USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Tasted double blind. Late release from winery (10 year anniversary sticker on the bottle). Black fruit with faint hints of emerging maturity, with good textures and length. Everybody thought this from Bordeaux to start, given its nice harmony and balance.
Tasted double blind. Easily identified as from Bordeaux, with lots of black fruit, subtle signs of oak spice. Similar on palate with a fun, chewy texture. I've tried very little 2000 Bordeaux recently, so was surprised how accessible this is showing this young.
Tasted double blind. Easy to identify as New World wine made in an extreme, ultra concentrated style. This is a fun wine that is easy to enjoy, and others enjoyed this a lot, but I would find it difficult to enjoy more than a glass.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind, served alongside Rousseau 2011 Beze. Decanted an hour+ before serving. Black cherry, roast game, black pepper and licorice. Came across as classically Gevrey, and I was quite accurate identifying this wine. Very nicely balanced and energetic. Should drink well on the young side, perhaps starting around 2019.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind, served alongside Damoy 2011 Beze. Decanted an hour+ before serving. Also meaty, black and dense, showing some new oaks hints that will integrate better shortly. Slightly flashier, riper and more dense vs the Damoy, which I also really enjoyed.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Served double blind to the tasting group. Open 2 hours before serving, with 15-20 minutes in a decanter. Another very fresh and powerful Jadot 1997, this showed classic Gevrey meatiness and animale with moderate spice.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Red and black fruit with subtle background spice. Moderate weight and intensity, this is certainly a wine that would be appreciated more with dinner vs at a tasting.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasted double blind. This was a very enjoyable old French wine that I thought most likely Burgundy, but it wasn't clear. Ripe and nicely earthy. This certainly was from a very good, ripe vintage, which I was able to correctly identify.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. This had a pleasant spice element, but was very light for a 1975 with only earthy elements coming through. Slightly disappointed to see this once unveiled.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Both nose and palate show very good spice with good red fruit, nicely mature. Firm tannins slightly pronounced. Much better than another bottle from a year ago.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Seemed slightly older 30 years and certainly enjoyable mature red fruit with moderate depth. None of the funk or rot too often found in 1983s at this point.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Popped and poured. Easily identified as fairly young Burgundy, although I thought it slightly younger than a '99. There was a fascinating mint note along with very impressive overall spice and red cherry. Very elegant tannins aren't in the forefront, but made clear to everybody that this wine will still be improving for many years to come. Best showing I can recall for this wine.
Tasted double blind. Red cherry and mushroom with savory spice and an energy level that made me think this Rioja, but I thought it at least a decade older. Not quite as robust as I'd hope for this wine, but perhaps it still needs more time and is somewhat dormant for now. I'm skeptical on this wine.
2012 Benjamin Leroux Auxey-Duresses Blanc 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses
Ripe apple and some stone fruit, followed by a hint of sweetness. Good throughout, slightly simple.
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1999 Torbreck The Steading 87 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Still showing good quality fruit, nicely mature, but with an overall cherry pie character that is fun, but tough to really find exciting.
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2006 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Black cherry with hints of kirsch and roasted game aromas. Dense black fruit on palate, with both good power and balance. Moderate length.
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1995 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Tasted double blind. Late release from winery (10 year anniversary sticker on the bottle). Black fruit with faint hints of emerging maturity, with good textures and length. Everybody thought this from Bordeaux to start, given its nice harmony and balance.
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2000 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Tasted double blind. Easily identified as from Bordeaux, with lots of black fruit, subtle signs of oak spice. Similar on palate with a fun, chewy texture. I've tried very little 2000 Bordeaux recently, so was surprised how accessible this is showing this young.
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2008 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Tasted double blind. Easy to identify as New World wine made in an extreme, ultra concentrated style. This is a fun wine that is easy to enjoy, and others enjoyed this a lot, but I would find it difficult to enjoy more than a glass.
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1999 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Corked.
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2011 Pierre Damoy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind, served alongside Rousseau 2011 Beze. Decanted an hour+ before serving. Black cherry, roast game, black pepper and licorice. Came across as classically Gevrey, and I was quite accurate identifying this wine. Very nicely balanced and energetic. Should drink well on the young side, perhaps starting around 2019.
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2011 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind, served alongside Damoy 2011 Beze. Decanted an hour+ before serving. Also meaty, black and dense, showing some new oaks hints that will integrate better shortly. Slightly flashier, riper and more dense vs the Damoy, which I also really enjoyed.
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2010 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Similar to another bottle opened a week ago, but certainly leaner and less power. Some thought it might be slightly backward for now.
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1997 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Served double blind to the tasting group. Open 2 hours before serving, with 15-20 minutes in a decanter. Another very fresh and powerful Jadot 1997, this showed classic Gevrey meatiness and animale with moderate spice.
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2002 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Red and black fruit with subtle background spice. Moderate weight and intensity, this is certainly a wine that would be appreciated more with dinner vs at a tasting.
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1947 Marcel Quancard Gevrey-Chambertin 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasted double blind. This was a very enjoyable old French wine that I thought most likely Burgundy, but it wasn't clear. Ripe and nicely earthy. This certainly was from a very good, ripe vintage, which I was able to correctly identify.
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1975 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. This had a pleasant spice element, but was very light for a 1975 with only earthy elements coming through. Slightly disappointed to see this once unveiled.
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1994 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Both nose and palate show very good spice with good red fruit, nicely mature. Firm tannins slightly pronounced. Much better than another bottle from a year ago.
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2006 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Fourches 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges
Tasted double blind. Ripe red cherry, some black cherry. Moderate firmness, depth and intensity, but very easy to enjoy right now.
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1983 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Seemed slightly older 30 years and certainly enjoyable mature red fruit with moderate depth. None of the funk or rot too often found in 1983s at this point.
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1999 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Popped and poured. Easily identified as fairly young Burgundy, although I thought it slightly younger than a '99. There was a fascinating mint note along with very impressive overall spice and red cherry. Very elegant tannins aren't in the forefront, but made clear to everybody that this wine will still be improving for many years to come. Best showing I can recall for this wine.
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1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 89 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Tasted double blind. Red cherry and mushroom with savory spice and an energy level that made me think this Rioja, but I thought it at least a decade older. Not quite as robust as I'd hope for this wine, but perhaps it still needs more time and is somewhat dormant for now. I'm skeptical on this wine.
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