The nose is well balanced and citrus-driven with tones of Red apples, Meyer lemons, pears, quince, pastry notes, brioche, custard, and warm dough. There is great interplay between the citrus and autolytics as the citrus is fresh while the autolytics lay down a good base. The Medium bodied feel is deft and balanced with crisp, high acidity. This is routinely a winner and this is no different. It shows off good balance across the nose and palate and is extremely affordable.
This was decanted for several hours before drinking. The nose is young and primary, but deep with soulful tones of black pepper, black cherries, raspberries, smoke, licorice, leather, salami, violets, and spice notes. The Full bodied feel has some raw power behind it, but still showing excellent depth and balance along with tart, medium+ acidity and chewy, high tannins. The structure is clearly youthful and a bit rough around the edges right now. Even still, this is rocking with about 4-6 hours of air as the Chave quality comes through clearly.
This was my final bottle of 4 bought years ago. This is quite the contrast from the Chave St Joe. Obviously this is older and it shows much more rustic. The nose is layered with savory tones of black Cherries, black raspberries, smoke, bacon fat, mineral-rich earth notes, currants, violets, a touch of hot embers, and cigar tobacco notes. The Full bodied feel is silky and balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity and refined, medium+ tannins that are relatively resolved. This is drinking beautifully and is a real joy. This does show off a savory and rustic quality that the new style doesn’t and I love it.
The nose is wide open and pristine with fresh tones of Saline, white peaches, crushed rocks, pears, white flowers, apples, quince, biscuits, and some warm dough notes. There is a lovely open-knit quality to the nose that is enticing and attractive. The Medium bodied feel shows off the freshness and open-knit qualities of the nose along with zesty, high acidity. There is good depth across the nose and palate where there is a real friendly quality that it possesses. This is another lovely Champagne from Labruyere. It is such a value and really nails it for the price.
This poured a lovely yellow color. I can’t think of having that many Portuguese Alvarinhos before this. It shows what I expect from Rias Baixas, but with its own distinct personality. There is some lovely freshness to the tones of Quince, pears, nectarines, lemon curd, kumquat, toast, yellow flowers, and some nougat notes. The Medium bodied feel is textured and silky with racy, medium+ acid. The acidity has some nice cut and mouthwatering qualities, but it’s really all about the texture on the palate. This is really cool and a lot of fun to drink. It has its own voice and I really dig it.
The nose is open and giving right now with excellent depth and poise. There is some layering happening from the age with rounded, yet fresh tones of Green apples, pears, peaches, white flowers, saline, cinnamon, baking spices, mint, biscuits, and warm dough. The Medium bodied feel is refined and poised with great length and balance with tart, yet integrated high acidity. This is just lovely and showing off some maturity while retaining freshness.
Oh baby. Yes, this is the stuff. I gave this about two hours of air double-decanted. The nose is savory, deep, and layered with flowing tones of Olive tapenade, white pepper, black cherries, violets, black raspberries, licorice, savory spice notes, and some leather tones. The Medium/Full bodied feel is savory and deep with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ acidity. The feel is so balanced and gorgeous that can only come with some age. This was just gorgeous and a flat out killer showing.
I’m always happy to come across a bottle of Clape and this is a bottle that made me happy. There is a broadness and restrained power to the nose of black cherries, raspberries, roasted meats, olives, tobacco notes, earth, leather, funk, spice, and some violets. There is excellent depth to the nose with this showing itself to be classic Clape and classic Cornas. The Full bodied feel is robust yet balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. There is still some noticeable structure though it doesn’t dominate too much. This is drinking perfectly in all of its Cornas glory.
NV J.M. Labruyère Champagne Grand Cru Prologue 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/17/2021)
The nose is well balanced and citrus-driven with tones of Red apples, Meyer lemons, pears, quince, pastry notes, brioche, custard, and warm dough. There is great interplay between the citrus and autolytics as the citrus is fresh while the autolytics lay down a good base. The Medium bodied feel is deft and balanced with crisp, high acidity. This is routinely a winner and this is no different. It shows off good balance across the nose and palate and is extremely affordable.
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2016 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph
(1/17/2021)
This was decanted for several hours before drinking. The nose is young and primary, but deep with soulful tones of black pepper, black cherries, raspberries, smoke, licorice, leather, salami, violets, and spice notes. The Full bodied feel has some raw power behind it, but still showing excellent depth and balance along with tart, medium+ acidity and chewy, high tannins. The structure is clearly youthful and a bit rough around the edges right now. Even still, this is rocking with about 4-6 hours of air as the Chave quality comes through clearly.
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2001 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
(1/17/2021)
This was my final bottle of 4 bought years ago. This is quite the contrast from the Chave St Joe. Obviously this is older and it shows much more rustic. The nose is layered with savory tones of black Cherries, black raspberries, smoke, bacon fat, mineral-rich earth notes, currants, violets, a touch of hot embers, and cigar tobacco notes. The Full bodied feel is silky and balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity and refined, medium+ tannins that are relatively resolved. This is drinking beautifully and is a real joy. This does show off a savory and rustic quality that the new style doesn’t and I love it.
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NV J.M. Labruyère Champagne Grand Cru Page Blanche Blanc de Blancs 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/18/2021)
The nose is wide open and pristine with fresh tones of Saline, white peaches, crushed rocks, pears, white flowers, apples, quince, biscuits, and some warm dough notes. There is a lovely open-knit quality to the nose that is enticing and attractive. The Medium bodied feel shows off the freshness and open-knit qualities of the nose along with zesty, high acidity. There is good depth across the nose and palate where there is a real friendly quality that it possesses. This is another lovely Champagne from Labruyere. It is such a value and really nails it for the price.
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2017 Luís Seabra Vinhos Alvarinho Granito Cru 91 Points
Portugal, Minho, Vinho Verde
(1/18/2021)
This poured a lovely yellow color. I can’t think of having that many Portuguese Alvarinhos before this. It shows what I expect from Rias Baixas, but with its own distinct personality. There is some lovely freshness to the tones of Quince, pears, nectarines, lemon curd, kumquat, toast, yellow flowers, and some nougat notes. The Medium bodied feel is textured and silky with racy, medium+ acid. The acidity has some nice cut and mouthwatering qualities, but it’s really all about the texture on the palate. This is really cool and a lot of fun to drink. It has its own voice and I really dig it.
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2005 Pierre Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Nicole Moncuit Vieille Vigne 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(1/18/2021)
The nose is open and giving right now with excellent depth and poise. There is some layering happening from the age with rounded, yet fresh tones of Green apples, pears, peaches, white flowers, saline, cinnamon, baking spices, mint, biscuits, and warm dough. The Medium bodied feel is refined and poised with great length and balance with tart, yet integrated high acidity. This is just lovely and showing off some maturity while retaining freshness.
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2001 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
(1/18/2021)
Oh baby. Yes, this is the stuff. I gave this about two hours of air double-decanted. The nose is savory, deep, and layered with flowing tones of Olive tapenade, white pepper, black cherries, violets, black raspberries, licorice, savory spice notes, and some leather tones. The Medium/Full bodied feel is savory and deep with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ acidity. The feel is so balanced and gorgeous that can only come with some age. This was just gorgeous and a flat out killer showing.
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2004 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
(1/18/2021)
I’m always happy to come across a bottle of Clape and this is a bottle that made me happy. There is a broadness and restrained power to the nose of black cherries, raspberries, roasted meats, olives, tobacco notes, earth, leather, funk, spice, and some violets. There is excellent depth to the nose with this showing itself to be classic Clape and classic Cornas. The Full bodied feel is robust yet balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. There is still some noticeable structure though it doesn’t dominate too much. This is drinking perfectly in all of its Cornas glory.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No