Similar to the previous bottle, Burgundian in its elegance, showing great ripeness and depth yet superbly balanced, fresh and youthful, with the structure for improvement.

Looking fresh, with ample small bubbles. Loaded with fresh lemon and white flowers, also melon and tropical notes, with the chardonnay speaking very clearly. Yeasty, smoky, flinty DP character also comes through, terrific complexity already, finishing with lipsmacking salty sea spray. A light and elegant package, very young and acidic, even for my palate, enjoyable already but likely to improve for years.

Faint but appropriate gold color. Lots of clean, fresh oak on the nose, along with a nice gunpowder undertone. Similar palate. Generally an impressive wine, youthful and modern in style, but pleasantly complex, nicely proportioned, and well balanced save for a bit of heat emerging late. Drink now or hold. Probably a fair value for decent grand cru quality.

Mildly corked, enough to spoil what showed signs of being a really fine wine.

Looking fresh, with clear, deep black cherry color. Freshly cut mint and lots of tobacco on the nose and palate, otherwise enough barnyard and faint TCA to mask everything else. Drinkable, but surely not a representative bottle. Not scored. Neck fill, very clean bottle.

Very deep ruby-cherry color. In the glass, a raw sewage note slowly blew off to reveal primary cherry fruit and very faint Margaux perfume, then this faded away quickly into tannins and alcohol. Not a great showing, but pleasurable. Base neck fill, slight signs of dried seepage.

Beautiful deep ruby color. Loaded with sweet raspberry and grape jelly on the nose. Similar palate, with some peppery alcohol. Primary, warm, very ripe and sweet but not syrupy. A really fun and impressive wine for its style. To drink now or within 5 years, as I doubt its ageability.

Medium-dark cherry-garnet in the middle, to garnet-root beer color at the rim, showing really beautiful clarity and depth of color after decanting for sediment and slow oxidation for several hours. On the nose, the spirit is a bit fumey but never unpleasant, and eventually blew off with time in the glass. Showing warm Christmas spice, praline, raspberry, licorice, and a very clean, minutes-long finish. As near to a perfect Vintage Port as I have tasted. This bottle seems more youthful than mature, with the depth and weight of a wine 25 years younger. Less feminine elegance than some fine Taylor's I've tasted, but more remarkable for its depth and power. From a very clean bottle, neck fill, embossed wax capsule. The next bottle will get a 12 hour decant.

Medium straw color. On the nose, faint alcohol fumes, white flowers, and a faint chemical note. More alcohol on the palate, with more complexity emerging, including considerable oak, stone, white flowers, and a slightly oily quality. Still more alcohol and that odd though faint chemical note through the medium finish. Enjoyable for its complexity, but this doesn't seem overly clean or destined for aging. Tasted blind. Group #3 of 8, my #3 of 8.

Medium-deep lemon color. Incredible nose, complex and everchanging, generous, rich. On the palate, a lovely slight oiliness, perfect balance, rich yet light, elegant and classy. Slight heat on the medium-long finish. Great chardonnay, I wrongly guessed grand cru Burgundy. Tasted blind. Group #1 of 8, my #1 of 8.

Extremely light and pale lemon color. Not real generous right now, some sea shell on the nose, minimal oak, with a very tight acidic edge. This needs some age to soften it a bit, but the stuffing may not be there to ever develop into a great wine. Plainly French in style, a bit of a disppointment in this tough company. Tasted blind. Group #8 of 8, my #8 of 8.

Perfect medium depth of color. Plenty of oak on the nose, fairly fumey alcohol. More complexity and depth on the palate, with an acidic edge and more heat through the finish. No real flaws, but not exceptional. Pressed into service today to replace a leaky grand cru Chablis. Tasted blind. Group #5 of 8, my #4 of 8.

Nearly perfect dark lemon color. Considerable alcohol fumes on the nose, but still showing some nice grapey chardonnay character. Less depth and interest on the palate, but showing very lovely tropical fruit and oak through the persistently warm finish. Plainly New World, well done for the style. Tasted blind. Group #4 of 8, my #2 of 8.

Perfect, regal golden-yellow color. An appealing tropical and oxidized quality on the nose, beautiful palate, clean but simple through the short, warm finish. Borderline alcohol throughout, but a bit of depth helps the balance. Tasted blind. Group #7 of 8. My #2 of 8.

Pale yellow-green. Wonderful blast of sauerkraut on the nose, elegant and balanced on the palate, marred somewhat by considerable lingering heat through the finish. A lightish style, plainly French, fascinating wine overall. Tasted blind. Group #6 of 8, my #3 of 8.

Oily and fumey nose, also nice gunpowder. Oily and sweet, almost Rielsing-like on the palate. Hot alcohol through the finish masks the chardonnay character. Tasted blind. Group #2 of 8, my #4 of 8.

Beautiful fruit, clean and straightforward. Everpresent heat and lingering tannins, this was pleasant and nicely balanced, but didn't seem special at all. Plainly French in style, but disappointing to me. Tasted blind. Group #5 of 10, my #7 of 10.

Beautiful nose, very pure, primary, jammy, almost zin-like fruit. Firm but elegant tannins fading through a sweet and pleasing finish. Some heat, but the depth here keeps the alcohol reasonably in check for now. Plainly New World, very impressive for the style. Tasted blind. Group #2 of 10, my #2 of 10.

Fairly reticent nose and palate, ample smooth tannins. This probably has more to show with further aging, but what comes through now is rather generic and unpromising. Still, there is nothing unpleasant here at all. Tasted blind. Group #9 of 10, my #7 of 10.

Classy torrefaction and oak on the nose. Ripe dark fruits, tannins clamping firmly through the long finish. Clean, superbly balanced, really nice. Plainly French, seems younger than it is. Tasted blind. Group #3 of 10, my #1 of 10.

Very primary, super-ripe, pure fruit, marred by hot alcohol throughout. Mild but lingering tannins. Beautiful and showy for its fruit, unlikely to hold together with age and a difficult pairing with food. Plainly New World in style, overblown and just not for me at this price. Tasted blind. Group #1 of 10, my #4 of 10.

Deep and youtful color. Medicinal, animal funk on the nose. Strangely advanced on the palate. Huge, firm, building tannins. Not sure what to make of this, plainly French in style, not overly enjoyable, but not flawed. Tasted blind. Group #10 of 10, my #10 of 10.

A little stemmy on the nose. Oak and ripe fruit, with firm and mouthcoating tannins. Alcohol almost chokes the palate. Plainly New World, nothing special. Tasted blind. Group #8 of 10, my #7 of 10.

Some earthy funk on the nose, generally nice balance and firm, mouthcoating tannins. Some real quality here, and plainly French, but the lighter style allows the alcohol to come through a bit too strongly for this to be exceptional. Tasted blind. Group #6 of 10, my #4 of 10.

Very muted nose, showing some smoky fruit and faint horsey funk. Purer fruit on the palate, medium body. Light tannins and warm alcohol. Generally pleasant and interesting. French in style. Tasted blind. Group #6 of 10, my #3 of 10.

A faintly metallic edge largely blew off in the glass, though the fumey alcohol didn't. Fine balance and elegant mouthfeel, with medium-firm tannins and some heat through the slightly stemmy finish. Generally French in profile, but the alcohol is still problematic for my palate. Tasted blind. Group #3 of 10, my #5 of 10.

Corked.

Light hay color. Muted nose. Great balance on the palate, with acidity that could use 3-6 years to smooth, although this drinks fine right now. Great class and elegance.

Slightly cloudy, medium yellow color. Faint mothball notes, generally muted, possibly flawed. Not scored.

Medium root beer color. No discernible life left here, too much funk for my palate. Nonetheless, it was a treat to have this bottle in the lineup this night. Substantial ullage and raised cork. Not scored.

Looking remarkably youthful. Some pleasant mature tertiary notes on the nose, but the funk on the palate made this undrinkable for me. Not scored.

Terrific depth of color, very youthful looking. Earthy, brambly nose, still showing a touch of red fruit on the palate. Well past prime but a pleasant experience. Not scored.

Medium cranberry color. Nose of mushroom and forest floor. More lively on the palate, with sweet fruit along with the funk. Great balance, a classy old Bordeaux. Base neck fill, a bit of dried seepage under the capsule.

Dark, crystal clear black cherry color. Great Cheval Blanc nose, but too much heat on the palate. Exceptional length, with fine, persistent tannins. This is 4 to 8 years away from peak drinking, but the unbalanced alcohol in this particular bottle makes me a seller at current prices.

Vanilla and black cherry nose. Very ripe, but the alcohol is still in fair balance and this is an enjoyable enough wine for the style.

Vanilla and dark fruit nose. The extremely hot alcohol on the palate is just too unbalanced for my palate, despite some nice generic ripe fruit. Likely to get worse with age.

Beautiful deep crimson color. An exceptionally ripe style, smoothed and softened by the nice Grange wood treatment. Silky palate, smooth tannins, medium depth of fruit fading beneath searing heat through the finish. Still showing Grange class and a treat to drink.

Showing some youthful color in the glass. Minty, barnyard nose. Earthy palate, very ample tannins. Stemmy finish. Past prime, but still clinging to life. Not scored.

Gorgeous nose, beautiful oak treatment and sweet fruit, big tannins. Modern in style but impressive. Not scored.

Showing surprising earthiness on the nose, with leafy, tertiary notes on the palate, over a core of dark fruit. A wall of tannin arrives late and lingers. An Old World style, to revisit in 8 to 10 years. Not scored.

Very ripe, but less concentrated than expected. Huge tannins, but a certain flabbiness may make aging a problem. Not scored.

Showing signs of maturity in the glass. Nose and palate dominated by florest floor, dry autumn leaves, with hints of minty dark fruit underneath. Some life left but time to drink up.

Tart citrus and stones. A more compact, simple version of the Silex, leaning almost to a New Zealand style. Quite enjoyable, but perhaps not for the price.

Medium-light root beer color. Some depth remains, also some youthful fruit, but the heat is overwhelming. Passable for sipping, but not a great showing, considering the potential that is obviously lurking. Neck fill, decanted 6 hours, an additional 6 hours might have helped. This was in a clear green bottle with handwritten label, Sotheby's and Christie's auction labels, and a Dow branded cork that was not readable for vintage.