4/29/2024 - jpbach13C wrote:

Dark, dense black fruit, complex spicy nose. Still a baby.

4/20/2024 - jpbach13C wrote:

Every bottle flawed. Jadot needs to do better.

1/6/2024 - jpbach13C wrote:

Many years to go. Just starting to unwind a little. Great QPR

12/2/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Still Hanging in there. Delicious.

11/4/2023 - jpbach13C Likes this wine:

Delicious. My wife describes as a silk scarf on a samurai sword. Hmmm. I get it.

Very approachable for a young wine.

Finished the bottle on night 3. Each night this wine gives more as it loosens up but it also gets more intense. Tannins not even close to being integrated. Fruit is dark zingy cherry wrapped in spices. Very good. long intense finish. A notch down from the VV but not by much. A great value that will reward patience.

If it were possible I’d buy a few cases of this.

Last mouthful was the best!

11/1/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

My 5th flawed bottle. Something went wrong at winery.

Other vintages flawed as well.

10/21/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

On opening you get a blast of very complex and spicy but feminine black fruit. Opulent and hedonistic. Keeps tugging you in. It’s a joy to relax and experience this wine unfold. Deep undertones of black earth and some salinity. Waves of crisp ripe cherry, plum, blackberry, rose petals, pencil lead and spice just keep coming. But it is never heavy or overbearing. This will develop for years. Oak is not yet completely integrated. Sweet fruit. Perfect structure. Became charming after a few hours. This should develop into something very special. Firm structure and fine tannins and juicy acid. Great balance. Long grippy finish.

cc vv NEVER disappoints.

Did not decant.

2 days later … finishing the bottle. Even better. The nose is more intense and the 2 + minute finish has drifted to succulent dark cherry and very ripe plums tinged with spice and a touch of bitters. A much broader spectrum than two days ago. This should develop beautifully with time.

10/20/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Corked.

Changed note to no rating to keep the whiners happy. it seems rating a corked wine is somehow inappropriate. Whatever. Amateurs. Some winemakers have a lot of corked wines and others (Rousseau,Vogue, for example) never do.

If I could magically remove the taint this would be a good bottle in the 90s but IT ISN’T. It is near undrinkable … thus low score. The winemaker contributed to this problem as it obviously left the winery with some sort of taint. So THIS BOTTLE has a low score.

This is why I can rarely be bothered to post notes.

9/23/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Very ripe and modern style. Advanced for vintage. The riserva has much more vibrancy and balance.

9/22/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Petrol, chemicals, sulfuric, high acid. Maybe with oysters but this is an odd one. Maybe the bottle was fully oxidized. Blech.

9/6/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Shazam squared!

8/31/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Badly corked … another bottle.

7/14/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Delicious but hold. Great balance but needs time to develop.

7/9/2023 - jpbach13C wrote:

Epic. Unbelievably complex and light as a feather. Maybe the finest wine from Italy. For my taste anyway.

5/16/2023 - jpbach13C Likes this wine:

Elegant, delicate and intense. Lonely wine. In a very good place place right now. Drank these way too early. This wine ages beautifully.

8/23/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Quick note. Deep red fruit and very complex. aging at a glacial pace. Hanging on to the remaining bottles for a decade at least.

8/12/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Premox

3/16/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Very youthful for a 96. This has decades to go. On opening it was a wall of almost unpleasant acidity pushing a bitter fruit bomb. It settled done quickly and was delicious after an hour or so. after 5 or 6 hours it was beautifully integrated and was showing it’s true character Decant hours before pouring if you are opening a bottle soon. It needs time to come around.

3/16/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Huge. From a 375. As powerful as a wine can get yet still maintain balance. Very long finish. Dark voluptuous fruit. Cassis and black cherry. White pepper. Decadent. Should evolve for decades. Hiding in there is a turley hayne zin.

2/14/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Dark burnt orange caramel colour at core. Intoxicating nose of PX like macerated dried raisiny fruit and apricots. Toasted nuts. Tangy black plum mid palate. Broad spectrum of exotic spices. Amazing balance. Acid in perfect balance with the fruit and sweetness.

Many years to go.

2/4/2022 - jpbach13C wrote:

Corked. Again. Omg, Get it together. The corked ratio is far too high here.

For north of $1,000 per bottle, corked should not be an issue.

12/28/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

At a very good place right now. Very pale bricking to the edges. Medium ruby brick core. Dried cassis and pencil lead and cedar nose. Some nutmeg and many other spices. Intoxicating dried cherry. Elegant and silky with fully resolved tannins with a fresh acid core. Mouth puckering acidity. Long complex finish. freshness, subtle power, balance and elegance. Could easily drink a bottle of this without blinking. Reminds me of the 1966.

12/28/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Many years to go. Just getting started. Very little bricking. Deep core. Nose of black cherries, freshness, lots of spice, roses, dark floral. Weighty with fine grained but noticeable tannins and some vanilla oak but it is becoming well integrated. Round and velvety. Long spicy dark fresh cherry finish. Give this at least another decade

12/7/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Excellent.

12/6/2021 - jpbach13C Likes this wine:

Still going strong. Beautiful gold colour. Big nose of honey, quince, roasted nuts, verbena, tropical fruits, early grey tea … intoxicating. Musky. Waxy. Luscious and mouth filling with a very long slightly bitter finish. Still in perfect balance. The high alcohol is not noticeable.

10/30/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Aging at a glacial pace. 4 hours after decant and opening up nicely. Old school. Great balance. Burgundian.

8/20/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Wow. This is villages??? Beautiful crystal clear ruby that almost glows. Sweet cherry plum rose spicy nose with a whiff of satisfying crushed black rocks/ tar. Long finish. Perfect balance. Weighty yet elegant. Mouthfilling. Youthful. Will age beautifully. Vogue never disappoints. This is villages? Amazing.

8/5/2021 - jpbach13C Does not like this wine:

premoxed yet again ... drink up or use for sauces later

7/27/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Delicious. Sweetness from fruit. Mouthful of cherries and packed with other dense berry fruits. Moderate weight and concentration. Long finish. Balanced but definitely not elegant. Great quality for villages. Juicy. Good value.

6/13/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Cloudy with moderate bricking. Nose of mushrooms, forest floor and stewed red fruits along with some barnyard funk. Plums, flowers, sandalwood, nutmeg and a pleasant lactic sourness come together with an almost oily finish that goes on for a minute or two. My descriptors do not do this wine justice. It is fantastic for a 2004. Reminds me of days spent as a child in the French countryside looking for treasures among the rabbits in my great uncle’s barn. I’m going to drink up the remaining bottles soon. Probably past it’s peak.

6/3/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Wonderful Chablis. More of a fruit character than mineral but incredibly satisfying.

5/27/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Wow. Perfectly balanced.

5/1/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Full spectrum of spice, dark dried fruit, leather, dried Provençal herbs. Fresh. Great balance. No rough edges at this stage. Fully integrated. Years and years to go. Last bottle. No VA. Restrained. Delicious. Very good.

4/24/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Overwhelming sensation is freshness. Not sweet. Burnt bitter almond. Prunes. Mouthwatering acidity. Crazy long finish. Exotic spices. Just finished a bottle of egon muller Riesling and the freshness is similar.

4/24/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Lovely pale straw colour with hints of chartreuse. bright and fresh. Intense stony minerality. Long finish. Pear lemon and some spice. Very juicy. No petrol. Delicate and lean but powerful. Love this.

4/8/2021 - jpbach13C Likes this wine:

Amazing. Night 1 all fruit and licorice. Night 2 far more integrated and elegant with a full spectrum of spices with a spicy orange bitters finish and very fresh acidity. Fantastic. Pure. Long intense finish. Bitter cherry. Wet leather. Delicious. Last bottle. Too bad.

4/3/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Perfectly balanced. Elegant. sediment galore. Deep ruby with a little bricking. Nose of Cedar tobacco pencil lead and dark cherry. Long tangy cherry coke and violets finish. Very satisfying acidity but in great balance. No trace of boozy VA etc. Last bottle. This vintage has always been delicious but I’d say this is now approaching its peak and I did not expect seamless integration at 25 years. Great stuff.

3/10/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Very fresh. Delicious.

3/7/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Tired. Overripe. Boozy.

2/2/2021 - jpbach13C wrote:

Amazed this is still hanging in there. Golden. Oily mouth feel. Persistent and very intense spices. Pear, lemon zest and amaretto reduction. Keeps opening up and showing more complexity. Very long finish. A few minutes. No unpleasant oxidation.

When this was young it was a mouthful of rich white chocolate mousse and baking spices. Same character now but the acid is surfacing and the hedonism is replaced by structure.

12/5/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

very good shape for a 20yr + Napa cab. Could hold for another decade. Ripe and dark red fruits. Plum. Dried cherries. Velvet. Lots of pencil lead. Rich floral perfume of violets and lilac and roses. Fresh earth. Mouth filling. Far more balanced that bottles opened earlier. Sadly this is the last bottle.

11/20/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Very tight. Perfectly balanced. Give this another 5 years. Old school style. Should age beautifully.

10/28/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Silk. Gorgeous. I was expecting something disjointed and boozy and was pleasantly surprised. This has turned the corner (2002 to date has come off overripe in my opinion) and become a perfectly balanced but just decadent enough cab. Pure pleasure. Everything is resolved. Very pleasant vanilla sweet fruit.

10/21/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Omg. Perfect balance. Endless finish. The full spectrum of aromas and flavour. Great minerality and very satisfying and louthnpuckering acidity. Very concentrated yet very light on it feet. Wow.

9/26/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Perfectly balanced. Complex fresh mountain fruit. Tannins resolved. Delicious. medoc nose and structure. Why oh why did I not buy this by the case????

9/4/2020 - jpbach13C Likes this wine:

Developing nicely. Less intense than I would expect for Martray but having said that this is a mouthful. Gained power and intensity a few hours after opening. Delicious.

6/19/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

On the nose a tidal wave of coconut sunscreen with a side of coconut sunscreen. A touch of canned pineapple and dried apricots. Amaretto. The entire range of bitter citrus. Some steely minerality. Amazingly dense and mouth filling with great weight but enough acidity to bring it all back in balance. Some animale rusticity Sauvignon blanc cats pee poking it’s head out. Sexy. Very long finish. I love this wine. It’s impossible to put it down. Why do I not hoard this??? Same goes for y de yquem.

6/19/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Just coming out of its shell. Full spectrum of spices and red and black fruits. Still a touch of new oak. Perfect balance. Should be amazing in 20 years.

5/17/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Delicious. Hanging in there nicely. Sweetness replaced by freshness.

5/9/2020 - jpbach13C wrote:

Rich, powerful and dense yet light and refreshing. At a very good place right now.