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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More...
Red

2004 Louis Jadot Nuits St. Georges

 Pinot Noir more
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3/5/2016 - rromain wrote: 89 points

Beautiful transparent dark red cherry color. Smoky spinach and herb nose, with a bitter cherry and pork fat finish, with everthing in between. A nice simple Villages from Nuits that, while not hitting the top of the quality scale, is a very satisfying wine and will continue to drink well for a while. A great way to wash down crunchy pizza.

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White - Fortified

NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series Charleston Sercial Special Reserve

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9/9/2015 - rromain Likes this wine: 90 points

N.V. Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira 'Historic Series Charleston' Sercial Special Reserve, 19 pabv. Short (3/4") standard 5 band cork, warm, tawny brown, quite bitty. First to reach the nostrils after 3 days open is smoked cherry, some creaminess, and lime blossom. Rich but not sweet, with caramel and some mint high tones, medium entry, energetic midpalate, and nice juicy cherries and lime finish. Actually has opened up a bit since day before yesterday. Much better with Black Diamond Reserve Cheddar. In my opinion just misses its price point; would have been a more reasonable buy at $35-40. However, with the shortage of good Sercials, I welcomed this in the market, and still do. It's possible that Sercial should be the benchmark of all Madeira styles, actually it is for me, though my introduction was all Boal and Malvasia. (89 pts.)

Now having given this until Sept 12, about 6 days on from opening, another impression: Again the smoked cherries and cream, lime blossom delicate but more prominent, and a neat bitter aroma, all quite well integrated over a sort of energetic pongy base made mostly up of bacon fat. Harmonious but not all resolved, promising more development with air. Aged sawdust is added to the above on the palate, with a nice punch of lime-tinged acidity and an appropriate finish. Seems to support the Trombley theorem on the development of oxidized-style wines. An excellent demonstration of the virtues of Sercial, and now rated excellent. (90/100). jht (sweetstuff) note

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White

2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Reserve Tradition

 Kamptal more
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9/6/2015 - rromain wrote: NR

EX magnum. Straw with plenty of Weinstein. In the last 3 years, the hay notes have sweetened up and have become integrated harmoniously with the sweet pea. Light and tripping on the tongue, with cooked white pepper finish. Bring on the hog! 91 for quality, 96 for pleasure. In mag, will hold five plus years. Thanks, Bill Mayer, a poet of a wine retailer. Romain reunion, Evansville.

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Red

2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

 Red Rhone Blend more
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9/6/2015 - rromain wrote: NR

Purple with dusty-brick hues from a bottle with great but lubricated cork. Funky raspberry and earth nose, sweetish undertones. Delicate texture; juicy, with fine tannins and energetic finish. 91/100; drink now--2019. romain 'hog roast' reunion, today, Evansville.

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White - Off-dry

2010 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #5

 Mosel Saar Ruwer more
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9/6/2015 - rromain wrote: NR

Rr cellar, jut note: Leafy green, plenty of coarse tartar. Intro petrol phase. Creamy, vanillin opening, underlain with a clean peachy leesiness. Crisp, dryish, clean, with an Italianate, brothy note. Lotsa Schafer spunk, with room to grow. Romain 2015 family reunion At Linda's. 93/100, within 10 minutes after opening. Now--??

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Spirits

NV Martell Cognac Cordon Bleu

 Ugni Blanc, Trebbiano more
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9/5/2015 - rromain wrote: 89 points

Heavily caramel-treated. That this is a Borderies spirit is plain from the fermented earth, seafood, lacquer and citrus nose. This is fairly heavily sweetened, with lanolin notes predominating on the mouth. Good plus finish. 89/100, being somewhat generous. Jht

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Spirits

NV Crown Royal XR Blended Canadian Whisky, 40%

 Ontario Grain more
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9/5/2015 - rromain wrote: 95 points

Brilliant gold-green, from Riedel Scotch glass and Impitoyable; the latter concentrating the seemingly gently apple flower and spicy nose to a rich seamless rye expression, harmonized with sawn lumber and sultana raisin. This flows spicily and limpidly over the tongue and leaves an integrated aftertaste, something like an old-vines wine. Worth sitting with foe a long time, watching it blossom.

'Blended 'with a Waterloo Distillery (founded 1857) batch of Canadian whisky', this was the last of the Seagram's distillery that bornned in 1993 after being closed.

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Red

2010 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso

 Sangiovese more
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9/5/2015 - rromain wrote: NR

94 pt see tn

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Spirits

1993 Domaine d'Espérance Armagnac Bas Armagnac

 Colombard more
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9/4/2015 - rromain wrote: 93 points

Ugni blanc-Colombard single dustillate. $115/750 ml. Aged 19 yrs in oak. Orange w/ green overtones. In a Riedel Scotch glass added 1 tsp spring water to 2 oz spirit. Deeply sweet vanilla and old library nose with pungent overtones of chocolate and white truffle in a horehound rich spirit with a tingly bite. Downgraded for intensity bordering on clumsiness. This bottle opened up circa one year ago. Does it actually need gentle oxidation? jht

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Red

2010 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso

 Sangiovese more
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9/4/2015 - rromain wrote: 94 points

9/4/2015 -94 Points
In Evansville at RRs, recent case purchase of his. Waxed six-band 1.25-inch cork.

Not a trace of sediment upon decanting into a 1500-ml Rare Wine Irish style crystal.

Searching plum. Purple plum predominates; cream, Cameroon cigar wrapper, Italian thyme, lots of delicately tickly and fine high notes, breathing a gentle stoniness.

Limpid and suave in texture, fine but accumulating tannins, with that Italian bitter twist on finish, tones underneath fine tarriness and white truffle.

Great promise for what is going to be tomight's spaghetti wine, though made by Connie. Now-2025. 94/100.

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Red

2010 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso

 Sangiovese more
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9/4/2015 - rromain wrote: 94 points

In Evansville at RRs, recent case purchase of his. Waxed six-band 1.25-inch cork.

Not a trace of sedimen upon decanting into a 1500-ml Rare Wine Irish style crystal.

Searching plum. Purple plum predominates; cream, Cameroon cigar wrapper, Italian thyme, lots of delicately tickly and fine high notes, breathing a gentle stoniness.

Limpid and suave in texture, with that Italian bitter twist on finish, tones underneath fine tarriness and white truffle.

Great promise for what is going to be tomight's spaghetti wine, though made by Connie. Now-2025. 94/100.

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Red - Fortified

NV Sandeman Porto Finest Rich Ruby (estimated 1970s and prior)

 Port Blend more
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4/8/2015 - rromain wrote: 91 points

NV Sandeman Porto Finest Rich Ruby (estimated 1970s and prior)

Postby John Trombley [This user is an FTLOP Subscriber] » 08 Apr 2015 18:52 Tasting Date: April 8, 2015
NV Sandeman Porto Finest Rich Ruby (estimated 1970s and prior) - Portugal, Douro, Porto (4/8/2015)
This wine was probably bottled 1950s-1970s, by appearance. It has US volume figures. 20 pabv. $45/4/5th of a quart, plus 15 percent buyer's premium. WineBid (bottles still up for bid as of today). Imported by WA Taylor, Washington, DC.

T-corked; top snapped off when I attempted to remove it; removed the bottom stub of cork with a Durand corkpuller.

Very, very tawny in color, and translucent; quite bitty. Quite slow tears.

Earthy, with usual caramel and maple scents, with a touch of lacquer, richly nutty. Good fresh nose.

Somewhat drier than a young ruby; little or no heat; good acid balance, very fine tannin. Nice length.

91/100. Drink now or over the next few years. Westminster 'Royal Addition' English Cheddar does well with this, as does Membrillo (quince paste) with the same cheese.

I'd probably allow this to settle more next time on its side both for the bittiness and the dry cork. (91 pts.)

I remember my ex-brother in law Bob King ordering me a glass of Sandeman ruby or tawny port at London Chop House in Detroit circa 1979. This reminds me very much of that port, which was my first fall-in-love exposure to this fantastic type of wine. I think I got my nose in a Beerenauslese first a couple weeks before or probably Port would be the passion for me now that German wine is. It's no far behind! Also at that Chop House meal was poured: 1964 Petrus, for a remembered cost of $50. I owe much to Bob: Two classed-growth Bordeaux, Leoville-las Cazes and Beycheville, the above mentioned Petrus, and my first sip of Mersault Clos de la Barre; a bottle of 1966 Fonseca, and a vintage, not remembered now, of Cheval Blanc. Still remember these wines after all this time, as well as a few of mine that I opened for him.

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Spirits

NV William Grant & Sons Monkey Shoulder The Original Batch 27 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 43%

 Speyside more
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2/1/2015 - rromain wrote: 88 points

$33/750 ml at Papa Joe's in Richmond, IN.

This is a blended malt Scotch, not a blended Scotch, which is a big difference stylistically. Blended Scotches usually contain considerable non-malt Scotch grain spirits, such as corn or wheat, while a blended Scotch malt contains only malt Scotches, a mixture of so-called 'singles'. In this case the sources are three: Balvenie, Kininvie, and Glenfiddich, all Gordon-owned Speysiders kept in Bourbon oak.

Although blended malts are nothing new in Scotland, this is a relatively new marketing adventure, a mid-priced whisky with the flavors of malt but with a lower price than many of them; indeed, than many blended Scotches.

From Riedel malt glass. Warm yellow-green. Quick-dropping tears. Undergirded with corn fatty acids, a warm, broad-sided, with a little orange oil and baked cherry. Not a comer in either style or flavor, but designed for easy drinking. Leather and grass and pipe tobacco, a very small amount of peat; a dry dram, with a short finish edged with spearmint. Leaves a versatile hint of tannin on the tongue. Water not needed. Good value for money.

It stands up well to quality mix. A short one of an ounce of it, shaken with ice and the juice of one medium lemon and 2 teaspoonfuls of organic Florida cane sugar and a splash of Gerolsteiner, was distinctive, clean, and harmonious.

For the new explorer of malt Scotch whiskey, a solid bottle to build a good-value collection around. Also a good one for the aficionado to have around for those embarassing moments when asked for a grain blend that you don't have in your locker--'Oh, if you like xxx I have one that will please you a lot'.

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White - Off-dry

2006 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #14

 Mosel Saar Ruwer more
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12/31/2014 - rromain wrote: 99 points

$86/750 ml; 8.0 pabv, Thiese/Skurnik, Oakland Hills, OH Dorothy Lane Market. jht

Has an odd, flaky white crust, that dissipates with the touch of a finger; when decanted, leaves the crust behind and fizzes with the spritz as a nucleus. Quite bitty but with a brilliant green-gold; thick with extract and glass-coating.

Just out of the bottle it's almost burning with acidity, with the sweetness covered up by grippy orange-peel tannins; there is penetrating fruit of razor-like simplicity and enormous length, a wine of great promise. Next on the nose comes the petrol and then the fresh bread and butter.' Then sweet-sour dried apricot dripping with orange-flower honey. At 12 hours in glass is broadcasting a strong fresh green grass scent. also linseed oil. A wine of powerful botrytis effects but absolutely clean and focused.

This gripping sweet-sour is á point with the etched flavors of a great Norman cidre, balancing in the mouth. Lanolin and anise linger in the background followed by a sense of perfectly ripe grapefruit juice. Flavors echo around inside your head for minutes after a sip. The empty glass reveals aromas of vanilla creme brulée custard and a light dusting of tobacco. Then, after a while, scents of ripe apple peels and tastes of rubbed aromatic wood veneers.

Schildknecht's idea that this is a wine in adolescence on its way to early adulthood at age 40 is not far off. Drink 2021 (so I'll hopefully have a chance to drink it before I die) through 2046. 99/100.

The greatest young Mosel Riesling Auslese I've tasted in 40 years of pursuit of this wine style.

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White - Fortified

1908 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal Reserva

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10/12/2014 - rromain wrote: 99 points

Glinting amber-green eye. Upon opening, so powerful and dense that it is practically untastable; still the same six hours later. At twenty four hours, beginning to emerge from its musclebound state. Powerful high end nose of shellac, caramel, peanut butter cookies, fennel, pine needles, but still partially unresolved. Full richness with searing acidity, with a full synopsis on a two minuit plus finish. 99 plus. Rarely have I ever scored a wine so high that gave me so little pure pleasure.

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Spirits

NV Glenfiddich 15 Year Old The Solera Vat Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 40%

 Dufftown more
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3/28/2014 - rromain wrote: 88 points

Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky Solera 15 Years Old, 40.0%, $53/1000 ml; Duty free Signature Shop, MS Zweiderdam, Holland-America SS Line. Matured in at least half-full Oregon pine tun, after prior maturation in sherry, bourbon, and new oak casks. William Grant and Sons.

An amber-green with evidence of crystillization with some dilution with spring water. Plenty of vanillin oak with maturation in sweet sherry casks. Full of orange and citrus notes on the palate, with lacquery-malt finish. A fine and emjoyable and well-integrated single malt. 88/100.

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Red

2000 Château Lafite Rothschild

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/6/2014 - rromain wrote: flawed

seems to have been an inferior wine

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Red

2000 Château Lafite Rothschild

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/6/2014 - rromain wrote: flawed

assumed in poor condition per rr's " was disappointed with this wine, consumed over holidays 2013 "

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Red - Fortified

1970 Graham Porto Finest Reserve Vintage Whitwam Bottling

 Port Blend more
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11/13/2013 - rromain wrote: 96 points

Tawny witih pink overtones when opened at 8 am the day of the Romain tasting in April 2013, having been decanted off gobs of membranous liver-like crusting. Plenty of thick tears. Sweet cherry candy and mahogany begin the nose profile, resinous and quite high-toned, featuring mint and vanilla over burnt earth. Becomes noticeably drier with a few hours' airing. At first a little heat but nothing really to speak about and intergrates with time.

Later sensing pipe tobacco and sea-urchin caviar. Solid, suave, unusually chunky and restrained in sweetness for a Grahams, with no chance to reach its peak--it was swilled down between 8 and 9 p.m. Despite being not estate bottled, this was as perfect a bottle as I could hope to find, and confirms all the good things I've heard about Whitwham's bottlings--they are completely representative of what they're given to bottle. What a sucker bet for $75 a bottle (a sucker for those who didn't bid on it, which was everyone but me!)

This bottle is completely at its best but is going nowhere--it perhaps has a couple decades or more left in it. Drink now-2033; note by sweetstuff.

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White - Sweet/Dessert

2007 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein

 Mosel Saar Ruwer more
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11/13/2013 - rromain wrote: 96 points

$215/375 ml, Age of Riesling, Terry Theise/Skurnik; AP 11 08

First Schaefer Eiswein I've ever seen in 30-plus years following this estate. Influence of a new generation? Still a totally classic Eiswein, as you'll see below.

Finished with a beautiful long (term) cork.

Restrained green, medium-thick.

Intense peach, fresh air á la Eiswein; butter, somewhat dried apricots, vivid and clean.

Fresh radish, peach, apricots, and spicy ginger, with a finish at this time wincingly tart and pfiffy.

I'd say this is a relatively low-botrytis, completely clean Eiswein, for those, like me, who prefer the classic style.

An arm-wrestler of a wine; pure power, but subtlety will come with time, which it really needs. Drink 2016-2060. note by sweetstuff

I checked and there are still six half-bottles of this at Macarthur Wines in DC at $210. A must for those with deep pockets and love of this estate like mine, which started with two full bottles of the 1976 Beerenauslese Domprobst, emptied at a table containin 12 people in a once-around.

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White

2011 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett

 Rheingau more
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10/29/2013 - rromain wrote: 90 points

AP 29101 012 12 8.5 pabv Terry Thiese Estate Selections/Michael Skurnik. $23.50/750. Drunk at Winds Yellow Springs, OH on our 8th Anniversary. Obviously needs double-decanting, so it got it. Deep nose with rhubarb, strawberry, and peach. Medium-dry with great luscious stony acidity, umami, rosewater, and good length. GIves a delightful lift and works well with good food. Recommended strongly as a classic Kabinett.

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White

2001 E. Guigal Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto

 Hermitage White Rhone Blend more
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10/21/2013 - rromain wrote: flawed

A great disappointment at the Romain's wine dinner in February 2013, but a good chance for the company to taste an expensive but horribly premoxed bottle. Wrote the Guigals about this but no response.....

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Red

1979 Giovannini Moresco Barbaresco Pajoré

 Nebbiolo more
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10/19/2013 - rromain wrote: 96 points

At Cousin Ron's, Evansville, 2/2013. Opened casually to sip while we were attending to other bottles for the big wine dinner. Seamless, stunning, integrated nose and palate, light in texture, tannins quite resolved. Strawberries, incense, leather, with great harmony, and lissome texture, still has a great future but at peak amd holding if well stored.
At Romain What Is So Rare? Dinner prelude. Deserves more attention than we could give it under the circumsances.

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Spirits

NV The Glenlivet 16 Year Old Nàdurra First Fill American Oak Casks Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 54.9%

 Speyside more
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4/21/2013 - rromain wrote: 92 points

Bought Richmond, IN 4/19/2013, $70/750 ml, a yearly donation to Trinity Church, Troy, OH and its Kirking of the Tartans with Piping in the Haggis in upcoming November. Since we were devouring haggis in Dunedin, New Zealand for the last one, which was sucked dry when I got home, decided to taste this one before letting it go heavenward. See all you malt-lovers in Troy in November. Best church service of the year. The empty bottle from last year was the most positive tasting note from this crowd ever, although I think the real power drinkers missed the Aberlour Abunadh

Light but definite yellow with hints of green. Diluted 1:1 with Fiji. Sour apples and vanillic American oak spice, with linoleum, dried orange peel, roasted nuts and lacquer, almost like part of it was aged in Sherry casks (which are themselves made of American oak, for the most part). Nose very gentle and will make no enemies. Though these are not charred casks, there is a definite but light bourbon likeness to this.

Rich-textured, sweetish fruit and moderate spiciness, with little alcohol heat at this dilution (about 55 proof). Finesse rather than power, and again, won't drive away the crowd. Pleasing.

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White - Off-dry

2007 Jurtschitsch Grüner Veltliner Auslese Loiserberg

 Kamptal more
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4/19/2013 - rromain wrote: 92 points

Euros 20 per 375 ml, tasted and purchased at the estate Sept 2010, ILF 526208. Alwin Jurtschitsch and Stefanie Hasselbach are from families well-known for exploiting vignobles of greater potential than marketable sexiness; I hope not too poor a way to describe the Rheinhessen and the Kamptal subregion of the Niederösterreich (which also includes the Wachau and the Kremstal of Austria.) The name Hasselbach is more than beloved to those who follow the exploits of Gunderloch, for example. I believer that Stephanie is Alice Hasselbach's daughter, who charmingly waited on us at the estate.

These two are not only young and talented but seem to be uncompromising in their search for the maximum expression to be had from the materials nature provided them. Not every sip at every time will please every palate, but they know how to express what they have and want, and it's up to the cellar, and the purchaser, to do the rest.

Cotton-candy and spun-sugar, plum, red-currant, honeysuckle melon, and dusty minerality, gives a bumpy but scintillating ride.Full dessert-wine sweetness and richness. Now through 10 years should provide adequate search for the sweet spot. This is the second tasting, and it's much more grown up and less into awkward adolescence; quite a show for those who don't know Gruener V as a sweet wine.

As far as I know the sweet series is not available in the United States, but the dry Grand Cru GV series is, and is well worth trying at the prices I see.

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  • Tasting notes: 44 notes on 39 wines

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