11/2/2019 - Schrager Does not like this wine:

I trotted this bottle out for a wine dinner and was terribly disappointed. For a 2000 Pauillac, it had very little depth, just hollow. I thought that maybe we had a bad bottle, but I've since tried two more bottles with similar results. Perhaps it's past its prime.

7/15/2016 - Schrager Likes this wine:

Decanted a few hours and was pleased with how it opened up. Rich berry bouquet is countered with a bit of spice. This is not an overpowering wine, but packs enough punch to give it a rounded Merlot finish. Very pleased. I'm confused by the short drinking window assigned by fellow Cellar Trackers. This bottles impresses with legs.

5/31/2016 - Schrager Likes this wine:

Not quite ready.

5/25/2016 - Schrager wrote:

A different experience than my last bottle. Clearly past prime and holding onto a lightness that borders on vacant. There's still something there for the lover of French Burgundy but no wow factor.

4/25/2016 - Schrager Likes this wine:

Gazin rarely disappoints and the '04 is no exception. It doesn't stand up to the stellar 2005, but at this time, the 2004 is approaching smooth drinker with great notes of dark berries and tobacco. Great stuff.

4/29/2016 - Schrager Likes this wine:

A little nervous after seeing the Cellar Tracker drink window had expired, but if anything, this wine retained some tightness. I suspect it has at least a few more years to hit its stride. The nose broadcast dark berries, raspberry and blackberry. It had a hint of tannin with an alcohol scent, but it drank well. This is a light wine, not to be compared to Bordeaux or Napa. Per usual, Frederic Esmonin produced something to be proud of. Good bottle. I'm glad that I have a couple more.

4/17/2016 - Schrager Likes this wine:

Originally, I had a case. After tonight, I'm down to one bottle left. I was nervous looking at the community drinking window coming to a close in 2017, but surprisingly, tonight was as good as this wine has tasted. The nose is still rich and the tannins have mellowed this into a smooth drinker. Really pleased.

8/27/2013 - Schrager wrote:

We drank this last night, what a lovely surprise. I've collected a lot of 2005 and 2009 Burgundy and Bordeaux over the last seven years, so it's difficult for us to find something ready to drink from our cellar. This one popped up as "ready" per Cellar Tracker recommendations, but I was skeptical. I didn't find it tannic, as some reviewers have. I found it smooth, especially for a 2005, and while it boasts sufficient fruit, I was most struck by flavors of tobacco, coffee and chocolate. I'm glad to have a few more of these. It's a winner, and my recollection is that it was quite cheap.

8/27/2013 - Schrager wrote:

I drank this long ago, but was sorting through my Cellar Tracker and caught the oversight. I remember this being a creamy and luscious white and wishing that I had a full case of it.

7/23/2013 - Schrager wrote:

After visiting Chateau Gazin in 2010, it became a personal favorite. They appear to do everything the right way in an attempt to blend the old with the new with regard to technology and winemaking. This second growth wine is exactly how it should be for such a wonderful vintage. Those that pan it--and some pros do--want it to be bolder, more substantial and longer lasting on the palate. This is a French Pomerol and tastes exactly as it should, subtle, reserved, less bold and taste-worthy of any food or occasion. It's simply great at an affordable price point.

6/29/2010 - Schrager wrote:

I realize this bottle should have been racked for years to judge properly, but this is a 2005 Saint -Estephe that you can still buy, so I wanted to give it a taste. With each sip, I kept thinking, "2005 Bordeaux, be patient and optimistic." However, with each sip I struggle to taste anything but bitter alcohol. There were hints of berry and Earth, but they were so overwhelmed by the alcohol taste. I simply don't have the talent to see through that and will not be buying anymore of this very disappointing wine.

3/3/2010 - Schrager wrote:

I've been tasting random 2005 Bordeaux wines lately. This one confused me, and I'm not sure what to make of it. I opened, decanted and drank almost immediately. I was pleasantly surprised at that point. The color is very dark, almost inkish in its density. The nose was different from so many of the floral an fruit aromas that I've encountered. This wine, in smell and taste, strikes of prunes, chocolate, coffee and pepper. I greatly enjoyed the spiciness of the combination. I vacuumed and resealed the bottle and wasn't able to get to it for another 48 hours. By that time, much of the enticement had dissipated into a somewhat tolerable residue with a tad too much vinegar on the palate, not horrible, but it certainly needed to be finished closer to day one. I don't know how this translate into longevity, but makes me question Parker's contention that this wine "can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years." I not panning this one, just questioning it durability. Overall, nice juice that I would try again.

2/27/2010 - Schrager wrote:

A nice little sub-$20 find, Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva is a 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo and Colorino blend. I plead guilty to leaning toward Burgundy and Bordeaux, but like to step out every once in a while and was very pleased with this one. I decanted briefly, drank round one, suction-corked and revisited on day two. Both experiences were great, and I was surprised at how much integrity held up in day two.

The nose was decently intense with cherry, berries, licorice and tobacco. The palate followed suit, boldly cherry, but carrying a tartness, perhaps blackberry and raspberry, that provided for a more memorable finish. I would feel much differently about this wine for $30, but at this price, it's very solid.

2/24/2010 - Schrager wrote:

Great and simple label that led my curiosity and hopefulness. Wouldn't it be great to find a still available 2002 Bordeaux that did not offend? Poured deep, rich purple with nose hints of coffee, tobacco and straw. Really nice! Tasted licorice and pepper along with an unpleasant acidity. Overall, this was light on fruit and more pepper and wood. I expected more from such a beautiful bottle of St. Julien.

2/24/2010 - Schrager wrote:

I've been so curious about the raves thrown at the 2007 Rhones. I threw this 2004 into a mixed case purchase. The nose was bold with scents of liquorice, coffee, blackberry and honey. Tannins were forefront and tasted chalky. This light-bodied wine tasted woody with berries and vanilla. I was surprised at how much punch the juice lost after two hours of decanting. Overall, this is a very pleasant wine, especially for the price, which quickly lost its edge. I will not decant the next bottles. I recommend this one, not great, but solid.

2/24/2010 - Schrager wrote:

What an exceptional bottle of champagne! Like crystal with tiny bubbles rising to the surface. The nose came subtly with apple and pear. The taste was light, clean and dry, exactly as you would expect from a premier Lenoble. I would buy this again, absolutely.

2/24/2010 - Schrager wrote:

I've been drinking a lot of young wines, so I very curious and excited about this one. I have nothing terrible to say about it. It drank with the mellowness that you would expect from a ripe wine. The nose was Earthy with a hint of barnyard. The fruit was gentle cherry and blackberry, but didn't linger like I hoped it would. Solid effort. I wish I had tasted it several years ago. Drink it now; it's in decline.

2/24/2010 - Schrager wrote:

Parker must have had a few before tasting this one. Spicy, cherry, blackberry and tobacco. Perhaps time will improve, but I just don't see the upside. The best I can say is it's not a wallet buster, but even for $12-15, I think I have a 50/50 shot to do better at the grocery store. Highly disappointing.

12/22/2009 - Schrager wrote:

I'm not sure what IWC saw in this wine, but I'm not on board. Decanted night one and was greeted with blackberry, cherry and coffee nose. Tannins masked the fruit initially, so I let it sit longer and was pleased with the result. Saved some for night two and almost everything was gone. This is a decent wine for the price, but no where near the top of Rhones I have tasted lately for 50% less. I have two more to sit for a while, but I don't suspect there is much to mature here. Side by side, the 2005 was much better and about the same price.

12/21/2009 - Schrager wrote:

I found nothing wrong with this wine, but was terribly disappointed given my affinity for Nuit St. Georges. The nose was pleasant, thin but flowery. A hint of that alcohol scent tainted. The taste was respectable with cherries and berries, but showed no sustainability. I enjoy a light wine, but this one was lacking everything for me.

12/21/2009 - Schrager wrote:

Trepidation flourished as we brought this bottle, which we had hand-carried to the U.S. from Reims, to our New Year's Eve party with "non-wine-drinking" friends. We specifically asked the steward to pour just a taste for everyone, and then to only refill those that had actually drank their wine. We became horrified as this beautiful bottle was emptied into half-full glasses. The sparing amount that I was able to enjoy was fabulous, light and crisp with the tiniest of bubbles tickling my senses. The champagne was dry at first taste, followed by apples and pears. Truly special. We will not be dining at that restaurant any longer!

10/28/2008 - Schrager wrote:

The cork gave the first clue of richness with berries flowing. The nose was really nice, blackberry and vanilla wafting. The wine tasted young, full of rich tanin, but an excellent surprise at this price point. Highly recommended!

9/30/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Terribly disappointing. The age and price point had me hopeful for something special. Instead, I found the nose sharp, almost bitter, with an alcohol sting that clouded out any hope of finding berries or Earth. Drinkability was slightly better, but left nothing to the imagination. Again, the sharpness of the alcohol taste clouded my palate as the flavors came and went very quickly. Perhaps this wine was good at one time, but is now past it's prime. I cannot recommend this.

9/28/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Originally, I wanted to attribute the chemical odor to tanin that might work itself out after a few hours of breathing, but was sadly disappointed. The nose never improved. The taste was slightly better, but thin, no back end and highly forgettable. I would not recommend this wine. For $23, you can find much better.

8/23/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Terrific little wine showing great value at $12. Normally, I wouldn't even bother, but I grabbed a few in this price range and this one stood out. Nice nose of rasberry and flower, a little Earthy. The taste was much longer than I expected and improved after being open for a while. Recommended!

8/23/2008 - Schrager wrote:

This was a real nice bottle and quite reasonable at $21. The nose was full and smooth with hints of cherry and vanilla. The taste was smooth and held a nice finish on the back end. I haven't researched to see the optimal laying down time, but I'll be this one improves with age. Recommended!

8/23/2008 - Schrager wrote:

I didn't expect much here and was proven right. The nose was alcohol, sharp and nothing pretty. The wine improved at day two, but still was thin with nothing on the back end. I will not be purchasing this again.

8/23/2008 - Schrager wrote:

This wine was terribly disappointing. I guess the trend for many big name vineyards it to expand, expand, expand until they no longer have a handle on their low-end wines. Or perhaps, even more unfortunately, Latour Vineyards thinks this will sell well in the U.S. I understand this wine was far from ready to drink, but I like to sample at least one bottle early. This wine was so high in tanin that it smelled turpentinish. The nose was bitter, so I really couldn't locate the fruit aroma. The taste was thin, no back end. Like I said, I expected better, even for $15.

8/5/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Jumped at me with a solid nose of apple, pear and flowers. The taste was sharp then smooth, medium weight, refreshing with a great mineral and Earthy finish. I would drink this again.

7/10/2008 - Schrager wrote:

One of the more disappointing wines I've tasted, mostly because I love Frederic Esmonin's wine. This was too shallow, too tart, and too forgettable.

7/10/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Shockingly disappointing. The nose was fine, but the wine tasted very thin, nothing on the back-end. It was almost bitter.

7/10/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Simply outstanding! The nose was rich, fruity and Earthy. The taste followed suit.

7/10/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Great cherry nose, but lost me on the finish. High tannin taste, but wine is still young. It just didn't stick around my taste buds long enough to grade highly.

4/16/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Wow! We just had to taste one when it arrived, and it was very impressive. The nose was full, apple, vanilla, very creamy, great legs, almost sticky. This wine delivers on the front and back-end with apple, vanilla and more. We're not big white wine drinkers, but this was outstanding. Cannot wait to taste it several years from now. Highly recommended!

4/16/2008 - Schrager wrote:

After enjoying for 2003 (pretty good for the price), I expected more from this. The nose was sharp, almost bitter. I wanted to write it off as pure tanin, but tasting left me wanting more. The hints of raspberry and cherry came and went very quickly with almost nothing on the backend. This wine is not a complete waste of time at $20, but you can do better.

4/8/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Pleasantly surprising, great bouquet, strong finish. We drank this over two days and it held up very well.

3/19/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Nice color, passes the smell test, really nice for $25. Recommened.

3/19/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Disappointing for $40. Short-lived on my palatte.

3/19/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Simply awful. I smell pesticides. I will be returning the unopened bottle to the wine shop.

3/19/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Surprisisingly good for $20. I would buy more of this for everyday drinking.

3/19/2008 - Schrager wrote:

Terrific affordable juice. Surprisingly held up against much more expensive wines. I wish I could find more. Great everyday wine.