Leroy, Unico, Rayas, Ravenau and etc

I got together with a few friends to drink some nice wines. No notes were taken and the notes are my brief impressions.

• 2010 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  If you know and like Raveneau, you will love this wine. White peach, honeysuckle and saline. The 10 being a great vintage and Ravenau being one of the top two Chablis producers, this is a great wine. Although comes with razor precision also unctuous and oily, a great contrast to the style of Dauvissat.

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• 1971 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Sou bois, allspice and raspberry jelly. beautifully matured with a slight hint of oxidation, complexity coming from the age not from the fruit. Lovely but not a good QPR.

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• 1989 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 96 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Red fruit, subtle but complex nose, medium concentration, seamless round silky palate. Drinking beautifully and much more ready than the 94.

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• 1994 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 97 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Still showing generous fruit and great contrast to the perfectly drinking 89. A bold big wine, more black fruit than the 89 but also some red fruits and bake spice, youthful yet complex nose. Beautiful silk palate, excellent concentration and nicely integrated tannins. I initially preferred the 89 but this improved significantly with air. Still long life ahead.

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• 1983 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  This is the best showing from the batch. Almost all tertiary, shy but bright red fruit, beautiful flowery perfume, meat, tobacco and ash. Fully matured, silky, airy and seamless. Not a big wine, certainly at this stage but lovely in Burgundian sense.

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• 1988 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  En magnum, a hint of oxidative note via Tarte Tatin. Deep and yellow to dark fruit expression. Still plenty of mousse. Good but not great.

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• 1978 Pierre Ponnelle Bonnes Mares 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Earthy, rustic and masculine which is what I expect from this producer. Showing young but charmless. If you like masculine old Cortons, you may like the wine a bit more than me.

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• 1996 Domaine Leroy Romanée St. Vivant 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Big scale wine, blackberries, spicy, mushroom and stems. The classic sweet fruit Leroy signature. This bottle seems a bit tight and heavy.

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• 1998 Domaine d'Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Bonnes Mares Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Although lovely, this seems a bit tired and not too expressive. A possible heat damage. I would rate around 90 as is.

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• 1990 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Extremely youthful, still ample fruits, not unlike the 85 Rayas but more black fruits and cooler. Big scale wine with very ripe dark fruits, garrique and smoke. My rating may be a bit unfair as the wine got lost due to a stylistic difference, served between Leroys and Unicos and the 85 Rayas opened as the nightcap.

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• 1985 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  I drank a bottle of the 85 Rayas a couple years back and rated in the high 90s. This was served as a nightcap. Bright red fruits, cherry liquor, garrique, dry cherry, close and allspice. Excellent concentration, chewy yet silky palate, good acidity and fully integrated tannins. Very enjoyable.

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