Tasting. Lots of lemon aromas wit a hint of lemon oil. Similar flavors come though with vibrant minerality that has a Chablis-like oyster shell character. Best start through the middle, with a slightly bitter hint at the very finish. Very good value.
Tasted double blind. Big black fruit aromas with clear new oak spice. Similar flavor profile with fairly good balance and sweet tannins. slightly clipped finish, just a trace hint of heat. Everybody thought this older when tasted blind.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Tasted double blind. Great black fruit aromas come across as ripe and fat with sweet spice. somewhat awkward tannins give an off balance sense. Tasted blind, most people thought this had potential to come back into greater balance, but I am skeptical at 10+ years old already.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Firm black fruit aromas with some emerging maturity. Modest spice. A very accessible 2000 Bordeaux, I thought it was 1998. Very good balance even if simple. Not sure exactly what price it released, but it probably was a very good value.
Tasted double blind. Mature earthy aromas more prominent over remaining black fruit with spice hints. More mushroom than anything else on palate, starts well, ends short. Good success for the vintage.
Tasted double blind. Black fruit aromas just starting to mature but with some brett hints that strengthened with more air. Similar on palate, well balanced and well textured. I was surprised to see this wine when unveiled. While this was similar to other bottles I've had over time, it was much smaller scaled and had that less-than-pristine bretty element I've never noticed before.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Good color, good fill (~3.5 cm). But no fruit left, not much spice, lots of earth, far more advanced and less interesting than I would ever have expected.
Tasted double blind. Red fruit and spice on nose. Fresh and moderately lean red cherry flavors, very friendly and accessible with good background spice and fresh herbs. Both forward and elegant. Drinking well now.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges
Tasted double blind. This was a real disappointment vs. how well it showed when tasted shortly after release. Dense, meaty but seemingly reduced and shut down. Too firm and structured on palate with somewhat coarse tannins. Needs a decade+ in cellar or a long, long decant. Not given enough air this afternoon, but it showed as an 80-82 point wine to me today.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Red fruit with lots of meaty spice. Very good lean red flavors, some earth starting to emerge, well textured. Tasted blind, I thought this a 2001 Grand Cru from Gevrey-Chambertin. A very pleasant surprise when unveiled.
Tasted double blind. Lush black fruit aromas followed by plum and black cherry flavors. Good spice throughout, very good balance with well integrated tannins an acidity.
Tasted double blind. I have historically found this to be a very inconsistent wine. with the previous two bottles clearly flawed, while others really coming across as stars of the vintage. This bottle was very good but not near the level of the best bottles. Open 30 minutes before serving. Good spice aromas with a nice balance of currant, plum and earth. Starts good and powerful on palate, finishes a bit leaner and perhaps slightly shut down.
2011 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bourgogne Blanc 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Tasting. Lots of lemon aromas wit a hint of lemon oil. Similar flavors come though with vibrant minerality that has a Chablis-like oyster shell character. Best start through the middle, with a slightly bitter hint at the very finish. Very good value.
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2010 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - South 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Big black fruit aromas with clear new oak spice. Similar flavor profile with fairly good balance and sweet tannins. slightly clipped finish, just a trace hint of heat. Everybody thought this older when tasted blind.
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2001 Torbreck RunRig 87 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Tasted double blind. Great black fruit aromas come across as ripe and fat with sweet spice. somewhat awkward tannins give an off balance sense. Tasted blind, most people thought this had potential to come back into greater balance, but I am skeptical at 10+ years old already.
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2000 Château Bellisle Mondotte 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Firm black fruit aromas with some emerging maturity. Modest spice. A very accessible 2000 Bordeaux, I thought it was 1998. Very good balance even if simple. Not sure exactly what price it released, but it probably was a very good value.
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1984 Château Gruaud Larose 86 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Tasted double blind. Mature earthy aromas more prominent over remaining black fruit with spice hints. More mushroom than anything else on palate, starts well, ends short. Good success for the vintage.
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1982 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Tasted double blind. Black fruit aromas just starting to mature but with some brett hints that strengthened with more air. Similar on palate, well balanced and well textured. I was surprised to see this wine when unveiled. While this was similar to other bottles I've had over time, it was much smaller scaled and had that less-than-pristine bretty element I've never noticed before.
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1969 Camille Giroud Bonnes Mares
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Good color, good fill (~3.5 cm). But no fruit left, not much spice, lots of earth, far more advanced and less interesting than I would ever have expected.
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2008 Domaine Dublère Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Red fruit and spice on nose. Fresh and moderately lean red cherry flavors, very friendly and accessible with good background spice and fresh herbs. Both forward and elegant. Drinking well now.
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2008 Fernand Lécheneaut et Fils (Philippe et Vincent) Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Damodes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges
Tasted double blind. This was a real disappointment vs. how well it showed when tasted shortly after release. Dense, meaty but seemingly reduced and shut down. Too firm and structured on palate with somewhat coarse tannins. Needs a decade+ in cellar or a long, long decant. Not given enough air this afternoon, but it showed as an 80-82 point wine to me today.
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2002 Henri Boillot Clos Vougeot 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Red fruit with lots of meaty spice. Very good lean red flavors, some earth starting to emerge, well textured. Tasted blind, I thought this a 2001 Grand Cru from Gevrey-Chambertin. A very pleasant surprise when unveiled.
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2001 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Lush black fruit aromas followed by plum and black cherry flavors. Good spice throughout, very good balance with well integrated tannins an acidity.
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1982 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Tasted double blind. I have historically found this to be a very inconsistent wine. with the previous two bottles clearly flawed, while others really coming across as stars of the vintage. This bottle was very good but not near the level of the best bottles. Open 30 minutes before serving. Good spice aromas with a nice balance of currant, plum and earth. Starts good and powerful on palate, finishes a bit leaner and perhaps slightly shut down.
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