Dinner at Home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml purchased from Chambers St Wines a number of years ago. Popped and poured.
Beautiful out of the gate. Lovely mature No. Rhone syrah, with age having softened, but not eliminated, the signature granite stern-ness of Hermitage. Definitely pulling towards burgundy with age.
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Dinner at La Boheme with the Crew (Palo Alto): Took a few hours to open. Very pretty nose of strawberries, cherries, olives, mint - the nose is its best feature. Strengthening palate, well balanced, excellent poise good fruit. Not a powerful wine but good depth. I like it, probably much better with a long decant.
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Dinner with the wine group (La Bohème, Palo Alto): Aromatic, elegant, lovely spices, red fruited; palate is medium bodied, medium acidity, medium alcohol, good blend of fruit and maturity; fresh and medium length finish. Lovely aged hermitage. 92
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The elegant and more feminine side of beautiful Hermitage; a soft velvet, mellifluous, long passage to the end of the palate, and consumed not a moment too. Soon. A lush nose of woody dark cherry, brambly forest tones, whiff of sweet forest scents, followed by a perfectly blended dark red layered cherry and blackberry with a hint of smoke and moist wood. Burgundian. Do not decant.
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Elegant,soft, dark-cherry infused moist smokey earth, and a nice finish. But definitely, at least in this bottle, getting far down the Syrah maturation path. I have had older Hermitages or Cote Roties that held strong, so it must be the bottle. The nose did give up some some of the cherry and woody foresty notes, but the Syrah edginess was missing,as was greater delineation of fruit found in the first 3 bottles. Drink up.
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Opened and decanted off sediment, given about 15 minutes of air. Thankfully this bottle is hitting on all cylinders. Nose of smoked meat and dark fruit. The dark cherry holds into the mouth, the smoke and meat following. This is everything I love about old Syrah. Perfect spot right now.
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What a wonderful encounter with old world charm! None of the post -2007 behemoth style. As one taster noted, there is a Bordeaux-like quality to the nose and palate, but I would modify that to combine some old-aged cabernet franc from the Loire--not the barnyard side, but the rich earthy aspect. A killer nose redolent not of Syrah pepper but rather aged meat, smoke, dark cherry, a hint of sous bois and real old wine wood scents. Just ethereal. And after 15 minutes' air time, let forth tons of woody dark cherry smoked game, smooth viscous dark cherry almost kirsch scents (but not sweet) and a graceful finish. Drink now.
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Nose of red fruit, mushrooms, leather, pepper, and dark berries. Well integrated tannins with great balance and flavors of berries, red fruit, leather, and Nice finish. I’m not sure if I would guess Syrah on this wine if served blind. This reminded me more of a well aged old school Bordeaux, to be honest... Excellent wine, though!
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this bottle was in perfect shape. Stood up for a week in the cellar and opened via Durand. Double decanted for dinner. Initially it was all cigar box but opened up well for dinner post double decant. Fruit is still present, quite savory with blood and roasted meats. Its all in the finish as its endless. Pure brilliance.
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In perfect shape, slight hint of brick at the edges, green hay in a clean barnyard nose... incredibly silky, fully integrated tannins, very rich without heaviness. As it opens shows lots of mocha, cherries, and cigar box. An inner core of subtle sweetness, and a 90 second finish where the iron dust/bloody game finally kicks in. An impressive showing, at peak. So great with pigs foot stuffed with fois gras and black lentils at Bibou.
Last consumed about 2.7 years ago. A reddish-ruby color; bricking. No need to decant the wine at this point. The tannin is resolved and the wine is drinking at its apogee, and should continue to do so for many years. Excellently balanced. Aromas of blackberry, black currant, sous bois, iodine, olive, spices, cigar box and just a touch of bacon fat. Same flavors, along with some pomegranate. Rich, elegant and intense fruit. An elongated and velvety finish. Paired well with Italian meat sauce with pasta; but, is more appreciable by itself. Great structure and has many years left for any well stored bottles to be appreciated. [24 hours later: the bacon fat on the nose is more prevalent; tannin is very slightly noticeable].
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Barnyard, musty, never came around. Saturated cork, ample old seepage. Wine collectors who unload this kind of junk via consignment/auction need some serious ethical improvement (along with the seller they're in league with).
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A medium reddish-ruby color; signs of bricking; yellowish on the rim. Decanted twice. Aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, leather , earth, olive, spices, and cigar box from the oak. Similar flavors, with the addition of some pomegranate. The tannins are not totally resolved, but much more so than when I tasted the wine several times in the later 2000’s; causes a very slight acidic sting on the tip of the tongue. Excellent structure. Although it is drinking much better than in the 2000’s, it still has lots of time left before full maturity. Probably at the very beginning of its drinking plateau. Not a big blockbuster, but a very nice and elegant Hermitage.
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Decanted and poured, this wine gave an excellent showing. This has thrown a fair of amount of sediment and the wine does benefit from decanting. The aromatics show mature elements with some underlying youthful notes. The bouquet offers black fruits, earth, leather, spice, stone and some band aid notes. The color is a tarnished dark ruby. The medium / full bodied palate still shows density and firmness with an overall sense of balance. This is at or around maturity.
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Rhones 20+ Years Old (Western Chicago IL Suburbs): Tasted blind. Black fruit, great black pepper, lots of licorice. Very precise, elegant and charming with uplifting acidity. Lots of energy. Fruit is on the leaner style, so I was surprised to see a 1989 when this bottle was unveiled. My favorite wine tonight, the group's least favorite!
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Welcoming Craig C to DC - Marks duckhouse Part 2 (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): I told Craig that this always has dirty nose like TCA. I was hoping not but unfortunately another tainted bottle. I have noticed a number of people who enjoyed this in the past while it was clearly tainted. I am not sure whether that is a blessing or a curse. Caveat Emptor.
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Yellowing at the rim; dark garnet body. Raspberry, blackberry, saddle leather, tobacco, forest floor, a bit of road tar, just a tad of bacon fat, spice - complex wine. Big rich fruit in the mouth and mid-palate. Nice finish - kind of velvety - about 20 seconds. Last tasted this wine in Sept 2006 - was still tannic then. Drinkable now, but will hold for many years. Enjoy a glass of this wine before your meal - maybe a bit more! The wine paired well with roasted tri-tip. Note: this wine has been stored at 56 degrees from the time of purchase in the early 1990's.
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Drank with 85 Chave... deeper color, slightly more extracted, younger rim than Chave... aromatically quite neutral until decanter fleshed it out a bit... moderate + aromatics with splenty of deep and bright red fruits, raspberry, red and black currant... great spice, meatiness... some newer oak barrique spices it seems lingering in there... nice deep, dark, soily minerality. On the palate, moderate acidity, a very full and texturally rich midpalate, great transition into a still not completely integrated medium + tannic finish, low to moderate alcohol. Balanced wine with good length of 20-30 sec, very good intensity of flavor, good complexity. Wine certainly has finesse and a very nice texture... very good expression of place. This has some way to go on the evolutionary ladder... try again in 3-5. The wine was a good counterpoint to the Chave with the Chave being lighter, more floral, more acidic, more aromatically evolved and complex... this has more depth of fruit, more textural weight, more classic tar and spice, and was a little less open for business... fun to pick out vintage, producer, origin differences between the two... compare them in different regions (more Gevry to Chave's Chambolle...)
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Decanted for 1 hour prior to drinking. Slighly corked nose which over a couple of hours diminished, but didn't completely go away. Wine was slow to open up and continued to improve over 2 hours. Great fruit and structure, and nice length. I will cellar my remaining bottles for a few more years before trying another.
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atlanta blue nose group hermitage tasting which included 88,89,90 chave, 88, 89, 90 jaboulet la chappelle, 89, 90, 91 sorrell le greal and 89, 90, 91 chapoutier pavillon. as a whole, the sorrels did not show well and were the least favorite wines of the night. dried tannins. decent fruit, but not for a 1989.
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Ray Goder Truffle Dinner (Saddle & Cycle Club): I had higher hopes for this bottle given a couple more years of age. It was good, but not great. Full red purple color. Nice forward spicy red fruit aroma with anice notes. Nice rich spicy black cherry and currant fruit on the palate.
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Tasting Dinner at Sweets and Savouries (Chicago, IL): A disappointing showing for my first Hermitage. Chris thought it was corked - I didn't get any musty notes. But the nose was lean and giving very little. Palate offered just a little more, but the wine remained thin. Red fruits that just seemed unripe. Too bad.
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5/20/2023 - Ben F Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner at Home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml purchased from Chambers St Wines a number of years ago. Popped and poured.
Beautiful out of the gate. Lovely mature No. Rhone syrah, with age having softened, but not eliminated, the signature granite stern-ness of Hermitage. Definitely pulling towards burgundy with age.
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4/18/2023 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner at La Boheme with the Crew (Palo Alto): Took a few hours to open. Very pretty nose of strawberries, cherries, olives, mint - the nose is its best feature. Strengthening palate, well balanced, excellent poise good fruit. Not a powerful wine but good depth. I like it, probably much better with a long decant.
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4/18/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with the wine group (La Bohème, Palo Alto): Aromatic, elegant, lovely spices, red fruited; palate is medium bodied, medium acidity, medium alcohol, good blend of fruit and maturity; fresh and medium length finish. Lovely aged hermitage. 92
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11/30/2022 - CHINACAT wrote: 95 Points
Dark ripe fruit, smoky and briny, with a silky texture and plenty of length and complexity. At or close to peak. A stellar bottle.
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4/4/2022 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
The elegant and more feminine side of beautiful Hermitage; a soft velvet, mellifluous, long passage to the end of the palate, and consumed not a moment too. Soon. A lush nose of woody dark cherry, brambly forest tones, whiff of sweet forest scents, followed by a perfectly blended dark red layered cherry and blackberry with a hint of smoke and moist wood. Burgundian. Do not decant.
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2/24/2022 - decaturwinedude wrote: 92 Points
A Good Wednesday: Mix Tape: Seleque, '97 Baumard, '98 Moines, '11 Roche Blanche, '98 Clape, '98 Jamet, '89 Sorrel, '95 QdC; 2/23/2022-2/25/2022: Drinking well, but showing it's age more than the Clape and Jamet. Very classic, old-school Syrah. Fruit has faded a tad. Meaty and peppery. Olive. Very nice.
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1/31/2022 - Nanda wrote: flawed
brutally corked.
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1/31/2022 - acyso wrote: flawed
January Rhônes (Chicago, IL): One of the most corked bottles I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing.
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7/2/2021 - Sotto325 wrote: 91 Points
Elegant,soft, dark-cherry infused moist smokey earth, and a nice finish. But definitely, at least in this bottle, getting far down the Syrah maturation path. I have had older Hermitages or Cote Roties that held strong, so it must be the bottle. The nose did give up some some of the cherry and woody foresty notes, but the Syrah edginess was missing,as was greater delineation of fruit found in the first 3 bottles. Drink up.
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6/4/2021 - adnorthup Likes this wine:
Opened and decanted off sediment, given about 15 minutes of air. Thankfully this bottle is hitting on all cylinders. Nose of smoked meat and dark fruit. The dark cherry holds into the mouth, the smoke and meat following. This is everything I love about old Syrah. Perfect spot right now.
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2/7/2021 - glou.sf wrote: flawed
2/3 bottles corked
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1/27/2021 - liteagilis wrote:
Only had one. Corked AF. Too bad bc the color // condition were excellent. Winecellarinsider commented that many 89’s are corked. Contaminated barrel?
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8/19/2020 - glou.sf wrote: flawed
Corked, what a shame.
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6/6/2020 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
What a wonderful encounter with old world charm! None of the post -2007 behemoth style. As one taster noted, there is a Bordeaux-like quality to the nose and palate, but I would modify that to combine some old-aged cabernet franc from the Loire--not the barnyard side, but the rich earthy aspect. A killer nose redolent not of Syrah pepper but rather aged meat, smoke, dark cherry, a hint of sous bois and real old wine wood scents. Just ethereal. And after 15 minutes' air time, let forth tons of woody dark cherry smoked game, smooth viscous dark cherry almost kirsch scents (but not sweet) and a graceful finish. Drink now.
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3/1/2020 - hargy wrote:
corked - not rated
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1/24/2020 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of red fruit, mushrooms, leather, pepper, and dark berries. Well integrated tannins with great balance and flavors of berries, red fruit, leather, and
Nice finish. I’m not sure if I would guess Syrah on this wine if served blind. This reminded me more of a well aged old school Bordeaux, to be honest... Excellent wine, though!
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4/18/2019 - Nick4378 Likes this wine: 95 Points
this bottle was in perfect shape. Stood up for a week in the cellar and opened via Durand. Double decanted for dinner. Initially it was all cigar box but opened up well for dinner post double decant. Fruit is still present, quite savory with blood and roasted meats. Its all in the finish as its endless. Pure brilliance.
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3/10/2019 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 96 Points
In perfect shape, slight hint of brick at the edges, green hay in a clean barnyard nose... incredibly silky, fully integrated tannins, very rich without heaviness. As it opens shows lots of mocha, cherries, and cigar box. An inner core of subtle sweetness, and a 90 second finish where the iron dust/bloody game finally kicks in. An impressive showing, at peak. So great with pigs foot stuffed with fois gras and black lentils at Bibou.
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7/4/2018 - dmalcolm wrote: flawed
Corked :(
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8/20/2016 - Chainthroer wrote: 95 Points
Last consumed about 2.7 years ago. A reddish-ruby color; bricking. No need to decant the wine at this point. The tannin is resolved and the wine is drinking at its apogee, and should continue to do so for many years. Excellently balanced. Aromas of blackberry, black currant, sous bois, iodine, olive, spices, cigar box and just a touch of bacon fat. Same flavors, along with some pomegranate. Rich, elegant and intense fruit. An elongated and velvety finish. Paired well with Italian meat sauce with pasta; but, is more appreciable by itself. Great structure and has many years left for any well stored bottles to be appreciated. [24 hours later: the bacon fat on the nose is more prevalent; tannin is very slightly noticeable].
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1/28/2015 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
Barnyard, musty, never came around. Saturated cork, ample old seepage. Wine collectors who unload this kind of junk via consignment/auction need some serious ethical improvement (along with the seller they're in league with).
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12/27/2013 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
A medium reddish-ruby color; signs of bricking; yellowish on the rim. Decanted twice. Aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, leather , earth, olive, spices, and cigar box from the oak. Similar flavors, with the addition of some pomegranate. The tannins are not totally resolved, but much more so than when I tasted the wine several times in the later 2000’s; causes a very slight acidic sting on the tip of the tongue. Excellent structure. Although it is drinking much better than in the 2000’s, it still has lots of time left before full maturity. Probably at the very beginning of its drinking plateau. Not a big blockbuster, but a very nice and elegant Hermitage.
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11/16/2013 - sehill wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine gave an excellent showing. This has thrown a fair of amount of sediment and the wine does benefit from decanting. The aromatics show mature elements with some underlying youthful notes. The bouquet offers black fruits, earth, leather, spice, stone and some band aid notes. The color is a tarnished dark ruby. The medium / full bodied palate still shows density and firmness with an overall sense of balance. This is at or around maturity.
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12/27/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Rhones 20+ Years Old (Western Chicago IL Suburbs): Tasted blind. Black fruit, great black pepper, lots of licorice. Very precise, elegant and charming with uplifting acidity. Lots of energy. Fruit is on the leaner style, so I was surprised to see a 1989 when this bottle was unveiled. My favorite wine tonight, the group's least favorite!
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12/16/2011 - dcwino wrote: flawed
Welcoming Craig C to DC - Marks duckhouse Part 2 (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): I told Craig that this always has dirty nose like TCA. I was hoping not but unfortunately another tainted bottle. I have noticed a number of people who enjoyed this in the past while it was clearly tainted. I am not sure whether that is a blessing or a curse. Caveat Emptor.
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7/26/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs-III(Double Blind): Luis's 1st Red. FLAWED.
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4/8/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 95 Points
Yellowing at the rim; dark garnet body. Raspberry, blackberry, saddle leather, tobacco, forest floor, a bit of road tar, just a tad of bacon fat, spice - complex wine. Big rich fruit in the mouth and mid-palate. Nice finish - kind of velvety - about 20 seconds. Last tasted this wine in Sept 2006 - was still tannic then. Drinkable now, but will hold for many years. Enjoy a glass of this wine before your meal - maybe a bit more! The wine paired well with roasted tri-tip. Note: this wine has been stored at 56 degrees from the time of purchase in the early 1990's.
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10/23/2010 - DavidF90210 wrote: 95 Points
Lots of cassis and gun flint.Wine was balanced and heavy with so much youth to it. alcohol level was ideal. real pleasure
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4/26/2010 - markjanes wrote: 90 Points
Drank with 85 Chave... deeper color, slightly more extracted, younger rim than Chave... aromatically quite neutral until decanter fleshed it out a bit... moderate + aromatics with splenty of deep and bright red fruits, raspberry, red and black currant... great spice, meatiness... some newer oak barrique spices it seems lingering in there... nice deep, dark, soily minerality. On the palate, moderate acidity, a very full and texturally rich midpalate, great transition into a still not completely integrated medium + tannic finish, low to moderate alcohol. Balanced wine with good length of 20-30 sec, very good intensity of flavor, good complexity. Wine certainly has finesse and a very nice texture... very good expression of place. This has some way to go on the evolutionary ladder... try again in 3-5. The wine was a good counterpoint to the Chave with the Chave being lighter, more floral, more acidic, more aromatically evolved and complex... this has more depth of fruit, more textural weight, more classic tar and spice, and was a little less open for business... fun to pick out vintage, producer, origin differences between the two... compare them in different regions (more Gevry to Chave's Chambolle...)
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11/22/2009 - ggormezano wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour prior to drinking. Slighly corked nose which over a couple of hours diminished, but didn't completely go away. Wine was slow to open up and continued to improve over 2 hours. Great fruit and structure, and nice length. I will cellar my remaining bottles for a few more years before trying another.
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1/13/2008 - IAMVLAD wrote: 86 Points
atlanta blue nose group hermitage tasting which included 88,89,90 chave, 88, 89, 90 jaboulet la chappelle, 89, 90, 91 sorrell le greal and 89, 90, 91 chapoutier pavillon. as a whole, the sorrels did not show well and were the least favorite wines of the night. dried tannins. decent fruit, but not for a 1989.
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11/18/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Ray Goder Truffle Dinner (Saddle & Cycle Club): I had higher hopes for this bottle given a couple more years of age. It was good, but not great. Full red purple color. Nice forward spicy red fruit aroma with anice notes. Nice rich spicy black cherry and currant fruit on the palate.
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4/17/2006 - Nanda wrote: 83 Points
Tasting Dinner at Sweets and Savouries (Chicago, IL): A disappointing showing for my first Hermitage. Chris thought it was corked - I didn't get any musty notes. But the nose was lean and giving very little. Palate offered just a little more, but the wine remained thin. Red fruits that just seemed unripe. Too bad.
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2/19/2006 - Eric wrote: flawed
Rocking out at Chez Leve with Hermitage and a whole lot more (Los Angeles, CA): Corked!
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9/3/2005 - TheGreenFrog wrote: 85 Points
Very dry and tannic, overwhelming the fruit. A disappointment.
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9/1/2003 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Very full bodied and sturdy. Opened up with a bit of time but will keep for years. Great black fruits and spice. Lovely wine. (from memory) 9/03
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