4/26/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Dame, game on... The nose tells the brain this is going to be sick and it doesn't disappoint on the palate. Broad, balanced with sweetness, great acidity and with more and more air (30 minutes) and a drop in temperature to room, it gets even better. Still ohh, soo young. Killer and WOTN!

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Good showing, but not I wish there was another 8 replaced the 9 on the vintage. Good aged burgundy notes of earth. The palate is fine enough. Good.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Classic Ramonet, back in vogue.. The green tingle on the nose, the palate is clean and pure. Great balance though in comparison to the Carillon, this comes off simpler.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

What is perceived as having the lowest intensity. High levels of acidity. My guess is the yields were higher here than the others.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Solid, approachable, bright and clean. Of the 4 (Sauzet, Carillon, Ramonet) this is the most exotic.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

On first pour the Pinot funk ripples across the rim of the glass. Stems and a trace of brett overpowers the nose and the palate comes off as good. Within 5 minutes, this opens like a flower and transforms into beauty. The funk almost completely blows off and that beautiful stem included nose transforms into a bed of roses. The palate too lifts, going incredible pure. The fruit sweetens and is so addictive. A fantastic experienced bottle of juice.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Stunning aromatics which light up the room. Thousands of flowers, inviting on the palate. Soft, sexy and elegant. Beauty in a bottle and while power is sacrificed, elegance trumps with this wine..

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Rich and ripe on the nose through to the palate. Black fruited, great intensity. A sublime wine and a vineyard I could never get tired of. Drinking so well but there is no rush.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Chalky on the nose with mineral madness on the palate. Food is a must and with oysters, pairings don’t get much better than this.. Taking on secondary / tertiary characters. Massively addictive and drained in no-time.

4/4/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Reductive Coche character / signature. Another addictive wine of which I can’t seem to get my nose out of the glass. Long on the palate with a creaminess, liquid butter. Rock ridden, waxy… Honey. Long and SUPER intense.

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Modestly tired but with enough life and lift in my glass that it was drained with the first course. I like my old Champagnes with good mouse and after opening nearly a ½ dozen oldies (pre-1982) this weekend, the only one that delivered the crisp, freshness was 2 bottles of 1982 Krug. Maybe it was because they were purchased still in the original tissue and box…

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Starts off in the glass with power, depth, length and lovely earth. This turns out to be the sleeper of the night and a great bottle of juice. Length and good tannins which help the wine evolve over the 5 hour dinner. While this and all the wines are filled with secondary and some tertiary characters, they have their respective personalities in place and this is Bonnes Mares, no question.

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Ripe with VA tones on the nose and palate. It started off manageable and got worse with air and inevitable was dumped. Tough start

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

The first bottle was corked and was quickly replaced with a identical back-up. This pulls together and goes from good to great with air. Sweet ripe Pinot fruit which changes my opinion and makes me a believer of Musigny. Truly stunning, downright sexy. Powerful and while sweetness often puts me off, this turns me on. Amazing length, complexity and interest. It was too difficult to choose a favorite between this and the La Tâche.

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Dulls out with some air. This never really takes on much class and sits qualitatively below the others. A kiss of spearmint intrigues but overall I didn’t spend too much time with this. While not disappointing by any means, the other wines are simply another level above.

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Rich and dark. The most powerful of the wines with deeper tannins, aromatic intensity, a longer / longest palate feel. The Richebourg terroir shows through.

3/15/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

It’s worth stating that none of the wines upon first pour blew us away. They all required coxing and started really strutting themselves with 1 hour – 2 hours of air. The 71 Tâche was no different. It started with what was perceived as mild VA though with some time, it broadened filling out like a new sponge seeing water for the first time. Impeccable balanced with it’s addictive smell and palate texture. Qualitatively it doesn’t get too much better for me and my tasting experiences. Rich and ripe which brings perfect harmony to my sole.

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Stunning nose which caused my palate to salivate before tasting... Beautiful sweet fruit which is rich, ripe yet elegant and exotic and no-where close to over the top.. An awesome wine and I am fortunate that this was the third time with it in the last 12 months. This is a legend... I just don't know if I will be able to hold my other bottles until it's in prime-time as it's a baby.

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Tired on the palate. Dull lacking life. The nose was more interesting than the palate but this juice couldn't keep my attention.

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Sourced from the Vanderbilt’s in NY. Subtle trace of TCA didn’t deter my low sensitivity from consuming this glass. More Gevrey in character was what one taster said and I couldn’t have agreed more with it's more earthy character including mushroom etc. and while the ripeness wasn’t as deep as the 34, it was a lovely wine just the same. Drinking beautifully.

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Sourced from the Vanderbilt’s in NY. Stunning aromatics which lit up the room. Lively, ripe and sweet. Simply beautiful in every sense. Honestly, this was one of the greatest wines I have put across my palate. This shined for the good 40 minutes it lasted in my glass before my last sip.

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Coche on the nose. Balanced, elegant, refined. addictive would sum it up better than any other word.... I wish this was less expensive and more available. A healthy conversation was breached about the producer, importation, distribution, availability here in the states vs. overseas, etc.

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Beautiful mineral, limestone nose. The palate is inviting and has a beautiful delicacy to it. Some roasted pralines, touch of tobacco all framed inside a medium body.

1/2/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Inviting nose filled with complexity and that extra dimension the inclusion of stems provide. The medium bodied palate is driven by purity, with grip being provided by fine levels of acidity. Tannins are quite fine. Will this make old bones? Hard to say. While I find young Bonnes Mares shy and a hard read, this is balanced and very enjoyable right now.

11/2/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

The purity is fantastic, framed around bright, crisp acid and more-a-less integrated oak. Still too young and if I had another, I would give it 4 more years to check in. Great price point quality here. Wish I had more

11/2/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Soft entry to finish. Extracted sweet fruit character which comes off almost domestic on the palate.

11/2/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Better balance than the past wine (2006 Mugnier Musigny) but still sweet fruit character which distracts. The palates smooth lacking spine. At this point my drinking buddies and I begin questioning the vineyard and begin flip-flopping back to the two producers expression of it. The three of us agree that Mugnier and Vogue Musigny dissapoints overall and we soon plan to do a tasting of Drouhin, Jadot and Roumier to put Musigny to the test.

10/29/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

The first sniff tells the tail that this is a dying with it's ashtray nose. The palate is too falling apart. A third bottle shows fresher but tired in minutes in my glass.

10/29/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Best red of the evening as this lives up to it's perfect score reputation. Smokey nose, rich with black fruit, tar, scorched earth all framed in subtle oak. A perfect end.

10/29/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Served from mangnum: Taking on secondary, tertiary characters. Some forest floor in the nose, decaying earth. The palate was sweet and confectionery which distracts in a bad way.

10/29/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Original 1975 1.5L sourced 20 years ago in London and brought over for this dinner. The freshness was simply amazing and while it was a very good Krug, it didn't reach the heights of greatness. Lip smacking acidity, crisp tart apples and pears. Long on the senses. Tons of bubbles..

10/29/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Off the bat, the nose has incredible intensity and taste's nothing like my brains tells me it should (in an amazing and unusual way). After 15 minutes it balances out and pulls itself together, matching taste and smell. 45 minutes; like a chameleon, the nose changes again and again as it takes on hints of peaches and caramel. I can attest that the quality isn't what separates this from 1996 Mesnil nor regular 1996 vintage. It's the uniqueness of the Krug signature. I have never tasted a Champer which changed so much in the glass. I am certain the regular 96 vintage has higher acidity as it maintains a much bigger cut but the Ambonnay trumps it with an incredible richer frame / texture / body. Awesome balance as all the components are in check.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Said best by Patrick, Chablis with bubbles which was so on point. The aromatics are unlike anything else I have ever smelled from Champagne. Intoxicating. Liquid stones. With each sip I needed another.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Totally rockin.. No premox here with aromatic fireworks and a massive drenched palate. Complexity which goes onnnnnnn… a million feathers.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Served blind. Having looked at the wine list prior and knowing the friend I said out loud, “I would have taken you to order a DRC but there is no chance this is DRC as there is no stem character”. Suffice to say, I was shocked when this was revealed. I am not unhappy none of this is in my cellar as the wine was average at best with (for me) absolutely no character to DRC. Upon inquiring with the Sommelier who tasted with Wilson Daniels he said he thought he recalled that the 1er Cru was 100% de-stemmed. Anyone care to give their input?

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Solid juice. This can run with the big boys any day of the week. Loads of complexity, rocky mineral notes and Asian spice. Packed with stuffing. Eye opener for the vintage and one I can’t happier to have more of.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Good but the label had me more excited than after smelling and tasting the wine. Intense palate with a mélange of flavors and a long lingering finish. Still rather primary.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Drinking well with a modest frame of smooth, inviting tannins. The nose is spiced and complex.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

The 55’ was correct. Bottle # 011491 and stamped Nicolas. A good wine, not great with secondary notes and decaying flowers on the nose. Still holding structural integrity.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

The 29’ wasn’t as it should be, tasting more like an old Rhone than an old Burg. The label carried a Nicolas stamp and as a note by Allen suggest, the label on this bottle was misspelled; spelling Vieilles as Vielles . Very sweet fruit and while clearly old, it wasn’t 100% Pinot Noir which I quickly and stupidly blurted out.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

The nose has a small dose of brett and the cork showed minor signs of leakage. My bet is that the brett was hiding some of the lovely aromatic notes I so covet in RSV. The palate takes it’s time to fill out and upon the second glass which was chilled due to the bottle being @ room, it comes on like I freight train catching its stride. Bright red fruit with fine tannins & generous complexity. The balance from start to finish is nearly perfect and had me shaking my head how everything from the fruit profile to the tannin, acid, alcohol, toast, extract and concentration were so perfectly aligned. This is drinking beautifully and while it won’t hurt to wait, no one will be sorry tearing a capsule & pulling up a cork. The little lady asked how many more we had… I can’t wait to try the 98 Richebourg next.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

This was the second tasting of this wine during harvest (right place, right time @ RN74). Clearly not in the same league as the first bottle and while I didn’t see the fill, the palate didn’t have the same energy nor did the nose have the same 1000 flower aromatic lift. Still, the balance was sublime with copious amounts of beautiful La Tache spice. Showing tired, on a downward slope and while the first bottle wasn’t on an upward, it was incredible more “fresh”. A great learning experience and as the saying goes, there are only great bottles, not great wines.

10/24/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Absolutely out of this world! The sheer balance from the entry to the finish was worthy of 100 point score. The nose was intoxicating with a palate that had incredible weight and length. Towards the top of the heap in Champagne experiences I have had and truly left me hunting for more.

8/18/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Somber nose with GREAT depth and richness on the palate - intensity. Taunt with structure, and while young this is beginning to pull back the blinds, as its approaching the beginning window. Darker fruited. Wait to be fully rewarded.

8/18/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Let the fireworks begin as in the glass this was explosive, exotic and promiscuous - flirted with aromatic perfection. On the palate was vitality, energy and lift. It had what appeared to taste like the highest acidity of trio. It rose above, perched on a pedestal like a king to his throne. From the density to the balance, the beginning to the end, there was no fault. A wine to beg for.. F'ing amazing.. Note, this shelled up after 2+ hours in the glass and while the ride blew me away and I would be tempted to hold for another 2-4 years. It did though certainly appear as though the 93's were coming into their window from this showing (as Thomas stated that night).

8/18/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

My dad drove a 67' Chevy II in his youth. Few took the car seriously from the looks and make. For my pop, all he concerned himself with, was how much horse power he could stuff under the tiny little body. It was a sleeper which competed with all the Big Boys. This wine, this evening was one in the same. At the start this showed solid aromatic beauty with a good palate presence and good structural balance. The real magic came 2.5 hours later as it expanded in the glass tenfold. It enveloped a bigger frame while balancing itself out into a stunning wine. As Thomas said, with air this stepped up to the level of its stable mates. With each of us having a little of each wine left in our glass as we rose from the table, this was the wine we all reached for a final sip of. Don't let that 1er Cru label fool you.. This is some serious juice...

8/5/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

This not only didn't fit into the night but it came across as overly pushed on the extraction, ripe and sweet. My 4th vintage of Mugnier Musigny and I am still waiting on that wow experience.

8/5/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Drinking well with subtle toast, citrus and a clean finish. A good start.

8/5/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

(Shipper was François Martenot) Fresh for a 75 year old wine. Actually too fresh that its obvious that it had been reconditioned at some point. Sweet fruit still poking out from under this pretty pure Volnay. Descent balance, enjoyable albeit a touch simple.

8/5/2009 - jamiekutch wrote:

Musky nose showing a moderate amount of soil / earth. The palate shows brisk acidity. Overall this didn't deliver and tasted as though it never reached full phenolic ripeness.