Leo's Blind Tasting Group - June '11 edition

Restaurant Saul, Brooklyn
Tasted Wednesday, June 15, 2011 by salil with 1,016 views

Flight 1 - Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2007 V Madrone Chardonnay 85 Points

    USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

    Very rich and ripe, combining soft peachy fruit with floral elements and vanilla/oaky accents. This has a very creamy, slightly waxy texture with low acidity; pleasant for a few sips but the lack of acidity makes it come across heavy and tiring after that.

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  • 2001 Kongsgaard Chardonnay 74 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Slightly oxidised and over the hill. The fruit's tired and dull, dominated by butterscotch-like elements with no freshness or depth.

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  • 2007 Rex Hill Chardonnay 84 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Quite pleasant initially with fresh pear and green apple fruit up front, light on its feet and nervy with bright acids, but there's also a faint sour/underripe character on the back end, and not much in the way of depth/complexity.

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Flight 2 - Flight 2 (3 Notes)

Flight 3 - Flight 3 (4 Notes)

Flight 4 - Flight 4 (3 Notes)

  • 1997 Dalla Valle Maya

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    Don't think this is a representative/pristine bottle. Quite advanced for its age with developed red fruited flavours and a strange balsamic note.

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  • 2000 Château Léoville Poyferré 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

    Fantastic. This is in a great place right now, still showing plenty of primary cassis and dark fruited flavours, but augmented by cedary and herbal notes and the start of developing leathery/earthy flavours. Quite rich, conveying power with a sense of restraint and great balance.

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  • 2004 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio 70 Points

    Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

    Woody and alcoholic.

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Flight 5 - Flight 5 (3 Notes)

  • 1988 Château Margaux 86 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Really disappointing to see this unveiled as an '88 Margaux, showing none of the finesse or depth I'd expect from an older Margaux (or any top Bordeaux for that matter). Dense red and dark fruit accented with licorice and a strange fennel note, rather monolithic and dull.

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  • 2005 Clos Apalta 85 Points

    Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley, Apalta

    I liked this a lot more on release. There's not much in terms of flavour development; the fruit's taken a bit of a step back, the oak and herbal flavour elements here are more prominent and it finishes with some alcoholic warmth.

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  • 1998 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 94 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

    Outstanding. Comes across like a classical older Bordeaux with a seamless combination of rich dark fruits, cedar, tobacco, fresh herbs and an exotic sandalwood element. It's still very youthful with plenty of primary fruit and a fair bit of tannin, but it's drinking incredibly well now, very polished and finessed with fantastic depth and persistence.

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