(blind)
Slight oak influence - well integrated. Nice chardonnay - cool climate fruit. Initially blinded as a '13 Puligny but in hindsight this doesn't really have minerality - it's cleaner and somehow more primary than Burgundy, though very elegant.

30% barrel-fermented in new barrels - barrel fermentation can integrate the oak a lot better than just aging in oak.
14.5% and seems more like 13%

Score: Around 8.5-9

(blind)
Moderate concentration straw. Slight reduction.
Slight lambic sourness - is this some weird skin-fermented natural wine?
High sparkly acid. Slight well-integrated oak - probably mostly used barrels. Slightly phenolic on the palate.

Guessed a basic Burgundy - Macon Villages 2013. I think this bottle was a bit off from being Coravined.

(blind)
Slightly reductive (rubber) with thiolic character (grapefruit pith).
There's an oak and pyrazine note - key lime pie, celery soda, cream soda. (so immediately I'm thinking Bordeaux Blanc or California Fume Blanc).
In the mouth, mid-weight, a bit bitter. Too low alcohol and mineral to be CA.
Basic, but correct Bdx Blanc.

called: Graves Sauv/Semillon blend 2012
actual: Graves Sauv/Semillon blend 2011
12.5%

(blind)
Pale ruby.
Smells like pinot - slightly reductive red fruit, slight new oak (hint of toast, sawdust).
On the palate, a bit light, with a New World ripeness - clean fruit.
- Light bodied
- elevated alcohol ~13%
- elevated acid
- low tannins

called: Pinot > Sonoma > lighter producer > 2012
actual: Pinot > Sonoma > Flowers Seaview Ridge > 2011

Overall - nice, though a bit one-note.

(blind)
Light ruby
Slight brett, some development (sweet oxidative leathery tamari, mushroom).
Savory forest floor with slightly-stewed (developed) red cherry.
Moderate tannins - a bit firm for Red Burgundy
elevated acid.

called: Pinot > Burgundy > Nuits-St.-George > 2007
actual: Pinot > Burgundy > Corton Clos du Roi > 2005
13%

I really like this - it's savory and earthy with red fruit.
Score: around 9

(blind)
Light ruby to a garnet rim
More development on the nose than the previous wine (sweet tobacco and tamari)
No notable oak - used barrels.
Red fruit, tending a bit towards dark fruit.
Savory and earthy.
Elevated alcohol - 13.5% (correct)
Elevated tannins - pretty high if this is Pinot. Not high enough for Nebbiolo. On the low end of medium-plus, but the tannins were notably high.

called: 2004 Nuits-St.-George
actual: 2003 Echezeaux

Lesson: Burgundy can be tannic!

(blind)
Moderate minus red to an orange rim
Notable acetaldehyde - bitter apple core. Corked?
On the palate: Clearly corked.

(blind)
2nd bottle
Moderate minus red to an orange rim
Herbal anise notes, red fruit
elevated acid, moderate tannins.
Slightly elevated alcohol - 13% (correct)
Fleshy midpalate. red fruits - strawberries.
Structurally burgundy but seems weirdly weighty, and the aromatics are unusual.

called: 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin
actual: 2002 Valtellina Riserva

(blind)
Moderate minus ruby to a garnet rim
Unusual nose of incense, sweet anise, fragrant herbs, amaro.
Bright red cherry - ripe and very cool climate.

- medium body
- elevated alcohol -13.5 (actually 13%)
- elevated acid
- elevated tannins

Neutral oak. Tart cranberry finish. Very cool climate.

Not structured enough for Barolo.

called: Chianti Classico 2007
actual: Graci, etna rosso - 2010, quota 1000

Super interesting.

(blind)
Moderate minus ruby to a red rim.
Tight nose with savory red fruit and some development.
Some chocolate from oak - but really well-integrated and not super prominent.

- medium body
- elevated alcohol - 13.5%?
- elevated acid
- moderate tannins - well-rounded

called: Tempranillo > Spain > Rioja > Riserva > 2001
actual: 2010 Brunello

Structurally this was way softer than I expected - maybe due to accessing via Coravin? This is really nice, and a bit modern.

2004 cabrili riserva brunello

Moderate minus ruby to a red rim.
Beautiful red cherry, black cherry, and slight chocolate (oak). Slight brett (dog fur) - very well-integrated.

medium plus body
elevated alcohol
high acid
elevated tannins - quite chewy and chocolatey

Dried and fresh black cherry on the palate. Some sweet tamari development.

I liked this a bunch.

(blind)
Pale red fading to garnet at the rim.
Nose shows mainly brett (quite strong) and a hint of sweet tamari development. Some thin jamy dried fruit (subdued).
In the mouth, elevated alcohol ~13%?
elevated acid. Moderate tannins. No overt oak.

I wasn't sure what it was. When revealed, I was surprised - this is pretty thin for Musar. It doesn't have much of the dark fruit that Musar typically has. If this is representative of the '00, this is definitely in the lighter, Burgundian camp.

(blind)
Deep ruby red.
Nose of burnt coffee, slight toffee, roasted meat, warm earth, slight burnt bacon. Lots of development - mushroom, sweet tamari, forest floor.
- medium bodied
- elevated alcohol 13.5%?
- elevated acid - bright!
- elevated tannins - smooth and satiny

So well-balanced. Savory and meaty, with earth and mushroomy development.

called Northern Rhone but didn't get more specific than that.

(blind)
Moderate red to a garnet rim.
A rich nose of bacon fat and coffee, tiramisu, subtle but pure blackberry liqueur. Balsamic notes, fresh-chives, green onions, slight green olive. This has seen some new oak - there's a sweetness here, but it's superbly integrated.

medium bodied
elevated acid
elevated tannins

called Northern Rhone, nonspecifically. I was a bit surprised it was La Turque!

Moderate ruby. Dark fruit - ripe with some oak toast. Slightly burnt, and has a rubber hose quality.
Slightly jammy black cherry.

medium body
elevated alcohol - 14.5%? (correct)
moderate acid
moderate tannins - a bit metallic on the finish.

Not my favorite.
Around 8-8.5.

(semi-blind - we knew it was a Bordeaux)

Dark ruby.
Super-bretty, with stewed bell peppers and light dried fruits. On the palate, dark cassis notes, elevated acid, elevated alcohol, and moderate tannins.

Guess: Based on the structure and slightly thin palate, I'm guessing this is Margaux, 2006.
actual: 1996 Margaux (my vintage call was way off!).

Overall: A bit bretty, but nice!
Score: 8.5-9.

(semi-blind - we knew it was Bordeaux)
Moderate ruby to a garnet rim.
Nose: Brett, slightly burnt toast, ripe bell pepper pyrazines.

It's powerful on the palate, with elevated acid and solidly medium tannins (must have been pretty high in its youth). Dried blackcurrant. Savory.

To me the leanness, elevated acid, and pyrazine character suggests Left Bank to me. Within the Left Bank, the powerful structure with fruit to back it up suggests Pauillac, high quality.

called: Pauillac, 1996, high quality (2nd Growth) - Lynch Bages?
actual: 1989 Chateau Canon (before the regime change in '96).

Wow, I'm confused. This seemed to be missing all the plushness from Merlot I'd expect from the Right bank.

(2nd bottle)
The first bottle was near the end of its coravining.
Much fresher. Clearer bell peppers and clearer black cherry fruit. The fruit condition is a bit dried-out but it's much nicer than the last bottle.

Dark fruit savory. Slight reduction.
Deep blackcurrant, slightly overripe/raisinated.
Dark fruits.
- Full bodied
- elevated alcohol - 14.5%?(correct)
- elevated acid
- elevated tannins
Rich and jammy. A fair amount of new oak - sweet vanilla baking spices.
The acid balances this, but it's too raisinated for me.

Pickle juice (VA?)
Super strong oak influence - vanilla, baking spices, sawdust.
Fruit: super raisinated black currant.

- Full bodied
- High alcohol - 15%? (actually 15.8%)
- medium acid
- medium tannins (low for Cabernet!)

Tons of new oak on the palate - bitter.

This is too overripe and under-structured for my preference.

(blind)
Moderate concentration gold.
Strong petrol on the nose. Floral and waxy and golden. Very slight botrytis (saffron). Expressive and singing on the nose.

Diminished alcohol - 10%? (actually 8%)
Well-balanced with high acid.
Elegant waxiness on the palate.

Sweet - ~40g/L

For me this is pretty ripe - Auslese level.

called: Mosel Riesling > Auslese ripeness, 1990
actual: Mosel Riesling > Spatlese, 2005

(blind)
Moderate concentration gold.
Strong cheese rind - parmeggiano reggiano, piave vecchio.
Hints of sweet toasty oak.
Waxy saffron botrytis - but mostly the nose is driven by cheese rind.
Very savory.

On the palate, this is screaming Sauternes:
- Very sweet ~250-300g/L
- Elevated alcohol - 13.5%?
- acid is just medium.
- slight tannins
- bitterness is moderate but not overwhelming

It's long with a really nice almond note on the finish.

Guess: Sauternes seems obvious. This seems a bit acid-deficient for me, but really good quality. Maybe a top wine from a warm year?

called: 2003 Suduiraut
actual: 2005 d'Yquem(!!!)

First world problems: I missed a d'Yquem blind.

(blind)
Medium gold, some nail polish (VA?)
Waxy saffron botrytis. Candied grapefruit
Very sweet - ~250 g/L
Sour raisinated grapefruit.
Elevated acid (higher than the d'Yquem), and slight bitterness.
Seems clearly Sauternes to me, but I didn't get more specific.

(blind)
Medium gold. More development than the Coutet - stewed grapefruits.
Yet in the mouth, this shows fresh, tropical passionfruit.

- nicely elevated acid.
- lighter in the mouth. The perceived sweetness is lower.
- elevated alcohol - 14.5%?

Upon the reveal, I'm surprised by how old this is.

Slight balsamic prickle.
So nice and fresh! Tart guava, guava jelly.
Sweet - maybe 200g/L
high acid! I really like the acid on this.
Kiralyudvar 6 puttonyos - 2005
10% alcohol

Nutty, oxidative. Delightful and complex nose.
In the mouth, super nutty - unsalted roasted almonds, strong and persistent acid (high TA?).
Complex mid-palate flavors of fruitcake, roasted almond, and dried orange peel.

Moderately sweet- 50-60g/L?
Based on the oxidation, sweetness, and strong acid I'm guessing Madeira - Verdelho or Boal.

This is actually:
1983 d'Oliveiras Boal

From driest to sweetest:
sercial - verdelho - boal - malmsey

(blind)
Medium brown/amber in the glass.
Saline toasty nuts. Less sweet than the Boal, saline, nutty - aromatically similar to a sherry.
Chocolate chip cookies.
Fresh and salty.
maybe 20-30g/L
High acid - strong and persistant (strong TA).

I'm guessing this is a sercial.
Actually this is a malvazia/malmsey! I'm confused.

From driest to sweetest:
sercial - verdelho - boal - malmsey

Compared to the Boal, this tastes lighter, thinner, drier, and overall more dried-out to me.

Light red to a tan rim.
Sweet nose - aromatic cherry, some sandalwood oak tones.
Cherry - a bit of robitussin character, some VA.

Full bodied, elevated alcohol - 17-18%? (20%)
Medium acid, medium tannins.
Long but hot.
Slight development but really pretty primary fruit.
cherry liqueur.
Toasty nutty oak, baking spices.
1963 Warre's Vintage port.

high alcohol but super light.
I like this.

Toasty almond brioche. Lots of brioche.