Cellared since release, splash decanted then open in bottle for 4hrs. What a treat to drink this unicorn! First off...14yr old Ca. SB...and it was fresh as a daisy! GORGEOUS nose of spring flowers, lemongrass exotics, little petrol...it had a softness that was very intriguing...lemon chiffon...plenty youthful sour tarts, but really low on acidity...not a lot of cut, but by no means lessened the wine. Exotic and tropical...gooseberry, white peach/flower...has that waxiness and salted minerals...a really calm and impeccably balanced, well made wine. Drank at peak form all night! A true pleasure.
Splash decanted then open in bottle for 4hrs...best bottle I've had to date! This wine was LOADED with exotics and crushed geology...huge citrus attack...ripe orchard and tropical fruits...banana skin ...exotics of quince paste, candied limes, lanolin wax, smoked herbs, wild honey...it was floral, it was salty, chalky...electric and SO fascinating! Was consensus white wotn, and my wotn in a company of a lot of great wines!
The most massive, loaded to the gills, SE I've ever had! Absolute perfection. The fruit is dark liqueuered berry, cassis...with mocha, leather, barrel smoke...wonderful graphite and licorice dryness...exotic dusty spices. Although massive, it still possesses a seamless plushness to the wine...a perfect balance...that classic SE finesse...SO much complexity and mind blowing joy! And scary to think it might even get better? Best SE I've ever had.
How good is this wine right now! SO rich and deep with flavor...the fruit is dark liqueured berry, creme de cassis, blueberry...very similar to the 2010 Screaming Eagle had next to it...rich soiled earth, graphite, licorice...integrated wood spice tannins, wonderful textured dryness...SO silky smooth and lush, yet a firm grip...great balance...violet florals, leather, mocha...endless complexities that were totally intoxicating! Seems to have a long life ahead. Just slightly bettered by the 100pt SE.
This wine is GORGEOUS...and would normally be the standout on the table, but was bested by a couple Cali wines...the 10 Screaming Eagle and MacDonald! All three very similar...the PC was velvety smooth...dark berried fruit with dried concentration...creme de cassis, pencil lead, new leather, wood barrel spiced tannins...more new world with sweeter fruit, yet lovely licorice and graphite dryness...has that Bordeaux seamlessness, fine grained...super tasty and engaging. Loved it!
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was decanted all day...darker and more sauvage, showing black cherry and Kirsch liqueur...some high toned blood orange acidity, dusty earth spice...the fruit not as "pretty" red as the 11 we had last month...still VERY intriguing complexities that kept coming with every sip! Wonderful perfume of florals of crushed berries...some white pepper spice, old leather...rhubarb and red licorice dryness...still has a lot of crushed rock and some tobacco...but that damn 2005 we had a few years ago still has me searching for that amazing red fruited elegance and haunting perfume...this 2010 seems more serious, and probably in need of many more years. Still, a true pleasure to drink one when you can!
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was up there with the Vatan as the most intriguing wine to drink. Slight heat at first, but air integrated it nicely to this WAXY pitted orchard fruit of goodness! Wonderful texture...more subtle than power...brightened with lemon squeeze and pineapple cut...apricot marmalade, honey, nice dry salt rock salinity...pretty blossom florals...age has brought out some lovely antique wax and lanolin oil...but plenty freshness and lift...really dug it as it got warmer in the glass. Liked it better than the 10 Rayas Rouge! Blend of 50-50 Clairette and Grenache Blanc.
Love me some Marcassin! Sometimes you need a little wood spice in your life! After drinking all those Chablis and Burgs, I do miss drinking these. The 10 is wonderful! Rich and full of butter sauteed apples and apricots...lemon squeeze, citrus oil, pineapple, lifts it nicely. SO much complexities of smoked vanilla bean, toasted campfire marshmallows, butterscotch spice...plenty crushed rock minerality...flint strike...all well in balance, and a delectable mouthful of goodness!
Well, this was the oddball dud in the tasting. Fruit was rich and sweet candied orange, brown butter sauteed peach, some nice floral spices...white flowers...but had a creamed corn and asparagus thing going on...and it was paired next to the 10 Marcassin Marcassin, and made it stand out like a sore thumb. Too many great wines on this night, and this was kicked to the curb.
I thought this was drinking really well...rich baked apple pie, tart green apple skin, wood spice...plenty of lemon spritz cut...airy leesy ginger mousse coated the palate...really nice mouthful of bubbles.
WOW this was bright and puckering! Perfect palate cleanser to all the big cabs we had. Laser beam of lemon and ginger...pretty white flowers, limestone chalk...brisk and in need of something fried!
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Didn't spend too much time with this one...got a velvet smooth mouthful of dark blackberry fruit, dry fine tannin, ton of black olive tapenade, not much pepper spice...some va heat noticed...backwoods smoke, garrigue. Seems pretty mellow and monolithic right now...maybe more time will awaken. Didn't help the 10 Rayas was in the room as well.
2010 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc 96 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Cellared since release, splash decanted then open in bottle for 4hrs. What a treat to drink this unicorn! First off...14yr old Ca. SB...and it was fresh as a daisy! GORGEOUS nose of spring flowers, lemongrass exotics, little petrol...it had a softness that was very intriguing...lemon chiffon...plenty youthful sour tarts, but really low on acidity...not a lot of cut, but by no means lessened the wine. Exotic and tropical...gooseberry, white peach/flower...has that waxiness and salted minerals...a really calm and impeccably balanced, well made wine. Drank at peak form all night! A true pleasure.
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2010 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Néore 98 Points
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
Splash decanted then open in bottle for 4hrs...best bottle I've had to date! This wine was LOADED with exotics and crushed geology...huge citrus attack...ripe orchard and tropical fruits...banana skin ...exotics of quince paste, candied limes, lanolin wax, smoked herbs, wild honey...it was floral, it was salty, chalky...electric and SO fascinating! Was consensus white wotn, and my wotn in a company of a lot of great wines!
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2010 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 100 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
The most massive, loaded to the gills, SE I've ever had! Absolute perfection. The fruit is dark liqueuered berry, cassis...with mocha, leather, barrel smoke...wonderful graphite and licorice dryness...exotic dusty spices. Although massive, it still possesses a seamless plushness to the wine...a perfect balance...that classic SE finesse...SO much complexity and mind blowing joy! And scary to think it might even get better? Best SE I've ever had.
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2010 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon 99 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
How good is this wine right now! SO rich and deep with flavor...the fruit is dark liqueured berry, creme de cassis, blueberry...very similar to the 2010 Screaming Eagle had next to it...rich soiled earth, graphite, licorice...integrated wood spice tannins, wonderful textured dryness...SO silky smooth and lush, yet a firm grip...great balance...violet florals, leather, mocha...endless complexities that were totally intoxicating! Seems to have a long life ahead. Just slightly bettered by the 100pt SE.
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2010 Château Pontet-Canet 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This wine is GORGEOUS...and would normally be the standout on the table, but was bested by a couple Cali wines...the 10 Screaming Eagle and MacDonald! All three very similar...the PC was velvety smooth...dark berried fruit with dried concentration...creme de cassis, pencil lead, new leather, wood barrel spiced tannins...more new world with sweeter fruit, yet lovely licorice and graphite dryness...has that Bordeaux seamlessness, fine grained...super tasty and engaging. Loved it!
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2010 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 94 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was decanted all day...darker and more sauvage, showing black cherry and Kirsch liqueur...some high toned blood orange acidity, dusty earth spice...the fruit not as "pretty" red as the 11 we had last month...still VERY intriguing complexities that kept coming with every sip! Wonderful perfume of florals of crushed berries...some white pepper spice, old leather...rhubarb and red licorice dryness...still has a lot of crushed rock and some tobacco...but that damn 2005 we had a few years ago still has me searching for that amazing red fruited elegance and haunting perfume...this 2010 seems more serious, and probably in need of many more years. Still, a true pleasure to drink one when you can!
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2010 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve 95 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was up there with the Vatan as the most intriguing wine to drink. Slight heat at first, but air integrated it nicely to this WAXY pitted orchard fruit of goodness! Wonderful texture...more subtle than power...brightened with lemon squeeze and pineapple cut...apricot marmalade, honey, nice dry salt rock salinity...pretty blossom florals...age has brought out some lovely antique wax and lanolin oil...but plenty freshness and lift...really dug it as it got warmer in the glass. Liked it better than the 10 Rayas Rouge! Blend of 50-50 Clairette and Grenache Blanc.
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2010 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Love me some Marcassin! Sometimes you need a little wood spice in your life! After drinking all those Chablis and Burgs, I do miss drinking these. The 10 is wonderful! Rich and full of butter sauteed apples and apricots...lemon squeeze, citrus oil, pineapple, lifts it nicely. SO much complexities of smoked vanilla bean, toasted campfire marshmallows, butterscotch spice...plenty crushed rock minerality...flint strike...all well in balance, and a delectable mouthful of goodness!
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2010 Peter Michael Chardonnay Belle Côte 85 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
Well, this was the oddball dud in the tasting. Fruit was rich and sweet candied orange, brown butter sauteed peach, some nice floral spices...white flowers...but had a creamed corn and asparagus thing going on...and it was paired next to the 10 Marcassin Marcassin, and made it stand out like a sore thumb. Too many great wines on this night, and this was kicked to the curb.
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2010 Philipponnat Champagne Extra Brut Clos des Goisses 94 Points
France, Champagne
I thought this was drinking really well...rich baked apple pie, tart green apple skin, wood spice...plenty of lemon spritz cut...airy leesy ginger mousse coated the palate...really nice mouthful of bubbles.
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2014 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Grand Cru Special Club Cramant 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
WOW this was bright and puckering! Perfect palate cleanser to all the big cabs we had. Laser beam of lemon and ginger...pretty white flowers, limestone chalk...brisk and in need of something fried!
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2010 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet 89 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Didn't spend too much time with this one...got a velvet smooth mouthful of dark blackberry fruit, dry fine tannin, ton of black olive tapenade, not much pepper spice...some va heat noticed...backwoods smoke, garrigue. Seems pretty mellow and monolithic right now...maybe more time will awaken. Didn't help the 10 Rayas was in the room as well.
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