3/28/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

The evolution at 10 years has shown the fruit to fade in favor of damp earth, almost rustic flavors with a just a bit of spice. Medium weight acid and short finish - fully mature today with no likely improvement to come.

2/11/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

From Riesling Study at Pizzeria Beddia - no extensive notes but this was a true highlight amongst many great bottles. A wine of great depth and with beautifully-evolved flavors, a delight to behold and at peak maturity but good for easily another decade if not longer.

3/24/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Chalky and dense for a rose (per the label) with bright fruit and crisp acids, this was a pleasure to behold and stood up well for several hours. A must-try wine.

2/26/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Black currant, toast, ripe & juicy purple plum aromas meld together.

2/23/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Bright red floral, mineral character like clay. Vibrant zip of acidity, flavors concentrate on the outside of the palate. Tastes like violets might, mouthfeel and test almost like a nice village Volnay.

2/20/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Honey with mild floral notes dominate the aromatics once this opens up in the glass. Less citrus here and more toast/brioche, tight acidity and nice round texture again with honey (still dry) dominating the palate - excellent length with dry stone fruit/white peach flavors left to linger. Very good today. About 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a small % of Meunier.

1/30/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Nose of moderate intensity with white florals, bit of unripe peach, stone, lemon. brightly pitched flavors of bitter lemon, shows quite tart actually and a tad softer that expected. Hoping for further development from this point. Tasted after about 3 hours open.

1/27/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Took about 30 minutes to open up. White florals, lemon/citrus.. on the palate fruit really took hold with green melon, hay, and a wonderful note of fresh fennel/herbs coming around. Beautiful today, at peak/drink soon.

1/26/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Literally the perfect bistro Bordeaux bottle, opens up nicely over 2+ hours, no decant. Comes with bright red florals/violet, earth, fresh red plums - palate has excellent density and weight, exceptional balance and smooth tannin with a medium length finish. Seems approaching plateau of maturity, drink within the next decade.

1/13/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

No flaws or tell-tale signs of poor storage, but this was just way too old. Drink up ASAP. One of five purchased so will be interesting to see any variation.

12/22/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Fascinating bottle - there was essentially no fruit left here, but balance remained. Showed no muddiness or oxidative tones of any kind. Hard to explain.. but this is well past full maturity by at least a decade.. and yet still enjoyable.

12/12/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

It is hard to convey just how greatly this bottle over-exceeded expectations, which were already higher than normal. Would have easily passed for Grand Cru White Burgundy in the mold of Batard or Chevalier, in terms of explosive yet balanced flavours, nuanced and numerous/persistent aromatics, and a palate that just wouldn't quit.

Beautiful medium gold color to start, in a perfect place on plateau of maturity and would recommend drinking within the next 5-10 years; doubtful there is much positive evolution at this point.

12/12/2023 - SoundinBetween Likes this wine:

From half bottle. No extensive notes but this was a true delight and very expressive from the get-go.

12/12/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

No life left at all, far past plateau of maturity but showed no flaws or signs of improper storage. Just plain too old, by a decade easily.

12/31/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Mid-weight in every respect (restrained, even?), nice today and on the plateau of maturity. Not showy but quiet and meditative..

12/31/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

No extensive notes, in fine form and probably should have been decanted around or just less than an hour prior to serving.

1/11/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Fresh mineral aromas, not especially oxidative and remarkably fresh with exceptional acidity to balance the tart but juicy mid weight flavors.. something like pomegranate but lighter, fennel type of herbal note. At some point in evolution the palate screams strawberries. A true delight at peak maturity from correct storage. Better warm weather bottle and also with food likely..

1/10/2024 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Beautiful if demure aromas including mid ripe purple plum, red floral, blueberry, and just a bit of earth. Without great depth but also not sharp, impeccably balanced with just the right intensity of flavor and perfectly resolved tannin, perfect bistro wine for today and at peak maturity. Shows very little change 2nd day open.

12/10/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Decanted for 90 min in advance. Deep dark cherry red. Aromas of graphite, cherry, clay/earth, a hint of red florals and touch of baking spice. Supple, perfectly integrated tannin, very lightweight mouthfeel showing a bit of cherry.. other flavors not clearly delineated today. Nicer features here are more of character and poise, not specificity of flavor. Nicely evolved and likely at peak maturity today, drink within the next 5 years.

12/10/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

After 3 days open: huge floral/spice nose, with nutmeg dominating. mint, wintergreen, black walnut, thick wall of tannin at the end yet but wow what a journey to get there. This bottle peaked about 10 days open (fridge-kept) and consumed last bit by end of the third week. It showed beautiful purity and seamless flavors, archetypal chinato in every way.

12/4/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Big beautiful and deep red floral aromas come forward after about an hour open, a bit of spice, sap, smoke, and underbrush/herbal notes. A bit more modest on the palate, good acidity with relatively tame and subdued plum and raspberry. Overall in a beautiful spot today but fully mature.

11/30/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Prominent spice (cumin?, cocoa), plush red fruits and big ripe flavors and texture, tastes like a big Napa Cabernet of similar age.

11/30/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

From half bottle. Bright red florals, cherry, basalmic, hint of mushroom, a sweetness I can't quite place. Great acidity, bright and crisp red fruit with nicely integrated tannin, slightly short finish but otherwise excellent today. Approaching plateau of maturity, maybe only for this format though..

11/22/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Beautiful deep and varied herbal nose, dried anise.. can't pinpoint but a lot going on. Almost tart, lighter bodied than expected, opens up a bit over 2 hours but probably needs a longer decant for more and better clarity. To be continued..

11/22/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

From magnum. Big deep floral, damp earth, sweet blue fruits (macerated blueberries?), more powerful than expected and very appealing. The same fruit comes on the palate, carries this through on a clean finish with modest persistence. At peak drinking and should keep here for a few years, excellent today.

11/8/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

From half bottle. The most interesting aromas of ripe melon (like smelling the rind of uncut fruit), with very detailed ripe green/red mango aromas. Juicy palate with exuberant tropical and citrus (lime), a twinge of savory note which seems the high acidity/lime component. This was way too easy to drink, half bottle disappears in a flash. Excellent today and for a decade easily. Thanks to Santé for helping me divine the aromatics.

11/7/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Almost shy, not sure how this will evolve with floral aromas and a hint of stone fruit. Very light palate with some mushroom on the finish. A bit of phenolic bitterness comes across mid-palate, easily remedied by the right food pairing.

Demure but still nice, shows the promise of the appellation in a good vintage. Day 2 fruit's faded but the bitterness still shows.

11/4/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Not budged too much in the 4 years since last tasted, with sumptuous fruit (blackberry and blueberry), herbal tones, great depth, well balanced showing no heat with not too much in the way of tertiary flavors or aromas. Excellent tonight, probably close to peak but would stay there for some time.

10/27/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Deep earthy (fall leaves) and herbal aromas, dense palate for the site and broader mouthfeel than older older vintages I've tasted. Not exactly tight but also not giving too much right now, not showing much in the way of fruit.

10/3/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Needs to come up to temp before this gets going, with citrus, herbal aromatics. Medium bodied still but not terribly expressive. On the downward slope today, drink ASAP.

9/20/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

No extensive notes, but this medium bodied bubbles drank beautifully today with toast, lemon, and plush stone fruit flavors. A perfect night at the Hollywood Bowl. Drink within the next decade.

9/30/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

A medium ruby in the glass with absolutely gorgeous and soaring aromatics of fennel, red florals. No further notes but a 'Wow' bottle still today on its plateau of maturity, should keep here for 3-5 years.

9/20/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Small taste pours at an outdoor concert, still so impressive despite that environment. Rich and zesty, high acidity backed up with a dense palate of citrus, stone fruit, with mineral character to spare. So delicious and easy to drink, for me the best wine of the night. Not sure how long the bottle had been opened but it didn't last long. At the Hollywood Bowl for Floating Points.

9/17/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Perfectly fine if not terribly exciting Spatlese from a good Rheingau vintage. Dark lemon color, modest weight, some citrus expression, lime, acidity somewhat less (lower) than ideal but for a casual drinking bottle in the middle of a frenzied room of record collectors, this was nice. Drank at Rappcats along with staff for Day 2 of the DJ Shadow annual sale.

6/29/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Showing a richness, broad and expansive palate which was fresh but almost too weighty for the sushi meal it accompanied. In comparison with the many Rieslings on the table, this was dense and not as enjoyable to drink.. probably better with rich fatty (bread/meat) foods in butter based sauces. I don't think this would even pair that well with oysters unless they were very rich and fatty/salty themselves. On a long plateau of maturity today, drink within the next decade.

9/14/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Deep copper color in the glass. Effusive aromas of apricot, spice, caramel and florals. Stone fruit dominates the palate (ripe apricot and nectarine) with nice botrytis, some brown sugar and carmelized flavors. A nice lightness on the palate, the finish wraps up dry with lingering spice and stone fruit still. Fully mature but will hold 10+ years easily, sourced from the Everest Chicago cellar after the restaurant closed in 2020. VT bottling.

9/6/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Hard to get a good read on this bottle as it was tasted at an indoor event which topped out ~ 84 degrees F room temp.. too warm. Immediately upon opening a eucalyptus and mint note comes to the fore, intensity does fade over time and shows more earth and tobacco as time goes on. Soft and medium bodied with earth, red plums, still good structure and no real noticeable finish. Even in a better tasting environment this bottle would have showed close to a decade past peak.

9/6/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Hard to get a good read on this bottle as it was tasted at an indoor event which topped out ~ 84 degrees F room temp. Medium lemon in the glass, with vanilla bean, bruised green apple and showing just a touch of evolution (not oxidation exactly). Purchased from retail in 2014 and cellared since, this was fully mature today and likely not getting any better.

8/27/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Day 1: Immediately upon opening the density is clear. A certain kind of mineral-driven sweetness at first, with citrus and ochard fruit flavors coiled up as well. Day 2: much the same, not showing much evolution or clarity yet, still all coiled up but with a beautiful tight orchard fruit expression. Day 4: Because Day 3 was more or less the same, depth (intensity) of fruit is finally starting to recede. A bit more citrus, relaxed, but with the intensity being dialed down this is no longer as interesting. I feel like the peak for current drinking is decant well in advance and finish over 2 days.

8/15/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Deep garnet color in the glass. Deeply pitched nose of earth, smoked meat, spice, black raspberry. Over several hours open beautiful aromas of black cherry come to the fore, but the palate does not really shine in any great way. Ample acid, some red fruit and a touch of spice, but not a whole lot else going on for how compelling the nose is.

8/4/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Dense and foreboding, I have to think the fruit has faded a good amount while of course the alcohol has not. At 14.9% ABV, this showed hot on the finish and felt disjointed and blowsy; blue fruit and dark red fruit in decent shape (albeit faded) but not in a great place today.

8/4/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Brief tasting, no extensive notes. Improved over half hour open during impromptu tasting, fresh and not too old by even a bit, but still not much here to really get excited about and probably not worth cellaring.

8/4/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Dark garnet in the glass with a bit of sediment showing. Deeply pitched nose of damp earth, dry smoke, beetroot, and plums; the palate was in top form with ample acidity and supple tannin, silky but not too refined. Perhaps drying out just a touch but overall hard to find fault here, this would have been even better with food (of any kind). On its plateau of maturity and should hold for a decade easily.

7/8/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

From half bottle. Earth, red fruit, ample acidity and supple body with full resolved tannin, this was very nice today and shows very much as is expected for a 2nd wine from this St. Julien estate, bonus with some age. Drink up.

6/12/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Beautiful deep scarlet robe, olive brine, sour cherry, salty smoked
salsiccia – fully mature and full of life. More emphasis on the savory characteristics in lieu of fruit but still excellent today, on its plateau of maturity and will probably fade out before long. Bought on release and stored in the same home cellar since (The Great Lakes Collector cellar)

6/13/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Beautiful developing nose of graphite, violets, damp earth, purple plums, and black raspbery. Supple and plush palate but light on its feet with lively acidity and smooth tannins, a joy to drink for a long time to come – bought on release and kept in the same home cellar since (The Great Lakes Collector cellar)

6/29/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Deep burnt-orange color reminiscent of a Sauternes of similar age, very musty when opened, after more than an hour this turned into a very compelling wine. Juicy ripe apricot and yellow peach, citrus (grapefruit/lemon) with a richness and savoury herbal character only this kind of age could bring. Full and lithe in the same moment, came across with a sweetness unexpected at Kab level but .. 71 is exceptional in many ways. Easy to see how Spat/Aus etc would offer more.. saying this was just slightly simple in breadth of flavor. Very happy to find it drinking well not being certain of past cellar conditions.. Expect 10+ years of great drinking.

6/20/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Could have easily been blinded on this to arrive at Meursault with moderate age - flinty, mineral-driven aromas with abundant spice develop over several hours open, the palate is lush with crisp acidity & still full of orchard fruit (pear/green apple) and citrus, also giving a mineral-laden finish of moderate length. More body and fuller palate presence than other '12's opened over the past few months from the same group. Close to peak maturity but still holding very well, excellent bottle.

5/23/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

A bit thin and watery, with some nutty aromatics and a nice finish with toasted sesame oil and nutty notes here that linger. Last bottle, on the downslope today (kept in cold storage since 2018).

5/18/2023 - SoundinBetween wrote:

Medium gold with moderate bubbles, cork kept this bottle well so in good shape. Notably lemon and orchard fruit (pear), with lemon dominating - a sweetness of fruit I've found typical with the house. Rich, citrus dominating (lemon) flavors with lower than expected acidity, kind of hollowed out on the finish and surely fully mature. This was very good but would drink CH Brut Reserve younger based on this experience. Guessing 2005-2006 disgorgement?