France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
A nice way to start the evening; fresh citrus, pear and apple fruit accented with yeasty and savoury elements and turning more stony and minerally on the back end. Very youthful and lively with gentle effervescence but bright acidity and good length.
Really good stuff. There's a vivid minerally character here; a base of stone and saline elements beneath fresh Riesling fruit and light floral and herbal accents. Plenty of richness with barely any perceptible sweetness, nicely balanced with good acids - very nice, though I'm not sure I'm a buyer at the current pricing.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Really wonderful; delicate, layered and understated with fresh red fruits, exotic spicy and floral elements and more savoury earthy elements combining seamlessly on a polished, medium weight frame. There's a remarkable finesse and purity to the flavours and good persistence, must explore this producer more.
From half bottle. Tired and rather faded at first, but came around surprisingly well with some time in the decanter. The fruit's rather gentle and light, and it's all about developed savoury, sous bois, tobacco and dried floral elements in a lightweight, fragrant whole. Lovely.
Fully mature with the structure resolved and a lovely fragrance of old Cabernet flavours - cedary, tobacco and savoury earthy elements combining into a wonderful scent. It's a little soft without much acidity and no real tannin left, but it's lovely to sit and just drink without much contemplation.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Rather awkward, showing tightly wound red fruit and not much else with the acidity feeling rather spritzy and sharp initially. Others said it got better and smoothed out with air, but I didn't revisit.
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
Pleasant though not compelling; fresh citrus and pear fruit over a saline mineral base with barely any signs of development. No rush here (and there's a surprising amount of sulfur that lingered in the aromatics for a while).
Another lovely showing. I'm drinking through these far too quickly, but they're hard to resist now - incredibly pure, fresh dark fruited flavours tinged with pepper, savoury earth and green herbal notes. Remarkably finessed and seamless in the mouth, and a great accompaniment to the shredded beef with green pepper.
Another stunning bottle. A glorious fragrance combining a kaleidoscopic array of fruits ranging from tarter citrus flavours to riper tropical ones, wilder herbal and floral notes and just a thrill to sit down and smell. There's superb balance, a sense of incredible energy and vibrancy to the flavours and remarkable persistence. A Hans-Günter Schwarz special.
1996 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Brut Almendra 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
A nice way to start the evening; fresh citrus, pear and apple fruit accented with yeasty and savoury elements and turning more stony and minerally on the back end. Very youthful and lively with gentle effervescence but bright acidity and good length.
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2001 Albert Boxler Riesling Sommerberg L31E 91 Points
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Really good stuff. There's a vivid minerally character here; a base of stone and saline elements beneath fresh Riesling fruit and light floral and herbal accents. Plenty of richness with barely any perceptible sweetness, nicely balanced with good acids - very nice, though I'm not sure I'm a buyer at the current pricing.
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2006 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St. Georges 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Really wonderful; delicate, layered and understated with fresh red fruits, exotic spicy and floral elements and more savoury earthy elements combining seamlessly on a polished, medium weight frame. There's a remarkable finesse and purity to the flavours and good persistence, must explore this producer more.
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1955 Château Giscours 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
From half bottle. Tired and rather faded at first, but came around surprisingly well with some time in the decanter. The fruit's rather gentle and light, and it's all about developed savoury, sous bois, tobacco and dried floral elements in a lightweight, fragrant whole. Lovely.
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1997 Montevertine Il Sodaccio Flawed
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Lightly corked.
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1974 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Fully mature with the structure resolved and a lovely fragrance of old Cabernet flavours - cedary, tobacco and savoury earthy elements combining into a wonderful scent. It's a little soft without much acidity and no real tannin left, but it's lovely to sit and just drink without much contemplation.
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2008 Digioia-Royer Chambolle-Musigny Les Fremières Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Rather awkward, showing tightly wound red fruit and not much else with the acidity feeling rather spritzy and sharp initially. Others said it got better and smoothed out with air, but I didn't revisit.
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1999 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie "L" d’Or 88 Points
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
Pleasant though not compelling; fresh citrus and pear fruit over a saline mineral base with barely any signs of development. No rush here (and there's a surprising amount of sulfur that lingered in the aromatics for a while).
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1997 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese Flawed
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light stone fruit and apple flavours underneath a thin veil of TCA. Damnit.
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2010 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Franc de Pied 91 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Another lovely showing. I'm drinking through these far too quickly, but they're hard to resist now - incredibly pure, fresh dark fruited flavours tinged with pepper, savoury earth and green herbal notes. Remarkably finessed and seamless in the mouth, and a great accompaniment to the shredded beef with green pepper.
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2001 Müller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spätlese 94 Points
Germany, Pfalz
Another stunning bottle. A glorious fragrance combining a kaleidoscopic array of fruits ranging from tarter citrus flavours to riper tropical ones, wilder herbal and floral notes and just a thrill to sit down and smell. There's superb balance, a sense of incredible energy and vibrancy to the flavours and remarkable persistence. A Hans-Günter Schwarz special.
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