11/12/2018 - wineberg wrote:

I disagree, needs some time, all oak right now in the two bottles I've had.

7/14/2016 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Great young bottle. Tight tannins still even with a 6 hour decant....give her a good decant and some fatty food now, or another decade in the cellar. Lithe and feminine. Strawberry, cream, cherry, soy sauce, hints of earth. Very nice.

4/4/2016 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Outstanding with a couple hour decant.

4/1/2016 - wineberg wrote:

This was terrible. Ive drank a lot of SQN, and have a lot in the cellar, and I don't know what this wine is doing. The other tasters apparently had a completely different wine. No time to pull punches. What?

1/5/2016 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Bottle in great condition. Not a mindblowing wine, but a great experience. Not over the hill by any means, showed nice mature leather, tea, dust, slight cherry, hints of spices. Probably time to drink these up.

12/31/2015 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Great bottle of champagne, just what I want: nice aged butterscotch notes, toast, but the primary apple, floral, and lemon flavors were still detectable, along with a good backbone of acidity. I'd guess a well stored bottle has another decade on it at least.

12/18/2015 - wineberg Likes this wine:

DRC Holiday Party; 12/17/2015-12/18/2015 (Mintwood): This bottle of much maligned '94 really wasn't bad at all next to the rest of the lineup. I'm sure it was one of the best Eches made that year, and this bottle came off as totally mature, ready to go, especially when compared to the somewhat closed down '93 next to it. Wet earth, subtle spice, not very complicated but certainly not disappointing at all given the year.

12/18/2015 - wineberg Likes this wine:

DRC Holiday Party; 12/17/2015-12/18/2015 (Mintwood): This was the most closed in the lineup, probably should have double decanted at least! Nose and palate were both pretty shy at first, but opened up some over the evening and strutted its stuff, and its of course delightful to drink, but I'd probably keep these in the cellar and check back in a few years.

12/18/2015 - wineberg Likes this wine:

DRC Holiday Party; 12/17/2015-12/18/2015 (Mintwood): Rich, smooth, and fully mature. Earth, tea, spice, leather, dust...in a good place right now, but not sure how long its going to stay there before starting to fall off.

12/18/2015 - wineberg Likes this wine:

DRC Holiday Party; 12/17/2015-12/18/2015 (Mintwood): Bottle was popped and sat for an hour or two, but could definitely have handled a decant. Kept evolving the entire night. Explosive on the palate, big beautiful nose, silky smooth with plenty of upside for at least another decade I'd guess.

2/12/2015 - wineberg Likes this wine:

So young at this point but wanted to see where this wine is starting off. Palate is quite tannic of course, very grippy, but the tannins are fine and will integrate much more over the years. Nose is nice, black tea, black cherry, soy sauce, some sous bois funk that will show itself more in time. Going to grab a few more to lay down for a decade or so!

12/16/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Definitely not the very oxidized style of white Jura that I really am not a fan of. This has lemons, wet slate, a hint of anise, along with a subtle red Burg-like funk (which I really like). Nice acidity, and well balanced overall. Went nicely with tuna steaks. Interesting wine with a good QPR. I blame you Dr. Jura!

12/11/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Still a great bottle of wine! Gave it a couple hours in the decanter. In line with my last TN; blue and blackberry, meat, vanilla, black olives, flowers.

A long life left ahead of this wine.

12/11/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

3 hours in the decanter. Fairly open at that point, but could certainly handle more air time. This could definitely use another decade or more in the cellar to mature and develop.

Black cherry, cranberry, burg funk, hint of anise, sap, soy, spices (white pepper, black cardamom), coffee, a slight creaminess to it, nutty, slight smoke/oak. Tannins are fine but still very present and grippy. A bit of heat to it as well, guess that's some of the '09 ripeness coming through.

10/30/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Decanted for about an hour. Very nice, classic Burg funk/sous bois come through what is a pretty big and still tannic wine. Black cherry and tea over top of the funk. Still so young though, I almost regret opening it! Might get a few more bottles and check back in 10 years.

8/1/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Slight hints of butterscotch (slight ox) under apple, lemon, lime, slight smokiness, brine, wet slate rock, acid is noticeable on the fairly quick finish. Good value, and will keep for a few more years.

7/19/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Great young bottle...could have used a decant to open up more, but was still excellent. Florals, tea, cherries, spice. Hints of barnyard/sous bois, earth. Always a treat to have a DRC.

1/21/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Really like this wine again. Have drank more Burg since the last bottle, and this is still really good.

Soy, hint of oyster, black tea, mild wet fall leaves.

Tea, cherry, smooth tannins but they could smooth out more.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Great mature Riesling. Oily florals, orange peel, hint of apples and pear.

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Unfortunately didn't get a note on this!

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Showing a bit too much oxidation.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Great bottle. Ripe red apples, yeasty bread, spices, dirt/earth notes. Very fine mousse.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Bottle was great to start, but went flat quicker than I would have expected.

While it was there though, the mousse was silky smooth. Notes of heavily toasted bread, red apple, hazelnut are all throughout this wine.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Tart green apple, almonds, good amount of acidity and could use some age to tame it.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Very good. Quite a fatty nose, some honey, but very reminiscent of some of the SQN Syrahs. It just smells like SQN to me. All kinds of other things going on here too: roses, honeysuckle, coconut, straw (hay).

Changed my mind about what Marsanne/Roussane can do.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): One of the surprises of the night. Good stuff, young, tight, lots of acidity. Lemon, tart pears, smell of wet slate rock, hints of brine.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Definite mature nose with dusty red fruit, graphite, wet leaves, leather, very noticeable fennel/anise/licorice notes. Shows some other green too; asparagus?

Nice bottle, good experience to sample it!

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Another mature wine. Almost port-like at times, hints of plum/prune, fig, brine, leather, aged red meat.

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Badly corked.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Great bottle that was really firing on all cylinders. Funky meat, soy sauce, roses, cranberry, hints of tomato sauce, bell pepper, graphite. Texture was silky smooth, great structure still, with several layers of nuances. Long finish.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Still showing fairly young, with tannins to spare. Distinct notes of coffee, blackberry, eucalyptus, white pepper. Didn't seem up to the level of the other CA Cabs.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Had some similarities with the '85 Stags Leap, seemed like a younger version in some ways. Green pepper, raspberry, cassis, lavender, very smooth and well balanced. Seems to be drinking well and in a nice place, but most likely can easily last another decade in the cellar at least.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Bottles was decanted for 12 hours, and was still very tight. Leftovers were tried the next day, after almost 30 hours of being open, and it was finally ready to go.

Once opened up and rounded by some air, this was silky smooth. Blackberry, dirt, white pepper, hint of florals.

Give this much more time in the cellar, or a very long decant.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Decanted 10 hours. Very young, but incredibly smooth and balanced. Lighter than expected. Perfumed nose with blackberry, eucalyptus, rose water, blackcurrant, earth.

Finish is easily 60+ seconds. Lots of life left, and am sure this will evolve into something even better. 95+

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Basically a pop 'n pour. Bacon fat, smoked meat, plum sauce, black cherry.

Still seems on the young side, but has finesse and balance to last and improve.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Thought this couldn't keep up with the '10 SQN Syrah next to it. Tight, huge and it shows it, black fruit, bacon. Needed a decant but didn't get too much of one, however the leftovers opened up more the next day. Still didn't have the finesse and outstanding balance of the SQN though.

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Somehow didn't get a note on this wine in the lineup.

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Kirsch, vanilla cherry coke, think my palate is shifting away from this style of Pinot; just seems overdone.

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Again think my palate is just shifting away from this style of Pinot. Cherry coke and cream, spices.

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): The only note I got on this wine was 'celery'. Not very helpful I know, but had this wine toward the end of the lineup :)

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Didn't get a formal note on this at the end of the night, but remember it being excellent, and the clear standout of the dessert wines.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Have drank a lot of Chard since the last bottle of this wine, and lots of White Burg especially. Score coming down a bit in context of those Chards.

This is still very good, lemon custard, pear, vanilla, but I pick out much more oak on it this time. Definitely CA Chard.

1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Decanted 8 hours, and definitely needed it, but still too young. Leftovers with 24 hours of air on them were better.

Smells like SQN! Black and blue fruit, bacon, chocolate, briney oyster. Huge wine but as always, this is well balanced and carries it own weight gracefully. Will leave future bottles alone for a few more years though...

1/17/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Should be served over ice cream. At 50% RS, this is basically thick, viscous syrup. Good, but too sweet for me! Much preferred the '98 D'yquem next to it.

1/11/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Very ripe peaches, slight melon, hints of tea, elderflower, and then bitter sweet and citrus sour of kumquat. And distinctive cat pee, which from what I've read tends to show up more in NZ SB, but it's definitely here.

Changed quite a bit as it warmed up from fridge temp; finding the cat pee is more and less prominent depending on temp.

Different, interesting, and stands out a bit from 'normal' CA SB.

1/11/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Big, ripe wine. Labeled at 13% ABV, might really be more than that. As big as it is though, the bloomy, cheesy, mushroomy funk aromas come off as definite Burg.

Nose shows cranberry, smokey black cherry, those hints of runny cheese, stemmy greens, and mushrooms of Burg, with a slight nuttiness, but overall pretty straightforward and to the point. Shows some of the aromas I want from a good Burg, but the palate is lacking in complexity and depth.

Tannins really gripping still; think this easily still has a couple decades of life left on it, and will probably improve with more integration of the tannins and development of more secondary flavors. 90+

1/11/2014 - wineberg wrote:

Corked.

12/24/2013 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Pop 'n pour. Thought this was quite good, but definitely one of the bigger Burgs I've had, with huge nose of almost Syrah-ish meaty funk mingling with strong black tea, spices, vanilla, brine, asparagus, ripe cherry, blackberry...the aromas strangely reminded me of an '05 SQN Atlantis Syrah I had last week. Probably why I liked it so much, but it's not a sous bois/manure/mushroomy Burg, if that's what you're after.

Palate is lighter than the nose belies though, and while it does still come off as ripe, it's definitely nice Pinot. Seemed to be drinking very well now, and has good acidity and tannic backbone...probably still a good long life ahead too.

12/22/2013 - wineberg Likes this wine:

Pop 'n decant, followed over 8 hours...definitely early but checking in on these.

First pour was a bit muted, but it opens up a bit after a couple hours...nose of cranberry, black cherry, subtle baking spices underneath, hints of black tea, wet leaves, yeasty bread, mint, orange peel. Tart acidity could use some food to tame it. Finish grips pretty hard with fine tannins that still need some time to mellow.

Give these a few more years to come together, and they'll probably drink well for a couple more decades after that. 90+

12/21/2013 - wineberg Likes this wine:

No formal note taken last night, but this had an amazing, very distinct, meaty nose. Huge wine, but silky smooth and effortless in carrying its own weight.