Not bad. Clinging to life, fruit thinning out and quite metallic. A swirl coaxes a bit of freshness and there is still blackberry and raspberry fruit. Toasted but not particularly smoky. Texturally silky, fully integrated.
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From a beautiful magnum. A tour de force of a wine and a classic Cote Rotie well aged and probably at peak now. Silky , round rich fruit but it’s that smoky nose that sets it apart and gives it a beauty only this little hill in the middle of the hexagon can deliver. A baby La Landonne in many ways and drinks superbly and deliciously now. No need to say more. 94-95
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Completely agree with recent notes. In a great spot right now. Just reminder - you need to decant this wine 2-3 hours that it could fully shine. When opened it looked like fading red fruited high acidity wine. With time it has built its strength and show alive it still is. Black fruit, meat, olives, earthy and hint of dried roses. Mid palate filled up with time. Mineral and earthy finish. Would still be happy to have few bottles to drink io in next 3-5 years.
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Direct and spicy, this manages to reconcile the wonderfully engaging juicy profile of its youth with the inside-of-a-church feel it has taken on with age. In a great spot now.
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Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ tannins and medium+ acidity. The tannins are fine grained and more in a supporting role. The feel is refined and mature with black cherries, black olives, roses, pepper, and earth tones.
Overall: This is an excellent and mature Cote-Rotie. It feels like it's right at its peak and is highly enjoyable right now.
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Mature, leafy, smoky, black tea... highly expressive bouquet to go with a lovely, smooth palate with good length and terrific balance. Ready right now.
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We attempted to open a bottle of this wine; the cork on the first bottle was defective, and the top half of it broke into pieces...we could not remove the bottom half of the cork, no matter what we tried. So, we opened a second bottle, and this rating is for that one.
I was astonished, to find at first pour, a wine that tasted very young and primary, despite 15 years in the bottle. But we did not lose patience, and, making successive small pours, swirled the wine in our glasses quite a bit; and, gradually the wine revealed itself, to show a very pleasant, perfumy, feminine expression of Cote-Rotie. The nose still is restrained (once one gets past the Brett by swirling), but the palate expresses lots of flowers, raisins, cigar box, and complex minerality. This is a Cinderella of a wine that needs a Prince Charming to whirl her around on the dance floor in order to show herself in the best light. 88 upon pop-and-pour, 92 after aeration.
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Tasted in Jan. 2012 as part of a mini-vertical of E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie vintages 99, 97, and 95. This was far and away my favorite vintage of the three, and most others participating the tasting agreed. The nose was downright stunning, with a veritable bouquet of purple flowers - lilacs, lavender, violets, lilies. Also some earthy geranium in there. So elegant and feminine but with a bold robustness to it as well. Over the course of an hour in the glass, the aromas just kept getting better and better, losing none of its intensity at any point. Very mineral-driven flavor offering up acres of terroir to enjoy. Soft, integrated tannins, deftly balanced with a healthy stripe of acidity. Simply amazing.
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Still powerful 14 years on. Classic leather, meat, dark red fruit. Tannins integrated, but still present. There is still much life in this. I'm looking forward to my second bottle.
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absolutely wonderful nose- smokey, meaty. mouth with good balance but some bitterness on the finish. not as complex as i would like, I kept reaching for more, but never got any. but still a very good wine.
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In a nutshell, this is very strong. Beef blood, roasted plum and gunpowder pour out of the glass. Really a very effusive nose. The palate is a touch more lean but very pretty, loaded with cherry and hints of tar, lightly peppered. Dusty and dry towards the finish, this still has some structure to burn, but I quite like where the fruit is, secondary elements emerging but still juicy and grippy. Delicious.
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I agree that the nose is somewhat muted, although there was plenty of white pepper in the nose. Disagree about the ageability -- my 750 (stored in a temperature controlled cellar) had tons of fruit left. Tannins were well controlled and the wine is in perfect balance right now although I would not be in any hurry to finish up extra bottles.
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Mature but storage conditions have not been ideal. Tasted another '97 at the same time and it was consistent so this is probably a good time to go ahead and pop this one. Secondary notes of earth and game, the fruit is in the background as expected. If you like wine a good amount of bottle age this is intriguing and fun. Not for a crowd that's looking for lots of fruit.
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It needed a few hours of breathing time to fully open. Nose of sweet fruit, pain grille, smoke, flowers, and olive undertones. Fully resolved tannins with decent balance, if not a little warm and chalky. Finish is long.Good expression of basic cote-rotie but not a wow wine. Drink now or hold for a few more years.
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mmmm Meat, hosin, earth, leather, anise, red fruits. Rustic in style but the tannins and acidity gave the wine and nice presents and mouthfeel. Drinking perfect though it faded a bit after an hour or so.
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4Bs Latitudes: Blackberry, tar, earth nose good feel, with complexity, meatiness and balance. nice finish with blackberry and coffee. the best showing of this wine I've had
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4BOW (Latitude 8 Thai Grill): Dark berry nose. Tastes of blackberries, blueberries, barbecued meats, pepper and tobacco. Ready to drink now, do not hold any longer. Possessing a soft, elegant finish. 13% alcohol.
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wonderful nose out of the bottle, earth, grilled meat, sage, blueberry and pepper. blueberry mouth, a touch thin mid plate, but expands nicely from there to give a nice long finish of blackberry, chocolate, plum.
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really surprising. Even though '97 was a tough vintage, guigal pulled it out. Still juicy red fruits, tons of game, and pepper with a lovely lift of lavender and rose hip. It was still too young. Give it another 3-5 years, and the bottle will rock face.
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Changed three times over a period of 2 hours or so. At first, barnyard, earth, and garrigue dominated the nose and palate. After about 1/2 hour, the fruit was explosive of red plum and wild berries while secondary characteristics subsided. An hour later, it all came together. Cracked black pepper showed through alongside cinnamon, ash, and dust. Great drinking experience.
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Abundant garrigue and funk are reminiscent of a traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape; good amount of olive tapenade and brambly fruit also. Almost imperceptible tannin, has a cut on the palate. Seemed to put on a little weight with air, but not significant. Good, but not amazing.
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Dinner with friends at home (Brussels, Belgium): Dark color. Scents of garrigue. Serious stuff - tannins are now well integrated. Good balance and length, lacks a bit more complexity to warrant an exciting score. Went very well with sage and ginger duck.
Robe sombre. Arômes de garrigue. Un 'solide gaillard' - les tannins sont bien intégrés. Bel équilibre et longueur, manque un peu de complexité ce qui lui aurait valu un score 'excitant'. Très bon accord avec le canard à la sauge et au gingembre.
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Green olive dominated the nose and front. Nice fruit on the mid. Smokey herbal finish. Perhpas this bottle was off, but it was just way to vegital to me.
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Nice, but was hoping for more. Roasted / smokey flavors, substantial fruit, changes in the glass, but a short finish and a general lack of depth. Doesn't help that I overpaid for this bottle.
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Opened for syrah tasting. Pretty closed intitially, but opened up with time and showed classic peppery, roasted, herbal notes over red fruit with some still-noticeable tannins. Lacking a little heft in the mid-palate but overall quite tasty.
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Very nice clean well balance wine. Dark ruby color. Blackberry, red cherry, violet with spices (mostly pepper) and light oak. Some minerals come through too. Very nice balance between the tannins and acidity. Moderate finish.
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IWFS at Cafe DuPont (Birmingham AL): Excellent wine, full fruity mouth feel with coffee, sandlewood, leather and tobacco. Tannins prominent in midpalate...this has a while to go. It has great palate...notes say it "came alive in the glass"
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Med red clared in color with little color change at the edge. Aromatics of black pepper, anise and roasted meats (beef blood hints). This wine has aged nicely and seems to have hit its stride. Nice balance, but perhaps a bit low on acid. Wonderful length. Flavors continued to emerge as I drank my last sip.
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12/11/2023 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 89 Points
Not bad. Clinging to life, fruit thinning out and quite metallic. A swirl coaxes a bit of freshness and there is still blackberry and raspberry fruit. Toasted but not particularly smoky. Texturally silky, fully integrated.
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5/13/2023 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
From a beautiful magnum. A tour de force of a wine and a classic Cote Rotie well aged and probably at peak now. Silky , round rich fruit but it’s that smoky nose that sets it apart and gives it a beauty only this little hill in the middle of the hexagon can deliver. A baby La Landonne in many ways and drinks superbly and deliciously now. No need to say more. 94-95
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1/3/2021 - Povilas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Completely agree with recent notes. In a great spot right now. Just reminder - you need to decant this wine 2-3 hours that it could fully shine. When opened it looked like fading red fruited high acidity wine. With time it has built its strength and show alive it still is.
Black fruit, meat, olives, earthy and hint of dried roses. Mid palate filled up with time. Mineral and earthy finish.
Would still be happy to have few bottles to drink io in next 3-5 years.
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1/8/2019 - Will Devize wrote: 91 Points
Direct and spicy, this manages to reconcile the wonderfully engaging juicy profile of its youth with the inside-of-a-church feel it has taken on with age. In a great spot now.
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3/21/2018 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/15/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Cassoulet with (mostly) Cote-Rotie&Hermitage (Jordan's, Northbrook IL): Nose: The nose is wide open and mature with black cherries, black olives, roses, pepper notes, tobacco, and earth. There is excellent balance with good depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ tannins and medium+ acidity. The tannins are fine grained and more in a supporting role. The feel is refined and mature with black cherries, black olives, roses, pepper, and earth tones.
Overall: This is an excellent and mature Cote-Rotie. It feels like it's right at its peak and is highly enjoyable right now.
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1/10/2017 - JOsgood wrote:
Really nice stuff. Fully integrated and balanced. Elegant with minerals and red fruits.
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3/19/2016 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Mature, leafy, smoky, black tea... highly expressive bouquet to go with a lovely, smooth palate with good length and terrific balance. Ready right now.
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10/26/2013 - Swaggering Beaunie Likes this wine: 92 Points
We attempted to open a bottle of this wine; the cork on the first bottle was defective, and the top half of it broke into pieces...we could not remove the bottom half of the cork, no matter what we tried. So, we opened a second bottle, and this rating is for that one.
I was astonished, to find at first pour, a wine that tasted very young and primary, despite 15 years in the bottle. But we did not lose patience, and, making successive small pours, swirled the wine in our glasses quite a bit; and, gradually the wine revealed itself, to show a very pleasant, perfumy, feminine expression of Cote-Rotie. The nose still is restrained (once one gets past the Brett by swirling), but the palate expresses lots of flowers, raisins, cigar box, and complex minerality. This is a Cinderella of a wine that needs a Prince Charming to whirl her around on the dance floor in order to show herself in the best light. 88 upon pop-and-pour, 92 after aeration.
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1/28/2012 - Jack Cranley wrote: 95 Points
Tasted in Jan. 2012 as part of a mini-vertical of E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie vintages 99, 97, and 95. This was far and away my favorite vintage of the three, and most others participating the tasting agreed. The nose was downright stunning, with a veritable bouquet of purple flowers - lilacs, lavender, violets, lilies. Also some earthy geranium in there. So elegant and feminine but with a bold robustness to it as well. Over the course of an hour in the glass, the aromas just kept getting better and better, losing none of its intensity at any point.
Very mineral-driven flavor offering up acres of terroir to enjoy. Soft, integrated tannins, deftly balanced with a healthy stripe of acidity. Simply amazing.
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7/30/2011 - iByron wrote: 90 Points
Still powerful 14 years on. Classic leather, meat, dark red fruit. Tannins integrated, but still present. There is still much life in this. I'm looking forward to my second bottle.
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7/24/2011 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Classic Cote Rotie flavor profile in somewhat burgundian packaging. Complex, elegant, and very enjoyable.
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6/6/2011 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
absolutely wonderful nose- smokey, meaty. mouth with good balance but some bitterness on the finish. not as complex as i would like, I kept reaching for more, but never got any. but still a very good wine.
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7/7/2010 - mwanasheria wrote: 90 Points
My last magnum. Still very good. Cassis, cherries, dark fruit.
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6/13/2010 - moudy wrote: 92 Points
Nice, well matured... Still a bit of age left.
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5/15/2010 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
In a nutshell, this is very strong. Beef blood, roasted plum and gunpowder pour out of the glass. Really a very effusive nose. The palate is a touch more lean but very pretty, loaded with cherry and hints of tar, lightly peppered. Dusty and dry towards the finish, this still has some structure to burn, but I quite like where the fruit is, secondary elements emerging but still juicy and grippy. Delicious.
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10/25/2009 - JacksonLee wrote: 92 Points
I agree that the nose is somewhat muted, although there was plenty of white pepper in the nose. Disagree about the ageability -- my 750 (stored in a temperature controlled cellar) had tons of fruit left. Tannins were well controlled and the wine is in perfect balance right now although I would not be in any hurry to finish up extra bottles.
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9/5/2009 - mwanasheria wrote: 91 Points
Still lots of fruit, cassis. It tasted surprisingly dense and young (had it from a magnum). Three bottles.
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8/6/2009 - mwanasheria wrote: 87 Points
already losing grip
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3/29/2009 - Nacnud wrote:
Mature but storage conditions have not been ideal. Tasted another '97 at the same time and it was consistent so this is probably a good time to go ahead and pop this one. Secondary notes of earth and game, the fruit is in the background as expected. If you like wine a good amount of bottle age this is intriguing and fun. Not for a crowd that's looking for lots of fruit.
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11/4/2008 - jordanj wrote: 90 Points
It needed a few hours of breathing time to fully open. Nose of sweet fruit, pain grille, smoke, flowers, and olive undertones. Fully resolved tannins with decent balance, if not a little warm and chalky. Finish is long.Good expression of basic cote-rotie but not a wow wine. Drink now or hold for a few more years.
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8/29/2008 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: flawed
TERRIBLY corked.
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6/25/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
ugh. i don't see what everyone else was gushing over. but, i've yet to be enamored in any vintage. (shoulder shrug emoticon here)
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6/25/2008 - jivey wrote: 94 Points
mmmm Meat, hosin, earth, leather, anise, red fruits. Rustic in style but the tannins and acidity gave the wine and nice presents and mouthfeel. Drinking perfect though it faded a bit after an hour or so.
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6/25/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 94 Points
4Bs Latitudes: Blackberry, tar, earth nose good feel, with complexity, meatiness and balance. nice finish with blackberry and coffee. the best showing of this wine I've had
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6/25/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 91 Points
4BOW (Latitude 8 Thai Grill): Dark berry nose. Tastes of blackberries, blueberries, barbecued meats, pepper and tobacco. Ready to drink now, do not hold any longer. Possessing a soft, elegant finish. 13% alcohol.
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6/10/2008 - fast ralph wrote: 91 Points
Tannin well sedated, Very pleasant drinking wine. Abit bland but otherwise quite pleasant
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12/21/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 92 Points
wonderful nose out of the bottle, earth, grilled meat, sage, blueberry and pepper. blueberry mouth, a touch thin mid plate, but expands nicely from there to give a nice long finish of blackberry, chocolate, plum.
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12/1/2007 - pirateslikedinosaurs wrote:
really surprising. Even though '97 was a tough vintage, guigal pulled it out. Still juicy red fruits, tons of game, and pepper with a lovely lift of lavender and rose hip. It was still too young. Give it another 3-5 years, and the bottle will rock face.
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6/29/2007 - yotaiwan wrote: 90 Points
smokey, mature fruit, very elegant aroma, good acidity and still have tannin
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5/26/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 90 Points
Changed three times over a period of 2 hours or so. At first, barnyard, earth, and garrigue dominated the nose and palate. After about 1/2 hour, the fruit was explosive of red plum and wild berries while secondary characteristics subsided. An hour later, it all came together. Cracked black pepper showed through alongside cinnamon, ash, and dust. Great drinking experience.
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5/18/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 90 Points
Rhone dinner with Paul Jaouen (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): (My bottle.) Peppery nose. Nice fruit with a long finish.
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5/18/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
blackberry, medium body, good finish
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5/18/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 91 Points
Caramel and blackberries. Elegant mid palate. Nice long finish.
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5/12/2007 - bknysak wrote: 88 Points
Abundant garrigue and funk are reminiscent of a traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape; good amount of olive tapenade and brambly fruit also. Almost imperceptible tannin, has a cut on the palate. Seemed to put on a little weight with air, but not significant. Good, but not amazing.
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3/3/2007 - wahoff wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with friends at home (Brussels, Belgium): Dark color. Scents of garrigue. Serious stuff - tannins are now well integrated. Good balance and length, lacks a bit more complexity to warrant an exciting score. Went very well with sage and ginger duck.
Robe sombre. Arômes de garrigue. Un 'solide gaillard' - les tannins sont bien intégrés. Bel équilibre et longueur, manque un peu de complexité ce qui lui aurait valu un score 'excitant'. Très bon accord avec le canard à la sauge et au gingembre.
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1/15/2007 - Bruno wrote: 84 Points
Green olive dominated the nose and front. Nice fruit on the mid. Smokey herbal finish. Perhpas this bottle was off, but it was just way to vegital to me.
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12/25/2006 - jim dixon wrote: 89 Points
Nice, but was hoping for more. Roasted / smokey flavors, substantial fruit, changes in the glass, but a short finish and a general lack of depth. Doesn't help that I overpaid for this bottle.
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11/13/2006 - Veloman wrote:
Opened for syrah tasting. Pretty closed intitially, but opened up with time and showed classic peppery, roasted, herbal notes over red fruit with some still-noticeable tannins. Lacking a little heft in the mid-palate but overall quite tasty.
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5/29/2006 - Mike Bates wrote: 91 Points
Very nice clean well balance wine. Dark ruby color. Blackberry, red cherry, violet with spices (mostly pepper) and light oak. Some minerals come through too. Very nice balance between the tannins and acidity. Moderate finish.
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5/10/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
IWFS at Cafe DuPont (Birmingham AL): Excellent wine, full fruity mouth feel with coffee, sandlewood, leather and tobacco. Tannins prominent in midpalate...this has a while to go. It has great palate...notes say it "came alive in the glass"
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2/11/2005 - RossM wrote: 89 Points
Med red clared in color with little color change at the edge. Aromatics of black pepper, anise and roasted meats (beef blood hints). This wine has aged nicely and seems to have hit its stride. Nice balance, but perhaps a bit low on acid. Wonderful length. Flavors continued to emerge as I drank my last sip.
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1/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 90 Points
Full deep red. Medium aroma of birar and banana. Tight red fruit. Tannic and a little bitter. Weaker mid-palate. 1/05
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