Tasted double blind. Black cherry on nose with hints of meaty spice. Black fruit flavors with some good density through middle. Clearly from Burgundy, but this had a lean edge I can't understand from 2003, even showing a bitter edge on finish. Tasted blind, almost everybody thought this was a 2004!
Red fruit on nose with a fair amount of fresh herbs and spice. Not as floral as I would have thought from a Coche Volnay based my limited prior experience. Lush red fruit comes through clearly on palate, supported strongly by lots of remaining structure. Power comes through on finish. While this was my last bottle, I still don't think this is in its peak drinking window.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Strawberry aromas with some fresh garden herbs. Strawberry and red cherry flavors with a slightly candied character. Moderate length with good more herb and spice coming through on finish. Not lots of nuance, I think this is quite accessible and balanced today, showing lots of what you expect from a good 2007.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Decanted 2+ hours before serving. Good spice jumping out of the glass with black and red cherry aromas. Lots of ripe fruit on palate with great supporting acidity and very silky tannins. Tasted blind, I thought this showed Vosne spice and Morey textures - a great combination. Very surprised how accessible this wine was showing so young, really impressive with a very long life going forward.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Very difficult wine to assess. Red cherry on nose with lots more earthy elements than I'd expect from such a young wine. Red and black cherry flavors on palate, but acidity and tannins totally dominate today and will most likely dominate for a long time going forward. Clearly in need of many years in the cellar.
Tasted double blind. Good black fruit with some emerging forest floor aromas. Black cherry flavors. Clearly showing its New world origin, but also very balanced and integrated, without showing overripe fruit, too much new oak or heat. Not a powerful style of Cabernet, more focus on nuance. Moderate length.
I knew what we were tasting but others were tasting this blind and had lots of trouble identifying what we were tasting. Very nice and enjoyable, but made in a very modern style (I think almost everybody guessed New World, which I most likely would have guessed as well) that everybody can appreciate but doesn't particularly show Sangiovese or Tuscany to me.
Mature ripe fruit on nose with plenty of new oak spice. Good flavors of black cherry and plum, also quite ripe, but comes across a bit soft and almost flabby near the finish.
Aromas of plum with good background spice. Nose is better than the palate, with also shows plum and black cherry, but still somewhat hidden behind the tannins and acidity. Not lots of power, so I don't think this will a long-term cellar hold but I expect this will have a good 2015-2025 drinking window.
Big and intense black fruit on nose, with great follow through to the palate. Great power and concentration, but elegant at the same time. Long finish seems to show a trace of heat, but far less so than I'd expect from a Dal Forno Valpolicella. Really well done.
2003 Domaine Joliet Fixin 1er Cru Clos de la Perrière 83 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Black cherry on nose with hints of meaty spice. Black fruit flavors with some good density through middle. Clearly from Burgundy, but this had a lean edge I can't understand from 2003, even showing a bitter edge on finish. Tasted blind, almost everybody thought this was a 2004!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1998 Coche-Dury Volnay 1er Cru 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Red fruit on nose with a fair amount of fresh herbs and spice. Not as floral as I would have thought from a Coche Volnay based my limited prior experience. Lush red fruit comes through clearly on palate, supported strongly by lots of remaining structure. Power comes through on finish. While this was my last bottle, I still don't think this is in its peak drinking window.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Strawberry aromas with some fresh garden herbs. Strawberry and red cherry flavors with a slightly candied character. Moderate length with good more herb and spice coming through on finish. Not lots of nuance, I think this is quite accessible and balanced today, showing lots of what you expect from a good 2007.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Lucie & Auguste Lignier Clos de la Roche 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Decanted 2+ hours before serving. Good spice jumping out of the glass with black and red cherry aromas. Lots of ripe fruit on palate with great supporting acidity and very silky tannins. Tasted blind, I thought this showed Vosne spice and Morey textures - a great combination. Very surprised how accessible this wine was showing so young, really impressive with a very long life going forward.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Very difficult wine to assess. Red cherry on nose with lots more earthy elements than I'd expect from such a young wine. Red and black cherry flavors on palate, but acidity and tannins totally dominate today and will most likely dominate for a long time going forward. Clearly in need of many years in the cellar.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1995 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Tasted double blind. Good black fruit with some emerging forest floor aromas. Black cherry flavors. Clearly showing its New world origin, but also very balanced and integrated, without showing overripe fruit, too much new oak or heat. Not a powerful style of Cabernet, more focus on nuance. Moderate length.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1974 Spring Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 74 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Stinky to start, bitter to finish. If this bottle is representative, this is at least a decade past its drinking window.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Bibi Graetz Testamatta Toscana IGT 88 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
I knew what we were tasting but others were tasting this blind and had lots of trouble identifying what we were tasting. Very nice and enjoyable, but made in a very modern style (I think almost everybody guessed New World, which I most likely would have guessed as well) that everybody can appreciate but doesn't particularly show Sangiovese or Tuscany to me.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1996 Harlan Estate The Maiden 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Mature ripe fruit on nose with plenty of new oak spice. Good flavors of black cherry and plum, also quite ripe, but comes across a bit soft and almost flabby near the finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1995 Château Lynch-Bages 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Aromas of plum with good background spice. Nose is better than the palate, with also shows plum and black cherry, but still somewhat hidden behind the tannins and acidity. Not lots of power, so I don't think this will a long-term cellar hold but I expect this will have a good 2015-2025 drinking window.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 92 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore
Big and intense black fruit on nose, with great follow through to the palate. Great power and concentration, but elegant at the same time. Long finish seems to show a trace of heat, but far less so than I'd expect from a Dal Forno Valpolicella. Really well done.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue