Tasted double blind. Ripe and unctuous with lots of apple and spice, but slightly simple. I struggled between thinking this Burgundy vs Alsace, wondering if the fat, oily character was from vintage ripeness and oak vs varietal character, but was wrong in every regard.
Tasted double blind. Certainly eccentric. Spicy with peach, white pepper, lychee nute, toasted almonds and candied ginger. Good concentration, but slightly flabby. I wondered if this was Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris, and decided on the latter. Wrong either way.
Tasted double blind. Came across with grapefruit and grass, so I immediately thought Sauv Blanc, but also showing a lush richness, so I thought it from a ripe vintage, approx 10 yo. It seemed more Bordeaux vs Loire and nicely balanced, so got everything correct here, including producer, but thought it 2005 instead of 2003. Best white wine of the evening.
Tasted double blind. Easily identified as fully mature+ white Burg, bordering on past its peak. I thought it had a nutty character with moderate weight, so thought it might be 1999 Meursault villages.
Served double blind to the tasting group, and almost everybody correctly identified this as Northern Rhone. Lots of tropical fruits with dried figs and slightly sweet spice, but also lots of dried floral notes. Very concentrated and powerful. Came across as much more mature vs the last bottle from this same case that was opened one year ago. Glad this was my last bottle.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Tasted double blind. Sweet black fruit from a very ripe vintage, most likley past its peak. Old World structure lingering in the background. I thought this 30+ yo Burgundy, thinking Gevrey 1er Cru. Shocked when unveiled, this is another 1998 CDP on a downward spiral of decay.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Decanting didn't really help, this was just so backward and extremely firm. No pleasure from this wine tonight, even with faint hints of upside. I couldn't even imagine this being from Burgundy.
Tasted double blind. Rich and opulent with dark chocolate, cassis and cedar. Seemed to clearly show Old World structure and elegance, but from a ripe vintage that is tarting to age gracefully. I thought it a 2000 from Pauillac.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. One of the strangest wines I tasted blind in a long time. Nothing seemed burgundy, nobody thought this Burgundy. This came across as New World to me, varietal non-descript, imperfectly balanced, perhaps needing more time. What a head scratcher.
Tasted double blind. Rich black fruit with a hollow middle. Starts great, leaves you wanting something more, even while pleasant. I was torn between this being Super Tuscan vs Cali Cab, but ending up thinking 1995 Tuscany, with some rustic edges not fully balanced.
Tasted double blind. Pleasant black fruit with slightly more interesting spice. Came across as a mediocre modern styled wine from some varietal from somewhere, but not much more. Best to enjoy while still fresh.
Popped-and-poured, then tasted double blind. Black fruit, very dense, backward and meaty with powerful structure in an elegant frame. I did not do well here, first thinking this Bordeaux. When told this was Northern Rhone, I thought Chave. Oops...but it was cellar temp and popped-and-poured! When told Guigal, I did correctly identify this as Landonne. Patience required.
1999 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Rotes Tor 89 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Tasted double blind. Ripe and unctuous with lots of apple and spice, but slightly simple. I struggled between thinking this Burgundy vs Alsace, wondering if the fat, oily character was from vintage ripeness and oak vs varietal character, but was wrong in every regard.
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2007 Freie Weingärtner Wachau / Domäne Wachau Riesling Smaragd Achleiten Flawed
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Corked.
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2009 Alban Vineyards Roussanne Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Tasted double blind. Certainly eccentric. Spicy with peach, white pepper, lychee nute, toasted almonds and candied ginger. Good concentration, but slightly flabby. I wondered if this was Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris, and decided on the latter. Wrong either way.
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2003 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Tasted double blind. Came across with grapefruit and grass, so I immediately thought Sauv Blanc, but also showing a lush richness, so I thought it from a ripe vintage, approx 10 yo. It seemed more Bordeaux vs Loire and nicely balanced, so got everything correct here, including producer, but thought it 2005 instead of 2003. Best white wine of the evening.
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2001 Maison Champy Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc Signature 81 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Tasted double blind. Easily identified as fully mature+ white Burg, bordering on past its peak. I thought it had a nutty character with moderate weight, so thought it might be 1999 Meursault villages.
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2006 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Served double blind to the tasting group, and almost everybody correctly identified this as Northern Rhone. Lots of tropical fruits with dried figs and slightly sweet spice, but also lots of dried floral notes. Very concentrated and powerful. Came across as much more mature vs the last bottle from this same case that was opened one year ago. Glad this was my last bottle.
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1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nicely evolved with good combination of ripe fruit and evolved earthy character. Very nicely balanced. Moderate weight and length.
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1998 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape 86 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Tasted double blind. Sweet black fruit from a very ripe vintage, most likley past its peak. Old World structure lingering in the background. I thought this 30+ yo Burgundy, thinking Gevrey 1er Cru. Shocked when unveiled, this is another 1998 CDP on a downward spiral of decay.
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2008 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Porrets St. Georges
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. Decanting didn't really help, this was just so backward and extremely firm. No pleasure from this wine tonight, even with faint hints of upside. I couldn't even imagine this being from Burgundy.
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2003 Château Léoville Poyferré 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Tasted double blind. Rich and opulent with dark chocolate, cassis and cedar. Seemed to clearly show Old World structure and elegance, but from a ripe vintage that is tarting to age gracefully. I thought it a 2000 from Pauillac.
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2005 Domaine Francois Lamarche Echezeaux
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. One of the strangest wines I tasted blind in a long time. Nothing seemed burgundy, nobody thought this Burgundy. This came across as New World to me, varietal non-descript, imperfectly balanced, perhaps needing more time. What a head scratcher.
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1995 Argiano Solengo Toscana IGT 87 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Tasted double blind. Rich black fruit with a hollow middle. Starts great, leaves you wanting something more, even while pleasant. I was torn between this being Super Tuscan vs Cali Cab, but ending up thinking 1995 Tuscany, with some rustic edges not fully balanced.
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2001 Bodegas Valsacro Rioja Dioro Seleccíon J&D 85 Points
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Tasted double blind. Pleasant black fruit with slightly more interesting spice. Came across as a mediocre modern styled wine from some varietal from somewhere, but not much more. Best to enjoy while still fresh.
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2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Popped-and-poured, then tasted double blind. Black fruit, very dense, backward and meaty with powerful structure in an elegant frame. I did not do well here, first thinking this Bordeaux. When told this was Northern Rhone, I thought Chave. Oops...but it was cellar temp and popped-and-poured! When told Guigal, I did correctly identify this as Landonne. Patience required.
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