France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Ripe orchard fruit with sweet spice hints and a little bit of buttered popcorn. Lots of energy and structural support. As a result, this simultaneously seems fat and lean, both working well together. Good now, with upside.
Rich apple aromas and flavors, clearly fully mature with some fun butterscotch notes. Very good concentration, which is helping this hold up, but still time to drink up.
From magnum. Alluring aromatic start with rich tropical fruit and lots of floral charm. Very rich throughout, slightly more enticing new. Nose vs Palate, where the richness seems almost sweet on finish.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Small glass, brief note. Big and bold black fruit that is just barely starting to fade, but the concentration keeps this from seeming tired. Probably better a year or three ago, but certainly still enjoyable.
Small glass, brief note. I can understand why some people would enjoy this well made wine, but the sweetness and extreme ripeness do not work well for me.
From magnum. Black cherry with good concentration and earth notes throughout. Slightly more powerful and longer vs another magnum from last month. Plenty of life going forward.
Nicely mature red cherry and berry with earth and overall excellent balance, with good length and weight. Good textures. This evolved and got more interesting over the course of the evening.
Tasty and very enjoyable, but still young and not particularly evolved, so just moderately interesting. Simpler than I expected, but I am hopeful for the future.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
I liked this when initially tasted after open an hour, with moderate black fruit, even if nowhere near the power or complexity for Grand Cru in a great vintage. I later found it tired and bland when retasted a couple of hours later.
Small glass, brief note. Lighter style vs when last tasted a few years back. Moderate weight and length, but certainly easy to enjoy, even if not seemingly very "1989."
Small glass, brief note. Great nose of cassis, black plum and good spice. Not particularly accessible or pleasurable right now with rigid tannic structure dominating the palate. Needs lots more time, and hopefully balance will emerge.
Tasted this several hours after it was opened, so it had already lost much of its effervescence, so I may be understating the wine's greatness. Opulent aromas and flavors, with toasted walnut, ripe apple, lemon custard, wild red berries and toasted brioche all coming through over the course of 10 minutes I kept this in glass. Very long and minerally finish.
Small glass, brief note. All black fruit with dark chocolate. Overall good balance. Very enjoyable now, with enough elegant structure to age gracefully for probably another decade.
Small glass, brief note. From magnum. A behemoth of a wine in both good and bad terms. Somewhat too rich, but with underlying structure to maintain just enough balance to be a fun wine.
Small glass, brief note. From magnum. Black fruit with great concentration. Still lots of structure. so I think this has upside as it softens. My favorite amongst tonight's Cabernet-based wines.
Small glass, brief note. Very ripe black plum and blackberry with whiffs of liqueur. New oak seems rather pronounced right now, and the finish a touch sweet today, but the concentration is good, so I am optimistic for its potential, 2019 forward.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Small glass, brief note. Ripe black fruit with dark chocolate and dark roast coffee. Easily maintains balance despite the ripeness. Long finish, but with with a slight sweetness I didn't like as much as everything else in the wine.
Still extremely ripe and dense, seeming too ultra ripe for now. At the same time there is great concentration that gives me confidence this will become very enjoyable with a few more years in the cellar.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Popped and poured. Not a lot forthcoming aromatically, but followed by substantial flavors I enjoyed. Perhaps a year or three past its absolute peak, but very enjoyable with good concentration and an intriguing combination of orchard and tropical fruits.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Popped and poured. Lots of bright red fruit and slightly sweet baking spice. Prototypical Vosne profile, clearly showing Grand Cru density. I kept this in glass for 10-15 minutes, and it expanding and opened slightly more in that brief period. Very good tonight, but I think this was consistent with a few very good bottles I had 5-10 years ago and thought around the "93 point" level.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Small glass, brief note. Popped and poured. Enticing black and red cherry everywhere with both sweet and savory spice. Moderate power, great finesse. Everything harmonious.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Also popped and poured. Fresh red fruit aromas, slightly austere. More forthcoming flavors with spice notes starting to emerge with a bit more air. I kept this in glass 10-15 minutes and it seemed to expand even in that brief time. I would have liked to try this a few hours later!
Small glass, brief note. Bottle had been opened the day before, 1/2 consumed, then recorked and refrigerated. Next day this showed lots of bright red fruit with excellent density for Villages and nuanced spice and textures. Better than I recall from when tasted in Burgundy last year.
2007 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Ripe orchard fruit with sweet spice hints and a little bit of buttered popcorn. Lots of energy and structural support. As a result, this simultaneously seems fat and lean, both working well together. Good now, with upside.
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2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Slightly oxidized.
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2007 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Rich and opulent stone fruit that has such good concentration that it is holding up wonderfully, especially given seemingly less firm structure.
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2007 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Rich apple aromas and flavors, clearly fully mature with some fun butterscotch notes. Very good concentration, which is helping this hold up, but still time to drink up.
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2007 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
From magnum. Alluring aromatic start with rich tropical fruit and lots of floral charm. Very rich throughout, slightly more enticing new. Nose vs Palate, where the richness seems almost sweet on finish.
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2010 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Certainly a powerhouse, but this shows balance in almost regard as well. VG concentration, good length. Best over the next few years.
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2014 Littorai Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
A fine entry level wine, with plenty of bright strawberry with everything in good harmony, even if just slightly simple.
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2007 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Willow Creek Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Red and black berries are nicely mature with moderate weight, good hints of nuance and top notch balance. Best for the near-term.
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2007 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir Little Hill 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Ripe black and red cherry aromas, nicely maturing with sweet spice. Similar flavors, just slightly less robust or overall exciting. Time to drink up.
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2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Amber Ridge Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Small glass, brief note. Big and bold black fruit that is just barely starting to fade, but the concentration keeps this from seeming tired. Probably better a year or three ago, but certainly still enjoyable.
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2012 Boars' View Pinot Noir The Coast
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Small glass, brief note. I can understand why some people would enjoy this well made wine, but the sweetness and extreme ripeness do not work well for me.
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2008 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
A great wine just sadly corked tonight. Some disagreed, but I imagine they have never actually tasted a correct bottle of this wonderful wine before.
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1997 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
From magnum. Black cherry with good concentration and earth notes throughout. Slightly more powerful and longer vs another magnum from last month. Plenty of life going forward.
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2002 Louis Jadot Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Barre 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Nicely mature red cherry and berry with earth and overall excellent balance, with good length and weight. Good textures. This evolved and got more interesting over the course of the evening.
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2002 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Tasty and very enjoyable, but still young and not particularly evolved, so just moderately interesting. Simpler than I expected, but I am hopeful for the future.
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2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Red cherry on nose and palate with floral and spice hints. Easy to enjoy with overall good balance. I'd just like a little more depth or nuance.
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2002 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Heat damaged or otherwise stewed.
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2005 Hospices de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine Collignon Bouchard Père et Fils (Hospices Auction Group)
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
I liked this when initially tasted after open an hour, with moderate black fruit, even if nowhere near the power or complexity for Grand Cru in a great vintage. I later found it tired and bland when retasted a couple of hours later.
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1989 Château Sociando-Mallet Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Slightly corked.
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1989 Château Beychevelle Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Most certainly corked.
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1989 Château Clerc Milon
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Small glass, brief note. Lighter style vs when last tasted a few years back. Moderate weight and length, but certainly easy to enjoy, even if not seemingly very "1989."
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1998 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Small glass, brief note. Great nose of cassis, black plum and good spice. Not particularly accessible or pleasurable right now with rigid tannic structure dominating the palate. Needs lots more time, and hopefully balance will emerge.
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2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François 94 Points
France, Champagne
Tasted this several hours after it was opened, so it had already lost much of its effervescence, so I may be understating the wine's greatness. Opulent aromas and flavors, with toasted walnut, ripe apple, lemon custard, wild red berries and toasted brioche all coming through over the course of 10 minutes I kept this in glass. Very long and minerally finish.
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1997 The Napa Valley Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
Small glass, brief note. All black fruit with dark chocolate. Overall good balance. Very enjoyable now, with enough elegant structure to age gracefully for probably another decade.
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2001 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Black currant and cherry, more robust on palate than on the nose. Very well balanced, very good now, but this might even have upside from here.
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2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Small glass, brief note. From magnum. A behemoth of a wine in both good and bad terms. Somewhat too rich, but with underlying structure to maintain just enough balance to be a fun wine.
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2005 Ridge Monte Bello 94 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Small glass, brief note. From magnum. Black fruit with great concentration. Still lots of structure. so I think this has upside as it softens. My favorite amongst tonight's Cabernet-based wines.
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2013 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
Small glass, brief note. Very ripe black plum and blackberry with whiffs of liqueur. New oak seems rather pronounced right now, and the finish a touch sweet today, but the concentration is good, so I am optimistic for its potential, 2019 forward.
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2003 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard 91 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Small glass, brief note. Ripe black fruit with dark chocolate and dark roast coffee. Easily maintains balance despite the ripeness. Long finish, but with with a slight sweetness I didn't like as much as everything else in the wine.
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2013 Sine Qua Non Grenache ♀
USA, California, Central Coast
Still extremely ripe and dense, seeming too ultra ripe for now. At the same time there is great concentration that gives me confidence this will become very enjoyable with a few more years in the cellar.
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2004 Alban Vineyards Pandora
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Small glass, brief note. I had trouble getting past the amount of SO2, but all the VA behind that SO2 wasn't particularly welcoming either.
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2001 Domaine Jacques Prieur Chevalier-Montrachet 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Popped and poured. Not a lot forthcoming aromatically, but followed by substantial flavors I enjoyed. Perhaps a year or three past its absolute peak, but very enjoyable with good concentration and an intriguing combination of orchard and tropical fruits.
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2002 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Popped and poured. Lots of bright red fruit and slightly sweet baking spice. Prototypical Vosne profile, clearly showing Grand Cru density. I kept this in glass for 10-15 minutes, and it expanding and opened slightly more in that brief period. Very good tonight, but I think this was consistent with a few very good bottles I had 5-10 years ago and thought around the "93 point" level.
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1999 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Small glass, brief note. Popped and poured. Enticing black and red cherry everywhere with both sweet and savory spice. Moderate power, great finesse. Everything harmonious.
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2001 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
Small glass, brief note. Also popped and poured. Fresh red fruit aromas, slightly austere. More forthcoming flavors with spice notes starting to emerge with a bit more air. I kept this in glass 10-15 minutes and it seemed to expand even in that brief time. I would have liked to try this a few hours later!
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2014 Domaine Anne Gros Vosne-Romanée Les Barreaux 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
Small glass, brief note. Bottle had been opened the day before, 1/2 consumed, then recorked and refrigerated. Next day this showed lots of bright red fruit with excellent density for Villages and nuanced spice and textures. Better than I recall from when tasted in Burgundy last year.
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