9/2/2010 - bacchanal wrote:

Much more open and giving than anticipated. Classic barolo notes: goudron, roses and sweet fruit. Tannin is obviously there, but no problem when paired with food. A real treat.

10/22/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

Not terribly impressed. Is this really a relation of the '98 pergole torte? Chalk it up to the vintage I suppose.

10/22/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

Delicious. Maintains a real sense of place - that is there is an identifiable tuscan-ness about it, and the sangiovese is not dominated by the merlot. A pleasure.

7/17/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

This wine was approachable, smooth and almost a little new-world. It lacked the character, the acid and the earth, that I most appreciate in Italian wines. Compared to a '95 Sodaccio, this was left wanting. That being said, it was an enjoyable bottle, rich and full, just not providing the complexity hoped for.

7/17/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

Really, really enjoyable syrah. Just classic, with all the elements you expect from the appellation (minus the austerity and need to age for decades), and in a very pleasing and easy to appreciate package. It is a forward and open wine, and that may be its only fault.

5/2/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

Saline solution. Like rinsing your contacts. Sea shell and some lemony notes, but really the saltiness is foremost. The palate shows impressive body, but best of all there is a real balance to the wine. The saline and sea shell elements dance with the viscosity, making for a compelling wine. This is a winner.

3/25/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

The nose is earthy, dry and a little burnt rubber. The wine drinks a bit more linear and tighter than the '98 Bellisle Mondotte (also from .375). This is just a more austere expression of St. Emilion, but still enjoyable - just not really memorable.

3/25/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

This is far more approachable than the '98 Chambrun I had a few days previous. The fruit is deep, but well balanced with the bitter and lightly spicy tertiary flavors. In comparison to a 2000 Fombrauge, this shows more depth and better fruit too compliment the dry and earthy finish. I liked this.

3/25/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

My initial impression is that this is a little clumsy - a bit too stewed. With some more air the ripe fruit is balanced by the loamy earthiness, and the dry but smooth finish. On day two the wine really hits its stride, and shows a degree of finesse that was not apparent initially. My first lalande de pomerol. A nice introduction, if a bit pricey for what it brought to the table.

2/16/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

having little in the way of expectations, this more than surprised. sublime.

2/16/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

The nose was minerals and mint. Taut and sharp initially, this opens into a broad and delicious mouthful. A real nervosity, but coupled to an admirable size. A winner.

2/9/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

Wish I had more of this. After a couple of days open, this bottle blossoms. Soft, but classic claret profile, eminently friendly and delicious. Great value here.

2/1/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

fantastic. pure. mineral. hint of seashell, a sort of chablis thing. fruit and sweetness are well balanced.

1/12/2009 - bacchanal wrote:

Loved it. I second the "burgundian" description. I would add more, but don't have any rioja experience and thus lack context. I will certainly seek out more LdH.

12/27/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This is typical of the vintage - a bit flabby and fruit forward. Lacks the balance and purity of better Montevertine wines. That said, it is all in all a pleasant drink, and certainly appealing to those preferring more modern/new world wines (my wife).

12/25/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This was magic. Talk about punching above ones weight. Maybe my favorite wine of the year. Just perfectly resolved, and still holding onto underlying power that mkes me think it would go for years to come.

12/26/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Seemed a bit more advanced than the previous bottle. The maderized nose concealed the minerality for the most part. However, there was a definite flintiness in the mouth, and the wine had a nice rounded full-bodied finish.

12/24/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Sweet candied fruit and floral elements on the nose - almost Chateauneuf like in its sweet intensity. Not much in the way of counterbalancing earth or tertiary. The palate is medium weight. Pure, sweet and long fruit for miles. Very enjoyable now - but I hope in the long run it gains complexity. Seems almost a tad new world in it s profile now.

12/21/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Reductive and tough to get a read on initially. But there is huge depth, a real swath of fruit and then the finish announces itself with tannins that are substantial. A large scale burgundy, and yet done without sacrificing the most admirable qualities of burgundy - purity, finesse and fragrance. This wine was markedly better on day two. The second half of the bottle certainly merited the high praise praise heaped on it by the previous reviewers.

11/28/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

I had to open this - a few days ago at a special dinner party I had '98 Pergole out of magnum, and I was floored. This is altogether different form the Pergole Torte, and yet remarkable as well, if in a more understated, plebian way. Sweet, smooth, cherry pleasure. This has transparency and a touch of earth. Lithe and light, yet substantial enough to hold up to a rustic meal. Wish I had more.

11/28/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Wow. Just great wine. Strong saline, almost a touch salty, combined with deep, mellow notes that register as texture more than anything; a golden hue almost to amber, but paired with flinty and slatey notes - this is what I want in Chablis. The acid is nervy, the wine has a tension to it, as though it is holding a handful of disparate elements all together in perfect baalnce, but not for long. It goes without saying that a pairing of oysters to start and then seared scallops in beurre blanc was a transcendant meal.

11/5/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Soft, approachable Bordeaux. For all its ease of drinking, it has some nice claret character. Paired well with pan seared sirloin in red-wine pepper sauce. Tasty.

10/6/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Does not have the heft or mid-palate density of many Brunello, but for that it is still a greatly enjoyable wine. The texture and woodiness that characterize traditional Brunello are here, as well as nice sour notes and a spiciness that is endearing. Certainly good, but not warranting the great praise given by previous drinkers.

9/25/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Really enjoyed this. Has a lot going on. Great fruit forward nose, real supple texture, definitely a bit new world, but balanced and kept form being facile by a subtle undercurrent of earth and minerality. First Oregon wine I have enjoyed in some time.

9/26/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This wine killed it. I had just come from a tasting of high-end burgs -'04 Charmes-Chambertin, '05 De Croix Bressandes, '03 Raphet Gevrey 1er - and popped this one for dinner. Maybe by virtue of its vintage this wine bested all the others I tried that day. Just a really wide aromatic profile. It then shifted after 20 min's, going a little reductive, showing a strange tart cranberry almost unripe mango aspect, and then opened up again and stayed open for business. Smooth, silky and surprisingly refined for Corton. Still had that spicy, cinnamony thing that I associate with nice Cortons, but this one was more Beaune than others I have had. Hope to find more, as at this price it cannot be beat. Too bad they only produced 300 bottles.

9/6/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Elegant. Balanced. With some depth, but mainly trades on its complexity and superb nose. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

9/23/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This remarkable wine has undoubtedly entered its denouement. Wish I could have been there for the other parts of the story as well. A golden color with hints of caramel. A viscous, unctuous, honeyed palate. Real length. Showing some sherried quality of a well advanced burg - and yet still enormously enjoyable. A real sense of weight on the palate combined with the length and smoothness of this wine all added up to class. This one drew accolades from the crowd.

9/19/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Consistent with previous bottle. A happy and wonderful marriage of wood (sandalwood) with great texture. An overt touch of cedar that unlike so many oaky chards does not offend but adds great pleasure.

9/19/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Wow. So funky. I mean mushroom, barnyard, blood and dirt. Really enjoyable. Just reeks of old, old-school burg. After time the funk is not so dominating, but still firmly in fore, and the wine gains a bit of balance. A fun wine, and a totally reasonable price to experience gracefully aged burg.

9/19/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Classic bourgogne. Has the '05 depth and weight. Nice, balanced and enjoyable. A winner for the price.

8/26/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

I really enjoyed this. Fruity and forward. Very berry. I liked the crunch of acidity and the touch of earth. I think this is a versatile wine, and would appeal to a great deal of drinkers. However, I noted a high toned soapy note, sort of like dish detergent, that I found distracting. This is the only element that keeps this wine from commanding a wholly positive note. This persnickity complaint may be due to my general avoidance (don''t want to say aversion) to Rhone wines not from the north. I have also experienced this sort of perfumey fragrance in the CdP's that my father in law loves. Could be endemic to the species. For all the griping (or belaboring) I would happily drink this many more times.

8/17/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This was nice. Paired with halibut and summer corn. This was meursault in nature, with a depth and roundness that was most satisfying for a bougogne. Not inexpensive, but still a nice value for what it is. I prefer this to the Latour meursault of the night before.

8/18/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

2 half bottles served at start of meal. Had some meursault character but not the depth and body necessary to distinguish this wine. Not dissapointed, but not impressed.

8/16/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Delicious. So open and pleasurable to drink now. Very discreet use of wood, medium plus body, just a hint of that Chassagne mushroom thing all adds up to the best white burg I have had in a long time. This was head and shoulders above the two Meursault served at same dinner.

8/8/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Great bourgogne. A very discernable meursault character. By which I mean impressive depth and sap. But has the acid and verve to keept it solidly burgundian. This is a leading candidate amongst '06 bourgognes, village level and lower. I easily prefer this to the '06 Lafouge meursault.

8/5/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This note is a conglomeration of impressions over three seperate bottles - and for all that it is easier to say that this is just really, really good. A fine, quaffable young nebbiolo. It shows great typicity (dry and dusty tannin, juicy cherry/strawberry/raspberry fruit and and a bite of acid), and without overreaching it brings a lot to the table for its price.

8/5/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Nice, but reserved. There was minerality, and acid and a decent body... but the impression was of a wine obscured - like listening to the conversation of the person next to you on an airplane, while you still have head phones on, but no music going. By the end of lunch the wine was giving up more - there was pronounced citrus and more apparent minerality. Still, the nose never really shined. Being a Donnhoff, I will give it the benefit of the doubt and expect it will shine with some time.

8/5/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Reticent nose at first. Medium plus weight for a C.C. Smoke, cherries and a bit of wood, but nothing too obvious. Nice, with the concentration that a lot of 04's from Tuscany have shown. On day three the nose is wide and pleasant - echoing the flavors of cherry and smoke. I like this (but not as impressive as the Rancia).

6/30/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Nice. Fairly linear - not a huge amount of depth, but good purity and focus. It doesn't have the overt oakiness that some Pernot's do. I liked this style, and it makes me want to delve into the premier crus.

3/1/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Did not impress. The fact that half the bottle remains in the fridge, even now, says it all.

4/30/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This was tight, reductive and tannic. Seems like there is something to it, but right now just a lot of pucker. Had it open for three days, and it didn't budge. I wont likely take the chance on cellaring any of these.

3/16/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Balanced and fine. Another example of the quality of '04 in Tuscany. Not as impressive as the Rancia, but very enjoyable. And for the $15 a treat. A little time in the glass helped this wines qualities come through.

3/19/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

A strange grassy and tight thing going on here. I was underwhelmed, all the more so because of the strong recommendation this came with. It coupled acceptably with a fromage d'affanois, but compared unfavorably with a Drouhin Puilly Fuisse '05. Can't say I recommend it, but given my affection for Bize blancs I will revisit it later.

3/19/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Really quite nice. Just loads of spice and a great perfumy nose, coupled with with a medium plus body of ripe fruits. A substantial effort for a village level wine. Next to a dish of braised lamb shanks, the nose on this wine was more appealing than the meal I cooked all day. The openness of this compared to other quality 05's is impressive (n/b decanted for @2 hours).

3/18/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

A bit thin, but this is only in comparison to the glut of 2005's of late. Nice definition, a touch of earth and likable, but not terribly impressive.

3/14/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Medium-light in body, somewhat simple, but nice fruit. After a couple of hours some nuances of earth/spice poked through, but still a one dimensional, if enjoyable wine.

3/11/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Corked.... and I didn't trust my initial instinct upon opening, and so poured it out for dinner. A shame and a waste. Can see the potential there - but it is like looking at ti through a dirty window.

3/10/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

Sooo Oaky to begin... but days later it shows real class. Delicious fruit, smooth and balanced. When that oak calms down and integrates it will be sweet.

3/7/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

First Oregonian (or American for that matter) Pinot in some time. Fruit forward nose and palate, a slight hint of earth, and smooth. Seemed to be bit of noticeable alcohol - surprising given the 13.5%. Not as balanced or nuanced as the '05 Burg's (bourgogne level) that I have been drinking lately.

3/1/2008 - bacchanal wrote:

This has an amazing bouquet. The nose alone is worth the price. Still very concentrated, and somewhat tannic, but drinking nicely. This has life ahead of it.