Tasted double blind. Charming floral start, clearly showing ripe 2006 character but lots of depth as well. Ripe stone fruit flavors, well supported with lots of concentration and power, with great energy on finish with moderate length.
Tasted double blind. Forward and lush aromas with some oak spice, vanilla and ripe apple. Good balance, reasonably fresh. I was surprised when this was unveiled, it didn't come across as very Chablis-like or 1996, but was certainly a good Verget at this age.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Tasted double blind. Very forward start on both nose and palate, almost seemingly New World but with Old World Pinot Noir textures. Red cherry and strawberry, very clean and pristine but just moderate finesse or structure. I was very surprised when this was unveiled, seeming very different than when I tasted a year ago when in Burgundy or last week in NY. But I will point out that this was just shipped to Chicago within the past couple of weeks.
Tasted double blind. Big, fat and lush fruit start, clearly a New World Rhone varietal. Lots of plum and black cherry but with a restraint and balance that surprised me when this was unveiled as Alban. Very good in its style.
Tasted double blind. Earth, fig, smoky, spicy aromas. Both lean and muscular on palate, More earth than fruit on palate, well textured, with spice emerging on finish. Open 3+ hours before serving.
Tasted double blind. Very lush black fruit aromas with intense concentration. Similar fruit profile on palate, again lots of intensity and power but a bit too much new oak spice and still more fruit forward for my preferences.
Tasted double blind. Licorice, red cherry aromas. Slightly modern styled concentration to start on palate, then well textured and lacy from middle to finish. surprised to see how young, I'd have expected a bit more fresh fruit.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Tasted double blind. Lots of brett to start. Overall fairly advanced and more mature than I would expect from Pegau at this age. Ripe, earthy flavors again showing lots of maturity without the energy I'd expect.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Ripe black fruit aromas with dense, meaty spice. Dense black fruit also on palate with very impressive balance, especially for the vintage. No shrinking violet but this has the density and concentration to last a long time, evolve and improve. Very impressive, this was much better than another bottle from a year+ ago that was most likely flawed.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Spice-driven, dense aromatic start. Slightly less exciting on palate with a slightly harsh edge, but good fruit for now. Good now through 2020, this has good spice coming through at end.
Tasted double blind. Ripe and dense aromatic start with lots of freshness for almost 15 year old wine. Moderate spice, very good balance and density. Open approx 4 hours before serving.
Tasted double blind. Bitter with rough edges. All earth. Hopefully a poorly stored or transported bottle, this came across as well past its drinking window.
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Tasted double blind. Fresh black fruit with very good spice aromas. Most tasters mistook this for Left bank Bordeaux. Very good structure and overall balance.
Tasted double blind. Charming aromatic start, slightly floral with good spice, tobacco, licorice and forest floor. Seemingly Bordeaux-like with great balance and textures.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Served double blind to the tasting group, alongside Jadot 1997 Chapelle-Chambertin. Black fruit, bold spice aromas. Leaner on palate, well textured with moderate weight.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
Served double blind to tasting group, alongside Jadot 2001 Gevrey-Chambertin CSJ. This was far superior to the CSJ, another example of Jadot's exceptional 1997s. Black and red cherry aromas with huge spice and gamy character. Bigger fruit on palate with lots of density. Subtle earth hints add nuance but still getting better, this had a deep and intense finish.
Tasted double blind. Intense black and red cherry aromas with alluring, classically Vosne spice. Mostly red fruit flavors, great textures and persistence. Long and intense start-to-finish, incredibly impressive for villages level wine.
Tasted double blind. Open 3+ hours before serving, this was rather faded with the fruit lost behind firm structure. An odd 1989. If I opened a bottle, I'd pop-and-pour.
2006 Domaine & Selection Meursault Coche-Dury 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Tasted double blind. Charming floral start, clearly showing ripe 2006 character but lots of depth as well. Ripe stone fruit flavors, well supported with lots of concentration and power, with great energy on finish with moderate length.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1996 Verget Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Forward and lush aromas with some oak spice, vanilla and ripe apple. Good balance, reasonably fresh. I was surprised when this was unveiled, it didn't come across as very Chablis-like or 1996, but was certainly a good Verget at this age.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1970 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Tasted double blind. Black cherry, tobacco and mature spice aromas. Similar, just slightly more earthy on the palate. Sneaky power on back end.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Tasted double blind. Very forward start on both nose and palate, almost seemingly New World but with Old World Pinot Noir textures. Red cherry and strawberry, very clean and pristine but just moderate finesse or structure. I was very surprised when this was unveiled, seeming very different than when I tasted a year ago when in Burgundy or last week in NY. But I will point out that this was just shipped to Chicago within the past couple of weeks.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2009 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Tasted double blind. Big, fat and lush fruit start, clearly a New World Rhone varietal. Lots of plum and black cherry but with a restraint and balance that surprised me when this was unveiled as Alban. Very good in its style.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 92 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Tasted double blind. Earth, fig, smoky, spicy aromas. Both lean and muscular on palate, More earth than fruit on palate, well textured, with spice emerging on finish. Open 3+ hours before serving.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Marcassin Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Tasted double blind. Very lush black fruit aromas with intense concentration. Similar fruit profile on palate, again lots of intensity and power but a bit too much new oak spice and still more fruit forward for my preferences.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis 91 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasted double blind. Licorice, red cherry aromas. Slightly modern styled concentration to start on palate, then well textured and lacy from middle to finish. surprised to see how young, I'd have expected a bit more fresh fruit.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1995 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Tasted double blind. Lots of brett to start. Overall fairly advanced and more mature than I would expect from Pegau at this age. Ripe, earthy flavors again showing lots of maturity without the energy I'd expect.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chambertin 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Ripe black fruit aromas with dense, meaty spice. Dense black fruit also on palate with very impressive balance, especially for the vintage. No shrinking violet but this has the density and concentration to last a long time, evolve and improve. Very impressive, this was much better than another bottle from a year+ ago that was most likely flawed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Spice-driven, dense aromatic start. Slightly less exciting on palate with a slightly harsh edge, but good fruit for now. Good now through 2020, this has good spice coming through at end.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1990 Château Cos d'Estournel 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Tasted double blind. Ripe and dense aromatic start with lots of freshness for almost 15 year old wine. Moderate spice, very good balance and density. Open approx 4 hours before serving.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1988 Château Cos d'Estournel 82 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Tasted double blind. Bitter with rough edges. All earth. Hopefully a poorly stored or transported bottle, this came across as well past its drinking window.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1992 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Tasted double blind. Fresh black fruit with very good spice aromas. Most tasters mistook this for Left bank Bordeaux. Very good structure and overall balance.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1976 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Charming aromatic start, slightly floral with good spice, tobacco, licorice and forest floor. Seemingly Bordeaux-like with great balance and textures.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1977 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Stewy, off balance, hopefully a flawed bottle, but quite possibly just well past its peak.
Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1977 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Mature black fruit with moderate density and length. Not at the same level as another bottle tasted blind a year ago.
Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Served double blind to the tasting group, alongside Jadot 1997 Chapelle-Chambertin. Black fruit, bold spice aromas. Leaner on palate, well textured with moderate weight.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1997 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
Served double blind to tasting group, alongside Jadot 2001 Gevrey-Chambertin CSJ. This was far superior to the CSJ, another example of Jadot's exceptional 1997s. Black and red cherry aromas with huge spice and gamy character. Bigger fruit on palate with lots of density. Subtle earth hints add nuance but still getting better, this had a deep and intense finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée Les Genaivrières 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
Tasted double blind. Intense black and red cherry aromas with alluring, classically Vosne spice. Mostly red fruit flavors, great textures and persistence. Long and intense start-to-finish, incredibly impressive for villages level wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1989 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Open 3+ hours before serving, this was rather faded with the fruit lost behind firm structure. An odd 1989. If I opened a bottle, I'd pop-and-pour.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue