Moderately rich apple and pear aromas and flavors with lemon notes. Very good concentration and length, very linear and minerally. A style I like in vintages with enough richness.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Ripe stone fruit start-to-finish comes across as fleshy and a little flashy. Good concentration, length and balance with the right structure for near-term enjoyment. There is most likely still some upside, but I doubt this will be better 5 years from now vs today.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Dense and powerful, still coming across as reserved and slightly backward. That reserve makes this an unusual 2009. Many very good things come through - ripe apple, poached pear, spring flowers, anise, white pepper, mineral textures - but in restrained balance. Finish clearly comes across as having Grand Cru density. Similar to my experience with this wine last year.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Red and black cherry, both sweet and tart. Ripe fruit with savory spice, starting to mature earlier than many 2012s, but very friendly. shadowed by the Bonnes Mares 2014 in the next glass.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Rich black berry aromas with thyme and tarragon. Similar fresh fruit flavors also bring out some red fruit, along with equally good spice. Powerful, long and meaty. If served blind, I'd have thought a top Gevrey Grand Cru. Still firm middle through finish, so this wine needs time in the cellar, but is certainly pleasurable right now.
Red and black cherry, nicely flora. Elegant throughout with tannins that were simultaneously firm and soft. Moderate weight and length. Does this need one or two decades in the cellar? This wine was the most disadvantaged tonight by its pairing (Dal forno Amarone) and need for cellar time.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Blackberry, blueberry, dried blueberry with dark chocolate. Hinting at sweetness, but more like sweetness of a Maillard reaction. Lots of tannins, but they are able to stay in the background. Very long finish.
Dried and fresh apricot with honeycomb. very good concentration and balance with good energy. Served in a crystal spoon, which frankly did this wine a disservice, given the aromas being at least as enjoyable as the flavors. Another taste from a glass was much more enjoyable. Another wine with great potential once some complexity emerges, perhaps with 95+ point potential.
2002 Gosset Champagne Célebris 92 Points
France, Champagne
Moderately rich apple and pear aromas and flavors with lemon notes. Very good concentration and length, very linear and minerally. A style I like in vintages with enough richness.
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1995 Gosset Champagne Célebris 89 Points
France, Champagne
Fully mature with good concentration, good orchard fruit and plenty of toasted bread and roasted almonds. Moderate power.
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2012 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Ripe stone fruit start-to-finish comes across as fleshy and a little flashy. Good concentration, length and balance with the right structure for near-term enjoyment. There is most likely still some upside, but I doubt this will be better 5 years from now vs today.
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2009 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Dense and powerful, still coming across as reserved and slightly backward. That reserve makes this an unusual 2009. Many very good things come through - ripe apple, poached pear, spring flowers, anise, white pepper, mineral textures - but in restrained balance. Finish clearly comes across as having Grand Cru density. Similar to my experience with this wine last year.
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2012 Olivier Bernstein Clos de la Roche 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Red and black cherry, both sweet and tart. Ripe fruit with savory spice, starting to mature earlier than many 2012s, but very friendly. shadowed by the Bonnes Mares 2014 in the next glass.
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2014 Olivier Bernstein Bonnes Mares 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Rich black berry aromas with thyme and tarragon. Similar fresh fruit flavors also bring out some red fruit, along with equally good spice. Powerful, long and meaty. If served blind, I'd have thought a top Gevrey Grand Cru. Still firm middle through finish, so this wine needs time in the cellar, but is certainly pleasurable right now.
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2010 Elvio Cogno Barolo Riserva Vigna Elena
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Red and black cherry, nicely flora. Elegant throughout with tannins that were simultaneously firm and soft. Moderate weight and length. Does this need one or two decades in the cellar? This wine was the most disadvantaged tonight by its pairing (Dal forno Amarone) and need for cellar time.
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2008 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 93 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Blackberry, blueberry, dried blueberry with dark chocolate. Hinting at sweetness, but more like sweetness of a Maillard reaction. Lots of tannins, but they are able to stay in the background. Very long finish.
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2008 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Essencia
Hungary, Tokaji
Dried and fresh apricot with honeycomb. very good concentration and balance with good energy. Served in a crystal spoon, which frankly did this wine a disservice, given the aromas being at least as enjoyable as the flavors. Another taste from a glass was much more enjoyable. Another wine with great potential once some complexity emerges, perhaps with 95+ point potential.
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1965 Baron Gaston Legrand Bas Armagnac
France, Southwest France, Gascony, Bas Armagnac
Age has been kind to this Armagnac, letting it get smooth and slightly smoky. I rarely drink spirits, but enjoyed a few sips of this charmer.
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