Nice attack of ripe fruit, orange peel, red apples, and a hint of sweetness. Then, it quickly hollows out, with very little finish. Quite unremarkable, though I suspect that this is not a representative bottle.
Deeply fruited and quite open. Black cherry, plum, spice. Slightly chalky mouthfeel. Excellent structure, with plentiful acid and tannin, though the tannins are quite soft even on open. Certainly not a "traditional" Rioja, but very yummy. Had alongside the 1994, and this one was much more open and pronounced. Excellent.
Had alongside the 2001, and the 94 was showing much less fruit and more subtlety, though did eventually reveal dark fruit and cedar. Enjoyed it less than 2001, but perhaps that is because it was unfairly sitting next to a burlier, bigger wine.
So, this didn't suck. A bit reserved at first, but really came alive with an hour or so of air. Pencil, cherry, woody perfume on the nose. The tannins are very silky and soft; medium-plus acid. This shows what California Cab could be, decidedly new world, but elegant and restrained. Very good.
We got the "La Chapelle" story, but I'd be surprised if it were true. Silky light mouthfeel; leather, animal. Somewhat "tingly" tannin. Good, not great.
I had only a little and it struck me as fairly advanced and unremarkable. After an hour, the nose showed some pretty perfume, but the palate was never more than just okay.
1990 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Nice attack of ripe fruit, orange peel, red apples, and a hint of sweetness. Then, it quickly hollows out, with very little finish. Quite unremarkable, though I suspect that this is not a representative bottle.
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1985 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Beautiful pronounced nose of leather, herbs, and a liquor-like quality. Light, lithe mouthfeel. Medium acid and very approachable tannin. Yum.
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2001 Artadi Rioja Grandes Añadas
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
Deeply fruited and quite open. Black cherry, plum, spice. Slightly chalky mouthfeel. Excellent structure, with plentiful acid and tannin, though the tannins are quite soft even on open. Certainly not a "traditional" Rioja, but very yummy. Had alongside the 1994, and this one was much more open and pronounced. Excellent.
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1994 Artadi Rioja Grandes Añadas Reserva
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
Had alongside the 2001, and the 94 was showing much less fruit and more subtlety, though did eventually reveal dark fruit and cedar. Enjoyed it less than 2001, but perhaps that is because it was unfairly sitting next to a burlier, bigger wine.
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1991 Ridge Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
So, this didn't suck. A bit reserved at first, but really came alive with an hour or so of air. Pencil, cherry, woody perfume on the nose. The tannins are very silky and soft; medium-plus acid. This shows what California Cab could be, decidedly new world, but elegant and restrained. Very good.
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1990 André Passat Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
We got the "La Chapelle" story, but I'd be surprised if it were true. Silky light mouthfeel; leather, animal. Somewhat "tingly" tannin. Good, not great.
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1990 Grippat Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
I had only a little and it struck me as fairly advanced and unremarkable. After an hour, the nose showed some pretty perfume, but the palate was never more than just okay.
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