Pale straw with green hues; cream, vanilla (these first two subsided with more air), good French oak, green apple, young, Chardonnay, lemongrass, lime zest, good depth; bitter citrus on the palate, apple, sweet green fruit, great acid, limestone came out with more air, nice plumpness and depth, medium length finish, nice balance; very good for price. 90-91
Dull red core with paler rim, see through; tart strawberry, cherry, medicinal, intense, high toned but not modern, rhubarb; smoky, volcanic, medicinal, leaner fruit, leather, lots of mineral, rhubarb, strawberry, herbs, sour cherry, strong bitterness, some tannin; called it.
Maroon with purple hues, see through, almost cloudy, pale rim; fruity, candied, grape flavoring, tart, young, lilac, red and darker fruit, almost rocky; nice weight, light and elegant, very sweet along with sour fruit, prickly acid, vanilla on finish, lots of dark cherry pie, no cola but cherry strawberry vanilla leads you to New World; good, I would give this a couple years for acid and fruit to tone down just a bit.
Dark core, cloudy, maroon rim; intense nose, green, black pepper, sweet and sour, brine, smelling it tickles the back of my throat, velvety texture, mineral; a bit more friendly on the palate, very sour, black pepper is less pronounced, lots of tapenade, granite, salty, sour plum, deeper, plush tannin, high acid is a bit harsh; has this gone through malolactic?, very intense wine reminiscent of the 2007 Equis, tons of character but not very pleasant.
Dull dark red core, clarity, crimson rim; tar, roses, good depth, fennel, cherry, anise, slight cedar, mint, smoky roasted fruit; tar, tannin, fatter mouthfeel, bitter note, lacks focus, medium plus body; wow, was on a Piemonte blend, Etna soil was not very pronounced.
Duller red core, see though, pale rim; sweet red cherry and vanilla, Burg, new, smoky reductiveness, sour cherry, fresh nose, very nice; good sap, fresh ripe cherry, some oak influence, good texture and focus, some bitter mineral in back; nice QPR, called 2009 Vosne-Romanee.
Pale maroon core with pale rim, see through; exotic nose, sweet, medicinal, watermelon, smoky, granite, some vegetal; candied a bit but enough tension to keep it serious, nice medicinal note, sweet soft red and dark fruit with a green edge (reminiscent of a soft young Chinon); very nice, called Beaujolais.
Garnet core with bright red rim; vanilla, dill, nail polish, hard to get past the oak at this stage, mix darker red and dark fruit; silky texture, fuller; ok but oak needs more time to integrate.
Opaque core with red rim; oak, black pepper, plush, smoky; strong oak, new French/American, dark fruit, currant, tobacco, menthol, ashy, slight jamminess, prune, bitterness on the finish; was on Ribera until I impulsively called modern St. Emilion, Toro makes sense; give this time.
Garnet with clarity to rim; raspberry, sour cherry, herbs, roundness but taut; mineral, tannin, sour cherry, firm acid, red apple skin, leaner, new; ok.
Dark core with bright maroon rim; smoky, glycerin, tobacco, menthol, tar, blackcurrant, green pepper; high toned, glycerin, plum, sweet deeper dark fruit, brulee, slight tobacco, black currant, good depth, very sappy.
2009 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Pale straw with green hues; cream, vanilla (these first two subsided with more air), good French oak, green apple, young, Chardonnay, lemongrass, lime zest, good depth; bitter citrus on the palate, apple, sweet green fruit, great acid, limestone came out with more air, nice plumpness and depth, medium length finish, nice balance; very good for price. 90-91
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2011 Terrazze dell'Etna Etna Carusu
Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
Dull red core with paler rim, see through; tart strawberry, cherry, medicinal, intense, high toned but not modern, rhubarb; smoky, volcanic, medicinal, leaner fruit, leather, lots of mineral, rhubarb, strawberry, herbs, sour cherry, strong bitterness, some tannin; called it.
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2012 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County
USA, California, Sonoma County
Maroon with purple hues, see through, almost cloudy, pale rim; fruity, candied, grape flavoring, tart, young, lilac, red and darker fruit, almost rocky; nice weight, light and elegant, very sweet along with sour fruit, prickly acid, vanilla on finish, lots of dark cherry pie, no cola but cherry strawberry vanilla leads you to New World; good, I would give this a couple years for acid and fruit to tone down just a bit.
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2010 Domaine Yves Cuilleron St. Joseph Les Pierres Seches
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Dark core, cloudy, maroon rim; intense nose, green, black pepper, sweet and sour, brine, smelling it tickles the back of my throat, velvety texture, mineral; a bit more friendly on the palate, very sour, black pepper is less pronounced, lots of tapenade, granite, salty, sour plum, deeper, plush tannin, high acid is a bit harsh; has this gone through malolactic?, very intense wine reminiscent of the 2007 Equis, tons of character but not very pleasant.
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2010 Terrazze dell'Etna Terre Siciliane Cratere
Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane
Dull dark red core, clarity, crimson rim; tar, roses, good depth, fennel, cherry, anise, slight cedar, mint, smoky roasted fruit; tar, tannin, fatter mouthfeel, bitter note, lacks focus, medium plus body; wow, was on a Piemonte blend, Etna soil was not very pronounced.
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2010 Michel Magnien Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
Duller red core, see though, pale rim; sweet red cherry and vanilla, Burg, new, smoky reductiveness, sour cherry, fresh nose, very nice; good sap, fresh ripe cherry, some oak influence, good texture and focus, some bitter mineral in back; nice QPR, called 2009 Vosne-Romanee.
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2012 Daniel Bouland Chiroubles
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chiroubles
Pale maroon core with pale rim, see through; exotic nose, sweet, medicinal, watermelon, smoky, granite, some vegetal; candied a bit but enough tension to keep it serious, nice medicinal note, sweet soft red and dark fruit with a green edge (reminiscent of a soft young Chinon); very nice, called Beaujolais.
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2009 Viña Herminia Rioja Reserva
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Garnet core with bright red rim; vanilla, dill, nail polish, hard to get past the oak at this stage, mix darker red and dark fruit; silky texture, fuller; ok but oak needs more time to integrate.
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2008 Bodegas Pintia Toro Pintia
Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
Opaque core with red rim; oak, black pepper, plush, smoky; strong oak, new French/American, dark fruit, currant, tobacco, menthol, ashy, slight jamminess, prune, bitterness on the finish; was on Ribera until I impulsively called modern St. Emilion, Toro makes sense; give this time.
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2012 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Garnet with clarity to rim; raspberry, sour cherry, herbs, roundness but taut; mineral, tannin, sour cherry, firm acid, red apple skin, leaner, new; ok.
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2012 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Dark core with bright maroon rim; smoky, glycerin, tobacco, menthol, tar, blackcurrant, green pepper; high toned, glycerin, plum, sweet deeper dark fruit, brulee, slight tobacco, black currant, good depth, very sappy.
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