Nose of over-ripe white fruits veering into the annoying chemical zone. Thick, unctuous and sloppy on the palate. Firmed slighty with some limestone notes and a bit of spice, but never gained precision or pleasure. Disappointing.
Well, this is why vintages matter. A total contrast to the '03.
Lovely nose - extremely classy and balanced with hints of exotic fruits, hints of citrus flowers and hints of garrigue. Very precise on the palate with great acidity and body. A mineral core and light fruits all around it. Just beautiful and delicious.
Dark gold in colour. Apple cider nose. One sip revealed a total disconnect as the acidity and the sweetness were totally seperate with neither enjoyable. Resiny as well. Shot.
Not much nose, just a slight bit of old wine smell. Solid cab at slighty past maturity. Good soft fruit and stubborn tannins. Nice acids, a bit choppy. No special SCM character, but certainly a good and pleasing wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Yummy. Took a spell to blow off some porty and musty notes, then revealed lovely Roche-ness and a nice remnant of frais des bois fruit. Soy/nam pla element in the middle and a stony-moss streak. Long finish with several layers. Beautiful balance as well. Super enjoyable.
Nice clean nose with tart fruit and some potpourri-like hints. Good weight, bright acids. Very good on the palate with suprising depth. Anise-y notes on the finish and persisent fruits. Really delicious.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Opened a few hours ahead of drinking and left cork on. Decanted at service. Lesser nose with meaty notes. Oak not as perceptible. Started rather unbalanced and flaccid. Took about 1/2 hr to blossom and the about 2 hrs to become itself. Good body with dominant fruits. Mocha, a bit of vegetal. Nice finish with saline and a meatiness. Enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous.
Brown colour. Fig newton nose. Very bright and fresh acids and slight raisins. Still tannic. Reveals some tawny notes and a very pleasing finish. Not integrated or deep though which was a letdown.
Two days later reveals a much more integrated and sauve wine.
Despite being decanted in the AM, this was overwhelmingly primary - tannic <-> sweetness. Good fruit persistence and the likely stuffing for a longer haul.
Day 2 - from a couple oz in a glass - Very pretty. Lovely wintergreen notes, tannins receded to provide a grippy body which carries the sweetness. Lovely.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
(The last of a bottle opened a couple of months ago) Intense. Suprisingly bright acids with lifted deep sweetness. Molasses/rhum, coffee, orange citrus. Still too rich to appreciate more than a small snoot, but pretty incredible stuff.
2003 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Berg
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Nose of over-ripe white fruits veering into the annoying chemical zone. Thick, unctuous and sloppy on the palate. Firmed slighty with some limestone notes and a bit of spice, but never gained precision or pleasure. Disappointing.
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2003 Rene Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Still fracked. Decanted it - and it had a good head retention, if I was judging beer. Still Badoit-like, then flat soapy water like. Horrid.
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2004 Rene Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Well, this is why vintages matter. A total contrast to the '03.
Lovely nose - extremely classy and balanced with hints of exotic fruits, hints of citrus flowers and hints of garrigue. Very precise on the palate with great acidity and body. A mineral core and light fruits all around it. Just beautiful and delicious.
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1988 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Dark gold in colour. Apple cider nose. One sip revealed a total disconnect as the acidity and the sweetness were totally seperate with neither enjoyable. Resiny as well. Shot.
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1985 Bargetto Cabernet Sauvignon Bates Ranch
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Not much nose, just a slight bit of old wine smell. Solid cab at slighty past maturity. Good soft fruit and stubborn tannins. Nice acids, a bit choppy. No special SCM character, but certainly a good and pleasing wine.
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1985 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Yummy. Took a spell to blow off some porty and musty notes, then revealed lovely Roche-ness and a nice remnant of frais des bois fruit. Soy/nam pla element in the middle and a stony-moss streak. Long finish with several layers. Beautiful balance as well. Super enjoyable.
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1990 Domaine Jaboulet-Vercherre Pommard 1er Cru Clos de la Commaraine
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
Bleh. Old cave nose. Light to the point of being non-existent except for a displeasing tartness. No Pommard, no life, no drink.
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2001 August Kesseler Spätburgunder Cuvée Max
Germany, Rheingau
Nice clean nose with tart fruit and some potpourri-like hints. Good weight, bright acids. Very good on the palate with suprising depth. Anise-y notes on the finish and persisent fruits. Really delicious.
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1999 Château Pavie
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Opened a few hours ahead of drinking and left cork on. Decanted at service. Lesser nose with meaty notes. Oak not as perceptible. Started rather unbalanced and flaccid. Took about 1/2 hr to blossom and the about 2 hrs to become itself. Good body with dominant fruits. Mocha, a bit of vegetal. Nice finish with saline and a meatiness. Enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous.
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2000 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu La Petite Cote
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Gak. Oily nose, cheap imitation fruit extracts. Alcohol. Gun powder. A mess.
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2000 François Villard Condrieu Les Terrasses du Palat
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Awful, rotting fruit nose. One timid taste agreed. Appalling.
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1959 Antonio Ferrari Solaria Jonica Puglia IGT
Italy, Puglia, Puglia IGT
Brown colour. Fig newton nose. Very bright and fresh acids and slight raisins. Still tannic. Reveals some tawny notes and a very pleasing finish. Not integrated or deep though which was a letdown.
Two days later reveals a much more integrated and sauve wine.
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2000 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage Nacional
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Despite being decanted in the AM, this was overwhelmingly primary - tannic <-> sweetness. Good fruit persistence and the likely stuffing for a longer haul.
Day 2 - from a couple oz in a glass - Very pretty. Lovely wintergreen notes, tannins receded to provide a grippy body which carries the sweetness. Lovely.
Day 3 - same glass - all sweetness now.
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1899 Seppeltsfield Para 100 Vintage Tawny
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
(The last of a bottle opened a couple of months ago) Intense. Suprisingly bright acids with lifted deep sweetness. Molasses/rhum, coffee, orange citrus. Still too rich to appreciate more than a small snoot, but pretty incredible stuff.
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