12/16/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

The proof that even simple wines from the famous 1982 vintage can still be very enjoyable. Need to open the bottle at least 3 hours in advance to shed off its old claret medicine cabinet and steely nose. Very pleasant, fully ripe with still some time at hand.

12/16/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

This wine keeps on improving with time. Only a hint of the typical white hermitage oxidative character, disappearing quickly, revealing a rich, powerful, aromatic wine. Tropical fruit on the nose and on the palate rich, filling and filming mouth feeling. There is still plenty of acidity to carry this wine towards the second half of this century. Very impressive.

11/10/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Perfect bottle, level base of neck. Opened 10 hours before serving, double decanted one hour before. Incredibly young appearance, full ruby color, hardly any aging on the rim. Classic and complex though not particularly elegant Bordeaux nose, still showing healthy balance between (black) fruit and tannines. On the palate every inch a Latour. Powerful. masculine with great balance, especially for a 1970. Fourth encounter of the wine in 20 years and this was probably the most youthful bottle. Will the 1970 Latour ever fade away?

6/23/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Third wine in my 1.350 notes with a perfect score. Impossible to imagine a better wine. This one has it all, incredible complexity paired with an effortless balance and intense power within a frame of elegance. Layer after layer of dark fruit, subtle spices and the Pomerol juicy bbq meat flavors. You just do not want to swallow the wine, but once you do, the finish goes on forever. One severe warning: allow this Lafleur plenty of 'airtime'. After initial double decanting I scored 97 points. I was lucky to be able to follow the wine the during 72 hours. It proved to be at its apogee after 48-60 hours. A sublime effort from Lafleur and offering drinking pleasure for decades!

6/19/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Still standing rock solid after 35 years. Classic Bordeaux and archetypical MHB all the same. Beautifully balancing in between 2nd and 3rd stage. Tobacco, dirt road, gravel, roses (hint of Barolo), beef, blood, barbecue. Opening up inn the glass even further after one hour. Hardly any further development after I drank my first two bottles 13 years ago.

6/1/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Have encountered this wine several times over the last 15 years or so. I always thought that the wine could hardly improve, but it did every single time. I don't need to describe the wine, because I fully agree with the tasting note of 'Wildemeeuw' below. One small difference: I am extremely privileged still having 8 bottles left...

3/24/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Superb vibrancy and freshness. Lemon, lime, wet rock, tantalizing, almost spicy mineraility. Excellent lenght. Up there with the very top.

3/24/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

NR. The review from June 2011 of Barry Rothof is still correct, even after 11 years. Even with hours of decant, this wine is not my cup of tea. Too much concentration and intensity for my taste.

3/24/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Less impressed than the last bottle, 2 months ago. Must be an off-bottle. NR

3/24/2023 - svdheijden wrote:

Best pinot noir from native soil so far. Served blind. Two experienced tasting buddies put it as far south as in Baden, Germany. Good freshness, medium bodied, juicy, well balanced.

12/7/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Unfortunately not even close to the bottle I gave 98 points in August 2020. Seems to be going through a closed phase and is not giving a lot at this moment even though I opened the bottle 6 hours and decanted 1 hour before drinking. The quality is certainly there but hidden. Massive, dense, concentrated with lots of tannins. Revisit the cas in 5 more years. Not rated.

12/7/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Drinking extremely well now. Still very fresh and youthful. Needs a carafe to show its full potential. Nice marriage of classic Barolo with still quite some - beautifully soft - tannins and modern sexy delicate style as well. Has sufficient fuel in the tank to last for 15+ years, but why wait? Especially because the corks Gaja used in 1997 were certainly sub standard.

8/7/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Drank alongside Cornas 1991 from Clape. Clear difference in style. This Grange is remarkably fresh and vibrant, with lots of fruit, mint and eucalyptus and far less developed that some previous notes suggest. This bottle just entered its drinking window and will remain here for at least a decade.

7/2/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Not fully ready yet, but already very drinkable. A true work of art to produce a wine with such freshness in 2009. Very intense, great delineation, but still rather closed after one hour in the decanter. Will revisit tomorrow. 24hours later, far more complexity and depth. Raspberries, finest black tea, cigar box, eart, truffle, leather, smoke Still incredibly fresh on the palate. Pairing intensity, concentration and power with elegance.

4/10/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Can't stop opening bottles of this incredible wine. But I should really plan ahead, because this bottle was pnp and this wine certainly needs a lot of time to get its act together. After one hour in the carafe it started to open up and behave like I described in my previous tasting note of 5 March 2021.

4/11/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Great bottle, though still young. Improving in the carafe with air. Concentrated typical 1999 profile though certainly not over the top. Good balance between power and freshness. No reason not to open a bottle now, but probably even better in 5+ years.

4/11/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

From magnum. Great wine, though surprising as well. Very sweet and rich on the nose, with both petrol ánd botrytis alongside the entire range of tropical fruit. Much fresher and dryer on the palate. Great example of aged Austrian riesling from a renowned wine maker. Will last for at least one more decade.

4/11/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Full of promises, but still too young. Great delineation and purity. Will have to wait at least 3-5 more years. What a pity...

2/18/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Wow! So curious about this wine which I bought just a week ago at an auction that I couldn't resist opening the first bottle (lowest level us/ms) of a full case of 12. Beautiful yellow-golden colour. First glass a little funky in the nose which blew off after 15 minutes. Double decanted the remainder of the bottle. Second glass pure, clean and rich. Very Sauternes on the nose, but dry and fresh on the palate with a tiny off-dry edge. Layered and complex. Rich fruit bowl on the nose with stone fruits, lemon (curd) and melon most prominent. Long finish. Fully mature but still going strong. Should last for 10+ more years easily. What a pity this wine is so rare.

1/30/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Removing the cork (in one piece thanks to 'The Durand') of a 84 year old wine almost feels like a religious ceremony. Climax is the moment of truth: pouring the first glass while all participants of the 'theme Loire' wine dinner are looking at me with a gaze full of tense expectation: is it still drinkable after all these years? And yes, it proved to be very drinkable. This wine deserves its 90 points not so much because of its vinous quality, but merely because it managed to survive more than eight decades. Bright golden yellow color and a nose full of honey, toffee, coffee and tropical fruit. Very thick and sweet on the palate, rather monolithic and lacking complexity. The next morning this wine was almost like liquid caramel. One of those magical wine experiences that makes a wine hobby worth every euro and minute spent on it...

1/23/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Not rated. The sheer class of this wine was noticeable under a layer of mild but unpleasant mustiness. What a pity, knowing how sublime this wine can be.

1/23/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Almost identical experience a son 5 March 2021 (see below). Now opened and decanted 24 hours before drinking (!), so the wine was much more open and ready for business from the start.

1/21/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Found a last single bottle when re-arranging the cellar. Certainly past its peak, but still very enjoyable, especially for those not frightened away by a little edge of oxidation. Rich, tropical fruit combined with good acidity and freshness. This wine was never meant to last for 21 years, but this bottle certainly did!

1/16/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Very impressive. Opened 5 hours before drinking. Opened top slowly in the glass. Kept about half for the next day. Still not fully mature. After 24 hours this wine was in top shape. Probably one of the most hedonistic vintages of Vega Sicilia. There will be a day when this wine comes close to the perfect score, but I doubt wetherI will be still around by then. No need to describe all notes and flavors, this wine has it all. Its freshness and lushness stand out most though. No reason not to open a botte now, but be sure to keep at least one for 10+ years. Drank alongside the 1998 Vega Sicilia which beat the '95 on the first evening, but stayed behind 24 hours later.

1/11/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

At the very end of its maturity. Drank a few over the last nights from a 'forgotten' box. Some bottles are almost getting too oxidized now, but lovers of white Hermitage will certainly adore it!. Lots of tropical fruit and citrus on the nose. Rich mouthfeel, with a very nice balance of freshness and maturity. The best bottles are performing way above their pedigree.

1/9/2022 - svdheijden wrote:

Still fresh and youthful; only just entering its maturity platform. Everything in the right place, but nothing very special, except for the nice fresh note of thyme and mint. Will easily last for a decade or more.

12/11/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Drank next to the Latour 1988; opened and slow-oxed for 6 hours. Both wines true to the vintage as well as the chateau style. First time that I encountered '88's so pleasant and hedonistic; tannines finally fully integrated though a (pleasant) green edge still recalls the vintage. Will remain in great shape for 10+ years.

12/11/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Still very much alive, fresh and vibrant. This seems to live on forever, even in halves...

12/11/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

La Mouline 1988 fully lives up to its reputation and as good as a copmpletely mature Côte-Rôtie can get. Mesmerizing complex nose with still loads of fruit as well as pleasant aging notes. Effortlessly combing power with elegance and freshness, as if a heavy-weight fighter dances like a butterfly. Impressive length with a tickling, spicy finish. Drink now-2030.

10/27/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Well preserved bottle. Level in neck. Served blind to my experienced tasting buddy, who estimated the wine's age at around 15 years. Indeed, this Cru Bourgeois certainly has the stamina to go on for another 10-15 years. Fully mature with still a rich nose of black fruit, beginning to develop some nice secondary notes of medicine cabinet, cigarbox and forest floor. Good freshness and decent length. Chasse Spleen once again confirms its reputation as a super Cru Bourgeois with amazing longevity.

10/17/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Fully mature with time at hand. Not yet the powerhouse Pape Clement style from 2003 and onwards. Elegant, kirsch and cassis pairing with secondary notes of leather, earth and cigar box on the nose. Good freshness with menthol/mint and even some orange zest. Well integrated soft and velvety tannins. Pleasant finish with some nice spicy accents. Probably drinking well for 8-10 mire years.

10/7/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

From magnum, level in neck. The miracle of old wine, turning within 30 minutes from rather pale unpleasant acidity & metal into a dense, lush, attractive, rich Pomerol firing on all cylinders. Fully mature with time at hand, at least for well kept bottles in this format.

10/1/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Drunk alongside Angelus 2005. Opened twelve hours and decanted one hour before drinking. Approaching its maturity platform now, but with decades of pleasure ahead. Pure silky hedonism with Cheval Blanc structure and elegance. Very close to being overripe, saved by a decent level of acidity and freshness. At this moment in time, the complexity and richness in the nose is more impressive than the palate, but my judgment will certainly be influenced by the magnificent palate of the Angelus 2005. Give it a few more years and the joy will even be bigger.

9/30/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Opened ten hours and decanted one hour before serving. Even after 16 years still dense, initially closed and young. Served alongside Cheval Blanc 2005 which is already more developed and mature. Gradually opening up with a massive wave of dark fruit. Decadent as well as elegant, velvety but very structured with a backbone of fine tannins. Roasted coffeebeans, lead pencil, cigar box. Multi-layered and endless on the palate. Impressive freshness and purity. No doubt this wine is heading for the perfect score. Completely on par with the Cheval Blanc with an even brighter future.

9/25/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Double magnum. Youthful and fresh as could be expected from this format. Textbook mature Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

8/29/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Textbook Pomerol, just entering its maturity platform. Rich nose with ripe black fruit, mocha, kirsch and classy toast. Velvety on the palate, sexy and very appealing. Well balanced. Every sip invites, almost forces one to empty the bottle, which happened.

5/23/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Even better than last week's bottle. Very well made and now just entering its maturity platfom although this wine has been a pleasure to drink ever since its release. Nice whiff of exotic pepper and spices in an ocean of velvety, sensual, ripe Malbec. Perfectly integrated oak, plum, tobacco, chocolat, juicy beef. Well framed and balanced with good freshness. Close your eyes and imagine yourself enjoying this wine with a well seasoned Argentinian entrecote on the terrace of a comfy lodge in the foothills of the Andes mountains...

5/23/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

In a very good place now with quite some more years in the tank. Bold, full bodied and powerful, but with good balance and freshness.

5/8/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

A real pleaser and just getting on its maturity platform after a few hours of air. This basic cuvee of Montepeloso is performing well above its pedigree. Quite some complexity, not boring or overly sweet like some Montepulciano/Sangiovese wines in warm years can be. Good freshness and a spicy finish. Drink now -2030

5/4/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Less than one month after the same thing happened to Xavier Auerbach, I stumbled upon three presumingly missing bottles of Von der Fels 2006. I fully agree with Xavier's review below. Never meant to be kept so long, but what a treat! I am truely stunned by the delineation, precision and above all the perfect balance of this modest cuvée. It is also with his basic wines where the master stands out from the pack. Still fresh as a daisy. This sounds weird after 15 years, but if the other two bottles are in similar shape, they will last for at least 3-5 more years. If a 2006 from Rheinhessen perfoms like this, how would far better vintages like 2004 and 2005 Von der Fels taste now?

4/28/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

My first bottle of 2017 Kirchspiel. All ingredients for a fabulous future are present; not all on its final destination yet but certaiunly getting close. A little oaky just after opening, but far more balanced after 24 hours. Sublime freshness and acidity. Lime, pear, tropical fruits. Indeed, yet another flawless Keller as stated in previous reviews. To be enjoyed over the course of three decades at least...

4/26/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

First bottle from a pristine case bought en primeur 10 years ago. Glad to notice that the huge promise of the 2010 vintage is finally coming through. Unsurprisingly it's a merlot dominated wine that's about to arrive on its maturity platform. This wine impresses by its precision, delineation and elegance. Heavy perfumes of black and red fruit on the nose taking the lead over the still very present, but fine oak; thick layers of it on the palate as well, together the very Pomerolish iron. Like licking a steel bridge railing on a rainy day, something I would never consider doing in real life, but absolutely adore in this Gazin. Though already very accessible and open, this wine will certainly offer its lucky owners a few decades of decadent drinking pleasure. Get yourself a case at the next auction, as long as prices are still reasonable!

4/14/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Time to finish your last bottles. Losing its freshness. Still unmistakenly Amarone with very a aromatic nose full of dried fruits and portlike, also on the palate.

4/11/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

One of my favorites since more than 10 years. Fully mature now, though with a lot of time at hand. An opulent, hedonistic, almost sexy version of VCC, certainly now that finally the oak is fully integrated. Not showy though, this wine is very elegant and well balanced as well. Drank next to a more classical 2000 Gazin.

4/10/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Very slightly corked. Still drinkable, but subdued. Not rated

4/9/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Classical Viognier nose. Fragrant, aromatic, floral, tropical fruit. Rich and velvety mouthfeel. Still fresh as a a daisy after 10 years.

3/22/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Heavily understimated during the first glass. After 24 hours this wine is firing on all cylinders and a more than beautiful surprise. It surpasses its self-declared 5-10+ years cellaring potential by at least a decade. Pure, fresh and well balanced. After 17 years the fruit still explodes from the glass, while on the other end of the spectrum there is a nice mature backbone of plum, leather, cigarbox, juicy meat and very Shiraz-like spicyness. No Australian heat or sweet heaviness at all. Well integrated, soft tannins which will carry well stored bottles effortlessly towards the end of this decade if not longer.

3/6/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

After twenty years this wine still sings and will continue to do so for 5+ more years. Very much a Michel Rolland wine, concentrated, sweet and very ripe, but certainly not over the top, despite its 15% ABV. Smooth, velvety, still fruit-packed with a backbone of well integrated soft tannins. Nice secondary notes of leather, tobacco, bacon on the nose. Should be great with ribeye from the barbecue!

3/5/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Drank next to the near-perfect Pontet Canet 2009, which may have negatively influenced the score of this formidable 2010. It still seems to remain a little closed even after 3 hours of double decanting. What a pity that before the late 90's this domain seriously underperformed. I would have loved to taste a 1982 or 1990 from this terroir, as much as I am looking forward to drink this 2010 in the years and even decades ahead. I'm not sure however if I will live to enjoy this wine fully mature as this may take 20+ more years in a perfect cellar. Very reminiscent of good vintages of its neighbour Mouton Rothschild in their youth. The differences between the 2009 and 2010 have remained similar from their early days onwards. I've come across both wines quite a few times and it has - after a few hours in the caraf - always been approachable and a joy to drink while the 2010 used to be more austere and closed. Both vintages still have enormous potential and I hardly doubt that they will ultimately both fully deserve a perfect score. The 2010 holds a huge promise by its concentration and massive power within a perfectly balanced framework. It is absolutely ridiculous that Pontet Canet is still a 5th growth; in vintages like '08, '09 and '10 it certainly performs on par with its promoted neighbour and other 1er grand cru's. The only advantage for us winelovers is that Pontet Canet 2009, 2010 and especially 2008, though not as cheap as they used to be, are still a steal given their quality.

3/5/2021 - svdheijden wrote:

Wow! What a pity that before the late 90's this domain seriously underperformed. I would have loved to taste a 1982 or 1990 from this terroir produced by the current owner, as much as I am looking forward to drink this 2009 in the years and even decades ahead. Drank next to the Pontet-Canet 2010. The differences between these two vintages have remained similar from their early days onwards. I've come across the 2009 quite a few times and it has - after a few hours in the carafe - always been approachable and a joy to drink while the 2010 used to be more austere and closed. Both vintages still have a huge potential and I hardly doubt that they will ultimately fully deserve a perfect score. No surprise that the 2009 is the more seductive vintage; lush, hedonistic, velvety; characteristics one would normally not expect in Pauillac, but on the other hand it very much is a classic wine from a very, very good vintage. Pontet-Canet 2009 is almost too much in every way. Concentration, ripeness, richness, you name it. Almost and very close to the edge of the cliff, but the result is sheer perfection in a stunningly balanced, pure and fresh wine, despite its alcohol level of close to 15%. Robert Parker already wrote in 2011: "A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years." I couldn't agree more!