The cork was soaked on the sides. Dark coloured with a hint of brown. Nose was sweet almost figgy. Incredibly smooth in the mouth. Spice, garrigue, cedar but also some sweetness and port like notes This bottle was past peak but still incredibly enjoyable.
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Fully oxidized. Unfortunately had none of the character past tasters mentioned. If you have a bottle, drink it now--hooefullly yours faired better than mine!
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This was funky. We didn’t smell but we tasted TCA but the cork seemed clean. I still can’t quantify what it was but the wine was meh or worse. Saddle and cedar nez with the funky, old barrel TCA in the mouth with zip, old wood or cardboard and pepper. If you have this stuff, you’d best drink soon. Fading and cloudy in color. Just not great for the $.
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Tons of garrigue; mixed lavender, juniper, thyme, rosemary and sage; this is not for wine novices. It has a reddish-brown mahogany color and massive cedar flavor. Scents of wild herbs and spices with great old vine character. You should drink this wine sooner rather than later.
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Huge nose of soy sauce, huge nose of ripe red cherries and BBQ spices, roasted meat... Super delicious ripe red cherries, sweet and salty finish, soy sauce, BBQ meat.
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Decanted 90 minutes. Very smooth, well-integrated acid and tannins. Wonderful flavor, dark fruit was well balanced with minerality and tar on the finish. Would rate it higher, but body and finish were lacking. Would buy more of this without question, but lacking the powerful finish I'd associate with a higher rated bottle.
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Drank over 2 hours, raspberry preserves, notes of pomegranate and a hint of licorice and pepper. excellent concentration, no Brett, silky and absolutely gorgeous. Bravo!
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Bottle bought at auction, slightly low level. I was concerned as the cork was very wet, almost saturated with wine. Luckily the bottle was not corked. The nose has a very profound and beautiful perfume of sweet spices, dried raisins, plum, and black cherries...the perfume itself is really beautiful. The mouth is seamless and silky, super sweet, there is no alcohol or heat, but moderate length and moderate acidity. A truly belly dancer, that kept me turning my head, this is a wine for hedonists that does not need food, with a port like feeling in the aftertaste. After 2 hours, builds slightly firmer tannins.
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Glass: Vinum Syrah Popped and poured, drunk over two days. Clear, deep garnet-tawny color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Lots of amarena cherry, tobacco, fine oak, dried rose petals, liquor, a bit hot. Very dense and deep. Dry with some sweetness from the high alcohol (15% abv) and the extract. Medium+ acidity. Medium+, silky, smooth tannin. Alcohol is quite well integrated, only the finish is a bit hot. Lots of amarena cherry, licorice, rumpot and red fruit. Very dense and deep, good balance, velvet texture. Good length. Drink now or within the next 5+ years. Don’t see upscale potential. Can’t see the 97 PP either. 90-91
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Great purple fruit, currant on the nose. Same purple fruit on palate with a nice sweet fruit up front smoothing out to a soft plum with a somewhat dry finish.
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OMG, call me the outlayer, but this may have been the most exciting CNDP i have ever tasted. From magnum, the wine was deep purple and flamboyant on the nose with all sorts or dark fruits and herbal/spice nuances, roaring from the time the cork was pulled. Smooth as silk and with impeccable balance of acidity to keep it fresh. Complexity to beat all complexities. Bravo!
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Purchased upon release and moved across halfway cross country twice. No seepage though as noted elsewhere, the wine has migrated about halfway up the cork on one side. Tasted side-by-side out of both syrah and burgundy stems.
The wine was a bit flat and closed down upon opening, but within a half hour this had opened up nicely. While my wife prefer the wine out of the Pinot stem, I found the wine more concentrated, with dark and red fruit flavors out of a Syrah stem. in both cases the wind was more fruit driven as the headache back bone had largely faded.
Followed over nearly 3 hours, this is a nicely aged CDP what is clearly moving towards the back of its life, though it’s possible the multiple moves have advanced the drinking window 1-3 years.
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Opened to breathe for 2h. Cork fully saturated, uh oh. But the wine is not damaged. Phew! This wine really needs 1-2h of air, in the early stages after opening it is still hot (alcohol) and disjointed. As it settles down, it becomes consistent with my previous notes, lots of mineral, graphite olives, sweet notes (no, this is not Amarone) and a nice if jammy finish.
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Black fruits, herbs, chocolate. Medium to high alcohol that was pronounced and noticeable. You could tell this was a big warm year. And it was very ripe and sweet. I am not a big CNDP fan. But I found this too much. And didn't really enjoy.
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Served blind, ripe, rich, black fruits, herbs, sweet Grenache, delicious aged cdp, needs to be served cool around 15-17 degrees as it became a bit brawny, jammy when warm with the alcohol heat showing
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Believe this is past its prime. Smelled lovely, but in a port kind of way. Barely any fruit left. Without the fruit, the other characteristics dominated and everything was out of balance.
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Opened to breathe. Initially disjointed this took about 2h to settle down. On the nose, hot cedar, spices. On the palate, sweet berries, cedar, white pepper and spices, round tannins in the finish. This bottle has a bit more noticeable alcohol than prevous tastes. Still, quite classy and easy to drink.
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Second bottle from a case obtained at auction. Opened to breathe for 1-2h. Translucent garnet. Soft nose of berries, pepper, and cedar. Initial sweetness gave way to more complex layering of bright red and black berries, spices, cedar, and faint tannins with acid on the finish. And it is a nice long peppery finish. Very satisfying, excellent and complex light to medium bodied wine. Pumped down overnight. On day 2 this seemed to gain heft and weight, more mineral, dark fruit, black pepper. Brooding in character. Consistent with my previous note.
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Opened to breathe for 4h, enjoying throughout. Translucent ruby in the glass. Initially the nose was closed down. It took about 2h for this to really hit its stride. Very cedary and spicebox perfume on the nose. Soft. The palate is quite intense black fruit, lots of tar and spices and black pepper. Yes there is acid and tannin on the finish. There was quite a complex evolution (in a good way) over the 4h window which makes me agree with the "drink up" recommendation.
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I very much enjoyed this wine. Just in the right spot with still bright fruit, spice and structure. Time to drink up though. See Rocknroller notes for a good description of the flavor profile.
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John Rater hosts at the Edina Country Club: This wine is all about the pure rich fruit. It is a big wine, but not crazy big. Even though this wine was decanted 2.5 hours, it got better in the glass over 1 hour. My 1st try at Janasse's VV, and it is clear a step above their regular CDP. Yet, it is cut from the same cloth. Lovely and modern.
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Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): My third favorite wine tonight. Floral, spice, juicy fruits and earth. While not an over the top wine it certainly had some power to it. Medium plus finish and this could go for another decade plus.
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The Revival of the ECC Group: Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club, Edina, MN): Dark red color. Decanted for 2.5hrs; drank 1 glass over 2 hours. I really didn't know what to expect from this tonight. When I opened it, I was pleased (and /or maybe relieved) that it has a certain freshness to the fruit and didn't come off cooked or stewy at all. I won't deny that this has a somewhat slutty appeal to it. The nose oozes with framboise, dark chocolate, kirsch, pepper, and spice. The palate is deceptive, full bodied but it has lift along with power, layered dark raspberry, raspberry liqueur, kirsch, herb de Provence, tons of spice and pepper, and a very long crushed velvet finish. Balanced with no heat on this either. I really don't think this is a long term ager; and as good as it is now, I'd drink it up. My and group #3 WOTN. Easily 93+pts and maybe better.
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Opened and allowed to breathe in-bottle for 2.5 hours, followed over the next 2 hours. Ripe red fruit on the nose, strong tobacco, tea and spice. Really well-balanced profile of fruit and structure with a bit of alcohol late in the finish. This could stand well on its own but was an excellent Thanksgiving wine following up to our Dumol Chard starter. Still has several strong years ahead of it
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couple hr decant, this is dark and brooding in the sense that there's emense ripe fruit, blackberry like. Tannins are very resolved yet not enough acid to make this one to come back too.
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This wine smells and tastes of cooked fruit and rum pot, shows a considerably advanced age. Overextracted, there is no balance and adequate acid. It looks like a wrestling star who has grown too old and is now hollow, dripping and vegetating without any joy of life. No future.
A mistake to open another so early after, but well, brought it by mistake; this is a powerhouse, has the richesse of the vintage, a core of liquor, clean and concentrated, a very fine effort for the vintage. I think it is a good idea to drink it, while the fruit is still young and fine... (#NYC#electioncoverage)
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Still very fresh, a very direct approach; rich, sweet, yet balanced, certainly a manly effort, very concentrated, but no signs of the heat if the vintage - nor of age. A splendid effort, still young - I wonder, where it is going. #kandestederne
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Part of a 12-bottle blind tasting of Rhones put on by my partner and me. This was my least favorite. Light color and aroma. Good sweet berry fruit, but just a hint of sherry aromas, starting to become Maderized. No significant tannin. Past its peak. Drink up. Ric
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(Decanted for two hours.) Possessing a deep garnet color, the wine has rich enveloping aromas of ripe plum, boysenberry, deer musk and spice cabinet. While the nose is very intriguing and inviting, the dark fruit, mushroom and raisin flavors are too big, too ripe and simply too much. While they are not quite stewed, they are flabby and need structure. The medium finish reveals more than a bit of heat and the tannins seem enervated. This chunky and clumsy effort showed very badly. Given the reputation and reviews of the 2003 Vieilles Vignes, this must be a bad bottle.
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Plum preserves, a hint of licorice, jammy sweet fruit but not over the top. Soft and lush on the palate. Just a great wine. Drink now or over next ?5yrs.
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Three French wines walked into a Kebob House: sweet ripe black fruit, good acidity, note of bitter chocolate in the mid. the fruit is ripe but there is a balance of structure holding it up. just a touch of warmth on the back palate. good finish with some licorice . delicious. Day 2: almost Cali pinot note on the nose - cola-like. sweet red and black fruit. plum. mid is ripe, though excellently balanced with acidity. sweet black fruit dominate. back palate is softer - lusher - with ripe notes of red plum. good finish with spice and a zing of acid.
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Black with a deep ruby rim. Intense nose of blackberry and black cherry essence, licorice and mineral notes. Full bodied and silky on the palate with very good balance.
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A powerhouse, certainly, but no prunes or burnt notes - actually very, very young and rich with intense, concentrated grenache dominating everything. Nice balance and acidity in this very difficult vintage, a positive surprise from Janasse - Ib guessed grencahe from 2000 - a sharp try. (apres Palmer at Pasfall, brought from my cellar).
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Anniversary dinner at an exceptional restaurant in Scottsdale. Both exceptional wine and food. This wine was last tasted exactly one year ago and has not changed from my notes of 2/2/2014. Again, score 94-95.
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Deep ruby color. Fragrant nose of plum compote, raw meat, and garrigue. Full bodied and silky on the palate, mouthcoating with very good presence and length.
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Pinot cherry color combined with purple froth. Bouquet is doughy red fruit, permeating sweetness, some spices. Palate displays resolved tannins, sweeter and jammier fruit than its Northern counterparts, licorice and espresso roast in the background.
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Bottle variation. Two years ago I had a bottle of this and gave it 96 points. This bottle, purchased at the same time, was nowhere near as good as that one. Not corked, not cooked, just very little flavor. I noticed that when you look at the CT reviews, about a quarter of them have the same type of complaint. The lesson would be that if you serve this wine, you ought to have a backup handy.
This was really roaring. Still dark color with slight tawny hue on the rim, flamboyant nose and soft, silky mouthfeel with tons of dark fruits. Low acidity, not surprising considering the vintage, but was really impressed that the wine otherwise had such balance, nuance and complexity from such a scorching year.
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Popped and poured down the drain. Did not have any obvious flaws, like being corked, cooked or re fermented. But the nose was mostly prune juice, and the finish offered a combination of the burn from a shot of cheap vodka with the sweetness of an old lollipop pulled off the sidewalk on a hot day. Opened a 01 Clos des Papes instead, much better.
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Best bottle of this wine I have tasted. Gorgeous nose of dripping ripe fruits. Big, full and balanced palate that goes on and on – seriously, it tastes balanced. Where did this come from? (95)
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Tasted at the "Rhone Wine Dinner" at Bistro Provence, Bethesda. Sweet nose: Syrah and Mourvedre, Almost an american style of Rhone Wine. Quite sweet on the palate; very much New World style. did go well with the seared foie gras, though. That sweet impression stayed on right to the end.
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I only have two bottles of this wine and after reading mchrist's review I thought I'd better open a bottle and see how it's doing. On opening and for the next hour or so this was all bright red cherry fruit roll ups, anise, earth, garrigue, some leather and some raisin and prune undertones with relatively firm and chalky tannins on the longish finish. At about 4 to 6 hours in, the stewed fruit notes became dominant. For me , the aggressive stewed characteristics are a detriment. I think I'll drink my last bottle in the next year or so. I'll rate this wine at 92 based on the first hour or so, but after that it becomes far less enjoyable for me.
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Good riddance. Drank the last of my 3 bottles. My only fleeting recollection is "hot fruit stew" - I did not bother finishing the bottle. I feel that this was in the category of over-hyped in a hot vintage and it simply has no longevity. Maybe there's a lot of bottle variation. Maybe my case was cooked, but I have a hard time seeing how anyone could rate the wines I had w/ 90 handles.
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This was opened at the Viking Yurt in Park City and the table agreed this was the second fav behind a 1990 Cht. Clinet BDX. This had the wonderful Janasse nose and mouth feel that I love about Janasse. The bottle was fruit forward with notes of fig and blueberries. I thought this bottle showed a bit more oaky flavors than most but not so overwhelming that is distracted from the overwhelming goodness. In a good spot right now Drink Now to 2020
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Medium ruby color, with reddish maturity tones; yellowish on the rim. Complex aromas of blueberry, raspberry, hints of game meat, some Provencal herbs and vanillin. Flavors of blueberry, raspberry, herbs, black pepper and spice. Velvety in the mouth, with acidic hints of soft and sweet tannin detected on the tip of the tongue. Powerful, rich and intense fruit. Nice structure and acid. Fairly well balanced. A long and soft finish, but not especially extended. Pairs well with bone-in Prime rib-eye steak. This is an exceptional wine that is just entering onto its maturity plateau, and has many years left for enjoyment. Superbowl Wine 2014. Score 94-95. [NOTE: 48 hours later the wine is still going strong; everything just the same as before, except I get hints of cocoa on the nose.]
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My WOTN across a few different varietals. This is in an excellent place right now, but no rush. Very bright fruit, cherries and strawberries. Not really what I was expecting based on other Janasse tastings, but very nice nonetheless.
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Huge bottle variation in this case. Have decanted for 4 hours and was great. This time 3 hours and it had turned by the time we got to it. Crap. Hate when that happens
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Drank over a 3 day period, with storage in the refrigerator in between. First two days, it was unremarkable - was it over the hill? Third day, I opened it and poured and left to breathe over an hour, and did it ever wake up. Stewed and ripe fruit, seamless integration, no hard edges. Fantastic wine. My recommendation, decant for 2-3 hours before consuming.
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Étonnant pour un 2003, très mur en bouche et limite sucré, il se reprend en finale avec une finesse étonnante et réussi le tour de force de ne pas apparaître lourd à table. Très beau 2003.
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Souper à l'Os avec Gaël, Ludwig et Alain: Beau nez réglisse noire, d'épices. Une texture élégante, presque moelleuse, voluptueuse, a la fois aérienne et très gourmande. C'est cochon mais avec tout de même de la finesse. Un vin complètement décadent, riche et complexe, avec des notes ferrugineuses, une ampleur et une longueur exceptionnelles. C'est une bombe! 95 pts
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Seemed pruney and tired. Perhaps it is coming out of a dumb phase, but it doesn't seem to have anywhere to go. I know 03 was a hot year, but this tasted a bit cooked. My second Janasse VV; both have been disappointing.
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Il a certains travers du millésime mais c est diablement bon. Le nez chaud, épicé, sent la réglisse et la vieille confiture et d'étonnantes notes de truffe. Plus tard s'installe des arômes de dattes mûres. La bouche est tendre, d'une grande gourmandise avec certainement une part de sucre résiduel, une rondeur apportée par l'alcool. amertume en finale. Plutôt excessif, over-the-top dans ce millésime, il impressionne, mais il me semble trop riche à table. À la longue s'installe une petite déception, pour un bon vin que j'attendais grand....c'est bon mais loin du 97 pts de Parker. 91 pts
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Very ripe black cherries, smoke, a bit jammy, vanilla... very powerfull, sweet cherries, very long aftertaste, but still refreshing finish... This is a very modern, powerful, muscular wine, could be a bit heavy for the ones who don't like the style
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My experience of this wine was nothing like that of other tasters here. I found this surprisingly under-control for such a warm vintage--14.5% ABV isn't out of line for CdP, and I didn't get any of the turpentine characteristic that I associate with blistering-hot summers in the Mediterranean. Middle weight. This had a pronounced blueberry fruit profile, a bit too sweet for my liking, and I didn't perceive the complexity that others seem to have noted even after 90 minutes in the glass--this seemed pretty primary and straightforward. I'd have liked a little more acid to give it some lift. Bad QPR.
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Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dark color showing some age on the rim; bitter cocoa, fig, bitter tart fruit, seaweed nori thing that was interesting, and hot stones; strong tart red fruit on the palate, classic CdP and very restrained for the vintage, just entering secondary phase and I believe this could go for a while longer; delicious; JD got this right as saying it was a top wine from the vintage...but score is way off.
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8/10 - Still good, but no where near as good as I remembered it to be. Gamey fruity flavours are still there but alcohol seems a little too present and distracting. Perhaps it needed a decant?
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Absolutely fantastic wine. The purity and freshness of the fruit is out of this world.
Nose: I was expected a power fruit forward nose but I got a very refined and precise nose made up of sweet plum, minerality and guarrigue for the most part. beautiful
palate: Again ...very refined altought powerfull. The tannin were sweet and were adding to the complexity of this wine. The fruit profile mirror the nose.
Fantastic wine !! A gem !
94
Voila !
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Dark red; peppery nose, deep black cheries; lots of depth, surprisingly fresh fruit, , somewhat tannic, but nicely balanced, some caramel; long aftertaste
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#11 Nose of red fruit, leather, game, spice. On the palate, black raspberry, bright cherry, leather, smoked meat, spice. A little heat on the finish. My guess - 03 Clos de Papes.
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Beautiful, delicate wine. Not at all what I expect from a CDP. Decanted for two hour and consumed over two days. Floral nose and nice fruit in the mouth. Very nice wine.
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This last one is truly a quintessential essence of CdP. Being extremely fresh and mineral on the nose, its mouth is young and fruity, showing some tuillé, making me wondering how age will integrate in this wine. The final is extremely well crafted and delivers layers after layers of elegance.
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From memory: Strange – whereas my last bottle was one of the best wines I had in 2012, this one came across as slightly jammy and alcoholic. Apart from bottle variation, I can think of a couple of reasons: Firstly the wine was consumed after having had a very firm and structured Barolo. Secondly it was mostly drunk without any accompanying food. By all means still a good bottle of wine – it just seemed to be lacking the balance and nuances that made the first one stand out as something more than a well crafted blockbuster.
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An infant - would never guess this was 10 yrs old, very concentrated cherries, hint of licorice. This is definitely an intense wine, but does not come across as over the top. Ever so slight heat detectable - serve at cellar temp. Drink now or over the next 10 yrs.
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Beautiful, complex CNP at the top of it's form. Full of fruit, smoke, tar and other good things with a nose that goes on for days. Benchmark grenache that set the tone for an amazing tasting. Second only to the 04 Clos Erasmus.
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Perhaps this was an off bottle, but it came off as all to ripe, pruney-figgy, not at all to my style. I've had bottles of Musselman's prune juice that had better balance. Don't know what to make of this showing, given past experience and the notes out there. Perhaps the bottle and/or the restaurant were too warm. It was an embarassment!
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Deep ruby with a clear rim. Ripe, in your face red fruit. Candied, almost manufactured character. This wine is just not my style. Over manipulated, with a hot and unbalanced finish. Overrated. (87)
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From memory: Given roughly half an hour in the decanter before serving. Stunningly good! Ripe red and black fruit backed up by hints of garrigue, leather and spices. Dense, concentrated and long. The fruit is prominent, but doesn’t come across as too sweet or pruney, nor does it overpower the lovely secondary flavours. Beautifully balanced – the oak treatment is spot on and the 15% alcohol can’t be felt at all. No need for further cellaring, but should offer pleasure for many years to come. A truly great bottle of wine – maybe the best one I’ve had so far this year.
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Decanted 4 hours. Upon opening, this was tannic, tight, even bitter. When served with dinner (roast brisket), it was soft and smooth as velvet. Garrigue, smoke, leather, meat and spices met both the nose and mouth. At the end of the meal, it was going downhill and becoming quite pruney...but tasty even then.
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Opened and sipped a bit over several hours. Nose developed a bit over the first hour, but overall a disappointment compared with comparably reviewed CdPs from 1998 - 2003 I've been opening recently, with much of the fruit fallen away and not much secondary complexity developed - yet??
Very light raspberry nose with hints of spice and a bit of heat intensified slightly over the first hour. Palate holds a bit of fruit and sweetness - actually quite nicely balanced rather than overdone and backed with lively acidity, fading into pleasant bitterness and a bit a still slightly astringent finish.
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A bit of a disappointment. Did not have the extraction or compexity on the nose I had hoped for. A nice wine, but lacked any wow factor. Had next to an Alto Moncayo and it not nearly as complex and lacked the finish of the Alto Moncayo.
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Thick, rich and opulent in texture, the wine offers notes of jam, licorice, garrigue, kirsch liqueur, pepper and smoke. This hedonistically styled, packed and stacked Chateauneuf du Pape, produced from 85% old vine Grenache is drinking great today.
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Decanted for about 15 minutes and then drank over the course of the next 2 hours. The wine seemed extremely clear visually. At first there was a lot of grapey smell, which got deeper and richer as the wine stood. Developed a smell of candied dried fruits soaked in liquor. On the palate the wine has nice acidity and high concentration of fruits, including candied cherries with a strong spice component on the end. The flavors hit all across the palate. The texture of the wine is fairly smooth with the tannin already well integrated. Drinking well now, and it will be interesting to see how this develops over the next 15 years. Very polished wine with lots of complexity and balance, but is a unique flavor that might not appeal to some.
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An hour in the decanter before accompanying our Thanksgiving feast. As others have commented this is a very forward CDP with a new-world style and intensity, though far more mellow than virtually any American version. Great purity, concentration and depth of flavor. While I have no detailed notes, this was stellar with a long and rich life ahead of it.
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Unbelievable concentration of fruit. Still a little jammy despite the years in the cellar. This wine is going to drink amazingly well for a very very long time.
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Le vin titre 15%. La robe est rubis foncé. Au nez, on perçoit des notes de fruits rouges (surtout des framboises) bien présentes, garrigue, épices en rétro. En bouche, c'est immense, quelle densité!, malgré l'alcool on ne ressent pas de chaleur dérangeante, splendide texture, légère présence de bois en arrière-plan, finale très longue, enveloppant. En pleine forme en ce moment, mais pourra être gardé encore longtemps.
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9/10 - Decanted for 4 hours. Great complex nose and aromas of raspberries, maraschino cherries (the wife says like those found in black forest cakes with Kirschwasser), spices, earth, chocolate, and hints of blueberry and cream. All these flavours held together by great body and structure that matched up to the fruit very well. Still a little bit on the young side but the tannins were smooth and not obtrusive. Can't wait for this to develop further with time.
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15% alcohol. not decanted. not hot in an alcoholic sense, but just barely in bounds concerning ripeness. i didn't experience much development in the glass over 3 hours. as a matter of record, moderately disappointing as stylistically it's too much. i want CdP to be vibrant and expressive with it's power, not dominating.
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Was hoping for more. Certainly good, but not great. Splash double decanted in the morning and then had with lunch. Got better in the glass, but by the end of the meal, it had tipped over and started toward tasting cooked. I haven't had great experiences with '03 CdP.
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OK, I get that this is a fun wine. Huge fruit without sliding off the cliff into bitter overripe crud. But this is sweet, simple wine, too ripe to drink with anything but BBQ. Basically no sense of terroir or varietal character. Good if this is what you are looking for.
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Continuing to show the vintage's trademark signs, and perhaps doing this more than the last time I visited Janasse 03, this wine nonetheless continues to be the best of the 2003 Janasse lineup in my book, but is less and less appealing to me. A bit harsh and disjointed, but powerful; people who think the best wines are the most powerful wines will love this and those seeking balance and elegance will find less and less of those characteristics. Maybe the wine is closed. if I owned more, and I don't, I would hold for perhaps six or eight years.
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Way too raisiny and metallic. Also had kind of a ripasso taste about it. Bottle and cork were pristine but I had much greater expectations than this bottle provided. Hope the five remaing have more love to give.
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The 2003 Janasse VV is a fantastic CdP. Dark garnet color. Decanted 2 hours before drinking, the wine was very approachable upon opening. Port-like concentration. Primary flavor of sweet cherry liqueur followed by notes of cassis, raspberries, licorice, garrigue, tar and anise. Medium to long finish. There is definitely alcohol lurking in the background, but it is masked well by the gobs of fruit the wine possesses. While this wine is very enjoyable now, it will probably be even better in 3-4 years. This wine probably has the structure to last another 15-20 years. If the 2001 and 2003 are this good, I can't wait to try the 2007.
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This is sensational. Harry and Jeb, you are soooo right. And Bob, you should drink that other bottle. I don't know how I'm going to keep my hands off the rest.
Tranlucent ruby color with a mauve miniscus. The nose just arrives in waves ... and waves. Black rasberry, licorice, Cassis, graphite, spices and forest floor but melded so seemlessly you can jump from one to the next and return again and again.
Delicate for a Rhone like Fred Astaire dancing. No heat amazing for a wine with 15% alcohol. Ripe, round tanins that are fully integrated. So well balanced. Palate of lightly toasted black cherry combined with kirsch and white pepper.
The finish floats on and on and leaves you with a need to go back for more. This is one of the best CdP's I've ever had.
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Lovely color, deep garnet & ruby in the glass. Wonderful nose of dark fruit and spice in the glass. Taste of fruit, spice, and a hint of pepper, very toasty on the finish. This was all seamless and integrated. Overall, a very interesting and satisfying wine.
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Plush and round with great fruit although perhaps a bit one dimensional. This was put into perspective by the SQN tasted side by side that clearly overshadowed this.
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2003 CdP tasting at Rothmann's Steakhouse, New York. Hey, this is a suprisingly good bottle from Janasse (I have lost interest in Janasse over the years - too extracted wines for my taste). There is good red fruit here; kirsch, raspberry, plums. Peppery and spicey, good dense texture. The tannins are soft. Good length. True to its origin even if its a rather polished wine. Together with the Marcoux, one of the best wines of the 2003s.
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Continuing to drink very well, at least immediately after opening the bottle. Still dark but nose is a bit more evolved. The wine is definitely marked by the flaws I associate with 2003 (unlike, say, the Pegau lineup). But the Janasse VV has a core of sweet, intense cherry flavors and aromas that somehow carry it past the roasted character of the vintage. Given my poor experience with the wine back in 06, I'm going to drink this fairly young, like in the next 2-3 years.
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An incredibly bold, rich, and fruit forward grenache. Amazing stuff that is a pleasure to drink. My WOTN, thanks Jeb for bringing this. While I suspect even though the 2003s are drinking well young, this will continue to improve but paired incredibly well with the steak frites...go figure. On the nose, I found waxy red fruit (strawberry?) with some pepper. On the palate, ripe cherries, meat, with well balanced tannin. Amazing stuff, the finish just went on and on.
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unanimous WOTN; flirting with perfection. The dominant reaction was elegance. The other two were more massive with more body but this wine just sang from start to finish. Well balanced and perfectly structured. The nose really opened up after 30 minutes. Herbs, a little fruit, and subtle hints of earth/hay. Great finish and perfect mouthfeel.
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1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Really unnecessary and probably overkill after 8 vintages of HSS, but what a change of pace! Dark purple/ruby red in color. Aromas of garrigue, red flowers, black cherry, and soy sauce. Rich and extracted in the mouth, with fine tannins...difficult to gauge evolution at this point, but didn't seem shut down or 'dumb'? As with other modern-styled 03 Chateauneufs , what happens with extended aging is a anyone's guess, but if the fruit can hang in who knows...
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Relieved, a great Rhone after several disappointments. Had the Rayas '03 at Jackson Hole and was totally baffled by the light, watery color and the burgundian characteristics. This was rich, but not over the top. With lots of length and a deep nose. Will
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Hmmmmm.... Opened for a three hour decant before dinner, an initial taste seemed large-scaled, with a sweet-smelling nose. Then there was chocolate, dark red fruit, lots of fine grained tannins and good structure on the palate and a big finish. But I realized it basically tasted like grape juice with structure and a finish. Three hours later the nose seemed to smell like sweet licorice. The palate had a sweet plum quality, the tannins remained and the finish was a good 30 seconds. I would never have guessed Rhone blind on this one. My wife and I agreed it tasted like some beast from Australia. I rated it 91 only because the structure and finish were clearly outstanding. I hope something good happens to this wine over the next few years.
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Excellent wine. Decanted for several hours. Aromas were jumping out of the glass when poured. bright fruit with good complexity and balance. long finish ... however after 5 hours it started to close up
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Well worth popping one of these young. Lovely bouquet of raspberry and kirsch. On tasting a freshness I haven't found in many other 2003 CNDP's. Excellent.
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popped and poured this last night. great nose of blueberry, raspberry and spice with a floral touch. the concentration on this thing is pretty amazing..just a solid wave of focused intensity all the way through the finish..even just a small sip coats the inside of your mouth. the tannins are there and huge, but aren't agressive and don't stick out. just the "exuberance of youth," so to speak. it's pretty obvious i killed this one off way too early, but it was great, and i can't wait to see how it's doing in around 10 years or so. it was 95 points last night, but it definitely would have benefited from some more airtime..so that seems almost a little low.
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The initial impression on opening the bottle is that everything is overwhelmed by a fierce, peppery sensation. In the background you can sense very ripe fruit, and an earthy, leathery note, but no tannins. It comes across as very unbalanced and certainly hard to drink. I put it away and came back to it the next day. On day 2, and after considerable time in the glass, it all seems to come together. The fruit is now there to be enjoyed, and there are firm, succulent tannins on the finish. The label says 15% alcohol, but there is no heat. Add liquorice to the earth and leather. I like it more and more. This is a monster and I am looking forward to the next bottle in about 10 years. dg+
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After a corked bottle of '03 VV (@#%&!), I opened a second, which, thankfully, was fine. $80 retail, after discount. Deep, brooding aromas of black cherry / raspberry liquor and faint baking spices well-buried within the fruit. After three hours of air, more dusty earth, dried fruit and spicebox / baking spice notes began to show. In the mouth, this is a seamless, concentrated black hole of fruit... Massive underlying tannins lurk beneath the thick, sappy fruit. Though clearly a big, super-fruited wine, this wine is still proportional and balanced. WOW. Though I can't say for sure what will happen to this or a number of other ultra-concentrated, essence-of-Grenache-type Chateauneuf cuvees, considering my experiences so far with a few '98s that this wine reminds me of ('98 Caillou Reserve, '98 Mordoree RdB, '98 Pegau Capo...), I feel optimistic about where this striking young wine is heading.
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TNs: Janasse 2003 CDPs; 10/1/2005-2/1/2006: [Day 1] Medium ruby. A complex nose of strawberriy syrup, sweet ripe black plums, garrigue, a hint of roasted fruits. On opening had a vegetal (grassy) aroma but that rapidly faded. Outstanding flavors of sweet ripe fruit nicely framed by acidity and tannins; just delicious. Already drinking very well and will improve with age, then should hold for 10 or 15 years. 97 pts
[Day 3, under nitrogen]. The wine has completely collapsed and is undrinkable -- much faster than I expected. I'm lowering my score to 92 (from 97) because this seems to bode poorly for the wine's aging potential! Need to remember to drink this up within a day of opening it.
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This wine was decanted 9 1/2 hrs before initial taste, and was enjoyed alongside the 2003 Janasse Chaupin. While not well-versed in outstanding CDP's, this was an incredible treat!! Deep purple coloring and tons of black fruit, it has a syrah-like consistency. We saw some strong creosote notes and I thought some hints of oak. This is a very well integrated wine that is full-bodied and drinkable today (with sufficient air time) but appears to have a very long life ahead of it. An easy 96 points today and room to grow.
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Upon initial decanting, a deep nose of raspberries, blackberries, pine, earth and black licorice. On the palate, this wine shows blackberries, minerals and earth, with tar and creosote coming in on the extremely long finish. Much fuller bodied than the Chaupin, a touch of heat makes itself present on the end. This is much more rustic at this point than the Chaupin.
Like the Chaupin, the small sip I had after about four hours showed the wine had shut down hard.
We tasted the wine again after about nine and a half hours in the decanter. This wine has come into beautiful balance. Blackberry, earth, tar and creosote on a very full body, with reasonably good acidity. The acidity is a little lower than prior versions, but admirable for this vintage. Forget the prunes and raisins I noticed in the Le Vieux Donjon, this one walks a tightrope that stops just short of being overripe. Of course, you may disagree as to where the line is drawn, but I thought this was beautiful. An extremely long finish, there was just a touch of heat that kept me from adding a point or two to the score. The time in the decanter was sufficient to overcome the initial rusticity, and put this neck and neck with the Mon Aieul for Southern Rhone wine of the vintage (of the ones I have tasted so far). 97 points tonight, I would not be surprised to add a point or two with some age.
Side by side comments: The Chaupin and VV are different styles of wine. The Chaupin leans more to the red fruit spectrum, while the VV is much darker. Both excelled within their own style, but the VV was deeper and more complex, and the finish was longer (but both were long). In the fruit spectrum, the Chaupin was similar to the Mon Aieul (on the red side) though not as deep or refined. Between the Mon Aieul and the VV, personal preference will determine which you enjoy more.
I’m glad I picked up a couple taster bottles of each of the wines. It might be time for a showdown between these two wines, the Mon Aieul, and maybe even throw in a Clos Des Papes (which I have not yet tried).
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(note: 85% Grenache + Mourvèdre and a little bit of Syrah) The nose is much more profound than the other 2003 CdPs from the same domaine. The wine is really enchanting and superb, very charming already now with slightly earthy notes on the finish. The fruit is slightly jammy, definitely more than in the 2001 VV, but no reason to worry. Although both are powerhouses, I would describe the 2001 as elegant and classy, and this one as sexy, provocative and alluring. One of my favourites, as usual.
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10/18/2023 - NBouras915 wrote: 93 Points
Served from Magnum. Lovely. good for 5 more years from that format
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7/24/2023 - MasterWis wrote: flawed
Tired while cork was in perfect condition. Not sure if storage or super warm vintage but caution
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1/28/2023 - Get Real Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork was soaked on the sides. Dark coloured with a hint of brown. Nose was sweet almost figgy. Incredibly smooth in the mouth. Spice, garrigue, cedar but also some sweetness and port like notes This bottle was past peak but still incredibly enjoyable.
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12/9/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb aged CNdP.
Mid weight, lovely rich fruit and smooth as silk texture.
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9/23/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful CNdP.
Lovely mid weight texture.
Glorious dark fruit.
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2/14/2022 - Aberry126 wrote: flawed
Fully oxidized. Unfortunately had none of the character past tasters mentioned. If you have a bottle, drink it now--hooefullly yours faired better than mine!
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1/18/2022 - guitarguy wrote: 84 Points
This was funky. We didn’t smell but we tasted TCA but the cork seemed clean. I still can’t quantify what it was but the wine was meh or worse. Saddle and cedar nez with the funky, old barrel TCA in the mouth with zip, old wood or cardboard and pepper. If you have this stuff, you’d best drink soon. Fading and cloudy in color. Just not great for the $.
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12/12/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tons of garrigue; mixed lavender, juniper, thyme, rosemary and sage; this is not for wine novices. It has a reddish-brown mahogany color and massive cedar flavor. Scents of wild herbs and spices with great old vine character. You should drink this wine sooner rather than later.
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11/15/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Huge nose of soy sauce, huge nose of ripe red cherries and BBQ spices, roasted meat... Super delicious ripe red cherries, sweet and salty finish, soy sauce, BBQ meat.
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1/23/2021 - Esmags7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 90 minutes. Very smooth, well-integrated acid and tannins. Wonderful flavor, dark fruit was well balanced with minerality and tar on the finish. Would rate it higher, but body and finish were lacking. Would buy more of this without question, but lacking the powerful finish I'd associate with a higher rated bottle.
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12/11/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 98 Points
Drank over 2 hours, raspberry preserves, notes of pomegranate and a hint of licorice and pepper. excellent concentration, no Brett, silky and absolutely gorgeous. Bravo!
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11/5/2020 - Mag357 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle bought at auction, slightly low level. I was concerned as the cork was very wet, almost saturated with wine. Luckily the bottle was not corked. The nose has a very profound and beautiful perfume of sweet spices, dried raisins, plum, and black cherries...the perfume itself is really beautiful. The mouth is seamless and silky, super sweet, there is no alcohol or heat, but moderate length and moderate acidity. A truly belly dancer, that kept me turning my head, this is a wine for hedonists that does not need food, with a port like feeling in the aftertaste. After 2 hours, builds slightly firmer tannins.
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9/6/2020 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely and perfectly mature. Drink over the next 5 years.
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5/19/2020 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 90 Points
Glass: Vinum Syrah
Popped and poured, drunk over two days. Clear, deep garnet-tawny color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Lots of amarena cherry, tobacco, fine oak, dried rose petals, liquor, a bit hot. Very dense and deep.
Dry with some sweetness from the high alcohol (15% abv) and the extract. Medium+ acidity. Medium+, silky, smooth tannin. Alcohol is quite well integrated, only the finish is a bit hot. Lots of amarena cherry, licorice, rumpot and red fruit. Very dense and deep, good balance, velvet texture. Good length. Drink now or within the next 5+ years. Don’t see upscale potential. Can’t see the 97 PP either. 90-91
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3/3/2020 - PJT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great purple fruit, currant on the nose. Same purple fruit on palate with a nice sweet fruit up front smoothing out to a soft plum with a somewhat dry finish.
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1/3/2020 - thwacker Likes this wine: 98 Points
OMG, call me the outlayer, but this may have been the most exciting CNDP i have ever tasted. From magnum, the wine was deep purple and flamboyant on the nose with all sorts or dark fruits and herbal/spice nuances, roaring from the time the cork was pulled. Smooth as silk and with impeccable balance of acidity to keep it fresh. Complexity to beat all complexities. Bravo!
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6/9/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 91 Points
Purchased upon release and moved across halfway cross country twice. No seepage though as noted elsewhere, the wine has migrated about halfway up the cork on one side. Tasted side-by-side out of both syrah and burgundy stems.
The wine was a bit flat and closed down upon opening, but within a half hour this had opened up nicely. While my wife prefer the wine out of the Pinot stem, I found the wine more concentrated, with dark and red fruit flavors out of a Syrah stem. in both cases the wind was more fruit driven as the headache back bone had largely faded.
Followed over nearly 3 hours, this is a nicely aged CDP what is clearly moving towards the back of its life, though it’s possible the multiple moves have advanced the drinking window 1-3 years.
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3/9/2019 - skurtz wrote:
Wine soaked cork, but the wine is fine. Consistent with my previous notes.
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1/19/2019 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened to breathe for 2h. Cork fully saturated, uh oh. But the wine is not damaged. Phew! This wine really needs 1-2h of air, in the early stages after opening it is still hot (alcohol) and disjointed. As it settles down, it becomes consistent with my previous notes, lots of mineral, graphite olives, sweet notes (no, this is not Amarone) and a nice if jammy finish.
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1/16/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black fruits, herbs, chocolate. Medium to high alcohol that was pronounced and noticeable. You could tell this was a big warm year. And it was very ripe and sweet. I am not a big CNDP fan. But I found this too much. And didn't really enjoy.
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1/16/2019 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Served blind, ripe, rich, black fruits, herbs, sweet Grenache, delicious aged cdp, needs to be served cool around 15-17 degrees as it became a bit brawny, jammy when warm with the alcohol heat showing
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1/5/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Rhone Varietals (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Ripe enough to seem New World, but the body and textures that were unmistakably Old World. Very good weight, but slightly more jammy and one-note than I would prefer, and starting to get tired.
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12/9/2018 - schimmy23 Likes this wine:
Believe this is past its prime. Smelled lovely, but in a port kind of way. Barely any fruit left. Without the fruit, the other characteristics dominated and everything was out of balance.
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12/8/2018 - jsebiri wrote:
Amarone? CNDP? Hard to distinguish
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12/7/2018 - atbarbar wrote:
Janasse Tasting (Rolando's House): Very bitter, the vintage is showing limits. Unpleasant dried fruit.
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7/28/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened to breathe. Initially disjointed this took about 2h to settle down. On the nose, hot cedar, spices. On the palate, sweet berries, cedar, white pepper and spices, round tannins in the finish. This bottle has a bit more noticeable alcohol than prevous tastes. Still, quite classy and easy to drink.
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6/10/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second bottle from a case obtained at auction. Opened to breathe for 1-2h. Translucent garnet. Soft nose of berries, pepper, and cedar. Initial sweetness gave way to more complex layering of bright red and black berries, spices, cedar, and faint tannins with acid on the finish. And it is a nice long peppery finish. Very satisfying, excellent and complex light to medium bodied wine. Pumped down overnight. On day 2 this seemed to gain heft and weight, more mineral, dark fruit, black pepper. Brooding in character. Consistent with my previous note.
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5/25/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened to breathe for 4h, enjoying throughout. Translucent ruby in the glass. Initially the nose was closed down. It took about 2h for this to really hit its stride. Very cedary and spicebox perfume on the nose. Soft. The palate is quite intense black fruit, lots of tar and spices and black pepper. Yes there is acid and tannin on the finish. There was quite a complex evolution (in a good way) over the 4h window which makes me agree with the "drink up" recommendation.
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5/17/2018 - Raizes Likes this wine: 92 Points
黑莓、樱桃利口酒、甘草、豆蔻、烤肉和潮湿的泥土气息,香气在醒酒过程中经历了不少的变化,复杂度很棒。作为产区中柔和细腻的代表,这款老藤CdP拥有丝滑的单宁和良好的酸度,对不适应教皇新堡(特别是热年)的人来说,应该会是很好的选择。
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2/22/2018 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
I very much enjoyed this wine. Just in the right spot with still bright fruit, spice and structure. Time to drink up though. See Rocknroller notes for a good description of the flavor profile.
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1/30/2018 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
John Rater hosts at the Edina Country Club: This wine is all about the pure rich fruit. It is a big wine, but not crazy big. Even though this wine was decanted 2.5 hours, it got better in the glass over 1 hour. My 1st try at Janasse's VV, and it is clear a step above their regular CDP. Yet, it is cut from the same cloth. Lovely and modern.
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1/28/2018 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club): My third favorite wine tonight. Floral, spice, juicy fruits and earth. While not an over the top wine it certainly had some power to it. Medium plus finish and this could go for another decade plus.
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1/28/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
The Revival of the ECC Group: Annual CDP Tasting (Edina Country Club, Edina, MN): Dark red color. Decanted for 2.5hrs; drank 1 glass over 2 hours. I really didn't know what to expect from this tonight. When I opened it, I was pleased (and /or maybe relieved) that it has a certain freshness to the fruit and didn't come off cooked or stewy at all. I won't deny that this has a somewhat slutty appeal to it. The nose oozes with framboise, dark chocolate, kirsch, pepper, and spice. The palate is deceptive, full bodied but it has lift along with power, layered dark raspberry, raspberry liqueur, kirsch, herb de Provence, tons of spice and pepper, and a very long crushed velvet finish. Balanced with no heat on this either. I really don't think this is a long term ager; and as good as it is now, I'd drink it up. My and group #3 WOTN. Easily 93+pts and maybe better.
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12/24/2017 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sweet and lush! Delicious.
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12/12/2017 - darren81 Likes this wine:
8.5/10 - drinkling well now. refer to prior notes
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11/23/2017 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and allowed to breathe in-bottle for 2.5 hours, followed over the next 2 hours. Ripe red fruit on the nose, strong tobacco, tea and spice. Really well-balanced profile of fruit and structure with a bit of alcohol late in the finish. This could stand well on its own but was an excellent Thanksgiving wine following up to our Dumol Chard starter. Still has several strong years ahead of it
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8/20/2017 - Louvin wrote:
couple hr decant, this is dark and brooding in the sense that there's emense ripe fruit, blackberry like. Tannins are very resolved yet not enough acid to make this one to come back too.
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5/6/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted, med. ruby,bed fruit with a touch of both prune & spice, soft/med. tannins long finish; delicious & ready to drink
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12/9/2016 - MQuentel@web.de Does not like this wine: 75 Points
This wine smells and tastes of cooked fruit and rum pot, shows a considerably advanced age. Overextracted, there is no balance and adequate acid. It looks like a wrestling star who has grown too old and is now hollow, dripping and vegetating without any joy of life. No future.
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9/26/2016 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
A mistake to open another so early after, but well, brought it by mistake; this is a powerhouse, has the richesse of the vintage, a core of liquor, clean and concentrated, a very fine effort for the vintage. I think it is a good idea to drink it, while the fruit is still young and fine... (#NYC#electioncoverage)
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5/6/2016 - beatles wrote:
Still very fresh, a very direct approach; rich, sweet, yet balanced, certainly a manly effort, very concentrated, but no signs of the heat if the vintage - nor of age. A splendid effort, still young - I wonder, where it is going. #kandestederne
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3/29/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted, garnet, pruney, soft tannins, a little dry on the long finish; delicious, but not the best bottle I've had, drink up
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3/25/2016 - Ex-Ray Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Past its peak. Light-medium color, light simple aroma, pruney dry flavors. Drinkable, but must have been better several years ago.
Ric
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2/27/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 89 Points
Part of a 12-bottle blind tasting of Rhones put on by my partner and me. This was my least favorite. Light color and aroma. Good sweet berry fruit, but just a hint of sherry aromas, starting to become Maderized. No significant tannin. Past its peak. Drink up.
Ric
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10/1/2015 - broadband013 wrote:
trop riche, presque doux, mais quelle puissance encore!
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8/31/2015 - Wine Fool wrote: flawed
(Decanted for two hours.) Possessing a deep garnet color, the wine has rich enveloping aromas of ripe plum, boysenberry, deer musk and spice cabinet. While the nose is very intriguing and inviting, the dark fruit, mushroom and raisin flavors are too big, too ripe and simply too much. While they are not quite stewed, they are flabby and need structure. The medium finish reveals more than a bit of heat and the tannins seem enervated. This chunky and clumsy effort showed very badly. Given the reputation and reviews of the 2003 Vieilles Vignes, this must be a bad bottle.
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7/31/2015 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very fruit fwd CdP! Quite delicious!
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7/24/2015 - zazoo wrote: 90 Points
Too sweet and Jammy for my tastes
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6/7/2015 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
Plum preserves, a hint of licorice, jammy sweet fruit but not over the top. Soft and lush on the palate. Just a great wine. Drink now or over next ?5yrs.
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5/28/2015 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Three French wines walked into a Kebob House: sweet ripe black fruit, good acidity, note of bitter chocolate in the mid. the fruit is ripe but there is a balance of structure holding it up. just a touch of warmth on the back palate. good finish with some licorice . delicious.
Day 2: almost Cali pinot note on the nose - cola-like. sweet red and black fruit. plum. mid is ripe, though excellently balanced with acidity. sweet black fruit dominate. back palate is softer - lusher - with ripe notes of red plum. good finish with spice and a zing of acid.
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5/27/2015 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Intense nose of blackberry and black cherry essence, licorice and mineral notes. Full bodied and silky on the palate with very good balance.
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4/15/2015 - Mike V wrote: flawed
Cork was very soft and saturated all the way through. Wine smelled and taste of vinegar.
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3/24/2015 - beatles Likes this wine: 93 Points
A powerhouse, certainly, but no prunes or burnt notes - actually very, very young and rich with intense, concentrated grenache dominating everything. Nice balance and acidity in this very difficult vintage, a positive surprise from Janasse - Ib guessed grencahe from 2000 - a sharp try. (apres Palmer at Pasfall, brought from my cellar).
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2/7/2015 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Anniversary dinner at an exceptional restaurant in Scottsdale. Both exceptional wine and food. This wine was last tasted exactly one year ago and has not changed from my notes of 2/2/2014. Again, score 94-95.
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12/19/2014 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. Fragrant nose of plum compote, raw meat, and garrigue. Full bodied and silky on the palate, mouthcoating with very good presence and length.
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12/14/2014 - mmcdds wrote: flawed
Bummer! Like drinking a bottle of nail polish remover. Sadly, my last bottle.
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11/19/2014 - farinas wrote:
Pinot cherry color combined with purple froth. Bouquet is doughy red fruit, permeating sweetness, some spices. Palate displays resolved tannins, sweeter and jammier fruit than its Northern counterparts, licorice and espresso roast in the background.
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11/9/2014 - grapist Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of garrigue and brambly fruit
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10/20/2014 - Topper wrote: 84 Points
Bottle variation. Two years ago I had a bottle of this and gave it 96 points. This bottle, purchased at the same time, was nowhere near as good as that one. Not corked, not cooked, just very little flavor. I noticed that when you look at the CT reviews, about a quarter of them have the same type of complaint. The lesson would be that if you serve this wine, you ought to have a backup handy.
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10/12/2014 - thwacker Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was really roaring. Still dark color with slight tawny hue on the rim, flamboyant nose and soft, silky mouthfeel with tons of dark fruits. Low acidity, not surprising considering the vintage, but was really impressed that the wine otherwise had such balance, nuance and complexity from such a scorching year.
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9/24/2014 - Ibetian Does not like this wine:
Last bottle, thank goodness. Not as bad as last bottle, but left half behind at restaurant. No obvious flaws, just not enjoyable, hot disjointed.
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8/25/2014 - Ibetian Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Popped and poured down the drain. Did not have any obvious flaws, like being corked, cooked or re fermented. But the nose was mostly prune juice, and the finish offered a combination of the burn from a shot of cheap vodka with the sweetness of an old lollipop pulled off the sidewalk on a hot day. Opened a 01 Clos des Papes instead, much better.
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8/18/2014 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
Best bottle of this wine I have tasted. Gorgeous nose of dripping ripe fruits. Big, full and balanced palate that goes on and on – seriously, it tastes balanced. Where did this come from? (95)
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5/14/2014 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Rhone Theme Wine Dinner - Bistro Provence, BEthesda MD: Shellac nose and a sweetness on the palate that is a little too sweet. Almost disconcerting. (Andrew Adams)
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5/14/2014 - Bandreas wrote: 88 Points
Tasted at the "Rhone Wine Dinner" at Bistro Provence, Bethesda.
Sweet nose: Syrah and Mourvedre, Almost an american style of Rhone Wine.
Quite sweet on the palate; very much New World style. did go well with the seared foie gras, though.
That sweet impression stayed on right to the end.
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5/3/2014 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 92 Points
I only have two bottles of this wine and after reading mchrist's review I thought I'd better open a bottle and see how it's doing. On opening and for the next hour or so this was all bright red cherry fruit roll ups, anise, earth, garrigue, some leather and some raisin and prune undertones with relatively firm and chalky tannins on the longish finish. At about 4 to 6 hours in, the stewed fruit notes became dominant. For me , the aggressive stewed characteristics are a detriment. I think I'll drink my last bottle in the next year or so. I'll rate this wine at 92 based on the first hour or so, but after that it becomes far less enjoyable for me.
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5/1/2014 - mchrist wrote: 85 Points
Good riddance. Drank the last of my 3 bottles. My only fleeting recollection is "hot fruit stew" - I did not bother finishing the bottle. I feel that this was in the category of over-hyped in a hot vintage and it simply has no longevity. Maybe there's a lot of bottle variation. Maybe my case was cooked, but I have a hard time seeing how anyone could rate the wines I had w/ 90 handles.
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2/28/2014 - NEwino wrote: 92 Points
This was opened at the Viking Yurt in Park City and the table agreed this was the second fav behind a 1990 Cht. Clinet BDX. This had the wonderful Janasse nose and mouth feel that I love about Janasse. The bottle was fruit forward with notes of fig and blueberries. I thought this bottle showed a bit more oaky flavors than most but not so overwhelming that is distracted from the overwhelming goodness. In a good spot right now Drink Now to 2020
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2/2/2014 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Medium ruby color, with reddish maturity tones; yellowish on the rim. Complex aromas of blueberry, raspberry, hints of game meat, some Provencal herbs and vanillin. Flavors of blueberry, raspberry, herbs, black pepper and spice. Velvety in the mouth, with acidic hints of soft and sweet tannin detected on the tip of the tongue. Powerful, rich and intense fruit. Nice structure and acid. Fairly well balanced. A long and soft finish, but not especially extended. Pairs well with bone-in Prime rib-eye steak. This is an exceptional wine that is just entering onto its maturity plateau, and has many years left for enjoyment. Superbowl Wine 2014. Score 94-95. [NOTE: 48 hours later the wine is still going strong; everything just the same as before, except I get hints of cocoa on the nose.]
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1/20/2014 - JimN Likes this wine: 94 Points
My WOTN across a few different varietals. This is in an excellent place right now, but no rush. Very bright fruit, cherries and strawberries. Not really what I was expecting based on other Janasse tastings, but very nice nonetheless.
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1/14/2014 - grapist wrote:
Huge bottle variation in this case. Have decanted for 4 hours and was great. This time 3 hours and it had turned by the time we got to it. Crap. Hate when that happens
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1/13/2014 - PSUSteve wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 60-75 minutes. Surprised by how smooth and balanced this was. Tons of red fruit with no harshness at all.
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12/27/2013 - KenPlace Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over a 3 day period, with storage in the refrigerator in between. First two days, it was unremarkable - was it over the hill? Third day, I opened it and poured and left to breathe over an hour, and did it ever wake up. Stewed and ripe fruit, seamless integration, no hard edges. Fantastic wine. My recommendation, decant for 2-3 hours before consuming.
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12/4/2013 - themki wrote: 97 Points
Delicious raspberry and blueberry with overtones of smoke, vanilla, and mocha. Rich but pure elegance - entering its peak
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11/29/2013 - grapist wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 5 hours. Had with Thanksgiving dinner. Probably would have scored this higher but it was followed by an '07 Pegau that was vastly better.
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11/10/2013 - ludwigbpm wrote: 94 Points
Étonnant pour un 2003, très mur en bouche et limite sucré, il se reprend en finale avec une finesse étonnante et réussi le tour de force de ne pas apparaître lourd à table. Très beau 2003.
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11/7/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
Souper à l'Os avec Gaël, Ludwig et Alain: Beau nez réglisse noire, d'épices. Une texture élégante, presque moelleuse, voluptueuse, a la fois aérienne et très gourmande. C'est cochon mais avec tout de même de la finesse. Un vin complètement décadent, riche et complexe, avec des notes ferrugineuses, une ampleur et une longueur exceptionnelles. C'est une bombe! 95 pts
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11/1/2013 - Tony Poli wrote: 83 Points
Seemed pruney and tired. Perhaps it is coming out of a dumb phase, but it doesn't seem to have anywhere to go. I know 03 was a hot year, but this tasted a bit cooked. My second Janasse VV; both have been disappointing.
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10/13/2013 - Uglypinga wrote: flawed
flawed. The cork was soaked through and the wine tasted cooked :(
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8/11/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Il a certains travers du millésime mais c est diablement bon. Le nez chaud, épicé, sent la réglisse et la vieille confiture et d'étonnantes notes de truffe. Plus tard s'installe des arômes de dattes mûres. La bouche est tendre, d'une grande gourmandise avec certainement une part de sucre résiduel, une rondeur apportée par l'alcool. amertume en finale. Plutôt excessif, over-the-top dans ce millésime, il impressionne, mais il me semble trop riche à table. À la longue s'installe une petite déception, pour un bon vin que j'attendais grand....c'est bon mais loin du 97 pts de Parker. 91 pts
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8/8/2013 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Very ripe black cherries, smoke, a bit jammy, vanilla... very powerfull, sweet cherries, very long aftertaste, but still refreshing finish... This is a very modern, powerful, muscular wine, could be a bit heavy for the ones who don't like the style
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8/3/2013 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
My experience of this wine was nothing like that of other tasters here. I found this surprisingly under-control for such a warm vintage--14.5% ABV isn't out of line for CdP, and I didn't get any of the turpentine characteristic that I associate with blistering-hot summers in the Mediterranean. Middle weight. This had a pronounced blueberry fruit profile, a bit too sweet for my liking, and I didn't perceive the complexity that others seem to have noted even after 90 minutes in the glass--this seemed pretty primary and straightforward. I'd have liked a little more acid to give it some lift. Bad QPR.
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8/2/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dark color showing some age on the rim; bitter cocoa, fig, bitter tart fruit, seaweed nori thing that was interesting, and hot stones; strong tart red fruit on the palate, classic CdP and very restrained for the vintage, just entering secondary phase and I believe this could go for a while longer; delicious; JD got this right as saying it was a top wine from the vintage...but score is way off.
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7/30/2013 - darren81 wrote:
8/10 - Still good, but no where near as good as I remembered it to be. Gamey fruity flavours are still there but alcohol seems a little too present and distracting. Perhaps it needed a decant?
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7/24/2013 - KenPlace Likes this wine: 94 Points
WOTN.
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6/27/2013 - Ben Paquet Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely fantastic wine. The purity and freshness of the fruit is out of this world.
Nose: I was expected a power fruit forward nose but I got a very refined and precise nose made up of sweet plum, minerality and guarrigue for the most part. beautiful
palate: Again ...very refined altought powerfull. The tannin were sweet and were adding to the complexity of this wine. The fruit profile mirror the nose.
Fantastic wine !! A gem !
94
Voila !
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6/19/2013 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red; peppery nose, deep black cheries; lots of depth, surprisingly fresh fruit, , somewhat tannic, but nicely balanced, some caramel; long aftertaste
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5/20/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
#11 Nose of red fruit, leather, game, spice. On the palate, black raspberry, bright cherry, leather, smoked meat, spice. A little heat on the finish. My guess - 03 Clos de Papes.
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3/19/2013 - geppetto wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, delicate wine. Not at all what I expect from a CDP. Decanted for two hour and consumed over two days. Floral nose and nice fruit in the mouth. Very nice wine.
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3/2/2013 - KristianT wrote: 93 Points
(served blind) very interesting. I was so sure that it was a left bank Bordeaux. Surprisingly great for such an off year. Great wine.
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2/11/2013 - cr84 wrote: 98 Points
This last one is truly a quintessential essence of CdP. Being extremely fresh and mineral on the nose, its mouth is young and fruity, showing some tuillé, making me wondering how age will integrate in this wine. The final is extremely well crafted and delivers layers after layers of elegance.
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2/3/2013 - Pebben wrote: 92 Points
From memory: Strange – whereas my last bottle was one of the best wines I had in 2012, this one came across as slightly jammy and alcoholic. Apart from bottle variation, I can think of a couple of reasons: Firstly the wine was consumed after having had a very firm and structured Barolo. Secondly it was mostly drunk without any accompanying food. By all means still a good bottle of wine – it just seemed to be lacking the balance and nuances that made the first one stand out as something more than a well crafted blockbuster.
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12/2/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
An infant - would never guess this was 10 yrs old, very concentrated cherries, hint of licorice. This is definitely an intense wine, but does not come across as over the top. Ever so slight heat detectable - serve at cellar temp. Drink now or over the next 10 yrs.
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11/25/2012 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful, complex CNP at the top of it's form. Full of fruit, smoke, tar and other good things with a nose that goes on for days. Benchmark grenache that set the tone for an amazing tasting. Second only to the 04 Clos Erasmus.
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11/19/2012 - baroloboy55 wrote: flawed
Perhaps this was an off bottle, but it came off as all to ripe, pruney-figgy, not at all to my style. I've had bottles of Musselman's prune juice that had better balance. Don't know what to make of this showing, given past experience and the notes out there. Perhaps the bottle and/or the restaurant were too warm. It was an embarassment!
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10/15/2012 - dbkitc wrote: 87 Points
Deep ruby with a clear rim. Ripe, in your face red fruit. Candied, almost manufactured character. This wine is just not my style. Over manipulated, with a hot and unbalanced finish. Overrated. (87)
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10/14/2012 - Pebben wrote: 95 Points
From memory: Given roughly half an hour in the decanter before serving. Stunningly good! Ripe red and black fruit backed up by hints of garrigue, leather and spices. Dense, concentrated and long. The fruit is prominent, but doesn’t come across as too sweet or pruney, nor does it overpower the lovely secondary flavours. Beautifully balanced – the oak treatment is spot on and the 15% alcohol can’t be felt at all. No need for further cellaring, but should offer pleasure for many years to come. A truly great bottle of wine – maybe the best one I’ve had so far this year.
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10/5/2012 - grapist wrote: 93 Points
I can't seem to get past the heat of the 03 vintage. This is very good, but not great.
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9/26/2012 - grapist wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Upon opening, this was tannic, tight, even bitter. When served with dinner (roast brisket), it was soft and smooth as velvet. Garrigue, smoke, leather, meat and spices met both the nose and mouth. At the end of the meal, it was going downhill and becoming quite pruney...but tasty even then.
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6/17/2012 - 2loyal wrote: 96 Points
Exotic nose. New World dimensions, but with a distinctly ChN-d-P sense of place. My "picky friend" absolutely loved this.
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4/24/2012 - dekay wrote: 91 Points
Opened and sipped a bit over several hours. Nose developed a bit over the first hour, but overall a disappointment compared with comparably reviewed CdPs from 1998 - 2003 I've been opening recently, with much of the fruit fallen away and not much secondary complexity developed - yet??
Very light raspberry nose with hints of spice and a bit of heat intensified slightly over the first hour. Palate holds a bit of fruit and sweetness - actually quite nicely balanced rather than overdone and backed with lively acidity, fading into pleasant bitterness and a bit a still slightly astringent finish.
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3/10/2012 - bubbachumps wrote: 90 Points
A bit of a disappointment. Did not have the extraction or compexity on the nose I had hoped for. A nice wine, but lacked any wow factor. Had next to an Alto Moncayo and it not nearly as complex and lacked the finish of the Alto Moncayo.
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2/26/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Thick, rich and opulent in texture, the wine offers notes of jam, licorice, garrigue, kirsch liqueur, pepper and smoke. This hedonistically styled, packed and stacked Chateauneuf du Pape, produced from 85% old vine Grenache is drinking great today.
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12/25/2011 - djdaqm wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about 15 minutes and then drank over the course of the next 2 hours. The wine seemed extremely clear visually. At first there was a lot of grapey smell, which got deeper and richer as the wine stood. Developed a smell of candied dried fruits soaked in liquor. On the palate the wine has nice acidity and high concentration of fruits, including candied cherries with a strong spice component on the end. The flavors hit all across the palate. The texture of the wine is fairly smooth with the tannin already well integrated. Drinking well now, and it will be interesting to see how this develops over the next 15 years. Very polished wine with lots of complexity and balance, but is a unique flavor that might not appeal to some.
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12/8/2011 - WDK Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very tasty but a bit overripe.
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11/24/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 96 Points
An hour in the decanter before accompanying our Thanksgiving feast. As others have commented this is a very forward CDP with a new-world style and intensity, though far more mellow than virtually any American version. Great purity, concentration and depth of flavor. While I have no detailed notes, this was stellar with a long and rich life ahead of it.
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11/6/2011 - stocksandbondage wrote: 95 Points
Big and voluptuous. Ripe raspberry flavors with just the right amount of earth and barnyard.
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9/27/2011 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
Would probably benefit from more time. Plenty of ripe fruit, but more structure and elegance than the Chaupin. Will likely improve for a few years.
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9/13/2011 - cardsandwine Does not like this wine:
Drank from magnum. Very new world in style. Whopping alcohol content which dominates the wine. I'll stick with Rayas and Bonneau.
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8/28/2011 - grenier wrote: 97 Points
not before 2015.
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7/4/2011 - stocksandbondage wrote: 95 Points
Everyone loved this wine. Ripe and lush without seeming hot. Lots of complexity.
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6/3/2011 - stocksandbondage wrote: 94 Points
Very ripe, not much funk. I would not have guessed it to be French. Very juicy and rich. Seems to have a lot of granache. Lots of raspberry flavors.
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5/13/2011 - wm3395 wrote: 97 Points
Unbelievable concentration of fruit. Still a little jammy despite the years in the cellar. This wine is going to drink amazingly well for a very very long time.
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3/20/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 95 Points
Le vin titre 15%. La robe est rubis foncé. Au nez, on perçoit des notes de fruits rouges (surtout des framboises) bien présentes, garrigue, épices en rétro. En bouche, c'est immense, quelle densité!, malgré l'alcool on ne ressent pas de chaleur dérangeante, splendide texture, légère présence de bois en arrière-plan, finale très longue, enveloppant. En pleine forme en ce moment, mais pourra être gardé encore longtemps.
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2/19/2011 - darren81 wrote:
9/10 - Decanted for 4 hours. Great complex nose and aromas of raspberries, maraschino cherries (the wife says like those found in black forest cakes with Kirschwasser), spices, earth, chocolate, and hints of blueberry and cream. All these flavours held together by great body and structure that matched up to the fruit very well. Still a little bit on the young side but the tannins were smooth and not obtrusive. Can't wait for this to develop further with time.
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1/30/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
15% alcohol. not decanted. not hot in an alcoholic sense, but just barely in bounds concerning ripeness. i didn't experience much development in the glass over 3 hours. as a matter of record, moderately disappointing as stylistically it's too much. i want CdP to be vibrant and expressive with it's power, not dominating.
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7/20/2010 - grapist wrote: 91 Points
Was hoping for more. Certainly good, but not great. Splash double decanted in the morning and then had with lunch. Got better in the glass, but by the end of the meal, it had tipped over and started toward tasting cooked. I haven't had great experiences with '03 CdP.
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6/19/2010 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
OK, I get that this is a fun wine. Huge fruit without sliding off the cliff into bitter overripe crud. But this is sweet, simple wine, too ripe to drink with anything but BBQ. Basically no sense of terroir or varietal character. Good if this is what you are looking for.
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2/13/2010 - JJL wrote: 90 Points
5th Annual Big Bottle Party (Jeff's House, Warren, NJ): From DM - Young, tight, spicy, sweet black fruits but not over the top.
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11/22/2009 - KPB wrote: 90 Points
Continuing to show the vintage's trademark signs, and perhaps doing this more than the last time I visited Janasse 03, this wine nonetheless continues to be the best of the 2003 Janasse lineup in my book, but is less and less appealing to me. A bit harsh and disjointed, but powerful; people who think the best wines are the most powerful wines will love this and those seeking balance and elegance will find less and less of those characteristics. Maybe the wine is closed. if I owned more, and I don't, I would hold for perhaps six or eight years.
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11/12/2009 - KWC3141 wrote: 92 Points
Still a bit young. Very juicy full wine, I liked it a lot but it is a bit of a jam bomb.
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11/8/2009 - grapist wrote: flawed
Way too raisiny and metallic. Also had kind of a ripasso taste about it. Bottle and cork were pristine but I had much greater expectations than this bottle provided. Hope the five remaing have more love to give.
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7/30/2009 - rthun wrote: 98 Points
The 2003 Janasse VV is a fantastic CdP. Dark garnet color. Decanted 2 hours before drinking, the wine was very approachable upon opening. Port-like concentration. Primary flavor of sweet cherry liqueur followed by notes of cassis, raspberries, licorice, garrigue, tar and anise. Medium to long finish. There is definitely alcohol lurking in the background, but it is masked well by the gobs of fruit the wine possesses. While this wine is very enjoyable now, it will probably be even better in 3-4 years. This wine probably has the structure to last another 15-20 years. If the 2001 and 2003 are this good, I can't wait to try the 2007.
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7/4/2009 - HC wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic! Benchmark blockbuster CdP.
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3/14/2009 - wequedad wrote: 97 Points
This is sensational. Harry and Jeb, you are soooo right. And Bob, you should drink that other bottle. I don't know how I'm going to keep my hands off the rest.
Tranlucent ruby color with a mauve miniscus. The nose just arrives in waves ... and waves. Black rasberry, licorice, Cassis, graphite, spices and forest floor but melded so seemlessly you can jump from one to the next and return again and again.
Delicate for a Rhone like Fred Astaire dancing. No heat amazing for a wine with 15% alcohol. Ripe, round tanins that are fully integrated. So well balanced. Palate of lightly toasted black cherry combined with kirsch and white pepper.
The finish floats on and on and leaves you with a need to go back for more. This is one of the best CdP's I've ever had.
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3/1/2009 - skifree wrote: 94 Points
Lovely color, deep garnet & ruby in the glass. Wonderful nose of dark fruit and spice in the glass. Taste of fruit, spice, and a hint of pepper, very toasty on the finish. This was all seamless and integrated. Overall, a very interesting and satisfying wine.
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2/9/2009 - quigley13 wrote: 93 Points
Plush and round with great fruit although perhaps a bit one dimensional. This was put into perspective by the SQN tasted side by side that clearly overshadowed this.
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2/8/2009 - pbaek wrote:
2003 CdP tasting at Rothmann's Steakhouse, New York. Hey, this is a suprisingly good bottle from Janasse (I have lost interest in Janasse over the years - too extracted wines for my taste). There is good red fruit here; kirsch, raspberry, plums. Peppery and spicey, good dense texture. The tannins are soft. Good length. True to its origin even if its a rather polished wine. Together with the Marcoux, one of the best wines of the 2003s.
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6/15/2008 - TomH wrote: flawed
Cooked before arrival. No rating.
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6/2/2008 - KPB wrote:
Continuing to drink very well, at least immediately after opening the bottle. Still dark but nose is a bit more evolved. The wine is definitely marked by the flaws I associate with 2003 (unlike, say, the Pegau lineup). But the Janasse VV has a core of sweet, intense cherry flavors and aromas that somehow carry it past the roasted character of the vintage. Given my poor experience with the wine back in 06, I'm going to drink this fairly young, like in the next 2-3 years.
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4/26/2008 - numcwrt2 wrote: 95 Points
An incredibly bold, rich, and fruit forward grenache. Amazing stuff that is a pleasure to drink. My WOTN, thanks Jeb for bringing this. While I suspect even though the 2003s are drinking well young, this will continue to improve but paired incredibly well with the steak frites...go figure. On the nose, I found waxy red fruit (strawberry?) with some pepper. On the palate, ripe cherries, meat, with well balanced tannin. Amazing stuff, the finish just went on and on.
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3/31/2008 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
no formal note
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3/9/2008 - doctoroflaws wrote: 99 Points
unanimous WOTN; flirting with perfection. The dominant reaction was elegance. The other two were more massive with more body but this wine just sang from start to finish. Well balanced and perfectly structured. The nose really opened up after 30 minutes. Herbs, a little fruit, and subtle hints of earth/hay. Great finish and perfect mouthfeel.
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1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote: 92 Points
1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): Really unnecessary and probably overkill after 8 vintages of HSS, but what a change of pace! Dark purple/ruby red in color. Aromas of garrigue, red flowers, black cherry, and soy sauce. Rich and extracted in the mouth, with fine tannins...difficult to gauge evolution at this point, but didn't seem shut down or 'dumb'? As with other modern-styled 03 Chateauneufs , what happens with extended aging is a anyone's guess, but if the fruit can hang in who knows...
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8/7/2007 - espia wrote:
Relieved, a great Rhone after several disappointments. Had the Rayas '03 at Jackson Hole and was totally baffled by the light, watery color and the burgundian characteristics. This was rich, but not over the top. With lots of length and a deep nose. Will
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6/12/2007 - TheOtherPoster wrote: 91 Points
Hmmmmm.... Opened for a three hour decant before dinner, an initial taste seemed large-scaled, with a sweet-smelling nose. Then there was chocolate, dark red fruit, lots of fine grained tannins and good structure on the palate and a big finish. But I realized it basically tasted like grape juice with structure and a finish. Three hours later the nose seemed to smell like sweet licorice. The palate had a sweet plum quality, the tannins remained and the finish was a good 30 seconds. I would never have guessed Rhone blind on this one. My wife and I agreed it tasted like some beast from Australia. I rated it 91 only because the structure and finish were clearly outstanding. I hope something good happens to this wine over the next few years.
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12/29/2006 - agnorger wrote: 95 Points
Excellent wine. Decanted for several hours. Aromas were jumping out of the glass when poured. bright fruit with good complexity and balance. long finish ... however after 5 hours it started to close up
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9/14/2006 - br wrote:
I dunno. Fruit and lots of alcohol. there are aromas and flavors of the Rhone, for sure, but this may be a size too large for me.
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8/27/2006 - Deaks wrote: 95 Points
Well worth popping one of these young. Lovely bouquet of raspberry and kirsch. On tasting a freshness I haven't found in many other 2003 CNDP's. Excellent.
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6/27/2006 - atearl wrote: 96 Points
great stuff. I could not resist having another bottle young
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5/8/2006 - JMav wrote: 95 Points
popped and poured this last night. great nose of blueberry, raspberry and spice with a floral touch. the concentration on this thing is pretty amazing..just a solid wave of focused intensity all the way through the finish..even just a small sip coats the inside of your mouth. the tannins are there and huge, but aren't agressive and don't stick out. just the "exuberance of youth," so to speak. it's pretty obvious i killed this one off way too early, but it was great, and i can't wait to see how it's doing in around 10 years or so. it was 95 points last night, but it definitely would have benefited from some more airtime..so that seems almost a little low.
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4/2/2006 - mcrete wrote: 96 Points
elegant
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3/26/2006 - Jeff W wrote:
The initial impression on opening the bottle is that everything is overwhelmed by a fierce, peppery sensation. In the background you can sense very ripe fruit, and an earthy, leathery note, but no tannins. It comes across as very unbalanced and certainly hard to drink. I put it away and came back to it the next day.
On day 2, and after considerable time in the glass, it all seems to come together. The fruit is now there to be enjoyed, and there are firm, succulent tannins on the finish. The label says 15% alcohol, but there is no heat. Add liquorice to the earth and leather. I like it more and more. This is a monster and I am looking forward to the next bottle in about 10 years. dg+
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3/1/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
After a corked bottle of '03 VV (@#%&!), I opened a second, which, thankfully, was fine. $80 retail, after discount. Deep, brooding aromas of black cherry / raspberry liquor and faint baking spices well-buried within the fruit. After three hours of air, more dusty earth, dried fruit and spicebox / baking spice notes began to show. In the mouth, this is a seamless, concentrated black hole of fruit... Massive underlying tannins lurk beneath the thick, sappy fruit. Though clearly a big, super-fruited wine, this wine is still proportional and balanced. WOW. Though I can't say for sure what will happen to this or a number of other ultra-concentrated, essence-of-Grenache-type Chateauneuf cuvees, considering my experiences so far with a few '98s that this wine reminds me of ('98 Caillou Reserve, '98 Mordoree RdB, '98 Pegau Capo...), I feel optimistic about where this striking young wine is heading.
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1/5/2006 - KPB wrote: 92 Points
TNs: Janasse 2003 CDPs; 10/1/2005-2/1/2006: [Day 1] Medium ruby. A complex nose of strawberriy syrup, sweet ripe black plums, garrigue, a hint of roasted fruits. On opening had a vegetal (grassy) aroma but that rapidly faded. Outstanding flavors of sweet ripe fruit nicely framed by acidity and tannins; just delicious. Already drinking very well and will improve with age, then should hold for 10 or 15 years. 97 pts
[Day 3, under nitrogen]. The wine has completely collapsed and is undrinkable -- much faster than I expected. I'm lowering my score to 92 (from 97) because this seems to bode poorly for the wine's aging potential! Need to remember to drink this up within a day of opening it.
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10/23/2005 - davidandrose wrote: 96 Points
This wine was decanted 9 1/2 hrs before initial taste, and was enjoyed alongside the 2003 Janasse Chaupin. While not well-versed in outstanding CDP's, this was an incredible treat!! Deep purple coloring and tons of black fruit, it has a syrah-like consistency. We saw some strong creosote notes and I thought some hints of oak. This is a very well integrated wine that is full-bodied and drinkable today (with sufficient air time) but appears to have a very long life ahead of it. An easy 96 points today and room to grow.
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10/22/2005 - SacredCow wrote: 97 Points
Upon initial decanting, a deep nose of raspberries, blackberries, pine, earth and black licorice. On the palate, this wine shows blackberries, minerals and earth, with tar and creosote coming in on the extremely long finish. Much fuller bodied than the Chaupin, a touch of heat makes itself present on the end. This is much more rustic at this point than the Chaupin.
Like the Chaupin, the small sip I had after about four hours showed the wine had shut down hard.
We tasted the wine again after about nine and a half hours in the decanter. This wine has come into beautiful balance. Blackberry, earth, tar and creosote on a very full body, with reasonably good acidity. The acidity is a little lower than prior versions, but admirable for this vintage. Forget the prunes and raisins I noticed in the Le Vieux Donjon, this one walks a tightrope that stops just short of being overripe. Of course, you may disagree as to where the line is drawn, but I thought this was beautiful. An extremely long finish, there was just a touch of heat that kept me from adding a point or two to the score. The time in the decanter was sufficient to overcome the initial rusticity, and put this neck and neck with the Mon Aieul for Southern Rhone wine of the vintage (of the ones I have tasted so far). 97 points tonight, I would not be surprised to add a point or two with some age.
Side by side comments: The Chaupin and VV are different styles of wine. The Chaupin leans more to the red fruit spectrum, while the VV is much darker. Both excelled within their own style, but the VV was deeper and more complex, and the finish was longer (but both were long). In the fruit spectrum, the Chaupin was similar to the Mon Aieul (on the red side) though not as deep or refined. Between the Mon Aieul and the VV, personal preference will determine which you enjoy more.
I’m glad I picked up a couple taster bottles of each of the wines. It might be time for a showdown between these two wines, the Mon Aieul, and maybe even throw in a Clos Des Papes (which I have not yet tried).
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4/11/2005 - Will wrote:
(note: 85% Grenache + Mourvèdre and a little bit of Syrah) The nose is much more profound than the other 2003 CdPs from the same domaine. The wine is really enchanting and superb, very charming already now with slightly earthy notes on the finish. The fruit is slightly jammy, definitely more than in the 2001 VV, but no reason to worry. Although both are powerhouses, I would describe the 2001 as elegant and classy, and this one as sexy, provocative and alluring. One of my favourites, as usual.
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