Brought by Josh K. Elegant and restrained nose - yeast, minerals - very racy, almost some dry mustard. Sweet and complex on the palate - really amazing. Bits of apples, cocoa, vanilla, a touch of malt ball. Really yummy and it has lots of the elements I look for in a mature champagne. Great mouthfeel - gets better and sappier as the finish progresses. Thanks Josh! Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
Brought in Magnum by Jonathan A. Very lively nose: grapey and leesy, with some wood. Even better on the palate - almost sweet, bready. Still needs time, but lots of fruit and a great mouthfeel. Green apples, grapes and a touch of honey. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 17.5/20.
Older in the nose than the previous two Champagnes, cider and apples, a touch of lees, toast, and yeast. Mature on the palate with apple cider, with an almost spirit-like profile. Not great in my opinion. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 11/20.
Deeper gold color than the previous champagnes. A mature nose - cider, creamy, malt balls and vanilla. Just amazing on the palate - lively, complex and rich. Hard to find descriptors (not because it is so amazing, even though it is, just because it is out of my normal wine experience). Really creamy, like an apple-mineral cream. Nearly perfect. Fuck yeah. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
Really salty on the nose, with oak chips (in a good way), salted popcorn. Not the darker register of flavors/smells that I often get with Coche - more yellow, but excellent. Salty and lemon on the palate, quiter than Coche usually is - the flavors are good but more muted and slippery than usual in the mid palate - lemon, salt, and lots of extract. Grows in the finish, but still somewhat short. Good bite and acid. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
A beautiful magnum brought by Justin C and Danielle K. Sat for a while in glass before I got to it. My note on the nose is unreadable. Elegant and focused on the palate. Good acid, petrol, pear, spice and slate. Seems a touch overextracted to me. Salty, well delineated for a 99. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14.5/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Brought two bottles to the Acker BYO - they showed very similar flavor profiles. Medium yellow-gold. Very full and ripe on the nose - grilled pineapple, caramel, lemon, some baking spices. Very full again on the palate: medium-dark register of flavors. Spicy and oaky with lots of lemon. lively. Lots of salty and lemony extract on finish. A little odd compared to the previous bottles I have had, but really delicious nonetheless. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
Brought by Josh K. Spicy with a little eau-de-vie and minerals. Chewy like Coche but lighter. Light and airy on the palate: lemon and spice. Very young and fresh. Nice finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
Poured from a Magnum by John Kapon. Light cherry-red, some bricking and sediment. Nose of menthol, tobacco, pretty strawberry fruit, spices, meaty and smokey and stewy. Very light on the palate, but very complex and perfumed. Bright primary strawberry fruit, chewy stems - green, spices, stewy and meaty again - some sauvage. Just awesome. Long finish - power without weight. My WOTN. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 19.5/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Brought by Brian D. Very meaty and stewy on the nose with spice and tart cherry. Very sauvage on the palate as usual - stewy and green, dark cherry. Good acid, cherry and minerals. Lots of drive. Has that excellent murky/blurry meatiness-richness that I expect from this bottle. Great for an 88. This cuvee is one of the best 88's I have had - from a vintage I do not care much for. Brian has bought multiple bottles of this over the years, and it is a great wine. This was not the best showing of the wine, but it was still excellent. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Lots of sediment in my pour - maybe I didn't get a representative taste. Medicinal and tight like old, unready DRC. Tight cherry fruit, lots of stems - quite green. On the palate it shows meat, tomato, green and stems, tight acidity and cherry fruit. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12/20.
Brought by Matt N. Bright strawberry on the nose, with more fruit restrained but lurking underneath. Also some stones, creamy and earthy. Not as focused and I would prefer, but excellent. A little sherry on the palate, stones and minerals. solid acid, really precise. Clearly an acid-based wine. Very perfumed. Long long finish. Stones and strawberries. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
Brought by Matt N. Very bright on the nose - orange zest, stones and meat. Very stinky. Very mature on the palate - dusty and minerally. Secondary aromas and earth. Nice sweet strawberry finish with lots of acid. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16.5/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges
Lots of oak - salty. Nils says it smells like the Coche wines, and I have to say I agree. Great mouthfeel, sour cherry and lots of oak. Nose - 3/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 12/20.
Lots of barnyard in the nose, meaty and smokey, game, salt. Very meaty and earthy on the palate, pure and elegant. Lots of minerals. Game. Really precise - lots of meat and minerals, bitter on the finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5/20.
Smokey, bacon, and meaty on the nose. Not a great showing tonight - still showing young and tight. I have had spectacular bottles of this wine - tonight was not one of them.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Huge nose - honey, oak, spice - buttery. Really perfect on the palate: lemon, acid, mineral. Sweet - bubble gum - delicious. Like a rocket, spice. Perfect. Vanilla. Not huge, fresh and tasty. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
From the bottom of the bottle - lots of sediment. Perfumed nose - blueberries, dark fruit and meat. Dark on the palate - not much fruit, but lots of power and elegance. Earthy and pure. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16/20.
Gentle and great on the nose: huge and wide with spices, pear, apple and apricot. Wonderful purity on the palate - sweet honey, apple, spice, but a touch soft. Gentle and transcendent - spice, apricot and apple. Just beautiful. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
Passion fruit - high acid, petrol, minerals and stone. Really citrusy and acidic, bright. Sweet on palate, very sweet, grapey, honey, sugary and spicy. Passion fruit and sugar on the finish - clear and precise, but too young. How good are these Haag 01's? Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18/20.
Apricots and spices on the nose. Lots of botrytis. Really good acid on the palate - apricots and marmalade. Good structure - honey and sweetness. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
Showing some heat on the nose, wood, honey and caramel, oak. Sugary and caramel on the palate - still young - will be impressive. Lots of alcohol, spicy and honey. Needs lots of time. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 97 Points
France, Champagne
Brought by Josh K. Elegant and restrained nose - yeast, minerals - very racy, almost some dry mustard. Sweet and complex on the palate - really amazing. Bits of apples, cocoa, vanilla, a touch of malt ball. Really yummy and it has lots of the elements I look for in a mature champagne. Great mouthfeel - gets better and sappier as the finish progresses. Thanks Josh! Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
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NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siecle 95 Points
France, Champagne
Brought in Magnum by Jonathan A. Very lively nose: grapey and leesy, with some wood. Even better on the palate - almost sweet, bready. Still needs time, but lots of fruit and a great mouthfeel. Green apples, grapes and a touch of honey. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 17.5/20.
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1981 Lanson Champagne Brut Vintage Collection 82 Points
France, Champagne
Older in the nose than the previous two Champagnes, cider and apples, a touch of lees, toast, and yeast. Mature on the palate with apple cider, with an almost spirit-like profile. Not great in my opinion. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 11/20.
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1985 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 97 Points
France, Champagne
Deeper gold color than the previous champagnes. A mature nose - cider, creamy, malt balls and vanilla. Just amazing on the palate - lively, complex and rich. Hard to find descriptors (not because it is so amazing, even though it is, just because it is out of my normal wine experience). Really creamy, like an apple-mineral cream. Nearly perfect. Fuck yeah. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
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2001 Coche-Dury Meursault 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Really salty on the nose, with oak chips (in a good way), salted popcorn. Not the darker register of flavors/smells that I often get with Coche - more yellow, but excellent. Salty and lemon on the palate, quiter than Coche usually is - the flavors are good but more muted and slippery than usual in the mid palate - lemon, salt, and lots of extract. Grows in the finish, but still somewhat short. Good bite and acid. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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1999 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese Trocken Auction 89 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
A beautiful magnum brought by Justin C and Danielle K. Sat for a while in glass before I got to it. My note on the nose is unreadable. Elegant and focused on the palate. Good acid, petrol, pear, spice and slate. Seems a touch overextracted to me. Salty, well delineated for a 99. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14.5/20.
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2001 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Brought two bottles to the Acker BYO - they showed very similar flavor profiles. Medium yellow-gold. Very full and ripe on the nose - grilled pineapple, caramel, lemon, some baking spices. Very full again on the palate: medium-dark register of flavors. Spicy and oaky with lots of lemon. lively. Lots of salty and lemony extract on finish. A little odd compared to the previous bottles I have had, but really delicious nonetheless. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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2008 Domaine & Selection Meursault Coche-Dury 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Brought by Josh K. Spicy with a little eau-de-vie and minerals. Chewy like Coche but lighter. Light and airy on the palate: lemon and spice. Very young and fresh. Nice finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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1971 Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux 99 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
Poured from a Magnum by John Kapon. Light cherry-red, some bricking and sediment. Nose of menthol, tobacco, pretty strawberry fruit, spices, meaty and smokey and stewy. Very light on the palate, but very complex and perfumed. Bright primary strawberry fruit, chewy stems - green, spices, stewy and meaty again - some sauvage. Just awesome. Long finish - power without weight. My WOTN. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 19.5/20.
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1988 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Brought by Brian D. Very meaty and stewy on the nose with spice and tart cherry. Very sauvage on the palate as usual - stewy and green, dark cherry. Good acid, cherry and minerals. Lots of drive. Has that excellent murky/blurry meatiness-richness that I expect from this bottle. Great for an 88. This cuvee is one of the best 88's I have had - from a vintage I do not care much for. Brian has bought multiple bottles of this over the years, and it is a great wine. This was not the best showing of the wine, but it was still excellent. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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1985 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 84 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Lots of sediment in my pour - maybe I didn't get a representative taste. Medicinal and tight like old, unready DRC. Tight cherry fruit, lots of stems - quite green. On the palate it shows meat, tomato, green and stems, tight acidity and cherry fruit. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12/20.
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1978 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia 97 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Brought by Matt N. Bright strawberry on the nose, with more fruit restrained but lurking underneath. Also some stones, creamy and earthy. Not as focused and I would prefer, but excellent. A little sherry on the palate, stones and minerals. solid acid, really precise. Clearly an acid-based wine. Very perfumed. Long long finish. Stones and strawberries. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
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1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Brought by Matt N. Very bright on the nose - orange zest, stones and meat. Very stinky. Very mature on the palate - dusty and minerally. Secondary aromas and earth. Nice sweet strawberry finish with lots of acid. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16.5/20.
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1993 Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Hauts Poirets 84 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges
Lots of oak - salty. Nils says it smells like the Coche wines, and I have to say I agree. Great mouthfeel, sour cherry and lots of oak. Nose - 3/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 12/20.
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1988 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Lots of barnyard in the nose, meaty and smokey, game, salt. Very meaty and earthy on the palate, pure and elegant. Lots of minerals. Game. Really precise - lots of meat and minerals, bitter on the finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5/20.
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1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Smokey, bacon, and meaty on the nose. Not a great showing tonight - still showing young and tight. I have had spectacular bottles of this wine - tonight was not one of them.
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1996 Jean Noel Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet 97 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Huge nose - honey, oak, spice - buttery. Really perfect on the palate: lemon, acid, mineral. Sweet - bubble gum - delicious. Like a rocket, spice. Perfect. Vanilla. Not huge, fresh and tasty. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
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1983 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
From the bottom of the bottle - lots of sediment. Perfumed nose - blueberries, dark fruit and meat. Dark on the palate - not much fruit, but lots of power and elegance. Earthy and pure. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16/20.
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1976 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 97 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Gentle and great on the nose: huge and wide with spices, pear, apple and apricot. Wonderful purity on the palate - sweet honey, apple, spice, but a touch soft. Gentle and transcendent - spice, apricot and apple. Just beautiful. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18.5/20.
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2001 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel #12 96 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Passion fruit - high acid, petrol, minerals and stone. Really citrusy and acidic, bright. Sweet on palate, very sweet, grapey, honey, sugary and spicy. Passion fruit and sugar on the finish - clear and precise, but too young. How good are these Haag 01's? Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 18/20.
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1995 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand Vendange Tardive 94 Points
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Apricots and spices on the nose. Lots of botrytis. Really good acid on the palate - apricots and marmalade. Good structure - honey and sweetness. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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1989 Château d'Yquem 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Showing some heat on the nose, wood, honey and caramel, oak. Sugary and caramel on the palate - still young - will be impressive. Lots of alcohol, spicy and honey. Needs lots of time. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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