Mint, herb, toast and yeast. Quite astringent on the palate, with the acidity riding high across the length. Lacks a little in depth, and while it seems simple, there is some refreshment value within.
Apricot, orange peel, marmalade, earth and pear. Ripe and structured on the palate, this has good purity and interest with an earthy streak running alongside the richer fruit. Surprisingly good for Pinot Blanc, but not surprising given the quality of the producer.
White florals, slate, lemon peel, and minerals with plenty of spice. Beautifully pure on the palate, this shows great length and verve. Really lifted fruit, while still having great mineral drive. The acidity feels well balanced, working well with the fruit. This is drinking beautifully.
Lemon, mineral, pear and musk. Good texture, there is nice brightness to the richer styled fruit, thanks to good acidity. Good length as well. Would be happy to see one of these in a few more years.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Honeyed, toast and oak character on the nose. Structure is holding strongly, with the oak and wood standing out a little too much, especially through the mid palate. Decent texture and character, a little more time might help the oak integrate but I'm not sure if the fruit will hold.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Blind. Grass, lime, vanilla and graphite. The palate shows delicate fruit, with lovely acidity that zings through the great length. Really fine detail and very youthful. Really good stuff.
Blind. Cloudy colour. Herbal tea, ginger and pineapple. Sweet palate, with honeyed notes throughout. Feels flabby and a drink now proposition. Unfortunately 10 years on I'm not digging this nearly as much.
Herbal, pepper, rhubarb and cherry. Palate is decently balanced, but there is little depth to it. Drinks perfectly fine for a Bourgogne but given the price, it is hard to recommend.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blackcurrant, cherry and pepper. Medium bodied, with the black fruit still showing through. Medium length. Holding very well, but definitely lacking in excitement.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Violet, pepper, iron, redcurrant and some herbal tones. The acidity sparks up well, with the restrained red fruits showing through well. Good persistence. Has settled a bit in the last couple of years, though another couple would surely do it no harm.
Mineral, red berries, pepper and roses. Punchy on the palate, really fine red fruits, a delicate element that I really like, while still having some coiled power. Very youthful but also very good.
Chocolate, cherry, violet and ash. The tannins on the palate are strong, but the fruit stands up to it really well. Superb length and depth. Showing a lot now, even though it is obviously young and bursting with potential. Quite compelling stuff, a complete package.
Toast, ash, vanilla, meat and leather. Good savoury and spicy fruits on the palate, this shows very good length. There are hints at brett but it is low level. In a really nice spot for drinking now and over the next 4-5 years.
Rubber, licorice, raspberry and redcurrant. Nice restraint to the fruit, still showing some youthful brightness but the structure and texture are the main features at the moment. Developing well and more time will be of benefit.
Green beans, tobacco and some meaty bretty notes. The palate is elegant, with quiet fruit and medium length. Well balanced, this is in a good place for drinking now and over the next few years based on this bottle.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Blackcurrant, blackberrry and dusty charcoal. Rich and full throttled on the palate, the alcohol element does creep in a little bit and disrupt the flow. Not bad but doesn't stand out as being more than that.
Chalk, musk, lemon, cherry and some honey as it warms up. Really nice texture, lifted acidity with great cut. It does show some richness with air. Feels very composed and while it has good interest now, I think a few years in the bottle will yield a very pleasing result.
2008 André Clouet Dream Vintage 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Mint, herb, toast and yeast. Quite astringent on the palate, with the acidity riding high across the length. Lacks a little in depth, and while it seems simple, there is some refreshment value within.
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2008 Albert Boxler Pinot Blanc "B" 91 Points
France, Alsace
Apricot, orange peel, marmalade, earth and pear. Ripe and structured on the palate, this has good purity and interest with an earthy streak running alongside the richer fruit. Surprisingly good for Pinot Blanc, but not surprising given the quality of the producer.
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2015 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs 94 Points
Germany, Nahe
White florals, slate, lemon peel, and minerals with plenty of spice. Beautifully pure on the palate, this shows great length and verve. Really lifted fruit, while still having great mineral drive. The acidity feels well balanced, working well with the fruit. This is drinking beautifully.
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2015 Gundog Estate Sémillon Indomitus Albus 90 Points
Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Lemon, mineral, pear and musk. Good texture, there is nice brightness to the richer styled fruit, thanks to good acidity. Good length as well. Would be happy to see one of these in a few more years.
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2004 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Corton-Charlemagne 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Honeyed, toast and oak character on the nose. Structure is holding strongly, with the oak and wood standing out a little too much, especially through the mid palate. Decent texture and character, a little more time might help the oak integrate but I'm not sure if the fruit will hold.
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2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Blind. Grass, lime, vanilla and graphite. The palate shows delicate fruit, with lovely acidity that zings through the great length. Really fine detail and very youthful. Really good stuff.
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2004 Bass Phillip Chardonnay Premium 86 Points
Australia, Victoria, Gippsland
Blind. Cloudy colour. Herbal tea, ginger and pineapple. Sweet palate, with honeyed notes throughout. Feels flabby and a drink now proposition. Unfortunately 10 years on I'm not digging this nearly as much.
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2009 Coche-Dury Bourgogne 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Herbal, pepper, rhubarb and cherry. Palate is decently balanced, but there is little depth to it. Drinks perfectly fine for a Bourgogne but given the price, it is hard to recommend.
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2012 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Farconnet Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Corked.
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1989 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blackcurrant, cherry and pepper. Medium bodied, with the black fruit still showing through. Medium length. Holding very well, but definitely lacking in excitement.
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2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve 91 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Violet, pepper, iron, redcurrant and some herbal tones. The acidity sparks up well, with the restrained red fruits showing through well. Good persistence. Has settled a bit in the last couple of years, though another couple would surely do it no harm.
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2011 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 91 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Mineral, red berries, pepper and roses. Punchy on the palate, really fine red fruits, a delicate element that I really like, while still having some coiled power. Very youthful but also very good.
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2004 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Chocolate, cherry, violet and ash. The tannins on the palate are strong, but the fruit stands up to it really well. Superb length and depth. Showing a lot now, even though it is obviously young and bursting with potential. Quite compelling stuff, a complete package.
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2000 Brokenwood Shiraz Graveyard 92 Points
Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Toast, ash, vanilla, meat and leather. Good savoury and spicy fruits on the palate, this shows very good length. There are hints at brett but it is low level. In a really nice spot for drinking now and over the next 4-5 years.
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2011 Tyrrell's Shiraz Vat 9 90 Points
Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Rubber, licorice, raspberry and redcurrant. Nice restraint to the fruit, still showing some youthful brightness but the structure and texture are the main features at the moment. Developing well and more time will be of benefit.
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1996 Château Léoville Poyferré 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Green beans, tobacco and some meaty bretty notes. The palate is elegant, with quiet fruit and medium length. Well balanced, this is in a good place for drinking now and over the next few years based on this bottle.
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2007 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo Veneto IGT 90 Points
Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT
Violets, tar, raspberry and chocolate. Plenty of richness behind the fruit, but maintains good texture and has good length. Solidly interesting.
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2012 Marion Amarone della Valpolicella 88 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Blackcurrant, blackberrry and dusty charcoal. Rich and full throttled on the palate, the alcohol element does creep in a little bit and disrupt the flow. Not bad but doesn't stand out as being more than that.
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2014 Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines 92 Points
France, Champagne
Chalk, musk, lemon, cherry and some honey as it warms up. Really nice texture, lifted acidity with great cut. It does show some richness with air. Feels very composed and while it has good interest now, I think a few years in the bottle will yield a very pleasing result.
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