I double-decanted in afternoon, some green tobacco leaf aromas immediately convinced me this would not be a wine to convince a Loire-red-hater (and indeed I think our waiter didn’t care for). Raspberry and cassis, earth, a greenness that I found pleasant in a raw tobacco/ herbal way, but one person found asparagusy. B+/A-
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Tasted at end of tasting 30 years of Breton Perrieres. Very interesting to try within the evolution of their wines as this was their first vintage and they were still applying sulfur. The wine was pretty tired and underwhelming, alas.
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From memory. Medium garnet with orangy rim. The nose opens up kind of challenging, mostly dirt and animal, but by drinking time 3 hours later this is a nice mature CF, more leather and smoke than fruit, but a balanced and worthy accompaniment to our rack of lamb. The last glass was the fruitiest, another suggestion that more air may be better than less.
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We did the Garagiste partial vertical along with the '93, '96, and '99. I was fortunate to be able to ask Catherine Breton for specific drinking instructions for this '85. She said pop and pour, taste every 5 minutes, and when it hits it sweet-spot drink fast. She thought it would dissolve after about half an hour. Well, I'm happy to report that this was the most consistent, and quintessential cab franc of the group, and it held its course over several hours. A wonderful wine.
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Same profile as the 93 with added resolution of tannins and a small step up in complexity. Warren's WOTN. I wasn't quite as gushing, a little too herbaceous for me. I appreciate the opportunity to sample it though.
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This bottle has the least apparent fruit of any of the good ones I've had. There's the barest hint of red fruit and cassis in the background, but this is all about mature developed flavours - tobacco leaf, gravel, forest floor, complex, so fragrant and really lovely to drink. The tannin's fully integrated and there's a bright acid spine that keeps it very fresh and vibrant. Lovely wine.
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TTTG Blind (very brief notes): Recipe for duplicating this wine at home: Place a handful of tart cherries, two packets of fresh herb mix, and one medium-sized fir tree in blender. Blend until smooth.
Showing some bright red fruit and herbaceous notes beneath a ridiculous amount of green. Medium acid, sufficient tannin to let the fir tree grow another few feet. A nice finish of tart cherry. Certainly not a crowd-pleasing wine, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Strangely, I don't completely disagree with Keith's review "Smelled like a wood chipper ..." though we tasted very different chippers as this one was quite nice.
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Gave it a couple of hours of air, but unfortunately this bottle was past its best. Firm acid, nice texture and resolved tannins, but the remaining spectrum of aromas and flavors was quite limited. Still enjoyable as wine, but not as Bourgueil or Perrieres.
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Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage): Thanks to Tim for opening this up. Cork was soaked through and the wine had a dense sawdust tone to it. It was put into a decanter, but the nose never shed that dusty, woody tone. The palate, on the other hand, was actually quite nice! Beautiful red fruit mingled with tobacco, herbs and mushroom. Strange nose, great palate.
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Old fashioned, spicy, slightly vegetal, but yet still some fruit. Really great acids and quite funky nose. It is very unique, very enjoyable, in fact a fantastically individual wine, so rare in today's world of Parkerized serial clones. A great treat, and in no way betraying its age, will last at least another 15 years. Thank god I have two more bottles!
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Three Dinners: Beautiful nose with great aromas of smoke and tobacco complimenting the fruit. Silky smooth on the palate and bursting with flavor. Full resolved tannin. Great length. Surprisingly good and a real joy to taste.
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A wine geek's wine, enjoyable for its mature, forest, earthy, slightly musty, and wet leaves aromas. Still a nice medium to light ruby, it's my favorite so far of the older Breton Perrieres I've had. Still some modest fruit, but with plenty of tartness; paired well enough with a roast chicken
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This wine blew my mind. Absolutely outstanding. Strong cassis and plum on the front that seemed to linger forever. Hints of herbs remained even after 25 years. One of the best wines I have had in a long, long time. Can't wait to taste the others in my vertical (1989, 1993, 1996, 2003)
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This is tremendous. An incredibly pure expression of cassis and dark berried fruit that's still very fresh and youthful, seasoned with a vivid forestal greenness and earthiness. Very polished in the mouth with fine, mostly-resolved tannins and bright acids, conveying flavour with a lightness of touch and remarkable elegance. Fantastic wine.
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Smelled like a wood chipper which a serial killer had used to dispose of a body but accidentally left some body parts in there to decompose which the cops found at the end of a long hot summer. It tasted slightly better than it smelled.
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a lovely wine but a disappointment relative to my sky-high expectations. intensely fragrant and delicate nose (sandalwood, violets, earth), but on the palate the wine was a little flat. good acidity, but no real energy and excitement . . . . (89 pts?)
day 2: wine showing more flesh on the palate, very nicely balanced if slightly muddled. 90 pts. this was probably at peak 2-3 hours after decanting on day 1.
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Herbal to the point of distraction and certainly obscuring the terroir. Acids were high and the wine seems out of balance to a degree. Interesting perhaps but not really enjoyable. Nowhere near, e.g. Raffault '89 or '90. This has seen better days.
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Decanted about 3 hours. Heavy on the barnyard aromas, the nose is framed by lovely fruit that is still going strong. Strawberry and cherry are layered with baking spice and dusty tobacco notes. The acid still has quite a grip, with the strawberry and cherry fruit mixing nicely with the barnyard and tobacco. The finish is spicy and goes on a long time.
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This bottle seems to have held up quite well when compared to the 1993. It had almost no sediment and looked surprisingly youthful. After some mustiness blew off, nicely defined (but subdued) aromas emerged and to me were classic Breton - strawberries, stones, and green peppers. There wasn't much meat on its frame, which isn't to say it had much of a frame, but it still maintained a hydrating freshness that was impressive given its age. Charming old bottle.
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Started off thinking this was over the hill. But opened up to very soft tannins and a splash of fruit and easy to drink. The cork was in bad shape so would be interested in trying one on better condition.
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Beautiful stuff. Amazing aromatics that start out leafy and herbal with touches of green pepper, but expand and develop with air as red fruited, forestal and leathery/faintly bretty flavours emerge. Very polished and silken in the mouth with tannins perfectly integrated, bright acidity keeping it very fresh and elegant, and a lightness of touch I don't often find in many red wines. Thanks Jay!
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After 24 hours of air (day one was all about vegetables):
Having had and enjoyed many of the Bretons' recent releases, the '85 Perrieres was a must-try. Misguidedly expecting something akin to the elemental powerhouse of a recent vintage of Perrieres or Senechal, the '85 is quite composed and cerebral: the expected wild brambly fruit is extremely chiseled and is brought into focus by a background of moss, chalk, rock salt, and hard minerals. Somewhat meatier and more savory in the mouth. At 25 years old, this is no longer a wine about tannin, but the acidity is still very present and persistent, and it is this acid that imbues the entire wine with nice tension and wraps up the long, fairly autumnal finish. A treat to enjoy sooner rather than later.
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5/23/2017 - DaleW wrote:
I double-decanted in afternoon, some green tobacco leaf aromas immediately convinced me this would not be a wine to convince a Loire-red-hater (and indeed I think our waiter didn’t care for). Raspberry and cassis, earth, a greenness that I found pleasant in a raw tobacco/ herbal way, but one person found asparagusy. B+/A-
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2/26/2016 - LW31 wrote:
Tasted at end of tasting 30 years of Breton Perrieres. Very interesting to try within the evolution of their wines as this was their first vintage and they were still applying sulfur. The wine was pretty tired and underwhelming, alas.
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1/13/2015 - SteveG wrote: 92 Points
From memory. Medium garnet with orangy rim. The nose opens up kind of challenging, mostly dirt and animal, but by drinking time 3 hours later this is a nice mature CF, more leather and smoke than fruit, but a balanced and worthy accompaniment to our rack of lamb. The last glass was the fruitiest, another suggestion that more air may be better than less.
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1/9/2015 - rsbeck wrote: flawed
Flawed.
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4/9/2013 - kakpoo wrote:
We did the Garagiste partial vertical along with the '93, '96, and '99. I was fortunate to be able to ask Catherine Breton for specific drinking instructions for this '85. She said pop and pour, taste every 5 minutes, and when it hits it sweet-spot drink fast. She thought it would dissolve after about half an hour. Well, I'm happy to report that this was the most consistent, and quintessential cab franc of the group, and it held its course over several hours. A wonderful wine.
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3/17/2013 - Chaz Bham wrote:
Same profile as the 93 with added resolution of tannins and a small step up in complexity. Warren's WOTN. I wasn't quite as gushing, a little too herbaceous for me. I appreciate the opportunity to sample it though.
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3/16/2013 - WST Likes this wine: 93 Points
Grand Crew Bellingham raids my cellar; Huet, Rhys, Ceritas, Breton, Charvin, VT and others (Bellingham, WA): My (and many of the group's) WOTN. Dusty stones, raspberry, truffle. Nice purity, amazing wine. Why don't I buy this more often to bury in my cellar?
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2/22/2013 - salil wrote: 92 Points
This bottle has the least apparent fruit of any of the good ones I've had. There's the barest hint of red fruit and cassis in the background, but this is all about mature developed flavours - tobacco leaf, gravel, forest floor, complex, so fragrant and really lovely to drink. The tannin's fully integrated and there's a bright acid spine that keeps it very fresh and vibrant. Lovely wine.
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2/21/2013 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
TTTG Blind (very brief notes): Recipe for duplicating this wine at home: Place a handful of tart cherries, two packets of fresh herb mix, and one medium-sized fir tree in blender. Blend until smooth.
Showing some bright red fruit and herbaceous notes beneath a ridiculous amount of green. Medium acid, sufficient tannin to let the fir tree grow another few feet. A nice finish of tart cherry. Certainly not a crowd-pleasing wine, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Strangely, I don't completely disagree with Keith's review "Smelled like a wood chipper ..." though we tasted very different chippers as this one was quite nice.
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11/3/2012 - 5laton wrote:
Gave it a couple of hours of air, but unfortunately this bottle was past its best. Firm acid, nice texture and resolved tannins, but the remaining spectrum of aromas and flavors was quite limited. Still enjoyable as wine, but not as Bourgueil or Perrieres.
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8/31/2012 - tooch wrote:
Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage): Thanks to Tim for opening this up. Cork was soaked through and the wine had a dense sawdust tone to it. It was put into a decanter, but the nose never shed that dusty, woody tone. The palate, on the other hand, was actually quite nice! Beautiful red fruit mingled with tobacco, herbs and mushroom. Strange nose, great palate.
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1/26/2012 - jwcnd69 wrote: 88 Points
Bottle was not flawed but very little fruit. Really didn't open up over two hours.
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1/21/2012 - Flavito wrote: 95 Points
Old fashioned, spicy, slightly vegetal, but yet still some fruit. Really great acids and quite funky nose. It is very unique, very enjoyable, in fact a fantastically individual wine, so rare in today's world of Parkerized serial clones. A great treat, and in no way betraying its age, will last at least another 15 years. Thank god I have two more bottles!
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10/16/2011 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Three Dinners: Beautiful nose with great aromas of smoke and tobacco complimenting the fruit. Silky smooth on the palate and bursting with flavor. Full resolved tannin. Great length. Surprisingly good and a real joy to taste.
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9/13/2011 - MJHDC wrote:
A wine geek's wine, enjoyable for its mature, forest, earthy, slightly musty, and wet leaves aromas. Still a nice medium to light ruby, it's my favorite so far of the older Breton Perrieres I've had. Still some modest fruit, but with plenty of tartness; paired well enough with a roast chicken
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9/3/2011 - peterea wrote: 95 Points
This wine blew my mind. Absolutely outstanding. Strong cassis and plum on the front that seemed to linger forever. Hints of herbs remained even after 25 years. One of the best wines I have had in a long, long time. Can't wait to taste the others in my vertical (1989, 1993, 1996, 2003)
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8/15/2011 - salil wrote: 94 Points
This is tremendous. An incredibly pure expression of cassis and dark berried fruit that's still very fresh and youthful, seasoned with a vivid forestal greenness and earthiness. Very polished in the mouth with fine, mostly-resolved tannins and bright acids, conveying flavour with a lightness of touch and remarkable elegance. Fantastic wine.
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7/29/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: flawed
Smelled like a wood chipper which a serial killer had used to dispose of a body but accidentally left some body parts in there to decompose which the cops found at the end of a long hot summer. It tasted slightly better than it smelled.
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7/29/2011 - salil wrote: flawed
Yikes, what happened here? Really off, disjointed and awkward and nothing like the excellent bottle I'd enjoyed last fall.
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7/23/2011 - cse wrote: 90 Points
a lovely wine but a disappointment relative to my sky-high expectations. intensely fragrant and delicate nose (sandalwood, violets, earth), but on the palate the wine was a little flat. good acidity, but no real energy and excitement . . . . (89 pts?)
day 2: wine showing more flesh on the palate, very nicely balanced if slightly muddled. 90 pts. this was probably at peak 2-3 hours after decanting on day 1.
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4/12/2011 - MRichman wrote:
Loire offline (La Sirene, NYC): Bright acidic fruit with fading tannins and a long lemony finish.
B
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4/10/2011 - MikeKlein wrote:
Herbal to the point of distraction and certainly obscuring the terroir. Acids were high and the wine seems out of balance to a degree. Interesting perhaps but not really enjoyable. Nowhere near, e.g. Raffault '89 or '90. This has seen better days.
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3/19/2011 - mmurry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 3 hours. Heavy on the barnyard aromas, the nose is framed by lovely fruit that is still going strong. Strawberry and cherry are layered with baking spice and dusty tobacco notes. The acid still has quite a grip, with the strawberry and cherry fruit mixing nicely with the barnyard and tobacco. The finish is spicy and goes on a long time.
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2/14/2011 - rhit wrote:
This bottle seems to have held up quite well when compared to the 1993. It had almost no sediment and looked surprisingly youthful. After some mustiness blew off, nicely defined (but subdued) aromas emerged and to me were classic Breton - strawberries, stones, and green peppers. There wasn't much meat on its frame, which isn't to say it had much of a frame, but it still maintained a hydrating freshness that was impressive given its age. Charming old bottle.
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1/29/2011 - pdxwineguy wrote: 89 Points
Started off thinking this was over the hill. But opened up to very soft tannins and a splash of fruit and easy to drink. The cork was in bad shape so would be interested in trying one on better condition.
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10/15/2010 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful stuff. Amazing aromatics that start out leafy and herbal with touches of green pepper, but expand and develop with air as red fruited, forestal and leathery/faintly bretty flavours emerge. Very polished and silken in the mouth with tannins perfectly integrated, bright acidity keeping it very fresh and elegant, and a lightness of touch I don't often find in many red wines. Thanks Jay!
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9/27/2010 - raketmensch wrote:
After 24 hours of air (day one was all about vegetables):
Having had and enjoyed many of the Bretons' recent releases, the '85 Perrieres was a must-try. Misguidedly expecting something akin to the elemental powerhouse of a recent vintage of Perrieres or Senechal, the '85 is quite composed and cerebral: the expected wild brambly fruit is extremely chiseled and is brought into focus by a background of moss, chalk, rock salt, and hard minerals. Somewhat meatier and more savory in the mouth. At 25 years old, this is no longer a wine about tannin, but the acidity is still very present and persistent, and it is this acid that imbues the entire wine with nice tension and wraps up the long, fairly autumnal finish. A treat to enjoy sooner rather than later.
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