A lovely fragrant nose. Very good palate. There's a yellow fruit freshness and sweet apple. Nice and creamy mouthfeel, but not without acidity. A touch of white pepper on the finish.
A blend of Viognier, Rhine Riesling and Traminer fermented in new and old oak. Super nose. Creamy and vibrant. Fairly rich and full on the palate. Pretty complex, layered with a nice vibrancy and huge length.
Bready rather than toasty on the nose, which has quite a concentrated, almost viognier-like fruit character. (Obviously, there's no viognier it, before anyone takes me too literally, just that sort of concentrated, lifted character.) Open and full flavoured, Quite rich and full. Great length. Much more rustic than Taittinger 2008 tasted alongside.
Really quite a deep colour. Quite nutty on the nose, which has some pear fruit and a rich tea biscuit note. Full, plush palate. Great depth, and there is still some power still. Very long.
Possibly suffered a little coming after a couple of bottles of Krug 1990. Much paler colour, and nowhere near as giving on the nose, although there's some bruised apple pungency. It feels quite flat on the palate, with little interest. Doesn't really do it for me.
A very loose cork that pretty much fell in on its own when the capsule was removed. Gorgeous nose: white peach, lime, lemon. Considering it's nearly 30 years old, the absence of any evident petrol notes on the nose is striking. Super palate. This has held up perfectly. Really impressive mature, but not at all old, Alsace riesling. Really terrific and hugely enjoyable.
A lovely, proper chardonnay nose, with some freshness, and some slightly peachy orchard fruit. Very good palate. Proper, clean chardonnay. Textbook stuff.
Green fruit and broad beans on the nose. Completely different on the palate to what I was expecting from the nose: it's much richer and the fuller. I can't say I know much about the Antão Vaz grape, but this bottle puts me in mind of a high acid chardonnay with a blast of oak influence. All in excellent balance. Very interesting wine.
Immediately reminiscent of Beaucastel on the nose, with black fruit and bretty farmyard aromas, which do start to blow off, leaving rounded, rather warm black fruit that starts to feel a bit spiky and very herbal. Further aeration tames it a bit more, and some more chocolatey, plummy notes come to the fore. Lovely, smooth attack. There's black fruit in quantity on the palate, and it certainly feels younger than 2005. Very firm tannins, especially on the finish. I really like this. Really good.
Deep, immediately impressive black fruits on the nose, feeling fairly youthful. Huge poise immediately on the palate. Very impressive mouthfeel. Super smooth, very luxurious mouthfeel, but with a blast of rather tight tannins towards the finish. A bit international maybe, and I have written down that it would possibly be more impressive if it came from somewhere other than Lebanon, which I can now only just about understand!
Cabernet sauvignon & syrah, aged 18 months in French oak.
Quite a lot of bottle stink initially, but that largely blows off with aeration, revealing a subtle, mellow nose. Although there's a bit of rubber remaining even after vigorous aeration, giving it a somewhat reductive feel. I think for this to show at its best, it should have been decanted and allowed to sit in the decanter for an hour or so before drinking. Going back to the nose after a while, there is plummy black fruit and it now feels very, very slightly high toned. Very good palate. Lots of fruit and depth. Really rounded and generous.
Subtle, elegant nose. More sultanas rather than raisins with the freshness on the nose. Huge elegance on the palate. Very refined. Luxurious but not at all over rich or oversweet. So elegant.
A sweet nose, with notes of rosehips, pomegranate and hibiscus. So enticing on the palate, doing whatever the inside out version of enveloping is. Perfumed rosey, red and black fruit. The 16.5% alcohol is pretty much imperceptible. Really good.
A gorgeous nose, feeling very fresh indeed. Slight honey and apricot notes. So fresh. Very clean, very elegant, very pure riesling. Beautifully balanced.
100% Semillon. A fresh, slightly soapy nose: very lightly botrytised. Very good palate. It has a nice lush feel, but is also really quite elegant. Not at all oversweet.
Deep, dark, youthful purple. Lively, fresh, plummy black fruit, with a nice floral scent behind. Very youthful on the palate, but it is very well balanced, with no feeling of excessive alcohol or heat. Black fruit, blackberr, herbal and floral notes on the palate. Everything you want from a young port.
Corked. Very slightly, but it is corked. There's a nice Sauternes behind, but it definitely feels scalped. There's no obvious wet cardboard, but it's wrong. I've noticed before that botrytis is good at hiding TCA.
2017 Riverby Estate Grüner Veltliner 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
A lovely fragrant nose.
Very good palate. There's a yellow fruit freshness and sweet apple.
Nice and creamy mouthfeel, but not without acidity. A touch of white pepper on the finish.
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2012 Gál Tibor Eger Fúzió 92 Points
Hungary, Felső-Magyarország, Eger
A blend of Viognier, Rhine Riesling and Traminer fermented in new and old oak.
Super nose. Creamy and vibrant. Fairly rich and full on the palate. Pretty complex, layered with a nice vibrancy and huge length.
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2008 Taittinger Champagne Brut Millésimé 92 Points
France, Champagne
Very toasty, yeasty nose. Lovely, precise palate. Very, very elegant.
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NV Deutz Champagne Brut Classic 88 Points
France, Champagne
Bready rather than toasty on the nose, which has quite a concentrated, almost viognier-like fruit character. (Obviously, there's no viognier it, before anyone takes me too literally, just that sort of concentrated, lifted character.)
Open and full flavoured, Quite rich and full. Great length. Much more rustic than Taittinger 2008 tasted alongside.
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1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
Really quite a deep colour.
Quite nutty on the nose, which has some pear fruit and a rich tea biscuit note.
Full, plush palate. Great depth, and there is still some power still. Very long.
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1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
A second bottle. This has a much fresher nose and colour. Elegance and power in one.
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1990 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé 86 Points
France, Champagne
Possibly suffered a little coming after a couple of bottles of Krug 1990. Much paler colour, and nowhere near as giving on the nose, although there's some bruised apple pungency.
It feels quite flat on the palate, with little interest. Doesn't really do it for me.
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2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Gorgeous nose. Light and buttery, fairly fresh, with some orchard fruit.
On the palate, it's remarkably similar to the nose. Really rather good.
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1988 Hugel Riesling Jubilee 94 Points
France, Alsace
A very loose cork that pretty much fell in on its own when the capsule was removed.
Gorgeous nose: white peach, lime, lemon. Considering it's nearly 30 years old, the absence of any evident petrol notes on the nose is striking.
Super palate. This has held up perfectly. Really impressive mature, but not at all old, Alsace riesling. Really terrific and hugely enjoyable.
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1993 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg 91 Points
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Really good bottle: this is spot on, very good, mature Alsace riesling.
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2014 Riverby Estate Chardonnay 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
A lovely, proper chardonnay nose, with some freshness, and some slightly peachy orchard fruit.
Very good palate. Proper, clean chardonnay. Textbook stuff.
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2009 Herdade do Rocim Vinho Regional Alentejano Olho de Mocho Reserva 92 Points
Portugal, Alentejano, Vinho Regional Alentejano
Green fruit and broad beans on the nose.
Completely different on the palate to what I was expecting from the nose: it's much richer and the fuller.
I can't say I know much about the Antão Vaz grape, but this bottle puts me in mind of a high acid chardonnay with a blast of oak influence.
All in excellent balance. Very interesting wine.
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2005 Clos St. Thomas Le Merlot A 93 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Immediately reminiscent of Beaucastel on the nose, with black fruit and bretty farmyard aromas, which do start to blow off, leaving rounded, rather warm black fruit that starts to feel a bit spiky and very herbal. Further aeration tames it a bit more, and some more chocolatey, plummy notes come to the fore.
Lovely, smooth attack. There's black fruit in quantity on the palate, and it certainly feels younger than 2005. Very firm tannins, especially on the finish. I really like this. Really good.
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2010 Château Kefraya Comte De M 89 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Deep, immediately impressive black fruits on the nose, feeling fairly youthful.
Huge poise immediately on the palate. Very impressive mouthfeel.
Super smooth, very luxurious mouthfeel, but with a blast of rather tight tannins towards the finish.
A bit international maybe, and I have written down that it would possibly be more impressive if it came from somewhere other than Lebanon, which I can now only just about understand!
Cabernet sauvignon & syrah, aged 18 months in French oak.
Lot #2640
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2007 Prats and Symington Douro Chryseia 91 Points
Portugal, Douro
Quite a lot of bottle stink initially, but that largely blows off with aeration, revealing a subtle, mellow nose. Although there's a bit of rubber remaining even after vigorous aeration, giving it a somewhat reductive feel.
I think for this to show at its best, it should have been decanted and allowed to sit in the decanter for an hour or so before drinking.
Going back to the nose after a while, there is plummy black fruit and it now feels very, very slightly high toned.
Very good palate. Lots of fruit and depth. Really rounded and generous.
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1989 Château Coutet Barsac 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Subtle, elegant nose. More sultanas rather than raisins with the freshness on the nose.
Huge elegance on the palate. Very refined. Luxurious but not at all over rich or oversweet. So elegant.
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2009 Mas Amiel Maury Vintage Cuvée Charles Dupuy 92 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Maury
A sweet nose, with notes of rosehips, pomegranate and hibiscus.
So enticing on the palate, doing whatever the inside out version of enveloping is. Perfumed rosey, red and black fruit. The 16.5% alcohol is pretty much imperceptible. Really good.
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2015 Riverby Estate Noble Riesling Single Vineyard Marlborough 93 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
A gorgeous nose, feeling very fresh indeed. Slight honey and apricot notes. So fresh.
Very clean, very elegant, very pure riesling. Beautifully balanced.
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2010 Aneto Douro Aneto Late Harvest 88 Points
Portugal, Douro
100% Semillon.
A fresh, slightly soapy nose: very lightly botrytised.
Very good palate. It has a nice lush feel, but is also really quite elegant. Not at all oversweet.
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2011 Quinta do Noval Porto Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered 91 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Deep, dark, youthful purple.
Lively, fresh, plummy black fruit, with a nice floral scent behind.
Very youthful on the palate, but it is very well balanced, with no feeling of excessive alcohol or heat.
Black fruit, blackberr, herbal and floral notes on the palate.
Everything you want from a young port.
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2013 Château Suduiraut Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Corked. Very slightly, but it is corked.
There's a nice Sauternes behind, but it definitely feels scalped.
There's no obvious wet cardboard, but it's wrong. I've noticed before that botrytis is good at hiding TCA.
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