6/12/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

pnp . drunk over 2 days. 1st day very tight , high acidity with the fruit struggling to play a part. 2nd day with more air / time was much more fruit forward . still long mineral finish but far more enjoyable with the fruit playing its role. bit of a closed stage i think. maybe not as promising as when drunk young but still decent.

6/10/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

double decanted this was everything good pinot should be. cherries & strawberry , silky long finish. will last a few years yet. but great now

6/1/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

top bourgogne blanc. nice citrus fruit. very much towards the struck match style of burgundy . but thats fine for me

5/27/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

relief, having had 5 of these 2 or 3 years ago i thought i had wasted my money. stewed fruit almost bordering on port like. this however was exactly what i would expect from a top aussie shiraz. lots of fruit dominated by blueberries. double decanted this was lovely. hoping last 6 will be as good.

5/27/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

This has really mellowed. Last tasted 2 years ago it was much more mineral with higher acidity. rich and sumptuous , butter, vanilla and nice orchard fruit of apple and pears. Top notch and better than most burgundy I've had in the same price bracket. doubt it will get any better so drink whilst the goings good

5/22/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

lovely but showing signs of age. drink up & enjoy before its too late

5/22/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

interestingly more restrained & mineral than my last bottle. thats good as i like it tight & coiled. more like the bottle i had about a year ago. bit more oak this time but not over the top. fresh & lovely. so much more character than many a generic sauvignon blanc.

5/16/2015 - kernel wrote:

well decanted , this was still very primary. with food it helped but was hoping for it to be a bit more approachable by now. I'm hoping the fruit becomes more expressive otherwise all the hype will prove ill founded. 1 case left will leave alone for at least 2 years

5/1/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

beautiful dark red colour with slightly lighter rim. long legs stick to the glass. a great nose of blueberries , black currants with some pencil shavings. a wine to swirl & sniff in between sipping. double decanted in a menu wine breather this was a treat. will last 5+ years but great right now

1/31/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

great aussie shiraz. this wine was lovely when young but now its even better.
its gone from a fruit bomb with potential to pure charm & sophistication . will keep going. splendid

1/4/2015 - kernel Likes this wine:

more forward than i was expecting. the fruit riper . nice but preferred last bottle that was more mineral.

12/26/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

from magnum. ticks all the boxes. wonderful

12/24/2014 - kernel wrote:

well this was a pleasant surprise . the fruit is very ripe. predominately pineapple . the wood mellowed but still a feature. held back to see how it would develop. still a bit of acidity/backbone. fairly light in colour. still a bit of life left . very nice

11/27/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

pleasantly surprised by this. Lots of perfume on the nose. fresh fruit almost burgundian. only the finish falls a bit short. a good mid week quaffer.

11/24/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

drinking very nicely right now, gorgeous fruit , lovely mouthfeel. for me drink as previous barbara vintages have not aged well.

11/13/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

been a couple of years since last bottle. lost the cherries, raspberry and long silky finish. more mellow root beer & cola. nice but prefer it on the younger side.

10/25/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

prompted to try a bottle by another reviewer , this was indeed much better than my last sample. More expressive fruit , apple & pear with a little honey. a long finish albeit a little rough round the edges. bottle disappeared very quickly !

10/21/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

gosh this is good. beautiful fragrance dominated by blueberry . nice long finish . drink now or keep for another 5 years i reckon.

10/20/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

big improvement on last bottle, much more of what you would expect from this top producer. solid chianti

10/12/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

nearly a year since last tasted. really very nice. just a little bit more buttery than i remember. but i like that. VGV

9/10/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

wonderful wine. unusually ripe fruit for Cotat with a touch of sweet caramel, so rich and complete. has a great streak of acidity that indicates a long life. I've had various vintages of this in the past and this has got to be my favourite. at only £30 from the wine society this is a real bargain.

8/31/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

as per previous notes. just amazed this has needed so much time to hit its stride. benefits from decanting

8/23/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

Top Condrieu. Lovely on the nose but falls a bit short on the palate. Critics say drink this 10 years from from release. I don't agree. now & next year i reckon.

7/25/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

last tasted 2 years ago it has mellowed somewhat with the fruit more evident. it does however still maintain a fantastic long long finish.even though i reckon it will last 5+years i will drink my remaining bottles over the next year or so to savour that long long finish i personally favour over the fruit. wonderful

7/21/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

consistent with previous bottle / notes. drank alongside a dd monts damnes 2007. as much as i love dd wines this was the clear winner. not to mention it cost less than half the price. superb

7/21/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

very nice but not as good as last bottle. clearly in decline. not age worthy like silex.

7/5/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

Lots going on here, lovely perfumed nose to get lost in. On the palate its rich and sumptuous . still young with nice tannins but with lots of fruit making this approachable now. paid £90, currently selling for £150. crazy

6/18/2014 - kernel wrote:

cassis , cedar , blackcurrant ,leather. very approachable . soft tannins. not for the longer term. but very nice

5/21/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

hawksmoor penfolds tasting. was the last wine of the night so maybe my taste buds already a bit blitzed . what struck me was how approachable this was. not the tight, tannic, baby i thought it would be.the fruit was very expressive and with steak the tannins hardly noticed. v smooth.
lovely shiraz indeed but in all honesty i recently enjoyed a 2004 st henri just as much so really unless you collect grange why else would you pay up for it.

5/15/2014 - kernel wrote:

thank god i've stocked up on the 2010 because this is poor in comparison.
fruit was a bit too much in yer face , overly pungent. not a great mouthfeel.
not keen on this vintage. maybe it settles down but not going to bother trying again.

5/7/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

consistent with previous tasting. Fresh fruit meets forest floor. lovely & long. this bats above its weight. highly recommended for the price.

5/6/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

even better than last tasting. aromas more open , mouthfeel sublime. a wine to savour. a wine that's so good its hard to compare. unique

5/5/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

this has come on leaps & bounds over the last 2 years. from a fairly disappointing wine to a rather nice & silky classic chambolle . purchased en premier not bad value. would never dream of paying the current ask.
drink now or next year or 2

4/28/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

this exudes class, dark in colour, lovely nose predominantly of blueberry . nice
mouthfeel suggests a long life ahead. can see why this wine has doubled in price over the last 6 years. delicious

4/25/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

this took a little while to open up, the fruit showed a few signs of age, it was a bit dusty and smokey compared to drinking it in its youth but nevertheless
was very enjoyable.

4/22/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

Drank from a magnum, this was a treat. Still maintaining good minerality , the fruit more open & somewhat tropical compared to how this tastes when young. very pleasantly surprised considering age. drink now

4/16/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

wow, where to start. case purchased in 2008 & held back to see how it would evolve. Unmistakably Cotat, very similar to a 2010 culs de beau jeu drank just a week ago. The colour of the wine still light showing no signs of age.
Still maintains a nice lick of acidity, the citrus still fresh, sucking wet stones albeit with a slightly creamy / waxy mellow finish. A wine to savour. 1 down 11 to go & no rush. Love it.

4/12/2014 - kernel wrote:

bottle held back to see if it would evolve. from memory it was better 2 or so years ago. flavours of honey, vanilla & brioche . ok but not the best qpr

4/12/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

lots of jammy fruit, nice streak of acidity. pretty good for just over £10 with waitrose 25% off

4/12/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

Finally this has settled down, previous bottles were very disappointing .I agree with what the previous review described as spritzy sensation. Mine were the same and rather unpleasant for it. Its still a touch spritzy but not enough to bother me. the perfume on this is lovely classic chambolle very expressive and pretty. Shame I opened previous bottles too early as this is really good now.

4/11/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

I love this. apple orchards, meadows, white peaches and wet stones . so fresh, pure & long. whilst these will last awhile yet i can't see how they can improve. delicious

3/18/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

in a sweet spot, lovely dark fruit with some graphite / pencil shavings. nice long finish suggests no rush to drink but great right now

2/24/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

Reliably good, this has mellowed nicely and is drinking very well right now.
v good qpr

2/17/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

At last, this is the first decent bottle i've had of this highly rated vintage from about 10 or so bottles.(last drank about 6 months ago) Has it really needed this much time . this was everything a good pinot should be. lovely aromas of strawberries and cherries , silky mouthfeel and a nice lick of acidity.

2/15/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

Loved it, top pinot noir, drunk along side a 2012 felton road bannockburn that was very nice but needs a bit more time and a 2009 rochioli that was lovely. Mac Forbes came out as the clear winner.

2/1/2014 - kernel Likes this wine:

surprisingly approachable with sour cherries, leather & pencil shavings . very mineral. will leave the rest for 5 years or so. nice as this is i still think the standard chianti is by far & away the best qpr.

2/1/2014 - kernel wrote:

When I tasted a young 2006 I had to buy more. this however is so primary and full of tannins that even with 2 hours of decanting it was still too young to truly enjoy. I'm sure with many years it will come good but think i'll stick with the 2006 and some of their easier drinking chiantis that are superb in 2010.

1/25/2014 - kernel wrote:

Solid Barbera but lacks charm. good but poor qpr. loved the 2005 but this falls short

12/31/2013 - kernel Does not like this wine:

flawed. hope last 2 bottles are ok. shame

12/31/2013 - kernel Likes this wine:

drinking very nicely right now with lovely perfume on the nose. unlike the 2007 i can't notice the high alcohol on this. will probably be fine for a few years but i think these are better on the younger side. why wait !