I don't know the disgorgement or age here. Very Pinot-centric with so much berry, so little white fruit. I can appreciate the richness without quite the depth I prefer from more balanced Champagne, this is a well made wine in that acerbic, extremely Ultra Brut style.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Served double blind. Clearly white Burgundy, I thought this Grand Cru with a rich, buttery character showing good weight, but better length. Good now, with upside 2022-2031.
Served double blind in what what thought to be a white Burgundy flight, but I couldn't quite understand this wine in that context. Fleshy orchard fruit throughout with ripe character and good density, good enough length. Much easier to understand as a very tasty non-Burgundy!
Served double blind, although the yellow wax capsule and serious reduction made it obvious this was Raveneau. Lemon and lime came through clearly post reduction, with real pop and energy. Some bitter pith elements on finish add some roughness, but also complexity. Good now, with upside. While most others preferred the Ceritas in the next glass, this was the clear class of the flight.
Served double blind to the tasting group.So rich with peach and ripe apple and faint hints of caramelization. Perhaps a bit of new oak never fully resolved, but there is such a great core of rich fruit that is nearly balanced. Almost meaty for Chardonnay, very dense with good+ length. I thought ti might seem slightly "old world," but few were fooled, but this seemed very young for its age (cork was barely soaked through at all). Most tasters enjoyed this quite a bit.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Plenty of all red fruit with spice and earth in very good harmony. Good density, but simultaneously showing charming weightless textures I really enjoyed. Great nose, good+ flavors. Another 2010 Hudelot-Noellat with its cork fully soaked through, so also a wine to enjoy on the younger side for Grand Cru from a great vintage.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Obviously Grand Cru Burgundy. Lots of mature red fruit with nearly as much earth, all very graceful, meaty and charming. I thought this Gevrey Grand Cru due to its meatiness. Very good now.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Dense and meaty with more black than red fruit. Seemed like it was from a riper vintage than 1998 and I thought it also older (at first 1989), but with enough concentration and power to remain very interesting. Best I can ever recall for this wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Bright red fruit, seemed considerably older than 2009 and not quite Grand Cru density. Good+ nose shows much more complexity than the palate. 89 points tonight, but nowhere near the level of previous bottles, including one from just two years ago.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted double blind. Clearly from the New World with a bright enough start, but mostly hollow in the middle. I don't understand the interest and 90+ point scores for this wine. A perfectly acceptable wine for its ~$40 release price, but not the aftermarket prices. Identical to another couple of bottles tasted earlier this summer.
Tasted double blind, easily identified as California Cabernet. Ultra modern, fleshy and hot. Well made, but not even close to a wine I enjoy, particularly at its price.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Black fruit, still slightly rugged, perhaps still needing more cellar time and/or air. Good weight, better length. Upside from here.
Served single blind alongside 1989 Montrose. Decanted 8 hours before tasting. Still, oddly jammy black and red cherry that seemed almost primary and unevolved. Faint hints of where this might go, but those hints are faint. Not nearly as exciting as previous bottles, so confusing tonight. Easy to identify which was which.
Served single blind with 1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss. Opened 3+ hours before serving. Slightly tired, but lots of big black fruits, leather and earth with a complex array of flavors unfolding on long-ish finish. I was very happy this bottle was good because the last two times tasted in the past 5 years were flawed.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Served double blind alongside the 2006. Clearly Burg in a classic, leaner vintage with good weight, gracefully maturing black fruit and very good balance. Best I can ever recall for this wine, which has slowly been getting better with more cellar time.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Serve double blind alongside the 1998. Rich black fruit with roasted meat, then more finessed on long finish. So much here. Better now than the 1998, and much better upside as well.
Served double blind to tonight's tasting group. Lots of black with a complex array of both sweet and savory spice. Good weight with dancing textures, helping toward a bright, long finish. So good now, but probably still upside from here.
Served double blind. Red cherry with floral notes and plenty of earth. Slightly dirty, possibly bretty? Probably also getting tired. Good enough weight, but I didn't expect Giacosa. Not nearly as interesting as when last tasted in 2011. Probably 87-88 points tonight.
Late night, brief note. Bright and minerally, but lacking flesh and depth. Good, but more "extra Brut" than I prefer and more interesting than really tasty.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Late night bottle popped-and-poured and served double blind. Lots of black fruit, very meaty, seemed very Gevrey to me. Good+ weigh and length with an expanding finish. Will reward more time/air.
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires Flawed
France, Champagne
Seemed slightly corked at first, but other were less certain. Re-tasted 10 minutes, and this was clearly corked.
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NV Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut 89 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
I don't know the disgorgement or age here. Very Pinot-centric with so much berry, so little white fruit. I can appreciate the richness without quite the depth I prefer from more balanced Champagne, this is a well made wine in that acerbic, extremely Ultra Brut style.
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2016 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Served double blind. Clearly white Burgundy, I thought this Grand Cru with a rich, buttery character showing good weight, but better length. Good now, with upside 2022-2031.
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2012 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Served double blind in what what thought to be a white Burgundy flight, but I couldn't quite understand this wine in that context. Fleshy orchard fruit throughout with ripe character and good density, good enough length. Much easier to understand as a very tasty non-Burgundy!
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2011 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Served double blind, although the yellow wax capsule and serious reduction made it obvious this was Raveneau. Lemon and lime came through clearly post reduction, with real pop and energy. Some bitter pith elements on finish add some roughness, but also complexity. Good now, with upside. While most others preferred the Ceritas in the next glass, this was the clear class of the flight.
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2006 Domaine Bruno Clair Corton-Charlemagne Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Badly oxidized.
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2000 Marcassin Chardonnay Alexander Mountain Upper Barn Alexander Valley 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Served double blind to the tasting group.So rich with peach and ripe apple and faint hints of caramelization. Perhaps a bit of new oak never fully resolved, but there is such a great core of rich fruit that is nearly balanced. Almost meaty for Chardonnay, very dense with good+ length. I thought ti might seem slightly "old world," but few were fooled, but this seemed very young for its age (cork was barely soaked through at all). Most tasters enjoyed this quite a bit.
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2010 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Clos Vougeot 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Plenty of all red fruit with spice and earth in very good harmony. Good density, but simultaneously showing charming weightless textures I really enjoyed. Great nose, good+ flavors. Another 2010 Hudelot-Noellat with its cork fully soaked through, so also a wine to enjoy on the younger side for Grand Cru from a great vintage.
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1985 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Obviously Grand Cru Burgundy. Lots of mature red fruit with nearly as much earth, all very graceful, meaty and charming. I thought this Gevrey Grand Cru due to its meatiness. Very good now.
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1998 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Dense and meaty with more black than red fruit. Seemed like it was from a riper vintage than 1998 and I thought it also older (at first 1989), but with enough concentration and power to remain very interesting. Best I can ever recall for this wine.
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2008 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Bright red fruit, seemed considerably older than 2009 and not quite Grand Cru density. Good+ nose shows much more complexity than the palate. 89 points tonight, but nowhere near the level of previous bottles, including one from just two years ago.
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2016 Pax Syrah Sonoma Hillsides 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted double blind. Clearly from the New World with a bright enough start, but mostly hollow in the middle. I don't understand the interest and 90+ point scores for this wine. A perfectly acceptable wine for its ~$40 release price, but not the aftermarket prices. Identical to another couple of bottles tasted earlier this summer.
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2012 Greer Cabernet Sauvignon Greer Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Tasted double blind, easily identified as California Cabernet. Ultra modern, fleshy and hot. Well made, but not even close to a wine I enjoy, particularly at its price.
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2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Black fruit, still slightly rugged, perhaps still needing more cellar time and/or air. Good weight, better length. Upside from here.
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1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Served single blind alongside 1989 Montrose. Decanted 8 hours before tasting. Still, oddly jammy black and red cherry that seemed almost primary and unevolved. Faint hints of where this might go, but those hints are faint. Not nearly as exciting as previous bottles, so confusing tonight. Easy to identify which was which.
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1989 Château Montrose 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Served single blind with 1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss. Opened 3+ hours before serving. Slightly tired, but lots of big black fruits, leather and earth with a complex array of flavors unfolding on long-ish finish. I was very happy this bottle was good because the last two times tasted in the past 5 years were flawed.
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1998 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Served double blind alongside the 2006. Clearly Burg in a classic, leaner vintage with good weight, gracefully maturing black fruit and very good balance. Best I can ever recall for this wine, which has slowly been getting better with more cellar time.
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2006 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Serve double blind alongside the 1998. Rich black fruit with roasted meat, then more finessed on long finish. So much here. Better now than the 1998, and much better upside as well.
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NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1985, 1990, 1991 (2003 Release) 94 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Served double blind to tonight's tasting group. Lots of black with a complex array of both sweet and savory spice. Good weight with dancing textures, helping toward a bright, long finish. So good now, but probably still upside from here.
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1993 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Served double blind. Red cherry with floral notes and plenty of earth. Slightly dirty, possibly bretty? Probably also getting tired. Good enough weight, but I didn't expect Giacosa. Not nearly as interesting as when last tasted in 2011. Probably 87-88 points tonight.
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NV Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Complantée Extra Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Late night, brief note. Bright and minerally, but lacking flesh and depth. Good, but more "extra Brut" than I prefer and more interesting than really tasty.
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1999 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Late night bottle popped-and-poured and served double blind. Lots of black fruit, very meaty, seemed very Gevrey to me. Good+ weigh and length with an expanding finish. Will reward more time/air.
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