http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=Notes&iUserOverride=194 These are my recent CellarTracker tasting notes. © 2003-10 CellarTracker! LLC. All rights reserved. "CellarTracker!" is a trademark of CellarTracker! LLC. No part of this website may be used, reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of CellarTracker! LLC. eric@cellartracker.com http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=318950&iNote=1367005 1367005 Tasted by MarkC. First time I've had a Charbono that worked for me. And surprising, given the context of this vintage, and the professional scores. I thought this was nice--plenty of acid, bright red and blue fruits, a bit of graham cracker on the mid-palate and finish. Not a hugely complex wine, nor one that is likely to age forever, but it was really enjoyable now, and, nearly 3 years after my last bottle, seems to have made positive progress in the bottle. Almost sorry that it was my last bottle. (PE: 90) (89 pts.) - Tasted 2/8/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=457166&iNote=1364124 1364124 Tasted by MarkC. Started off not too different from my last experience, but after some time in the glass and warming up a bit I'd say this has improved slightly. There's a zingy, citrus element that seems at odds with the rest of the wine--almost as if somebody put some Sauvignon Blanc in with the Chard. When that element receded, this was very nice, although still not up to the level of the other wines. (90 pts.) - Tasted 2/7/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=528348&iNote=1356545 1356545 Tasted by MarkC. Fairly elegant Zinfandel, especially from Turley. One of my best experiences with either the '05 or '06 vintage. Light on the nose, with some strawberry and kirsch, the palate is lively and crisp, with strawberry/rhubarb pie and a bit of plum. Shows some heat and the finish isn't super-long, but pretty decent effort. (PE: 89) (89 pts.) - Tasted 2/1/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=7845&iNote=1354874 1354874 Tasted by MarkC. Initially this could have been mistaken for an Old World wine (I know--I was surprised, too). It was very earthy, some barnyard, no overt fruit, but definitely Pinot Noir. After some time it started to knit together into an interesting blend of OW/New World. After a couple hours it showed heat more than fruit and kind of fell off, but it was quite tasty while it lasted. (PE: 91) (91 pts.) - Tasted 1/31/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=120344&iNote=1344348 1344348 Tasted by MarkC. My first bottle of this, and I was duly impressed. Red cherry, notes of cola, some hard spice on the nose. The wine opened up over the course of an hour or so and started to really sing. Silky in the mouth, with warm, rounded fruit and great balance. Impressed even the Francophiles at the table. (PE: 95) (95 pts.) - Tasted 1/20/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19753&iNote=1344343 1344343 Tasted by MarkC. Interesting experience with this "old" California Pinot. The nose reminded me of a much younger wine--rich, lush, with velvety fruit. The palate was a bit more subdued, and initially showed some alcohol. However, after some time it showed earthiness, forest floor, some hidden red fruits, and was fairly balanced. Would be curious to see how this shows in 10 more years. (PE: 90) (90 pts.) - Tasted 1/23/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=457165&iNote=1344339 1344339 Tasted by MarkC. I think this was one of the best showings of the '06 wines for me. Maybe they just needed some more time to come together. Nice lemon grass, orange, green tea notes. Acidity is noticeable, and well-balanced by the fruit. Had a hard time not chugging this one down. (PE: 95) (93 pts.) - Tasted 1/23/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=443791&iNote=1343548 1343548 Tasted by MarkC. No formal note, but this was really tasty. It needed a couple hours to open up, and the last glass was definitely the best. Both Carolynn and I had a hard time savoring this, as it just went down too easily. Compared to the Pax we opened first, this had a lot more focus, complexity, and better balance on the palate. (PE: 98) - Tasted 1/22/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=206573&iNote=1342620 1342620 Tasted by MarkC. Great nose of dusty, dark fruit and bacon fat. The palate is somewhat subdued, however, and a bit rustic and disjointed. Maybe it just needs some time, but this was only okay for me. (PE: 87) (90 pts.) - Tasted 1/22/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=536515&iNote=1342544 1342544 Tasted by MarkC. Starting to show nicely, although I'd guess another year or two will really help still. The nose shows hints of bacon, camphor, and black and blue fruits. Quite dark, rich, blackberry fruit on the palate, with noticeable tannins. Viscous and mouth-coating, the finish goes on fairly long. Excellent stuff. (92 pts.) - Tasted 1/19/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=432248&iNote=1333173 1333173 Tasted by MarkC. Needs some time, but quite tasty anyway. Rich, lush, expansive Cabernet fruit, plenty of tannins and acid to balance. Reminds me of TRB wines, but with a bit of Howell Mtn austerity and structure thrown in. Hold off a couple years, and I bet this will be smokin'. (PE: 94) (92 pts.) - Tasted 1/15/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=528138&iNote=1331062 1331062 Tasted by MarkC. Dynamite nose--meat, expansive red fruit, hints of savory spice, some dusty coffee bean notes. The palate is a bit less giving at this time, and there's a tart element that I don't remember from the previous 3 vintages. After an hour the palate softened a bit, and became more integrated, with the fruit balancing out the acidity. Still tannic, this will probably be better in 1-2 years. (PE: 92) (91 pts.) - Tasted 1/13/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=7689&iNote=1321106 1321106 Tasted by MarkC. It has been nearly 5 years since my last bottle of this. Initially it's a bit tight and not giving up a lot on either the nose or the palate. After an hour or more, however, this really opened up. As a confessed Cali-phile, I usually don't have big expectations for French wines, and I view them in the context of California wines. This is pretty smokin'. Deep blue and black fruits (cherry and blackberry), streaks of tobacco and a bit of zing from acid (almost a citrus component, but not at odds with the fact this is a red wine). Quite tannic still, but otherwise good balance. (PE: 92) (94 pts.) - Tasted 1/6/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=424194&iNote=1316076 1316076 Tasted by MarkC. Third bottle of wine opened tonight (first was corked, second just wasn't tasty). Finally, something decent. Definitely could use some more time, but at least it's a very solid bottle without flaws and is varietally correct. Blue and black fruits on the nose, along with a hint of bacon fat. Noticeable tannins, but lots of fruit and good acidity to balance things out. The Mourvedre (14%) seems to be giving it a very earthy element. Didn't notice the alcohol--was surprised to read that it is 15.7%. (PE: 91) (91 pts.) - Tasted 1/3/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=374166&iNote=1316071 1316071 Tasted by MarkC. Insipid at best. Not sure where Tanzer's score came from, and I think Bob's must've been hopeful vs. what was in the bottle, at least this particualr bottle. Poured out and moved on. (PE: 80) (80 pts.) - Tasted 1/3/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=28845&iNote=1315954 1315954 Tasted by MarkC. Corked! (flawed bottle) - Tasted 1/3/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=557926&iNote=1312438 1312438 Tasted by MarkC. Took some time, but is starting to open up (after 90 minutes). Deep blue/black fruits, with black pepper and the slightest hint of clove. This is still pretty primary and one-dimensional (as one-dimensional as a SQN can be), and I imagine that it will benefit hugely from time. That said, it is very tasty now--the tannins are soft, the fruit is rich, and there's good balance overall. Interestingly, this has less alcohol than the Hoodoo Man we're also drinking--I always think of whites as the low-alcohol wines. (PE: 94) (93 pts.) - Tasted 1/1/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=443790&iNote=1312372 1312372 Tasted by MarkC. Is much better at room temp (i.e., around 70). Interesting to me how much it shuts down at a cooler temp. Another excellent bottle, although this one seems to be missing a bit of the verve of the previous ones. Honeysuckle, lemon oil, a bit of tangerine, with a waxy, mouthcoating texture. (PE: 93) (94 pts.) - Tasted 1/1/2010. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=631206&iNote=1305238 1305238 Tasted by MarkC. Another smokin' good Carlisle. Probably would be better in a couple years, but it's so good, so full of ripe fruit now that it's hard to keep my hands off. Dark fruits, some black cherry, ink, good balance, and a decent finish. (PE: 95) (91 pts.) - Tasted 12/28/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=22381&iNote=1301368 1301368 Tasted by MarkC. First one of these in over 5 years--wow, smokin' good wine. Definitely has a ton of stuffing and can go the distance. Had hints of a Barossa Valley Shiraz (i.e., rich cherry flavors) but didn't taste like cough syrup, so it was enjoyable. Didn't notice the alcohol, but there were plenty of tannins, and I'd guess this will be much better in 5 more years. (PE: 95) (95 pts.) - Tasted 12/26/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470703&iNote=1301361 1301361 Tasted by MarkC. Good--very solid Zinfandel. A bit of spicy black pepper, red fruits, decent balance, some barrique, and a decent finish. Somewhat atypical for Turley, and I would have had a hard time picking this out of a blind lineup. (PE: 90) (90 pts.) - Tasted 12/26/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=639217&iNote=1300988 1300988 Tasted by MarkC. Initial sip is a HUGE improvement over previous bottle--must've been off (or maybe I was off). Rich, lush lemony, oily fruits, crisp white fruits, plenty of zing from the acid, super-long finish (60 seconds), and no heat. Not sure what else one could ask for... (PE: 98) (96 pts.) - Tasted 12/26/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224496&iNote=1298775 1298775 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--smoking good tonight. Gave it some airtime with the cork out, but did not decant. After a couple hours poured a glass and it was good from the start. Rich, velvety Pinot nose, with a palate that backs it up and shows sweet plum and currant and a hint of soy. Long finish, good balance--again, not a wine that a Burgundy fan would likely appreciate, but a great wine for a California Pinot Noir. (PE: 95) (95 pts.) - Tasted 12/25/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=275708&iNote=1298765 1298765 Tasted by MarkC. Funky nose, incredibly hot, but with a hint of Bordeaux behind the searing heat. The nose is worth about 70 points. Thankfully the palate is better, although still not close to the pro scores. Big and disjointed, with gobs of fruit, but also a salty, alcoholic element that competes with the fruit in a bad way. I think I can see potential in this, but it will take YEARS to come around if it ever does. (PE: 89) (87 pts.) - Tasted 12/25/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=644618&iNote=1290010 1290010 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--impressive wine. Short of perfect, certainly, but this is what Cabernet, at least in California, is supposed to be about. Intense, rich, stacked with plenty of fruit and structure, this is balanced, approachable, but also has enough stuffing that it will last quite a while. I don't think a wine like this needs a track record to be recognized for what it is--phenomenal wine. I would imagine the '05 is even better, but I hope to keep my paws off those for a while. Only got better with air, but was even tasty right out of the bottle. Bravo! (PE: 97) (95 pts.) - Tasted 12/19/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=681368&iNote=1281622 1281622 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--popped and poured and this was still awesome. Had with BBQ chicken, and it actually worked pretty well, because it's rich and ripe, but isn't ponderous or heavy by any stretch. Had some SQN-esque character to it. Will be interesting to see this in a year or two, but it's very nice right now. (PE: 95) (93 pts.) - Tasted 12/12/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=663422&iNote=1281041 1281041 Tasted by MarkC. Jury's out on this one for me. Seemed a bit disjointed, with fruit and acid and oak coming in from all over the place--I could never really get a solid sense of what this wine is about. Seems like it has the right components if it knits together. (PE: 80) - Tasted 12/12/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=733864&iNote=1280195 1280195 Tasted by MarkC. Looking for a crowd-pleasing, pizza wine and just brought this home from offsite storage today. Popped and poured, this is rich, lush fruit without a huge backbone. Having a hard time finding the Syrah in it, despite being nearly 70% that variety. Enjoyable as a quaffer, but probably won't be much in 5 years. (PE: 93) (88 pts.) - Tasted 12/11/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=374076&iNote=1279223 1279223 Tasted by MarkC. Eucalyptus, coffee bean, hints of chocolate on the nose. The palate really opened up after a few hours of air. While still quite tannic, this shows nice dark fruits, warm, toasty flavors, and good balance. I imagine that it will be better in 24 hours, and definitely better in 2-5 years, but for something opened way too early it was pretty darned good. (PE: 95) (93 pts.) - Tasted 12/10/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=182542&iNote=1277198 1277198 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--what a great bottle. Fantastic fruit combined with smoky, earthiness and some licorice. The fruit is in a great phase, where it's got center stage, but it's not in-your-face. Awesome mouthfeel, with velvety tannins. There's a streak of green that will probably disappear in the next year or two and this wine will be even better. (PE: 94) (92 pts.) - Tasted 12/8/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=631242&iNote=1276318 1276318 Tasted by MarkC. Solid Zinfandel, especially given the vintage. Plenty of Zin character, with brambly fruit, dark color, big nose. A bit one-dimensional, and missing some fruit that would be there in riper vintages. (PE: 89) (89 pts.) - Tasted 12/7/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=605644&iNote=1272156 1272156 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--pretty awesome. This has the potential to equal the Hoodoo Man and/or the Rien Ne Va Plus as my favorite SQN white. Definitely works best in the 57-60 degree range right now. Spicy, waxy, plenty of stone fruits, nice acidity (although would be better with slightly more). Will be interesting to taste this one in a year or two. (PE: 95) (92 pts.) - Tasted 12/4/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=444092&iNote=1272154 1272154 Tasted by MarkC. Solid, but not amazing. The last one I had, a year+ ago, was substantially better. This bottle actually tasted a bit too oaky. Definitely Syrah, so no problems with being "correct", but it just lacked the zing and sumptuousness of the previous bottle. (89 pts.) - Tasted 12/4/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=25929&iNote=1261995 1261995 Tasted by MarkC. Drank from magnum. Needs a lot of air. Initially was pretty tight and almost backward. After several hours, this started to show some sweet red fruit, berry compote, strawberry preserves, with a good backbone and nice balance. I think this will age, but not sure how gracefully. Sadly, this was my only bottle so won't have any idea how it drinks in 5-10 years. (PE: 89) (89 pts.) - Tasted 11/26/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=175393&iNote=1260577 1260577 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--what a difference a couple years make. This was incredible--rich, juicy, brambly red berries, ripe plum, great backbone, mellow tannins, and a plenty long finish. When I looked at the previous two bottles I confess I didn't have high expectations, and was pleasantly surprised, but I may have still underrated the wine on this particular occasion. Went particularly well with some Noord Hollander cheese. One of the best G&Ls I've ever had. (PE: 96) (93 pts.) - Tasted 11/25/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224364&iNote=1259358 1259358 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--spectacular wine for my palate. Smelled like Pinot, and even had some funk on the nose (in a good way). Tasted like Pinot, with plenty of red fruit nice acid, a bit of cola and hard spice. Incredibly rich, ripe, and juicy, but with the acidity and tannin to give it balance. Probably won't be a 50-year ager, but I'd guess this will last 15-20 years, and will likely improve. Well done. (PE: 97) (93 pts.) - Tasted 11/24/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=34911&iNote=1258326 1258326 Tasted by MarkC. 1989 Huët Vouvray Cuvée Constance: A 20-year old wine that, I think, is way too young. Still incredible, however, with incredible honeyed fruits and a strong backbone of acidity that balanced nicely. I'd like to taste this one in 20 more years as I bet it will be amazing. - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=11481&iNote=1258324 1258324 Tasted by MarkC. 1990 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard: May have been one of the best wines, but I failed to take a formal note and this ended up getting drained before I could go back. I remember it tasted very young, and I did jot down that I would have believed if somebody told me it was ten years younger. Strawberry, plum, some cedar, and overall a nice package. Didn't get the total airtime of the Dalla Valles, however so final judgment is reserved. - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3804&iNote=1258322 1258322 Tasted by MarkC. 1990 Shafer Hillside Select: Mostly cedar on the nose, with hints of fruit and spice. Plum was the most noticeable flavor on the palate. Good balance, but ultimately a bit underwhelming. (Initially, this was much better, but seemed to drop off pretty quickly after 30 minutes of air.) - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=28146&iNote=1258320 1258320 Tasted by MarkC. 1991 Justin Isosceles Reserve: Plum and cherry with cedar on the nose. The palate shows the last vestiges of primary strawberry, with herbal fruit tea. This improved and put on weight with air, and was in the running for the WOTN for the first hour. - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14996&iNote=1258318 1258318 Tasted by MarkC. 1991 Dalla Valle: Initially couldn't get past a funky nose. It wasn't corked, but there was a definite chemical/soap element that made this not so great. The palate showed plenty of structure, with hints of chocolate and coffee and some spice on the finish. After three hours, however, this wine was in the running for WOTN. Probably ended up as my second-favorite wine. The chemical element was gone, and this was full of red fruits along with the aforementioned flavors. - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=8684&iNote=1258317 1258317 Tasted by MarkC. 1990 Dalla Valle: Subtle and reserved nose upon first pour, with some licorice and blackberry. Juicy blackberry on the palate, with still quite noticeable tannin. If the tannins resolve and the fruit remains, this would be unbelievable. Made all the better by the $16 price tag from Baron's! - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3387&iNote=1258316 1258316 Tasted by MarkC. 1991 Dominus: Similar to the '90 in many respects, but more rounded and there is an element of "sweetness" that didn't exist in the '90. Mostly red fruits, and I think Francophiles would really enjoy this wine as long as they like fruit, too :-) - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1422&iNote=1258315 1258315 Tasted by MarkC. Barnyard and a bit of sulfur on the nose. Palate is very BDX-like. Astringent/drying tannins on the finish. Flavors included tea leaves, dried, dusty raspberry and tobacco. - Tasted 11/21/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=695548&iNote=1256843 1256843 Tasted by MarkC. Wow--smoking good wine, but waaaaay too young. Nice Cabernet character, but with that TRB component that makes all his wines stand out. Quite tannic, even with several hours of air, this has the stuffing to last a while. Mainly full of fruit right now, it will be interesting to see this wine in 10+ years. Left open for a week, this never showed any oxidation until the end of the week. (PE: 91) (93 pts.) - Tasted 11/14/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=227952&iNote=1256837 1256837 Tasted by MarkC. Showing much better than 18 months ago in terms of being a bit more open, this now has a streak of cherry cough syrup that I can't get past. Which is a shame, because it has great meaty, bacon-y Syrah, with some spice, blue and black fruits, and plenty of oomph. I'm hoping that with another 18+ months this will integrate and balance a bit more, but more than likely this will always be a beast that never really works for me. (PE: 87) - Tasted 11/20/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=631235&iNote=1248607 1248607 Tasted by MarkC. I can see where this wine is going, but the oak doesn't seem integrated right now. Plenty of Syrah character, but also shows a weedy, vegetal element that was off-putting to all of us tonight. I'd say give it at least a year, maybe two, and let the oak integrate. (PE: 87) - Tasted 11/15/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=527360&iNote=1248599 1248599 Tasted by MarkC. Wow. Not sure there's much more to say. Had against an '01 Rieussec, and the SQN was by far the winner. In 20 years it may be a different story, but today the Noble Man was hands down the best wine. Mango, apricot, honey, all delectable, plenty of acid and loads of yum. (PE: 98) (98 pts.) - Tasted 11/15/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=443790&iNote=1238153 1238153 Tasted by MarkC. Still needs some air. At first, popped and poured, this was outstanding (95 points) but with air it really came on. Lemon oil and hazelnut predominate on the nose. The finish is simply rich, viscous, white and yellow citrus fruits with nutty elements and a bit of the tropics thrown in for good measure. I notice a bit of nutmeg or allspice as well. Continues to be one of my all-time favorite white wines. (PE: 97) (97 pts.) - Tasted 11/7/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]> http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=693991&iNote=1238151 1238151 Tasted by MarkC. Wow. Even with "travel shock" potentially in the mix, this was pretty awesome. A nice return to 2004 levels of enjoyment. Huge amounts of clove and hard spice on the nose, along with dark fruits. The palate showed berry compote, strawberry, a nice backbone, and a long finish. Excellent! (PE: 97) (95 pts.) - Tasted 11/7/2009. $ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $]]>