Corked.

Late release. The more Charlie Heidsieck I have, the more I've grown to like it. I think the interesting thing is that the wine never shows well on its own, but in the company of other champagnes, the impeccable balance is on full display. It's understated but brilliant. Now this bottle was drank in isolation, but I've come to understand the genius here much better -- again, a perfectly balanced champagne. Brioche, citrus, apple, smoke, mineral, the whole deal. The youthfulness of this wine is still on full display, and I'd be hard-pressed to guess this was as old as it was if served blind.

Every time I try one of these, I ask myself why I don't buy them. They could easily hold their own against all but the very best of Burgundy. Not particularly stylized by flinty reduction, the nose instead shows obviously young with a bit of aldehydic quality, which I think should dissipate with time. The palate has the requisite acidity and mineral freshness, but also enough fruit that everything is nicely rounded out. The texture here is a touch thicker, but it definitely works. Impressive as always.

The nose on this is stupendous, with all the necessary tropical qualities, herbs, minerals, and all that. There's something almost exotic with its floral and spicy notes as well. Unfortunately, for me, the palate doesn't really deliver the promise of the nose -- while the racy mineral elements are there in spades, the breadth and intensity here aren't quite up to scratch yet. I imagine that a few extra years in bottle will help this wine round out, but in the meantime, I'm not too thrilled with how this is showing.

I've never really been too fond of the Savigny bottlings, as I find them a bit more rustic and backwards than I personally like, but the Latricieres has generally fit my own preferences more. This has some of that classic sweet earth/beetroot flavour of 2006, as well as a generous helping of mixed red and black fruit. Earthy and coiled, but it's so clear the high quality of the material in this wine. Would love to see this in another few years when hopefully it uncoils a little more.

Napa cab in the perfect window. Silky, rich, and refined, with a mostly black-fruited profile, as well as a light herbal tone on the nose that adds complexity. The palate is fully resolved, again with this awesome silky texture. It's incredibly sweet and must've been very ripe a long time ago, but now it's just well-integrated. Oak, yes, but resolved and just spicy enough to add interest. For my palate, this is in the perfect spot, and every time I have a wine like this, I wonder if the modern incarnations will end up the same way.

When I opened this, I couldn't tell if it was sound, funky, bad, or corked, though I suppose that's really just old Rioja for you. There were definitely some nice elements on the nose -- leather and dirt for the most part, but a hint of spice and fruit as well. The palate, however, wasn't really quite there -- mostly a pile of acid. More air later, I think TCA did start to pop up, though not everyone agreed and some thought it was just old Rioja funk. Sometimes these wines can be maddeningly frustrating.