France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. This had been open approx 3 hours. Red and black cherry, lots of spice on nose and palate. Outstanding mineral streak here. Good now, but still a bit firm, so I expect upside from here.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Popped and poured, then revisited 3 or 4 times through the night. Lemon peel, toasted almonds and a bit of tropical fruit on nose. Apple, lemon, lemon peel flavors with great spice throughout. Intense concentration. Kept getting better with more air, and better when served at warmer temps. Great potential here.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Tasted a couple of times over the evening. Floral with lots of sweet spice. Good apple and peach are very approachable now. Moderate depth and energy make me think this best as medium-term wine, perhaps 2016-2023.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
From magnum. Tasted several times in the evening. Wonderful combination of floral, spice and fruit that comes across as rich, while firm and slightly backward right now. Very cellarworthy.
Small taste, brief note. My first time trying this wine. Very ripe and jammy black and blue fruit, much like I find almost all SQN in their first year in the cellar. Great concentration and good balance, so I know patience will be rewarded.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Delicious baked apple throughout with intense spice. Less focus on Ramonet telltale mint than usual. Slightly honeyed and caramel hints emerging, I would consume this in the next 3-5 years if this bottle is representative. To double check, i will open a bottle at an upcoming dinner.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. From magnum. Magnificently complex nose with ripe black fruit, spice throughout. Same ripe, black fruit on palate but far less forthcoming for now. 97 point nose, 90 point palate for pleasure today, but I'd expect 95-96 point potential here.
Small taste, brief note. Incredibly tasty, nicely maturing. Superb length and finesse. Poured at dinner by the Ruinart cellar master, so most likely directly from Ruinart.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Lush red and black fruit with very good meaty spice. Midweight character is characteristic of good 2011s that weren't overextracted. but this has more charming fruit compared with most from the vintage. Very good.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Lots of black and red cherry, just firm and backward. I don't think this bottle was given the necessary air to show its full potential. I last had this a few years ago and with several hours of air it was sensational.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
This was one of the bottles I was most eager to try today. Perfect fill, perfect condition, but slightly tired wine. Almost entirely tertiary. Not close to the level of another bottle from a few years back.
Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Mature fruit with good spice. Great concentration and length for its level. Beautifully evolved nuance shows this great vintage nicely.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Small taste, brief note. Wonderful black fruit, slightly maturing, great density. Very engaging spice. Slight trace of brett, perhaps a bit more than I'd prefer for further cellaring.
Small taste, brief note. Very tasty mature orchard fruit with very good spice. i'd expect this is at its peak, or might have been slightly better 5 years ago. Very good, but probably not a real value at its current price.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Very delicious right now with good density and balance and fully resolved structure. I wouldn't expect much more upside. Very good now.
2004 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
France, Champagne
Tasty with lots of lemon peel and apple. Very powerful and energetic. The most I've enjoyed this young wine to date.
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1993 Domaine d'Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Bonnes Mares 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. This had been open approx 3 hours. Red and black cherry, lots of spice on nose and palate. Outstanding mineral streak here. Good now, but still a bit firm, so I expect upside from here.
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2008 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Popped and poured, then revisited 3 or 4 times through the night. Lemon peel, toasted almonds and a bit of tropical fruit on nose. Apple, lemon, lemon peel flavors with great spice throughout. Intense concentration. Kept getting better with more air, and better when served at warmer temps. Great potential here.
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2011 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Tasted a couple of times over the evening. Floral with lots of sweet spice. Good apple and peach are very approachable now. Moderate depth and energy make me think this best as medium-term wine, perhaps 2016-2023.
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2011 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
From magnum. Tasted several times in the evening. Wonderful combination of floral, spice and fruit that comes across as rich, while firm and slightly backward right now. Very cellarworthy.
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2005 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Slightly corked, most clearly on palate. Great underlying fruit and concentration
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2012 Sine Qua Non Syrah Stock
USA, California, Central Coast
Small taste, brief note. My first time trying this wine. Very ripe and jammy black and blue fruit, much like I find almost all SQN in their first year in the cellar. Great concentration and good balance, so I know patience will be rewarded.
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1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 96 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Spicebox throughout, with layers of complex fruit and spice. Best i can ever recall for this consistently great wine.
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2005 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Delicious baked apple throughout with intense spice. Less focus on Ramonet telltale mint than usual. Slightly honeyed and caramel hints emerging, I would consume this in the next 3-5 years if this bottle is representative. To double check, i will open a bottle at an upcoming dinner.
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2005 Château Cheval Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. From magnum. Magnificently complex nose with ripe black fruit, spice throughout. Same ripe, black fruit on palate but far less forthcoming for now. 97 point nose, 90 point palate for pleasure today, but I'd expect 95-96 point potential here.
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1986 Château Margaux 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Small taste, brief note. Another 1986 that just keeps getting better, even if not a blockbuster. Incredible balance.
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1990 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé 94 Points
France, Champagne
Small taste, brief note. Incredibly tasty, nicely maturing. Superb length and finesse. Poured at dinner by the Ruinart cellar master, so most likely directly from Ruinart.
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2011 Domaine Duroché Charmes-Chambertin 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Lush red and black fruit with very good meaty spice. Midweight character is characteristic of good 2011s that weren't overextracted. but this has more charming fruit compared with most from the vintage. Very good.
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1988 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil Flawed
France, Champagne
I wanted to cry. Slightly corked.
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1993 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. A real beauty with lots of ripe apple. Moderate power, but great textures, length and finesse.
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2005 Château Haut-Brion
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Small taste, brief note. Huge powerhouse of a wine even if clearly very backward for now. Lots of everything.
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1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Lots of black and red cherry, just firm and backward. I don't think this bottle was given the necessary air to show its full potential. I last had this a few years ago and with several hours of air it was sensational.
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1959 Château Haut-Brion
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Wow! Absolutely sensational. Incredibly elegant while powerful for a wine its age. High 90s points for certain.
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1978 Maison Leroy Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
This was one of the bottles I was most eager to try today. Perfect fill, perfect condition, but slightly tired wine. Almost entirely tertiary. Not close to the level of another bottle from a few years back.
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1978 Faiveley Morey St. Denis 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis
Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Mature fruit with good spice. Great concentration and length for its level. Beautifully evolved nuance shows this great vintage nicely.
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1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Small taste, brief note. Wonderful black fruit, slightly maturing, great density. Very engaging spice. Slight trace of brett, perhaps a bit more than I'd prefer for further cellaring.
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1996 Coche-Dury Meursault
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Small taste, brief note. Very tasty mature orchard fruit with very good spice. i'd expect this is at its peak, or might have been slightly better 5 years ago. Very good, but probably not a real value at its current price.
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1997 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
Small taste, brief note. Very delicious right now with good density and balance and fully resolved structure. I wouldn't expect much more upside. Very good now.
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