Xmas Wines 2025

Osaka
Tasted Thursday, December 25, 2025 by OmiyaDrinker with 32 views

Flight 1 - Chardonnay (2 Notes)

  • 2021 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Domaine Eden 88 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Medium+ nose. Ripe lemon, peach , nectarine, faint topical notes of pineapple. Prominent malolactic notes of cream and butter with some yeasty yoghurt notes. The 50% new oak is prominent with vanilla and toast. Medium+ acid. Medium alcohol. Full body with creamy mouthfeel. Medium+ intensity but just lacking a little intensity and flavor definition in the mid-palate. Some good complexity on the palate with slaty minerality that continues into a long finish. Very good quality but for me just lacks a little refinement and balance. Possibly a little more fruit intensity is needed to balance the prominent winemaking. I need to try the estate.

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  • 2015 Tyler Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Medium lemon appearance. Medium intensity nose of lemon peel, lime, peach. Noticeable secondary notes of butter, yoghurt but certainly not overdone. Delicate toasty notes. Some tertiary development with toasted almond and hazelnut but still quite fresh and primary. High acid, medium alcohol, medium body, medium+ flavor intensity with a lovely sour intensity on the medium+ finish. Some steely minerality on the palate. Lovely balance and mouth coating richness on the palate. Very good quality that’s just lacking a little intensity but very impressed.

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Flight 2 - Pinot Noir (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Yabby Lake Vineyard Pinot Noir Single Block Release Block 6 94 Points

    Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

    Pale garnet appearance. Primary aromas of raspberry, strawberry, red cherry, red plum, black tea, black pepper. Secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, toast. Tertiary notes of forest floor, mushroom. High acid. Medium, velvety tannin now perfectly integrated. Medium alcohol. Quite full bodied at medium+. Pronounced flavor intensity and long finish. Outstanding quality from a North easterly facing block. This still has the bright fruitiness of primary Australia fruit but great concentration and complexity from tertiary notes. You could hold for longer but this is at peak now with the fruit balancing the tertiary.

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  • 2023 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Mirabai 92 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    Pale ruby. Intriguing medium intensity nose of raspberry, smoke, red plum, red cherry, rhubarb, earth. A little cooked fruit character adds complexity. High acid. Medium, fine-grained, velvety tannin. Lovely bit of structure. Medium alcohol. Medium- body. Medium+ flavor intensity. On the palate, the sweet, juicy strawberry is eventually replaced by transparent terroir driven iron, iodine, earthy notes. Very good quality and drank very well over 3 days. A lovely counterpoint to the more brooding nature of the Yabby Lake - very impressed and looking forward to trying some of the single vineyards.

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  • 2018 Tyler Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    Pale ruby. Medium intensity nose of raspberry, red cherry, red plum. Some noticeable secondary aromas of clove, toast, spice. Tertiary development of mushroom, leather, a little animal. Medium acid. Low, soft velvety tannin. Medium alcohol. Medium- body. Medium+ flavor intensity. Medium+ finish - deliciously spicy on the backend. Very good quality. Perhaps just feeling a little tired and not sure it has the intensity to age positively much further. Maybe better a couple of years ago but still drinking well. Very good, well made Pinot.

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Flight 3 - Other (5 Notes)

  • 2014 Domaine Grand Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune 92 Points

    France, Jura, Côtes du Jura

    Deep lemon appearance. Pronounced nose of hay, apple skin, apple, lemon, lemon peel, almond, hazelnut. High acid. Medium alcohol. Medium+ body with a smooth, viscous mouthfeel. Medium+ flavor intensity that just lacks a little definition in the mid-palate. Long finish with salty minerality. Outstanding quality.

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  • NV Philipponnat Champagne Brut 90 Points

    France, Champagne

    Love the style of this. Good balance of sweet, tangy Pinot fruit with prominent autolytic notes.

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  • 2021 Cascina I Carpini Timorasso Colli Tortonesi Rugiada Del Mattino Flawed

    Italy, Piedmont, Colli Tortonesi

    Still just about drinkable but heavily oxidised.

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  • 1996 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon

    Medium gold colour. Medium intensity nose. Primary aromas of green apple, red apple, pear, homeysuckle, mandarin. Some tertiary notes of honey and nuts but still quite primary. Sweet, high acid. Medium alcohol. Medium+ body, medium+ flavorful intensity, Medium+ finish that follows through with some salty, steely minerality combined with honey and ginger. Objectively, I’d say very good rather than outstanding quality but this is very enjoyable. Very good quality but love this. Bags of delicately spiced sweet apples in a glass.

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  • 2023 Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 91 Points

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    Pale lemon appearance. Pronounced nose but noticeably less explosive than some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Primary aromas of passion fruit, gooseberry, lime, grapefruit, lemon zest, grass. Secondary notes of yoghurt and some flinty notes reminiscent of Loire Sauvignon Blanc. High acid. Medium alcohol. Medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity. Medium+ finish. Very good quality but borderline outstanding - particularly if judged compared to other New Zealand SB. This still has the NZ SB character but laced with Loire characteristics.

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