12/23/2015 - wilmette vino wrote:

impressive for what it is, although it made me miss a more traditional Rioja Reserva. Big bold modern style, with dark fruit and new oak on the nose (particularly apparent after running it through my new Vinturi). A full bodied wine featuring more dark fruit on the palate with some brambly spice and tannins that need more time to be fully resolved. Although the Vinturi smoothed out the rough tannic finish, this could still use at least another 5 years in the bottle. The size and concentration of this wine is the most impressive aspect, along with a moderately long finish with an orange-tinged acidity. And 2 days after opening it was still going strong. But now I want to revisit a LDH for comparison.

11/17/2014 - wilmette vino wrote:

darker and fuller bodied than expected for a 2007. Meaty and leather notes on nose and palate with good size and length, with a touch of spice and well balanced. I was impressed but unfortunately this was my only bottle.

8/29/2014 - wilmette vino wrote:

I liked this at least as much as when I tasted it at the winery over 2 years ago and selected this as my favorite to take home. Perfumed nose, with spicy and dark fruit notes, and on the palate the spiciness and cinnamon notes were more prominent - an interesting complex finish that lingered and had some acidity. A lot like a good burgundy, but with a bigger structure and more body. Really a pleasure and sorry to see the bottle finished.

3/9/2014 - wilmette vino wrote:

Garnet showing its age. On the nose, aged cherry with spice, and on the palate as well . Small scale but stylish and well balanced which kept me coming back for more. Nice and a good value in a 6 year old reserva. Will look for more.

12/25/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

moderate ruby with paler rim, nose had mushroom notes at first, then suggesting more spicy red fruit, this was a significantly more substantial wine than the Bizot villages drunk in tandem. More character, more fruit and length and some more spice. Moderate length, with clean acidic finish. No reason to wait further to drink, although it improved for some hours after opening.

12/25/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

moderate ruby color, slight spice and dried roses on the nose, lack of intensity on the palate, although stylyish and well balanced, with some Vosne spice. Certainly ready to drink and no reason to wait further.

11/27/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

What a nice, complete wine at a great point! Deep dark color, no hint of age. On the nose, dark fruit and spice notes, and more of the same on the palate, with great spicy fruit notes and crisp finish. A moderately large scale wine, but well balanced in every sense. Nothing out of proportion and good with food and by itself after dinner. Wish I had more. Well done, Fred.

10/25/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

On the pale side, and a reticent nose of darker fruit and earth gradually emerged. The taste was initially thin and sharp, but after being opened a couple of hours, the fruit and with a touch of leaves and earth became more prominent. The finish remained a bit too sharp, however. Some length but mostly acidity rather than fruit. Fine for its level but hoped for a bit more in 2009.

10/8/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

This is the best showing yet for this wine. Although the nose develops only gradually to show earthy/wet leaf notes, the wine opened up to medium bodied with darker earthy tones on the palate, and a spiciness coming in late, and with some acidic balance on the finish, which was noticeable if not long. I hope the remaining bottles continue to improve like this.

7/4/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

Profound and rich. Opened about an hour in advance and then decanted. Aromatic, with hints of meat and tar, and similar notes on the palate with spiciness and good balance, and considerable length. This seemed like it was at the top of its form and very enjoyable.

9/23/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

premox - disappointing. Don't understand why - storage has been consistently cool.

8/3/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

BYOB birthday dinner at Ruxbin. A still youthful looking dark ruby, with leather and meaty notes on the nose. After it was open for an hour or so, the nose and taste both opened up and the wine seemed to expand. The leathery and iron notes became a bit more pronounced - classic Gevrey character! Moderately long with well balanced finish. This was impressive for a village wine, and would not have disappointed if it was a 1er Cru. No reason to wait any further to drink this - wish I had more!

5/19/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

pale ruby, red fruit and earth on the nose that opened a bit over several hours, similar notes with a touch of spice and decent balance. Smallish frame and short finish, but decent village wine from 2007. Ready to go now, but no hurry to drink it. I;m happy to have another bottle.

4/28/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

pale yellow gold. Nose had fruit and minerality in equal parts, although restrained. More minerality than fruit on the palate, although a nice crisp finish. I expected a bit more fruit and village character from this.

4/28/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

color was med. ruby core, fading to garnet at rim. Looked younger than its years. Nose was fairly shy - faded flowers and earth but not pronounced. On the palate, the tannins were completely resolved, leaving gentle dried fruit and a touch of flowers and spice, with some cleansing acidity for the finish. Nice considering its age, but still understated.

4/14/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

Medium deep ruby in color - pales slightly at the rim but still appears young. Sweet dark cherry and spice notes with on the nose. Similar dark cherry on the palate with moderately spicy finish that lingers and shows more acidity. A fairly full body pinot, definitely showing its origin (and its winemaker). Well balanced and good with food. This has continued to open and develop in the several hours it has been open, so I suspect that the wine will last well beyond its 10th anniversary.

3/10/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

Really enjoyable, with open briary and spicy fruit notes on nose and palate. Despite the large scale and ripe fruit, the balance was really great - lots of acidic bite on the finish. Wish I had more.

3/16/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

This presented itself as still a young wine. Deep dark red in color. It seemed overripe, with raisiny and prune notes on the nose and palate at first, and not as much acidity as expected given the Tuscan appellation. Over a period of about 5 hours, this evolved nicely. It no longer had the overripe notes, but instead developed a velvety character with moderately deep dark berry notes. Although never very fragrant, the nose did open up some. I enjoyed the last glass of this the best. If you have some, I would wait at least a few years before opening.

1/20/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

a worthy accompanient to a dinner of beef bourguignon, and a good 2004. Medium ruby with a slightly browning edge. The nose began as earth and mushrooms, and after an hour or so more fruit and meaty notes were noticeable. Medium bodied with ample earth and leather and meat notes and moderately long with a nicely balanced finish. This is in a nice place now - ready to drink but no need to immediately polish off. Glad I have 5 more bottles.

12/31/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

bricking border, with forest floor and darker fruit notes on the nose, and a mature melange of similar notes on the palate. Enjoyable and good with salmon. This is definitely ready to drink, and would not wait more than 3 to 5 years to do so.

12/31/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

open with darker berry fruit on the nose. Only got a quick taste, but moderate fruit and size on the palate, still very primary, but enjoyable. This can be opened now or age for another 5 to 10 years.

1/1/2013 - wilmette vino wrote:

medium garnet with bricking rim, initial cedary nose gradually faded, replaced with faded fruit and dried flower notes, lots of life and subdued dark fruit notes on the palate, with nice balance and moderate length. Like a well-bred mature gentleman, totally settled into itself and at a nice place. Enjoyable -wish I had some more of this.

12/28/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

This was surprisingly good. Savory and meaty and leather notes on the nose and more on the palate, as well as dark fruit. Cooler climate syrah - what great balance with an energetic minerality and acidity on the finish. Neither big nor particularly long, but I wish I had another couple of bottles. What a far cry from warm climate California syrah or Aussie Shiraz!

12/10/2012 - wilmette vino Likes this wine:

medium ruby color and restrained cherry and herbal nose which opened a little on day 2. This was medium bodied with sour cherry fruit and a little clove/cinnamon spice character and nicely balanced finish. Not complex or long, but good overall character and good with food. Not big and jammy like too many California pinots, which apparently reflects the cooler Santa Barbara vineyard sources. I liked this at least as much as a number of Bourgognes that I have had as well as some village level wines. I wish I had a few more bottles.

11/24/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

Seemed still young, deep color with plum to the rim, tannin prevcalent on day 1, with the elements taking a while to come together. By day 2 it was more settled, with tannins subdued and fruit more prevalent. But nose was reticient and the cedar edged dark fruit notes on the palate seemed largely one dimensional. A good wine but only that. No particular St. Julien character.

11/22/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

pronounced red fruit and spice on the nose, with moderate bodied strawberry and underbrush and pie spice notes on the palate with a sumptuous velvety texture and moderate length. The taste and length expanded as the wine was open for a few hours. Very Russian River style Pinot and great with Thanksgiving dinner and all the flavors on the plate.

11/7/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

Very nice - darker ruby in color, the nose was subdued mix of red and black fruits initially, but after the bottle was open for an hour or two, it developed into a more prominent perfume, with more spice to go with the fruit. The wine seemed fairly full and dense fruit for a bourgogne, likely due to the warmth of the vintage. Although the midpalate was thin, there was a spicy element and then a finish which was sharp and clean. Not particularly long or distinctive, but it offered reminders of why red burgundy can be so beguiling. If this were rated strictly compared to other bourgogne rouges I have had, the score would be significantly higher.

11/2/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

Very nice - round earthy notes with wet leaves on nose. Palate showed more complexity and undergrowth with touch of spice and length, with clean and balanced finish. Needed to keep sipping this. Certainly ready to drink now, but seemed likely to keep for at leaset a few years as well.

11/3/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

leather and meat and dark fruit notes on the nose, and more of the same with spicy notes on the palate, with acidic cleansing finish. Stylish and ready to drink - an interesting syrah. Wish I had got another bottle at the winery.

8/1/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

big broad dark fruit on nose and palate which was impressive and a great combination with steak. A bit of tannin but it doesn't get in the way. Impressive.

10/5/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

amber edged, darker nose than expected, and more aged and rounded on palate than expected. Not as stylish as the last bottle we opened a year or so earlier. Drink up!

10/1/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

nice fresh fruit on nose and palate, but anise slightly bitter finish. Needs food.

10/3/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

seemed corked with no real nose and unbalanced, and also greenies seemed perceptible on the back end. Disappointing, especially considering the very nice Brthod 2004 CM Charmes we opened earlier in the year.

10/31/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

red berry fruit nose with a hint of spice, with more pronounced similar flavors. Nicely balanced although small scale and short length. Ready to drink and enjoyable.

4/15/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

fragrant and stylish although lighter weight nebbiolo. Not any great length but balanced with refreshing finish. Wish I had more.

8/18/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

Nice youthful medium ruby color, although the nose was reticent. General notes of undergrowth and leather on the nose and palate, but the size and length was more impressive. This wine grew in the mouth, then tapered to an acidic driven finish which lingered. No hint of greenness. This was a nice bottle and I wish that I had another one. Perhaps the nose would open up with more exposure time, but we didn't linger on drinking this.

8/3/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

Impressive for a 2004, this displayed a nice dark ruby color, only slightly pale at the rim. Fragrant with red fruit, faded flowers and undergrowth notes which opened up more with time. Only a hint of green on the palate, which had plenty of fruit and spice with nice length, with a cleansing edge on the finish. This was exceeded expectations for the vintage, and I'm glad I chose to enjoy this on my birthday. Unfortunately, this was my only bottle - I would love to try this again in a couple of years.

4/6/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

A nice bottle, probably just in its prime. A moderately dark ruby robe, with a dark fruit, mint and touch of oak on the nose. The palate exhibited good depth of dark fruit and full body, almost lush, but with tannins fully resolved. A touch of refreshing acidity on the finish, with decent length. Elegant but substantial yet balanced. A good accompaniement to a dinner out.

4/6/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

clumsy and a bit jammy. It shows some oak on the nose, but lacks balance and grace. Ok for the $6 paid for this, but that's about it.

12/31/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

This was an interesting cabernet - so different than many others from California. Despite being 10 years old, it seemed quite youthful except that tannins were nearly nonexistent. The key characteristic was balance - fruit balanced against structure, and the engaging currant fruit nose balanced against the spicy finish. This may not be for those who likely the large size, plush early drinking Napa Cabs, but what a lovely experience and a ggod food wine. Certainly ready to drink now, and will likely keep for many years.

1/1/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

Lovely and fully mature, with nice high-toned nose with pronounced spicy red fruited tones, similar on the palate, although less complex. Small scale but with a spicy finish and length. No reason to wait further to drink this, and it will likely hold for at least a few years as well.

1/3/2012 - wilmette vino wrote:

nice medium size pinot with floral and red fruited perfume on the nose right from the opening - very nice. On the palate, forward sour cherry notes prevail with some balancing acidity and spiciness on the finish, with some length as well. On day 2, the taste is less balanced, with less acidity on the finish, but still a quality bottle. Much better than 2007 was reputed to have been in Oregon. Can keep well and for at least a few years.

12/25/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

Very enjoyable for a Bourgogne. Focused fruit with lemon notes on nose and palate. Compact but nicely balanced. No hurry to drink but not sure there is any reason to wait either.

12/25/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

This took a while to open and relax into a broader scale Meursault. It seemed quite tight on the nose and palate for an hour or two, not suggesting the honeyed and nutty style associated with Meursault. But in my last glass of the night, finally the wine seemed more expansive in the way I had been expecting. Good, but I was expecting better.

12/25/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

Nice perky high-toned berry fruit on the nose and palate. A bit of perfume developed after it had been opened a while. No particular size or length but very stylish and pleasurable and ready to open now.

12/25/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

This grew on me as it opened up over several hours. Medium ruby with paler rim, and initially the nose suggested more dried flowers and earthy notes, but later I picked up interesting tobacco and darker fruit as well. On the palate, it was medium bodied with initial fruit and touch of spice giving way to orange citrus tone on the finish. The balance was tipped in favor of the acidic finish instead of the fruit, but at least I didn't pick up any greenness in the wine. This seems like it is ready to drink now with a little air time first.

12/10/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

Still deep garnet with brick tone only at rim. Nose of dried roses and oranges mixed in with fruit notes. Gentle and resolved on the palate, with some fruit and length and a lively finish with welcome acidity. This showed nicely still, and we all enjoyed its mature qualities. It opened up over the course of dinner. I am glad that I still have another bottle.

12/4/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

fine for its level - simple red fruit on the nose, and similar with a touch of spice on the palate, but with a hollow middle and acidity kicking in on the finish. Stylish and some length, but wished it had more intensity and complexity.

11/27/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

Drank over 2 evenings. Day 1 had more rose and earth notes on the nose and a touch of tannin with acidic finish. Day 2 nose is more reserved, and the tannins are gone but the acid balance seems sharper and the fruit a little thinner. Nice for a regional nebbiolo but I had hoped for an improvement on Day 2.

11/25/2011 - wilmette vino wrote:

Nice deep garnet with brick rim - looked younger than 25 years. Gentle fruit with vague citrus and earth overtones on the nose, along with similar palate notes. Wee-blalanced with moderate size and length, and refreshing acidity on the finish. A nice bottle, and quite ready to drink.