1/3/2012 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is very concentrated with black berries, graphite and pepper. In the mouth, the wine is muscular, although not modern. Tannins are powerful but with very fine grain. Fruits are concentrated, minerality is rich and complex whithout any unwelcomed acidity and provide balance and complexity.
Nice way to start the year.

2/24/2012 - jpijg wrote:

Very pure nose of griotte and raspberries with very small hints of autumn forest soil. In the mouth, the fruits are fresh and pure, hints of graphite, minerals, and a touch of autumn forrest provide additional balance and complexity. Concentration and definition are perfect.
Very nice wine

2/15/2012 - jpijg wrote:

Intense nose of vilet, liqorice, leather, tobacco with hints of game. In the mouth, the wine is at perfect maturity. The initial flavours of leather and liquorice yield to layers of dried violet, confit blackberry and hints of autumn forerst which provide great complexity. Aromas are very pure and perfectly balanced. What a great wine !
Tasted with anice rosated goose at Yong Kee VIP

2/25/2012 - jpijg wrote:

First glass straight from the bottle tasted very closed and woody. Got much better after 1 hour in the decanter.
Nose : tar, old leather, autumn forest with hints of dried violet and blackberry. In the mouth, the tannins are powerful, but now well rounded. Intense fragrance of leather, tobacco and hints of autumn leaves laced with violate and blackberry. The wine appear still quite young and powerful and can evolve further. However it is now a great treat.

7/9/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose showing great maturity of fruit, rich but evolved tannins balanced by a great minerality. In the mouth confit blackberry with hints of truffle and tobacco with minty hints yield to tertiary flavors of autumn forest soil and graphite. Flavors are nice and precise, but not too complex. Given the power, we thought mistakenly of Pauillac or St Estephe.
The wine does not show its age and is alive and kicking as ever !

Thanks to jeff for this rarity

7/9/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Colour is golden yellow. Nose is initially slightly dusty, but it clears quickly, and complex fragrance of quince, dry apricot, wax and honey with hints of spices, which makes all the flavours more salient . It reminds me a poem by Baudelaire about perfume, and all the evocation power of fragance. To me this is like a travel in time. In the mouth, the wine is rich and creamy with great purity, and no hints of oxydation. Apricot and quince blend beautifully with hazelnut and honey. The finale last for ever.
Thanks to Eric for this treat.

6/29/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose of eucalyptus, tar, tobacco. In the mouth, the wine is very silky, but still showing good power and great concentration. Tobacco and tar flavours are supported by a an expressive mineality of forest soil and graphite. The wine is in perfect condition and is a great complement to the other fantastic bottles of the evening.

Thanks to Mike fo this treat.

7/10/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose of old leather, autumn forest, black pepper and rich black truffle. In the mouth, the wine is at perfect maturity. Tannins are powerful but rounded and silky and sharpen the numerous layers of complexity. The confit fruits yield to meat, with slight gamy hints, violet, truffle and tobacco. It is the holy grail of precision, smoothness and complexity. All these notes resonate in perfect harmony. A great treat for very special friends on a very special occasion.
See RIchard and Mike debrief of the nite !

6/29/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose of brioche, hazelnut and citrus. Minerailty is razor sharp. Despite 45' of decanting, the wine is still shy, and does not uncover all its richness.
The mouth is an example of purity and aroma precision. The wood is perfectly integrated and add the right creamy touch to the buttery and hazelnut flacours.
After some time in the glass, the richness and the concentration start to reveal. The finale is incredibly long and pure. The wine drinks well now, but its is a very long distance runner.
Thanks to Richard for thie marvel ! A great introduction to the DRC66 which will follow !

6/29/2011 - jpijg wrote:

very fresh and vibrant confit cherries laced with meaty flavors, autumn leaves and stem. The minerality of graphite gives depth and . In the mouth the wine is incredibly complex, the fruit is fresh and pure, the texturee is rich ad silky with perfectly mature tannins. The fruit leads to a whole range of flavor complexity. It's like a game banquet after a walk in the forest in autumn.
Te finale is incredibly long.
Thanks to Benoit for this great bottle.

6/22/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Powerful nose of blackkcurrent with hints of pepper and menthol.There is ripeness, but also a lot of freshness from the minerality.
The mouth is rich and complex, with confit and mature blackberry, and black cherries balanced by graphite and hints of cigarbox. Ripeness and maturity are perfect. A great paillac with perfectly mature fruits, but no overripeness.
Finale is long and pleasing.
courtoisy of Benoit at 8 1/2

6/22/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Powerful nose of rose of violet and leather, almost like a syrah, but more spice and powerful kirsh hints.
The mouth is rich. Kirsh and rose blend beautifully with tobacco and hints of bacon. The richness is balanced by a nice acidity which sharpen the precision of flavours.

Courtoisy of Benoit, at 8 1/2.

6/26/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Very complex nose of confit cherries, leather, tobacco sharpen by the minerality of graphite and the freshness of menthol. Some hints of chateauneuf ripeness there, but with more freshness and mierality. The mouth is faithful to the nose, with layers of complexity. tannins are rounded, but remain generous. aromas are precise and clean. Balance between kirshed fruit, tobacco and minerality is close to perfect. A great wine !

6/26/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Very complex nose of meat, graphite, blackberry and liquorice. In the mouth, you can fill the ripeness and the sun, but earthy hints, and evolution provide great balance to the fruit and the spice.
FInale is long. Wine is at maturity, and not yet over the top.
Decanted for ~1 hour. Tasted side by side with 1987

6/4/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is expressive and very floral : rose, violet, with hints of tobacco and autumn forest. In the mouth the wine is powerful, with good concentrtaion, but tanins have been rounded by time. Rose, violet blends beautfully with kirsh, tobacco. Minerality, hints if smoke and autumn forest add complexity and balance.
Wine was decanted for ~ 1 hour, which was about right.

6/4/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Tasted side by side with chave 81 and 83
Nose is still very secondary and powerful given the age : tobacco, kirsh, liquorice and leather, with only hints of meat flavours.
The mouth is complex; layers of tobacco, leather and cigarbox with hints of fruits yield to more tertairy aromas of game meat. The wine is powerful, yet elegant. finale is long and pleasing.
Great wine.

6/4/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Tasted side by side with 1983.
Nose is slightly dusty. Fragrance of autumn forest, game meat, hints of violet and dried rose but all fresh and precise. In the mouth, the wine is very expressive. Tertiary aromas of autumn forest ad meat are clean and precise blends beautifully with hints of confit fruits, tannins are velvety, wine is at maturity. Finale is long and nice

6/4/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is slightly dusty. Fragrance of autumn forest, game meat, hints of violet and dried rose but all fresh and precise. In the mouth, tertiary aromas of autumn forest ad meat are clean and precise, tannins are velvety. The velvety, however, acidity is a bit high.

5/21/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Intense nose of kirsh, dry rose, coffee, autumn forest and meaty hints with a small touch of game. Aromas are pure and perfectly designed. In the mouth, the texture is smooth like silk, but the rounded tannins makes the fragrance extremely vivid. The palate is complex. Kirsh and rose lead to autumn forest soil with meaty hints. The finale is incredebly long and balanced.
Thanks to David and Ri for this unbelievable bottle.

5/21/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Powerful nose of roasted nuts, hints of grapefruit and quince, then come the quitessential brioche . In the mouth the wine is very open. richness of nuts and brioche is balanced by a nice minerality. AAlthough no hints of oxydation, you can feel from the light acidity that the win will not improve with time.
Finale is long powerful and well balanced : a great wine, no question. (2 views)

5/14/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Powerfull nose of roasted nuts, hints of grapefruit and quince, then come the quitessential brioche . In the mouth the wine is very open. richness of nuts and brioche is balanced by a nice minerality. AAlthough no hints of oxydation, you can feel from the light acidity that the win will not improve with time.
Finale is long powerful and well balanced : a great wine, no question.

3/23/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose of citrus (orange, grapefruit), fresh amlond and hits of girofle. Very clean and sharp in the mouth. Aroma purity is great. Wine is opulent but not demonstrative. fresh almond, honeysuckle and hints of citrus are followed by hazelnut. Acidity is prefect and sharpen the definition of flavours. Finale lasts for ever.
What agreat wine !

3/23/2011 - jpijg wrote:

nose of rose and earth, with small hints of griotte. In the mouth nice balance of rose and cherry and game flavours, with hints of autumn forest. Quite evolved already (bottle form US). Great precision of flavours. The finale is very long. A rural aristocrat by its class.

4/2/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Powerfull nose of liquorice leather tobacco with hints of games. Nice hints of blackberry and violet. In the mouth, wine is concentrated, tannins are rich but smooth. Aromas are precise with a complex palette of tobacco and leather, confit blackberry with hintts of forest soil and bacon. Not the most refined Hermitage, but very good, with vey good balance and concentration. Can evolve further

2/21/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is distinctive, full of fresh flavours very promising : fresh griotte and strawberry, with hints of autumn forest which add complexity. In the mouth, after some breathing, the fruit is quickly overpowered by notes of autumn forest soil and smoke. Fragrance are fairly precise, but the tannins backbone is thin, fragrance fade quickly , there is no finale so to speak.

2/5/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is mineral, very smoky, with scent of forest soil in autumn. In the mouth, there is not much fruit left, minerality, graphite and autumn forest flavours dominate hints of liquorice. Although tanins are round, the wine is a bit short and dr and lacks opulence.

2/5/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is very waxy with hints of dry orange, typical of older Hermitage. Colour is golden yellow, but not too dark. In the mouth, the wine is dense and powerful. Initially tight and strict, but then it opens up. Flavours are precise, mostly on white fruits and honeysuckle blended with was and honey. acidity is still good and provide additional balance. Finale is still fairly long. Aging potential is limited, but the wine is in perfect condition. I have had a few oxydised bottles though.

2/5/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose of wax, honey, quince, hints of apricot and pear. In the mouth, as it usual with Chave aomas are perfectly pure and fresh. There is the right amount of freshness which sharpen the perception of the flavours. Initially, the wine is a bit closed and tight but throughout the evening it opens up and blooms.
It can last more years.

2/5/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Powerful nose of violet, liquorice, cigarbox, bacon, leather and coffee. In the mouth, the wine is both luscious and powerful. Tanins are perfectly ripe and rounded, but very well structured. Flavours are complex and well balanced. confit frtuits mix perfectly with bacon coffee and tobacco. tertiary aroma are just nascent and add another layer of complexity. Finale is very long and complex.

2/5/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Nose of confit blackberry, truffle, hints of tobacco, truffle and autumn forest. In the mouth, nice balance of confit fruit, coffee and autumn forest wrapped by silky and luscious tanins. The wine is not exhuberant, but you feel the quality behind a somehow stict attitude.

2/4/2011 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose of confit cherry, dried rose, coffee, hints of leather and incense Tertiary characters, will adding more complexity remain discrete. In the mouth, tannins are well rounded, but the wine remains powerful and aromas fresh and precise. It's a perfect balance of confit fuits (blackberry, cherry), dried rose, with hints of autumn forest and smoke .Finale is long and complex.
REady to be drunk, but more aging potential.

9/12/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Intense nose of cherries and raspberry with hints of mineral. In the mouth, the wine is definitely on the fruit. Aromas have good concentration and incredible purity. Raspberry and cherries blends with hints of rose. Hints of soil and forest scent create a great complexity. Tannins are powerful but already sooth. I remember several older DRC with some very tight tannins which overpowered the fruit.Although very young, the wine drinks very well. The grade reflects more the pleasure than the intrinsic quality, which is very high.

10/6/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Intense nose of blackurrent laced with graphite and cigarbox. Hints of menthol. In the mouth balance between fuit and minerality is perfect. cigarbox and leather hints add complexity. The wine is still tight and monolithic though, it is a long distance runner. Tannins are powerful but smooth, Finale is long and complex.

10/6/2010 - jpijg wrote:

confit fruits : blackberry, blacurrent, a hint of bellpeper. In the mouth, nice ripe fruits (current, blackberry) with fresh minerality and graphite note. Tannins are powerful but silky and smooth. finale is nice and pleasant.
Tasted blind, thought it was a margaux.

10/17/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Huge concentration of fruit : blackberry, cherries. Then come the chocolate and the dark olive. In the mouth, despite extreme richness, the wine is surprisingly balanced and smooth with a good minerality. Obviously, because it t is so young, fruit flavours dominate with nice hints of olive and guarrigue. Finale is long and silky. The (low) grade comapared to other amateurs reflects more the pleasure than the intrisic quality, which I think is very high. This wine is very complex, but a lot of this complexity needs time to get revealed. I hope I would be able to taste it again in 20 years.

10/7/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Very rich nose of confit cherry, tobacco and leather. Much more minerality and less "Cerise a l'eau de vie" than the traditional Chateauneuf. In the mouth, the wine is already approachable, aroma range is very rich and complex. Tannins are powerfull but silky. Fruits are pure and precise. Minerality, leather and tobacco provide balance to the fuit. I think this wine can age more.
Tasted vs a Pegau 2005 which was very tight and closed.

10/7/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose of fresh almond, pera, quince, apricot and honey. The mouth is in line, with a nice freshness which enhances the definition of fruit flavours. All flavours are really pure and precise.
No heaviness. V long finale. A great pleasure,. I found this wine fairly close to a Doriane, but with much less the "apricot" character. Tasting them side by side would be interesting. Another Interesting question is how this wine will age.

10/16/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Decanted 90' before serving. Wine has been bought after release and kept in a good cellar since then. Condition was perfect.
Very characteristic nose of violet, liquorice, leather, tobacco, with hints of soil. In the mouth the wine is very balanced. Flavours of blackberry and violet are very precise and beatifully contrasted by empyromatic aromas of tobacco and some discreet hints of soil and autumn leavse. The finale is long and satisfactoryThis wine does not have the great complexity of Chave or the top Guigal, but it is a very pleasant surprise since I had found the tannins of other chapoutier a bit coarse, with minerality overpowering the fruit.
A great match for a roasted suckling pig "spanish style".

10/16/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Buttery nose, vanilla, with hints of hazelnut and a touch of confit citrus. In the mouth, the wine is rich and buttery, a bit on the wood side with plenty of vanilla and toasted oak. Thanks to a proper minerality it remains fairly balanced nevertheless . Hints of citrus bring a nice freshness. Overall good complexity.
Clearly a good wine, but not the magic touch of the greatest burgundy white.

9/26/2010 - jpijg wrote:

HInts confit citrus (grapefruit !0, roasted hazelnuts laced with the freshness of honeysuckle. In the mouth, dry fruits, confit citrus and minerality (limestone) blends beautifully. Each Aromas definition is pure and precise. In the aftermouth, hints o toasted brioche arise. Balance is perfect.. Although very approachable, there are no sign of oxydation or any premature aging. I would love to taste this wine blind side by side with a great puligny or chassagne (leflaive, ramonet). This wine can age

9/6/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose of blackpepper, veru ripe blackcurrent and hints of red pepper (or shall I say poivron), so typical of cabernet franc, hints of truffle. In the mouth, the wine is velvety, with ripe fruits (cherry ?) laced with tobacco, hints of cocoa and leather, and still those truffle hints. However, it is not the explosion and intensity one could expect from such a trophy bottle. Flavours are perfect, but cocncentrtaion is a tad short. I can't feel any vibrant emotion there. Since this one was tasted blind, there was no prejudice.

9/6/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Exotic nose of confit cherries lace with spices, hints of cedar, dried rose and lychee. In the mouth, the wine is opulent and fat, but remains balanced with no heaviness despite the maturity of the fruits (blackberry, cherry). Spices, chocolate, liquorice and tobacco flavours with earthy hints provide some freshness and a welcomed contrast to the richness of the fruits.
NB : the wine was the last of a marathon tasting which included Remoissenet montrachet, Vega Sicilia, Cheval Blanc 89 etc...Our senses might have been a bit blurred at the end, since I ended up thinking it was a Rayas !

9/4/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose of citrus, honeysuckle and delicate hazelnut. In the mouth, the wine is tense, fresh, all aromas are incredibly pure. Flowery fragrance yield to toasted almond and halzenut. The perfect mineral backbone enhance the definition of the fragrance palette. The wine is ready to drink, but has great potential for aging. The finale is incredibly long.

9/19/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose is earthy with hints of blackcurrent, blackberries, smoke, cedar and cigarbox. In the mouth, it's definitely more on the mineral side with leather, autumn forest and cigarboxgfragrance. Fruit flavours are nice and ripe, but tertiary aromas and minerality tend to dominate. Tanins have been rounded by time and provide a good backbone. This wine is definitely nice and classic. It reminds you that you should not be in a hurry to drink classic clarets.

6/21/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Complex nose of rose, litchi, confit cherries and leather. In the mouth, a fireworks of flavours blows-up : cherries, violet, liquorice perfectly blended with tobacco and leather. Aromas are concentrated, balanced and pure. Hints of minerlaity give freshness and additional balance. The finale lasts for more than a minute !!
THis wine was drunk at the same time as latour 59, grange 71 and margaux 83, with a great dinner and close friends and wine lovers. Mike Goldstone prose is much better than mine. Please review his comments for more details.

9/4/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Confit cherries, meat and autumn forest scents. In the mouth the wine is silky, fragrances are perfectly defined, pure, nicely oncentrated and incredibly fresh. Rose and cherry blend beautifully with tertiary gamy and forest soil aromas. Finale is very long. It is a perfect illustration of what great burgundy can achieve upon aging.

5/27/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose : graphite, blackcurrent, confit cherry. In the mouth, the wine is pleasant. Tanins have medium strength and have been rounded by time. The wine has also some evolution with autumn forest and smoky hints. FruiGraphite and cigarbox flavours add anothe layer of complexity. It is not a long distance runner, but it drinks very well now. Frm a pure pleasure perspective, I find it better than 1995

5/27/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose : blackberry, tobacco, graphite. In the mouth, the wine appear young and fresh. Aromas are pure and well defined. Fruits have good maturity but the powerful tanins are still a hard edged.
It seems that the wine could evolve, but not 100% sure of the evolution of the tannins.

5/30/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose : graphite, blackcurrent, blackberry, tobacco and a distinctive smokyness. In the mouth, like many 88, the fruit, although pure, do not have the same degree of ripeness as 1988.
The wine is more on the mineral side with a complex palette of autumn forest fragrance, graphite and a smoky character. The long finales has hints of caramel.

5/24/2010 - jpijg wrote:

Nose : graphite, blackcurrent, blackberry, tobacco and hints of leather. In the mouth, the wine is powerful and well structured with ripe tanins rounded by age. Fruit fragrance are fresh and precise with excellent ripeness. Minerality and some tertiary aromas provide balance and complexity. Finale is very long.