finish. Flavours of good depth and intensity, showing plums and dark concentrated blueberry and cassis on the attack. Butter-melted with herbs add in on the midpalate, providing an additional layer of flavours over the dark brooding fruit, where some lifted aromatics provide interest. The finish is of boiled and warm jam, with richness and some alcohol burn.
This is a rich and flavourful wine, that will perhaps be over-ripe to some, but I find it itsn't totally over the top- just peeking at it. Good layers and complexity, and very nice to drink alone or with food. Seems to be drinking very well- here is a really nice wine with some age to it that stays fresh, but has interesting secondary notes also. Balanced, with only the alcohol as a possible outlier. Overall, this is a nice wine that many will enjoy for a variety of reasons- for it is easy to drink, but complex; very ripe, but still with elegance; fresh and bold, but aged into grace and power. Great value wine that would be a perfect and probably welcome entry into CdP. Nice!
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Jammy and in need of some acid. Also a little Alc laden. I have one left and may give it away to someone who enjoys amped up wines. ALC 14.5%, drinks more like 16%.
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This wine has not changed much over five years. It's still hanging on with big ripe flavors and aromatics. It's mid weight on the palate which prevents it from being overbearing. No tannin to speak of. Drink now.
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DTC Chateauneuf du Pape (@ SS): Beautiful and typical C9duP bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits and wonderful garrigue. On the palate a pleasant sweet start with dark forest fruits, garrigue, juicy acidity and mild tannin. I enjoyed the wine, but several thought the sweetness was a bit too much. My score: 91 – 92.
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Plenty of ripe dark fruit, slightly rustic, nice balance, and some remaining structure. This has several years of life ahead of it. A very good entry level CNP.
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Opened three bottles of C9P for a birthday meal with 14 diners. 2008 Saint-Cosme, 2007 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf, 2003 Le Vieux Donjon. All excellent. Some preferred the Usseglio, the sweetest and most fruit-forward of the trio; others, including me, preferred the LVD, finding it to be the most savory and deepest, in both color and texture. Others preferred the Saint-Cosme as just the right balance of fruit and savory, but lightest on its feet.
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There is a dominant singed leather and damp earth element on the nose. Dried mushrooms, tart cherries, cranberry, and cola notes come through to the palate. It's not very inviting for the next sip. I'll let it breathe a few hours and see if it gets any better.
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Was a week ago. What I remember was this overly sued prunes and almost port like. Didn’t enjoy at all. Cant see time helping. Have loved Usseglio in the past - an odd bottle ?
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Rich ruby with high optical density and slight brown tinge at the rim. Medium intensity and complexity nose, with garrigue, strawberry and other red berries, earthy forest, plum, and truffle. Medium to medium plus acidity, full body, and dry with fully integrated tannins, it has a dense texture that is not overwhelming, but is palate-coating, and just a hint of alcohol on the back end that while noticeable, is much more controlled than many Southern Rhone wines. Flavours of red berry compote and brushy herbal spices on the attack, with a full midpalate that brings in some more exotic spices, (a bit dried) plum, and earth, along with some aromatic compounds. The finish lingers, showing extract of forest brush and light aromatic herbal spice. Lots of layers and complexity here, but yet is easy to drink. Very nice wine, drinking extremely well, and with high QPR. Excellent!
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Based on a bottle that I drank over 4 years ago, I opened this one for braising short ribs. It is a great cooking wine, but a small taste showed a marked improvement over that first bottle. Lots of CdP spice, but a little pruney, and not what I look to drink. Maybe time will firm this up. We'll see since I have 3 more bottles.
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This wine is in a good place right now. Soft and open but still with nice primary cherry and dark berry fruit and some garrigue. Would score higher if not fr some slightly stewed and pruned notes. A big wine with medium finish. not sure if time might improve on thepat last part but a nice drink now.
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Dark red with high optical density and a very slightly browning rim. Huge, intense, and complex nose, with brambly brush (and dried leaves from same), dark, stewed fruits (plum/prune), cedar, and aromatic flowers. Hits the palate with fresh acidity (medium to medium plus), full body, and smooth texture with medium intensity but well integrated tannins. Flavours of dark cherry and berries lead off the flavours, with underlying hints of brambles and leaf spices. The mid-palate begins to show stewed fruit and pie crust flavours and is quite good in intensity before bringing in the leaf spices and crunchy dried forest floor on top of strawberries. The finish is lengthy and aromatic in nature, which does somewhat emphasize the heat, but there is enough flavour to make this seem like part of the experience rather than a stand-out. Very nicely concentrated without being jammy, and dense with flavours that are nicely layered, but does have a good amount of stewed/dried fruits. Overall, excellent wine, and a pretty good value!
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Started very earthy, mushrooms and loam, then slowly evolved to show a nice cherry core. A touch disjointed but came together nicely with decanting. Very nice wine overall.
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At our house with Fran & Fran for dinner, drank after a Russian River Pinot. Paired with a Salmon/pesto and my mushroom risotto with white truffle oil. Wine was decanted for 90 minutes, drank over an hour.
Consistent with prior notes: "Medium purple/velvet color...Palate was dark fruits, candied cherry and raspberry, dried herbs, cedar, spice and pepper. The pepper spice and garrigue came through..."
These bottles seemed better/richer than prior tastings. Usseglio is a reliable CdP producer. Nice wine from a good vintage that's in a good spot right now. Really great wine with Fall flavors/foods...
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This is drinking very well. Plenty of garrigue, lavender and anise on the nose. Almost velvety in the mouth. Dominated by the garrigue with an underlying core of sweet intense cherry fruit. Big wine, lots of glycerin and a long finish. Stunning value for money. I only paid $27 for this. 13 more bottles to go. No rush.
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A plush CdP, nice round edges. Another taster commented on cherry notes and I agree with that. A CdP that non-CdP drinkers can like, including my wife! Good balance, not a simple wine but not a challenging flavor profile (i.e. lower on the funk index). Was very nice with the pork ribs dish and the dry rub played well off the fruit and acid core. I would drink this again with things coming off the grill, it isn't a wine than needs tons of contemplation.
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very silky on the palate with copious raspberry and blackberry flavors. On verge of turning corner from bright to ripe. Nuances of black pepper, licorice and forest floor. Fine tannins give hope for more aging, but I like it where it currently is.
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Some berries and garrigue on the nose, but also some alcohol. A bit hot at first taste. Tannins are mostly gone, leaving a an inoffensive if a bit flabby wine. Finish veers from grape to baked raisins to prune. Drink now - not much left in my view.
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Nez spectaculaire de romarin, de confiture de fraises, de kirsch. La bouche est ronde et charnue, puissante mais bien équilibrée. C'est savoureux, plein, avec une belle complexité. Impressionnant! Superbe rapport q-p. 92 pts
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Lots of bottle variation with this one - 1 bottle was hot and undrinkable - this one was very nice. 91+ Dark black color & throwing a fair amount of sediment. Blackberry, fig, garrigue on nose. On palate, blackberry, black raspberry, black licorice with full body, medium acidity and medium+ finish. Enjoyable with grilled BBQ chicken. Enjoyed by everyone at dinner.
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Un nez épicé et parfumé de fruit rouge et de viande grillée. La bouche est pleine, ample et très savoureuse. Un vin à point, authentique et bien typé. qui se livre très bien. Il m'a laissé une bien meilleure impression que ma dernière. Excellent! 91
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Opened and let breathe for an hour and then drank over the following 2 hours. A nose of dark fruits and provincial herbs leads way to a full bodied palate with black raspberry and pepper flavors that echo on the finish.
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Bright, vibrant nose, kirsch and blueberry pancakes. On the palate there's great cherry fruit, dark plums, touches of ink and mocca. Big wine, still young, not too hot of heavy.
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Very nice. Still young. Dark fruit and chocolate stands out. A bit of heat which I hoped would reduce - didn't. drank over 3 days. 2nd day better, 3rd day very oxidised. Leave next bottle until 2017 (late). Still developing as still needs to open up a bit.
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First bottle from this stash. Beef stew with carmelized onion and thyme with grilled onion naan was the pairing, worked well with Rhone. First bottle from this stash, decanted about 45 minutes, drank over two hours.
Medium purple/velvet color. Nose is spicy, some funk when first opened (a good sign with Rhone wines). Would describe it as a soft fruit and aromatic nose.
Palate was dark fruits, candied cherry and raspberry, dried herbs, cedar, spice and pepper. The pepper spice and garrigue came through more after an hour.
Usseglio is a reliable CdP producer. Hard to say where this is, these bottles have been well stored and seemed to be in a good zone, not in any decline as other tasters have noted. Nice wine from a good vintage thats enjoyable now...would drink over next 5-7 years.
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Cassis, prune, fennel, black truffle and a bit of VA / acetone. Alcohol comes out as the wine airs. A floral element is there but it is overwhelmed by the sharp tone of varnish. The wine is relatively broad on the palate but it is a bit harsh and bitter.
Things move to a bit of agrume (écorces d'oranges confites au chocolat - orange peel that is cooked in sugar and then dipped in chocolate). The wine is passable on its own but it struggles with food as it doesn't compliment but rather fights with other flavours.
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Satisfying initial attack of fruits and spice, but after that it's all prune, all the time. Has a certain elegance with food, but I'm not a fan of the hot climate profile.
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Essentially pop and pour. More time. Dark and a bit brooding. Rich but may need to find some balance. Slightly meaty but not heavy; dark fruit keeping in check. Will see how it evolves in a year or two.
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Rich, spicy nose. There's a light touch on the palate -- briefly concentrated, somewhat fleeting. Elegant and slightly stewed fruit, spice, cedar, earth, extremely polished tannins. Very pleasant, drinkable -- but drinks a touch hot. I agree that this wine is not for the long haul.
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Un beau nez expressif dès l’ouverture. Garrigue, dattes, confiture de fraises Le vin a la richesse du millésime, son fruit sucré, il a développé une belle rondeur et l’alcool est bien intégré. Il manque un peu de structure, mais les arômes persistent, sur les épices et la réglisse noire. Les tanins sont complètement fondus, je ne crois pas qu’il fera de très vieux os. Joli vin prêt à boire, même si c’est une relative déception: Il impressionnait davantage à sa sortie en 2009. J’ai aussi un meilleur souvenir du 2001 à pareil âge. 89 pts
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A very nice wine that is drinking at peak. Popped and poured, it's ripe, OK, very ripe, soft and aromatic, but it is not an ager. I'm going to drink my bottles over the next 2-3 years. This is going to fade quickly.
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Ce vin a bien évolué et pour le mieux. Une belle robe rubis moyen qui ne montre toujours pas de signes d'évolution. Le nez montre du fruit noir, du pruneau, du kirsch et de l'anis. L'attaque en bouche est très agréable. Les tannins quoiqu'encore présents sont bien intégrés à l'ensemble. L'alcool qui était dérangeant il y a deux ou trois ans est à peine perçu en finale. Une très belle bouteille très agréable à boire.
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Upon opening this wine had a yeasty funk. That is a good sign from this area. 40 minutes In, wonderfully youthful. Raspberry and the whole gamut of herbs, French, dried, and wonderful. I will not touch my last 2 for some time. Give this wine time in the glass to flesh out. Very animal from the get go.
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Popped and poured. My wife, who is not a wine geek like me but has a fine palate, identified this blind as a C du P that she did not like. The nose and palate screamed "prune juice!" We drank some of this but also poured some down the drain and opened a different bottle.
Only bottle I have of this producer. Not a bad thing, IMO.
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Appearance: Showing transparency, but still fairly deep. Not showing a lot of age.
Nose is very Châteauneuf. Ripe and grenache. It's rare for me to see the provençal herbs often reported, but I can in this one. It's on the way to a complex tertiary stage, but not really there yet. To me, the colour indicates there's a way to go.
Palate is very pleasing up front. There's still some tannin, slightly hard in the way of a lot of these wines. I like to see some, but it will be a while before it reduces to my taste. I can understand those who see excessive alcohol in this wine. The aftertaste of dry tannin seems exaggerated by the alcohol. But I think there's enough acid to save the day in the medium/long term.
I think it's tricky to pick the ideal time to drink these wines. This one will take a few years. I'm pleased to notice that the last bit left in the glass seems better balanced, and I think this bodes well for the next bottle, probably in 3 years.
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Wow, I don't think I've ever tasted such a disaster in a bottle. Burnt tar, prunes, wickedly fumy, and an oxidative note to kick things over the cliff into the smouldering refuse pile. Perverse.
pop n pour.tight.masculine gd structure.gd ripeness of fruits(sweet rich red fruits dominate here).decent intensity.mineral.with air more liqourice.conclusion:stil young.nd at least few years to reach maturity.highly recommend if the price is in between $$50 US.can b better with complexity
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For my taste, this wine is just starting to hit its stride. A bunch of the over the top fruit bomb aspect is fading and the garrigue, anise and complexity are moving to the fore.
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Has improved from 2011 but I was a little generous in my score then. Garrigue, blackberry, black cherry on nose. On palate, glycerin, black cherry, plum, black licorice with medium acidity, and medium+ finish. Enjoyed this more than 2011 but less than I did in 2009 - very big, modern style CDP. Not a rebuy but enjoyable. 90-91 range.
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Medium ruby in color. Red fruits and anise on the nose. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, anise and garrigue, with a bit of smoky dryness. Crisp, clean and balanced CdP with integrated tannins and smooth texture. Very nice.
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In the name of science, I cracked one of these. Sipping (carefully) on it right now.
I kinda liked it in May 2011, served lightly chilled, but I did get some vodkaesque notes. Let's see what it shows two and half years later...
Leaping lizards, this is rocket fuel! There's jammy raspberry and Grenachey aromas with a hint of heat, but it is the palate that's ridiculously boozy and hot. The finish actually burns. Seriously. It's not especially sweet and the body is fairly lithe, but that booze! It really tastes more like a cordial or a cosmo cocktail than wine.
It was a long devolution, but it was the 2007 southern Rhones that finally killed any remaining credibility certain critics held in my book.
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This is a beautiful wine, but it reminds me too much of a new world wine -- jammy, sweet fruit in the mouth. I like it a lot, but want more spice andl ayers.
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This is deep and complex. Nicely balanced. Big fruit without being overpowering and no noticeable heat on the finish. Plenty of anise here. Excellent value for money.
Sometimes, when the nights are getting colder and darker, all you need is a big, strapping hearty wine and this basically ticks every single box - plump, ripe and curvy with sweet, juicy fruit - but then there is the complexity and the sexy tannins. Very open straight from the off, with raspberry, fruit compote and black fruits - some garrigue in there and a delicate, sweet finish. This has the guts for some long term ageing but it is going to be hard to resist when it tastes this good.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #083; Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 vs 2007 (By AH): Beautiful bouquet with herbs and spices, cherries, blackberries and some chocolate. On the palate the same with fine acidity, pleasant sweetness and soft bitterness. Very harmonious. The wine presented itself beautifully this evening. It evolved quite quickly in the glass, so I wonder about expectations for the future. Should open one of my own bottles soon.
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pop and pour dark red-black colour masses of ripe dark berry fruit, herbs, cooking chocolate, savory beef reduction. full bodied, round tannins, med acidity, jammy, cooking chocolate, long finish. can further age several years.
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One writer said that this wine is a mass of velvety grenache fruit. I agree with that, but I would say that it is also wrapped in a bunch of provencal herbs including anise. This is a big, rich wine, but it has some interesting complexity and a long finish. This may even get better from here. The fruit, acids and complexity carry the alcohol in this wine. I am writing this after having just had a glass of the 2004 Sine Qua Non Poker Face Syrah which is truly a fruit bomb of intense Syrah, but it doesn't have the complexity of this wine.
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Perfect party wine. Full of fruit, mouth-coating, yet in balance enough to support a hearty fall menu. Had some mineral complexity, but really this wine is a velvety mass of Grenache fruit. (90)
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This wine baffles me. On release I really liked it. But by now... Blah. And from a very cold cellar, and a normal importer who takes great care of bottles in shipment. Very dark, with a roasted nose of prunes, walnuts, noticeable VA. Richly flavored but like a sweet yet dull port, flabby. Short, hot finish. Why did I like it?
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At pop and pour: metalic and old dust nose... taste awful alcohol and light fruit... After 2 hours: powerful nose of macerated black cherries jam and salty black licorice, still a hint of alcohol... taste of ripe red cherries, almost sweet, very high refreshing acidity, still a hint of alcohol
To me the wine has just finished it's primary fruit phase, and is now entering gradually in the tertiary flavors... I wouldn't touch this wine for the next 3-5 years, the time that it competely integrates with tetiary flavours
Rated 89+/100 now... and potentially 95/100 in 5 years
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The nose shows masses of ripe dark berry fruit, herbs, sweet spices, savory beef reduction and the slightest hint of heat. On the palate, it was round and full with jammy red berries and mulling spice that lasted through the long, palate staining finish.
The 2007 vintage has seriously left it's mark on this wine. It continues to show such overripe and jammy features with a mark of heat. This was my last bottle and in a way, I'm happy it's all gone.
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Pop and pour. At five years this wine has shed its baby fat and is sporting an elegant middle weight palate with little tannin. Classic Chateauneuf kirsch and bramble on the palate. Cherry fruit and rock candy on the palate has gained some additional pitch with time as well. I'm not sure if this has the stuffing for the long haul. However, it's pure pleasure to drink right now. Drink over the next five years.
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Pop and pour. This has a lot going for it. The fruit here is not over-ripe to my palate. The ripeness level is very reasonable and the wine has some admirable complexity. The problem, for me, is that there isn't enough fruit, tannin, etc. to off-set the alcohol. The alcohol is just too prominent for me right now.
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Excellent Châteauneuf au nez d'anis étoilé, de viande et de fruits noirs. Bouche encore tannique, sérieuse, menant vers une finale longue et épicée, légèrement chaleureuse.
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Very nice showing. No formal notes, but a bit lighter and more feminine that the '05's, but had a nice red berry finish / light garrigue finish. Too bad it was my last '07
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Dark fruit and nice nose, but palate hot and out of balance with raisin notes. Not unpleasant, just not very good and worse than in its youth as the fruit has faded to leave some heat behind.
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In 2009 I loved this wine. Today, let's hope this more recent experience was just a closed or bad bottle (and it could have been, I suppose). No specific flaw, but the wine came off as strident and hot, disjointed in a very assertive way. A bit overripe. My 3-year old TN is hard to relate to this recent bottle... I won't score it in the hope that the bottle is just off.
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Enormous, very eveolved nose of animal, brown sugar, almost sweet... in the mouth, pure ripe fruit, black cherries, bacon fat, very very long aftetaste, almost sweet and fresh
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much better than the last bottle which was slightly corked....big..plenty there, but not real forthcming.......opened up after a bit, but I get the sense this might be a bit closed
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Très beau C9P. Sur le fruit noir et la cerise, la réglisse. Tannins moins agressifs que la dernière fiole. Belle longueur. À laisser vieillir encore 4 ou 5 ans
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Decanted briefly. Dark and quite dense colour in the glass. The nose a bit tight but opening up slowly. Blackberry the most evident, and somewhat alcoholic nose too. The palate comprised of intense dark fruit flavours. Blackberry again. The alcohol evident but not tarnishing the wine. Intense, extracted vintage resulting in a tad more "clumsy" wine than a typical vintage from Usseglio. I would give the remaining 4 bottles more cellar time. I guess dinking window could be from 2014 onwards.
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Extrem konzentriert auch nach Dekantieren. So würzig, dass es richtig scharf wirkt. Enorm viel Alkohol spürbar. Hoffentlich beruhigt sich der Wein in den nächsten Jahren noch. Jetzt ist er zu extrem.
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This is more like it. While this is still big and fruit forward, it doesn't show heat on the finish and isn't Frankenstein-esque. Dark color, blackberry and plum fruit all the way. Black licorice, spice, and some earth. Finishes well and goes great with lamb burgers, sausages, and side dishes loaded with flavor. Recommended.
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Drinking well now. Should drink well for years. Plenty of cherry/grenache fruit and garrigue. Fresh and long. Really tasty. Hard to stop drinking this one. Second bottle of two cases. Very smooth, well integrated for only being five years old.
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Nice but slightly closed nose. Could use some decanting. On the palate som licorice very dominating, blackberries too. Alightly too extracted and alcoholic. Not like Usseglios I have previously tasted.
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Good value. In the good drinking window with some aeration. Black cherries, licorice, smoke, well balanced and integrated. Just slightly too extracted and alcoolic to obtain a better score.
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Did not take notes. Decent but muted nose of dark fruits, earth and smoke. Super smooth, almost silky texture with a medium body and great balance. Ripe, almost bright fruit flavors dominated by cherry along with some licorice and perhaps a touch of garrigue. Overall, enjoyable and very approachable now with some upside over the next couple of years.
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Opaque dark garnet. Nose of smoke, licorice, leather, and dark fruit. Spicy palate of cherry, blackberry, fig, licorice, and hoisin. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Really, realy good CdP. Drinking well now, but has the structure to last and last.
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An exaggerated wine, almost bordering on being fake. An incredibly dark inky color with intense purple rims. The nose shows aromas of Welch grape soda, blackberry jam, licorice, dark chocolate, violets, and incense. It's mid-bodied packed with sweet dark fruits to such an extent that it seems to opaque anything else with exception of chewy tannins.
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Dark garnet to a rust rim. Strong legs with sensuous tears lingering on the glass. Initial nose of terroir, black fruit, dark chocolate, mocha, but somewhat flat. May be in a dumb phase. Palate of silky tannins, spice, black fruit on the front and mid palate, strawberries on the rear of the palate to a lingering spice finish with somewhat astringent tannins. Needs 3-5 years but approachable now. As always an incredible wine. After just 30 minutes it is more balanced and seductive than upon opening.
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Brought this bottle to a party to share. No time to decant. Found it muted with some heat on the finish that I did not enjoy. Next bottle definitely gets some air.
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Strange bottle or strange wine? Seems overextracted. Very sweet nose with overripe plums, chocolate, kirsch, juicy meat and bacon. Not very elegant. Lacks complexity and definition on the palate. Spicy, tickling, rather abrupt finish. Might improve, though I am not sure. Might also be a atypical bottle. We'll see with the next bottle.
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Notes of molasses and black licorice, but livened up by perfumy fresh and dried red fruits. Alcohol magnifies the nose, but doesn't burn the palate thankfully. Overripe character is just kept in check, and I can see why others have noted that bottle age is probably a good thing for this wine. I would guess in another 2-3 years this wine will come into better balance with its porty grape skin and slight residual sugar affect. Nice complexity there,though, and I wish I had another bottle to let sit for a few years and then revisit. I would love to give this wine a 92 but for its RS, which turns me off for a C-d-P.
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The 2007 Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape continues to puzzle me slightly. When I first opened it, it seemed over-extracted and almost spoofed, but with air, the wine got leaner, more nuanced, and more focused. For now, the fruit is still very primary and dominated by kirsch and heavy duty black licorice. There's also some leather, tar, and even some cracked pepper. The complexity is definitely there. I only worry about the fruit and alcohol in this particular bottling. Only time can tell how this one will turn out by the time it reaches maturity. Assemblage was 80% Grenache, the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault.
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This has really settled down compared to my other bottle 2 years ago. Still very ripe, with a slightly roasted character. Palate was densely concentrated, although lacking in complexity, with dark stewed fruit--but seemed fresher than upon release. Finish was tarry and a little short. Odd that the "over ripeness" that really put me off on release has receeded some. Still in a forward, ripe fleshy style, but more balanced this time. Good if you like this style.
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Dont want to be a party pooper, but I guess after drinking many of the '05's, this just doesn't have the same stuffing. Nice, very approachable, well balanced, some dark berries and underbrush, but a bit on the small side, with a short finish. Still, good QPR
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Enormous and very evolved nose of animal, brown sugar, almost sweet... taste very pure ripe fruit, black cherries, bacon fat, very very long aftertaste, almost sweet & fresh at the same time... probably the best vintage of Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf, but I would serve this at the end of a meal rather than at the beginning
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Decanted for two hours. After another two hours, the flavors really exploded and the fruit came to the front. Wait a couplle of years for the next. Room for improvement in score!
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Strong licorice and alcoholic nose initially. After 4 hour decant it settled down nicely with aromas of black and red fruits and perfume. Licorice again on the entry with black fruits dominating on the palate. Nice finish but with some heat.
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Popped and poured. Beautiful nose, a bit jammy but with sufficient spice to balance the fruit. While it was perfectly ready to drink, it will change over time and would be interesting to see how it develops. A bit high in alcohol and at moments it reminded me of a dry zin (nopt a bad thing) and I thoroughly enjoyed the wine.
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Nicely balanced, good fruit, not over the top or hot to my palate and a crowd favorite among the others at the dinner. Garrique, meat, leather and dark fruit. Clean finish. Drinking at peak.
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Upon first opening, the nose showed rich, sweet raspberry jam and burnt bacon fat. On the palate, it was big, sweet and more like a LBV port than anything else. However, with time, this wine did calm down and start to showing more interesting notes of violet, cinnamon and earth with black fruits and bacon fat. The palate remained sweet throughout the experience with rich black fruits and spice. The finish was long and remarkably fresh for such a big wine.
Unfortunately, I'm still not a fan of the wine or the style. It's honestly more of a dessert, than a glass of dry table wine.
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A terrific wine drinking extraordinarily well right now. The 2007 regular red from Pierre Usseglio & Fils has a very typical nose of stable, barnyard, provencal herbs, garrigue and dark mature red fruit. The palate is very well integrated and the fruit is in perfect harmony with the subtle oak and lovely acidity. Although being a more modern Chateauneuf, the wine makes no attempt in hiding its origin... There is practically no heat at all, which I find very intriguing in this vintage (normally you find a slight whiff of heat in the end-palate and nose). The end-palate is a bit thin, marginally reducing my impression.
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Crazy nose, strong black licorice, prunes, blackberry liquor, wet dirt and mushroom. Dirty, rich, and fruit all at the same time. High intensity palate of blackberry liquor, plums, and black licorice again, with alcoholic heat that almost reminds me of Jagermeister. Enough structure to keep up with the exuberant palate, but there is a lot of heat here. My girlfriend says it "tastes like burning", I'm guessing that's the alcohol. Overall, not my style, there is some depth here and quality can be felt, but it's just so damn big and hot.
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Served at my Dad's semi-retirement party. Everyone liked this wine. I did not take formal tasting notes but recall the wine displaying the normal black fruit and spice characteristics of a CdP. Probably would have scored around 90 points if doing a formal tasting.
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Very dark purple colour. Very young, powerful nose with lots of black fruits and sweet cherry. The palate is glossy and stylish with juicy blackcurrant, a touch of herb and a spicy liquorice note on the finish. Young and quite full-on.
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Absolutely incredible. Dinner at Fig tree with Patton's. Dark fruit, purple color to the rim, strong legs, mocha, chocolate, black fruit. INCREDIBLE wine attested by all.
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Agree with prior taster. On pop & pour this was delicious, but very black fruit dominant with a large glycerin component. With air time the wine tasted a litle disjointed and it did not pair as well as expected with smoked bbq chicken (primarily given high alchohol and a lack of acidity). We drank the whole bottle but I'm worried about the 5 other bottles in the cellar and how they will evolve. 84 Given we drank the whole bottle.
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Not bad. Entirely too young, too primary, and too much stuffing. The fruit is too massive to get a good idea of where this wine is headed. My inclination is to speculate that the stuffing of this wine borders on over-extraction, and that this may turn out to be a freak-show when the fruit recedes. It even has slightly bitter tannins. All blackberry bramble. I taste no earth, no garrigue, no red fruit...all about pure dark/black fruit. Very one-dimensional. Again...very drinkable and pleasant right now, but it does not seem destined for greatness. Some folks will laud the "purity of fruit" in this wine, but I think that purity of fruit is all it has...which is not enough for me.
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Popped and poured. Lovely bouquet, with sweet Christmas scents, grenache rubber, raspberry cordial, and a distinct note of lavender flowers. On the palate, there's an intense flavor of unsweetened raspberry jam. The mouthfeel is actually on the light side, with no heaviness or cloying fruit. Good acidity. Seems quite elegant for a 2007! My ony quibble is there's a bit of spirity heat on the finish. So far, 90-91. I'll report back after it has had a few hours of air... Wow, not changing much, but this is almost pinot noir-like in its flavors and weight......but it still has a bit of the spirit-heat on the finish, like someone dumped a dash of vodka when I (or the French DOC authorities) wasn't looking. Hmmm, now that association makes this taste a bit like a vodka-cranberry cocktail...
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Game, kirsch and herb, lead to a tingling palate. Needs food to help it along. Not as robust as my palate is used too, Francophile's delight, new world Rhone lovers plight.
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2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes (Vin Vino Wine, Palo Alto, CA): Strange nose of sweet dark honey with a hint of gamy meat. Lush on the palate, with sweet dark fruit and a bit of char. Gloopy and overdone. Given other notes, maybe an off bottle, but the flaws (in my opinion) seem more likely to come from overripe fruit. Not my style.
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Ruby color. Nose full of game. More game on the palate but plenty of cherry and kirsch. Long finish. Incomplete integration of high alcohol is only downside.
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I expected to take issue with the alcohol in this wine, but I found it fairly well integrated. What bothered me, though, was that this wine is just a bit generic. It's well made and has characteristic granache flavors of licorice and sweet fruit, but it's comes off as little more than a gloppier, bigger, deeper, and slightly more complex version of a decently made cotes du rhone. Fine enough but didn't hold my interest.
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yes, this is a forward, modern-style wine on opening. But give it at least an hour and pair it with the appropriate food, and it smooths into something quite satisfying. Never deep or challenging, but in the world of Parker-shilled C9P pricing, a pretty fair bottle.
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All the people who complain about 07 CNdP make me laugh. This is a brilliant wine from a great wine maker in a fantastic year. The fruit is nicely balanced with a perfect amount of alcohol and everything about this wine is yummy. Hurra for '07. 93-94
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Popped and poured: a stewed alcoholic mess. After a hasty and vigorous decant it improved immensely...but I am beginning to think that 2007 rhones may not be for me.
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Needs 30 minutes or more. Absolutely fabulous. No notes because this was a friends Bday party. Suffice it to say this wine was fabulous and previous notes apply. Those who have tasted previously should recognize the need for his wine to 'breath'. Just to add a view memorable notes. When popped and poured it reminded me a little of cuvee du vatican where there were huge aromas and taste of both prunes and plums with dark black fruit notes. 20-30 minutes later AND CHILLED DOWN the wine was singing. My wine store buddy told me that chilling it down would help and that I have probably drank more wine than not which was too warm.
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I tried another bottle of 2007 P. Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition last night. This bottle more or less confirmed my earlier impression of a high alcohol wine, albeit with at least some CdP character still there. This is in no way a "spoofed" wine, since the CdP/Grenache typicity and terroir is still there. In fact, my wife took one taste and said "licorice", which is there in abundance. What is there is some high alcohol that shows primarily as candied licorice, red raspberry, and glycerine--for me, these characteristics on the palate swamp the other typical CdP signatures like garrigue. So I would tend to say that this is not a well-balanced wine, even if it isn't monolithic (the real signature of a spoofed wine), but this is of course subjective.
Perhaps Alan Rath called this one right when he said it reminded him of an Alban Grenache. Maybe a little less dense, and a more prominent licorice note dominating the nose and palate, but otherwise... And almost the same effect on the head, since the last time I felt so hammered after splitting a bottle of wine was at a garden party where an Alban Grenache was served (had to call a taxi and leave my car behind). I wonder what the alcohol content is here, but I am guessing +15.5% based on the glycerine on the palate and my reaction to it.
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Drinking very well after 2 hour decant. Smoky nose, great palate with cherries and herbs and meatiness, good balance and non-obtrisuve tannins. Clean medium plus finish. Great with food, great alone, probably can last a while but is delicious right now.
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Pop-n-pour was a bit of a mess, but it all came together with a bit of air. Gave it 6 hours of slow-o before diving in, and it was an instant beauty. Easily best QPR of the 2007 CDP gang. Dark cherries, dakr berries and some vanilla on the nose. Corduroy tannins, and moderate acidity makes this wine a keeper. I have a few, but don't know if they will last...
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Extrem intensiv in Nase und am Gaumen, erinnert an Portwein und Lakritze. Sehr dicht und undurchdringlich, ziemlich unstrukturiert mit spürbar viel Alkohol. Braucht sicher noch Jahre, bis er sich etwas beruhigt.
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Dark purple. Herbs, and black fruit on the nose - and a little alcohol. It almost blows off enitrely, but was a little disruptive. Corduroy tannins. Luscious and entirely 2007.
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A very polished, focused wine. Cherries, kirsh, and a little vanilla on the nose. Pure cherry, strawberry syrup, some red berries, somewhere between redcurrant and raspberry, in the mouth, with bloody, saline qualities to make it interesting. It's missing some of the roasted, garrigue spices that I like to find in CdP, but this is nonetheless generous and delicious juice. 91-92
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smoke, cold raw meat, and earth on the nose. meat, black cherry pie, vanilla, brine palate. Very ripe, but fresh. Handles the alcohol fairly well provided the glass doesn't get too warm.
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Well, this is my first bottle of this and have enjoyed it watching the Giants and Phillies with some double aged gouda. Was weary of the notes of heat, and although there was some, it didn't obstruct the enjoyment of the wine. Cherries, vanilla, and a little earth in the nose. Very bright fruit for a CNP with some bacon fat added. People say this will evolve more, but I'm not so sure it's got anywhere to go. Terrific stuff. Delicate and meaty!
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Robe rubis foncé avec un pourtour plus clair. Nez fermé au départ qui s'ouvre après une quinzaine de minutes sur des notes boisées, fruits rouges, petites baies en retrait, sucre (érable en retrait un peu). En bouche, c'est moins convaincant que la Gardine bu en confrontation, le fort aspect bois-érable en arrière-plan m'agace légèrement, manque de fraîcheur, masse tannique bien présente, bel aspect réglissé, splendide concentration mais ça manque de définition en ce moment. Sera sans doute plus agréable dans quelques années. On a l'impression que les saveurs sont prises dans un seul bloc qui va se délier avec le temps. J'y vois un meilleur potentiel pour la garde que la Gardine. Le vin est plus fermé, ça ressemble un peu à la Réserve Sixtine2007 que je n'ai guère appréciée, mais dont le 2001 était sublime! Donc, pour ma part, c'est à faire dormir au minimum 5 ans.
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Hmmm, some high alcohol here, although one cannot dispute that the wine is otherwise well made. The alcohol is apparent on the nose as the wine warms in the glass, obscuring to some extent those characteristic Grenache aromatics that we look for. On the palate, the saturation is marked, with blue fruit beginning to show, and again swamping any obvious spicy flavors, although one can detect licorice at least lurking in the back ground. The wine is reasonably well structured and did not strike me as jammy since there is a backbone of acid, but I can't say that is particularly complex. Let's hope for the best...
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Another Round of 2007 Chateauneufs-The More I Taste, The Less I Like (Beltramo's, Menlo Park): Slightly lighter color than most of these wines. Pine needles rather than fruit scents. Medium weight, ripe but not sweet, tobacco undertones, good length. I've had problems with the alcohol in this before, and alas, it did have a touch of heat, but not so pronounced today. In fact, one of the more subtle wines of the day.
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I adored this wine. Great nose full of dark cherry, wild strawberries, forest floor and spices. Perhaps a bit hot, or high in alcohol, but not annoyingly so. A real mouthful to taste. Silky fruit, dark and brooding, nice complexity. This will definitely benefit from some years in the cellar, but is already great to drink. It kept well the second day. Thanks so much Jeff for giving us this bottle!
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Changing and evolving from last taste. I am always humbled when less-than-favorite scents and flavors (for me) take center stage in a wine, yet I find myself reeling in anticipation of the finish and the subsequent sip. This is such a wine. Purple/red in the glass, there is an unmistakable nose and (big) taste of caramel, cream, and vanilla with a dark cherry fruit undertone expressing in this medium-bodied wine. Needs a good hour after bottle open for the flavors to coalesce and there is still plenty of tannins for this to continue to mature. Initially I was afraid that there was not enough fruit/flavor to carry through to the minimum of 1-2 yrs cellaring that this wine requires, but after the hour of air those fears were put to rest. Glad I have many more bottles of this to enjoy.
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Drank over two days, and this was noticeably better on day 2, although still quite tannic. Dark cherries, flowers, mild spices. Beautiful aromatics with extended swirling. No doubt this needs several more years and will improve.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The nose of this wine had great cherry and spice box aromas. The palate had great fruit flavors. A nice mix of dark and red fruits. Good notes of spice and oak as well. I liked how the strawberry flavors seemed to really come out at the finish.
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Drank two over the last couple months. Really nice, but needs time. The fruit, complexity and freshness are there, but it's also very high in alcohol and a little hot at times. On day two is when this really shined. Expect this to get better in the next few years. Should prove to be quite a value.
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After I bumped into Rhone importer C, and raved about the ’07 Raymond Usseglio, he kindly brought ‘his’ Usseglio to a blind tasting. ‘07s are closing, and this was served after several mature Burgundies, but I was immediately put in mind of a quote from David Sabon on Jeb Dunnock’s website, headlining a report on ’07 Southern Rhone: “2007 is bad for business”. Meaning: when customers taste ’07, they don’t want to buy anything else. Colour of dark blackcurrant skin. Billowing, dense aromatics of restrained black cherry and spice, with a flicker of cream. Core flavour is of firm black cherries. Extras at the moment are ripe cherry jam, pepper and gentle asian spices. Palate still notably dense/lush (not thick, because it’s fresh; and not hard, because the tannins are so round). I think that character is expressive of the estate and of how ’07 has allowed each grower to reach for the max of what they’re about. (For example: Raymond Usseglio has delivered 3D tannic shape; Janasse laid a concentrated path; VT created tight, flat layers of Mediterranean crops.) My immediate reaction to the structure and purity of this one was that it is a 20 year wine. It’ll always be indulgent/generous. 90 pts on the night, but it was popped and poured. I’d expect 93-95 from 2014 to 2027. Even so, I still prefer the Raymond U!!
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Popped & poured. At first, tons of garrigue, spice, and black cherry aromas explode from the glass. This makes me happy. Youthful, brash, juicy, spicy & tannic on the palate. After 2 hours, texture turns more silky, more focused, black raspberry fruit, black pepper and garrigue, finish is long and delicious. Also some vanilla bean, which I usually don't like, but this was nice. At this stage, not as sweet as the 2001. I do get a touch of heat on the nose and palate, but not bothersome as the wine is so fresh. Loved this when I tasted at Crush wine shop last year (why I bought some) and love it now. 92+
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Popped the cork about an hour before dinner, had a glass with dinner, and the remainder after the kids went to bed (3 to 5 hours after opening). The first glass was pretty hot with plenty of acid and alcohol, but by the later glasses, it had settled down appreciably. Blackberry and cassis with baking spices on the very nice nose, soft on the palate with plenty of fruit and sweet spices and a hint of barnyard. Just a touch of tannin on the back end. This turned out to be delicious, big, but not over-the-top. I don't know about the long term, I just can't tell if the structure is there or not -- but then again, I bought this so that I would have some '07 to drink while waiting for the big boys to come around. I think I'll be fine.
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Lush blackberries & cherries... almost jammy. Big spicy nose w/ red & black fruits, thyme, lavender and a hint of white pepper & meat. Great CdP for the $.
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Well balanced with liquiesh and fruits. Palate lacks weight and not much finish. But a well made wine despite the alcohol which was obvious both on nose and palate.
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Good wine, but slightly below average for 07 CdP's at this price point. To be fair, only had time for a short decant and it did start showing signs of something outstanding toward the end of the bottle. So give it some years, or a LOT of air.
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On night one this was funky, gooey, and just oozing of plum and prunes and really wasn't' what I was looking for. Closed up and put in the fridge. On night two this had improved substantially with a nose of almost pure fruit-- plum and currants-- with some meat. Palate with crisp acidity and fine tannins, with dense dark fruits coming though and an herbal character adding complexity. Plenty of heat on the finish which really detracts for me, but a medium length finish of tar, herbs, and currants rounds out the wine. Good, though I prefer a more spicy less plum/prune flavor profile on CdP's.
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Dark cherry red color. Huge nose of ripe blue and dark red fruits, savory herbs, sweet dark spice, and mineral. Fruit forward palate, syrupy. Full bodied with no hard edges. Very nice acidity throughout and firm mineral structure.
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The nose is big but simple at first as all I could detect was black strap molasses. With time in glass sweet and rich smells of spice cookie, cinnamon gram cracker and black currant began to rise from the glass. The palate was like velvet on the front palate that turned searing acidity on the mid and showed cherry cough syrup, fig newton and milk chocolate. The finish tasted of burnt sugar. BUT, through all of this, the wine tasted more like a cocktail that anything else. THe overdone sweet verse alcohol was too much and some sips would literally leave the burning aftertaste of alcohol behind on the palate as if you'd just taken a shot of vodka. It was all T & A without any brains, good for a one night stand but do you really want to take it home and watch it age?
Wine Detective: Very rich, swt rhone frt, some garrigue with deep rich black and blue frt, touch pie crust, lacking a bit of a’s, but well made, and should shape up in 5 years?
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jesus this is a big wine, i guess in part because i expected it to be more akin to prior vintages- i haven't had too much '07 CdP yet. Dark garnet, roaring ripe red to purple fruit, roasted vegetable/meat, thyme/rosemary- like a fruity Thanksgiving turkey, big and broad in the mouth with thick rich (too rich?) sweet dark fruit leading into long lip smacking finish. delicious but right now, or at least last night, a bit too much sweet richness.
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What a great wine for the money. This wine has got all the stuffing to satisfy the new and old world wine lover alike.. big fruit, roasted herbs and earth...silky tannins, great mouth feel and built to cellar if you choose.. would go great with lamb or ostrich... If their regular Cdp is this great I am wondering what some of their reserve wines are like...
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Great wine. Ruby color. Nose of primarily cherry. Palate with kirsch early, leather, and prominent truffle on the back. Nice long finish. I LOVED it. Enjoyed it with parrano cheese and a salami made with black truffle.
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opened 8 hours and a scant ounce poured off and tasted. lush ripe pineapple with hints of tar and cherry. on the main pour, the nose was of white pepper with a scent of ripe tart cherry. the wine was drunk with both hard and soft cheeses and one can only wonder at what a wonderful wine this is. bravo!
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Popped and poured. Rich, concentrated red fruit (strawberries, watermelon, rhubarb) and a faint background hint of barnyard. Fleshy, creamy texture with loads of baby fat. Notes of garrigue and mineral after some air time. Loads of baking spice that build to a moderately long, sleek finish. Well balanced. A really impressive entry-level CDP and a good deal at $32-35.
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To my palate, the Usseglio brothers have never made a better regular cuvee. Totally out of the ballpark on this bottle. In fact my glass is downstairs and it's been 10 minutes, but I can still taste this wine -- talk about an endless finish!
Deep purple, with a nose of plum torte, rich black fruits, game, garrigue. Hint of surmaturite but in the positive sense; doesn't cross that gray line. Remarkably complex for such a young bottle. On the palate, ripe but with surprisingly firm acidity and a slight firmness to the tannins that makes the wine seem unexpectedly light and structured. And this saves it: so many ripe wines are heavy and flabby, but this bottle is just a stunner.
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Very dark, very brooding. Primary and even primal fruit. Black licorice and tons of stuffing. Slightly reminiscent of an Aussie Grenache in that it has a pain grille and raspberry jam component. Very high octane and it's definitely walking the line with its fruit. Fortunately, the freshness is there and the wine is balanced, but this could turn out to be a beauty or a disaster in 5-10 years. Very difficult wine for me to predict its ageing curve. I suggest you check in to your stash occasionally over the next few years.
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Il me semble moins voluptueux que la dernière, plus sérieux avec une finale bien tannique qui demande à s’affiner. N’empêche, un vin gras et bien doté, au nez anisé, avec des accents de viande grillée, d’épices, de garrigue, de fruit noir. Très réussi mais cette bouteille aurait eu besoin de quelques années. Moins précoce que l’autre mais tout de même très bon. 91 pts
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Tasted over the course of 2 days from bottle. A fruity/vibrant CDP that absolutely needs 2-3 yrs min in the cellar. Red fruit and some pepper/spice on nose, at times tasted like a "cello" candy (cherry surrounded by syrup nougat encased in chocolate), very cola, and some nestle quick cocoa mix on the finish. Not a garrigue CDP, more of the red fruit/cola/cocoa type. Quite a heavy wine, plush with fruit and density. Not what I was expecting, but no complaints either.
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A little disappointing here. After conferring a high score on the 2007 Mon Aieul, this wine is a let down. Dark translucent ruby/purple. Nice ever-so-slight sandal wood soap nose, with slight orange peel. No garrique, a little heat. This wine has a lot of similarities to the Mon Aieul, although less complex in all facets. It is also hardly red fruited like the Mon Auiel; I am surprised by this only because every other CdP I have had for 2007, however dark in color, has had a kind of beautiful red fruitedness, and all kinds of Southern Rhone markers like, dried herbs, garrique, etc. Also, on the second day, some raisin and more heat come through, and it is quite heavy.
If not for the 2007's weightlessness and a little bit of the "soaring", and my excellent experience with Mon Aieul in the past, I would be a little concerned with the Usseglio higher end line up. As it is I have some doubts in my own mind and want to revisit another bottle. I know, I know, they're young. My big question is, how does the 2007 Mon Aieul compare with the likes of 2000, 2001, etc., at the same age? I never had the benefit of tasting any other older Mon Aieul at a very young age. Should I put these up and forget them for 10 years like the others? I certainly did not buy them for early consumption.
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Dark brick red fading slightly at the rim. Right from the beginning this is superb with heady aromas of lavender, cherry, herbs, leather, blackberry, and spices. Undeniably great aromatics. The magic continues on the palate which is full bodied with wonderful tannins, fruit, and acidity. The flavors go on and on and on with notes of leather tinged berries and garrigue. This is so good that I may have to reload even though I still have a case left. The type of wine that makes you have no regrets about passing on the exceedingly expensive big boys from 2007. 93+
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Parmi 4 Rhône en semi-aveugle. Nez classique de réglisse et du fruit noirs, des épices, enfin de la garrigue, et un coté floral charmant. Beaucoup de gras et de volume en bouche, il a cette opulence qui est la marque du millésime. Gourmand et savoureux, plein et long, à peine un petit coté rustique rappelant son style traditionnel. Un magnifique CNP, il est la parfaite illustration du style du millésime 2007. Le vin de la soirée, une petite coche devant le Vieux Donjon. Facilement identifié. 93+ pts
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Purple colored. Popped and poured opulent rich, blackberries integrated with licorice and provencal herbs. Medium-full depth with nice ripe fruit, perfect acidity and nice ripe tannins. This wine is already drinking very well now, but will shurelly evolve. Prefer this to Clos St Jean CDP as it is a bit more rustic and lacks some of it's sweatness.
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Disappointing on the first day after a short and vigorous decant. Tried again on day 2 and wow, what a wine. This put on weight, layers of complexity, dark fruits. No formal notes taken.
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I found this wine to be a classic CDP, although it was not a huge complex wine at this point in its life. It was a very pleasing wine, especially at only $30.
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Medium garnet with a touch of purple. Young, juicy Grenache nose with fruit bursting at the seams. Some baking spices, some coffee , but not overwhelming. Even a bit of tangerine peel. Silky full palate, that is still youthfully exuberant. Some tannin lies underneath but don’t see this until the finish starts to melt away after 30 seconds. Very surprised by those that find this out of balance or over the top – sure it is young and not integrated (what great wine is at age 2) but there is the stuffing and interest to support lovely evolution over 10 to 15 years. Should be at peak in 2015 and I could see this being a 93 to 95 point wine. Stunning value – now (91+) Incredible performance for their basic cuvee.
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2007 Southern Rhone Tasting (Bell's): Again, somewhat disappointed in this bottle - I had heard it was going to be a blockbuster! The nose was full of oatmeal, baking bread, cherries, and plums. The wine itself was a bit thin, but did have a nice elegance. This wine has the potential to grow and age into a solid mid-90s CdP, so I'm excited I have a couple of these slumbering.
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Newport Wine and Food Festival (Marble House): This time didn't have the benefit of trying this with the other cuvees. Stunning. A monster, but unbelievably delicious. Great stuff. 92-95
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Very tight on first glass (2 hours after double decant). Nothing going on. Moved to great sweet fruit entry with an engaging nose after two more hours. Really good for a standard bottling, drinking well after air now, certain to improve with time, very glad to have bought a lot more.
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Nice gamey nose, with ripe black fruit (not jammy) a hint of smoke, clou de girofle... in the month, ripe red fruit, very powerfull, very nice refreshing acidity... I first rated it 95/100 but as the st-Jean was even better and there is only 100 points in the scale I downgraded it to a strong 94/100 which is my highest score for a Tradition chateauneuf from Usseglio... clearly the best tradition since the great 1998!! A wine to buy by multiple cases!!
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Medium ruby. Pine and some heat. Less dense than the Mont Olivet with a mixture of herbs complicating things, but not enough flesh to cover the alcohol, which unfortunately clearly comes through at the end. This is the second time I've tasted this; although this bottle was not as imbalanced as the previous one, both experiences would make me avoid this bottling in the future and make me worried about Usseglio's bigger cuvees. As before, very disappointing given my prior enjoyment of this basic cuvee.
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2007 Southern Rhone Wines (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Medium red with the least saturation of all of these wines. Overt alcohol and surmaturite on the nose. The heat cuts right through any fruit to give a thin, astringent feel. I was shocked at how poor this was given the track record of this producer, and can only hope that this bottle is not representative. Need to taste again.
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2007 Pierre Usseglio wines (Vin Vino Wines): Medium body, medium dark garnet color; nice, bright, lush, vibrant red fruit, raspberry, touches of anise and earth, some spice coming in on the finish, very nice.
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Powerfull nose and very nice nose of licorice, spices, garigue, black fruit jam... very concentrated in the mounth, very ripe cherries , ripe and silky tannins, very long and refreshing in the mounth... one of the best traditions to my taste!!
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CDP tasting at Boston Wine Expo: Full, unctuous, so extremely rich. This is so damn good already, seamless and just fills the mouth. Still has all the interesting CDP things going on despite the richness. Stunning, and if I can find this under $40, I'm buying me some. 91-94
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Tasted from cask at the domain with Thierry Usseglio
Nose of ripe black fruit... and in the mounth ripe red cherries, with spices, a good acidity and a good lenght... this wine seems closed but has a lot of potential!
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3/21/2024 - Cote d'Or Likes this wine:
Tasted over 1.5 hrs, from 375 mL
-med dark red no bricking
-heady fig spicy fruitcake warm kirsch plum
-med- acidity, big thick unctuous almost syrupy molasses fig plum faint hints of maturity and long burnt caramel somewhat warm finish with med- tannins
-wow, there is a lot there and even in this format still has some years ahead of it, this is one of the few '07 CdPs in my opinion that has lived up to its hype in that it isn't ridiculously hot roasted or grossly imbalanced, while I still prefer cooler vintage old school CdP this is an '07 I can enjoy; really has evolved positively since the last time tasted 7 years ago
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2/2/2024 - zscheiner wrote:
Nope, not for me. Alcohol is obtrusive and makes the wine feel thin and hollow on the palate despite plenty of sweet (over)ripe red fruit. Amazing to read the diversity of notes below, I suspect it’s palate rather than bottle variation. The best thing I can say about this wine is that it smelled nice.
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1/3/2024 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 93 Points
I recently had 2 bottles. The first was good (minor fruit & slightly fading) but the second was great (huge black fruit flavors with smoky BBQ and spices). So I averaged to my score of 93. Cost $52 per bottle. Overall value is excellent.
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11/27/2023 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just a glorious rich CNdP!
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10/30/2023 - jrt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed on a camp out with friends while eating venison bourguignon. Amazing value and drinking youthfully 15 years in. There is a purity and freshness to this wine that makes it almost Burgundian at the cooler temperature at which we were drinking it. Fortunately I have many more bottles to enjoy over the years to come.
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10/23/2023 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Dark berries, sweet licorice, garrigue in the bouquet and on the palate. Good and fresh acidity and a great length. This was a pristine bottle which was still great on day 2.
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9/17/2023 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 90 Points
Big fruit bomb style - bit overblown
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9/16/2023 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Showing some brett and a little oxidation, esp compared to the Beaucastel '07 and the Vieux Donjon 14. Blind tasting my place
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12/10/2022 - Sperls Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yummy and more youthful than expected, rather fruity even. Almost a cherry nose on top of the normal Grenache white pepper and herbs, etc. medium finish. Nice w steak. Feels at its peak now but doesn’t seem like a rush to drink.
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4/23/2022 - Sperls Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent mature Grenache with big fruit, nice herbs, some prune and tar and some spice and beautiful nose and medium finish. At a good plateau but probably not getting better.
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4/19/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 96 Points
Glorious texture, mouth coating glycerine like feel, huge dark fruit, smooth as silk and long long finish of sweet dark fruit!!!!
So sad we have no more 🙁
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2/4/2022 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Rich full bodied Grenache. Slight fruit cake overtones. Drink soon
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1/31/2022 - rsbeck wrote:
Gave three bottles to McKenna.
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1/31/2022 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 87 Points
Bright raspberry and dark cherry flavors, dried herbs and black licorice aromas. Alas, it dies after the initial wave of simple fruit. Not complex at all. It seems more suitable as an aperitif than a wine to pair with food.
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1/16/2022 - Magnum PI Likes this wine: 93 Points
I enjoyed this bottle at The Oven East with the somm, Chad, along with my favorite Indian dinner of malai kofta and soup. I did not decant the bottle and although part of me wishes I had, it was ultimately not necessary. The bottle, initially somewhat tight and reticent, did open over an hour and reveal its potential. It was very interesting, and in my view enjoyable, to experience the evolution, and gave me what I believe to be some insight into the wine's aging potential.
Dark nose, hint of garrigue and raspberry, emerging dark cherry. Chad detected a slight hint of cocoa. The primary notes were mushroom, herbs, earth. Very savory, balanced, fully integrated and mature. Great nose throughout, enough acid, will keep a few more years before decline.
This is the best sub $50 bottle I have ever had.
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1/6/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good CMdP indeed!
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11/24/2021 - norsktorsk wrote:
this bottle is off. not TCA. not VINEGAR. NOT SURE. did not drink though let it sit for two days
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11/13/2021 - Anna@WineCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet coloured, rather pale. Pleasant, mature, medium intensity nose of mature dried fruit. Dry with a slight alcohol sweetness, medium(+) acidity, medium velvet tannins, medium body. Mature, still a lot of fruit. Raisins woven into complexity. Medium length with a bit sweetness and some heat in the finish. 14,5%, but well surrounded by fruit. Typical C9P with a lasting impression of complexity and elegance.
Holds well day two.
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8/29/2021 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Big fruitcake Grenache style. Drinking well. Full bodied
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7/17/2021 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amazing what time can do for a wine. Last bottle was four years ago, and its was hot, pruney, and overblown. This bottle? Fresh red Grenache fruit. No heat or alcohol notes to be found. Even seemed a little thin on the first glass, but it opened up and rounded out.
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7/3/2021 - Sperls wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Still pretty big and somewhat sweet with lots of herbs and tar. Just beginning to get some secondary characteristics. Good finish. Probably stays at this plateau for another 3-5+ years but unclear how much better it gets. Great value.
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4/5/2021 - jayw wrote:
This is on the more flamboyant side of Chateauneuf du Pape, with almost Port-like sweetness. Some savory notes, too, but not as much as I would like. The acidity helps. It didn't work with steak for dinner, so I tried it later with some Stilton cheese, which was a better pairing. Kind of like a Port lite. Drink now.
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4/2/2021 - Zweder wrote:
Special wine. A lot of sweetness, sweet licorice, celery and soy. Very ripe dark berries. Beside that also good acidity. The second day the wine had hardly changed. Still the same tertiary impressions and still pleasant acidity. In fact I finished the bottle. Nevertheless no score.
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2/28/2021 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still youthful fruit with fine tannins, unctuous raspberry notes with good dose of black licorice, pepper, red currants. Floral nose with raspberry, blackberry and herbal notes, particularly rosemary.
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12/12/2020 - btock wrote: 90 Points
Opened alongside a to-go cassoulet from one of our fav restaurants in the area. Rich purple coloring, consistent with a previous bottle more fruit than funk here. Rich palate and holding well. Have been concerned about '07s but this did well. My wife doesn't love CdP but she liked this more fruit forward profile. One more, will plan to enjoy in next year or two.
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10/3/2020 - EMichels wrote: 86 Points
Prism’s note of stewed fruit is spot on; This needs to be served well chilled to avoid blooming into pure brown sugar
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8/23/2020 - Thief Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fig, almond paste, and blackberry jam flavors. Tannins have softened and drinking great currently.
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7/7/2020 - prism wrote:
Drink by 2020 in my cellar; 3/1/2020-7/8/2020: Too old. Decanted for a couple of hours, but this has gotten more port-like and more stewed-fruity in the couple of years since my last bottle (which, in reviewing that note, I see that I should have closed this wine out two years ago; my bad). We switched to a 2007 Pegau Reserve C9P, which is another story.
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5/22/2020 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 85 Points
A bit disappointing -- old fashioned; a bit tired. Look forward to the next bottle to compare (1 left)
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5/11/2020 - jkoenen wrote: flawed
Volatile. Maderized. An undrinkable mess.
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5/5/2020 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
At home with my Dijon Chicken Burgers...looking for something with some spice/backbone to go along with them. I took BillyT's advice and decanted for 90 minutes, drank over 2
Dark purple/ruby color, no visible signs of age. Nose of red berry, cherry candy, fig, balsamic, underbrush. Rich and spicy palate of cherry, raspberry, mineral, baking spice, fruitcake, dried flowers. Full bodied, long and layered finish.
Really spectacular on this showing, probably what was envisioned for the 07 vintage when it was first rated. I think I paid $45 for these around release. For their entry level wine, this turned out great. Decant made a big difference, tight and less expressive when first opened...prior bottles were rated 90 and 92...this has gotten better with age...will go for a while if wanting to hold but worth a try now if you have a few
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4/17/2020 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Decant 1 hr minmum.
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3/20/2020 - davergny Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle from a 6-pack bought on release. Fruitcake, figs, and garrigue. A big, extracted wine from the ripe vintage, but still maintains some freshness and character. Probably best to drink up but would be interesting to see where this goes.
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3/12/2020 - tloir wrote: 85 Points
Beau nez complexe, viandé, figue, dattes, cerise au marasquin. Toute cette belle complexité est détruite en bouche par une chaleur alcoolique beaucoup trop forte. Du coup, fort court. Ne s'améliorera pas, à boire.
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2/17/2020 - CWilliam wrote:
Last of 6 bottles. Was good for the first hour and then it started to fall apart.
Medium red color. Fig, baked cherry, cinnamon & cherry cola on nose. On palate, similar flavor profile with ripe fruit and glycerin - medium+ body, medium acidity and tannins not noticeable. Given my prior notes on this I enjoyed this more than expected. 90+/- Drink up. Note to self- no more large purchases of CDPs in warm vintages unless drinking in the first 7-8 years post vintage.
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2/2/2020 - trayhumphrey Likes this wine:
Finish this up. I think it is past peak.
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12/29/2019 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Big rich fruitcake style. Quality CNDP. Long finish. Drinking well. A bit of sediment
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12/21/2019 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant despite the vintage....drinks best at 2-3 hours open.
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12/18/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious aged CdP. My next to last bottle of a case drank with braised pork shoulder. Dark fruits,, cassis, herbs, licorice, earth. Very concentrated with good balance.
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12/1/2019 - Mattebe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Just tasted three 07 CDP I had in the cellar. This one is tasting really good, best of the three. Nice balance and flavor. Interesting that this was the least expensive of the three. Not going to get any better, but has a bit of life left.
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11/10/2019 - john_s Likes this wine: 90 Points
Since trying it in 2014 it has moved on. The alcohol that I found a trifle noticeable then is a bit more noticeable now, but the flavours have matured and are very pleasing. It needs air. Lots of it. On the night we didn't feel like finishing it (it was unfairly alongside some beautiful 2014 Vosne), but next day it made a very satisfying breakfast (I'm trying to give up coffee and it was a more than acceptable substitute). Leave a few years and give it air! On balance, very interesting wine and enjoyable. A definite keeper.
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10/1/2019 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
19th of 24 bottles. Really drinking well. Love the kirsch and garrigue on this. Lavender too. Very long finish. Glad I have 5 more. No rush to drink these if they have been well stored.
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9/13/2019 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Monstrueux comme vin, bombe de cacao, café, sauge et autres herbes de Provence, manque un peu de finesse, mais à le corps d'un grand Ch9.
4/5
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9/10/2019 - Mario17 wrote:
Quel vin puissant, encore jeune, café et cacao avec aussi un côté clairement Grenache. C’est bon même à mon palais Bourguignon mais pas au point de me convertir
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8/29/2019 - z_willus_d wrote:
I found this bottle undrinkable, which is to say it didn't sit well with me. It had all the qualities you might expect from an overripe 2007 CdP that has had 17 years sideways. Its very tertiary, but those notes are what I couldn't stomach. I can understand how this is an exciting wine for some or perhaps many. I wish I could have gotten past the unsavories, but that allergic gag response.
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6/4/2019 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear. Medium garnet in color. Clean nose. Notes of dark fruits, black pepper, black olives, herbs du provence, lavender, leather, wet wool, wet stones. It is developing. On the palate it is dry with an enormous amount of fruit at the core that shows ripeness but no overdevelopment. Tannin is medium, acidity is medium plus, alcohol is medium+ but well integrated, body is full. It is of pronounced intensity with flavors of black berry compote, bramble and sweet black cherries. It is a bit jammy but there are no raisinated flavors. Some spiciness is perceived. Forest floor, some cedar and resinous notes as well. Oak is fairly neutral as there are no toast or smokey notes. There are also some savory, salty sea breeze notes. The texture is silky and the finish is of medium+ length. It can be drank now but has potential for aging. The quality level is very good.
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5/12/2019 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well. Plenty of kirsch, garrigue, etc.
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5/8/2019 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Final bottle of this. Great value. Still dark but the color looks more senior citizen than young buck. Garrigue and dried dark fruit on the nose. Still drinking very well since my last bottle a year ago. Plenty of life in this so no need to worry if you like your wine aged. Going to attack a rib eye in an hour with this by my side. Should be stellar. Good stuff. :)
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4/30/2019 - reeseling wrote: 90 Points
For some reason getting noticeable heat for a 14.5% wine. Fruit forward with some years left, but don't think it will improve. Good to go now.
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4/15/2019 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
This wine is all about fun and mature, sweet fruit (and a serious dose of alcohol). The color is still a deep crimson with lavish fruit and spice on the nose. There is a little rustic earthiness in the background but hard to discern with all fruit power surrounding it. There is maturity on the palate and the vibrancy on the back end just keeps it from being too much (just barely). Full throttle for sure. A crowd pleaser. Not something I would choose to drink often but on occasion why not? I’d say drink this if you have it. (90)
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3/30/2019 - VoVo Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is delicious. It has many tertiary characteristics that are expressing themselves right now. We detected the soy that others discussed, but it is pleasant and not dominant. Leather, tobacco and red fruits on the nose, mouth, and finish. We filtered it and it threw a small amount of sediment. Decanted for approximately 30 minutes, which was perfect. It does have lovely notes of lavender and other herbs as well. If your bottle is well stored (ours was) you can get a couple more years out of it. If not, drink it sooner.
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3/12/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Towards the end of my case of this great QPR CdP. PnP. Delicious dark fruits, licorice and some spiciness. Very balanced with plenty of acidity. Drink or hold. I have been enjoying this wine for 10 years and I can't recall a single bottle that disappointed.
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3/1/2019 - Grinner wrote: 90 Points
PNP in a hotel room, at least we had good glasses. It did not take long to open in that glass. More savory notes than fruit = my expectations. Garrigue, leather, soy, balsamic, kelp and some earth sitting on the dark cherry liqueur. On plateau, now-2020.
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2/19/2019 - starrynight Likes this wine: 89 Points
Oooh! Still quite some heat, and tasted big and sweet! Would have been nice with some stew or a big steak, but we opened this at the tail end of dinner, sadly
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2/2/2019 - Zweder wrote:
In the bouquet coffee, chocolate, celery, soy and impressions of couching syrup. On the palate the same. Good acidity and a lot of sweetness. There are still some very ripe dark berries, but the tertiary impressions are dominating. Still a pleasure, but probably wise to drink up.
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1/21/2019 - Heynetty wrote:
Wine Dojo - Rhone Rangers (Annette's House): TASTED BLIND
A: Dark garnet with sediment
N: Pronounced nose. SMOKED MEAT, black pepper, rosemary and garrigue, cooked strawberry compote, blueberry, leather, plum, dried rose petals, liquorice candy, earth, wet leaves.
P: Dry, high acid, high tannin (ripe), high alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity and long finish.
C: The nature of the fruit is getting on for dried and the other tertiaries are on the rise. Drink now. BLIC? This has ticks in all categories and so Outstanding Quality. I didn't know that I liked CDPs till I had this one. Perhaps I just like older ones.
Glad that I got the telltale cooked strawberries that Steph said was a marker for CDPs.
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12/27/2018 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Good, not great, but plenty of ripe cherry syrup fruit, fat, cough syrupy in a good way, classic bigger CdP with very silky glycerin mouth, touch of herbs, not much, good age on this now, potent. Did not check alc. level. Enjoyable and a good precurser to the '77 Port. With turkey and mashed potatoes, MDKN. Mayb 91, was actually quite good.
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12/20/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Fantastic nose of Provençal herbs. In a really good place. Balanced. Lots of balsam, herbs, garrigue, melded with the cherry fruits. Rather refined and harmonious.
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11/26/2018 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 90 Points
PNP, drank over two nights. Savory red fruit and earthy aromatics. Savory red fruit flavors with pepper, herb, and cocoa notes. Texture is a tad thin, but the wine has held up well.
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11/21/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good. Harmonious. Integrated. Excellent QPR. Plenty of garrigue and Provençal herbs.
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10/13/2018 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 89 Points
On the nose: Soil, dark berries, plum, blue berry
On the palate: Blue berry, soil, plum, sweet fruit. Fine acidity
Medium + finish
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10/11/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle is showing some maturity with the fruit slightly subdued. Plummy, harmonious. Still has plenty of Provençal herbs, garrigue and fennel. Tannins and acids are softening. Fairly long finish. 9 bottles left.
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8/5/2018 - Wolfde wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed with grilled steak with gremolata, garden potatoes and greek style salad. Beautiful nose of herbs, flowers and dark fruit. Excellent balance of tannins, fruits, mineral and chocolate and floral notes. It had enough acidity to cut through the richness of the meal without detracting from the other flavors. Medium finish. Improved the longer it was open.
A little surprised that others didn't rate it more highly, but everyone has their own preferences.
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6/30/2018 - CHINACAT wrote: 92 Points
Ripe dark fruits, rich, silky and balanced. In a very good place and should be there for a while longer. A fine entry level CNP and a good value.
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6/25/2018 - mpenzi divai Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich spicy wine, very much blackberry/black cherry to my palate with definite notes of leather and "sous-bois". Full in the mouth with a long finish. Seems to be in a good point in its development, with no hints of decline. Nice acid/soft tannin balance. Delicious.
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6/23/2018 - mtred Likes this wine: 90 Points
needs time to open up, then it is drinking nice now
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6/9/2018 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 92 Points
Big fruit cake style. Opens up well with a bit of time decanted.
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5/12/2018 - EdwardsCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
dark purple color with fresh earthy notes on the nose but not overpowering. subtle spices and leather with mild tannins paired well with smoked baby back ribs.
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5/12/2018 - starrynight Likes this wine: 90 Points
Maybe the bottle was a little warm when first opened, but boy was it spicy! That seemed to blow off after a while, leaving silky tannins, a little mint(?) and plum / plum skins on the palate.
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3/28/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich and delicious. In a really good place. Glad I have more. Age is being kind to this wine. It has softened a bit and is lovely.
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3/17/2018 - mugginsthedog wrote:
Just the right side of ripe... In fact rather smooth and elegant. Enjoyable.
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3/4/2018 - CADomer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking quite well right now. Bright red fruit, smoky chaparral, and an undertone of darker blue tones and salinity.
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2/24/2018 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Dark, typical purple. Dark berries, hint of licorice, and some herbs on the nose. Big fruit on the palate with some nice tannins and a bit of acidity too. Can go longer, but very nice now.
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2/3/2018 - prism wrote:
Slow O’d for an hour. As before: sweet and fruit forward, somewhat rustic, but seemed far more advanced than 18 months ago. Almost port-like, but not stewed or pruned. A nice bottle—last night’s pairing was pot roast and mashed potatoes, which worked well—but I would say drink up within a year or so, as I don’t see this improving.
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1/9/2018 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
(Old note - tasting date not accurate) Many ups and downs; Blunted when opened but opened up nicely after decanting about 20 minutes; Had another dumb phase after about an hour but then delivered its most interesting expression with a soft attack followed by a very complex thing at the back of the throat and a finish that last ages; Port-like qualifies
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12/13/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Seamless and delicious. Red fruits, Provençal herbs, fennel, a tiny bit of bitterness on the finish. Harmonious and long. Fantastic QPR.
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7/1/2017 - starrynight wrote: 88 Points
All your usual CdP notes - cassis, red currants. Definitely a big wine which needed some time in the decanter. I detected a mint aftertaste!
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4/26/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious! Lovely nose of garrigue and Provençal herbs. This is a big wine with a lot going on. Love the complexity on this. Long finish. No rush to drink these as they will hold a long time.
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4/20/2017 - Stevere Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine has good potential, but needs more time.
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4/9/2017 - ajbergren wrote: 91 Points
Ruby garnet and slightly amber rim with medium plus to high optical density, very high reflectivity. Very intense nose, with aromatics that soar out of the glass. Volatile compounds, strawberry, forest brush, and savory herbs swirl around one another. Very powerful but delicate at the same time, with some floral character to the aromas. Full, rich palate, with high body and medium acidity. Very dry and fully resolved tannins provide for a plush, hedonistic texture. The flavours of strawberry and slightly stewed fruits (plum and dark berries) are intense on the attack. Rich and fruity midpalate, with some support from herbs and smokey spices. The heat does come on in the final transition to a medium plus length and intense finish of black licorice and spicy grilled fruits. There is a lot going on here, with really nice complexity and intensity. Not over the top by any means, but a nice big wine. Perhaps the alcohol is just a bit out of balance, but all-in-all, it somehow works, providing for a delicious and easy to drink wine that is powerful even so.
This is a good value-driven and complex wine. Probably very near peak at the moment, it is ready to drink now, and would go very well with grilled hamburgers or savory meat dishes. Very nice wine here!
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4/7/2017 - Jurgens wrote: 90 Points
Ready to drink
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2/3/2017 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
The bottle last night was really excellent. This wine continues to develop and improve. The fruit has become more elegant as more secondary nuances emerge. I think I drank most of my case too soon.
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1/11/2017 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-nearly opaque dark red no bricking
-alcoholic burnt red fruit with an underlying mineral streak
-med- acidity, med/med+ weight, caramel prunes sweet dark red fruit, lot of heat on long-ish finish
-thick sweet hot, needs several more years to come around (if it ever will)
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1/2/2017 - ajbergren wrote: 91 Points
Ruby garnet with very high optical density, high reflectivity, and an amber-tinged rim. Strong nose, with ripe plums, bramble, and herb-littered dark stewed fruits. Very rich and full-bodied on the palate with a hedonistic texture that carries a lot of density and concentration. Medium minus acidity and soft back-end tannins that melt the coating on the palate toward the finish. Flavours of good depth and intensity, showing plums and dark concentrated blueberry and cassis on the attack. Butter-melted with herbs add in on the midpalate, providing an additional layer of flavours over the dark brooding fruit, where some lifted aromatics provide interest. The finish is of boiled and warm jam, with richness and some alcohol burn.
This is a rich and flavourful wine, that will perhaps be over-ripe to some, but I find it itsn't totally over the top- just peeking at it. Good layers and complexity, and very nice to drink alone or with food. Seems to be drinking very well- here is a really nice wine with some age to it that stays fresh, but has interesting secondary notes also. Balanced, with only the alcohol as a possible outlier. Overall, this is a nice wine that many will enjoy for a variety of reasons- for it is easy to drink, but complex; very ripe, but still with elegance; fresh and bold, but aged into grace and power. Great value wine that would be a perfect and probably welcome entry into CdP. Nice!
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12/20/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 86 Points
Jammy and in need of some acid. Also a little Alc laden. I have one left and may give it away to someone who enjoys amped up wines. ALC 14.5%, drinks more like 16%.
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12/18/2016 - starrynight Likes this wine: 89 Points
Jammy, with a bit of Vegemite on the bouquet
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11/17/2016 - EhrlichDY wrote: 90 Points
This wine has not changed much over five years. It's still hanging on with big ripe flavors and aromatics. It's mid weight on the palate which prevents it from being overbearing. No tannin to speak of. Drink now.
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10/7/2016 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
DTC Chateauneuf du Pape (@ SS): Beautiful and typical C9duP bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits and wonderful garrigue. On the palate a pleasant sweet start with dark forest fruits, garrigue, juicy acidity and mild tannin. I enjoyed the wine, but several thought the sweetness was a bit too much. My score: 91 – 92.
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9/24/2016 - CHINACAT wrote: 90 Points
Plenty of ripe dark fruit, slightly rustic, nice balance, and some remaining structure. This has several years of life ahead of it. A very good entry level CNP.
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8/27/2016 - prism wrote: 92 Points
Opened three bottles of C9P for a birthday meal with 14 diners. 2008 Saint-Cosme, 2007 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf, 2003 Le Vieux Donjon. All excellent. Some preferred the Usseglio, the sweetest and most fruit-forward of the trio; others, including me, preferred the LVD, finding it to be the most savory and deepest, in both color and texture. Others preferred the Saint-Cosme as just the right balance of fruit and savory, but lightest on its feet.
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8/24/2016 - BillyRayValentine wrote: 87 Points
Nice wine but a bit grapey and hot.
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7/24/2016 - Tannic Monster wrote: 88 Points
There is a dominant singed leather and damp earth element on the nose. Dried mushrooms, tart cherries, cranberry, and cola notes come through to the palate. It's not very inviting for the next sip.
I'll let it breathe a few hours and see if it gets any better.
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7/16/2016 - Jurgens wrote: 92 Points
Very nice and get to drink now
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7/4/2016 - jseibert Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Deep purple fruit, but not focused enough to distinguish. Slightly overly acidic on the finish. Good but not outstanding.
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6/27/2016 - barryjkeller@gmail.com Does not like this wine:
Was a week ago. What I remember was this overly sued prunes and almost port like. Didn’t enjoy at all. Cant see time helping. Have loved Usseglio in the past - an odd bottle ?
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6/26/2016 - ajbergren wrote: 92 Points
Rich ruby with high optical density and slight brown tinge at the rim. Medium intensity and complexity nose, with garrigue, strawberry and other red berries, earthy forest, plum, and truffle. Medium to medium plus acidity, full body, and dry with fully integrated tannins, it has a dense texture that is not overwhelming, but is palate-coating, and just a hint of alcohol on the back end that while noticeable, is much more controlled than many Southern Rhone wines. Flavours of red berry compote and brushy herbal spices on the attack, with a full midpalate that brings in some more exotic spices, (a bit dried) plum, and earth, along with some aromatic compounds. The finish lingers, showing extract of forest brush and light aromatic herbal spice. Lots of layers and complexity here, but yet is easy to drink. Very nice wine, drinking extremely well, and with high QPR. Excellent!
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6/24/2016 - rickspicks wrote: flawed
Totally corked - ugh!
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2/26/2016 - gwkozar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red. Decanted for 30min. Black cherry and dark fruits, slightly pruney but not overwhelming. Midweight, short finish. Very enjoyable. Good qpr.
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2/19/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Based on a bottle that I drank over 4 years ago, I opened this one for braising short ribs. It is a great cooking wine, but a small taste showed a marked improvement over that first bottle. Lots of CdP spice, but a little pruney, and not what I look to drink. Maybe time will firm this up. We'll see since I have 3 more bottles.
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1/16/2016 - Munch Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine is in a good place right now. Soft and open but still with nice primary cherry and dark berry fruit and some garrigue. Would score higher if not fr some slightly stewed and pruned notes. A big wine with medium finish. not sure if time might improve on thepat last part but a nice drink now.
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1/8/2016 - ajbergren wrote: 92 Points
Dark red with high optical density and a very slightly browning rim. Huge, intense, and complex nose, with brambly brush (and dried leaves from same), dark, stewed fruits (plum/prune), cedar, and aromatic flowers. Hits the palate with fresh acidity (medium to medium plus), full body, and smooth texture with medium intensity but well integrated tannins. Flavours of dark cherry and berries lead off the flavours, with underlying hints of brambles and leaf spices. The mid-palate begins to show stewed fruit and pie crust flavours and is quite good in intensity before bringing in the leaf spices and crunchy dried forest floor on top of strawberries. The finish is lengthy and aromatic in nature, which does somewhat emphasize the heat, but there is enough flavour to make this seem like part of the experience rather than a stand-out. Very nicely concentrated without being jammy, and dense with flavours that are nicely layered, but does have a good amount of stewed/dried fruits. Overall, excellent wine, and a pretty good value!
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11/20/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a wonderful entry level CdP. Delicious and fairly priced. Still have 4 to go from mycase.
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11/9/2015 - thalver wrote:
drinking well...has come into better balance....to nitpick, a little hot, but not off-putting......not a lot of tertiary development
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11/9/2015 - Vinomarcus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Started very earthy, mushrooms and loam, then slowly evolved to show a nice cherry core. A touch disjointed but came together nicely with decanting. Very nice wine overall.
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11/6/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
At our house with Fran & Fran for dinner, drank after a Russian River Pinot. Paired with a Salmon/pesto and my mushroom risotto with white truffle oil. Wine was decanted for 90 minutes, drank over an hour.
Consistent with prior notes: "Medium purple/velvet color...Palate was dark fruits, candied cherry and raspberry, dried herbs, cedar, spice and pepper. The pepper spice and garrigue came through..."
These bottles seemed better/richer than prior tastings. Usseglio is a reliable CdP producer. Nice wine from a good vintage that's in a good spot right now. Really great wine with Fall flavors/foods...
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10/7/2015 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is drinking very well. Plenty of garrigue, lavender and anise on the nose. Almost velvety in the mouth. Dominated by the garrigue with an underlying core of sweet intense cherry fruit. Big wine, lots of glycerin and a long finish. Stunning value for money. I only paid $27 for this. 13 more bottles to go. No rush.
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9/27/2015 - btock Likes this wine: 91 Points
A plush CdP, nice round edges. Another taster commented on cherry notes and I agree with that. A CdP that non-CdP drinkers can like, including my wife! Good balance, not a simple wine but not a challenging flavor profile (i.e. lower on the funk index). Was very nice with the pork ribs dish and the dry rub played well off the fruit and acid core. I would drink this again with things coming off the grill, it isn't a wine than needs tons of contemplation.
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9/13/2015 - jzolkowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
possibly at its height
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9/10/2015 - camben Likes this wine:
Dark berries, deep spice, a hint of yeast. always great
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8/24/2015 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Juicy, ripe raspberry flavors. Spicy bouquet and long in the finish.
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8/20/2015 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is really drinking well. We had two more lovely bottles tonight. Plenty of garrigue and fennel. Cherry fruit. Fairly complex.
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8/9/2015 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really in its drinking window. We had 2 lovely bottles of this and everyone was happy!
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7/27/2015 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
very silky on the palate with copious raspberry and blackberry flavors. On verge of turning corner from bright to ripe. Nuances of black pepper, licorice and forest floor. Fine tannins give hope for more aging, but I like it where it currently is.
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7/13/2015 - pryby wrote: 88 Points
Some berries and garrigue on the nose, but also some alcohol. A bit hot at first taste. Tannins are mostly gone, leaving a an inoffensive if a bit flabby wine.
Finish veers from grape to baked raisins to prune.
Drink now - not much left in my view.
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7/5/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez spectaculaire de romarin, de confiture de fraises, de kirsch.
La bouche est ronde et charnue, puissante mais bien équilibrée. C'est savoureux, plein, avec une belle complexité. Impressionnant! Superbe rapport q-p. 92 pts
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7/3/2015 - CWilliam wrote:
Lots of bottle variation with this one - 1 bottle was hot and undrinkable - this one was very nice. 91+ Dark black color & throwing a fair amount of sediment. Blackberry, fig, garrigue on nose. On palate, blackberry, black raspberry, black licorice with full body, medium acidity and medium+ finish. Enjoyable with grilled BBQ chicken. Enjoyed by everyone at dinner.
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6/24/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Un nez épicé et parfumé de fruit rouge et de viande grillée.
La bouche est pleine, ample et très savoureuse. Un vin à point, authentique et bien typé. qui se livre très bien. Il m'a laissé une bien meilleure impression que ma dernière. Excellent! 91
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5/7/2015 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and let breathe for an hour and then drank over the following 2 hours. A nose of dark fruits and provincial herbs leads way to a full bodied palate with black raspberry and pepper flavors that echo on the finish.
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3/10/2015 - gwkozar wrote:
Cork broke into bottle, so decanted for 30 minutes.
Medium purple color. Nose is spicy, subtle nose of herbs.
Palate was dark fruits, cream, herbs. After an hour, pepper and more herbs came through.
waiting for the 2nd night tastes from the decanter.
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3/4/2015 - Dale B. Does not like this wine:
Hot, roasted, undrinkable.
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2/18/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
Bright, vibrant nose, kirsch and blueberry pancakes. On the palate there's great cherry fruit, dark plums, touches of ink and mocca. Big wine, still young, not too hot of heavy.
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1/30/2015 - barryjkeller@gmail.com wrote:
Very nice. Still young. Dark fruit and chocolate stands out. A bit of heat which I hoped would reduce - didn't. drank over 3 days. 2nd day better, 3rd day very oxidised. Leave next bottle until 2017 (late). Still developing as still needs to open up a bit.
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1/11/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
First bottle from this stash. Beef stew with carmelized onion and thyme with grilled onion naan was the pairing, worked well with Rhone. First bottle from this stash, decanted about 45 minutes, drank over two hours.
Medium purple/velvet color. Nose is spicy, some funk when first opened (a good sign with Rhone wines). Would describe it as a soft fruit and aromatic nose.
Palate was dark fruits, candied cherry and raspberry, dried herbs, cedar, spice and pepper. The pepper spice and garrigue came through more after an hour.
Usseglio is a reliable CdP producer. Hard to say where this is, these bottles have been well stored and seemed to be in a good zone, not in any decline as other tasters have noted. Nice wine from a good vintage thats enjoyable now...would drink over next 5-7 years.
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12/16/2014 - paul clark wrote:
Cassis, prune, fennel, black truffle and a bit of VA / acetone. Alcohol comes out as the wine airs. A floral element is there but it is overwhelmed by the sharp tone of varnish. The wine is relatively broad on the palate but it is a bit harsh and bitter.
Things move to a bit of agrume (écorces d'oranges confites au chocolat - orange peel that is cooked in sugar and then dipped in chocolate). The wine is passable on its own but it struggles with food as it doesn't compliment but rather fights with other flavours.
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11/16/2014 - wineduggery Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Satisfying initial attack of fruits and spice, but after that it's all prune, all the time. Has a certain elegance with food, but I'm not a fan of the hot climate profile.
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10/22/2014 - bmr67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Essentially pop and pour. More time. Dark and a bit brooding. Rich but may need to find some balance. Slightly meaty but not heavy; dark fruit keeping in check. Will see how it evolves in a year or two.
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10/21/2014 - Jurgens wrote: 92 Points
Keep some years
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10/10/2014 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 88 Points
Opened this magnum alongside a Colonial Exile 3L, and this was refined in comparison, although a bit candied. Comparison: coco crisp.
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10/3/2014 - beekeeper wrote: 90 Points
Tannins resolved. Big, broad. Decant. A touch of pruney character but not in a over the hill way. Would drink within the next 3-5 years.
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9/30/2014 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, spicy nose. There's a light touch on the palate -- briefly concentrated, somewhat fleeting. Elegant and slightly stewed fruit, spice, cedar, earth, extremely polished tannins. Very pleasant, drinkable -- but drinks a touch hot. I agree that this wine is not for the long haul.
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9/27/2014 - d'Artagnan wrote: 89 Points
Un beau nez expressif dès l’ouverture. Garrigue, dattes, confiture de fraises
Le vin a la richesse du millésime, son fruit sucré, il a développé une belle rondeur et l’alcool est bien intégré. Il manque un peu de structure, mais les arômes persistent, sur les épices et la réglisse noire.
Les tanins sont complètement fondus, je ne crois pas qu’il fera de très vieux os. Joli vin prêt à boire, même si c’est une relative déception: Il impressionnait davantage à sa sortie en 2009. J’ai aussi un meilleur souvenir du 2001 à pareil âge. 89 pts
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9/17/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
A very nice wine that is drinking at peak. Popped and poured, it's ripe, OK, very ripe, soft and aromatic, but it is not an ager. I'm going to drink my bottles over the next 2-3 years. This is going to fade quickly.
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9/12/2014 - pomelo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ce vin a bien évolué et pour le mieux. Une belle robe rubis moyen qui ne montre toujours pas de signes d'évolution. Le nez montre du fruit noir, du pruneau, du kirsch et de l'anis. L'attaque en bouche est très agréable. Les tannins quoiqu'encore présents sont bien intégrés à l'ensemble. L'alcool qui était dérangeant il y a deux ou trois ans est à peine perçu en finale. Une très belle bouteille très agréable à boire.
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8/18/2014 - camben Likes this wine: 93 Points
Upon opening this wine had a yeasty funk. That is a good sign from this area. 40 minutes In, wonderfully youthful. Raspberry and the whole gamut of herbs, French, dried, and wonderful. I will not touch my last 2 for some time. Give this wine time in the glass to flesh out. Very animal from the get go.
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8/16/2014 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank with Rib-eye steak dinner. Very nice bottle as usual. Cant go wrong with this wine. Great QPR.
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8/6/2014 - Ibetian wrote: 80 Points
Popped and poured. My wife, who is not a wine geek like me but has a fine palate, identified this blind as a C du P that she did not like. The nose and palate screamed "prune juice!" We drank some of this but also poured some down the drain and opened a different bottle.
Only bottle I have of this producer. Not a bad thing, IMO.
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7/7/2014 - john_s wrote: 88 Points
Appearance: Showing transparency, but still fairly deep. Not showing a lot of age.
Nose is very Châteauneuf. Ripe and grenache. It's rare for me to see the provençal herbs often reported, but I can in this one. It's on the way to a complex tertiary stage, but not really there yet. To me, the colour indicates there's a way to go.
Palate is very pleasing up front. There's still some tannin, slightly hard in the way of a lot of these wines. I like to see some, but it will be a while before it reduces to my taste. I can understand those who see excessive alcohol in this wine. The aftertaste of dry tannin seems exaggerated by the alcohol. But I think there's enough acid to save the day in the medium/long term.
I think it's tricky to pick the ideal time to drink these wines. This one will take a few years. I'm pleased to notice that the last bit left in the glass seems better balanced, and I think this bodes well for the next bottle, probably in 3 years.
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6/27/2014 - Edclr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delicious CDP. Nicely balanced, classic CDP flavors, fully mature. Finish ok. Good value.
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5/27/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 65 Points
Wow, I don't think I've ever tasted such a disaster in a bottle. Burnt tar, prunes, wickedly fumy, and an oxidative note to kick things over the cliff into the smouldering refuse pile. Perverse.
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4/18/2014 - clairenclarence wrote: 92 Points
pop n pour.tight.masculine gd structure.gd ripeness of fruits(sweet rich red fruits dominate here).decent intensity.mineral.with air more liqourice.conclusion:stil young.nd at least few years to reach maturity.highly recommend if the price is in between $$50 US.can b better with complexity
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3/8/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
For my taste, this wine is just starting to hit its stride. A bunch of the over the top fruit bomb aspect is fading and the garrigue, anise and complexity are moving to the fore.
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2/20/2014 - RayOB wrote: 90 Points
Drank at Davy's
Lot's of black cherry and plumb but lacking some complexity.
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2/12/2014 - CWilliam wrote: 90 Points
Has improved from 2011 but I was a little generous in my score then. Garrigue, blackberry, black cherry on nose. On palate, glycerin, black cherry, plum, black licorice with medium acidity, and medium+ finish. Enjoyed this more than 2011 but less than I did in 2009 - very big, modern style CDP. Not a rebuy but enjoyable. 90-91 range.
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1/24/2014 - mcsac67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium ruby in color. Red fruits and anise on the nose. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, anise and garrigue, with a bit of smoky dryness. Crisp, clean and balanced CdP with integrated tannins and smooth texture. Very nice.
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12/1/2013 - blanquito wrote: 75 Points
In the name of science, I cracked one of these. Sipping (carefully) on it right now.
I kinda liked it in May 2011, served lightly chilled, but I did get some vodkaesque notes. Let's see what it shows two and half years later...
Leaping lizards, this is rocket fuel! There's jammy raspberry and Grenachey aromas with a hint of heat, but it is the palate that's ridiculously boozy and hot. The finish actually burns. Seriously. It's not especially sweet and the body is fairly lithe, but that booze! It really tastes more like a cordial or a cosmo cocktail than wine.
It was a long devolution, but it was the 2007 southern Rhones that finally killed any remaining credibility certain critics held in my book.
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11/23/2013 - sirwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a beautiful wine, but it reminds me too much of a new world wine -- jammy, sweet fruit in the mouth. I like it a lot, but want more spice andl ayers.
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11/22/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is deep and complex. Nicely balanced. Big fruit without being overpowering and no noticeable heat on the finish. Plenty of anise here. Excellent value for money.
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11/17/2013 - pjaines Likes this wine:
Sometimes, when the nights are getting colder and darker, all you need is a big, strapping hearty wine and this basically ticks every single box - plump, ripe and curvy with sweet, juicy fruit - but then there is the complexity and the sexy tannins. Very open straight from the off, with raspberry, fruit compote and black fruits - some garrigue in there and a delicate, sweet finish. This has the guts for some long term ageing but it is going to be hard to resist when it tastes this good.
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11/13/2013 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #083; Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 vs 2007 (By AH): Beautiful bouquet with herbs and spices, cherries, blackberries and some chocolate. On the palate the same with fine acidity, pleasant sweetness and soft bitterness. Very harmonious. The wine presented itself beautifully this evening. It evolved quite quickly in the glass, so I wonder about expectations for the future. Should open one of my own bottles soon.
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11/4/2013 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
pop and pour
dark red-black colour
masses of ripe dark berry fruit, herbs, cooking chocolate, savory beef reduction.
full bodied, round tannins, med acidity, jammy, cooking chocolate, long finish.
can further age several years.
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10/27/2013 - BayAreaWildcat wrote: 91 Points
Mass of purple fruit. Probably needs another 4-5 years to let the secondary notes come through and let the primary bold fruit subside.
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10/21/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
One writer said that this wine is a mass of velvety grenache fruit. I agree with that, but I would say that it is also wrapped in a bunch of provencal herbs including anise. This is a big, rich wine, but it has some interesting complexity and a long finish. This may even get better from here. The fruit, acids and complexity carry the alcohol in this wine. I am writing this after having just had a glass of the 2004 Sine Qua Non Poker Face Syrah which is truly a fruit bomb of intense Syrah, but it doesn't have the complexity of this wine.
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10/14/2013 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Perfect party wine. Full of fruit, mouth-coating, yet in balance enough to support a hearty fall menu. Had some mineral complexity, but really this wine is a velvety mass of Grenache fruit. (90)
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10/13/2013 - EhrlichDY wrote: 91 Points
Similar impression as December 2012
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9/27/2013 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Great depth; Solid; Long; Good fruit; Strangely - gingersnaps; Nice structure
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8/29/2013 - KPB Does not like this wine: 86 Points
This wine baffles me. On release I really liked it. But by now... Blah. And from a very cold cellar, and a normal importer who takes great care of bottles in shipment. Very dark, with a roasted nose of prunes, walnuts, noticeable VA. Richly flavored but like a sweet yet dull port, flabby. Short, hot finish. Why did I like it?
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8/12/2013 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Solid bottle; Good fruit; Medium body; Chocolate and raspberries; Nice finish
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7/2/2013 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Nice bottle; Rich with great balance; Not mind bending but straight up enjoyable; Mild pleasant nose; Round raspberry; Solid finish; Nice definition
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5/25/2013 - rap wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body with a long finish - Vg. 93 PTs. Tart cherry and long happy finish
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4/9/2013 - jfpwine wrote: 92 Points
Did not decant. Nice leather nose. Pepper on the pale with a very smooth body. We liked it.
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2/13/2013 - Philippe_C wrote: 89 Points
At pop and pour: metalic and old dust nose... taste awful alcohol and light fruit...
After 2 hours: powerful nose of macerated black cherries jam and salty black licorice, still a hint of alcohol... taste of ripe red cherries, almost sweet, very high refreshing acidity, still a hint of alcohol
To me the wine has just finished it's primary fruit phase, and is now entering gradually in the tertiary flavors... I wouldn't touch this wine for the next 3-5 years, the time that it competely integrates with tetiary flavours
Rated 89+/100 now... and potentially 95/100 in 5 years
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2/9/2013 - Eric Guido wrote: 86 Points
The nose shows masses of ripe dark berry fruit, herbs, sweet spices, savory beef reduction and the slightest hint of heat. On the palate, it was round and full with jammy red berries and mulling spice that lasted through the long, palate staining finish.
The 2007 vintage has seriously left it's mark on this wine. It continues to show such overripe and jammy features with a mark of heat. This was my last bottle and in a way, I'm happy it's all gone.
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2/7/2013 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for an hour. It opened up more and more over a 3 hour period. It became quite fruity and smooth at the end. Very nice.
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12/27/2012 - EhrlichDY wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. At five years this wine has shed its baby fat and is sporting an elegant middle weight palate with little tannin. Classic Chateauneuf kirsch and bramble on the palate. Cherry fruit and rock candy on the palate has gained some additional pitch with time as well. I'm not sure if this has the stuffing for the long haul. However, it's pure pleasure to drink right now. Drink over the next five years.
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12/22/2012 - rsbeck wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour. This has a lot going for it. The fruit here is not over-ripe to my palate. The ripeness level is very reasonable and the wine has some admirable complexity. The problem, for me, is that there isn't enough fruit, tannin, etc. to off-set the alcohol. The alcohol is just too prominent for me right now.
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12/15/2012 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
Excellent Châteauneuf au nez d'anis étoilé, de viande et de fruits noirs. Bouche encore tannique, sérieuse, menant vers une finale longue et épicée, légèrement chaleureuse.
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12/14/2012 - gzim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice showing. No formal notes, but a bit lighter and more feminine that the '05's, but had a nice red berry finish / light garrigue finish. Too bad it was my last '07
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11/25/2012 - Jurgens wrote: 88 Points
Avarage
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11/23/2012 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
From memory this was delicious especially for a wine at this price point
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11/23/2012 - Rechrom wrote: 86 Points
Dark fruit and nice nose, but palate hot and out of balance with raisin notes. Not unpleasant, just not very good and worse than in its youth as the fruit has faded to leave some heat behind.
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11/6/2012 - KPB wrote: flawed
In 2009 I loved this wine. Today, let's hope this more recent experience was just a closed or bad bottle (and it could have been, I suppose). No specific flaw, but the wine came off as strident and hot, disjointed in a very assertive way. A bit overripe. My 3-year old TN is hard to relate to this recent bottle... I won't score it in the hope that the bottle is just off.
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10/27/2012 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Enormous, very eveolved nose of animal, brown sugar, almost sweet... in the mouth, pure ripe fruit, black cherries, bacon fat, very very long aftetaste, almost sweet and fresh
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10/20/2012 - ews3 wrote: 84 Points
I found this dull and boring. fruit was a bit muted. not a flawed bottle, but not a great showing for this wine
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9/30/2012 - thalver wrote:
much better than the last bottle which was slightly corked....big..plenty there, but not real forthcming.......opened up after a bit, but I get the sense this might be a bit closed
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9/30/2012 - pomelo wrote: 91 Points
Très beau C9P. Sur le fruit noir et la cerise, la réglisse. Tannins moins agressifs que la dernière fiole. Belle longueur. À laisser vieillir encore 4 ou 5 ans
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9/14/2012 - madflyfisher wrote:
Decanted briefly. Dark and quite dense colour in the glass. The nose a bit tight but opening up slowly. Blackberry the most evident, and somewhat alcoholic nose too. The palate comprised of intense dark fruit flavours. Blackberry again. The alcohol evident but not tarnishing the wine. Intense, extracted vintage resulting in a tad more "clumsy" wine than a typical vintage from Usseglio. I would give the remaining 4 bottles more cellar time. I guess dinking window could be from 2014 onwards.
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9/1/2012 - theeb wrote:
Extrem konzentriert auch nach Dekantieren. So würzig, dass es richtig scharf wirkt. Enorm viel Alkohol spürbar. Hoffentlich beruhigt sich der Wein in den nächsten Jahren noch. Jetzt ist er zu extrem.
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8/13/2012 - steffenpelz wrote:
This is more like it. While this is still big and fruit forward, it doesn't show heat on the finish and isn't Frankenstein-esque. Dark color, blackberry and plum fruit all the way. Black licorice, spice, and some earth. Finishes well and goes great with lamb burgers, sausages, and side dishes loaded with flavor. Recommended.
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8/7/2012 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 81 Points
Candied on opening, a bit better after an hour. Tasted over two nights. Not too good on the second night. I don't know if this will improve.
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8/6/2012 - winemaker wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well now. Should drink well for years. Plenty of cherry/grenache fruit and garrigue. Fresh and long. Really tasty. Hard to stop drinking this one. Second bottle of two cases. Very smooth, well integrated for only being five years old.
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7/18/2012 - thalver wrote:
very slightly corked.
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7/2/2012 - madflyfisher wrote:
Nice but slightly closed nose. Could use some decanting. On the palate som licorice very dominating, blackberries too. Alightly too extracted and alcoholic. Not like Usseglios I have previously tasted.
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6/24/2012 - carlturcotte wrote: 91 Points
Good value. In the good drinking window with some aeration. Black cherries, licorice, smoke, well balanced and integrated. Just slightly too extracted and alcoolic to obtain a better score.
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6/13/2012 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
Did not take notes. Decent but muted nose of dark fruits, earth and smoke. Super smooth, almost silky texture with a medium body and great balance. Ripe, almost bright fruit flavors dominated by cherry along with some licorice and perhaps a touch of garrigue. Overall, enjoyable and very approachable now with some upside over the next couple of years.
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6/6/2012 - Wink wrote: 90 Points
Opaque dark garnet. Nose of smoke, licorice, leather, and dark fruit. Spicy palate of cherry, blackberry, fig, licorice, and hoisin. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Really, realy good CdP. Drinking well now, but has the structure to last and last.
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5/28/2012 - Gobi wrote: 89 Points
An exaggerated wine, almost bordering on being fake. An incredibly dark inky color with intense purple rims. The nose shows aromas of Welch grape soda, blackberry jam, licorice, dark chocolate, violets, and incense. It's mid-bodied packed with sweet dark fruits to such an extent that it seems to opaque anything else with exception of chewy tannins.
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5/5/2012 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice but the best yet to come. If you have a bunch time to crack one. If you only have a few there is no rush.
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5/4/2012 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
Wow! I love this. First bottle of two cases. Smells of anise. Tastes of big, sweet cherry fruit, anise, garrigue, Complex and long.
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4/11/2012 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet to a rust rim. Strong legs with sensuous tears lingering on the glass. Initial nose of terroir, black fruit, dark chocolate, mocha, but somewhat flat. May be in a dumb phase. Palate of silky tannins, spice, black fruit on the front and mid palate, strawberries on the rear of the palate to a lingering spice finish with somewhat astringent tannins. Needs 3-5 years but approachable now. As always an incredible wine. After just 30 minutes it is more balanced and seductive than upon opening.
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4/2/2012 - hanasowner wrote: 89 Points
Brought this bottle to a party to share. No time to decant. Found it muted with some heat on the finish that I did not enjoy. Next bottle definitely gets some air.
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3/21/2012 - svdheijden wrote:
Strange bottle or strange wine? Seems overextracted. Very sweet nose with overripe plums, chocolate, kirsch, juicy meat and bacon. Not very elegant. Lacks complexity and definition on the palate. Spicy, tickling, rather abrupt finish. Might improve, though I am not sure. Might also be a atypical bottle. We'll see with the next bottle.
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3/10/2012 - benjaminrorymyers wrote: 91 Points
Notes of molasses and black licorice, but livened up by perfumy fresh and dried red fruits. Alcohol magnifies the nose, but doesn't burn the palate thankfully. Overripe character is just kept in check, and I can see why others have noted that bottle age is probably a good thing for this wine. I would guess in another 2-3 years this wine will come into better balance with its porty grape skin and slight residual sugar affect. Nice complexity there,though, and I wish I had another bottle to let sit for a few years and then revisit. I would love to give this wine a 92 but for its RS, which turns me off for a C-d-P.
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3/5/2012 - steffenpelz wrote:
The 2007 Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape continues to puzzle me slightly. When I first opened it, it seemed over-extracted and almost spoofed, but with air, the wine got leaner, more nuanced, and more focused. For now, the fruit is still very primary and dominated by kirsch and heavy duty black licorice. There's also some leather, tar, and even some cracked pepper. The complexity is definitely there. I only worry about the fruit and alcohol in this particular bottling. Only time can tell how this one will turn out by the time it reaches maturity. Assemblage was 80% Grenache, the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault.
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2/20/2012 - CSteefel wrote:
The latest bottle was gone completely, I guess too long at room temperature. A "train wreck of over-ripeness", as a prominent Napa winemaker said.
By the way, laboratory analysis here indicates 15.9% alcohol...
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2/20/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
This has really settled down compared to my other bottle 2 years ago. Still very ripe, with a slightly roasted character. Palate was densely concentrated, although lacking in complexity, with dark stewed fruit--but seemed fresher than upon release. Finish was tarry and a little short. Odd that the "over ripeness" that really put me off on release has receeded some. Still in a forward, ripe fleshy style, but more balanced this time. Good if you like this style.
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2/11/2012 - gzim wrote: 88 Points
Dont want to be a party pooper, but I guess after drinking many of the '05's, this just doesn't have the same stuffing. Nice, very approachable, well balanced, some dark berries and underbrush, but a bit on the small side, with a short finish. Still, good QPR
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2/11/2012 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Enormous and very evolved nose of animal, brown sugar, almost sweet... taste very pure ripe fruit, black cherries, bacon fat, very very long aftertaste, almost sweet & fresh at the same time... probably the best vintage of Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf, but I would serve this at the end of a meal rather than at the beginning
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12/29/2011 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours. After another two hours, the flavors really exploded and the fruit came to the front. Wait a couplle of years for the next. Room for improvement in score!
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12/18/2011 - PlanetX wrote: 92 Points
Strong licorice and alcoholic nose initially. After 4 hour decant it settled down nicely with aromas of black and red fruits and perfume. Licorice again on the entry with black fruits dominating on the palate. Nice finish but with some heat.
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12/17/2011 - sirwine wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Beautiful nose, a bit jammy but with sufficient spice to balance the fruit. While it was perfectly ready to drink, it will change over time and would be interesting to see how it develops. A bit high in alcohol and at moments it reminded me of a dry zin (nopt a bad thing) and I thoroughly enjoyed the wine.
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12/10/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Nicely balanced, good fruit, not over the top or hot to my palate and a crowd favorite among the others at the dinner. Garrique, meat, leather and dark fruit. Clean finish. Drinking at peak.
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12/5/2011 - Eric Guido wrote: 86 Points
Upon first opening, the nose showed rich, sweet raspberry jam and burnt bacon fat. On the palate, it was big, sweet and more like a LBV port than anything else. However, with time, this wine did calm down and start to showing more interesting notes of violet, cinnamon and earth with black fruits and bacon fat. The palate remained sweet throughout the experience with rich black fruits and spice. The finish was long and remarkably fresh for such a big wine.
Unfortunately, I'm still not a fan of the wine or the style. It's honestly more of a dessert, than a glass of dry table wine.
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11/17/2011 - robw Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine continues to improve with bottle age.
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11/16/2011 - Christoffer78 wrote: 93 Points
A terrific wine drinking extraordinarily well right now. The 2007 regular red from Pierre Usseglio & Fils has a very typical nose of stable, barnyard, provencal herbs, garrigue and dark mature red fruit. The palate is very well integrated and the fruit is in perfect harmony with the subtle oak and lovely acidity. Although being a more modern Chateauneuf, the wine makes no attempt in hiding its origin... There is practically no heat at all, which I find very intriguing in this vintage (normally you find a slight whiff of heat in the end-palate and nose). The end-palate is a bit thin, marginally reducing my impression.
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10/16/2011 - robw Likes this wine: 93 Points
drinking fabulously
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9/28/2011 - robw Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine continues to develop nicely. Just love 07 CNdP
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9/10/2011 - gripNsip wrote: 86 Points
Crazy nose, strong black licorice, prunes, blackberry liquor, wet dirt and mushroom. Dirty, rich, and fruit all at the same time. High intensity palate of blackberry liquor, plums, and black licorice again, with alcoholic heat that almost reminds me of Jagermeister. Enough structure to keep up with the exuberant palate, but there is a lot of heat here. My girlfriend says it "tastes like burning", I'm guessing that's the alcohol. Overall, not my style, there is some depth here and quality can be felt, but it's just so damn big and hot.
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8/28/2011 - toddmk wrote:
Served at my Dad's semi-retirement party. Everyone liked this wine. I did not take formal tasting notes but recall the wine displaying the normal black fruit and spice characteristics of a CdP. Probably would have scored around 90 points if doing a formal tasting.
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8/24/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 90 Points
Very dark purple colour. Very young, powerful nose with lots of black fruits and sweet cherry. The palate is glossy and stylish with juicy blackcurrant, a touch of herb and a spicy liquorice note on the finish. Young and quite full-on.
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8/16/2011 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely incredible. Dinner at Fig tree with Patton's. Dark fruit, purple color to the rim, strong legs, mocha, chocolate, black fruit. INCREDIBLE wine attested by all.
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8/7/2011 - robw Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine has continued its development since last tasted. A stellar performance yet again from an 07 CNdP.
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8/6/2011 - amateurwino wrote:
Tasted during dinner with guests but notes not kept; decent, but not especially noteworthy
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7/29/2011 - bags wrote: flawed
FLAW
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7/6/2011 - rc@ughey wrote: 86 Points
Just like last time. Tasty, rich, and deep--but ultimately unremarkable.
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7/4/2011 - CWilliam wrote:
Agree with prior taster. On pop & pour this was delicious, but very black fruit dominant with a large glycerin component. With air time the wine tasted a litle disjointed and it did not pair as well as expected with smoked bbq chicken (primarily given high alchohol and a lack of acidity). We drank the whole bottle but I'm worried about the 5 other bottles in the cellar and how they will evolve. 84 Given we drank the whole bottle.
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6/16/2011 - steffenpelz wrote:
Not bad. Entirely too young, too primary, and too much stuffing. The fruit is too massive to get a good idea of where this wine is headed. My inclination is to speculate that the stuffing of this wine borders on over-extraction, and that this may turn out to be a freak-show when the fruit recedes. It even has slightly bitter tannins. All blackberry bramble. I taste no earth, no garrigue, no red fruit...all about pure dark/black fruit. Very one-dimensional. Again...very drinkable and pleasant right now, but it does not seem destined for greatness. Some folks will laud the "purity of fruit" in this wine, but I think that purity of fruit is all it has...which is not enough for me.
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6/5/2011 - tom_wine wrote: 90 Points
Dominated by grenache flavors of ripe strawberries and blackberries with a nice barnyard note, pronounced mineral. Great with lamb.
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5/31/2011 - blanquito wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Lovely bouquet, with sweet Christmas scents, grenache rubber, raspberry cordial, and a distinct note of lavender flowers. On the palate, there's an intense flavor of unsweetened raspberry jam. The mouthfeel is actually on the light side, with no heaviness or cloying fruit. Good acidity. Seems quite elegant for a 2007! My ony quibble is there's a bit of spirity heat on the finish. So far, 90-91. I'll report back after it has had a few hours of air... Wow, not changing much, but this is almost pinot noir-like in its flavors and weight......but it still has a bit of the spirit-heat on the finish, like someone dumped a dash of vodka when I (or the French DOC authorities) wasn't looking. Hmmm, now that association makes this taste a bit like a vodka-cranberry cocktail...
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5/22/2011 - ListenToMeWine wrote: 88 Points
Game, kirsch and herb, lead to a tingling palate. Needs food to help it along. Not as robust as my palate is used too, Francophile's delight, new world Rhone lovers plight.
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5/19/2011 - Jason wrote: flawed
corked
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4/30/2011 - zscheiner Does not like this wine: 84 Points
2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes (Vin Vino Wine, Palo Alto, CA): Strange nose of sweet dark honey with a hint of gamy meat. Lush on the palate, with sweet dark fruit and a bit of char. Gloopy and overdone. Given other notes, maybe an off bottle, but the flaws (in my opinion) seem more likely to come from overripe fruit. Not my style.
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4/30/2011 - dkoontz wrote: 91 Points
Ruby color. Nose full of game. More game on the palate but plenty of cherry and kirsch. Long finish. Incomplete integration of high alcohol is only downside.
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4/14/2011 - rc@ughey wrote:
I expected to take issue with the alcohol in this wine, but I found it fairly well integrated. What bothered me, though, was that this wine is just a bit generic. It's well made and has characteristic granache flavors of licorice and sweet fruit, but it's comes off as little more than a gloppier, bigger, deeper, and slightly more complex version of a decently made cotes du rhone. Fine enough but didn't hold my interest.
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4/13/2011 - bags wrote:
yes, this is a forward, modern-style wine on opening. But give it at least an hour and pair it with the appropriate food, and it smooths into something quite satisfying. Never deep or challenging, but in the world of Parker-shilled C9P pricing, a pretty fair bottle.
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3/1/2011 - robw Likes this wine: 93 Points
All the people who complain about 07 CNdP make me laugh. This is a brilliant wine from a great wine maker in a fantastic year. The fruit is nicely balanced with a perfect amount of alcohol and everything about this wine is yummy.
Hurra for '07. 93-94
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2/28/2011 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Too ripe for my tastes.
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2/27/2011 - Diane (LI) wrote:
There was nothing about this that spoke of the Rhone. A touch of VA and dull.
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2/25/2011 - Itriolo wrote:
Popped and poured: a stewed alcoholic mess. After a hasty and vigorous decant it improved immensely...but I am beginning to think that 2007 rhones may not be for me.
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2/18/2011 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Needs 30 minutes or more. Absolutely fabulous. No notes because this was a friends Bday party. Suffice it to say this wine was fabulous and previous notes apply. Those who have tasted previously should recognize the need for his wine to 'breath'. Just to add a view memorable notes. When popped and poured it reminded me a little of cuvee du vatican where there were huge aromas and taste of both prunes and plums with dark black fruit notes. 20-30 minutes later AND CHILLED DOWN the wine was singing. My wine store buddy told me that chilling it down would help and that I have probably drank more wine than not which was too warm.
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2/14/2011 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
This is easy to love. Balanced, lush but fresh. Layered and complex with lovely texture. I have 2 more and wish I had bought a few more at $34.
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2/1/2011 - CSteefel wrote: 88 Points
I tried another bottle of 2007 P. Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition last night. This bottle more or less confirmed my earlier impression of a high alcohol wine, albeit with at least some CdP character still there. This is in no way a "spoofed" wine, since the CdP/Grenache typicity and terroir is still there. In fact, my wife took one taste and said "licorice", which is there in abundance. What is there is some high alcohol that shows primarily as candied licorice, red raspberry, and glycerine--for me, these characteristics on the palate swamp the other typical CdP signatures like garrigue. So I would tend to say that this is not a well-balanced wine, even if it isn't monolithic (the real signature of a spoofed wine), but this is of course subjective.
Perhaps Alan Rath called this one right when he said it reminded him of an Alban Grenache. Maybe a little less dense, and a more prominent licorice note dominating the nose and palate, but otherwise... And almost the same effect on the head, since the last time I felt so hammered after splitting a bottle of wine was at a garden party where an Alban Grenache was served (had to call a taxi and leave my car behind). I wonder what the alcohol content is here, but I am guessing +15.5% based on the glycerine on the palate and my reaction to it.
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1/21/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as before. Definitely to do with the airing. Didn't pour off a glas this time. Just opened the cork for 9 hours. 90-91
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1/15/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well after 2 hour decant. Smoky nose, great palate with cherries and herbs and meatiness, good balance and non-obtrisuve tannins. Clean medium plus finish. Great with food, great alone, probably can last a while but is delicious right now.
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1/9/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 92 Points
Pop-n-pour was a bit of a mess, but it all came together with a bit of air. Gave it 6 hours of slow-o before diving in, and it was an instant beauty. Easily best QPR of the 2007 CDP gang. Dark cherries, dakr berries and some vanilla on the nose. Corduroy tannins, and moderate acidity makes this wine a keeper. I have a few, but don't know if they will last...
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12/27/2010 - theeb wrote:
Extrem intensiv in Nase und am Gaumen, erinnert an Portwein und Lakritze. Sehr dicht und undurchdringlich, ziemlich unstrukturiert mit spürbar viel Alkohol. Braucht sicher noch Jahre, bis er sich etwas beruhigt.
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12/24/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple. Herbs, and black fruit on the nose - and a little alcohol. It almost blows off enitrely, but was a little disruptive. Corduroy tannins. Luscious and entirely 2007.
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12/17/2010 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
A very polished, focused wine. Cherries, kirsh, and a little vanilla on the nose. Pure cherry, strawberry syrup, some red berries, somewhere between redcurrant and raspberry, in the mouth, with bloody, saline qualities to make it interesting. It's missing some of the roasted, garrigue spices that I like to find in CdP, but this is nonetheless generous and delicious juice. 91-92
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11/22/2010 - TannicBeast wrote: 90 Points
Very good value. Benefits greatly from aeration. It should be a few points better in a couple of a years.
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11/11/2010 - patrickt wrote: 93 Points
torn, as a "regular" 30 something bottle of wine excellent, but for a 2007 CDP a tad less than I expected.
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11/10/2010 - T-Mac wrote: 93 Points
smoke, cold raw meat, and earth on the nose. meat, black cherry pie, vanilla, brine palate. Very ripe, but fresh. Handles the alcohol fairly well provided the glass doesn't get too warm.
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10/16/2010 - Kmonkey wrote: 92 Points
Well, this is my first bottle of this and have enjoyed it watching the Giants and Phillies with some double aged gouda. Was weary of the notes of heat, and although there was some, it didn't obstruct the enjoyment of the wine. Cherries, vanilla, and a little earth in the nose. Very bright fruit for a CNP with some bacon fat added. People say this will evolve more, but I'm not so sure it's got anywhere to go. Terrific stuff. Delicate and meaty!
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10/10/2010 - Opusone99 wrote: 88 Points
Robe rubis foncé avec un pourtour plus clair. Nez fermé au départ qui s'ouvre après une quinzaine de minutes sur des notes boisées, fruits rouges, petites baies en retrait, sucre (érable en retrait un peu). En bouche, c'est moins convaincant que la Gardine bu en confrontation, le fort aspect bois-érable en arrière-plan m'agace légèrement, manque de fraîcheur, masse tannique bien présente, bel aspect réglissé, splendide concentration mais ça manque de définition en ce moment. Sera sans doute plus agréable dans quelques années. On a l'impression que les saveurs sont prises dans un seul bloc qui va se délier avec le temps. J'y vois un meilleur potentiel pour la garde que la Gardine. Le vin est plus fermé, ça ressemble un peu à la Réserve Sixtine2007 que je n'ai guère appréciée, mais dont le 2001 était sublime! Donc, pour ma part, c'est à faire dormir au minimum 5 ans.
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9/23/2010 - CSteefel wrote: 90 Points
Hmmm, some high alcohol here, although one cannot dispute that the wine is otherwise well made. The alcohol is apparent on the nose as the wine warms in the glass, obscuring to some extent those characteristic Grenache aromatics that we look for. On the palate, the saturation is marked, with blue fruit beginning to show, and again swamping any obvious spicy flavors, although one can detect licorice at least lurking in the back ground. The wine is reasonably well structured and did not strike me as jammy since there is a backbone of acid, but I can't say that is particularly complex. Let's hope for the best...
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9/18/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Another Round of 2007 Chateauneufs-The More I Taste, The Less I Like (Beltramo's, Menlo Park): Slightly lighter color than most of these wines. Pine needles rather than fruit scents. Medium weight, ripe but not sweet, tobacco undertones, good length. I've had problems with the alcohol in this before, and alas, it did have a touch of heat, but not so pronounced today. In fact, one of the more subtle wines of the day.
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9/16/2010 - ronnieroots Likes this wine: 92 Points
I adored this wine. Great nose full of dark cherry, wild strawberries, forest floor and spices. Perhaps a bit hot, or high in alcohol, but not annoyingly so. A real mouthful to taste. Silky fruit, dark and brooding, nice complexity. This will definitely benefit from some years in the cellar, but is already great to drink. It kept well the second day. Thanks so much Jeff for giving us this bottle!
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8/22/2010 - PlanetX wrote: 93 Points
Stunning effort. Incredible purity of fruit
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8/18/2010 - Myrtle wrote: 91 Points
Changing and evolving from last taste. I am always humbled when less-than-favorite scents and flavors (for me) take center stage in a wine, yet I find myself reeling in anticipation of the finish and the subsequent sip. This is such a wine. Purple/red in the glass, there is an unmistakable nose and (big) taste of caramel, cream, and vanilla with a dark cherry fruit undertone expressing in this medium-bodied wine. Needs a good hour after bottle open for the flavors to coalesce and there is still plenty of tannins for this to continue to mature. Initially I was afraid that there was not enough fruit/flavor to carry through to the minimum of 1-2 yrs cellaring that this wine requires, but after the hour of air those fears were put to rest. Glad I have many more bottles of this to enjoy.
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8/9/2010 - dmalcolm wrote: 92 Points
Drank over two days, and this was noticeably better on day 2, although still quite tannic. Dark cherries, flowers, mild spices. Beautiful aromatics with extended swirling. No doubt this needs several more years and will improve.
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7/31/2010 - last chance wrote: 92 Points
Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The nose of this wine had great cherry and spice box aromas. The palate had great fruit flavors. A nice mix of dark and red fruits. Good notes of spice and oak as well. I liked how the strawberry flavors seemed to really come out at the finish.
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6/3/2010 - carnyc wrote:
Drank two over the last couple months. Really nice, but needs time. The fruit, complexity and freshness are there, but it's also very high in alcohol and a little hot at times. On day two is when this really shined. Expect this to get better in the next few years. Should prove to be quite a value.
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5/25/2010 - campingfleurie wrote: 90 Points
After I bumped into Rhone importer C, and raved about the ’07 Raymond Usseglio, he kindly brought ‘his’ Usseglio to a blind tasting. ‘07s are closing, and this was served after several mature Burgundies, but I was immediately put in mind of a quote from David Sabon on Jeb Dunnock’s website, headlining a report on ’07 Southern Rhone: “2007 is bad for business”. Meaning: when customers taste ’07, they don’t want to buy anything else. Colour of dark blackcurrant skin. Billowing, dense aromatics of restrained black cherry and spice, with a flicker of cream. Core flavour is of firm black cherries. Extras at the moment are ripe cherry jam, pepper and gentle asian spices. Palate still notably dense/lush (not thick, because it’s fresh; and not hard, because the tannins are so round). I think that character is expressive of the estate and of how ’07 has allowed each grower to reach for the max of what they’re about. (For example: Raymond Usseglio has delivered 3D tannic shape; Janasse laid a concentrated path; VT created tight, flat layers of Mediterranean crops.) My immediate reaction to the structure and purity of this one was that it is a 20 year wine. It’ll always be indulgent/generous. 90 pts on the night, but it was popped and poured. I’d expect 93-95 from 2014 to 2027. Even so, I still prefer the Raymond U!!
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5/21/2010 - davergny wrote: 92 Points
Popped & poured. At first, tons of garrigue, spice, and black cherry aromas explode from the glass. This makes me happy. Youthful, brash, juicy, spicy & tannic on the palate. After 2 hours, texture turns more silky, more focused, black raspberry fruit, black pepper and garrigue, finish is long and delicious. Also some vanilla bean, which I usually don't like, but this was nice. At this stage, not as sweet as the 2001. I do get a touch of heat on the nose and palate, but not bothersome as the wine is so fresh. Loved this when I tasted at Crush wine shop last year (why I bought some) and love it now. 92+
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5/15/2010 - Cahill Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped the cork about an hour before dinner, had a glass with dinner, and the remainder after the kids went to bed (3 to 5 hours after opening). The first glass was pretty hot with plenty of acid and alcohol, but by the later glasses, it had settled down appreciably. Blackberry and cassis with baking spices on the very nice nose, soft on the palate with plenty of fruit and sweet spices and a hint of barnyard. Just a touch of tannin on the back end. This turned out to be delicious, big, but not over-the-top. I don't know about the long term, I just can't tell if the structure is there or not -- but then again, I bought this so that I would have some '07 to drink while waiting for the big boys to come around. I think I'll be fine.
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4/29/2010 - kidsmurf2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A classic CdP, showing a wonderfully complex blend or aromas, from herbs, and mine to mint. Very enjoyable.
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4/10/2010 - robw Likes this wine: 93 Points
this is drinking really well right now
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4/6/2010 - celtic67 wrote: 94 Points
Lush blackberries & cherries... almost jammy. Big spicy nose w/ red & black fruits, thyme, lavender and a hint of white pepper & meat. Great CdP for the $.
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4/4/2010 - nightfire wrote: 90 Points
Excellent Cdnp. Lots of dark fruit, some spices. Well rounded with not too much acidity. Can and will definately improve over time.
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4/3/2010 - astroman wrote:
Well balanced with liquiesh and fruits. Palate lacks weight and not much finish. But a well made wine despite the alcohol which was obvious both on nose and palate.
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3/26/2010 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Wine Detective: dried cherries, swt cherry pie; pepper & rocks, earht & berries; lite spice, powerful, alc., swt notes, licorice, anise (w/mth numbing aspect); lots there, but not nearly as “massivce” as pax; kinda swt frt w/lots of oak, med. low t’s, but gd bal.
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3/21/2010 - WineScoundrel wrote: 90 Points
Good wine, but slightly below average for 07 CdP's at this price point. To be fair, only had time for a short decant and it did start showing signs of something outstanding toward the end of the bottle. So give it some years, or a LOT of air.
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3/21/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
On night one this was funky, gooey, and just oozing of plum and prunes and really wasn't' what I was looking for. Closed up and put in the fridge. On night two this had improved substantially with a nose of almost pure fruit-- plum and currants-- with some meat. Palate with crisp acidity and fine tannins, with dense dark fruits coming though and an herbal character adding complexity. Plenty of heat on the finish which really detracts for me, but a medium length finish of tar, herbs, and currants rounds out the wine. Good, though I prefer a more spicy less plum/prune flavor profile on CdP's.
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3/21/2010 - MatthewF wrote:
Dark cherry red color. Huge nose of ripe blue and dark red fruits, savory herbs, sweet dark spice, and mineral. Fruit forward palate, syrupy. Full bodied with no hard edges. Very nice acidity throughout and firm mineral structure.
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3/9/2010 - Eric Guido Does not like this wine: 85 Points
The nose is big but simple at first as all I could detect was black strap molasses. With time in glass sweet and rich smells of spice cookie, cinnamon gram cracker and black currant began to rise from the glass. The palate was like velvet on the front palate that turned searing acidity on the mid and showed cherry cough syrup, fig newton and milk chocolate. The finish tasted of burnt sugar. BUT, through all of this, the wine tasted more like a cocktail that anything else. THe overdone sweet verse alcohol was too much and some sips would literally leave the burning aftertaste of alcohol behind on the palate as if you'd just taken a shot of vodka. It was all T & A without any brains, good for a one night stand but do you really want to take it home and watch it age?
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3/5/2010 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Wine Detective: Very rich, swt rhone frt, some garrigue with deep rich black and blue frt, touch pie crust, lacking a bit of a’s, but well made, and should shape up in 5 years?
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3/5/2010 - slada wrote: 88 Points
jesus this is a big wine, i guess in part because i expected it to be more akin to prior vintages- i haven't had too much '07 CdP yet. Dark garnet, roaring ripe red to purple fruit, roasted vegetable/meat, thyme/rosemary- like a fruity Thanksgiving turkey, big and broad in the mouth with thick rich (too rich?) sweet dark fruit leading into long lip smacking finish. delicious but right now, or at least last night, a bit too much sweet richness.
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3/1/2010 - GregGH wrote: 92 Points
drank over three days - solid wine
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2/25/2010 - profiler54 wrote: 94 Points
What a great wine for the money. This wine has got all the stuffing to satisfy the new and old world wine lover alike.. big fruit, roasted herbs and earth...silky tannins, great mouth feel and built to cellar if you choose.. would go great with lamb or ostrich... If their regular Cdp is this great I am wondering what some of their reserve wines are like...
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2/15/2010 - the godfather wrote:
served too warm, I picked up a lot of heat
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2/14/2010 - dkoontz wrote: 94 Points
Great wine. Ruby color. Nose of primarily cherry. Palate with kirsch early, leather, and prominent truffle on the back. Nice long finish. I LOVED it. Enjoyed it with parrano cheese and a salami made with black truffle.
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2/2/2010 - robw wrote: 93 Points
opened 8 hours and a scant ounce poured off and tasted. lush ripe pineapple with hints of tar and cherry. on the main pour, the nose was of white pepper with a scent of ripe tart cherry. the wine was drunk with both hard and soft cheeses and one can only wonder at what a wonderful wine this is. bravo!
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1/18/2010 - Siggy wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Rich, concentrated red fruit (strawberries, watermelon, rhubarb) and a faint background hint of barnyard. Fleshy, creamy texture with loads of baby fat. Notes of garrigue and mineral after some air time. Loads of baking spice that build to a moderately long, sleek finish. Well balanced. A really impressive entry-level CDP and a good deal at $32-35.
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1/16/2010 - Rkalimi wrote: 92 Points
Excellent wine. Needed 30 minutes of aeration.
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1/8/2010 - KristianT wrote: 88 Points
Very modern style. Straight forward fruit juice. Will be interesting to watch, but hard for me to predict what it will bring.
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12/26/2009 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Great nose
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12/15/2009 - KPB wrote: 92 Points
To my palate, the Usseglio brothers have never made a better regular cuvee. Totally out of the ballpark on this bottle. In fact my glass is downstairs and it's been 10 minutes, but I can still taste this wine -- talk about an endless finish!
Deep purple, with a nose of plum torte, rich black fruits, game, garrigue. Hint of surmaturite but in the positive sense; doesn't cross that gray line. Remarkably complex for such a young bottle. On the palate, ripe but with surprisingly firm acidity and a slight firmness to the tannins that makes the wine seem unexpectedly light and structured. And this saves it: so many ripe wines are heavy and flabby, but this bottle is just a stunner.
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12/7/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Very dark, very brooding. Primary and even primal fruit. Black licorice and tons of stuffing. Slightly reminiscent of an Aussie Grenache in that it has a pain grille and raspberry jam component. Very high octane and it's definitely walking the line with its fruit. Fortunately, the freshness is there and the wine is balanced, but this could turn out to be a beauty or a disaster in 5-10 years. Very difficult wine for me to predict its ageing curve. I suggest you check in to your stash occasionally over the next few years.
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11/20/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Il me semble moins voluptueux que la dernière, plus sérieux avec une finale bien tannique qui demande à s’affiner. N’empêche, un vin gras et bien doté, au nez anisé, avec des accents de viande grillée, d’épices, de garrigue, de fruit noir. Très réussi mais cette bouteille aurait eu besoin de quelques années. Moins précoce que l’autre mais tout de même très bon. 91 pts
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11/15/2009 - Myrtle wrote: 91 Points
Tasted over the course of 2 days from bottle. A fruity/vibrant CDP that absolutely needs 2-3 yrs min in the cellar. Red fruit and some pepper/spice on nose, at times tasted like a "cello" candy (cherry surrounded by syrup nougat encased in chocolate), very cola, and some nestle quick cocoa mix on the finish. Not a garrigue CDP, more of the red fruit/cola/cocoa type. Quite a heavy wine, plush with fruit and density. Not what I was expecting, but no complaints either.
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11/15/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 87 Points
A little disappointing here. After conferring a high score on the 2007 Mon Aieul, this wine is a let down. Dark translucent ruby/purple. Nice ever-so-slight sandal wood soap nose, with slight orange peel. No garrique, a little heat. This wine has a lot of similarities to the Mon Aieul, although less complex in all facets. It is also hardly red fruited like the Mon Auiel; I am surprised by this only because every other CdP I have had for 2007, however dark in color, has had a kind of beautiful red fruitedness, and all kinds of Southern Rhone markers like, dried herbs, garrique, etc. Also, on the second day, some raisin and more heat come through, and it is quite heavy.
If not for the 2007's weightlessness and a little bit of the "soaring", and my excellent experience with Mon Aieul in the past, I would be a little concerned with the Usseglio higher end line up. As it is I have some doubts in my own mind and want to revisit another bottle. I know, I know, they're young. My big question is, how does the 2007 Mon Aieul compare with the likes of 2000, 2001, etc., at the same age? I never had the benefit of tasting any other older Mon Aieul at a very young age. Should I put these up and forget them for 10 years like the others? I certainly did not buy them for early consumption.
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11/14/2009 - Badfish wrote: 93 Points
Dark brick red fading slightly at the rim. Right from the beginning this is superb with heady aromas of lavender, cherry, herbs, leather, blackberry, and spices. Undeniably great aromatics. The magic continues on the palate which is full bodied with wonderful tannins, fruit, and acidity. The flavors go on and on and on with notes of leather tinged berries and garrigue. This is so good that I may have to reload even though I still have a case left. The type of wine that makes you have no regrets about passing on the exceedingly expensive big boys from 2007. 93+
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11/9/2009 - alanr wrote: 90 Points
2007 Chateauneuf tasting at Beltramos: Nice medium depth, some spice, decent finish, showing bit of wood.
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11/5/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Parmi 4 Rhône en semi-aveugle. Nez classique de réglisse et du fruit noirs, des épices, enfin de la garrigue, et un coté floral charmant. Beaucoup de gras et de volume en bouche, il a cette opulence qui est la marque du millésime. Gourmand et savoureux, plein et long, à peine un petit coté rustique rappelant son style traditionnel. Un magnifique CNP, il est la parfaite illustration du style du millésime 2007. Le vin de la soirée, une petite coche devant le Vieux Donjon. Facilement identifié. 93+ pts
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11/1/2009 - jordidahl wrote: 93 Points
Purple colored. Popped and poured opulent rich, blackberries integrated with licorice and provencal herbs. Medium-full depth with nice ripe fruit, perfect acidity and nice ripe tannins. This wine is already drinking very well now, but will shurelly evolve. Prefer this to Clos St Jean CDP as it is a bit more rustic and lacks some of it's sweatness.
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10/20/2009 - numcwrt2 wrote: 93 Points
Disappointing on the first day after a short and vigorous decant. Tried again on day 2 and wow, what a wine. This put on weight, layers of complexity, dark fruits. No formal notes taken.
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10/17/2009 - mtred wrote: 92 Points
I found this wine to be a classic CDP, although it was not a huge complex wine at this point in its life. It was a very pleasing wine, especially at only $30.
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10/16/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Medium garnet with a touch of purple. Young, juicy Grenache nose with fruit bursting at the seams. Some baking spices, some coffee , but not overwhelming. Even a bit of tangerine peel. Silky full palate, that is still youthfully exuberant. Some tannin lies underneath but don’t see this until the finish starts to melt away after 30 seconds. Very surprised by those that find this out of balance or over the top – sure it is young and not integrated (what great wine is at age 2) but there is the stuffing and interest to support lovely evolution over 10 to 15 years. Should be at peak in 2015 and I could see this being a 93 to 95 point wine. Stunning value – now (91+) Incredible performance for their basic cuvee.
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10/8/2009 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
2007 Southern Rhone Tasting (Bell's): Again, somewhat disappointed in this bottle - I had heard it was going to be a blockbuster! The nose was full of oatmeal, baking bread, cherries, and plums. The wine itself was a bit thin, but did have a nice elegance. This wine has the potential to grow and age into a solid mid-90s CdP, so I'm excited I have a couple of these slumbering.
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9/27/2009 - hutch wrote: 93 Points
Newport Wine and Food Festival (Marble House): This time didn't have the benefit of trying this with the other cuvees. Stunning. A monster, but unbelievably delicious. Great stuff. 92-95
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8/30/2009 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Very tight on first glass (2 hours after double decant). Nothing going on. Moved to great sweet fruit entry with an engaging nose after two more hours. Really good for a standard bottling, drinking well after air now, certain to improve with time, very glad to have bought a lot more.
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8/30/2009 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Nice gamey nose, with ripe black fruit (not jammy) a hint of smoke, clou de girofle... in the month, ripe red fruit, very powerfull, very nice refreshing acidity... I first rated it 95/100 but as the st-Jean was even better and there is only 100 points in the scale I downgraded it to a strong 94/100 which is my highest score for a Tradition chateauneuf from Usseglio... clearly the best tradition since the great 1998!! A wine to buy by multiple cases!!
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8/15/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium ruby. Pine and some heat. Less dense than the Mont Olivet with a mixture of herbs complicating things, but not enough flesh to cover the alcohol, which unfortunately clearly comes through at the end. This is the second time I've tasted this; although this bottle was not as imbalanced as the previous one, both experiences would make me avoid this bottling in the future and make me worried about Usseglio's bigger cuvees. As before, very disappointing given my prior enjoyment of this basic cuvee.
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7/25/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
2007 Southern Rhone Wines (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Medium red with the least saturation of all of these wines. Overt alcohol and surmaturite on the nose. The heat cuts right through any fruit to give a thin, astringent feel. I was shocked at how poor this was given the track record of this producer, and can only hope that this bottle is not representative. Need to taste again.
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7/16/2009 - alanr wrote: 91 Points
2007 Pierre Usseglio wines (Vin Vino Wines): Medium body, medium dark garnet color; nice, bright, lush, vibrant red fruit, raspberry, touches of anise and earth, some spice coming in on the finish, very nice.
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2/8/2009 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Powerfull nose and very nice nose of licorice, spices, garigue, black fruit jam... very concentrated in the mounth, very ripe cherries , ripe and silky tannins, very long and refreshing in the mounth... one of the best traditions to my taste!!
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1/24/2009 - hutch wrote: 93 Points
CDP tasting at Boston Wine Expo: Full, unctuous, so extremely rich. This is so damn good already, seamless and just fills the mouth. Still has all the interesting CDP things going on despite the richness. Stunning, and if I can find this under $40, I'm buying me some. 91-94
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2/11/2008 - Philippe_C wrote: 90 Points
Tasted from cask at the domain with Thierry Usseglio
Nose of ripe black fruit... and in the mounth ripe red cherries, with spices, a good acidity and a good lenght... this wine seems closed but has a lot of potential!
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