Medium-gold colour. Nutty, slightly oxidized nose with hints of toast, coffee, and dried apples. Medium-full bodied with gala apple, lemon, toast, and nuts on the palate. Good finish, ~30s, with more nuts, lemon, and dried apples/apple chips. Drink over the next several years.
A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Grechetto from Umbria. Beautiful, tropical nose of vanilla, honey, peach, apricot, jasmine, and oak. Full-bodied, bone dry, with great (almost bracing) acidity. Shows notes of lemon, minerals, apple, and pencil shavings on the palate. Moderate-long finish with more minerals and white fruit. Delicious, and should be consumed over the next few years.
Decanted 1 hour. Opaque ruby/burgundy colour. Cool nose of mineral/slate, blackberry, eucalyptus, and black licorice. Medium-full bodied, initially quite closed but opens slightly to show blackcurrant and herb notes on the palate. Good structure. Moderate finish. Still needs time, but this has really developed nicely over the last 3.5 years. Cellar for another couple years and drink for at least the next five after that.
Medium-ruby/black colour; opaque. Restrained nose of spice box and blackcurrant. Medium-bodied, great structure and acidity. Blackcurrant, spice, and alcohol notes on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30s, with dark fruit, earth, and mineral notes. Will be better in a couple years, but I like this wine. Very tasty.
Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend if I recall. Opaque ruby/black colour. Aromas of raspberry ganache, black fruit. Full-bodied, with blackcurrant, eucalyptus, pepper, minerals. Good acidity. Nice length on the finish.
I was really enjoying this wine at dinner. 4-5 hours later however, not so much. The wine completely fell apart and was a shell of its former self. If I had any bottles of this in the cellar it would be a pop and pour, and not a long-term ager. Score had to be lowered a couple points as a result.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Not decanted, poured immediately after opening. Dark ruby colour, almost opaque at the core. Aromas of smoke, black cherry, plums, blackcurrant, dried flowers, and minerals. While the nose is quite expressive, the wine is very reticent on the palate, just showing a touch of dark fruit at the moment. Moderate finish, ~30s, with more dark fruit. This is going to need more time in hopes of the palate catching up with the nose. Will wait another couple years before trying another bottle. NR.
1992 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 91 Points
France, Champagne
Medium-gold colour. Nutty, slightly oxidized nose with hints of toast, coffee, and dried apples. Medium-full bodied with gala apple, lemon, toast, and nuts on the palate. Good finish, ~30s, with more nuts, lemon, and dried apples/apple chips. Drink over the next several years.
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2006 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Umbria Cervaro della Sala 92 Points
Italy, Umbria
A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Grechetto from Umbria. Beautiful, tropical nose of vanilla, honey, peach, apricot, jasmine, and oak. Full-bodied, bone dry, with great (almost bracing) acidity. Shows notes of lemon, minerals, apple, and pencil shavings on the palate. Moderate-long finish with more minerals and white fruit. Delicious, and should be consumed over the next few years.
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2003 Brancaia Ilatraia 93 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Decanted 1 hour. Opaque ruby/burgundy colour. Cool nose of mineral/slate, blackberry, eucalyptus, and black licorice. Medium-full bodied, initially quite closed but opens slightly to show blackcurrant and herb notes on the palate. Good structure. Moderate finish. Still needs time, but this has really developed nicely over the last 3.5 years. Cellar for another couple years and drink for at least the next five after that.
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2001 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Medium-ruby/black colour; opaque. Restrained nose of spice box and blackcurrant. Medium-bodied, great structure and acidity. Blackcurrant, spice, and alcohol notes on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30s, with dark fruit, earth, and mineral notes. Will be better in a couple years, but I like this wine. Very tasty.
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2005 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend if I recall. Opaque ruby/black colour. Aromas of raspberry ganache, black fruit. Full-bodied, with blackcurrant, eucalyptus, pepper, minerals. Good acidity. Nice length on the finish.
I was really enjoying this wine at dinner. 4-5 hours later however, not so much. The wine completely fell apart and was a shell of its former self. If I had any bottles of this in the cellar it would be a pop and pour, and not a long-term ager. Score had to be lowered a couple points as a result.
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1999 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Not decanted, poured immediately after opening. Dark ruby colour, almost opaque at the core. Aromas of smoke, black cherry, plums, blackcurrant, dried flowers, and minerals. While the nose is quite expressive, the wine is very reticent on the palate, just showing a touch of dark fruit at the moment. Moderate finish, ~30s, with more dark fruit. This is going to need more time in hopes of the palate catching up with the nose. Will wait another couple years before trying another bottle. NR.
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