Light-medium gold colour. Aromas of oatmeal biscuit/yeast, cream, lemon, apple, and toasted brioche. Medium-full bodied, crisp, great texture, with nuts, brioche, apple, lemon, oatmeal, and flowers on the palate. Long finish, ~40+s, with more apple, brioche, and nutty notes.
No formal notes, but I do recall a nice mousse with good citrus notes throughout. Not overly fond of this Champagne, especially in comparison to the 1996 Feuillatte Le Mesnil that preceded it.
Medium-gold colour. Aromas of minerals, stone, lemon. Very austere. Medium-bodied, with brioche, lemon and pear. Moderate finish, ~30s, with more lemon notes. This is way, way too young. Try again in 5-10 years. This has plenty of upside potential.
Aromas of caramel, brioche, pear, and lemon. Full-bodied, with caramel, toast, and lemon notes on the palate. Long finish, ~40s, with replays from nose. Painfully young. Leave this wine in the cellar for a long time!
Medium-gold colour. Aromas of caramel, jasmine, sherry (typical of Salon), apple, brioche, ginger, and morning dew. Full-bodied, so nuanced and complex, with replays from the nose joined by pear notes. Plenty of ginger and apple on the palate. Long, long finish, ~50s. This is awesome stuff, and is a fantastic example of why I love Salon. This developed significantly over the 3-4 hours it was in my glass. Drink it like a White Burgundy - warmer in temperature and with plenty of air.
Medium-ruby colour. Aromas of mesquite/smoke, minerals, cigar box, and dried fruit. Medium-bodied, with herbs/stems, smoke, leather, dried fruit and minerals. Moderate-long finish, ~40s, with minerals and smoke. Otis called it a "smoked" wine, and that's bang on!
Dark ruby colour, almost opaque. Cedar, cherry, plum, and pencil lead aromas lead into the medium-bodied wine. Layered, with pencil lead, cedar, red fruit notes on the palate. Moderate-length finish, ~30-35s, with more red fruit. Very nice.
Medium-ruby colour with garnet flecks. Aromas of spice, currant, leather, and cigar box. Medium-bodied, very elegant, with smoke, currant, and herbs on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30-35s, with red fruit and spice.
Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of herbs/stems, spice, cigar box. Very reticent on the nose. Medium-full bodied, with herbs/stems, spice, currant, cherry, and mineral notes. Moderate finish, ~30s, with leather and dried fruit notes. This bottle was quite closed and didn't show nearly as well as my previous experience.
Medium-ruby colour with aromas of cherry, candied fruits, and lots and lots of herbs. Medium-bodied with replays from nose joined by cigar box. Moderate finish, ~30s, with red fruit and stems. I slightly preferred the 1986 served alongside it.
Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of red licorice, spice, cigar box, mineral, leather, and red fruit. Full-bodied, so complex and layered. Replays from nose. This wine shows impeccable balance. Long, long finish, ~60+s, with cigar box, mineral, leather, and dried fruit notes. Truly fantastic! Red WOTN.
Gold colour. Aromas of caramel, peach, nectarine, vanilla, mineral, and banana. Full-bodied, with rare foie gras and fleur de sel and honeyed fruit notes. Great finish, ~45s, with peach, foie gras, and fleur de sel notes. I liked this better than several others.
1996 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Grand Cru Le Mesnil 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Light-medium gold colour. Aromas of oatmeal biscuit/yeast, cream, lemon, apple, and toasted brioche. Medium-full bodied, crisp, great texture, with nuts, brioche, apple, lemon, oatmeal, and flowers on the palate. Long finish, ~40+s, with more apple, brioche, and nutty notes.
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1995 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne
No formal notes, but I do recall a nice mousse with good citrus notes throughout. Not overly fond of this Champagne, especially in comparison to the 1996 Feuillatte Le Mesnil that preceded it.
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1996 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne
Medium-gold colour. Aromas of minerals, stone, lemon. Very austere. Medium-bodied, with brioche, lemon and pear. Moderate finish, ~30s, with more lemon notes. This is way, way too young. Try again in 5-10 years. This has plenty of upside potential.
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1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
Aromas of caramel, brioche, pear, and lemon. Full-bodied, with caramel, toast, and lemon notes on the palate. Long finish, ~40s, with replays from nose. Painfully young. Leave this wine in the cellar for a long time!
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1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 98 Points
France, Champagne
Medium-gold colour. Aromas of caramel, jasmine, sherry (typical of Salon), apple, brioche, ginger, and morning dew. Full-bodied, so nuanced and complex, with replays from the nose joined by pear notes. Plenty of ginger and apple on the palate. Long, long finish, ~50s. This is awesome stuff, and is a fantastic example of why I love Salon. This developed significantly over the 3-4 hours it was in my glass. Drink it like a White Burgundy - warmer in temperature and with plenty of air.
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1978 Château Haut-Brion 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Medium-ruby colour. Aromas of mesquite/smoke, minerals, cigar box, and dried fruit. Medium-bodied, with herbs/stems, smoke, leather, dried fruit and minerals. Moderate-long finish, ~40s, with minerals and smoke. Otis called it a "smoked" wine, and that's bang on!
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1988 Château Cos d'Estournel 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Dark ruby colour, almost opaque. Cedar, cherry, plum, and pencil lead aromas lead into the medium-bodied wine. Layered, with pencil lead, cedar, red fruit notes on the palate. Moderate-length finish, ~30-35s, with more red fruit. Very nice.
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1985 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Medium-ruby colour with garnet flecks. Aromas of spice, currant, leather, and cigar box. Medium-bodied, very elegant, with smoke, currant, and herbs on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30-35s, with red fruit and spice.
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1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of herbs/stems, spice, cigar box. Very reticent on the nose. Medium-full bodied, with herbs/stems, spice, currant, cherry, and mineral notes. Moderate finish, ~30s, with leather and dried fruit notes. This bottle was quite closed and didn't show nearly as well as my previous experience.
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1986 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Dark ruby colour. Cigar box, cedar, plum, and leather. Medium-bodied with replays from nose. Solid wine, nice elegance to it.
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1990 Château Gruaud Larose 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Medium-ruby colour with aromas of cherry, candied fruits, and lots and lots of herbs. Medium-bodied with replays from nose joined by cigar box. Moderate finish, ~30s, with red fruit and stems. I slightly preferred the 1986 served alongside it.
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1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of red licorice, spice, cigar box, mineral, leather, and red fruit. Full-bodied, so complex and layered. Replays from nose. This wine shows impeccable balance. Long, long finish, ~60+s, with cigar box, mineral, leather, and dried fruit notes. Truly fantastic! Red WOTN.
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1967 Château Gilette Crème de Tête 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Gold colour. Aromas of caramel, peach, nectarine, vanilla, mineral, and banana. Full-bodied, with rare foie gras and fleur de sel and honeyed fruit notes. Great finish, ~45s, with peach, foie gras, and fleur de sel notes. I liked this better than several others.
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