France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
While many 1999s are drinking well right now, there's really no rush. Loved the salty, cool expression in this wine...and if the oysters were better at the restaurant, we would have ordered those. Yum.
Fresh, fresh, fresh. Thought that some air benefitted the wine as it started off a bit plump, but the softness seemed to slink away with some air and was replaced by fresh cut melons and herbs. This isn't a long-term wine, I think. Probably in a good spot for the next 3-5 years.
Super funky and super fresh. Smelled a bit like seafood at first...pretty odd....but the wild strawberry and minerals really turned on with some time. Beautiful wine, a serious rose.
An elegant and perfumed Cote Rotie. For my tastes, it's still a bit primary but to its credit still has airiness and elegance. Could be just a weird-ish time for the 2004s, I think most are closing in on their prime drinking window while others (like this one) will need some more time to open up. Great material here, just needs patience.
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc
Florals and spice dominated the nose of this exotic wine. I've probably had a handful of "older" Languedoc wines, and maybe it's my inexperience, but damn do they get exotic and elegant. Along with the florals and spice, this had a darker/sinister element to it. Anise, meat, smoke...it was one of those dark beauties. Lots of fun, and extremely young.
A stunning syrah that combines elegance, concentration, and rugged syrah-ness. There was some olive notes, dark fruits, earth, and meat. Just a wonderful wine that shows the genius of Steve Edmunds.
This was gorgeous, but did fade. Intensely stemmy at first (which I loved), this was a Cote-Rotie throwback. Meaty, funky, and silky, this was beautiful. After 2 hours or so, the wine got pretty simple and grapey. Probably a good time to drink up.
No way in hell is this wine approachable right now, but I walked away from it getting the feeling that its underlying material was something special. The dark fruit was lithe and clear at this point, and there were what I thought to be the beginnings of some earthy/meaty funkiness that hope would build with time. Ultimately, don't waste opening these now for anything other than an experiment...but I think in 3-5 years they'll begin to start drinking.
I opened this about 4 hours before the first glass. Needed the time, and probably could have benefitted from 2-3 more hours of air. A very meaty wine and masculine wine. Lots of cured meat aromas, dark fruit and spice on the nose. What I loved on the palate was the acidic grip...a great combination with the concentrated dark fruit. This is still primary and will need time for the lovely, intoxicating secondary tones emerge. Looking forward to drinking this again in 5-10 years.
1999 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie "L" d’Or 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
While many 1999s are drinking well right now, there's really no rush. Loved the salty, cool expression in this wine...and if the oysters were better at the restaurant, we would have ordered those. Yum.
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2012 Dönnhoff Weissburgunder Trocken 89 Points
Germany, Nahe
Fresh, fresh, fresh. Thought that some air benefitted the wine as it started off a bit plump, but the softness seemed to slink away with some air and was replaced by fresh cut melons and herbs. This isn't a long-term wine, I think. Probably in a good spot for the next 3-5 years.
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2013 Domaine des Lambrays La Rose Du Clos Rosé 91 Points
France, Burgundy
Super funky and super fresh. Smelled a bit like seafood at first...pretty odd....but the wild strawberry and minerals really turned on with some time. Beautiful wine, a serious rose.
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2004 Domaine Gallet (Henri et Philippe) Côte-Rôtie 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
An elegant and perfumed Cote Rotie. For my tastes, it's still a bit primary but to its credit still has airiness and elegance. Could be just a weird-ish time for the 2004s, I think most are closing in on their prime drinking window while others (like this one) will need some more time to open up. Great material here, just needs patience.
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2002 Domaine de Peyre Rose Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Cistes 92 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc
Florals and spice dominated the nose of this exotic wine. I've probably had a handful of "older" Languedoc wines, and maybe it's my inexperience, but damn do they get exotic and elegant. Along with the florals and spice, this had a darker/sinister element to it. Anise, meat, smoke...it was one of those dark beauties. Lots of fun, and extremely young.
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1992 Edmunds St. John Syrah Grand Heritage 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
A stunning syrah that combines elegance, concentration, and rugged syrah-ness. There was some olive notes, dark fruits, earth, and meat. Just a wonderful wine that shows the genius of Steve Edmunds.
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2000 Eric Texier Côte-Rôtie Vieilles Vignes 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
This was gorgeous, but did fade. Intensely stemmy at first (which I loved), this was a Cote-Rotie throwback. Meaty, funky, and silky, this was beautiful. After 2 hours or so, the wine got pretty simple and grapey. Probably a good time to drink up.
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1997 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Slightly heat damaged.
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2011 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
No way in hell is this wine approachable right now, but I walked away from it getting the feeling that its underlying material was something special. The dark fruit was lithe and clear at this point, and there were what I thought to be the beginnings of some earthy/meaty funkiness that hope would build with time. Ultimately, don't waste opening these now for anything other than an experiment...but I think in 3-5 years they'll begin to start drinking.
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2006 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
I opened this about 4 hours before the first glass. Needed the time, and probably could have benefitted from 2-3 more hours of air. A very meaty wine and masculine wine. Lots of cured meat aromas, dark fruit and spice on the nose. What I loved on the palate was the acidic grip...a great combination with the concentrated dark fruit. This is still primary and will need time for the lovely, intoxicating secondary tones emerge. Looking forward to drinking this again in 5-10 years.
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