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Comments on my notes

(46 comments on 36 notes)

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Red
1983 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côte-Rôtie Les Jumelles Syrah
3/9/2018 - europat55 wrote:
92 points
Nose: B++/A- Palate: A-
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/11/19, 1:17 PM - Do you remember if you decanted or was it not necessary

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/11/19, 1:23 PM - Thank you. Think of opening my bottle for as a birth year wine for a few of my friends.

Red
1987 Pine Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain
9/14/2013 - oldwines Likes this wine:
92 points
Wow what a difference from the previous bottle! Still lovely young color of medium to deep garnet with little sign of age but the nose was effusive from the start. Lots of flowery vanilla, boysenberry jam, cherry and cedar. Flavor was mouth filling reflecting the nose, quite smooth but lively and luscious. Wonderful 80's styled Cali cab. Only disappointment could be that it lacked a dimension in the aftertaste and finished a little shorter than I'd have liked.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    5/15/18, 9:16 PM - Have you had any more of these recently? Have a few bottles and was trying to figure out what I could expect.

Red
2013 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend
4/1/2018 - tward wrote:
88 points
I can talk about wanting wines with finesse and elegance all I want, but at the end of the day, I want "more" from the Esprit. Similar to my 2016 notes, this has a very nice nose and is seamless and refined. But it has a very short finish and comes off as a bit hollow or thin. It's nice, but I can only hope this digs deep and pulls up some "more" over time.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    4/1/18, 1:23 PM - I know what you mean, but I feel like it may be shutting down for a bit. I had it last year and it was much more open than the one I had recently.

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    4/1/18, 1:43 PM - Here's to hoping too. They do state on their own site that "We recommend that you drink either between 2016 and 2018 or 2022-2040." So... see you back here in about 4/5 years?

Red
2015 Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel California
3/31/2018 - Jarndyce wrote:
91 points
My 10th bottle of the 2015 vintage of this wine and the best of the 15 ovzs yet. In a really good place for me right now. still prefer the 14 version tho.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    4/1/18, 1:04 PM - Agreed. Maybe needs a another couple years for the fruit to die down just a bit more. But also just found out that my local store still has some of the 14 on the shelf and got giddy.

Red
2011 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses Cabernet Franc
9/25/2017 - jhbrower1 wrote:
92 points
Subdued red fruit, characteristic bell pepper, tons of woody herbs -- oregano, summer savory, etc. Drinking well now, but as with any good vintage of Raffault, it will age beautifully. Those finding it needs air would do well to pick up another bottle and return in the distance future. Drink 2017-2032, assuming proper storage.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/26/17, 3:55 PM - I find that at this point, the 2011 tastes better the next day. Of course you could just open an 85 =)

Red
2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
9/22/2017 - amateur62 Likes this wine:
95 points
Evening with friends: Required lot of air and time to open, decanted three hours before dinner. Classical, very classical and elegant. On the nose ethereous and balsamic, on the palate fresh and very dry (tannic) but also very sustainable. Already great but still very young maybe even too young to drink now but has big potential, will last forever. 94 to 96 points.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/23/17, 7:23 AM - Agreed. Way too young still and will probably outlast some of us. Rather open the much more advanced 05s and forget about these 04s for a while.

Red
2008 Château Haut-Bailly Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
9/22/2017 - JulianSkeels wrote:
92 points
I’m not a big fan of 2008 left banks - very fresh and classic. But this certainly punches above its weight for the vintage with lovely aromatics. Showing better now than the 2012, but with less potential. I would much rather take the under-the-radar 1998 over this though. 92-93pts. Drink now-2030
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/23/17, 7:21 AM - From the way you describe, it seems to be fairly tradition in style? Wouldn't it benefit from some more time t hen?

White - Sparkling
2012 Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
9/9/2017 - ginfizz wrote:
91 points
Medium to fine mousse, reasonably persistent. Nose of red apple and bruised apple, touch of citrus, with air hints of white flowers and lime zest. Complex and developing. Palate clean with medium body cut with medium lime acidity. Medium to short finish. Seems young.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/10/17, 8:39 AM - Almost exactly to the word what I thought. Feels like it has great structure and potential and will round out more and the finish will lengthen as it softens a bit with age.

Red
2005 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
9/4/2017 - mscaryg Likes this wine:
92 points
This wine is still very good, but is on the edge. I have owned it for 8 years and have had in temperature controlled cellar. I have one more bottle and will be drinking it this year. I decanted it and ran it through Vinturi and it was perfectly drinkable right away. I would recommend drinking right away while it is still good!
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    9/8/17, 1:56 PM - Perhaps you had an odd bottle? The most recent one I had earlier this year still drank extremely young and seems to still have many many years ahead.

Red
2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Great promise but very young! Takes about 4 hours in the glass to open up (no decanter; it's 70ml sample from Coravin; first access). Seems less evolved than the 2005.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    8/8/17, 3:25 PM - I agree. The 2004 seems to be at least 4 or 5 years behind the 05. As a long life ahead of it.

Red
2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
7/16/2017 - TanPaulLoong wrote:
87 points
Way passed its prime...drink up now
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    7/16/17, 12:49 PM - Agreed with the others, must have been a bad bottle. This should have at least 8-10 years to reach it's real peak for an aged rioja, and probaly another decade or so of drinkability. Try to find another bottle, because I feel like the 04 is actually less ready than the 05 is.

Red
2012 Amici Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District
6/22/2017 - deetz Likes this wine:
93 points
In my opinion, this wine is in a somewhat awkward stage right now straight out of the bottle so I highly recommend giving it an hour or so to open up in a decanter (even longer in the bottle). However, once this wine gets to its sweet spot, it shows remarkably well right now.

Dark crimson with reflections of purple of brown.Aromas of burning embers, graphite, boysenberry and black raspberry, blackcurrants, charred meat, herbs, and a touch of white flowers. The nose is somewhat restrained (at least right now) but very well delineated. Palate is densely structured with a chewy, medium plus finish. I would also strongly suggest serving this wine just above cellar temperature (say, 60°F/16°C) for the best display of this wine's aromatics...as this wine approaches room temperature, especially in these summer months, the alcohol can come through in a way that definitely takes away from its expression.

(Disclaimer: I am a harvest intern at Amici Cellars)
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    6/26/17, 4:03 PM - How is the acid balance on this? Is it more a low acid, Cali cab? Or is it more like the Mountain wines with good balance?

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    7/13/17, 6:56 AM - Thanks for the reply. As long as it doesn't taste like something from Orin Swift, I'll give it a try.

Red
2008 Château Haut-Bailly Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
7/9/2017 - eddie100 wrote:
Decanter magazine believes it is the best vintage in this century
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    7/9/17, 6:42 PM - What do you think?

Red
2013 Opus One Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
6/12/2017 - Keeping It Real wrote:
96 points
WineLA event: Cabernet College (Downtown Los Angeles): Tasted blind. Ultra, ultra, ultra smooth. Leaves.. tobacco... sweet tobacco. Knockout killer wine. With a nice steak, this wine will take you to heaven.

I tasted the 2013 Opus at a wine tasting few months ago where it was poured right after bottle was opened. At that time, it was very tannic and hard to decipher. But today with many hours of air, the 2013 Opus was spectacular.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    6/14/17, 1:58 PM - How long did you decant it for? I'm thinking of opening one to see how it is and I am figuring around a 4 hour decant before I check.

Red
2005 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
5/27/2017 - chablis28 wrote:
94 points
Decanted for 2-1/2 hours before back into the btl another hour prior to drinking it. Served in the high 50s low low 60s in Riedel BDX glasses. Dark opaque garnet red color. Alc is reasonable 14.1% and integrated well. 1st aromas are a pleasant floral purple flower, quickly evolving more towards cedar, creosote, tobacco and dark fruit aromas. First sips show this wine open for business and yet with a focused almost linear structure that is at once both smooth and lifting, not fat or sloppy like too many CA cult addresses. Dark cherry, blackberry, lead pencil, tobacco, licorice and mineral dominate the palate. The oak is very much supporting rather then dominating now. That said, this wine needs, at minimum, 3-5 more years before it really starts to show the ethereal nature of say the '91 estate wine. And really, this wine will likely not reach its zenith until 2025+. I have 2 more and, for sure, will not touch the next one before 2021+. This wine is very enjoyable now but if you've ever had the 91 you know its best days are still ahead. Dominus is really a 20yr plus wine. I wouldn't have opened this had I not owned two more. And it was my son in law Josh's 33rd birthday. And we had steaks and a great day with my almost 3yr old grandson. Wish these could still be had for the far more reasonable $80 I paid for them vs the new release. If, I was predisposed to paying $150 for CA BDX blends I would pay that for this as a back vintage instead of buying the latest vintage and get a head start on the long aging curve.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    6/1/17, 2:07 PM - Do you actually think the 05 will ever reach the levels of the 91?

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    6/1/17, 7:19 PM - Thanks for the response. It will be very hard to keep my hands off it as it seems like it is still drinking amazingly right now.

Red
2007 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Red Bordeaux Blend
5/11/2017 - mlawren1 wrote:
92 points
Cherries and plums starting to get earthy with some cedar and leather coming through.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    5/13/17, 6:13 AM - Did you by any chance decant? And if so, for how long?

Red
2007 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Red Bordeaux Blend
2/20/2017 - gesusser Likes this wine:
93 points
Long decant allowed this 10 yr old to mellow out into a smooth easy drinker ....1st of 3 and they are now ready to be enjoyed
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    5/12/17, 3:16 PM - How long did you decant it for? And was it throwing a lot of sediment? I have a couple and was thinking of popping one.

White
2014 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block Santa Cruz Mountains
3/28/2017 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
85 points
Oaky, buttery, typical California chardonnay. The butter and oak may not have been quite so predominate as with a Rombauer, but in the same neighborhood. Somewhat disappointing, but not flawed or bad.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    3/29/17, 12:02 PM - Really? I didn't really get much of the oaky and butteriness you are referring to at all.

Rosé
2016 Bedrock Wine Co. Ode to Lulu Old Vine Rosé California Rosé Blend
3/15/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote:
90 points
Light peachy pink. Love the nose with layers of melon, kiwi, and red berries like strawberries. Moderate acidity (6.5/10) and light bodied. Definitely acidity driven with red berries in the attack. A touch of grass in the mid palate with tropical and stone fruits. A little dry with minerality in the finish. Long and lingering. Drink till 2019.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    3/16/17, 12:47 PM - I guess you received your winter allocation recently? Glad a went in on these too.

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    3/19/17, 8:19 AM - very lucky indeed.

Red
2015 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County
3/16/2017 - ohne_musik Likes this wine:
90 points
2015 shipment arrived yesterday, so why not pop a bottle today! Lovely bright ruby color, matching exuberant cherry and raspberry nose. Pure red fruit joy on the palate, with a decent amount of complexity in the form of chalk, dusty road (almost veers to Sangiovese), and juicy fine tannins. Doesn't manage to quite hide the 15.3%, but also doesn't feel as hot as many other 15+ers.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    3/17/17, 10:53 AM - Too bad I have to wait till April to receive mine as I'm on the east coast. How much air did you give? Did you drink it over an extended period of time?

Red
1985 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses Cabernet Franc
2/11/2017 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine:
95 points
Pig pen forest floor all over the nose. Inhale pepper spice. Slight sweet fruits remain. Stunning cab franc delivery. Chalky, chewy, subtle. This is chinon at its best. Excellent. This has at least five years (2022+) of lovely drinking, probably more. Wow.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    2/20/17, 2:53 PM - Over how long did you drink this? Decant?

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    2/20/17, 10:02 PM - I decanted and saw more and more red berry fruit with a balancing acid come out as we passed the two hour mark in the decanter. It was one of those eye-opening bottles for me.

White
2015 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Mosel Saar Ruwer
This is nearly colorless in the glass, but holy crap does this pack a punch on the nose and palate. This was opened and consumed within an hour, even though I think it could've used some time to open up (opened at the restaurant). Long finish, tremendous acidity and liveliness, I will need to buy more. What a steal in the mid 20 range
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    2/12/17, 8:24 AM - Does it need a decant? Or would you suggest just a half and hour or so of bottle breathing?

Red
1996 La Dame de Montrose St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
1/31/2017 - DavidWong168 Likes this wine:
90 points
At 21 years old, this bottle of La Dame de Montrose has come of age, legal drinking age, that is ��. The nose possesses freshness and vitality, showing smoky black cherries and new oak, accented by mushroom and animal scents. On the palate the fruit is dense and pleasing, despite the intermittent intrusion of oak. Strangely grippy coarse-grained tannins on the finish. Tiny, stubborn particles that remain suspended in liquid quite possibly the culprit.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    2/7/17, 12:49 PM - Did you decant at all or was it just a pop and pour?

Red
2012 Opus One Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
12/31/2016 - ElSol wrote:
flawed
This is the priciest bottle in my cellar, and I had high expectations. The cork fell apart when I was pulling it out, which happens occasionally but it didn't bode well for this wine. The cork smelled like wet socks, and in the glass it showed some bricking. We drank some of it anyway, since some had described a barnyard taste, and I wasn't 100% sure it was corked or this was just part of the character. The wine expressed some interesting complexities, but was flat and lacked the pronounced fruit or dense extraction common in high end Napa wines. If I were to grade this, I'd compare it to a below average Burgundy red and give it perhaps an 84. But because I suspect it may have been flawed, I'm withholding a score.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    2/4/17, 8:38 AM - Sounds like it was oxidized. Too bad.

Red
2011 Vineyard 7 & 8 Cabernet Sauvignon Correlation Napa Valley
1/13/2017 - MCM514 wrote:
Awesome
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    1/14/17, 8:37 AM - Was it a fruit bomb with vanilla? Or is it more balanced?

Red
2015 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah North Coast
1/6/2017 - bjamesclark wrote:
92 points
Multiple hour and monitored decant due to the youth of this Syrah.
Aromatics are highly perfumed right from opening.
With air the massive blueberry and blackberry notes detected settle down and integrate in scents of black pepper, black olive, vanilla cream and sarsaparilla, baking spice, red meats with traces of bacon fat and floral accents.
Full and bold on the palate showing great concentration, depth and structure. Big creamy textures with moderate-plus tannins, acidity, alcohol and mid-palate density are impressive. Flavors of rich blackberry, juicy blueberry, plum and boysenberry come with vanilla cream, black pepper, floral pastilles, sarsaparilla, baking spice, black olive, grilled meats and bacon fat. Long and strong through the finish.
Overall, impressive...
This wine considerably over delivers for its price point.
All native yeast fermentation. 33-50% whole cluster. 11 months in 100% French oak.
Drink now through 2025 (at least)
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    1/6/17, 9:32 PM - Was it decanted? And if so, after how many hours did you feel it hit its peak? I'm still waiting on my allocation....

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    1/7/17, 12:35 PM - Thanks for the info.

Red
1995 Château Calon-Ségur St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
12/11/2016 - gteran76 Does not like this wine:
80 points
Crap, it's was past it's prime. Acid too high, unbalanced and unpleasant.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    12/12/16, 9:41 PM - Might it be possible that you had a bad bottle or it just needed more air? I highly doubt that it's past its prime.

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    12/12/16, 10:14 PM - That's too bad... I've had this a few times and one fairly recently and I would say it's got over a decade left.

Red
2009 Wild Duck Creek Shiraz Reserve Heathcote
11/22/2016 - Drinking Trees wrote:
A ridiculous, boozy mess. Less like a wine than a cocktail, one with lots of cassis and white rum. There's a massive amount of oak, plus flavours of vanilla essence, muddled blackberry, and hints of peach and lychee. There's a decent acid/tannin structure underneath all the alcohol. Not a balanced wine, but a very enjoyable one.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    11/25/16, 10:30 AM - How much time did you give it? I remember I had to decant this for over 6 hours before it began to reach some semblance of balance and got to a really nice place.

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    11/28/16, 2:45 PM - If you have a chance to try it again, you may want to give it lots of air.

Red
2011 Domaine Heresztyn/Heresztyn-Mazzini Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champonnets Pinot Noir
11/7/2016 - CocoaComicCraft wrote:
89 points
Raspberry in ripe to tart condition. Ripe strawberries. Earth starting to show in form of mushrooms and forest floor. Good acid and nice amount of tannin. (Wishing for more tannin, however)

4-21-7-4-3
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    11/10/16, 9:17 AM - How much air did your bottle need to open up?

Red
2005 Château Branon Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
11/6/2016 - yonster24 wrote:
Man, this was great! Bought this years ago and will look to buy more. Still on the young side but not shut down at all. Cigar / dark fruit / smoke / wet cement on the nose. Full bodied on the palate with a little green coming through (but not in a bad way at all.) Tannins very prevalent on the finish but not harsh at all. Acidity on point. Makes for a very well made and well -balanced wine. This easily has 10 years life left on it. Still feels young and primary almost but not overly so. In a great spot and will be for a long time.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    11/7/16, 1:39 PM - I just drank one last night too. And I agree, it has years left and is still on the young side. Took hours in a decanter to fully open up.

Red
2005 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    8/28/16, 12:15 PM - Agreed with Squirrel, unless it was improperly stored, this is many more years of life ahead.

Red
2010 Château Lilian Ladouys St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
8/5/2016 - J3r0me H@n Likes this wine:
89 points
Good nose but palate falls a little short and it is a little thin. But still good QPR and delicious after a decant.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    8/6/16, 6:29 PM - My local store is selling these for about $20 a bottle, so maybe I will pick up a few more and lay them down. Thank you.

Red
2013 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love McLaren Vale
5/5/2016 - greedy Does not like this wine:
66 points
Awful. Was looking forward to this wine all day. No fruit taste at all. All I taste is alcohol. Like drinking a glass of vodka.

Not peppery at all. No after taste except the alcohol.

Maybe a bad bottle. Either way taking my remaining bottles back to exchange.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    7/22/16, 6:19 AM - Did you remember to do the shake?

  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    7/22/16, 6:35 AM - They use some nitrogen in the bottling instead of a lot of sulfites so the flavor can be completely dead. The shake is kind of hard to explain in words so i'll just give you a link that explains it better than I will be able to.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsXO6yoAlFo

Red
2012 Y Rousseau Tannat Russian River Valley
7/6/2016 - gcarl wrote:
91 points
Decanted, then returned to bottle for serving. VERY dark, opaque color, blackberry/blueberry on the nose and palate with a surprisingly soft mouth feel and a very long finish, which was unlike any Tannat I have had (thinking OLDER '01 Chateau Perron from Kermit Lynch, which took about 12 years to mature). This is a very special experience which we enjoyed with perfect rare burgers. Probably a 92+ by the time we finished the bottle.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    7/7/16, 2:34 PM - How long was the total decant time before consumption? Was it decanted then returned to bottle immediately or was it given time in the decanter?

White
2013 Chanin Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley
5/19/2016 - J3r0me H@n Likes this wine:
92 points
Amazing California Chardonnay for those who don't like California Chardonnay. Not sure if this wine is oaked or not, but I can't really detect any oakiness in this. Drinks more like a Chablis.

Nose starts out very bright with bright citrus and green which is reflected in the immediate palette which tastes almost like a sauvignon blanc with the acid, stones, and mineral finish.

Give it an hour or so and the wine completely transforms. Nose opens up to honey suckle, good apricot, tropical fruits, sweet flowers. Body grows (if that's even possible) as the fruit transitions from citrus to dried apricot, mango, and roasted walnuts on the finish. As the acid comes down, fruits comes forward the wine really shows what it's made of with good balance. Extremely enjoyable and utterly delicious.
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    5/21/16, 6:10 AM - I may just have to hunt down his other stuff. Thanks!

Red
2014 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
4/25/2016 - Huh wrote:
87 points
I can't see how anyone could rate a wine this sweet and syrupy anything higher than 89. Scroll down and look for the 85 point rating and that is the exact description of this wine. It was tagged in the store of having a 94 point rating. So I grabbed it expecting a structured quality wine. This is marginally better than menage a tou (sorry about spelling but that wine does not deserve me looking up how to spell it) because the flavors are on a higher level of quality but I can't get past the soupy tomato juice type feel. Maybe there's some weird acid profile that is happening here but the acids are messed up. Maybe you could serve this to friends that aren't wine savvy and tell them this is a great wine. I also don't see how previous tasters could say this is young. If you are a serious wine aficionado who likes sweet syrupy wines then this is your wine. I'm assuming you have Caymus Cabernet in your collection. The flavors are passable but this has no structure. If you feel this is a structured wine then you and I have drank different bottles. How the critics got this wine around 94 points is beyond me.

EDIT: Tasted a 2nd bottle and fared better - it was still the sweet type wine but at it's core there is "drippy" Cabernet flavors. I guess it was better because I had it with food which mitigated the sweetness. In between sips were pleasurable but in the end I can't take the sweetness. The texture is weird - kind of like a watery texture but the concentration and sweetness is there. ie. - no structure but enough acid to hold it together. I am going 89pts. now based on the fact that there are plenty of 89 pointers that let me down. If this was $20 then I'd buy more for pouring for guests to give them something decent tasting but also the sweetness that party goers like...
  • J3r0me H@n commented:

    4/29/16, 12:40 PM - Agreed. Had this also, and there may be other notes I missed, but the initial sweetness just overtakes everything. I see what you mean by the Caymus comparison with sweetness, but sweetness can be really good when it's so well balanced like a good Caymus is. This, is no Caymus.

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