One of the best wines and definitely one of the best CDP's we have recently had. Drinking utterly superbly with about 30 minutes of air. Fully mature and a superb QPR wine - drink now. Lean, precise, elegant, very well integrated and tannins resolved. Initial heavy barnyard on the nose with eventual brambles, dark fruit and red cherry. Purple with peripheral bricking, long lingering aftertaste, surprisingly sweet initial approach which quickly resolved and primary flavors of dark cherry, garrigue, grilled meat and tobacco box. Could not recommend more.
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Fully mature, but holding up much better than I thought. This is upright and airy with lovely garrigue notes and dusty fruit. Good acidity, good lift. As traditional in style as they come.
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As a good friend warned, this is fading. Compared to the 2001 Marcoux, there is much less fruit here, this is pretty much solely on tertiary notes, and while this is lean it’s like the skeleton of the wine is fading too. There’s a note of pop-corn which is I sometime associate with wine that is largely gone. This is not, but it’s time to drink up - fast.
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Nice wine. I like that it has lost some of its fat. Perhaps that's the strategy with most of the CDPs from this era -- wait 'em out. It will never be elegant but at least it does not taste like unbalanced port like so many of these wines do whilst chasing Parker points. The raisin has vanished and what remains is a slightly elevated rhone.
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Pop and pour and run over two hours. Cellared since release.
Leather, red fruits, thyme, heme, lavender and olives on the nose. It's midweighted and for the most part resolved. Meaty and herbal notes compliment the red supple sappy fruits. this is savory, meaty and herbal as much as fruit driven and fully mature, or more accurately starting to fade, but still a very enjoyable bottle with some roasted potatoes and flank steak. Drink up. 89
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Moderately translucent, deep and dark ruby color with an almost colorless, clear rim. Obviously quite bretty and funky nose with somewhat developed and very characterful aromas of earthy barnyard character, manure, ripe and succulent dark berries, some smoky spice, a little bit of phenolic Band-Aid character, a little bit of pruney dark fruit and a slightly pungent hint of chipotle. Overall pretty wonderful nose, I must say. The wine is moderately full-bodied and somewhat robust on the palate with characterful flavors of peppery spice, leather, cherry marmalade, some unripe strawberry, a little bit of bretty barnyard funk, a hint of licorice and a touch of raisin and dried dark fruits. The wine is moderately structured with balanced, moderate tannins and surprisingly firm and chewy tannins. The finish is a bit sweeter with more pronounced alcohol warmth and pretty unctuous flavors of ripe strawberries, overripe plums, some blackberry jam and a hint of earthy barnyard funk.
Compared to the vintage 2003 that was tasted alongside, this wine performed noticeably better by retaining a lot better structure and showing some nice character; whereas vintage 2003 was mainly about tired, too sweet and raisiny fruit, this was a lot more complex and savory with some nice, supporting complexity from the bretty funk. Although a nicely developed Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I wasn't still fully convinced if these wines will really develop nicely - they usually lose their structure much faster than the tertiary characteristics emerge, so many wines seem to be just fat, flabby and dull once they start actually exhibiting maturity in the flavor department. That's why I'd recommend drinking this wine sooner rather than later - I doubt this wine will become any better from here, even if it might still develop quite a bit. Good stuff, drink now.
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Even with a pedestrian bottle, there is something special about buying wine, laying it down and opening it 15 years later. The Circle of Life, baby. Anyway, this was actually quite good. Red fruit, leather, Band Aid, pencil and whatnot. Judging by the three computer screens currently in front of my eyes I estimate that this wine weighs in at least the 14% ABV on the label...
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Purchased from Premier Cru for around $20. Drinking very nicely now, I would drink up. A nice surprise for this wine but should not be entirely unexpected given the vintage.
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Two bottles from the same case back to back, and quite different experiences. This one was bright, rich, well structured, with nice fruit, herbs, spice.
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There is so much bottle variation with this - two bottles from the same case back to back, and quite different experiences. This one was earthy, a bit sandy/dirty, slightly funky; cherry and herbs.
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Beautiful nose of deep red fruit and leather. Palate does not disappoint with rich, ripe berries, herbs. A good deal of acid, but fading tannin. The primary fruit and building tertiary notes suggest that this is still quite young, though the tannins may not allow it to age for too much longer. Best bottle of this I have had, though. Drinking great now.
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Saying hello to a good old friend here. Old-school Neuf with plenty of tertiary flavors at play but also plenty of fruit left here. Quite lovely with lamb from Sisteron and ratatouille facon Lillelund in beautiful Provence.
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A better showing than last time - a different setting; quite a fullness of fruit here, fine concentration, a core of ripeness and lots of local character. It is drinking well as a neuf in it's early maturity, but based on this showing lot has a long life ahead - it is very true to it's vintage #pizzanight on the terrace.
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Wines and Kebobs: love the vintage. and this was just another classic well aged example. Mature though nowhere near done. Blueberry and meat pie. herbs, tobacco, red and black fruit. Very refreshing mid, over time - more fruit with a lovely tart strawberry component. long finish with a bit of warmth - not really hot but great on a cool evening. well balanced and mature CdP. YUM
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PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs, cork disintegrated -mostly opaque dark red with trace purple and some mild bricking -gorgeous aromatics of a perfectly mature CdP, a little funk, some haunting essence of kirsch and earth -med acidity, silky texture with mostly resolved tannins and only minimal heat on the moderately long finish -perfectly mature CdP, always impressed with this producer's wines in the 10-15 year age range, this is excellent and peaking now
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Very nice indeed. A classic neuf, albeit with a hint of modernity and strange feeling of anonymity, that keeps the score on a solid 90. otherwise, all is here, the fruit, the garrigue, the body, certainly, and the wine is quite smooth, friendly and certainly in harmony. Would have liked to feel more of the coolness and minerality of the vintage, but the wine itself is certainly fresh and clear. (Staying in, with AD in Weehawken St.)
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Very good showing. Traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape, mature I think, showing marks of garrigue, dusty red fruit, pepper and smoke. This is big-scaled, however, and perhaps just a little bit more pushed than I prefer. The 2001 Raspail-Ay Gigondas we enjoyed the following day was more about finesse and elegance. Still, this is a very good fix if one is looking for a solid bottle of mature Chateauneuf.
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TTTG; 3/27/2014-3/28/2014 (Coventry, CT): Bright fruit, some earth and funk, blackberry and cherry. Plentiful tannin that are initially fairly soft but drying on the finish. Pretty mouthfeel, medium-bodied, good acid. The palate is all about fruit and funk, with a bit of leather, cedar, and spice. This is not earth-shattering, but quite nice and drinking well, though I'd hold for the drying tannin to fade a bit. (group's 3rd of 10 by consumption volume)
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Liked this much more than the '04 Mon Aieul poured alongside. This isn't particularly complex, but it's drinking really nicely now with lots of bright red and dark fruited flavours framed by more savoury earthy elements. The palate presence is quite elegant and medium weight with bright acids giving it a nice sense of freshness, though some grainy tannin on the back end suggests it still has some time ahead of it.
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As lithe and satisfying as I expected the wine to be in a blind tasting. Silky texture and classic exotic red fruit profile. Delicate and lasting finish. Sadly, my last bottle.
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Ruby red with bricking. Small reddish fruits including tart raspberries and red currants, old shoe leather, earth and garrigue make up the interesting nose. A mid bodied palate reveals good acidity with crushed red berries, lavender, smoky herbs and a peppery finish. This is drinking well now with good secondary nuances.
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Very nice CDP. muted inky hue with a classic CDP nose. graphite, tobbacco and earth/spices dominate with a nice lingering finish. Hasn't quite come together to wow, but a very nice bottle.
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Good, went fast. Changed a lot while open. Not too early to drink. This was a PC purchase and cellared since release, but the cork was dry and broke in half while being removed so even though this was an enjoyable I don't think it was representative.
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Decanted 2 hours. Bricking at rim. Dusty plum, leather and garrigue bouquet. Kirsch, leather and game on the palate with an oak tinged final and noticeable heat.
I am finding this to be thinning a bit and less balanced than I'd like. I'm also not so keen on the tannin part of the profile here - 12 years from vintage I'd expect things a bit more integrated. Drink up, I don't think this is going to get any better.
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Lovely, showed deep leather color. Dark cherry fruit, with a bit of pepper. As it opens up, it mellows to a rich, deep flavor. Nice version of a classic CDP
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This wine has moved into a comfortable, cruising phase, and it hovers somewhere between a modern and a traditional presentation. Macerated black and red fruit, which has started its decline into tertiairy notes, like coffee, leather and garrigue. Medium-bodied interesting and satisfying wine. Clean, bright and fresh - not too heavy - which I consider a plus when thinking at the dense and sweet kind of wines Chateauneuf's raising nowadays... Drink now. 17,5/20
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Splash decanted half an hour. Cork was dry as dust. Slightly corked on the bouquet. Palate showed a bit of reduction and game against some bright cherry and plum backdrop. Didn't enjoy this as much as previous nights and wondered if this was an off bottle. Will come back to remainder of bottle over next few days and may change assessment but for now no rating.
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Dark colour, slightly brownish at the rim showing its age a bit. The nose at first subdued and retracted, but it came through with some mushroom and wet tree bark. The palate also somewhat subdued in the beginning, but came through with beautiful tertiary notes later. Not a very long finish, but this wine is not to be cellared for much longer, the tannins were mostly gone. A discreet wine so to speak - but a pleasure for sure. Complemented a slow roasted pheasant in a pot with cream sauce very good.
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Should have decanted this wine for several hours before taking it to The Royce for dinner. Once it opened up it was as expected, floral, minerally and rich in roasted fruit with good acid to support the flavors.
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kind of a reverse trend from the last bottle - still showing on the young side with vibrant fruit and tannins. barely adolescent but packed with flavor and very traditional. lots of rust/iron supporting the barely roasted strawberry flavors. very long and fresh. just showing a bit of autumnal flavors with some blood and roasted meats. tremendous wine.
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Aging now, has lost its stuffing. Has thrown a lot of sediment, tastes a bit thin but still a pleasurable drink. My last bottle, probably drunk too late.
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After last nights bottle, I had to raise my rating on this wine. Brought up from the cellar to serve with cheese. The color was bright ruby and was filled with aromas of herbs de Provence. As the bottle aerated, the wine seemed to evolve into this cherry fruit bomb, which had nuances of a Bordeaux. After thirty minutes, the wine rounded up enough to transfer to the dinner table and continued to get better until she was finished. EG WineArchitect
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Decanted 3 hours served at 15C. Dark red with bricking. Sweet, plummy nose of macerated cherries and a suggestion of game. Soft, voluptuous attack and a slow transition through dark fruit cherry mid-palate tinged with some drying tannins - there is still some oak in evidence here. Final is moderately long with a pleasant acidity countering the oak/tannin component.
This gave me alot of pleasure - a big, traditional Chateauneuf with oodles of dark fruit and structure and balance holding everything in check. The fruit may be starting to fade on these but at a guess I'd say this will continue to drink well for another 3-4 years.
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Great guarigue nose. The color is bit on the darker side with minor thinning on the edge. The flavors of herbs, warm, old fruit flavors tell me to drink these babies up sooner than later. Catch the down side of the wave before all the fruit dissapears! EG. WineArchitect
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Best showing yet - by far. Decanted for 2 hours and it really made a huge difference. Tons of iron/minerality and warm strawberry fruit, but this time the fruit was very pure and on the red side of the spectrum. Moderately long with just a bit of finishing heat, but this is excellent and Classic CdP. Great leathery texture with good grip, fine tannins and sufficient acidity. The nose really steals the show right now.
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Super ripe, bright, floral (lavender and violet), musk and vanillin nose hinting towards slatey, blue stone characteristics. Very dry, dusty tannins frame the cherry, white peppery, ripe palate. Finishes a bit hot.
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Very expressive nose of leather, funk, blackberries, cranberries, funk, herbs, funk, more leather (smoking room couch), cedar, I should mention the funk, and black cherries. Full bodied. Soft, but sufficient tannins; medium+ acidity. Blackberries, plum, and leather. Medium finish where the tannins become more pronounced. Nose improves greatly with a few hours of air as the somewhat off-putting funk subsides slightly. Unfortunately flawed, but beneath the funk, this is an old-school CdP, but with the volume way up.
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A good showing. Close to mature, the Usseglio is a good example of how good, old-fashioned Chateauneuf should taste for me. Lots of dried, red fruit, provencal herbs, mint, tobacco and licorice here. Good concentration of fruit and a bit more structured than the 1997 Pegau. Went well with the lamb at Union Square Cafe. From my cellar. $20 corkage at USQ now.
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Had at dinner, no detailed notes. Drinking well and meeting expectations. Expansive nose with roasted fruits and spice and a little funk. Some heat on the palate, but not too distracting, with fine mostly resolved tannins and enough acidity that this wasn't overwhelmed by food. Probably at peak for my palate, good complexity and overall strong wine in a slighter ripe and high alcohol style.
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Mature Chateauneuf meets the nose; tons of lavender, thyme, licorice, black olives and smoke. A disticnt smell of farm, is this brett? If it is, it doesn't bother me at all. Dried out cherry fruit that stands in the back and is overwhelmed by all the other aromoas. Resolved on the palate, no hard edges. Once again I feel I'm drinking a close to fully mature wine that will not benefit from further cellaring (it won't decline for the next 5 years either I think). Good with food.
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Dark garnet color with minimal sediment. No thinning on the edges. The nose yields notes of sour cherry, wet leather and hints of herbs de provence. In the mouth, the wine shows mild flavors of the same with a touch of CdP guarige. A nice but mild example. EG
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TN: Selbach, Cotat, Belliviere, Breton, Brainaire, Usseglio, de Malle: The bottle was opened but not decanted for six hours prior to serving. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has some barnyard and black raspberries. Layers of complexity on the palate. This is in a really good place right now but has years left. Went very well with the cheeses. Performed at right about where you would hope and expect.
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Very similar to my tasting note from 5/09. Raspberry on the palate, along with garrigue, this is in a good place right now, soft in texture and seemingly at peak . . . yet still primary, not very complex nor developed. The flavors are at the surface, and they're enjoyable, but the wine is not cerebral nor complex . . . it's just tasty. And that's fine, too. In New City, with mom's rack of lamb.
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Wow. This bottle was going strong. Funky nose of cherry, cranberry, tobacco and cedar. Big sweet dark cherries in the mid-palate with provençal herbs, licorice, black pepper, leather and animal blood. Long finish. Typical in the best way. Drinking well, but will hold for a while. 92+
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Finally showing signs of age. The color is bricking. The nose is spicy and meaty, and the palate shows pomegranate, beef blood, with raspberry at the core.
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Clear medium ruby color. This bottle showing a slight bit more age in color than previous bottles. Nice flavors of cherry and tobacco with that gunpowder note. A bottle with variation in the nose. EG
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Clear medium ruby color. The nose at opeing started with bright cherry and medium guarigue. The flavors matched with a finish of tobacco flavors. As the bottle began to breath and open up there were flavors of gunsmoke and a hint of smokey cherry. After three hours, the flavors began to fade. EG
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Wow, best bottle I've had of this yet! The nose is a tremendous perfume of sweet red fruit, iodine, white pepper & fresh earth. The sweetness on the palate is remarkable, almost too sweet, rich, ripe strawberries, blood orange, garrigue, dates, blood sausage. Good length, sweet tannins, the back end is a little short, finish is nice. This could only be Chateauneuf du Pape. After 2 hours, the sweetness resides a little and the wine comes more into balance.
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Labor Day weekend chez Brad. (My place.): Classic, textbook, entry-level CDP. Plenty of briary fruit, lots of spice and lavender and a bit of leather. Still a little on the big side, though drinking well now. The flavors are true, though the wine seems to lack a bit of excitement. The finish is a little chunky and could be better integrated. With some lamb this would be just fine. B+.
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Terrific showing. Great, mature bottle of CdP more in line with Asher's recent experience. No hard edges, tannins soft and smooth. A lot of provencal herbs here - lavender, thyme, rosemary. Very spicy. Good red fruit left as well. A Chateauneuf in the traditional mold (whatever that means).
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Decanted 2 hours, served at 18C. Slight bricking around a dark red disc. Macerated cherries, kirsch, leather, licorice and some very faint game notes on the nose. Smooth attack with a very engaging mid-palate stuffed with a deep, layered mix of dark red fruits sitting on a bed of fine tannins and acidity. Moderate to full bodied with a moderately long final. Overall a very pleasing Chateauneuf while not being an absolutely stellar performer. I think this will continue to gain some weight over the coming 5 years or so. 50+4+12+15+7=88.
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Popped and poured at cellar temperature, given how hot it is right now. This is starting to take on a slightly more mature look. Very full and powerful and masculine, with lots of structure - especially given that the lower temperature and non-decant have probably supressed the tannins. Kirsch, liquorice, cherries just before they get too far gone to eat. Drinking well now, and for years to come, I think. vg
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Drinking very well right now. This is why I cellar Chateauneuf . . . Here we have a $20 bottle of wine that is drinking far beyond what one might expect at this price point. Terrific, cohesive, balanced palate of dried cherry and other red fruits, along with dried spices. The tannins seem completely soft, while the acidity is juicy and refreshing. Has a certain brightness and freshness to the palate. Very enjoyable. To my palate, at peak, but should hold for a while longer. I did not get the tannic backbone that Peter cites in his TN below.
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Very funky nose initially that mostly blew off after a while. I love earthy, sweaty sock wines, but I can not quite describe this one... the palate was velvety with well integrated tannins and plenty of red and black fruits, minerals and earth with a nice finish. Overall a nice wine, but the wierd nose lowered the score.
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I thought it was time to check in on the 2001 CdPs. Decanted 1 hour before dinner. Dark purple red color showing like a 3 year old wine. Lots of sediment. On the nose, lots of lavender, garrigue, licorice and sour black cherries. So tannic the first 1-2 hours that I was thinking that this is too young to drink right now. Then opening up for real and flavors of tapenade, rosemary, crushed cherries, horse sweat and tons of licorice are showing. This is a big scaled Chateauneuf, quite rustic - traditionally made. It does not have the yucky sweetness I sometimes find in the Mon Aieul. In so many ways this reminds me of Pegau..maybe just a tad lighter which is good. This wine is just starting to come around - it will be long lived due to the tannic backbone. Excellent. Bought for $19.99.
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Great deep garnet color. After consuming the bottle over a three hour period, the wine is a baby and is just starting to show hints of what it is to become. It still yields flavors of cherry which alone tell me how open and young this wine is! But, I would tend to think it may never reach the true ChdP flavor. At its age, it should taste older? Hmmmmmmm.
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Simple. Nose of saddle leather, earth, and rust. Palate is showing no fruit and it tastes a bit dried out. Lacks complexity and has a short finish. The wine was much better a couple years ago when the fruit was still present.
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Last bottle of this and what a beauty. Deep dark kirsch liqueur and garrigue with a hefty dose of animale and leather. This regular cuvee is as good or better than many luxury cuvees produced in CdP (IMO). Lovely wine that I can't have enough of. paired incredibly well with grilled, herb-marinated leg of lamb with couscous, roasted onion, and parsley salad.
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Even better than my last bottle. Young looking garnet red. Garrigue, dried herbs, earth and chocolate ganache on the nose. Generous long on the palate with fantastic cherry and plum and a finish that just won't quit. Great structure and fruit left, and this has at least 5-10 more years in the tank. Pierre Usseglio is my favorite maker of CdP cuvee tradition as their basic cuvee is often as good or better than the high end cuvees from other producers. A wine to be bought by the case.
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Strong nose of meat, smoky ash and tobacco. Not what I expected. Full bodied and tannic, the fruit is hiding out in there somewhere. Hold for at least 2 more years.
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Unattractive nose of canned black olives (thanks Andy), dark stewed fruit, prunes, pepper, barnyard, vegetal. Someone pointed out the nose was reminiscent of an Italian amaro, but I think that's being unkind to the amaro. Stewed, roasted fruit on the palate, overextracted and really unpleasantly bitter. Really kind of shockingly bad. When the bag came off the excuses started about how this had to be a cooked bottle. It was shipped cross-country in November of 2005, so perhaps it was.
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Pierre Usseglio tasting (Hellerup): Dark red color with a slight orange hue. Sweet, dried fruit dominate the nose, which has notes of prunes, raisin, raspberry, roses, earth and compost. On the palate the raspberry fruit dominates first, but the midpalate has a good deal of pepper and tobaco. Nice concentration, lively tannins and good length.
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Deep perfume of plums and black olive leads into a lush, yet silky mouthful of black cherry, graphite, fig, and garrigue notes. Finishes with long, firm tannins that clamp down on the finish. While not a blockbuster, this is a balanced wine that showcases its roots. At early peak and delicious, this outperformed my expectations.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Cherries, herbs, and garrigue aromas carry through on the palate with a hint of fig. Well balanced and rich, a wine that to me really says Chateauneuf du Pape, has that sense of place. A sweet and moderate finish, this is delicious stuff that you could once get for $20 to $25.
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Maybe this would have improved with air but right out of the bottle it was flat and uninspiring. Had to move on so didn't get a chance to see how it developed.
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red, with brown edges. Mature now, and very drinkable. Good balance, with only slight garrigue nose and taste. Good currants and black fruits showing, and good balance between acidity and tannins.
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Nez suave de fraises au goulot et dans la carafe, il se montre plus discret dans le verre. Très belle texture où je crois percevoir l'influence de la barrique, sans aucun goût de bois heureusement. Le site dit "Les vins sont élevés en fûts de chêne sur une période de 12 à 18 mois et ne sont pas filtrés". Sûrement pas du fût neuf.
La bouche est harmonieuse, glycérinée, les tannins fondus. Arômes classiques de fruits rouges, d'herbes de Provence, de kirsch. Vin gourmand et charmeur, il ne lui manque qu'un peu de profondeur et de longueur pour atteindre le niveau des meilleurs. Très beau Châteauneuf qui commence son plateau de maturité.
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needed about a our of air in a wide mouth decanter, but then it was really nice. fruit is in transition more on the plum / prune side , layered, not flashy, not sweet but present. lots of spice, earth, garrigue and meaty at first but mellows to a well intergrated flavor profile. wine is in transition and beginning to show secondary elements. just starting to drink well IMO, will taste again in a year or so.
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Had a bottle with friends at the Inn at Little Washington after narrowing the choices to two and the wine steward suggested the Usseglio for balance and to work with a large number of food choices. It had a nice nose throughout the dinner but we couldn't wait long enough for the tannins to dissipate and the fruits show themselves. Three hours and it still wasn't much different than when the wine was opened. I'm used to the generous fruit of a CDP, while this was much more austere, though well structured and probably will be good in a few years. Not a great wine selection for a restaurant.
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Exploring Chateauneuf-du-Pape @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Inviting and interesting, a real sniffer. There is a strikingly nutty association in the bouquet, hazelnuts, peanuts. In the mouth this has a wonderfully soft texture, yet concentrated and complex aromas. Robust and classy. Deep and dark, a great wine. 17.5/20
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Drinking extremely well. Great nose of plum, earth, spice, and that Chateauneuf scent (garrigue?). Less plum on the palate but all the other flavors remain. Tannins are well integrated. Medium-full body with an excellent medium length finish.
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Drinking beautifully with an hour of air and I would highly recommend opening one now and continue opening them over the next year or two as this wine is in a great place.
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This was really impressive - showed quite a bit better than I expected. This was wide open - nose was fresh - red fruits, garrigue, and that great warmth you get from Chateauneuf. On the palate, showed some structure, layers of fruit, and very nice length. Fantastic wine for the price ($25).
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(Purchased from Premier Cru) Popped and poured, hmm is this corked? No just really, really barnyardy. Dumped it into a carafe-style decanter. 30 minutes later, much better. On the nose, crunchy cherry, strawberry, dried herbs, hint of burnt coffee and some funk still but within tolerable range. Same on the palate, finishing with firm but approachable tannins. At about the 45-50 minute mark this is downright delicious, open for business, impressively balanced and going down easy. Too bad we left it in the decanter -- by 75 minutes starting to close up a bit, tannins become firmer and a bit harsh in the midpalate. Overall....impressive, drinking quite well now, but take care not to overdecant.
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Tasted at the domaine. Dark fruit with a good mineral component on the nose. Great presence in the mouth. Balanced. Fairly tannic. Great finish. A great way to start the tasting.
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Memorial Day Eclectica: Medium ruby red. Aromas of garrigue, licorice, kirsch, and camphor, with some distinct mineral and leathery notes that were not there a couple of years ago. On the palate, this medium bodied wine really shows an admirable balance of acidity, sheer ripe fruit, and fine tannins. I had the feeling that this wine was very slightly hot when I first had it, but it shows no such thing now--a succulent wine with emerging minerality and improving delineation. Thoroughly enjoyable now and beginning to show the first signs of maturity, but this may improve even further still. Another great QPR hard to match anywhere!!
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Opened two bottles the other night - The first bottle was off - not quite corked but I decided to open another- The second was funky barnyard... and not pleasant.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Dark ruby in color. On the nose, dusty white pepper and raspberries. On the palate, dark cherries and garrigue. Long, long satisfying finish of 30-40 seconds in length. Great mouthfeel and balance to this wine...very smooth and lovely...well done!
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The most prominent element at present is spice - that authentic Chateauneuf peppery spicy feeling at the back of your mouth. But behind this there is a solid layer of ripe fruit, full and concentrated. And at the end there are soft tannins taking you to a satisfying tannin and spice finish that lingers in the mouth. Must buy some more of this. vg
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Drank with Ken alongside the 2000 of the same name with wine-braised beef brisket, roasted root vegetables, and romano polenta. I preferred this wine to the 2000, because it was somewhat deeper, fuller, with more spice and more structure. Fairly traditional CdP with roasted red fruit, a metallic/sanguine quality I often get from CdP, perhaps iodine. Nice for $30 - would consider more but it didn't blow me away.
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Garnet red color. Effusive nose of pepper, dried herbs de provence, garbed leather, kirsch, and antique wood. Quite tannic still, but good purity of fruit, and tastes of lavender and garrigue along with kirsch liqueur. Nice texture and mouthfeel. Quite glyceriny consistency. Finish is long and mouthcoating. Nice wine with loads of potential. I don't see it being as good as the '98, but it is an outstanding value nevertheless.
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wine was huge out of the gate and after 2hrs finally started to settle a little bit very good cdp. i look forward to this wine in about 5 yrs and more. next time i will decant and let sit for awhile
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Dinner with Nick at Duck & Dumpling. Dark crimson in the glass. Proto-typical old school CdP. Best with the ginger lamb dish which seemed to bring out some nice spice in this medium bodied wine, along with olives, black cherries and a little meaty/gamy flavor. 50+11+11+8+7 = 87.
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$24.99 retail, on sale. Raspberry / black cherry liquor. Sweet, slightly medicinal, sappy fruit and licorice. Certainly old-school in style, though a bit of off-balance, with an underlying funkiness that leads me to suspect that this wine will advance fairly rapidly, picking up strong meaty / gamey qualities over the next few years. I am less impressed than I was with the last bottle about a year ago (see TN), but this one was from a different source. We'll see what happens with the next one...
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$29 full retail. Spicy. A little granular, but classic in its style / construction; old-school - nothing flashy about it. Blackish fruit. Should age well. Tasted side by side with the '00 Usseglio Mon Aieul, the '01 regular cuvee showed a little more power and darker fruit; it was less polished and did not have the same alluring texture that the '00 Aieul shows. However, as I later picked up a case of this for $25 per bottle, it's pretty hard to beat at that price!
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Tasted from the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing very intense raspberry, spice, licorice and brier aromas. Full-bodied and fruit-forward on the palate, with big tannins which lurk in the background. The alcohol is noticeably hot on the mid-palate, leading to a long (but hot) finish.
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10/17/2022 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
A fine example, perfectly mature, round and balanced with accent on the Grenache. Drink up.
#Bagnols-en-Forêt
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11/14/2021 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
Very elegant wine, cool, calm and collected, ligth on it's feet with a core of caressing Grenache. A point.
#Bagnol-en-Fôret
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10/7/2021 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the best wines and definitely one of the best CDP's we have recently had. Drinking utterly superbly with about 30 minutes of air. Fully mature and a superb QPR wine - drink now. Lean, precise, elegant, very well integrated and tannins resolved. Initial heavy barnyard on the nose with eventual brambles, dark fruit and red cherry. Purple with peripheral bricking, long lingering aftertaste, surprisingly sweet initial approach which quickly resolved and primary flavors of dark cherry, garrigue, grilled meat and tobacco box. Could not recommend more.
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9/19/2021 - pbaek wrote:
Fully mature, but holding up much better than I thought. This is upright and airy with lovely garrigue notes and dusty fruit. Good acidity, good lift. As traditional in style as they come.
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12/19/2020 - pbaek wrote:
As a good friend warned, this is fading. Compared to the 2001 Marcoux, there is much less fruit here, this is pretty much solely on tertiary notes, and while this is lean it’s like the skeleton of the wine is fading too. There’s a note of pop-corn which is I sometime associate with wine that is largely gone. This is not, but it’s time to drink up - fast.
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10/28/2020 - Elwoodr wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine. I like that it has lost some of its fat. Perhaps that's the strategy with most of the CDPs from this era -- wait 'em out. It will never be elegant but at least it does not taste like unbalanced port like so many of these wines do whilst chasing Parker points. The raisin has vanished and what remains is a slightly elevated rhone.
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2/7/2020 - cct wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour and run over two hours. Cellared since release.
Leather, red fruits, thyme, heme, lavender and olives on the nose. It's midweighted and for the most part resolved. Meaty and herbal notes compliment the red supple sappy fruits. this is savory, meaty and herbal as much as fruit driven and fully mature, or more accurately starting to fade, but still a very enjoyable bottle with some roasted potatoes and flank steak. Drink up. 89
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4/14/2019 - pbaek wrote:
Great showing. Old-school neuf, now mature with tertiary notes of garrigue and barnyard. Upright, well structured, good balance.
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10/11/2017 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
14,5% alcohol.
Moderately translucent, deep and dark ruby color with an almost colorless, clear rim. Obviously quite bretty and funky nose with somewhat developed and very characterful aromas of earthy barnyard character, manure, ripe and succulent dark berries, some smoky spice, a little bit of phenolic Band-Aid character, a little bit of pruney dark fruit and a slightly pungent hint of chipotle. Overall pretty wonderful nose, I must say. The wine is moderately full-bodied and somewhat robust on the palate with characterful flavors of peppery spice, leather, cherry marmalade, some unripe strawberry, a little bit of bretty barnyard funk, a hint of licorice and a touch of raisin and dried dark fruits. The wine is moderately structured with balanced, moderate tannins and surprisingly firm and chewy tannins. The finish is a bit sweeter with more pronounced alcohol warmth and pretty unctuous flavors of ripe strawberries, overripe plums, some blackberry jam and a hint of earthy barnyard funk.
Compared to the vintage 2003 that was tasted alongside, this wine performed noticeably better by retaining a lot better structure and showing some nice character; whereas vintage 2003 was mainly about tired, too sweet and raisiny fruit, this was a lot more complex and savory with some nice, supporting complexity from the bretty funk. Although a nicely developed Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I wasn't still fully convinced if these wines will really develop nicely - they usually lose their structure much faster than the tertiary characteristics emerge, so many wines seem to be just fat, flabby and dull once they start actually exhibiting maturity in the flavor department. That's why I'd recommend drinking this wine sooner rather than later - I doubt this wine will become any better from here, even if it might still develop quite a bit. Good stuff, drink now.
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12/9/2016 - Saint Stephen wrote: 91 Points
Even with a pedestrian bottle, there is something special about buying wine, laying it down and opening it 15 years later. The Circle of Life, baby. Anyway, this was actually quite good. Red fruit, leather, Band Aid, pencil and whatnot. Judging by the three computer screens currently in front of my eyes I estimate that this wine weighs in at least the 14% ABV on the label...
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9/13/2016 - MikeCW wrote: 91 Points
Purchased from Premier Cru for around $20. Drinking very nicely now, I would drink up. A nice surprise for this wine but should not be entirely unexpected given the vintage.
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7/1/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Two bottles from the same case back to back, and quite different experiences. This one was bright, rich, well structured, with nice fruit, herbs, spice.
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7/1/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 89 Points
There is so much bottle variation with this - two bottles from the same case back to back, and quite different experiences. This one was earthy, a bit sandy/dirty, slightly funky; cherry and herbs.
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1/25/2016 - gretsch2holton Likes this wine: 88 Points
T didn't like so much. OK with beef for its wood and leather notes.
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10/12/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful nose of deep red fruit and leather. Palate does not disappoint with rich, ripe berries, herbs. A good deal of acid, but fading tannin. The primary fruit and building tertiary notes suggest that this is still quite young, though the tannins may not allow it to age for too much longer. Best bottle of this I have had, though. Drinking great now.
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9/23/2015 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now. It improved a lot with 1 hour in the decanter. We finished it shortly thereafter so I can't speak to more air.
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7/28/2015 - pbaek wrote:
Saying hello to a good old friend here. Old-school Neuf with plenty of tertiary flavors at play but also plenty of fruit left here. Quite lovely with lamb from Sisteron and ratatouille facon Lillelund in beautiful Provence.
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7/26/2015 - beatles Likes this wine: 91 Points
A better showing than last time - a different setting; quite a fullness of fruit here, fine concentration, a core of ripeness and lots of local character. It is drinking well as a neuf in it's early maturity, but based on this showing lot has a long life ahead - it is very true to it's vintage #pizzanight on the terrace.
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1/26/2015 - vernonB wrote:
L OK
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10/15/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 91 Points
Wines and Kebobs: love the vintage. and this was just another classic well aged example. Mature though nowhere near done. Blueberry and meat pie. herbs, tobacco, red and black fruit. Very refreshing mid, over time - more fruit with a lovely tart strawberry component. long finish with a bit of warmth - not really hot but great on a cool evening. well balanced and mature CdP. YUM
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9/15/2014 - Cote d'Or Likes this wine:
PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs, cork disintegrated
-mostly opaque dark red with trace purple and some mild bricking
-gorgeous aromatics of a perfectly mature CdP, a little funk, some haunting essence of kirsch and earth
-med acidity, silky texture with mostly resolved tannins and only minimal heat on the moderately long finish
-perfectly mature CdP, always impressed with this producer's wines in the 10-15 year age range, this is excellent and peaking now
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5/2/2014 - beatles Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice indeed. A classic neuf, albeit with a hint of modernity and strange feeling of anonymity, that keeps the score on a solid 90. otherwise, all is here, the fruit, the garrigue, the body, certainly, and the wine is quite smooth, friendly and certainly in harmony. Would have liked to feel more of the coolness and minerality of the vintage, but the wine itself is certainly fresh and clear. (Staying in, with AD in Weehawken St.)
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4/18/2014 - pbaek wrote:
Very good showing. Traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape, mature I think, showing marks of garrigue, dusty red fruit, pepper and smoke. This is big-scaled, however, and perhaps just a little bit more pushed than I prefer. The 2001 Raspail-Ay Gigondas we enjoyed the following day was more about finesse and elegance. Still, this is a very good fix if one is looking for a solid bottle of mature Chateauneuf.
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3/28/2014 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 90 Points
TTTG; 3/27/2014-3/28/2014 (Coventry, CT): Bright fruit, some earth and funk, blackberry and cherry. Plentiful tannin that are initially fairly soft but drying on the finish. Pretty mouthfeel, medium-bodied, good acid. The palate is all about fruit and funk, with a bit of leather, cedar, and spice. This is not earth-shattering, but quite nice and drinking well, though I'd hold for the drying tannin to fade a bit. (group's 3rd of 10 by consumption volume)
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3/27/2014 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Liked this much more than the '04 Mon Aieul poured alongside. This isn't particularly complex, but it's drinking really nicely now with lots of bright red and dark fruited flavours framed by more savoury earthy elements. The palate presence is quite elegant and medium weight with bright acids giving it a nice sense of freshness, though some grainy tannin on the back end suggests it still has some time ahead of it.
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12/11/2013 - IlonaN wrote: 92 Points
As lithe and satisfying as I expected the wine to be in a blind tasting. Silky texture and classic exotic red fruit profile. Delicate and lasting finish. Sadly, my last bottle.
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8/11/2013 - SeanFoley44 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Classic , peppery chateauneuf
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4/13/2013 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby red with bricking. Small reddish fruits including tart raspberries and red currants, old shoe leather, earth and garrigue make up the interesting nose. A mid bodied palate reveals good acidity with crushed red berries, lavender, smoky herbs and a peppery finish. This is drinking well now with good secondary nuances.
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2/27/2013 - Fooze Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice CDP. muted inky hue with a classic CDP nose. graphite, tobbacco and earth/spices dominate with a nice lingering finish. Hasn't quite come together to wow, but a very nice bottle.
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2/17/2013 - Brad L wrote: flawed
Good, went fast. Changed a lot while open. Not too early to drink. This was a PC purchase and cellared since release, but the cork was dry and broke in half while being removed so even though this was an enjoyable I don't think it was representative.
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2/16/2013 - David Meddings wrote: 87 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Bricking at rim. Dusty plum, leather and garrigue bouquet. Kirsch, leather and game on the palate with an oak tinged final and noticeable heat.
I am finding this to be thinning a bit and less balanced than I'd like. I'm also not so keen on the tannin part of the profile here - 12 years from vintage I'd expect things a bit more integrated. Drink up, I don't think this is going to get any better.
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2/1/2013 - AHolland Likes this wine:
Lovely, showed deep leather color. Dark cherry fruit, with a bit of pepper. As it opens up, it mellows to a rich, deep flavor. Nice version of a classic CDP
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12/2/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
This wine has moved into a comfortable, cruising phase, and it hovers somewhere between a modern and a traditional presentation. Macerated black and red fruit, which has started its decline into tertiairy notes, like coffee, leather and garrigue. Medium-bodied interesting and satisfying wine. Clean, bright and fresh - not too heavy - which I consider a plus when thinking at the dense and sweet kind of wines Chateauneuf's raising nowadays... Drink now. 17,5/20
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11/29/2012 - ggormezano wrote: 93 Points
At peak drinking window. Should drink well for another 3-5 years. Unfortunately, this was my last bottle.
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10/20/2012 - David Meddings wrote: flawed
Splash decanted half an hour. Cork was dry as dust. Slightly corked on the bouquet. Palate showed a bit of reduction and game against some bright cherry and plum backdrop. Didn't enjoy this as much as previous nights and wondered if this was an off bottle. Will come back to remainder of bottle over next few days and may change assessment but for now no rating.
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4/28/2012 - madflyfisher wrote:
Dark colour, slightly brownish at the rim showing its age a bit. The nose at first subdued and retracted, but it came through with some mushroom and wet tree bark. The palate also somewhat subdued in the beginning, but came through with beautiful tertiary notes later. Not a very long finish, but this wine is not to be cellared for much longer, the tannins were mostly gone. A discreet wine so to speak - but a pleasure for sure. Complemented a slow roasted pheasant in a pot with cream sauce very good.
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11/24/2011 - IlonaN wrote: 91 Points
Should have decanted this wine for several hours before taking it to The Royce for dinner. Once it opened up it was as expected, floral, minerally and rich in roasted fruit with good acid to support the flavors.
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11/6/2011 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
15th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): One of the overperformers of the night, it shows Kirsch, seaweed, blackberry, pepper, spice, with a little earth. It just went on and on that night. 91 on day 2.
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9/29/2011 - cellarid wrote: 90 Points
Didn't realize this was my last bottle. Very classic and spicy. Medium-weight, no heat, fairly pure. Really good.
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6/11/2011 - ksmith wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet, nose of spice and blackberry. Good fruit, smooth tannins, drinking very well, will probably last another 5-6 years.
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4/24/2011 - cellarid Likes this wine: 92 Points
kind of a reverse trend from the last bottle - still showing on the young side with vibrant fruit and tannins. barely adolescent but packed with flavor and very traditional. lots of rust/iron supporting the barely roasted strawberry flavors. very long and fresh. just showing a bit of autumnal flavors with some blood and roasted meats. tremendous wine.
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3/25/2011 - NickM wrote: 88 Points
Aging now, has lost its stuffing. Has thrown a lot of sediment, tastes a bit thin but still a pleasurable drink. My last bottle, probably drunk too late.
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3/19/2011 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 91 Points
After last nights bottle, I had to raise my rating on this wine. Brought up from the cellar to serve with cheese. The color was bright ruby and was filled with aromas of herbs de Provence. As the bottle aerated, the wine seemed to evolve into this cherry fruit bomb, which had nuances of a Bordeaux. After thirty minutes, the wine rounded up enough to transfer to the dinner table and continued to get better until she was finished. EG WineArchitect
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3/13/2011 - David Meddings Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted 3 hours served at 15C. Dark red with bricking. Sweet, plummy nose of macerated cherries and a suggestion of game. Soft, voluptuous attack and a slow transition through dark fruit cherry mid-palate tinged with some drying tannins - there is still some oak in evidence here. Final is moderately long with a pleasant acidity countering the oak/tannin component.
This gave me alot of pleasure - a big, traditional Chateauneuf with oodles of dark fruit and structure and balance holding everything in check. The fruit may be starting to fade on these but at a guess I'd say this will continue to drink well for another 3-4 years.
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2/27/2011 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great guarigue nose. The color is bit on the darker side with minor thinning on the edge. The flavors of herbs, warm, old fruit flavors tell me to drink these babies up sooner than later. Catch
the down side of the wave before all the fruit dissapears! EG. WineArchitect
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1/18/2011 - cellarid wrote: 92 Points
Best showing yet - by far. Decanted for 2 hours and it really made a huge difference. Tons of iron/minerality and warm strawberry fruit, but this time the fruit was very pure and on the red side of the spectrum. Moderately long with just a bit of finishing heat, but this is excellent and Classic CdP. Great leathery texture with good grip, fine tannins and sufficient acidity. The nose really steals the show right now.
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12/26/2010 - cellarid wrote: 91 Points
Really in a great place right now. But stand it up for 24 hours first. Tons of fine sediment.
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11/5/2010 - gregc wrote: 91 Points
Super ripe, bright, floral (lavender and violet), musk and vanillin nose hinting towards slatey, blue stone characteristics. Very dry, dusty tannins frame the cherry, white peppery, ripe palate. Finishes a bit hot.
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11/4/2010 - indiscriminate palate wrote: flawed
Very expressive nose of leather, funk, blackberries, cranberries, funk, herbs, funk, more leather (smoking room couch), cedar, I should mention the funk, and black cherries. Full bodied. Soft, but sufficient tannins; medium+ acidity. Blackberries, plum, and leather. Medium finish where the tannins become more pronounced. Nose improves greatly with a few hours of air as the somewhat off-putting funk subsides slightly. Unfortunately flawed, but beneath the funk, this is an old-school CdP, but with the volume way up.
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10/17/2010 - pbaek wrote:
A good showing. Close to mature, the Usseglio is a good example of how good, old-fashioned Chateauneuf should taste for me. Lots of dried, red fruit, provencal herbs, mint, tobacco and licorice here. Good concentration of fruit and a bit more structured than the 1997 Pegau. Went well with the lamb at Union Square Cafe. From my cellar. $20 corkage at USQ now.
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10/10/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Had at dinner, no detailed notes. Drinking well and meeting expectations. Expansive nose with roasted fruits and spice and a little funk. Some heat on the palate, but not too distracting, with fine mostly resolved tannins and enough acidity that this wasn't overwhelmed by food. Probably at peak for my palate, good complexity and overall strong wine in a slighter ripe and high alcohol style.
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8/27/2010 - cellarid wrote: 93 Points
Classic CdP. So rare these days. Drinking very well know but still on the young side. Decant for an hour or so.
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8/12/2010 - pbaek wrote:
Mature Chateauneuf meets the nose; tons of lavender, thyme, licorice, black olives and smoke. A disticnt smell of farm, is this brett? If it is, it doesn't bother me at all. Dried out cherry fruit that stands in the back and is overwhelmed by all the other aromoas. Resolved on the palate, no hard edges. Once again I feel I'm drinking a close to fully mature wine that will not benefit from further cellaring (it won't decline for the next 5 years either I think). Good with food.
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7/17/2010 - Zweder wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/6/2010 - Opimian wrote: 92 Points
delish
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6/7/2010 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark garnet color with minimal sediment. No thinning on the edges. The nose yields notes of sour cherry, wet leather and hints of herbs de provence. In the mouth, the wine shows mild flavors of the same with a touch of CdP guarige. A nice but mild example. EG
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5/26/2010 - vindictive wrote:
Popped and poured. Typical CdP profile. Pleasant enough with grilled food, improved with air.
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4/25/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
TN: Selbach, Cotat, Belliviere, Breton, Brainaire, Usseglio, de Malle: The bottle was opened but not decanted for six hours prior to serving. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has some barnyard and black raspberries. Layers of complexity on the palate. This is in a really good place right now but has years left. Went very well with the cheeses. Performed at right about where you would hope and expect.
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3/19/2010 - Pknut wrote:
Very similar to my tasting note from 5/09. Raspberry on the palate, along with garrigue, this is in a good place right now, soft in texture and seemingly at peak . . . yet still primary, not very complex nor developed. The flavors are at the surface, and they're enjoyable, but the wine is not cerebral nor complex . . . it's just tasty. And that's fine, too. In New City, with mom's rack of lamb.
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3/18/2010 - yui wrote: 91 Points
Nose of leather, BBQ smoke, dark fruit.
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12/20/2009 - the godfather wrote: 93 Points
a whole different animal than the 2000, ridiculously pure fruit, this stuff is awesome, amazing old vine greache!
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12/15/2009 - Bradford wrote: 92 Points
Wow. This bottle was going strong. Funky nose of cherry, cranberry, tobacco and cedar. Big sweet dark cherries in the mid-palate with provençal herbs, licorice, black pepper, leather and animal blood. Long finish. Typical in the best way. Drinking well, but will hold for a while. 92+
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11/26/2009 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Finally showing signs of age. The color is bricking. The nose is spicy and meaty, and the palate shows pomegranate, beef blood, with raspberry at the core.
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10/31/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 89 Points
Clear medium ruby color. This bottle showing a slight bit more age in color than previous bottles. Nice flavors of cherry and tobacco with that gunpowder note. A bottle with variation in the nose. EG
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10/23/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 90 Points
Clear medium ruby color. The nose at opeing started with bright cherry and medium guarigue. The flavors matched with a finish of tobacco flavors. As the bottle began to breath and open up there were flavors of gunsmoke and a hint of smokey cherry. After three hours, the flavors began to fade. EG
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10/20/2009 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Average nose, excellent smooth taste, medium finish.
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9/16/2009 - davergny wrote: 92 Points
Wow, best bottle I've had of this yet! The nose is a tremendous perfume of sweet red fruit, iodine, white pepper & fresh earth. The sweetness on the palate is remarkable, almost too sweet, rich, ripe strawberries, blood orange, garrigue, dates, blood sausage. Good length, sweet tannins, the back end is a little short, finish is nice. This could only be Chateauneuf du Pape. After 2 hours, the sweetness resides a little and the wine comes more into balance.
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9/6/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
Labor Day weekend chez Brad. (My place.): Classic, textbook, entry-level CDP. Plenty of briary fruit, lots of spice and lavender and a bit of leather. Still a little on the big side, though drinking well now. The flavors are true, though the wine seems to lack a bit of excitement. The finish is a little chunky and could be better integrated. With some lamb this would be just fine. B+.
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8/29/2009 - pbaek wrote:
Notes consistent with previous bottle.
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8/8/2009 - pbaek wrote:
Terrific showing. Great, mature bottle of CdP more in line with Asher's recent experience. No hard edges, tannins soft and smooth. A lot of provencal herbs here - lavender, thyme, rosemary. Very spicy. Good red fruit left as well. A Chateauneuf in the traditional mold (whatever that means).
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7/16/2009 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well with rich black cherry, minerals, garrigue. Lush silky texture, dark fruited with resolved tannins.
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7/14/2009 - David Meddings wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours, served at 18C. Slight bricking around a dark red disc. Macerated cherries, kirsch, leather, licorice and some very faint game notes on the nose. Smooth attack with a very engaging mid-palate stuffed with a deep, layered mix of dark red fruits sitting on a bed of fine tannins and acidity. Moderate to full bodied with a moderately long final. Overall a very pleasing Chateauneuf while not being an absolutely stellar performer. I think this will continue to gain some weight over the coming 5 years or so. 50+4+12+15+7=88.
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7/2/2009 - Jeff W wrote:
Popped and poured at cellar temperature, given how hot it is right now. This is starting to take on a slightly more mature look. Very full and powerful and masculine, with lots of structure - especially given that the lower temperature and non-decant have probably supressed the tannins. Kirsch, liquorice, cherries just before they get too far gone to eat. Drinking well now, and for years to come, I think. vg
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6/12/2009 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Drinking very well right now!
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5/3/2009 - Pknut wrote:
Drinking very well right now. This is why I cellar Chateauneuf . . . Here we have a $20 bottle of wine that is drinking far beyond what one might expect at this price point. Terrific, cohesive, balanced palate of dried cherry and other red fruits, along with dried spices. The tannins seem completely soft, while the acidity is juicy and refreshing. Has a certain brightness and freshness to the palate. Very enjoyable. To my palate, at peak, but should hold for a while longer. I did not get the tannic backbone that Peter cites in his TN below.
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4/11/2009 - bmarshall wrote: 89 Points
Very funky nose initially that mostly blew off after a while. I love earthy, sweaty sock wines, but I can not quite describe this one... the palate was velvety with well integrated tannins and plenty of red and black fruits, minerals and earth with a nice finish. Overall a nice wine, but the wierd nose lowered the score.
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3/30/2009 - pbaek wrote:
Solid wine. Notes consistent with my 02/27/09 notes. Bagnols en Foret.
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2/27/2009 - pbaek wrote:
I thought it was time to check in on the 2001 CdPs. Decanted 1 hour before dinner. Dark purple red color showing like a 3 year old wine. Lots of sediment. On the nose, lots of lavender, garrigue, licorice and sour black cherries. So tannic the first 1-2 hours that I was thinking that this is too young to drink right now. Then opening up for real and flavors of tapenade, rosemary, crushed cherries, horse sweat and tons of licorice are showing. This is a big scaled Chateauneuf, quite rustic - traditionally made. It does not have the yucky sweetness I sometimes find in the Mon Aieul. In so many ways this reminds me of Pegau..maybe just a tad lighter which is good. This wine is just starting to come around - it will be long lived due to the tannic backbone. Excellent. Bought for $19.99.
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1/22/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 91 Points
Great deep garnet color. After consuming the bottle over a three hour period, the wine is a baby and is just starting to show hints of what it is to become. It still yields flavors of cherry which alone tell me how open and young this wine is! But, I would tend to think it may never reach the true ChdP flavor. At its age, it should taste older? Hmmmmmmm.
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1/11/2009 - cellarid wrote: 92 Points
Terrific sauce. Shallow lumber but an unreal QPR. Lean and mean classic cdp. Has years to go.
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12/19/2008 - davergny wrote: flawed
Corked.
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11/23/2008 - FakeAccount wrote: 87 Points
Simple. Nose of saddle leather, earth, and rust. Palate is showing no fruit and it tastes a bit dried out. Lacks complexity and has a short finish. The wine was much better a couple years ago when the fruit was still present.
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9/28/2008 - steffenpelz wrote:
Last bottle of this and what a beauty. Deep dark kirsch liqueur and garrigue with a hefty dose of animale and leather. This regular cuvee is as good or better than many luxury cuvees produced in CdP (IMO). Lovely wine that I can't have enough of. paired incredibly well with grilled, herb-marinated leg of lamb with couscous, roasted onion, and parsley salad.
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7/13/2008 - steffenpelz wrote:
Even better than my last bottle. Young looking garnet red. Garrigue, dried herbs, earth and chocolate ganache on the nose. Generous long on the palate with fantastic cherry and plum and a finish that just won't quit. Great structure and fruit left, and this has at least 5-10 more years in the tank. Pierre Usseglio is my favorite maker of CdP cuvee tradition as their basic cuvee is often as good or better than the high end cuvees from other producers. A wine to be bought by the case.
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6/29/2008 - IlonaN wrote: 87 Points
Strong nose of meat, smoky ash and tobacco. Not what I expected. Full bodied and tannic, the fruit is hiding out in there somewhere. Hold for at least 2 more years.
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6/25/2008 - 5laton wrote:
Unattractive nose of canned black olives (thanks Andy), dark stewed fruit, prunes, pepper, barnyard, vegetal. Someone pointed out the nose was reminiscent of an Italian amaro, but I think that's being unkind to the amaro. Stewed, roasted fruit on the palate, overextracted and really unpleasantly bitter. Really kind of shockingly bad. When the bag came off the excuses started about how this had to be a cooked bottle. It was shipped cross-country in November of 2005, so perhaps it was.
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5/22/2008 - Terkel wrote: 91 Points
Pierre Usseglio tasting (Hellerup): Dark red color with a slight orange hue. Sweet, dried fruit dominate the nose, which has notes of prunes, raisin, raspberry, roses, earth and compost. On the palate the raspberry fruit dominates first, but the midpalate has a good deal of pepper and tobaco. Nice concentration, lively tannins and good length.
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4/28/2008 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Deep perfume of plums and black olive leads into a lush, yet silky mouthful of black cherry, graphite, fig, and garrigue notes. Finishes with long, firm tannins that clamp down on the finish. While not a blockbuster, this is a balanced wine that showcases its roots. At early peak and delicious, this outperformed my expectations.
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2/22/2008 - davergny wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Cherries, herbs, and garrigue aromas carry through on the palate with a hint of fig. Well balanced and rich, a wine that to me really says Chateauneuf du Pape, has that sense of place. A sweet and moderate finish, this is delicious stuff that you could once get for $20 to $25.
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1/1/2008 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Maybe this would have improved with air but right out of the bottle it was flat and uninspiring. Had to move on so didn't get a chance to see how it developed.
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12/26/2007 - bmarshall wrote: 90 Points
Nice CdP shared with family on Christmas day. Earth, cherries and black fruits on nose and palate. Decent finish.
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12/24/2007 - Morten Kiernan wrote: 92 Points
red, with brown edges. Mature now, and very drinkable. Good balance, with only slight garrigue nose and taste. Good currants and black fruits showing, and good balance between acidity and tannins.
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12/9/2007 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
Nez suave de fraises au goulot et dans la carafe, il se montre plus discret dans le verre. Très belle texture où je crois percevoir l'influence de la barrique, sans aucun goût de bois heureusement. Le site dit "Les vins sont élevés en fûts de chêne sur une période de 12 à 18 mois et ne sont pas filtrés". Sûrement pas du fût neuf.
La bouche est harmonieuse, glycérinée, les tannins fondus. Arômes classiques de fruits rouges, d'herbes de Provence, de kirsch. Vin gourmand et charmeur, il ne lui manque qu'un peu de profondeur et de longueur pour atteindre le niveau des meilleurs. Très beau Châteauneuf qui commence son plateau de maturité.
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11/23/2007 - Opimian wrote: 90 Points
needed about a our of air in a wide mouth decanter, but then it was really nice. fruit is in transition more on the plum / prune side , layered, not flashy, not sweet but present. lots of spice, earth, garrigue and meaty at first but mellows to a well intergrated flavor profile. wine is in transition and beginning to show secondary elements. just starting to drink well IMO, will taste again in a year or so.
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11/10/2007 - chitowncdpguy wrote: 91 Points
Fruit is not that strong in this bottle. Dominated by spice, earth, and garrigue.
Really excellent. I need to find more of this.
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10/27/2007 - pizzler wrote: 86 Points
Had a bottle with friends at the Inn at Little Washington after narrowing the choices to two and the wine steward suggested the Usseglio for balance and to work with a large number of food choices. It had a nice nose throughout the dinner but we couldn't wait long enough for the tannins to dissipate and the fruits show themselves. Three hours and it still wasn't much different than when the wine was opened. I'm used to the generous fruit of a CDP, while this was much more austere, though well structured and probably will be good in a few years. Not a great wine selection for a restaurant.
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9/13/2007 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine from the start to the end. Spicy, clove, iodine, nuts, barnyard, little sweetness, rustic. Very complex and delicious wine
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8/18/2007 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
Exploring Chateauneuf-du-Pape @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Inviting and interesting, a real sniffer. There is a strikingly nutty association in the bouquet, hazelnuts, peanuts. In the mouth this has a wonderfully soft texture, yet concentrated and complex aromas. Robust and classy. Deep and dark, a great wine. 17.5/20
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8/5/2007 - chitowncdpguy wrote: 91 Points
Drinking extremely well. Great nose of plum, earth, spice, and that Chateauneuf scent (garrigue?). Less plum on the palate but all the other flavors remain. Tannins are well integrated. Medium-full body with an excellent medium length finish.
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5/14/2007 - RussW wrote:
Drinking beautifully with an hour of air and I would highly recommend opening one now and continue opening them over the next year or two as this wine is in a great place.
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3/9/2007 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Rich, meaty nose. Dark fruit and full bodied with some tannins present. Best showing of this wine.
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12/15/2006 - sivilli wrote:
This was really impressive - showed quite a bit better than I expected. This was wide open - nose was fresh - red fruits, garrigue, and that great warmth you get from Chateauneuf. On the palate, showed some structure, layers of fruit, and very nice length. Fantastic wine for the price ($25).
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11/21/2006 - jacobp wrote: 90 Points
Blackberry nose, floral, hint of licorice. Great finish
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10/5/2006 - 5laton wrote: 90 Points
(Purchased from Premier Cru) Popped and poured, hmm is this corked? No just really, really barnyardy. Dumped it into a carafe-style decanter. 30 minutes later, much better. On the nose, crunchy cherry, strawberry, dried herbs, hint of burnt coffee and some funk still but within tolerable range. Same on the palate, finishing with firm but approachable tannins. At about the 45-50 minute mark this is downright delicious, open for business, impressively balanced and going down easy. Too bad we left it in the decanter -- by 75 minutes starting to close up a bit, tannins become firmer and a bit harsh in the midpalate. Overall....impressive, drinking quite well now, but take care not to overdecant.
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9/12/2006 - RussW wrote:
This is entering its peak drinking window. Very good wine that would hold its own against CdP costing 2-3 times as much.
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6/16/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Tasted at the domaine. Dark fruit with a good mineral component on the nose. Great presence in the mouth. Balanced. Fairly tannic. Great finish. A great way to start the tasting.
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6/16/2006 - Siggy wrote:
France Trip Part 1 - Châteauneuf-du-Pape; 6/16/2006-6/17/2006: Tasted at the domaine w/ Thierry Usseglio. Dark, meaty fruit. Traditionally styled. Garrigue and roasted meat. Great finesse and balance. Excellent and a great QPR.
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6/16/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Tasted at the domaine. Old-school style. Dark fruit, garrigue, smoked meat. Nice and a solid value in Chateauneuf.
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5/29/2006 - CSteefel wrote: 91 Points
Memorial Day Eclectica: Medium ruby red. Aromas of garrigue, licorice, kirsch, and camphor, with some distinct mineral and leathery notes that were not there a couple of years ago. On the palate, this medium bodied wine really shows an admirable balance of acidity, sheer ripe fruit, and fine tannins. I had the feeling that this wine was very slightly hot when I first had it, but it shows no such thing now--a succulent wine with emerging minerality and improving delineation. Thoroughly enjoyable now and beginning to show the first signs of maturity, but this may improve even further still. Another great QPR hard to match anywhere!!
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3/19/2006 - ddamron wrote: 83 Points
Opened two bottles the other night - The first bottle was off - not quite corked but I decided to open another- The second was funky barnyard... and not pleasant.
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10/29/2005 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Dark ruby in color. On the nose, dusty white pepper and raspberries. On the palate, dark cherries and garrigue. Long, long satisfying finish of 30-40 seconds in length. Great mouthfeel and balance to this wine...very smooth and lovely...well done!
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9/24/2005 - Jeff W wrote:
The most prominent element at present is spice - that authentic Chateauneuf peppery spicy feeling at the back of your mouth. But behind this there is a solid layer of ripe fruit, full and concentrated. And at the end there are soft tannins taking you to a satisfying tannin and spice finish that lingers in the mouth. Must buy some more of this. vg
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9/21/2005 - Saint Stephen wrote: 90 Points
Drank with Ken alongside the 2000 of the same name with wine-braised beef brisket, roasted root vegetables, and romano polenta. I preferred this wine to the 2000, because it was somewhat deeper, fuller, with more spice and more structure. Fairly traditional CdP with roasted red fruit, a metallic/sanguine quality I often get from CdP, perhaps iodine. Nice for $30 - would consider more but it didn't blow me away.
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8/5/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 90 Points
Garnet red color. Effusive nose of pepper, dried herbs de provence, garbed leather, kirsch, and antique wood. Quite tannic still, but good purity of fruit, and tastes of lavender and garrigue along with kirsch liqueur. Nice texture and mouthfeel. Quite glyceriny consistency. Finish is long and mouthcoating. Nice wine with loads of potential. I don't see it being as good as the '98, but it is an outstanding value nevertheless.
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3/26/2005 - dd wrote:
wine was huge out of the gate and after 2hrs finally started to settle a little bit very good cdp. i look forward to this wine in about 5 yrs and more. next time i will decant and let sit for awhile
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2/1/2005 - JeffGMorris wrote: 87 Points
Dinner with Nick at Duck & Dumpling. Dark crimson in the glass. Proto-typical old school CdP. Best with the ginger lamb dish which seemed to bring out some nice spice in this medium bodied wine, along with olives, black cherries and a little meaty/gamy flavor. 50+11+11+8+7 = 87.
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1/22/2005 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$24.99 retail, on sale. Raspberry / black cherry liquor. Sweet, slightly medicinal, sappy fruit and licorice. Certainly old-school in style, though a bit of off-balance, with an underlying funkiness that leads me to suspect that this wine will advance fairly rapidly, picking up strong meaty / gamey qualities over the next few years. I am less impressed than I was with the last bottle about a year ago (see TN), but this one was from a different source. We'll see what happens with the next one...
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2/9/2004 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$29 full retail. Spicy. A little granular, but classic in its style / construction; old-school - nothing flashy about it. Blackish fruit. Should age well. Tasted side by side with the '00 Usseglio Mon Aieul, the '01 regular cuvee showed a little more power and darker fruit; it was less polished and did not have the same alluring texture that the '00 Aieul shows. However, as I later picked up a case of this for $25 per bottle, it's pretty hard to beat at that price!
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8/1/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Tasted from the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing very intense raspberry, spice, licorice and brier aromas. Full-bodied and fruit-forward on the palate, with big tannins which lurk in the background. The alcohol is noticeably hot on the mid-palate, leading to a long (but hot) finish.
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