Delicious, but not a completely typical white Hermitage from my experience. Less unctuous and ripe, more oak. The oak caught up in the finish and pulled away a couple of points for a hint of bitterness.
I definitely feel honored to have tried this. The delicious factor here is average, but it makes up for that in pure complexity. There's so much going on here, but at the same time, nothing stands out and demands to be noticed. An average mouthfeel - still quite structured, and probably best with food. Drinking well now, but there's a lot of fruit left, so I think this could easily sail on for another 5-10 years at least.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
From a 375. A very interesting style - some definite New Zealand grapefruit on the nose and palate, but with the California weight and a bit of Burgundian poo. A very interesting balance that gives this a good complexity. Unfortunately, there's too much oak that hasn't had time to integrate, so there's a bit of a bitter smoky flavor going on.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 4 hours. This was an extraordinary Shiraz. To start off, it's only 13.5% alcohol, and it tastes that way. There's a decent amount of structure here, but it's also still very fruit-forward and accessible. I can't get over the sheer elegance - it's got a sort of quiet confidence. A little of the blueberry thing going on, with almost no Rhone meatiness. Definitely has some life left in it, but why wait? It's drinking very well with a little air. $70
2004 Tardieu-Laurent Hermitage Blanc 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Delicious, but not a completely typical white Hermitage from my experience. Less unctuous and ripe, more oak. The oak caught up in the finish and pulled away a couple of points for a hint of bitterness.
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1989 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
I definitely feel honored to have tried this. The delicious factor here is average, but it makes up for that in pure complexity. There's so much going on here, but at the same time, nothing stands out and demands to be noticed. An average mouthfeel - still quite structured, and probably best with food. Drinking well now, but there's a lot of fruit left, so I think this could easily sail on for another 5-10 years at least.
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2006 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
From a 375. A very interesting style - some definite New Zealand grapefruit on the nose and palate, but with the California weight and a bit of Burgundian poo. A very interesting balance that gives this a good complexity. Unfortunately, there's too much oak that hasn't had time to integrate, so there's a bit of a bitter smoky flavor going on.
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2001 Yalumba Shiraz The Octavius 95 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 4 hours. This was an extraordinary Shiraz. To start off, it's only 13.5% alcohol, and it tastes that way. There's a decent amount of structure here, but it's also still very fruit-forward and accessible. I can't get over the sheer elegance - it's got a sort of quiet confidence. A little of the blueberry thing going on, with almost no Rhone meatiness. Definitely has some life left in it, but why wait? It's drinking very well with a little air. $70
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2005 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
Sadly, this was a little corky. It was still quite enjoyable, but it wasn't showing as well as it should have.
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