11/25/2017 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

I opened the bottle and decanted, drank over the course of a 4 hours. I put a stopper on the decanter and let some sit over night.

On initial pour, there were strong jam notes in the nose. The color was deep garnet with a slightly browning meniscus. The initial mouth feel was silky, round, and glassy. The tasting note were closed with strong graphite flavors. The finish lingered forever.


Second pour had a nose of prune and dried herbs. The mouth feel was tannic, layered, and rigid almost chewy. The tasting notes were iron and graphite, and oddly enough noticable kumquat rind (seriously).

Third pour had a nose of cured meat, dark fruit, and spice cabinet. The mouth feel was again round and tannic. The tasting notes were earthly, leather, iron reminiscent of a rare steak, and strong spiced fruit.

Fourth pour had a nose of stewed fruit and spice cabinet. The mouth feel was round, integrated, and lighter in the tannins. The tasting notes were spiced fruit and red candy.

Fifth pour had a closed nose. The mouth feel was round, silky, and tannic on the finish. The tasting notes were dark fruit and herbs.

Sixth pour had a nose of strong black fruit and dried herbs. The mouth feel was round, silky, and integrated. The tasting notes were of blackberry and licorice.

In the morning, it had a nose of leather. The mouth feel was flacid and tannic. The tasting notes were uniformly leather, but dull.

Overall the bottle in an intellectual treat, but lacks the heart of some claimed inferior names. Put differently, it lacked umph.

3/18/2016 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

Frustratingly bad. Very shocking. Didnt get better with ox.

3/4/2016 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Developed beautifully.

Deep purple, with browning meniscus.

Nose of strong tart red fruits like apple and raspberry. It opened beautifully over the course of a few hours, did not decant.

Attack of cherry and soft rounded syrup, heavy, with an initial cedar back pallet that turned into cherry and sour cherry with some cherry pit.

Acidic, with soft barely present tanins, lacked a rigid structure but made up for it in the purity of its red fruits. Late in the evening it had soft notes of fig; but, it remained tart fruit throughout.

Beautiful.

2/23/2016 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Phenomenal qpr. Excellent showing of Bordeaux, not surprising that it comes from Margaux.

Popped and poured, initial nose of strong black fruit. Attack of black fruit with woody / cedar back pallet notes, long finish.

Nose developed into slight candied cherry and gave way to leather. Attack become more leather and a new car back pallet notes after a couple hours.

The nose and notes did not switch fast, but changed slowly, almost deliberately.

Overall very simple and direct flavors, not a bottle hiding subtlety - but it's showing was so beautiful, smooth, and round that it stands as an excellent wine.

Not past its prime by any means. In fact, I think it's young in character, even thought it's not highly tannic at this point.

2/22/2016 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

No.

2/20/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

It was a closed bottle. Took hours of decanting to bring some life to it, albeit brief. But, what did show up was quite fascinating: it was a deep purple with the slightest bearly noticeable tinge of brick. i thought it would look older. The nose was of cherries, cinnamon, and odly enough coffee cake. The notes were nearly identical.The back pallet was slightly woody, and the finish was med/short. The mouth feel was generally round with some soft tanins initially.

Someone below mentioned it needed to be drunk soon, my impression, however, is that it could benefit from some more laying down.

I'd get another bottle just to see if it changes over time or if this is how Brainaire-Ducru expresses itself. If this is standard for BD, and this is how it is in a good year, it was disappointing.

2/17/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

Nose has sour notes, sour cherry, slight earthiness, and some initial astringency. Hints of leather and barnyard. Good showing on the bouquet as it opened up over the hours, deep grape showed up eventually.

Initial attack was sweet but angular and melted into a velvety mouth feel,very seductive. Barnyard notes and notes of spice with a hint of game.

Very attractive wine ith a long finish.

I'd enjoy another bottle.

2/13/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

Great Beaujolais

I let this sit overnight once opened and it's much better than the pop and pour.

Nose is of stewed apple, apple pie, and candy apple.

Attack is soft fruit and ends with a slight candied woodiness.

Quite nice.

2/13/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

Beautiful malbec. Initial nose of strawberries then turns into woodiness.

Attack is red fruit with rear pallet as cedar sigh hunts of smoke.

Rounded

Murky purple center but not opaque with slightly orange halo.

2/11/2016 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

Yikes. Tutti fruit initial nose that turns into wet dog and metallics.

Attack is fruity and rear pallet is also fruity with some iron. Long finish, but not pleasant.

Acidic and yet sufficient tannins.

jug wine, and nothing wrong with it as long as you know.

2/10/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

Closed. Needs some more time. Not as remembered.

2/10/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

Unintegrated and young.

Nose started herbaceous with light fruit. After an hour or so, nose ended strong on coffee, intense.

Attack, Light fruit, back pallet herby, metallic, and minerals. Ended in noticeable coffee.

Interesting progression, but just an ok bottle right now.

2/7/2016 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

Too unimaginative. Fruit flavor was loud, not integrated, without complexity, boring.

Good if you want to sit around and drink something that is approachable and tastes fine.

2/6/2016 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

The peak was within the first 1.5 hours, its expression was amazing. Nose of initial plum and stewed prune immediately gave way to minerals, woodsy earth, and graphite. The attack was all minerals, chalk, metalics, and forest floor, it was so round it is how I imagine eating silk. It literally stopped all thoughts but for a brief moment. Gorgeous expression. Long lingering finish, light on tannins but we'll structured, almost like a book, with each flavor perfectly encapsulated on each page with a new page showing a new flavor. Drink now, it feels as if it won't show for much longer.

1/29/2016 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Beautiful nose - initially jammy and became minerally with slight oxidation, deep black fruits with earthy notes.

Attack was initially fruity, stewed fruits. Became almost like a candied apple.

Very round in the mid palate, with citris and rust back, slightly earhty palate finish, doesn't linger.

Dry.

After a few hours the predominate flavor was cherry / sour cherry.

1/25/2016 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

Confusing, bland, disliked.

1/25/2016 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Fruity, smooth, integrated. Great Beaujolais.

1/22/2016 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Nose: plum, dark berry, undertones of leather. Opened up after an hour and the nose had deeper plum then soon after it closed down.

Notes: nice undertones of leather, with stronger notes of plum and black berry. Only slightly dry, with hints of sweet fruit on the tip of the tongue with tobacco notes on the back of the palate.

Well integrated and generally has a round mouth feel.

1/21/2016 - VitisNovice wrote:

Nose: jam, blackberry, black pepper.

Taste: ununified, confusing, undeveloped, immature, BlackBerry in the front Tabasco in the throat. May need time.

7/4/2014 - VitisNovice wrote:

Not what I have come to expect from Sardinian wine. Had no tasting note of warm or scorched earth. Instead, this was much more fruity and mellow. Preeminently drinkable, but I would not consider this the type of wine I enjoy from this region.

Notes of fruit and plum with only the slightest undercurrent of black pepper.

4/26/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

Nose: Fruity with berries.

Note: Light, fruity, and semi-dry.

Very drinkable and went well this almost everything. An interesting showing of Sicilian wines - shows how different the selection form that region.

4/26/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

nutty with an almond, oak, and woody flavor.

4/14/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

Color: Inky black and inky purple.

Nose: earthy with hint of licorice and dark black fruit.

Note: Very dry, dark berries and licorice on the front with hints of sour cherry on the back palate. Earthy.

High sediment content. Decant needed in my bottle.

4/14/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

Nose: Sweet and candied pear with carmelized sugar and a hint of leather.

Note: Pure sweet pear fills the back palate while caramelized sugar fills the tip of the mouth.

This wine is so balanced that it fits on a razors edge. Smooth. Crisp. As it breaths it becomes more lush, but the perfection of its balance is constantly present.

4/7/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

Color: burgundy with rusty hues.

Nose: deep leather and asphalt tar with a hint of cherry pit.

Note: Sour cherry & leather.

This is a very good wine. It needs to be opened up in order to fully appreciate so definitely give it a few hours...if not a decade.

After few days of slow oxygenation:

Nose: Deep apricot and fig cherry.

Note: Sour cherry stem and hint of fig jam.

Opened up beautifully.

4/7/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Color: Purple, Dark Violet.

Nose: Overwhelmingly spice, initially. But, then it opens up to a scorched blackberry and violet. Easily sense the heat of the region on wine.

Note: Dark berries and fruit. There is heat on the back palate. Initially the note is fruit and the finish is smooth and short/medium.

Ive had this bottle open and well kept for 2 days. On this 3rd day it is absolutely phenomenal.

If you liked scorched earth wines this turned into a beautifully perfumed blueberry and blackberry spice nose with a much much longer finish of tobacco, berries, and oak. It still has that "hot" essence to it, but it has developed beautifully.

Truly surprised me, since on opening it was overwhelmingly spice.

Went from an 88 - 92 IMO.

4/6/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Color: inky plum.

Nose: Wet earth and strong spice with pepper.

Note: Dark chocolate, old strawberry, black fruit, and a hint of peach.

It was good, but nothing too special.

4/6/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Color: Medium dark purple.

Nose: Blackberry and strawberry with hints of sour cherry - slight spice in the background.

Taste: Sour cherry & violet.

Overall, its rather light - doesn't linger on the palate: the finish is rather short but sweet.

I find it very good to eat with food and in essence have turned this into a preferable form of a fruitfull table-wine. My score is increased by 3 points due to the ability for this Beaujolais to go well with meals.

4/5/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Purple.

Nose of raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry.

Taste: Blueberry and Raspberry with a medium-short finish.

Very light, silky, and smooth.

After time, the nose changes to a sour cherry and raspberry. The tasting notes change have noticeable addition of of sour cherry and sweet raspberry.

Change the rating from 85 - 87.

4/4/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Color: Burgundy.

Nose: very spicy, shows a lot of heat. On initial pour it has a noticeably nose of dirt and rain wet grass on a humid day. As it opens up it turns to heavy cinnamon and pepper with clear hints of cumin.

Taste: Very dry. Very slight hint of dark black cherry, spiced. Light.

Finishes short just into early medium.

2nd Day:

Still spicy with a stronger nose of black cherry.

It finished about the same, but has a sudden cut off as the linger fades. Is definitely good with food.

Revised rating form 87 to 88.

4/4/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

Nice deep purple color with lighter purple edges. Has a nose of a plum, pepper, and raspberry.

Tasting note: very peppery with only the slightest hint of black fruit.

Short / nonexistent finish.

Let it air, tried it again the second day:

It was still fruity with a nose of plumb and raspberry. The spice to it faded in to the background.

It had a much longer blackberry finish.

Finish: Medium/ short.

Revise my rating form 83 to 86.

4/4/2013 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

Poor. Pale yellow. Nose of bubble gum. Taste worse.

4/3/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

On initial pour it has a strong nose of black fruit and berries with a spice cabinet finish: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg

Color deep purple with barely lighter edges.

Tasting note of wood and spice. Medium tannic dry. Herbal finish.

After a night out, the nose became a sweeter mix of spiced strawberry and spiced cherry. It took on a spicier taste and less herbal / woody.

Revised from an 87 - 88

4/2/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Golden with a sunburnt straw hue that faded into a pale golden yellow. Nose is crisp on the back of the palate; has a noticeable pear and lime nose.

Taste of lime and a light pear with a crisp medium finish that melds into a light sweet berry.

Will definitely be getting more.

4/1/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

It's a very young wine. On initial pour the nose overpowering with spice and alcohol. There was some sort of sweet floral notes but they were drowned out.

After a few hours it sweetened up and gave a familiar note of blackberry. The tasting note was overwhelmingly spice one moment and blackberry another. Very dry and tannic with a long leathery finish.

I can see that it has the potential and you can feel it trying in the palate to balance - but I think it's too young to give a proper rating.

It has the potential of a 88-92 and hopefully in the years to come it will prove me right.

After corking it over night, the next day it had a distinct smell of sour cherry. The taste was a little more settled but lacking in complexity.

I revised my range score to be a max of 89 over time.

3/31/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

It is a nice burgundy with lighter murky brown edges. It has a nose of leather with a hint of spice with small floral undertones. Its taste is red fruit, tart apple with a slight black currant and tobacco finish. It finishes long and smooth. Its complex but not perfectly balanced. Medium Dry.

As the hours lingered, it took on a black berry flavor that finished as mentioned above.

Overall, quite pleased. 88.5

3/30/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

It has a golden raisin with green apple hue. Its nose is overwhelmingly cat piss. I didn't even want a second try with the nose. But its taste is rich and creamy, toasted pear comes to mind.

3/30/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

Deep purple, intense with rust hue. Nose is deep fleshy plumb with hints of black currant, sandalwood, and truffle. It is tannic, fills the palate fully without overwhelming it and is dry. Its not completely balanced so it doesn't receive a full score for me.

3/30/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

It has a rust hue with an murky ink center. A strong nose of strawberry jam with an undertone of black currant. Very smooth and well balanced. It tricks you into thinking its sweet because of its slightly fruity taste but the dry finish is very pleasing and medium/short.

3/30/2013 - VitisNovice Does not like this wine:

It had a noticeable nose of honeyed pear, very sweet smell of syrup. It had an even more recognizable taste of honeyed pear. It was very sweet and held a consistency of syrup.

After a couple of hours of drinking it, it began to take on a more complex spiced aroma and flavor: possibly a hint of nutmeg. The bottle itself suggests the flavors and smells, but I didn't find them accurate in this bottle.

Overall, its not a complex bottle and its simplicity is rather boring. With that said, if you like sweet whites that remind you of Moscato this isn't a bad bottle.

3/28/2013 - VitisNovice wrote:

The wine looks Purple colored, almost exactly as you would find in a container of grape juice. It smells like Black Pepper, and Blackberry. It tastes peppery and slightly woody and hints that a grape was used in this wine. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Silky / oily texture. The wine finishes Long.

Its a good table wine to just drink and enjoy with friends. Don't expect miracles. It definitely isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. It's quite generic but very drinkable and therefore I categorize it as a "good" wine.

3/28/2013 - VitisNovice Likes this wine:

A great bubbly with a slight light-green hue. Rich nose with hints of pear. Acidic with an initially course texture that fades into smooth apple. It has a medium finish that lingers for a bit.

It was universally praised at a reception among people who are selective drinkers.