10/7/2017 - Winekrupt wrote:

The nose was quite closed on opening and did not gain ground with air. Wet stone and citrus notes dominate. On the palate, the wine as expected, was quite bright with acidity but did not have the weight and complexity of fruit to balance, with even a citrus pith bitterness to finish. Not a bad wine but my expectations for this last bottle of Dageneau were high. Opened one four years back and found the same, so decided to wait for this last one.

3/28/2015 - Winekrupt Does not like this wine:

Upsettingly lactic on the nose. Was hoping to see some evolution as the wine breathed but this cheesiness did not blow off.
There is a current of concentration in the wine, but this wine, like others of his that I have tried, misses the purity of fruit and expression that I expect from Burgundy. The aromas flavors are muddled.

3/28/2015 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Typical. Bright red fruit on the nose. Very primary quite clean. On the pallet: good intensity but lacking a bit of concentration and complexity. What was there was good. Nice acidic backbone present tannin with a spicy cherry cranberry pallet.

11/5/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

Outstanding. rich finesse full blueberry and blackberry notes, with a great smoky meaty nose. On the mouth: silky tannins, already integrating, seamless balance great acidity, great fruit great savory characteristics coming through very complex. Not cheap but unbeatable at the price point. Should handle many years more but drinking exceptionally well right now.

11/5/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

Corked.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

All citrus on the nose, some lemon cello and lime. Not overly sweet on the palate though possessing a viscous mouth coating quality. QUite good, a little petrol creeping in, but pure, focused and singular. Solid wine, and very enjoyable. Pity the last one.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Agree with other tasters. This wine is still young. Nice bright red fruit in evidence, some light florals. Quite extracted in the mouth, with some grainier tannins... but solid balance. Not too alc. nice fruit. Very elegant style. I enjoyed this now, but will wait and see for some of the bottles.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

I have no doubt that this was something very special a few years ago, but by the time we got to this it was a starting to show some age- some tired fruit on the boquet, with caramel and cooked fruit aromas dominating.
On the palate, none of the tension and intensity of Barbaresco. There WAS evidence of concentration, but time got the best of this one- some fruit and tobacco coming through but also some strong oxidative notes. I wouldn't cook my stew with it, but drink quick if you have it.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

The fruit was a little more tired, and we tasted this against two other syrahs of separate provenance. This was the weakest, but it was by far the oldest.
The nose is certainly showing the tertiary, with earthy, funky and leathery notes coming through, and coming through on par or on top of the red and black fruit still left to find. The rest of the structure of this wine is very sound, and though it is older it has aged in balance. The acidity and tannin and matter are all still very much in lock step.... just not that present anymore. I would drink this sooner rather than later.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

This wine hits all the marks. Not the most complex or powerful. The nose is mostly red fruit and pepper. The palate has some lively acidity and good structure... but the ensemble is missing a little power over all, well balanced, just two rungs down from two thirds up the ladder. The low alc. 12.5% was refreshing, and this is an easy drinker, but nothing to go out of the way for.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Boxwood, Cat pee- yes, but also some nice tropical notes. Mouth watering acidity on the palate, tight and mineral- though more accessible than some of the younger vintages I have had- with some mouth weight and roundness. A little toasted cereal sneaking up, with more to develop hopefully.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

Brettttt!

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Garrigue and macerated red fruit on the nose. A solid balance between fruit and spice, but the fruit is a little muted on the nose, it took some time for this to open. On the palate the fruit really showed much better- very much in stride with everything else. This is a subtle wine, but a good one, with nice earthiness, softening tannins, and still good primary notes shining through. This wine is really in its drinking window, and there is nothing left to gain here, or anything to help it remain. Lovely now.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Pure violet on the nose- perhaps the most floral wine I have ever drank. Rich blue and blackberry, loads of spice- on the palate this wine is pure matter, dense and powerful but with great finesse. The tannins are still quite present, but the ensemble of fruit, floral and spice is in lock step. Great freshness of fruit, good acidity- a beauty to drink- and for a great price. If you can find it.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Some subtle tertiary aromas developing on top of the rich blueberry and spice notes. Some pepper. Some licorice. On the palate: nice acidity and structure- fine grain well integrated tannin. Very balanced wine- did not notice that the % alc. was all the way up to 14.9. Would definetly buy again.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Nice tertiary aromas of earthiness developing on the nose, but still a core of deep cherry holding it together. Supple tannins, with rich cherr/cherry in alcohol- quite a full wine. Another testament to the sound viticulture and winemaking by Gros Freres et Soeur- to have such a solid wine from humble provenance. Only wish I had more.

10/13/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Ample jammy fruit on the nose, with gentle capsicum undercurrent. A little earthy/leather on the finish. On the palate: the tannins are now supple, but still quite present, this wine could hold on a few more years but I don't see a point. It is delicious right now. It's pleasure is right up front, jammy black fruit, a little pepper and spice, flattering sweetness of fruit- almost glycerol on the palate, though this wine is undoubtedly dry.

2/7/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Ripe nose of dark berries and spice, with a quintessential funk get at bay. On the palate it also shows a little riper than your average Bordeaux, both in the fruit profile and in the alchohol (14.5). This is not a master of finesse or destined for years in your cellar, but for quick pleasure, immediate drinking, it fits the bill without destroying the budget.

2/7/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Candied Orange, floral and a hint of saffron and honey on the nose. Really quite viscous on the palate, with good richness of flavour. This is going to be extraordinary with a bit more time... if the acidity allows for it. I too found this to be a little imbalanced in that department- could've had a hint more zip.

2/7/2014 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Solid Pinot. Good varietal character on the nose, the boquet is still a bit sweet for my liking, but this is par for how I find most Oregon pinot. Judicious use of oak here, not overbearing, the fruit component is bright and tight.... good acidity followed by some intense fresh red cherry components. Much more in a burgundian vein than any of the preceding Oregon Drouhin's I've had. I could see this going for quite some time, and getting better for another five years.

2/7/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

Some floral on the nose, the fruit component seemed shut down. (Could be the cold I had when tasting). Still a little grippy on the palate and not very giving- certainly too young. Would like to see this in 7-10 years.

2/7/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

Still quite fresh on the nose, with red and black fruit coming through, a little tobacco and light barnyard. On the palate the wine is showing thinner than the promise of the nose, but there is a good vein of acidity keeping it alive and fresh despite its nearly twenty years of age. Notes of berry, earth, tobacco and baking spice. Med Finish.

2/7/2014 - Winekrupt wrote:

A little generic on the nose, with some varietal character but not enough to stand out if you didn't know what to look for.
Missing the plush oiliness of Viognier on the palate, and also a little generic in terms of flavour. Not faulted, just not my style of viognier.

10/26/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Wonderfully intense both on the nose and on the palate. Saffron, marzipan, lychee and orange on the bouquet. On the palate, good balanced acidity stepping into the almost syrupy (but not bothersome) sweetness. Candied orange and zest, absolutely marmalade on the palate followed by burnt sugar. What concebtration. Pretty enlightened stuff.

10/26/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

On opening- huge vanilla nose. By the next day the oak was imperceptible. Baking spice, anise, red fruit and earth notes on the nose. Supple red fruit on the palate, fine grained tannins and good acidity backing things up. Some torrified notes, singular red fruit, aforementioned spice, very good balance, but missing intensity. This should improve with age, but I'm not sure I see it being a block buster.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Raspberry and Cherry nose, some subtle barrel work coming through. New world, but really the best of it. Pleasurable without being over ripe or overoaked. I have been impressed by this producer in the past and am still impressed by the consistency and energy of the wines. Yes this wine is fruit driven, but it also hides an underbelly of spice and developing earthiness. Beautiful acidity- bright flavours. Certainly will improve with age. All said drinking well now, but I have no doubt this wine will drink splendidly for the next decade.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

No hits, no runs, no misses. Unmistakably Sauv Blanc. Nose: leaning to the citrus- lemons, grapefruit, feline p but not very generous otherwise. The mouth is solid with bright acidity and a bit of fleshiness, but the fruit does not linger, and the wine waters-out on the finish.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

This was an infanticide. Sometimes you open a young wine and it gives you something, and sometimes it simply shuts you out. This is the latter. Good concentration, inky colour, bold but still fine grained tannins, nice acidic balance, but the flavour profile is singular "tart black cherry", quite concentrated, and not quite enough to make this wine really interesting. Yet. I could see this developing decent tertiary qualities, and it definitely has the stuffing to go some time. Patience is key. This could gain ground.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Somewhat generic but identifiable Burundian nose. Cherry and leafy. Not overly expressive, even with decanting- granted this wine is in an awkward phase and hovering between losing its youthful primary character and developing it's adult texture. In short- it's a shitty teenager- showing potential, but we're not quite sure he's ever going to leave the basement.
There is a core of fruit and acidity here, but it is mute behind a certain cherry stemminess. I have heard that Laurent is fond of whole cluster, and to me, this tastes of it- and it is a little in the way. This is not a refletion of the tannins, because the structure is probably the best part of this wine, but rather a certain rawness- bordering on spice. Intense enough, med finish. Will wait and see how this evolves.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Citrus and vanilla on the nose. Perhaps a bit too much vanilla. On the palate quite good. Intense, with some lemonccello like qualities, some fleshiness, good acidity, a little oak coming through. At its modest price, quite good value. I agree with other taters on this one, a little short in the mouth, but worth the money.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Do what I say-Not what I do! Same notes as before. Wanted to bring something to the table that was interesting, though I knew it was too young. Only cost me 80 dollars to reconfirm this. This wine definitely has what it takes to go the distance and get better. A balance of spice, cherries with the stem, good acidity and fine though still a little too present tannins... it will be interesting to see what this is all moving towards. Certainly something good. Maybe I'll taste it in two weeks and tell you!

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Tobacco and cedar on the nose with a touch of graphite, with some tight red fruit shining through. 11 years old? When most wines are falling apart at this age, it always amazes me to see Bordeaux just coming alive. This wine is quite classic in it's style, nice red and black current, fine grained tannins and bright acidity, with just a hint of the tobacco and spice. A great food wine. It will only get better. For now, for me- still too young.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Real Grenache typicity here. Red fruit. Sweet red fruit, licorice, spice and slightly resinous. Once again I am faced with a bottle of wine that is 15 percent alc., and yet it is probably the last thing I noticed. On the palette there are no signs of fatigue, the tannins are smooth but present. Yes this is big, and close to being over the top, but it is also finesseful when properly referenced. Fruit and power in the mouth, though less complex than the nose. Ending long with a lovely cinnamon note.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Funky as hell on opening. When approaching a wine of this age I am always worried that the decanting might destroy rather than enhance it. But this wine, despite its 23 years of age, really benefited from the air time. After minutes it started to open, but sadly, as is the problem, we were drinking through the minutes, and like usual, the last half glass was the best by far. Cigar box, black current, plum, baking spice and a little leather (yes, we ended on leather- but we started with the steer!). Like all of the great wines, no one dominant aroma or flavour, just great intensity of everything. Amazingly fresh, so much of the fruit still in tact. The pallet mirrors the bouquet, with a hint of earth also coming into play. I can't see this getting better with age, but it should hold for some time, and is drinking beautifully right now.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

One of the best wines I have ever had, outstripping any of the 07 Brunellos or Chiantis that I've tried by miles. A friend opened this, and it was unknown to me until then. No preconceptions. Decanted for two hours. Just purity of expression on the nose, pure terroir. Unmistakably varietal cherry, spice and floral notes, a combination of wild cherry and sweet aromas of cherries in liquor, but in perfect harmony. No one dominating aroma shutting out the rest. Despite the 15 percent Alc. not coming off hot on the nose or palet. The palet is silky but upright. Fine grained tannins in lock step with the bright acidity perfectly balancing intense cherry fruit and spice. The intensity of the palate, the purity of the fruit, so clean and so clear should age well and even improve (hard to imagine getting better than this) for years. Worth every penny.

10/13/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

At first I wasn't sure if this was simply past it or flawed, but reading other peoples recent encounters with this same wine, I'm afraid to say that the bottle must have been flawed. Extremely animal on opening, which didn't blow off with time in the glass. Certainly some red berry and spice coming through, good intensity, good acidity, but an imbalanced current of barnyard swept it away. Odd that, with the disastrous condition of the cork, there weren't any oxidative notes, and no off cork taint. Sometimes you just get a weird bottle.

9/23/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Lots of fruit, sandal wood and subtle flower notes on the nose. A great current of earthiness developing. On the palate the wine is powerful and hedonistic, with rich cherry and spice... it has the stuffing to go much longer, with good acidity propping up the fruit. Even at nine years old this wine is showing youthful. Really delicious, and will only gain ground for another five years, but so good now. I find this outstanding for the QPR.

9/20/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Black tea, blueberry and violet from the boquet. The palate has a tonne of spice, good fruit and an earthy/black tea finish, all while being hedonistic yet finesseful. Not a super complex wine but not mono-dimensional, while powerful enough with it's fruit and length... at the price point really outstanding.

9/10/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Great intensity and concentration but a few eoxidative ad evolved notes coming through on the nose- honey, beez wax, vanilla, florals with a hint of nuttiness to finish.
The mouth is lush and intense, but also a stone sucking minerality- again a little past it's prime. Not apple and nuts, but getting awfully close... there was also a nice toasted cereal note that developed with air. Great concentration and length though.

9/1/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Super tight and closed on opening. With decanting the aroma profile opened up and revealed, bright cough drop cherry, spice and resin, almost menthol (which blew off a bit with time). This wine is certainly shutting down right now, and I suspect was quite primary a year ago, and will be quite interesting a 4 or 5 years from now. Still, lots of power and good concentration, and you can see the potential in the glass... it has the tannins and acidity to go some distance and there is a lot there waiting to develop. Very exciting. Leave it alone for now.

9/1/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Intense and interesting on the nose but atypical for a Riesling, with notes of orange blossom and candied orange peel dominating. On the palate the wine is rich and oily, and quite sweet, still very intense in its offering, but falling short on the acidity to be really balanced. For now 87 but maybe this will improve with age.

9/1/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Petrol funk right of the get-go, but with a core of citrus and light melon to back it up. On the palate there was great acidity, which was balanced nicely by the residual sugar and the weight of the fruit. Seven years on, and this wine can definitely age.

8/29/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Very interesting wine. Great black and red current nose backed with subtle florality. The palate has lively acidity, present but not overpowering tannins, and power of fruit... very balanced wine. Good finish.

8/29/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Sweet dried, and stewed cherry on the nose. Some baking spice. For a ten year old wine there is good life in this. Even after ten years this pinot maintains its new world character, with a bit of sweet oak coming through, but the wood is more on the spice now and less on the oak. A fairly monodimensional wine, fruit spice and cola, not a ton of acidity or tannin to speak of, but still standing up.

8/29/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

I suppose this wine merits better than 88 considering the age. As a stand alone wine however this is 88. The nose was a little oxidated but not overly, still had life in it. Dried red and black current, earthy both in the nose and on the palate, but fading and a little tired. Still drinkable but no real epiphanies here, shame.

8/29/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Resinous and red berry on the nose. A little stinky funk developing. The colour is rather light, not the depth of a lot of Vosne I've had. Perhaps the double oaking played a part in this. The palate is missing the power and a bit of fruit, especially at the price point. Sappy or oaky notes coming through, a little spicy... missing the terroir here. Disappointing for he price.

8/21/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Rich, cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose with some cherry high notes, and a little earthiness. Almost a slight impression of VA here, but not too much to be offensive.
The palate comes off as sweet, but only because the fruit is so concentrated. Earthy on the palate, with spice and cherry and med/long finish. This is how Beaujolais should taste.

8/21/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

On opening this one was a little funky, with red berry notes, sandalwood, and spice. With an hour or air it opened up a lot and the animal opened to light leather. The palate is certainly more structural than most of the Brunellos I've had from this year, but it is also very generous and complex, with loads of earthiness, spice and sweet red fruit. I didn't really find the acid and tannin getting in the way of everything else. Solid finish, solid food wine. This may improve over the next few years.

8/17/2013 - Winekrupt wrote:

Tangerine, lime, and yeast on the nose. There was a certain creaminess to the bouquet which did not remind me very much of Riesling, that been said, the aromas and flavours were interesting, and intense. The palate was similar. Heavier, and rounder in the mouth, with a leesy richness you don't get in a lot of reisling, but this is not just trickery- there is a real core of fruit and complexity, with a mixture or flavours shining through. Tangerine, tinned pineapple, creaminess, with a seedling of petrol waiting to sprout. What this wine misses is follow through. Could have been more intense on the back end and lasted a little longer.

8/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine:

Pleasantly surprised. Nice citrus and apple on the nose, but also some decent brioche yeasty hints shining through. Medium and persistent bubbles... which to my surprise,( kept in with nothing more than cling film wrapped around the top of the bottle), lasted three days!Good dosage, balanced well with the body of the wine. Not to shabby at all Cali!