Stood up for 2 weeks, double decanted to remove sediments, 30 min in decanter before serving, medium red, beautiful soaring powerful Syrah nose of black fruits, salted olives, roast meats, lovely balance, quite perfect today, a stupendous match with roast duck, drinking at peak with many years left, WOTN for me
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(Not a) birthday dinner (Hinsdale, IL): Sometimes Guigal sucks, sometimes it's brilliant, and sometimes it works to rule. This is the latter. It has some smoky meat notes on the nose, but just really fails to do much more than that. Passable, but not at the level of a previous bottle.
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Périgord Truffle Dinner (George Trois, Winnetka): Faded crimson color with slight bricking at the meniscus. Textbook Côte-Rôtie with aromas of bacon fat, red currant and white pepper notes. Red berry fruit and pepper on the palate. With time in the glass this fills out and adds weight in the mid-palate. Fully-integrated and drinking at peak. a wonderful match for the short rib.
This had been gently double decanted off its sediment a little over five hours before it was served.
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Boston Wine + Poker, Salem, Mass.: Tasted blind. An elegant, well-behaved old-world wine, with some white-pepper flavor but few other clues to its identity.
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Sunday night with home-made Devon Wagyu burgers: Picked up a bottle with a damaged label at what seemed like an excellent price. I understand there is some cynicism about this wine in general - but keen to see whether "all 98 N Rhone is awesome" holds true. The nose is earthy, some damp embers, a bit of funk that may or may not be brett. On the palate - there's initially a bit of funk but that goes away after a few minutes, there's a kind of purity of fruit to it along with the earthiness and savouriness and smoke. This is almost thrilling - not in a Cornas-like way, a little less high-toned, but really lovely. Not sure how much further this has to go but if this is a typical bottle - drink 'em if you got 'em.
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Started off a bit muted and rubbery. After a few hours it was much more 'giving' with dark black berries, coffee and leather. Still young somehow but not very exciting. Doesn't have the weight of complexity of Guigal's top Cote Roties but still very good. I didn't love it but I sure didn't hate it either
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What a difference a decade makes. Good cote rotie. Not great. Roasted meats, cherry , pencil lead. Tannin will outlast the fruit. A butt load of oak. And im getting a of of oak tannins.
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Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Chicago, IL): Easily the best of the three Ampuis, this was mature and showing well. It had many of the notes that I want to see in syrah, with more of a meat/smoke thing than olives, even though there was a little tapenade if you looked for it. Resolved on the palate, even though I'm not generally a huge fan of Ampuis, I'll admit this was a pretty smart bottle.
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Deep red. Expressive nose of dark fruit and red earth - pleasant. Suggesting richness to come. Concentrated black fruits on the palate framed by some oak. Cassis. Some gentle green herbs / garrigue.Meaty notes / some leather. Silky texture. Only medium plus weight. Enough acid to give some freshness. Very well mannered tannin. Some polish from the oak. Balanced. Perhaps time has moderated the strong Guigal style signature somewhat because this is less “full throttle extraction and new oak” influenced than I expected. (This wine as I understand it got 38 months in new wood). But nor is there any hidden nuance or much real delicacy here, consistent with Syrah of some extraction. And there is still some sense of it having been very attended to in the cellar - as if it had been designed/constructed to have everything so perfectly in place. I liked it more than I thought I would, which is hardly helpful guidance to anyone else. Will have its fans for sure, for its lovely ripe aromatics, silky tannins and undeniable balance. Tasting quite young. Bought on release.
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Medium/dark garnet color, some separation. Nose of dark red fruits, bacon fat, garrigue. Palate of black cherry, red currant, savory, spice and earth. Picking up garrigue, cassis and perfume through the mid palate. Medium weight, long finish.
In an excellent spot now, spice and savory are a perfect companion to like foods in the winter...Last bottle 5 years ago, seems to be evolving slowly at this point. Should drink at this level for a while longer - but really worth opening now...:)
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This is not at peak yet, or if it is, it will stay there for a long while given the freshness and amount of lemony acidity. It is ready to drink after some decant. Strong seashells, marine and seaweed in the nose. After that, roasted meat and some pepper. Some smokiness as well. The most gratifying aspect on the palate is the juicy acidity and sweet tannins. Tannins are so pleasantly sweet and smooth. The rest, that is the other classic Rotie aromas, revolve around the fundamental sweetness of the tannins supported by the citrucy acidity. I have the impression that this wine needed more decanting time in oder to unleash its full spectrum of aromatics. That said, a classic wine, fantastic.
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decanted off sediment then 45 minutes of air. Just the slightest bit or orange, otherwise looks terribly young. Tiny bit of VA, but easy to get past. Lighter fruited than expected. Not bad but not terribly exciting. A shame since the last bottle was wonderful.
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Nose - smoke, hickory, mint Mouth - grilled meat, brown sugar, barbecue rub, very open. It’s an unusual night when I get to try a fully mature northern Rhône.
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Still lots of ripe dark fruit in here. Complimentary pepper and coffee as well. In a good place, no rush to drink this. Thanks to SD-Wineaux for sharing.
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A few wines on the patio (Mi Casa): Expressive youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, blackberry liqueur, charred rare steak, a hint of tobacco and tapenade, white pepper, sweet spices, cedar and earth. Beautifully integrated youthful palate, nicely layered black fruit, rich, round and polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish. This is drinking beautifully in a youthful way but can improve further for another decades.
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Decanted 3 hrs. Cork perfect, plenty depot. Blackish red, brown edge. Large bq w spices, smoked bacon, red fruits, touch of strawberries and raspberries - almost like a Burgundy? Very well balanced w sandy tannins, plenty of fresh acidity, still plenty of fruit (but perhaps slightly drying). Long, complex, rounded aftertaste. Still in very good shape, but I would drink up within max 2 yrs. Lovely!
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I can't write a note like Strijbosmh, but while I won't go full symphony, it certainly played a pleasing melody for me. Elegant and classy all the way. Drink now
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Muuuch better than the previous bottles. This was singing. And not singing quietly in the back. This was Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms. Den alles Fleisch es ist wie Gras in B flat minor. Double choir. Full power.
Crazy intense nose. Bell pepper. Earth. Leather. Brooding. Palate is full bodied. Almost of La La quality (I wanted to open a '05 La Mouline tonight....). This is Côte Roti.
Finish lasts as long as the bridge on the river Kwai.
This was drinking quite nicely. Again a bit of the barnyard still but in a good way. A certain freshness to the wine. A depth of flavor as well. Hard to describe, but drinking quite nicely.
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nice wine, but worth the price or the time i held it for ($130, 4 years)? not really...
complete package but left me a little cold. kind of did that middle of the road thing that a lot of brunellos do for me, fine fruit but cant make up it's mind to be anything special.
didn't love air, so i'd drink up.
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Ample, velvety, savory, long in the mouth. It smelled of flowers, berries, spices. On the palate, a fruit mixed with lard, olive, a little pepper. A beautiful graceful feminine wine.
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Plums, Dried Cherries, Leather, Roasted Meat, white pepper, pinch of Olive tapenade Nice Acid and resolved tannins make this seamless in the mouth. Just do this!!!!
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Nice, developing nose of pepper and spice and roasted black cherries and meat. Medium-full bodied with medium-high acidity and loaded with bright red cherries, blood orange and spice. Absolutely delicious and still fresh though fully mature. Drink now-2023 93
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95% Syrah, 5% Viognier. Close in quality compared to the LaLaLa's at one third of the price. Slightly less concentrated and a more elegant feeling.
Fully developed complex nose, perfumed, red berries, blackberry, plums, black currant, nougat, tobacco, chocolate, fudge, cedar, graphite and hints of tomato soup.
Rich mouthfeel, loads of spices, slightly dry fruit, elegant. Heavily oaked with new French barriques as all top Guigal's, but has the fruit to balance. 94p
BV=0 WV=5
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Lovely nose of rose petal, red berries, vanilla, and spices. Great acidity and soft tannins. Flavors of orange zest, cranberries, and ripe plums with lingering pepper and Chinese spices. Good finish. This is drinking beautifully right now. Wife: 94
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Wauw, this is how a 20 year old wine should be. Still far from tired with well balanced acidity and tannins, but extremely interesting and complex tertiary notes that change everytime you lift the glass. Leather, meat, mushrooms, cigarbox, dark berries .... all so balanced and inviting. Think it is peaking right now.
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Drank over past week from coravin. I've had this wine previously and my notes are consistent. Dark, fairly ripe fruit is still present. Some earthy barnyard and mushrooms here both on the nose and palate, good depth and concentration, and nice length. This wine continues to show well. Lovely example of an aged Rhone.
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Classic mature Côte Roti. Always been a fan of the Northern Rhône. Wonderful nose, and a palate of earth, iron, rosemary, amazingly integrated. Soft but present tannins. Really good!
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(Blind tasting) Medium-fullish developed nose. Herbs, spices, blackberry and a little pruney. Not the greatest depth. Medium-fullish, developed palate. Ripe, quite soft tannins. Harmonius impression with dried fruit, smoky pepper, meat stock and tobacco. Tails off a bit and lacks some intensity for greatness. Better showing three years ago. On its way down?
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Beautiful multifaceted nose that kept bringing me back to the glass. Palate has started to resolve but still powerful, especially on the finish, but not without elegance or potential. I think this would benefit from a decent decant or long slowox at this stage. No rush on the remaining bottles.
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Ajunior La La. excellent value compared to burgundy premier cru. this i s long, rich, full and delicious. Like a La mouline or Turque without the full intensity. Not sure why I do'nt drink more of this as an everyday wine
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Pure dark fruit. Earthy with tobacco, mushroom, rosemary. Deep, fully resolved. This is drinking great. Powerful stuff that has a long life ahead, although I'm not sure as it ages it will be better than it is now.
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Agree with previous comments, this is absolutely in the zone and great value - I've twice compared favourably with La Turque 98 at four times the price.
Does need at least two hours to open up. The La Turque needs three and is the better, more complex wine but not a walk over and at four time the price!
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Definitely ready to drink now. This fully mature N. Rhone wine shows light signs of age on the color, with the nose very reticent in the first hour. But after that it unfolded slowly, delicately to reveal a cascade of nuance and purity. Medium-bodied now, this gently offered notes of meat, olive, savory and soil, and did so with finesse and grace. Served s-b-s with 97 La Turque and 2001 Ex-Voto, this was the wine most mature and replete with all the mature aspects one loves and dreams about. recommended
PnP, served non-blind, bottle held since release and in great condition.
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This was flat out killer. Beautiful nose of lavender, tapenade, wood. The palate was resolved and smooth with good depth and concentration of fruit. In a great place.
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Opened several hours ago. Initially revealed nothing in either nose or mouth. Not bad, just unyielding. Now, it is strutting its stuff. Lovely burnished garnet with pretty red legs. The nose has come alive, with animalistic and bacon fat scents. Cherry red fruit, too. And rhubarb. Fine, rich, leathery aroma, like a fine old leather in an old textbook. Quite feminine. In the mouth it has blossomed as well, with lovely soft, rich, even majestic fruit flavors, mostly red fruits. Excellent finish. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.
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excellent and still young. cherry and pepper with ample freshness on the mouth i thought it would have started rolling over but no sign pf such thing thorough;y enjoyable
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Drank at WWS Northern Rhone tasting. On the nose, some sweet fruit, some oak & some barnyard/earth. Plenty of red cherry fruit, blended nicely with pepper, spice & earth. Seemed a bit hotter than the 13% listed. Overall, a powerful, yet fresh and vibrant wine that is showing splendidly nearly 20 years on.
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Clean, focused, leaner than the Bessards, of course, wood well integrated by now, tannins still present. Quite intense, hints of leather, pepper ... will live, certainly, very balanced wine.
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At home with a jambalaya...decanted for about 1 hour, drank over 2. Open and ready for business, much more expressive than last bottle.
Color is medium red/garnet, mild bricking. Fresh and youthful at 18 yrs. Dark fruits, cherry, earth, black pepper, savory notes, roasted meats, garrigue, spices. Spices and cherry really stand out on back palate. Soft texture, oak is well integrated.
This is in a great spot right now, would pair with a variety of meats, rich dishes, winter fare...what you want from Syrah driven Rhone. Should hold this level, not sure it will improve much.
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Tasted this (decanted from 750ml) alongside my '98 Beau. Polar opposite wines, and if blinded (and if you knew nothing about the '98 vintage of Beau), I would 10 times in 10 trials have gotten these two backward!
Leve's Aug 2015 note below nails this bottle for me today. I would stress that this is still very fresh and very vibrant - no rush. Shockingly, most tasters preferred the Beau to this today, yet with zero disrespect to this wonderful Cote-Rotie. Absolutely worth seeking.
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Decanted 1 hr prior to serving. In a great place now, finally showing its distinctive terroir and pedigree. Earlier bottles were clumsily out of balance, showing too much barrel influence and/or dense fruit. Now it's singing.
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Drinking right where it needs to be. It's easy to discover the fresh, ripe, sweet, cherries, black pepper and earthy characteristics that make up this soft textured, round, lively wine. It might not improve much from here, but it should remain at this level for another 7-10 more years.
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Not much different than last time (with H at Sletten Kro), this a full blooded Syrah, smooth, elegant, true to it's producers, though the oak seems integrated now. The balance is perfect. Maturity is here, if like some primary fruit with your meal, and the textbook notes of roasted meats, olives and garrigue are here. Will keep 5+ years, but very enjoyable now.
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Blind tasting. Fully ready nose. Slightly animaly. Dried fruit and dried herbs. Sweet liquorice. Good complexity. Some burnt rubber, but also ink, plum and cedary oak. Depth adds hints of gravelly minerality. Very, very nice. Fullish body, fully integrated almost melted tannins. Complex minerality. Sweet Tobacco, liquorice and hints of cedar, coffeebeans and black currants. A wine in perfect place. And perfect combination of what I like in both Bordeaux and Rhone.
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Northern Rhone and Syrah of the World (My house): Nice, complete, bursting. Overall profile is both bright and dark, which was rare among the syrahs this night. Smoky with bright acid, good dark fruit, pepper. Good maturity, this is drinking well. Perhaps just a little too much acid on the finish and just a little hot. Very good, my #2 of the night.
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Drunk after a 2 hour decant. Medium ruby. Wild nose of smoke and herbs. Medium weight, and this particular bottle did not have the extra flesh and texture of one tasted a few years ago. Nevertheless, delicious tart red fruit to go along with the potpourri of other savory flavors. Excellent rather than extrarodinary on this occasion.
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Guigal: Some sweet corn aromas off the nose. Raspberry aromas. Such nuanced pepper to the palate. Lots of life. Med/- Tannin, super fine tannin. Palate shows red fruit and earth. Thanks!!
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Very modern with a huge whiff of vanilla and sweet cedar to the aroma. It is dense with sweet blackcurrant fruit. It is round and creamy and still very youthful exhibiting the colour of a fresh bruise.
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APPEARANCE: clear; medium garnet, medium legs & tears NOSE: clean; medium+ intensity; flavour characteristics: prune, plum, raisin, dorest floor, tobacco, farmyard, sweet spuces(vanilla), sweet notes; fully mature PALATE: dry; high acidity; medium body; medium tannin (fine grained); medium alcohol; long finish; medium+ flavour intensity; flavour characteristics: as per nose: tobacco, forest floor, prune, plum, sweet spice (vanilla), white pepper READINESS FOR DRINKING: drink now, but will keep 2-3 years FURTHER REMARKS: excellent wine! Typical mature Syrah, brooding dark but sweet nose, impressively complex, structural components well balanced with alcohol and acidity. Lovely concentration. Typical of Northern Rhone. Unfortunately my last bottle...
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Drank in Plateau The nose starts with classic forest floor and damp earth which blows away after a couple of minutes to reveal some lovely black fruit and spice. Silky smooth palate which changes as you drink and a nice long length. Lovely stuff.
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2014 New Year's Day Tasting $100+ (Marietta, GA): Dark core with 1/3" bricking; leather, smoked meat, Burgundian, velvet, white pepper; fresh, velvety tannin, black pepper, great lift and freshness to the darker berry fruit; really good now but can go for a while I'm sure; absolutely delicious!; 94+; my WOTN.
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Guigal Château d'Ampuis - complete vertical tasting of 1995-2009 (Stockholm): Medium red colour, paler edge. Nose of dark berries, spice and pepper, slightly herbaceous, developed notes with some leather and barnyard; a powerful nose. The nose shows rather clear development but also quite a bit of youthful notes. Palate with blackberries, good concentration, noticeable acidity, pepper, medium tannins, aftertaste with tart berries. Fine balance, rather development, can take more time in cellar. 92 p.
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Guigal Château d'Ampuis - complete vertical tasting of 1995-2009 (Stockholm): The first bottle: corked. However, the defect wasn't noticeable when I first opened it, but only after it had been poured after having first spent over an hour in the decanter. Luckily, I had a backup bottle that was opened instead.
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Decanted 2 hours. Beautiful nose of dark milk chocolate, roasted game, roasted plum, cracked black pepper, and charcoal, with softer vanilla bean and bacon notes. The palate is still youthful but definitely within its window. Notes from the nose carry over to the palate, medium-bodied, quite silky—particularly on the attack—with black cherry and plum, some floral sweetness to the fruit, more pepper, spice, and crushed rock. Firm acidity in late palate picks up rustic, complementary tannins on the finish. Drinkable and very enjoyable now, but I'd suggest holding for another 2-3 years.
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With a one hour decant this showed very well. Still a bit on the austere side, it shows plenty of dark, cool fruit with game and leather and some supporting tannin. Good food wine, but just short of great. A-
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Chris's Favourites (Chez Chris Davies, Paris): Cear, medium ruby red, evident brick red to the edge. Clean nose, dark fruits, liquorice, spices, pepper, vanilla. Full palate, very complex. Long finish. Fully mature. Excellent wine - easily my favourite of the evening.
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Cote Rotie 2001 and Older (Jamet, Ogier, and Others): A bottle of this two weeks ago was the first drinkable Chateau d'Ampuis i ever had. Unfortunately, this one showed the style I've come to know and loathe. Dark purple in color, it drinks like a blackberry/blueberry milkshake with overripe fruit overlaid with overpowering vanillin oak, and a fair bit of heat on the nose. The friend who brought it told me that the one we had two weeks ago was more representative of his experience with Chateau d'Ampuis, but this one, alas, is typical of mine.
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APPEARANCE: clear; medium garnet; medium legs & tears NOSE: clean; medium+ intensity; flavour characteristics: red fruits (red cherry, strawberry), blueberry, prune, fig, raisins, dade, vanilla, liquorice; fully mature PALATE: dry; high acidity; full body; medium tannin; medium alcohol; long finish; pronounced flavour intensity; flavour characteristics: as per nose: red fruits (red cherry, strawberry), prune, fig, dade, vanilla, liquorice READINESS FOR DRINKING: Can drink now but has potential for further aging, at its top now FURTHER REMARKS: Wow, this is magnificent! Beautifully mature Syrah, well balanced and delicious. The best wine I drank in the last couple of months! Decant 2 hours before drinking.
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Popped and poured, so not enough time to open up, but a bit on the lean side. Good with food, but was hoping for more. Maybe just needs some air. B+/A-?
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Inky dark color. Firm structure but silky tannins and well integrated oak at this point. Spices, black fruits, smoke, and earth on nose and palate. Surprised that finish wasn't all that long, but great wine with our strip steak dinner.
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Had with a big pot of beef burgundy.....this wine was drinking REALLY well! Smooth and aged, yet youthful... plum, cherry, cassis, raspberry fruit....slight tart cherry skin acidity, classic leather, cedar box, coffee bean. Has wonderful flower florals and smoke campfire bacon, earth. Seems to have plenty of structure and sweet fruit to go a lot longer....but so tasty now!
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tastede on 7-3-13,larrys wine, at little naploi in carmel,peppery ,smoke ,bacony nose,dried cherries,dark fruit,well integrated with soft tannins ,good acid,,long palate,good finish, the best cote rotie I remember in long time, all agreed, 98 pionts,
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Opened but not decanted 2 hours prior to drinking. Still dark and primary looking. Striking red fruit, grilled meat, and bacon aromatics with a late touch of herbs. Dense and layered without being heavy. Ripe, sappy center with wonderful acidity and ripe but noticeable tannins remaining. Packed wine that will improve for some time. I'm sorry that we didn't give it more air before sharing it, since the last sips were clearly the best.
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Classy Cote Rotie. Dark and inky color. Dark cherries, tobacco, vanilla, earth, green and black peppers, and subtle cedar oak all well balanced. Very tasty...
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Black cherry, tar, kirsch liqueur, charcoal, pepper and bacon fat. Silky smooth with ripe cherries, plums, spice, fennel, cocoa and black raspberries are in the soft, voluptuous finish. this is drinking very well at the moment. It made a perfect pairing with rare, grilled, Flannery strip steaks and mushrooms. This is not that far off the level of quality found in the 1999 or 2003 Guigal Ampuis. By the, this wine was popped and poured. I worked on this wine for about one more hour after writing the initial note and upped its score a point. This is a very strong, stylish Cote Rotie.
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Totally closed. Opened It up, zero fruit with lots of oak. Decanted for 2 hours with a little opening up but hardly any change. Color not purple but dark red with some orange around the edges. I put it back in the bottle and in the refrigerator and am drinking the following night. This is one confused wine. The fruit isn't drying up so it must be in a dumb phase. But I cant get over the oak. Really one dimensional. As the night goes on more secondary fruit favors coming out that are not that enjoyable. I have a few more bottles, I don't think I'll look at them for another 10 yrs.
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Powerful, complex nose that is wide open and perfectly ready. Lovely dark fruit with integrated toasty oak (coffee beans), smoke, white pepper, meat, and smoked sausage. And to that a lingering elegant, violet perfume. Fullish body, balanced power, toasty oak that the wine manage to carry. Very smoky (in a positive way), integrated tannins. Nice persistence and length. Good stuff. A wine that simply is. Proudly proclaiming its origin. No excuses. Drink or cellar further for more animal/meat-aromas. For us, it drank perfectly.
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This bottle was decanted for 14-15 hours. It was originally poured into small tasting glasses as it was part of a grand tasting. I re-poured into large Riedel and it started to soar from the glass. Smokes Benneton Bacon is what smacks you along with dark fruits. It is a baby but although the tannins are there they are round and integrated. 5-7 more years and this will be Prime Time!! Not a bite on the finish and silky with the most amazing color. Really enjoyed.
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Decanted for 30 minutes, this was a very balanced wine, showing pepper and game on the nose, cool fruit, and a nice finish. It was not as expressive as I think it will be with more time to age/open, but went very well with food and is open enough to enjoy now. Very representative of the vintage. A-
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Licorice, flowers, spice, blackberry liqueur, truffle, smoke, plums and bacon fat aromas popped the moment the cork was pulled. rich, round, concentrated, stylish and filled with gobs of juicy, dark fruit and spice, this beautiful Cote Rotie is drinking perfectly today. It's not a La La, nor does it pretend to be. It's a wonderful Northern Rhone wine that is just now starting to show its stuff.
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Opened for an hour before drinking, still tight and eventually opened up at about hour 3. Overall closed and not giving much, hence the low rating, perhaps more cellaring is needed?
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Everything seemed a little muted compared to my previous experience with this wine. Must have been closed down. The fruit was lacking flavor but overall it did show like a well balanced wine. I did enjoy it but was perhaps a bit less impressed than before. I did unfortunately not get any smokiness and charred/olive flavors which I had hoped for.
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A great cote rotie - lots of ember, meaty char, olive & red fruits. The mouthfeel was lush and tannins were integrated. this is what I seek out of a cote rotie. Outstanding bottle of wine.
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Deep and unevolved. Multidimensional aromas that include a good dose of pine needles, black fruit, caramel and a slight degree of smokiness that is much less pronounced than 4 years ago. Gorgeous feel but clearly possessing enough acidity and tannin to carry it for 10 more years. It has an airiness that elevates it above most Syrah and surprisingly takes on a spicy red fruited character in the mouth. Oh, this is really, really good stuff.
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Decanted for 1-1/2 hrs in am, then put back in Cave so it would be cool for our terrace dining at BLT Steak. Worked well and interestingly drank alongside David's 88 Grange. The same principal varietal but the regional stylistic and terroir differences stoodout. The Ampuis showed pronounced Provencal notes of nicoise olive and pine scents. The fine tactile sense and extended finish were evident in both wines.
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Started out a bit tight, even after an hour of decanting. Began to open in hour 2. Nice pepper and spice and sense of place. Will benefit from more cellar time.
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1990s Northern Rhone (La Fonda del Sol, NYC): (Served blind) Soft and lush with a sweet core, some flowers and a bit of acid. Great mouth feel. Beautiful wine just coming into maturity. Made in a fairly modern style. This will improve. B/B+
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Medium garnet red colored. Fairly sweet on the nose with some Barossa shiraz elements leaning into northern rhone. A good dollop of oak to this wine. Broad on the palate with really good balance. Drank half the bottle and came back to it the next day and the wine was shot.
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nose: deep and youthful nose of black olives, charcoal, black cherries, bacon fat, blackberries, some cacao, and bits of oak. Well layered with lots of depth and a very robust style to it on the nose
taste: full bodied with very good tannins still showing themselves and tones of black cherries, smoke, charcoal, bacon fat, cacao, and bits of olives hiding underneath along with bits of black pepper creeping in with some air. Good medium+ acidity is showing itself as well to back up the tannins
overall: still quite young and showing better after a good 2 hours in the decanter. This is a marathon wine with great depth and class on both the nose and palate. Nice dark ruby color that has a bit of bricking at the rim, but its isn't too pronounced.
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Dark core, ruby rim. Earthy spices, gorgeous, very smooth, lifted violets and plums. Lush, rich, red berry compote, country herbs, tar/licorice, spicy edge, fine tannins and crisp acid, beautifully integrated.
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Not ready. Still tannic and subdued. It has hints of that Guigal CR exhuberance, but not there yet. 99 is more or everything. I still think this will be very nice, but it needs time and will be more on the meaty / leather side of the CR spectrum
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Definitive Rhone (Fabi and Rosi European Kitchen Austin, Texas): A favorite of one group, the least favorite of another, this wine was decanted for several hours and still was a bit closed. One thought this was a Miss Texas in the Miss Universe contest. Maybe it was the beautiful nose. Initially it was a bit one-dimensional, then gained some layers over time and a good finish. As one taster said, this is not made to be the greatest wine, but to be delicious and have much more perfume. The nose again. It had notes of sweet red fruit, caramel, butter, cotton candy, asian spice, pepper, currants, coconut, some oak. One taster called it intoxicating, yet simple. Miss Texas goes Rhone. Give her some time.
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TN: I guess I prefer California Syrahs over the Rhone (and some other stuff): Purple in color, shimmering bright. The nose has a ton of oak, cocoa and black raspberries. On the palate, lots of tannins. Black raspberries and BIG tannins. Of all the wines, this seemed the most out of balanced. Will time help? I think so as I have enjoyed this wine in the past. It has some complexity. The group liked this much better than I (although no 1st place votes. By the end of the night, it did seem to come around a bit and my score went up a bit. Another wine that I think decanting would have helped.
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Decanted for 1 hour.A nice floral lift on the nose with some sous-bois and red fruit.Light to medium bodied palate,rather vibrant red toned fruit,hints of pineforest and sous-bois,softened tannins.Silky texture,extremely elegant.Dancing on the tongue.
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Mmm, utterly beautiful. Smoke, violet, racy acidity. This is extremely charming. Such a gorgeous expression of Syrah, lithe, coursing with energy, red fruit intermingled with black, tarry, meaty Syrah tipicity.
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Dark color and subtle fruit aroma in the glass. The taste shows dark berry, plum, tobacco, and spice notes. Very smooth tannins and long-lasting finish. Everything seems perfectly in balance. Drinking absolutely beautifully now.
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Decanted for about 30 minutes. Dark fruits (berry and plum) with a good deal of pepper and some smoke and a bit of tar. Great texture on the palate; chewy dark fruits with great minerality and acid on the finish. Tannins have started to soften some, but still has a great grip to it.
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BYO tasting (My place): Dark red color with a slightly orange hue. Very complex and intense nose with notes of cherries, tomatoes, meat, smoke, iron and olives. Equally exciting on the palate with nuances of chalk, charcuterie, smoked meat and sausages, juicy cherries and olives. On the midpalate it gains in elegance with more notes such as iron and viols, before picking up some oak and vanilla sweetness on the very long finish. Superbly balanced and wildly intense. Drinking absolutely perfect now.
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Very nice right now, though tannins still need to soften. Will improve for sure, and I suggest holding a little and probably till 2010. Also good complexity, and a wine that kept changing in the glass over a good 3-4 hours. Looking forward to try again in the future.
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With Mike and friends at Deuce. Very deep, somber. Nose was penetrating, with loads of dark fruit. Rich and round on the palate. A very nice wine, though the profile leans to the modern style.
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FRENCH BAKERY Northern Rhone BYO Dinner; 6/3/2008-6/4/2008 (The French Bakery, Kane Concourse, Bay Harbour Islands, FL): Mark's(My) wine. Flight # 3. Swept the flight with 9-1/3 votes vs Columbo Le Rouet,4-1/3 votes; and Columbo La Louvee, 2-1/3 votes. Several tasters WOTN. I had decanted this for 45 minutes in the am. I immediately recognized its nuanced charm and complexity. To me the most elegant and balanced wine of the evening. Paired perfectly with Maria's HEAVENLY Cassoulet, which perhaps trumped all of the wines. Cesar felt this was the best flight thus far. He ranked the Ampuis and the Columbo La Louvee equally, while Charlie, and Roberta and David Errenreich split their votes in this flight.
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Chocolate, orange peel, black coffee, olives, red fruit and leather on the very clean and agreeable nose. On the palate sweet black and red fruit, chocolate, liquorice, orange fruit and peel, white pepper and refreshing citrus-like acidity. Drinking well now, but still a bit on the youngish side. However, I like it like this: for me this is nearing its peak drinking windows.
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From memory, followed a bottle of 99 Mouton Rothschild. Nose not as robust as the Mouton, but nonetheless heady mix of dark fruits, pepper, and more obvious alcohol. Palate exploded with dark red fruits, pepper, and youthful acidity/tannin. Lots of life left, but drinking great now.
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Clear dark red colour lightening a little at the rim. Intense aromas of leather, white pepper, black cherry, spices, red fruits and floral notes on the nose are followed by more red fruits, spice and some meaty notes in the mouth. Palate is elegant and silky textured with medium body weight and good acidity. Smooth medium length finish. Lovely.
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Tasted March 8, 2008. Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, slightly dusty looking towards center. Nose of roasted meat and stewed plums over a lovely perfumed nose. Flavors of black cherries, berrie and black licorice, rich and full on the palate. Medium to vibrant acidity, medium tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold.
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Can't get any better than this. Had to be the WOTN. Dark black purple to the rim. Beautifulll sweet nose of dark fruits with not a hint of tannin on the nose or palate. Palate was pure sweet fruit, very well balanced without a single blemish. My first, last, and only bottle
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NSMFOW March (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Dark garnet color. Nose of currants, tar, leather. Similar palate with some blackberry. Good fruit. A bit of minerality and a backbone of soft tannins. Drinking very well now.
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Gently maturing garnet. A beefy wine – strong oak character mixed with red and blue berries. Juicy and staining, showing some smoky and chocolate notes. Certainly more oaky and modern than I typically prefer, but there is good complexity and interest here. Not as good as the ’97 tasted earlier this week. (91)
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Brought to Wildwood OL in lineup of domestic syrahs. Showing well, with pepper and smokey, meaty aromas; dark fruit and spice on the palate, full-bodied and very structured with a long, long finish carrying black fruit and spice. Leaner than the other syrahs, but elegant and balanced.
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Outstanding expression of Syrah... Elegant with white pepper and bramble bush...no hard edges.... ready to drink but will hold and develop more secondary elements.
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Wondeful wine..I will continue to say that anyone that likes Cote Rotie must buy the d'Ampuis all most every year. It is a relative bargin give the price and producer. I drank this one by myself one night after the boys went to bed.
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Simply superb. six of us tasted this amongst 6 other great wines - it was one of the best. Still young, but already showing great complexity, balance and length.
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Dominant black pepper on the nose and palate. Black fruit and caramel. Monolithic mid palate and finish. Not a very good showing for this wine. Off bottle. Showed much better a few weeks ago at HdR.
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This was just gorgeous. Opened 6 hours before tasting. Medium ruby with light brown at the edges. My 10 year old took a whiff and said "outdoor barbecue", and this pretty much summed up the smokiness of this wine. Also beautiful violet, bacon, and core of crystallized fruit. Very elegant, subtle, medium weight, and seamless, with fading tannins leading to a long, gentle finish. I can't imagine enjoying French Syrah more than this, although if you're looking for more body and raw power, you will not be as impressed as I was.
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(at Charleston – Baltimore) Mix of pepper, dirt and deep red fruits. Full, intense and long – this really lingered in the mouth. I liked this a lot. (19)
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Drank next to the 95 La Turque this wine had every bit as good a nose of spice, pepper and bacon fat...on the palate while fine and showing nice concentration it lack the length and power of the La Turque...over all a great buy...for those that enjoy Cote Rotie this wine is a must have in every good year.
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Garnet, with a good deal of ruby – not nearly as dark as other vintages or the last time I had this a few years ago. The nose is initially all new oak, but this quickly blows off to reveal black cherry, earth and some exotic spiciness from the oak treatment. Pretty full on the nose. What really impresses me about this wine is how balanced it is on the palate – this is not over the top at all. Drinking well now, but will remain so for a while. A rush of fruit mixed with great character – very seamless. Cloves, spice and a lingering finish. Far and away the best d’Ampuis I have had. (19)
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After the Thanksgiving meal...intense nose of dark red fruit, asian spice, pepper and tar. On th palate the wine has exelence length and balance. Leather, bramble fruit and lots of pepper this is very good Cote Rotie. Some oak on the finish gives the tannins a slightly dry dimension.
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Casual Dinner with Great Wine with Friends (Chicago IL): Very perfumed start with lots of ripe, black fruit. A bit too ripe today on palate, but with lots of balancing structure. Give this to at least 2010 to hopefully integrate better and soften.
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Balanced, agreable nose with lots of black fruits, leather, milk chocolate (hint of vanilla and a lactic element), hint of spicy wood, some pepper and herbs. Complex palate with somewhat penetrating but nice acidity, lots of fruit, pepper, herbs, chocolate, ... the wood is already niceley integrated. While this will probably improve, I like it as it is now. It has still some bite of youth, but already has developed enough complexity for me. These notes are based on the first sip right after opening the bottle from a cold cellar. If need be, I'll report on its further development in the coming hours.
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Good colour but very much closed on the nose and the palate, wait 6 to 12 months for the next one. Previous bottles have been vigourous and young, but this has clearly entered a closed stage.
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Dark, rich colors with no lightening at the edges. Sappy aromas and hints of pepper, licorice, coffee and spicy, jammy fruit. Thick, rich and tannic. A good wine that will vastly improve over the next several years.
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3/2/2024 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stood up for 2 weeks, double decanted to remove sediments, 30 min in decanter before serving, medium red, beautiful soaring powerful Syrah nose of black fruits, salted olives, roast meats, lovely balance, quite perfect today, a stupendous match with roast duck, drinking at peak with many years left, WOTN for me
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2/22/2024 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
(Not a) birthday dinner (Hinsdale, IL): Sometimes Guigal sucks, sometimes it's brilliant, and sometimes it works to rule. This is the latter. It has some smoky meat notes on the nose, but just really fails to do much more than that. Passable, but not at the level of a previous bottle.
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2/17/2024 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Périgord Truffle Dinner (George Trois, Winnetka): Faded crimson color with slight bricking at the meniscus. Textbook Côte-Rôtie with aromas of bacon fat, red currant and white pepper notes. Red berry fruit and pepper on the palate. With time in the glass this fills out and adds weight in the mid-palate. Fully-integrated and drinking at peak. a wonderful match for the short rib.
This had been gently double decanted off its sediment a little over five hours before it was served.
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11/5/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine:
Boston Wine + Poker, Salem, Mass.: Tasted blind. An elegant, well-behaved old-world wine, with some white-pepper flavor but few other clues to its identity.
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7/31/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Sunday night with home-made Devon Wagyu burgers: Picked up a bottle with a damaged label at what seemed like an excellent price. I understand there is some cynicism about this wine in general - but keen to see whether "all 98 N Rhone is awesome" holds true. The nose is earthy, some damp embers, a bit of funk that may or may not be brett. On the palate - there's initially a bit of funk but that goes away after a few minutes, there's a kind of purity of fruit to it along with the earthiness and savouriness and smoke. This is almost thrilling - not in a Cornas-like way, a little less high-toned, but really lovely. Not sure how much further this has to go but if this is a typical bottle - drink 'em if you got 'em.
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12/29/2022 - Coastalnative wrote: 92 Points
Started off a bit muted and rubbery. After a few hours it was much more 'giving' with dark black berries, coffee and leather. Still young somehow but not very exciting. Doesn't have the weight of complexity of Guigal's top Cote Roties but still very good. I didn't love it but I sure didn't hate it either
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5/19/2022 - Manuaia wrote: 91 Points
What a difference a decade makes. Good cote rotie. Not great. Roasted meats, cherry , pencil lead. Tannin will outlast the fruit. A butt load of oak. And im getting a of of oak tannins.
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5/2/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Chicago, IL): Easily the best of the three Ampuis, this was mature and showing well. It had many of the notes that I want to see in syrah, with more of a meat/smoke thing than olives, even though there was a little tapenade if you looked for it. Resolved on the palate, even though I'm not generally a huge fan of Ampuis, I'll admit this was a pretty smart bottle.
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1/17/2022 - MuddyBoots wrote:
Deep red. Expressive nose of dark fruit and red earth - pleasant. Suggesting richness to come. Concentrated black fruits on the palate framed by some oak. Cassis. Some gentle green herbs / garrigue.Meaty notes / some leather. Silky texture. Only medium plus weight. Enough acid to give some freshness. Very well mannered tannin. Some polish from the oak. Balanced. Perhaps time has moderated the strong Guigal style signature somewhat because this is less “full throttle extraction and new oak” influenced than I expected. (This wine as I understand it got 38 months in new wood). But nor is there any hidden nuance or much real delicacy here, consistent with Syrah of some extraction. And there is still some sense of it having been very attended to in the cellar - as if it had been designed/constructed to have everything so perfectly in place. I liked it more than I thought I would, which is hardly helpful guidance to anyone else. Will have its fans for sure, for its lovely ripe aromatics, silky tannins and undeniable balance. Tasting quite young. Bought on release.
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12/27/2021 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Impromptu dinner and evening in the cellar - Eileen, Karen, Xander, Kaitllyn (Chez Walker - Princeton, NJ): Needed something to pair with split main dishes of spiked sausage cassoulet and bolognese/fettuccini. Decanted about 2.5 hours in advance.
Medium/dark garnet color, some separation. Nose of dark red fruits, bacon fat, garrigue. Palate of black cherry, red currant, savory, spice and earth. Picking up garrigue, cassis and perfume through the mid palate. Medium weight, long finish.
In an excellent spot now, spice and savory are a perfect companion to like foods in the winter...Last bottle 5 years ago, seems to be evolving slowly at this point. Should drink at this level for a while longer - but really worth opening now...:)
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12/25/2021 - atbarbar Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is not at peak yet, or if it is, it will stay there for a long while given the freshness and amount of lemony acidity. It is ready to drink after some decant. Strong seashells, marine and seaweed in the nose. After that, roasted meat and some pepper. Some smokiness as well. The most gratifying aspect on the palate is the juicy acidity and sweet tannins. Tannins are so pleasantly sweet and smooth. The rest, that is the other classic Rotie aromas, revolve around the fundamental sweetness of the tannins supported by the citrucy acidity. I have the impression that this wine needed more decanting time in oder to unleash its full spectrum of aromatics. That said, a classic wine, fantastic.
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11/12/2021 - adnorthup wrote:
decanted off sediment then 45 minutes of air. Just the slightest bit or orange, otherwise looks terribly young. Tiny bit of VA, but easy to get past. Lighter fruited than expected. Not bad but not terribly exciting. A shame since the last bottle was wonderful.
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10/22/2021 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - smoke, hickory, mint
Mouth - grilled meat, brown sugar, barbecue rub, very open. It’s an unusual night when I get to try a fully mature northern Rhône.
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9/11/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
A Few Wines Tasted at Lisa and Sheldon's Engagement Party (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. Ripe black fruit with roasted beef, leather, allspice and anise. Very good depth and balance. Wonderful now, with no fear of fading.
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5/1/2021 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still lots of ripe dark fruit in here. Complimentary pepper and coffee as well. In a good place, no rush to drink this. Thanks to SD-Wineaux for sharing.
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3/24/2021 - adnorthup Likes this wine:
Short decant and great, drink up
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2/14/2021 - sylviap Likes this wine:
Love the dark fruit with touch of coffee and tobacco. Still well balanced, with at least a few years ahead of it.
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2/14/2021 - Doc2 Likes this wine:
Warm flavors, took about 1 hour for the fruit to come out.
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10/25/2020 - MRichman wrote:
Excellent. Great depth and heft. Amazing nose. Dark coffee, strong muscular dark fruit. Really nice, mature and not fading any time soon.
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9/12/2020 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
A few wines on the patio (Mi Casa): Expressive youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, blackberry liqueur, charred rare steak, a hint of tobacco and tapenade, white pepper, sweet spices, cedar and earth. Beautifully integrated youthful palate, nicely layered black fruit, rich, round and polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish. This is drinking beautifully in a youthful way but can improve further for another decades.
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7/3/2020 - wsammons Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely fantastic wine - red currant flavors that really come together; very smooth after some air time
Definitely has more years ahead of it - would buy more if I could find it
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4/17/2020 - Leto South wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. Cork perfect, plenty depot. Blackish red, brown edge. Large bq w spices, smoked bacon, red fruits, touch of strawberries and raspberries - almost like a Burgundy? Very well balanced w sandy tannins, plenty of fresh acidity, still plenty of fruit (but perhaps slightly drying). Long, complex, rounded aftertaste. Still in very good shape, but I would drink up within max 2 yrs. Lovely!
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3/12/2020 - ddingley Likes this wine: 94 Points
I can't write a note like Strijbosmh, but while I won't go full symphony, it certainly played a pleasing melody for me. Elegant and classy all the way. Drink now
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12/26/2019 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Muuuch better than the previous bottles. This was singing. And not singing quietly in the back. This was Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms. Den alles Fleisch es ist wie Gras in B flat minor. Double choir. Full power.
Crazy intense nose. Bell pepper. Earth. Leather. Brooding. Palate is full bodied. Almost of La La quality (I wanted to open a '05 La Mouline tonight....). This is Côte Roti.
Finish lasts as long as the bridge on the river Kwai.
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11/19/2019 - Ben F Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml.
Wonderful mature syrah. In a great place, but no rush to drink.
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10/25/2019 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent performance. Drink now.
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9/16/2019 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Loved it. More bell pepper than I can remember.
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9/7/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
This was drinking quite nicely. Again a bit of the barnyard still but in a good way. A certain freshness to the wine. A depth of flavor as well. Hard to describe, but drinking quite nicely.
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8/6/2019 - wsammons Likes this wine: 92 Points
No notes taken
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7/2/2019 - mike l. Likes this wine: 91 Points
nice wine, but worth the price or the time i held it for ($130, 4 years)? not really...
complete package but left me a little cold. kind of did that middle of the road thing that a lot of brunellos do for me, fine fruit but cant make up it's mind to be anything special.
didn't love air, so i'd drink up.
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3/29/2019 - Hamozus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ample, velvety, savory, long in the mouth. It smelled of flowers, berries, spices. On the palate, a fruit mixed with lard, olive, a little pepper. A beautiful graceful feminine wine.
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3/28/2019 - MDV wrote: 93 Points
Plums, Dried Cherries, Leather, Roasted Meat, white pepper, pinch of Olive tapenade Nice Acid and resolved tannins make this seamless in the mouth. Just do this!!!!
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3/17/2019 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice, developing nose of pepper and spice and roasted black cherries and meat. Medium-full bodied with medium-high acidity and loaded with bright red cherries, blood orange and spice. Absolutely delicious and still fresh though fully mature. Drink now-2023 93
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10/27/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 94 Points
LaLaLa tasting #1: (joker)
95% Syrah, 5% Viognier. Close in quality compared to the LaLaLa's at one third of the price. Slightly less concentrated and a more elegant feeling.
Fully developed complex nose, perfumed, red berries, blackberry, plums, black currant, nougat, tobacco, chocolate, fudge, cedar, graphite and hints of tomato soup.
Rich mouthfeel, loads of spices, slightly dry fruit, elegant. Heavily oaked with new French barriques as all top Guigal's, but has the fruit to balance. 94p
BV=0
WV=5
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10/20/2018 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose of rose petal, red berries, vanilla, and spices. Great acidity and soft tannins. Flavors of orange zest, cranberries, and ripe plums with lingering pepper and Chinese spices. Good finish. This is drinking beautifully right now. Wife: 94
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10/14/2018 - casoe Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wauw, this is how a 20 year old wine should be. Still far from tired with well balanced acidity and tannins, but extremely interesting and complex tertiary notes that change everytime you lift the glass. Leather, meat, mushrooms, cigarbox, dark berries .... all so balanced and inviting. Think it is peaking right now.
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9/27/2018 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over past week from coravin. I've had this wine previously and my notes are consistent. Dark, fairly ripe fruit is still present. Some earthy barnyard and mushrooms here both on the nose and palate, good depth and concentration, and nice length. This wine continues to show well. Lovely example of an aged Rhone.
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8/31/2018 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank wirh John
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8/10/2018 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic mature Côte Roti. Always been a fan of the Northern Rhône. Wonderful nose, and a palate of earth, iron, rosemary, amazingly integrated. Soft but present tannins. Really good!
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4/1/2018 - Argrath wrote: 93 Points
(Blind tasting)
Medium-fullish developed nose. Herbs, spices, blackberry and a little pruney. Not the greatest depth.
Medium-fullish, developed palate. Ripe, quite soft tannins. Harmonius impression with dried fruit, smoky pepper, meat stock and tobacco. Tails off a bit and lacks some intensity for greatness. Better showing three years ago. On its way down?
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3/15/2018 - Ben F Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Le Comptoir, San Rafael, CA.
Beautiful multifaceted nose that kept bringing me back to the glass.
Palate has started to resolve but still powerful, especially on the finish, but not without elegance or potential. I think this would benefit from a decent decant or long slowox at this stage. No rush on the remaining bottles.
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1/28/2018 - ricknat1 wrote: 92 Points
Ajunior La La. excellent value compared to burgundy premier cru. this i s long, rich, full and delicious. Like a La mouline or Turque without the full intensity. Not sure why I do'nt drink more of this as an everyday wine
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1/20/2018 - Levantine wrote:
Same as previous note.
Yes it has life ahead but not sure it will be better.
There is a lovely freshness now that makes this wine perfect
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1/7/2018 - MRichman wrote:
Pure dark fruit. Earthy with tobacco, mushroom, rosemary. Deep, fully resolved. This is drinking great. Powerful stuff that has a long life ahead, although I'm not sure as it ages it will be better than it is now.
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11/18/2017 - ccn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely from the first sip but after 1.5 hours in a decanter something magical happened.
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2/18/2017 - PSC wrote: 94 Points
Agree with previous comments, this is absolutely in the zone and great value - I've twice compared favourably with La Turque 98 at four times the price.
Does need at least two hours to open up. The La Turque needs three and is the better, more complex wine but not a walk over and at four time the price!
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12/21/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Definitely ready to drink now. This fully mature N. Rhone wine shows light signs of age on the color, with the nose very reticent in the first hour. But after that it unfolded slowly, delicately to reveal a cascade of nuance and purity. Medium-bodied now, this gently offered notes of meat, olive, savory and soil, and did so with finesse and grace. Served s-b-s with 97 La Turque and 2001 Ex-Voto, this was the wine most mature and replete with all the mature aspects one loves and dreams about. recommended
PnP, served non-blind, bottle held since release and in great condition.
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12/20/2016 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
This was flat out killer. Beautiful nose of lavender, tapenade, wood. The palate was resolved and smooth with good depth and concentration of fruit. In a great place.
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12/15/2016 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened several hours ago. Initially revealed nothing in either nose or mouth. Not bad, just unyielding. Now, it is strutting its stuff. Lovely burnished garnet with pretty red legs. The nose has come alive, with animalistic and bacon fat scents. Cherry red fruit, too. And rhubarb. Fine, rich, leathery aroma, like a fine old leather in an old textbook. Quite feminine. In the mouth it has blossomed as well, with lovely soft, rich, even majestic fruit flavors, mostly red fruits. Excellent finish. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.
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12/10/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Came across as very N Rhone, but I thought it Hermitage. Meaty and ripe with faint spice. Good structure, good balance.
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10/25/2016 - RKatzDO wrote: flawed
Corked.....
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8/10/2016 - Levantine wrote:
excellent and still young. cherry and pepper with ample freshness on the mouth
i thought it would have started rolling over but no sign pf such thing
thorough;y enjoyable
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5/21/2016 - Lorien Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice right now. The best showing of this wine by far. Tannins integrated. Glowing!
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4/12/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at WWS Northern Rhone tasting. On the nose, some sweet fruit, some oak & some barnyard/earth. Plenty of red cherry fruit, blended nicely with pepper, spice & earth. Seemed a bit hotter than the 13% listed. Overall, a powerful, yet fresh and vibrant wine that is showing splendidly nearly 20 years on.
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3/14/2016 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Clean, focused, leaner than the Bessards, of course, wood well integrated by now, tannins still present. Quite intense, hints of leather, pepper ... will live, certainly, very balanced wine.
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1/24/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
At home with a jambalaya...decanted for about 1 hour, drank over 2. Open and ready for business, much more expressive than last bottle.
Color is medium red/garnet, mild bricking. Fresh and youthful at 18 yrs. Dark fruits, cherry, earth, black pepper, savory notes, roasted meats, garrigue, spices. Spices and cherry really stand out on back palate. Soft texture, oak is well integrated.
This is in a great spot right now, would pair with a variety of meats, rich dishes, winter fare...what you want from Syrah driven Rhone. Should hold this level, not sure it will improve much.
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1/19/2016 - nortonnose wrote: 92 Points
Tasted this (decanted from 750ml) alongside my '98 Beau. Polar opposite wines, and if blinded (and if you knew nothing about the '98 vintage of Beau), I would 10 times in 10 trials have gotten these two backward!
Leve's Aug 2015 note below nails this bottle for me today. I would stress that this is still very fresh and very vibrant - no rush. Shockingly, most tasters preferred the Beau to this today, yet with zero disrespect to this wonderful Cote-Rotie. Absolutely worth seeking.
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11/15/2015 - Ben F Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hr prior to serving. In a great place now, finally showing its distinctive terroir and pedigree. Earlier bottles were clumsily out of balance, showing too much barrel influence and/or dense fruit. Now it's singing.
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8/16/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Drinking right where it needs to be. It's easy to discover the fresh, ripe, sweet, cherries, black pepper and earthy characteristics that make up this soft textured, round, lively wine. It might not improve much from here, but it should remain at this level for another 7-10 more years.
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6/25/2015 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Not much different than last time (with H at Sletten Kro), this a full blooded Syrah, smooth, elegant, true to it's producers, though the oak seems integrated now. The balance is perfect. Maturity is here, if like some primary fruit with your meal, and the textbook notes of roasted meats, olives and garrigue are here. Will keep 5+ years, but very enjoyable now.
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2/20/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
definitely at its apex and fully mature at this point. I enjoyed it but feel the fruit is fading just a bit.
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2/14/2015 - Argrath wrote: 93 Points
Blind tasting.
Fully ready nose. Slightly animaly. Dried fruit and dried herbs. Sweet liquorice. Good complexity. Some burnt rubber, but also ink, plum and cedary oak. Depth adds hints of gravelly minerality. Very, very nice.
Fullish body, fully integrated almost melted tannins. Complex minerality. Sweet Tobacco, liquorice and hints of cedar, coffeebeans and black currants.
A wine in perfect place. And perfect combination of what I like in both Bordeaux and Rhone.
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2/6/2015 - MRichman wrote:
Northern Rhone and Syrah of the World (My house): Nice, complete, bursting. Overall profile is both bright and dark, which was rare among the syrahs this night. Smoky with bright acid, good dark fruit, pepper. Good maturity, this is drinking well. Perhaps just a little too much acid on the finish and just a little hot. Very good, my #2 of the night.
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1/24/2015 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
My favorite Rhone
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11/29/2014 - Terry wrote:
Really nice.
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11/15/2014 - tcarter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful aged cote-rotie.
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10/20/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Drunk after a 2 hour decant. Medium ruby. Wild nose of smoke and herbs. Medium weight, and this particular bottle did not have the extra flesh and texture of one tasted a few years ago. Nevertheless, delicious tart red fruit to go along with the potpourri of other savory flavors. Excellent rather than extrarodinary on this occasion.
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10/4/2014 - PopularCar wrote:
Drank an '98 & '99 side by side. The '99 was great but the '98 was past its prime.
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8/24/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Guigal: Some sweet corn aromas off the nose. Raspberry aromas. Such nuanced pepper to the palate. Lots of life. Med/- Tannin, super fine tannin. Palate shows red fruit and earth. Thanks!!
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5/20/2014 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Very modern with a huge whiff of vanilla and sweet cedar to the aroma. It is dense with sweet blackcurrant fruit. It is round and creamy and still very youthful exhibiting the colour of a fresh bruise.
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2/2/2014 - @VisserMartijn Likes this wine: 94 Points
APPEARANCE: clear; medium garnet, medium legs & tears
NOSE: clean; medium+ intensity; flavour characteristics: prune, plum, raisin, dorest floor, tobacco, farmyard, sweet spuces(vanilla), sweet notes; fully mature
PALATE: dry; high acidity; medium body; medium tannin (fine grained); medium alcohol; long finish; medium+ flavour intensity; flavour characteristics: as per nose: tobacco, forest floor, prune, plum, sweet spice (vanilla), white pepper
READINESS FOR DRINKING: drink now, but will keep 2-3 years
FURTHER REMARKS: excellent wine! Typical mature Syrah, brooding dark but sweet nose, impressively complex, structural components well balanced with alcohol and acidity. Lovely concentration. Typical of Northern Rhone. Unfortunately my last bottle...
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1/24/2014 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank in Plateau
The nose starts with classic forest floor and damp earth which blows away after a couple of minutes to reveal some lovely black fruit and spice. Silky smooth palate which changes as you drink and a nice long length. Lovely stuff.
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1/1/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
2014 New Year's Day Tasting $100+ (Marietta, GA): Dark core with 1/3" bricking; leather, smoked meat, Burgundian, velvet, white pepper; fresh, velvety tannin, black pepper, great lift and freshness to the darker berry fruit; really good now but can go for a while I'm sure; absolutely delicious!; 94+; my WOTN.
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10/26/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 92 Points
Guigal Château d'Ampuis - complete vertical tasting of 1995-2009 (Stockholm): Medium red colour, paler edge. Nose of dark berries, spice and pepper, slightly herbaceous, developed notes with some leather and barnyard; a powerful nose. The nose shows rather clear development but also quite a bit of youthful notes. Palate with blackberries, good concentration, noticeable acidity, pepper, medium tannins, aftertaste with tart berries. Fine balance, rather development, can take more time in cellar. 92 p.
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10/26/2013 - Vintomas wrote: flawed
Guigal Château d'Ampuis - complete vertical tasting of 1995-2009 (Stockholm): The first bottle: corked. However, the defect wasn't noticeable when I first opened it, but only after it had been poured after having first spent over an hour in the decanter. Luckily, I had a backup bottle that was opened instead.
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7/6/2013 - Giggs wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Beautiful nose of dark milk chocolate, roasted game, roasted plum, cracked black pepper, and charcoal, with softer vanilla bean and bacon notes. The palate is still youthful but definitely within its window. Notes from the nose carry over to the palate, medium-bodied, quite silky—particularly on the attack—with black cherry and plum, some floral sweetness to the fruit, more pepper, spice, and crushed rock. Firm acidity in late palate picks up rustic, complementary tannins on the finish. Drinkable and very enjoyable now, but I'd suggest holding for another 2-3 years.
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6/1/2013 - MC wrote:
With a one hour decant this showed very well. Still a bit on the austere side, it shows plenty of dark, cool fruit with game and leather and some supporting tannin. Good food wine, but just short of great. A-
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5/31/2013 - Andrewbdc wrote: 93 Points
Chris's Favourites (Chez Chris Davies, Paris): Cear, medium ruby red, evident brick red to the edge. Clean nose, dark fruits, liquorice, spices, pepper, vanilla. Full palate, very complex. Long finish. Fully mature. Excellent wine - easily my favourite of the evening.
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5/19/2013 - MikeATL Does not like this wine:
Cote Rotie 2001 and Older (Jamet, Ogier, and Others): A bottle of this two weeks ago was the first drinkable Chateau d'Ampuis i ever had. Unfortunately, this one showed the style I've come to know and loathe. Dark purple in color, it drinks like a blackberry/blueberry milkshake with overripe fruit overlaid with overpowering vanillin oak, and a fair bit of heat on the nose. The friend who brought it told me that the one we had two weeks ago was more representative of his experience with Chateau d'Ampuis, but this one, alas, is typical of mine.
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4/6/2013 - @VisserMartijn Likes this wine: 96 Points
APPEARANCE: clear; medium garnet; medium legs & tears
NOSE: clean; medium+ intensity; flavour characteristics: red fruits (red cherry, strawberry), blueberry, prune, fig, raisins, dade, vanilla, liquorice; fully mature
PALATE: dry; high acidity; full body; medium tannin; medium alcohol; long finish; pronounced flavour intensity; flavour characteristics: as per nose: red fruits (red cherry, strawberry), prune, fig, dade, vanilla, liquorice
READINESS FOR DRINKING: Can drink now but has potential for further aging, at its top now
FURTHER REMARKS: Wow, this is magnificent! Beautifully mature Syrah, well balanced and delicious. The best wine I drank in the last couple of months! Decant 2 hours before drinking.
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4/4/2013 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured, so not enough time to open up, but a bit on the lean side. Good with food, but was hoping for more. Maybe just needs some air. B+/A-?
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4/1/2013 - esh44 wrote: 92 Points
Inky dark color. Firm structure but silky tannins and well integrated oak at this point. Spices, black fruits, smoke, and earth on nose and palate. Surprised that finish wasn't all that long, but great wine with our strip steak dinner.
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3/11/2013 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had with a big pot of beef burgundy.....this wine was drinking REALLY well! Smooth and aged, yet youthful... plum, cherry, cassis, raspberry fruit....slight tart cherry skin acidity, classic leather, cedar box, coffee bean. Has wonderful flower florals and smoke campfire bacon, earth. Seems to have plenty of structure and sweet fruit to go a lot longer....but so tasty now!
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2/10/2013 - MC wrote: flawed
Corked.
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2/7/2013 - hospad Likes this wine:
tastede on 7-3-13,larrys wine, at little naploi in carmel,peppery ,smoke ,bacony nose,dried cherries,dark fruit,well integrated with soft tannins ,good acid,,long palate,good finish, the best cote rotie I remember in long time, all agreed, 98 pionts,
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12/16/2012 - ekessler Likes this wine:
Even after being open for 24 hours, nose still has strong smokey, charcoal notes. Tar and earth tones on the palate, with plenty of tannin remaining.
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12/16/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Opened but not decanted 2 hours prior to drinking. Still dark and primary looking. Striking red fruit, grilled meat, and bacon aromatics with a late touch of herbs. Dense and layered without being heavy. Ripe, sappy center with wonderful acidity and ripe but noticeable tannins remaining. Packed wine that will improve for some time. I'm sorry that we didn't give it more air before sharing it, since the last sips were clearly the best.
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12/9/2012 - esh44 wrote: 92 Points
Classy Cote Rotie. Dark and inky color. Dark cherries, tobacco, vanilla, earth, green and black peppers, and subtle cedar oak all well balanced. Very tasty...
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9/23/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 90 Points
Opened an hour prior drinking. Dark and some earthiness. Not the depth I was hoping for. Nice but not anything special.
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7/20/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Black cherry, tar, kirsch liqueur, charcoal, pepper and bacon fat. Silky smooth with ripe cherries, plums, spice, fennel, cocoa and black raspberries are in the soft, voluptuous finish. this is drinking very well at the moment. It made a perfect pairing with rare, grilled, Flannery strip steaks and mushrooms. This is not that far off the level of quality found in the 1999 or 2003 Guigal Ampuis. By the, this wine was popped and poured. I worked on this wine for about one more hour after writing the initial note and upped its score a point. This is a very strong, stylish Cote Rotie.
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7/16/2012 - affordableCollector wrote: 89 Points
dark red in color. mineral, black fruit, cherry, pepper on the nose. plum, spice, oak, cocoa on the palate. long tight finish.
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7/8/2012 - Manuaia wrote: 84 Points
Totally closed. Opened It up, zero fruit with lots of oak. Decanted for 2 hours with a little opening up but hardly any change. Color not purple but dark red with some orange around the edges. I put it back in the bottle and in the refrigerator and am drinking the following night. This is one confused wine. The fruit isn't drying up so it must be in a dumb phase. But I cant get over the oak. Really one dimensional. As the night goes on more secondary fruit favors coming out that are not that enjoyable. I have a few more bottles, I don't think I'll look at them for another 10 yrs.
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4/28/2012 - Argrath wrote: 94 Points
Powerful, complex nose that is wide open and perfectly ready. Lovely dark fruit with integrated toasty oak (coffee beans), smoke, white pepper, meat, and smoked sausage. And to that a lingering elegant, violet perfume.
Fullish body, balanced power, toasty oak that the wine manage to carry. Very smoky (in a positive way), integrated tannins. Nice persistence and length. Good stuff.
A wine that simply is. Proudly proclaiming its origin. No excuses. Drink or cellar further for more animal/meat-aromas. For us, it drank perfectly.
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3/28/2012 - Chains1966 wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was decanted for 14-15 hours. It was originally poured into small tasting glasses as it was part of a grand tasting. I re-poured into large Riedel and it started to soar from the glass. Smokes Benneton Bacon is what smacks you along with dark fruits. It is a baby but although the tannins are there they are round and integrated. 5-7 more years and this will be Prime Time!! Not a bite on the finish and silky with the most amazing color. Really enjoyed.
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3/13/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 91 Points
Advice on decanting is spot on, drank after 90 minutes of decanting and was still very tight.
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3/11/2012 - MC wrote:
Decanted for 30 minutes, this was a very balanced wine, showing pepper and game on the nose, cool fruit, and a nice finish. It was not as expressive as I think it will be with more time to age/open, but went very well with food and is open enough to enjoy now. Very representative of the vintage. A-
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10/27/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Licorice, flowers, spice, blackberry liqueur, truffle, smoke, plums and bacon fat aromas popped the moment the cork was pulled. rich, round, concentrated, stylish and filled with gobs of juicy, dark fruit and spice, this beautiful Cote Rotie is drinking perfectly today. It's not a La La, nor does it pretend to be. It's a wonderful Northern Rhone wine that is just now starting to show its stuff.
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10/3/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Opened for an hour before drinking, still tight and eventually opened up at about hour 3. Overall closed and not giving much, hence the low rating, perhaps more cellaring is needed?
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9/17/2011 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Everything seemed a little muted compared to my previous experience with this wine. Must have been closed down. The fruit was lacking flavor but overall it did show like a well balanced wine. I did enjoy it but was perhaps a bit less impressed than before.
I did unfortunately not get any smokiness and charred/olive flavors which I had hoped for.
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6/20/2011 - ronlite wrote: 94 Points
Excellent
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6/19/2011 - pilot360 wrote:
A great cote rotie - lots of ember, meaty char, olive & red fruits. The mouthfeel was lush and tannins were integrated. this is what I seek out of a cote rotie.
Outstanding bottle of wine.
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6/5/2011 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Smokey and meaty nose with chocolate, pepper and earth. Good length with plenty of tannins evident still, there is time for more development here.
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5/22/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep and unevolved. Multidimensional aromas that include a good dose of pine needles, black fruit, caramel and a slight degree of smokiness that is much less pronounced than 4 years ago. Gorgeous feel but clearly possessing enough acidity and tannin to carry it for 10 more years. It has an airiness that elevates it above most Syrah and surprisingly takes on a spicy red fruited character in the mouth. Oh, this is really, really good stuff.
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4/9/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1-1/2 hrs in am, then put back in Cave so it would be cool for our terrace dining at BLT Steak. Worked well and interestingly drank alongside David's 88 Grange. The same principal varietal but the regional stylistic and terroir differences stoodout. The Ampuis showed pronounced Provencal notes of nicoise olive and pine scents. The fine tactile sense and extended finish were evident in both wines.
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2/21/2011 - cardsandwine wrote:
Started out a bit tight, even after an hour of decanting. Began to open in hour 2. Nice pepper and spice and sense of place. Will benefit from more cellar time.
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1/29/2011 - concord wrote:
Mature, some brown on rim. Savoury nose, black fruits with juicy balancing acidity, soft integrated tannins. Drinking well now.
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12/7/2010 - MRichman wrote:
1990s Northern Rhone (La Fonda del Sol, NYC): (Served blind)
Soft and lush with a sweet core, some flowers and a bit of acid. Great mouth feel. Beautiful wine just coming into maturity. Made in a fairly modern style. This will improve.
B/B+
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10/3/2010 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 92 Points
Medium garnet red colored. Fairly sweet on the nose with some Barossa shiraz elements leaning into northern rhone. A good dollop of oak to this wine. Broad on the palate with really good balance. Drank half the bottle and came back to it the next day and the wine was shot.
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8/21/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
nose: deep and youthful nose of black olives, charcoal, black cherries, bacon fat, blackberries, some cacao, and bits of oak. Well layered with lots of depth and a very robust style to it on the nose
taste: full bodied with very good tannins still showing themselves and tones of black cherries, smoke, charcoal, bacon fat, cacao, and bits of olives hiding underneath along with bits of black pepper creeping in with some air. Good medium+ acidity is showing itself as well to back up the tannins
overall: still quite young and showing better after a good 2 hours in the decanter. This is a marathon wine with great depth and class on both the nose and palate. Nice dark ruby color that has a bit of bricking at the rim, but its isn't too pronounced.
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8/8/2010 - Vini Ciclismo wrote: 95 Points
Dark core, ruby rim.
Earthy spices, gorgeous, very smooth, lifted violets and plums.
Lush, rich, red berry compote, country herbs, tar/licorice, spicy edge, fine tannins and crisp acid, beautifully integrated.
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4/26/2010 - Milhous wrote:
Not ready. Still tannic and subdued. It has hints of that Guigal CR exhuberance, but not there yet. 99 is more or everything. I still think this will be very nice, but it needs time and will be more on the meaty / leather side of the CR spectrum
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3/25/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote: 90 Points
Definitive Rhone (Fabi and Rosi European Kitchen Austin, Texas): A favorite of one group, the least favorite of another, this wine was decanted for several hours and still was a bit closed. One thought this was a Miss Texas in the Miss Universe contest. Maybe it was the beautiful nose. Initially it was a bit one-dimensional, then gained some layers over time and a good finish. As one taster said, this is not made to be the greatest wine, but to be delicious and have much more perfume. The nose again. It had notes of sweet red fruit, caramel, butter, cotton candy, asian spice, pepper, currants, coconut, some oak. One taster called it intoxicating, yet simple. Miss Texas goes Rhone. Give her some time.
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3/10/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
TN: I guess I prefer California Syrahs over the Rhone (and some other stuff): Purple in color, shimmering bright. The nose has a ton of oak, cocoa and black raspberries. On the palate, lots of tannins. Black raspberries and BIG tannins. Of all the wines, this seemed the most out of balanced. Will time help? I think so as I have enjoyed this wine in the past. It has some complexity. The group liked this much better than I (although no 1st place votes. By the end of the night, it did seem to come around a bit and my score went up a bit. Another wine that I think decanting would have helped.
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1/7/2010 - Henman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour.A nice floral lift on the nose with some sous-bois and red fruit.Light to medium bodied palate,rather vibrant red toned fruit,hints of pineforest and sous-bois,softened tannins.Silky texture,extremely elegant.Dancing on the tongue.
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12/5/2009 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Mmm, utterly beautiful. Smoke, violet, racy acidity. This is extremely charming. Such a gorgeous expression of Syrah, lithe, coursing with energy, red fruit intermingled with black, tarry, meaty Syrah tipicity.
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10/22/2009 - kgh wrote: 96 Points
Dark color and subtle fruit aroma in the glass. The taste shows dark berry, plum, tobacco, and spice notes. Very smooth tannins and long-lasting finish. Everything seems perfectly in balance. Drinking absolutely beautifully now.
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8/4/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Decanted for about 30 minutes. Dark fruits (berry and plum) with a good deal of pepper and some smoke and a bit of tar. Great texture on the palate; chewy dark fruits with great minerality and acid on the finish. Tannins have started to soften some, but still has a great grip to it.
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7/3/2009 - eudora wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/19/2009 - Terkel wrote: 96 Points
BYO tasting (My place): Dark red color with a slightly orange hue. Very complex and intense nose with notes of cherries, tomatoes, meat, smoke, iron and olives. Equally exciting on the palate with nuances of chalk, charcuterie, smoked meat and sausages, juicy cherries and olives. On the midpalate it gains in elegance with more notes such as iron and viols, before picking up some oak and vanilla sweetness on the very long finish. Superbly balanced and wildly intense. Drinking absolutely perfect now.
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5/19/2009 - canan wrote:
BYO with the CPH wine club without any name @ Terkels place (Terkels place): Nose: buttermilk, white pepper. Very powerful.
Mouth: Very potent dark plum fruit with loads of black pepper. Very powerful and a lot of different spices.
Very impressive wine and definately one to keep for a long time.
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4/20/2009 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Occasional tasting group: C9duP 1998 - 2001 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): Beautiful perfumed bouquet. Fruity candy in a positive way. Beautifully concentrated wine with many layers. Pleasant acidity. Complex and refined.
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11/27/2008 - chetjan wrote: 92 Points
Just a damn good bottle of wine. The fruit dominated the other elements perhaps a bit too much.
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11/1/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1 hr in am, and then 2 hrs more before dinner. Dark fruit good, but not as good as 03 Pegau Reserve.
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9/13/2008 - Geoffrey Carter wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured, and this wine did not disappoint. Smoke, leather and tar flavors.
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8/31/2008 - Lorien wrote: 91 Points
Very nice right now, though tannins still need to soften. Will improve for sure, and I suggest holding a little and probably till 2010. Also good complexity, and a wine that kept changing in the glass over a good 3-4 hours. Looking forward to try again in the future.
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6/5/2008 - xwine wrote:
With Mike and friends at Deuce. Very deep, somber. Nose was penetrating, with loads of dark fruit. Rich and round on the palate. A very nice wine, though the profile leans to the modern style.
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6/4/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
FRENCH BAKERY Northern Rhone BYO Dinner; 6/3/2008-6/4/2008 (The French Bakery, Kane Concourse, Bay Harbour Islands, FL): Mark's(My) wine. Flight # 3. Swept the flight with 9-1/3 votes vs Columbo Le Rouet,4-1/3 votes; and Columbo La Louvee, 2-1/3 votes. Several tasters WOTN.
I had decanted this for 45 minutes in the am. I immediately recognized its nuanced charm and complexity. To me the most elegant and balanced wine of the evening. Paired perfectly with Maria's HEAVENLY Cassoulet, which perhaps trumped all of the wines.
Cesar felt this was the best flight thus far. He ranked the Ampuis and the Columbo La Louvee equally, while Charlie, and Roberta and David Errenreich split their votes in this flight.
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5/12/2008 - Jozefs wrote: 93 Points
Chocolate, orange peel, black coffee, olives, red fruit and leather on the very clean and agreeable nose. On the palate sweet black and red fruit, chocolate, liquorice, orange fruit and peel, white pepper and refreshing citrus-like acidity. Drinking well now, but still a bit on the youngish side. However, I like it like this: for me this is nearing its peak drinking windows.
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3/30/2008 - jmht wrote: 91 Points
From memory, followed a bottle of 99 Mouton Rothschild. Nose not as robust as the Mouton, but nonetheless heady mix of dark fruits, pepper, and more obvious alcohol. Palate exploded with dark red fruits, pepper, and youthful acidity/tannin. Lots of life left, but drinking great now.
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3/12/2008 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Clear dark red colour lightening a little at the rim. Intense aromas of leather, white pepper, black cherry, spices, red fruits and floral notes on the nose are followed by more red fruits, spice and some meaty notes in the mouth. Palate is elegant and silky textured with medium body weight and good acidity. Smooth medium length finish. Lovely.
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3/8/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
DAWGS March 2008 - New vs Old World Rhones (WineWave's house in McKinney, TX): WIML93
Tasted March 8, 2008. Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, slightly dusty looking towards center. Nose of roasted meat and stewed plums over a lovely perfumed nose. Flavors of black cherries, berrie and black licorice, rich and full on the palate. Medium to vibrant acidity, medium tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold.
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3/8/2008 - vintage61 wrote: 95 Points
Can't get any better than this. Had to be the WOTN. Dark black purple to the rim. Beautifulll sweet nose of dark fruits with not a hint of tannin on the nose or palate. Palate was pure sweet fruit, very well balanced without a single blemish. My first, last, and only bottle
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3/6/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 95 Points
NSMFOW March (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Dark garnet color. Nose of currants, tar, leather. Similar palate with some blackberry. Good fruit. A bit of minerality and a backbone of soft tannins. Drinking very well now.
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1/26/2008 - Geoffrey Carter wrote: 92 Points
Well made and integrated. Pepper, tar and smoke on the nose. Medium finish. Nice drinking window for this wine.
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12/27/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Gently maturing garnet. A beefy wine – strong oak character mixed with red and blue berries. Juicy and staining, showing some smoky and chocolate notes. Certainly more oaky and modern than I typically prefer, but there is good complexity and interest here. Not as good as the ’97 tasted earlier this week. (91)
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12/8/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
As compared to some of the wines next to it, this comes off as leaner, more elegant, with some pepper and a leathery note on the nose.
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12/5/2007 - Veloman wrote:
Brought to Wildwood OL in lineup of domestic syrahs. Showing well, with pepper and smokey, meaty aromas; dark fruit and spice on the palate, full-bodied and very structured with a long, long finish carrying black fruit and spice. Leaner than the other syrahs, but elegant and balanced.
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11/23/2007 - rcasaw wrote: 87 Points
Peppery but lost most of everything else this wine once had. I think its past its prime
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11/8/2007 - Alpine wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding expression of Syrah... Elegant with white pepper and bramble bush...no hard edges.... ready to drink but will hold and develop more secondary elements.
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11/4/2007 - Alpine wrote: 94 Points
Wondeful wine..I will continue to say that anyone that likes Cote Rotie must buy the d'Ampuis all most every year. It is a relative bargin give the price and producer. I drank this one by myself one night after the boys went to bed.
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7/21/2007 - Redzed wrote: 94 Points
Simply superb. six of us tasted this amongst 6 other great wines - it was one of the best. Still young, but already showing great complexity, balance and length.
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5/18/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 85 Points
Rhone dinner with Paul Jaouen (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Disappointing. Tight and a bit bitter. Ok fruit, but bland mid-palate and short finish.
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5/18/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 86 Points
meat, pepper, thin in middle with short finish.
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5/18/2007 - kstoddard wrote:
Dominant black pepper on the nose and palate. Black fruit and caramel. Monolithic mid palate and finish. Not a very good showing for this wine. Off bottle. Showed much better a few weeks ago at HdR.
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5/6/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
This was just gorgeous. Opened 6 hours before tasting. Medium ruby with light brown at the edges. My 10 year old took a whiff and said "outdoor barbecue", and this pretty much summed up the smokiness of this wine. Also beautiful violet, bacon, and core of crystallized fruit. Very elegant, subtle, medium weight, and seamless, with fading tannins leading to a long, gentle finish. I can't imagine enjoying French Syrah more than this, although if you're looking for more body and raw power, you will not be as impressed as I was.
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4/8/2007 - Mr T wrote: 91 Points
As it warmed, the nose emerged. Very nice palate, with moderate power and richness. Worth the tarriff? Still pondering
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2/25/2007 - dbkitc wrote:
(at Charleston – Baltimore) Mix of pepper, dirt and deep red fruits. Full, intense and long – this really lingered in the mouth. I liked this a lot. (19)
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11/25/2006 - Alpine wrote: 92 Points
Drank next to the 95 La Turque this wine had every bit as good a nose of spice, pepper and bacon fat...on the palate while fine and showing nice concentration it lack the length and power of the La Turque...over all a great buy...for those that enjoy Cote Rotie this wine is a must have in every good year.
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5/30/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 90 Points
Aniseed and coffee, does this see more oak? Very young dense inky, unwieldy. This has more to come I am sure.
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2/25/2006 - DrDave wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby, almost opaque. Black cherry, blackberry, tar and smokey bacon. Acid and tannin in fine balance.
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1/1/2006 - dbkitc wrote:
Garnet, with a good deal of ruby – not nearly as dark as other vintages or the last time I had this a few years ago. The nose is initially all new oak, but this quickly blows off to reveal black cherry, earth and some exotic spiciness from the oak treatment. Pretty full on the nose. What really impresses me about this wine is how balanced it is on the palate – this is not over the top at all. Drinking well now, but will remain so for a while. A rush of fruit mixed with great character – very seamless. Cloves, spice and a lingering finish. Far and away the best d’Ampuis I have had. (19)
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11/24/2005 - Alpine wrote: 93 Points
After the Thanksgiving meal...intense nose of dark red fruit, asian spice, pepper and tar. On th palate the wine has exelence length and balance. Leather, bramble fruit and lots of pepper this is very good Cote Rotie. Some oak on the finish gives the tannins a slightly dry dimension.
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10/13/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Casual Dinner with Great Wine with Friends (Chicago IL): Very perfumed start with lots of ripe, black fruit. A bit too ripe today on palate, but with lots of balancing structure. Give this to at least 2010 to hopefully integrate better and soften.
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10/9/2005 - danstrings wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with John and Vivien -- Awesome, with tiers of violet, cherry and earth.
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8/27/2005 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Home w Danny/JeanMarc; Frank&Robin Rebottled then 2 hours. Glorious; better than I expected
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5/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Rich black fruit and lovely pepper. 5/05
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12/27/2004 - Jozefs wrote: 93 Points
Balanced, agreable nose with lots of black fruits, leather, milk chocolate (hint of vanilla and a lactic element), hint of spicy wood, some pepper and herbs. Complex palate with somewhat penetrating but nice acidity, lots of fruit, pepper, herbs, chocolate, ... the wood is already niceley integrated. While this will probably improve, I like it as it is now. It has still some bite of youth, but already has developed enough complexity for me. These notes are based on the first sip right after opening the bottle from a cold cellar. If need be, I'll report on its further development in the coming hours.
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9/27/2004 - TomC wrote:
Good colour but very much closed on the nose and the palate, wait 6 to 12 months for the next one. Previous bottles have been vigourous and young, but this has clearly entered a closed stage.
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8/10/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Dark, rich colors with no lightening at the edges. Sappy aromas and hints of pepper, licorice, coffee and spicy, jammy fruit. Thick, rich and tannic. A good wine that will vastly improve over the next several years.
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8/3/2003 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Dallas Blur Tasting 2003: Sweet oak nose with caramel and licorice. Medium-full bodied with an acid streak. Interesting potential. Rather oaky.
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