Medium yellow with a touch of green. All sorts of lean, green fruit elements-lemon, papaya, white grapefruit and a veritable "salivary gland stress test" given its bracing acidity. Very light and the only possible criticism is that it did not budge at all or add any layers. Impossibly young and pristine with more acidity than minerality at this point.
Fuller yellow and less green than the '96 Raveneau. Much more floral and fat in comparison, but with time, its focus, brininess, and minerality kicked in. Some faint quinine at the end. Although it is farther along for its age than the former wine, this is just beginning to unfold. Excellent.
Medium ruby without signs of maturity. Wow, is this pungently aromatic with menthol and cardamon that becomes more briary. Captivating fragrance. Despite the smell of stemminess, this has very good black fruit, really crisp acidity, and a pleasingly light, lively feel in the mouth. Very much alive and not nearly as hard as I expected it to be from the nose.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Out of magnum. Impressively youthful deep ruby. This leads with earth and iron on the nose; later, a whiff of wood and low pitched red fruits make their way into the mix. Firm, medium weight without undue solidity, a hint of sweetness, licorice, smoke, fine acidity, and very accessible now even from this format. Terrific example of a Gevrey Premier Cru.
From a bottle with beautiful condition and fill. Light to medium ruby with gentle gradation to the rim. High toned cedar and herb aromatics. Light weight, subtle black fruit and anise, excellent acidity for freshness and still some tannin left. Lean without any astringency. A very enjoyable wine approaching its 30th birthday and a testament to the balance, grace, and longevity of old fashioned, low alcohol Claret. Refreshing without being flashy in the least. It is no wonder that people cellar this stuff; 1981 has the reputation of being a good but hardly great vintage, and look how well this is showing.
Dark but not inky. Boysenberry/blackberry jam soars out of the glass-this just smacks of Syrah with some herbal overlay also present. Round with good volume, but astounding structure and even more inspiring acidity for this freakishly warm vintage. This won't win any awards for being the most stylish, complex, or ethereal Cote Rotie on the block, but it is not over the top either. Drinking very well and admirably balanced.
1996 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Medium yellow with a touch of green. All sorts of lean, green fruit elements-lemon, papaya, white grapefruit and a veritable "salivary gland stress test" given its bracing acidity. Very light and the only possible criticism is that it did not budge at all or add any layers. Impossibly young and pristine with more acidity than minerality at this point.
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2000 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Fuller yellow and less green than the '96 Raveneau. Much more floral and fat in comparison, but with time, its focus, brininess, and minerality kicked in. Some faint quinine at the end. Although it is farther along for its age than the former wine, this is just beginning to unfold. Excellent.
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1995 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Mahonia Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Medium ruby without signs of maturity. Wow, is this pungently aromatic with menthol and cardamon that becomes more briary. Captivating fragrance. Despite the smell of stemminess, this has very good black fruit, really crisp acidity, and a pleasingly light, lively feel in the mouth. Very much alive and not nearly as hard as I expected it to be from the nose.
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1999 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Out of magnum. Impressively youthful deep ruby. This leads with earth and iron on the nose; later, a whiff of wood and low pitched red fruits make their way into the mix. Firm, medium weight without undue solidity, a hint of sweetness, licorice, smoke, fine acidity, and very accessible now even from this format. Terrific example of a Gevrey Premier Cru.
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1981 Château Léoville Las Cases
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
From a bottle with beautiful condition and fill. Light to medium ruby with gentle gradation to the rim. High toned cedar and herb aromatics. Light weight, subtle black fruit and anise, excellent acidity for freshness and still some tannin left. Lean without any astringency. A very enjoyable wine approaching its 30th birthday and a testament to the balance, grace, and longevity of old fashioned, low alcohol Claret. Refreshing without being flashy in the least. It is no wonder that people cellar this stuff; 1981 has the reputation of being a good but hardly great vintage, and look how well this is showing.
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2003 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Dark but not inky. Boysenberry/blackberry jam soars out of the glass-this just smacks of Syrah with some herbal overlay also present. Round with good volume, but astounding structure and even more inspiring acidity for this freakishly warm vintage. This won't win any awards for being the most stylish, complex, or ethereal Cote Rotie on the block, but it is not over the top either. Drinking very well and admirably balanced.
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