3/12/2010 - rthun wrote:

The 1999 Case Basse showed much better than the 1988 Case Basse that this wine was served against. Dark color, with nice flavors of dark fruit. Large, rugged tannins that still need time to smooth out. Much more depth in this wine with a 20-30 second finish. Perhaps we were drinking this too early. Very good wine. Try again in 5 years.

3/12/2010 - rthun wrote:

I had high expectations for this Soldera, but the wine didn't really deliver. Cloudy, light ruby color. The wine may have been slightly oxidized as it had a faint rusted flavor. Sour cherry flavor with not an exceptionally long finish. I had a '97 Case Basse that also failed to wow me. Not sure what the big deal is with these wines. Certainly not worth the high prices that they fetch.

3/12/2010 - rthun wrote:

The 1997 Gaja Conteisa is a great wine. Opened for only 30 minutes and decanted, this wine could have benefited from a few more hours of being open. Nice dark color, beautifully perfumed nose and delicious flavors of cherries and licorice. The wine however lacked the long finish that I had noted in my previous tastings. This is the first time I have drank this side-by-side to 1997 Sperss. The Sperss seemed to have another gear that the Conteisa lacked. In drinking this wine 5 and 7 years ago, I rated it a 98. Perhaps this is an indication that the wine is a few years past its peak. My hunch is to drink now (and decant it for an hour or two before approaching it).

3/15/2010 - rthun wrote:

The 97 Sperss is a mind-blowing wine and perhaps my favorite from Gaja's amazing stable of 97s. Still very dark ruby color. Very perfumed nose of violets with beautiful flavors of dark cherries, cassis, anise, licorice and tar. Great balance with soft, sweet tannins. This is an exceptional wine that (for my preference of drinking wines while they still have their primary fruit flavors) is at its apex and probably has another 10-15 years left in the tank. This was an amazing wine only surpassed by the 2001 Massetto in this tasting.

3/12/2010 - rthun wrote:

Perhaps the greatest Italian wine I've ever had. Dark ruby color. Giant fruit, but exceptionally well-balanced. The Massetto has great depth - flavors of dark fruits, truffles, chocolate and minerality. Sweet, polished tannins. Great mouthfeel. Long finish. Probably on the early side for drinking this wine, but it was still approachable at this stage. Probably best in 5 years and will last 20 more. I would be hard-pressed if tasted blind to guess Super Tuscan. Amazing wine!

2/14/2010 - rthun wrote:

The 2000 Scavino Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is an amazing wine. Decanted for 3 hours before drinkng, the wine had a deep garnet color. Flavors of dark cherries come rushing from the glass with secondary flavors of anise, licorice, mint, menthol, cedar and oak with a sweetness that at times reminded me of a grape Pixie Stix. While approachable now, I suspect that the wine will be better in 3-5 years and last another 15-20 years. The tannins are sweet, however, the wood component does need a few years to burn off (for those more sensitive to those flavors). Barolo at its finest.

1/11/2010 - rthun wrote:

Wow this was a beautiful wine. Having drank the '03 L'Ermite Blanc a year earlier and being blown away, I was curious as to how the '04 Le Meal would stand up to that wine. I'd say the '04 Le Meal held its own, but didn't quite have the concentration/layering of the '03 L'Ermite. The Le Meal had wonderful concentration with a deep yellow color. It had amazing flavors of crushed stones, lemons, pineapples, honey, citrus and beeswax. This wine was one of the best whites I've ever had. Great now, but this wine should last another 15 years. Yum yum.

1/22/2010 - rthun wrote:

I suspect the '04 Chapoutier L'Ermite Blanc is in a weird phase of it's life right now. Having just had the nearly perfect '04 Le Meal (99 points on my scale) 2 weeks ago, I took a flyer that the '04 L'Ermite would be approachable. I was wrong. The nose of the wine smelt like the resin aromas of a surfboard shop mid-production. The wine had a nice deep yellow color. After being open for some 3-4 hours, the wine started to shed the resin bouquet and started to morph to lemon oil, beeswax, honey, stones, soy sauce and pineapple core flavors. Going back to the wine at hour 6, the resin tastes and scents reappear. The oak of the wine is also noticeable from the scents of the finished glass. For those who like a wine that changes/evolves and tests the mental palate of determining what flavors are present, this is a fun challenge. On a side note, I had a similar resin experience with the '00 L'Oree (another Parker 100 pointer). That wine however never evolved like this wine did. I'd put this one several pegs below the '03 L'Ermite, but this could be a matter of hitting this wine at the wrong window. Who knows. Only time will tell. This is likely a 20 year wine. Wait a few years before approaching. At the very least, decant for several hours and drink the wine at colder temperatures. The resin could be a function of the wine simply being too warm. At it's inception, the wine was probably a sub-90 pointer. After it evolved, I would give it 95 points.

1/8/2010 - rthun wrote:

Decanted for 4 hours before tasting, the 1995 Margaux was still very tight. Nose of saddle leather, tobacco and smoke. Dark color. Still very tannic. As the wine had more time in the glass it started to come around more with a nice mouth of chewy dark fruit. However standing next to the 1990 Margaux, this wine was outclassed. Probably better off in 10 more years. Very good wine.

1/9/2010 - rthun wrote:

One of the biggest wines I've ever had, the 2004 Alban Seymour's was a monster. The wine was nearly black in color with a nose of dark fruits and cedar. I opened the wine on Saturday afternoon and it was still monsterous drinking out of the refrigerator on Monday night. Flavors of dark fruit, tapanade, motor oil, licorice and anise. Still very tannic. Very high alcohol that I would hope would blow off with time. I found the wine clumsy, but could see that it could come into balance with time given the gobs of fruit and tannins. The extended barrel aging is very apparent in the noticeable wood notes. Still too dense and chewy, it was way too early to be drinking this wine. I would wait 5-10 years before circling back on this one. A very good wine, but too overblown for me. For those liking giants, you'll like this one.

1/8/2010 - rthun wrote:

The 1990 Margaux lived up to the hype. This wine was stunning and probably the WOTN (not easy competition against a '75 Petrus, '95 Margaux, '89 La Mission Haut Brion and '00 Haut Brion). Elegence, balance, excellent fruit - this wine had it all. Soft, sweet tannins and a beautiful nose all went toegther perfectly. The wine was starting to show bricking around the edge with a lighter color than the other wines tasted. I would say that the wine is at its apex and should hold up well for another 15 years. If you have this in your cellar, drink up - it won't get any better than it is right now. Exceptional wine!

1/8/2010 - rthun wrote:

Decanted for only 1.5 hours before drinking, the 2000 Haut Brion was a beautiful wine and surprisingly approachable at this age. The wine had a dark color with a beautiful bouquet of sweet dark fruit. The wine was plush with extremely sweet and beautifully integrated tannins. Excellent balance and great depth. Best Haut Brion since the 1989. It will probably be at its peak in 3-5 years and will last 20+ years. Awesome wine!

10/10/2009 - rthun wrote:

Decanted upon opening and drank within the first hour. Deep purple color. Initial nose/flavors of the wine were strong green pepper. Initially, much too vegetal for my liking. However, after several hours, the green pepper for the most part burned off and red and dark fruit flavors started to prevail. Flavors of candied plums, strawberries, white pepper, steel, licorice and tar. Every now and then, the green pepper notes did re-emerge. However, after having had several hours to breathe, it did start to blossom into an excellent wine. Give this wine another few years before popping. If you want to drink in the near-term, give it several hours of decanting before drinking.

10/3/2009 - rthun wrote:

Bottle opened for 4 hours before opening. Wine still very young. Near black color. Huge wine. Flavors of black fruits, menthol, steel, mineral, tar and graphite. Wine still a little out of balance. Best to try back in 4 years. Very good wine.

10/3/2009 - rthun wrote:

Cloudy, straw-yellow color. Nice mouth feel. Flavors of crushed stones, buttered popcorn, lemons and tropical fruits. Excellent chardonnay. Drinking great right now.

9/30/2009 - rthun wrote:

Deep garnet color. Nose of ead pencil and dark fruit. Huge flavors of dark cherries with notes of graphite, quartz, tar and eucalyptus. Not as well-balanced as noted in previous tastings of this wine. Needs more time. Try again in 3 years.

9/27/2009 - rthun wrote:

The 2002 Shafer Hillside Select is not quite as tight as I recall it being a few months ago. Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Deep garnet color. Flavors of candied dark fruits, red currants, plums, mineral, steel, cedar and graphite with sweet tannins. Still a giant wine that needs time to evolve. Great balance and very nice mouthfeel. Hold for 3 years before drinking (I need to start paying attention to my own notes). Yummy wine.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) I really wanted to hate the 2003 Screaming Eagle. I've had 2 other Screaming Eagles in the past and felt that they were over-rated and certainly over-priced. While I would never drop $1-2K on this wine, if price was not a factor, it was a very good wine. Light garnet color with a nose of sweet, red fruit. Flavors of red currant, strawberry jam with sweet tannins. The wine improved with time. Better balanced than I initially thought. At first taste, I scored this a 92 and by the end of the tasting I felt that the wine merited a 96. Drink in 3 years and should last 10 years. For $1,400 however, no thanks.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) I was glad to get a chance to taste the inaugural vintage of Scarecrow that sent wine geeks into a frenzy. For me, the wine lived up to its hype. Deep garnet color with a nose of sweet, dark fruit and brown sugar. This is an amazing wine with beautiful balance. Many large wines such as this one are lacking in balance. The 2003 Scarecrow pulls it off. Flavors of dark fruits and red currant. Amazing wine. Drinking well now but should be even better in 3-4 years. 98+

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) I was disappointed by the 1991 Harlan. The wine had a cloudy, purple color with a nose of cocoa, coffee and briar. I thought that the wine was over-the-hill and too herbaceous for my taste. Certainly a lighter wine than any other Harlan I’ve ever had. The wine did have nice balance however, with flavors of cocoa, briar, earth and green pepper. Strangely, not much fruit to speak of in this wine. Most scrounge to get a second taste of the Harlan bottle once it has made its way around the room. No thanks for me at a second taste – did I just say that about a Harlan? Drink now.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2001 Colgin Herb Lamb is a better wine than I expected. Deep ruby color with a somewhat muted nose. Flavors of beautiful dark fruit, dark cherries, raspberry jam, plum, lead pencil and forest floor. This wine has an excellent sweetness about it. Drink now. Likely peaking in 2-3 years.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2004 Colgin Tychson is an amazing wine that I felt was just barely edged out by the 1993 Bryant. In 5 years, the Tychson would be a better wine given its depth. The Tychson is certainly a more masculine wine than the Herb Lamb tasted next to it. Dark purple color with a bouquet of sweet, dark fruit and lavender. This is a big boy that will only get better with age. Flavors of dark fruit, lavender and boysenberry syrup. Sweet tannins with excellent balance. Drinking well now, but should be at its best in 5 years and beyond. Fantastic stuff!

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) For me, the 1993 Bryant was the wine of the night. Very similar to the 1997 Bryant, but just a peg below. The wine had a cloudy, deep purple color. Bouquet of sweet, dark fruit and lavender. The flavors change with each sip – sweet tannins with sweet blue fruit, lavender and briar. The fruit dominates the flavors (not in a bad way), but the secondary flavors follow through nicely. This elegant wine is beautifully balanced. Amazing stuff! Drink now as this wine is starting its downward slide. I can’t see this getting any better from where it is now.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2003 Abreu Madrona Ranch is an excellent wine. Deep garnet color with a nose of dark fruits and minerality. Delicious wine with great mouth feel and balance. A big, big wine still in need of more time in the cellar. Flavors of dark, candied berries, dark cherry with sweet tannins. Circle back in 5 years and should easily drink for 15-20 more years. Great stuff.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) I was pleasantly surprised how well the 2005 Pride Reserve Claret was drinking. Softer than the 2001 Reserve Cab, but perhaps better balanced. Sweet tannins. Flavors of dark fruits, vanilla and oak. Beautiful mouth feel. Drinking well now, but will probably be better in 5 years. Excellent wine! 97+

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2001 Pride Reserve Cab was one of the wines of the night. Near black color with a nose of sweet, black fruits. Syrupy, big wine. Giant, teeth-staining black fruits. Magnificent, sweet tannins. Vanilla, graphite and cedar flavors also present. Giant fruit holds the high alcohol. By no means an elegant wine. However, this is a slutty, hedonistic wine for those who like their Cabs big. Amazing stuff. Drinking well now, but will probably be better in 2-3 years. 98+

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2004 Sloan was served blind. Dark purple/near black color with a nose of a liquefied Cinnabon. Flavors of sweet dark fruit, brown sugar and cherry cough syrup. As the wine had more time in the glass, the flavor profile seemed to regress to more medicinal notes with pruney and raisiny flavors. This was not a crowd pleaser by any means. In the CA Cult tasting last year at Martin’s, the 2003 Sloan was served blind and it was universally disliked by the group. I dropped off the Sloan list immediately after that tasting, having never tasted the wines. Not sure why the hype on this wine. Too overblown, severely lacking balance. I would wait 5-7 years before trying the 2004 Sloan for those owning this wine.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2005 Moraga has a deep ruby color with an off-putting nose of petrol and formaldehyde. Flavors of dark fruit lurking behind the petrol and strange medicinal flavors. Not good at all. $150/bottle? No thanks.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) Like the 2001, the 2005 Insignia is a very good wine. The 2005 has a deep purple color with a nose of vanilla, brown sugar and dark fruits. However, the alcohol is more noticeable in the 2005. Dark cherry, with a somewhat medicinal cherry cough drop flavor, brown sugar and vanilla. Not as well balanced as the 2001 with a slight bite on the alcohol. Circle back in 3 years. Hopefully by then the alcohol will have settled down and integrated better with the fruit.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2001 Insignia is a great wine. Deep purple color with a nose of vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon and dark fruits. Plush, round mouth feel. Deep flavors of dark fruit, boysenberry and forest floor. Nice balance between the alcohol and fruit. 30 second finish. Drinking well now and should drink great for another 10 years.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) I had higher hopes for the 1994 Togni. The wine had a cloudy purple color, slightly fading at the edges. The nose was pure cocoa and briar. Unfortunately, the flavors from the glass were devoid of fruit. This was a very herbaceous wine with notes of briar and green pepper. The wine still had structure with tannins and acidity. Absent the structure, my rating probably would have been 85. Not my cup of tea. Drink now, if at all.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2006 Merus is a monster wine with near black color. The nose has scents of dark fruit and petrol. The wine had dense, sweet flavors of dark cherries, boysenberry, brown sugar, spice box and oak. This is a teeth staining type of wine. The fruit holds back the high alcohol fairly well. Still, this was a bit over-the-top for my taste. Try again in 5 years to allow the alcohol to blow off more fully.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) I was somewhat surprised by the 1976 Louis Martini Special Selection. The wine has a light purple color with what seemed to be a muted bouquet. From the glass, the wine had a lighter style with flavors of briar, dusty earth and strawberry jam. Pleasant for such an old wine. Drink now.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 1985 Phelps Eisele Vineyard is in its latter years. The wine had an opaque garnet/purple color. The wine had a strange brick smelling nose with some heat coming from the glass. Tannins still present with flavors of saddle leather, dusty earth, briar, fruitcake with a brackish finnish. Drink now.

9/25/2009 - rthun wrote:

(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 1991 Philip Togni was underwhelming. Cloudy, light purple color with slight bricking at the edge. Chocolate and cola bouquet. The wine had flavors cocoa, stewed plums, prunes with bright acidity with still a little bit of grip from the tannins. Drink now.

9/14/2009 - rthun wrote:

Like the 2003 and 2005, the 2006 Deus Ex Machina is an amazing wine. Between the Deus Ex Machina and the Combe des Fous, Clos Saint Jean is making my favorite CdPs as of late. The 2006 has a dark purple color, nearly black. The tannins are sweet and well integrated in the wine. Silky smooth and beuatifully balanced. Rich flavors of licorice, beef blood, garrigue, blackberries, dark cherries, truffles, sambuca, coffee, tar, kirsch, white pepper and anise. Surprisingly approachable now and will probably drink nicely for 10-15 years. Best to try again in 2 years.

9/11/2009 - rthun wrote:

Near black color with slight brick around the rim. Nose of eucalyptus and candied, dark fruits. Excellent mouth feel. Flavors of dark cherries, currants, eucalyptus, licorice, tar, mint, anise and beef blood. Finish goes on and on in the mouth. Well balanced - not your typical, clumsy, overly alcoholed Aussie fruit bomb. For my palate, Chris Ringland makes the best Aussie wines hands down. Randall’s Hill is supposedly made in off years. Chris may have been too hard on this vintage – this should have been a Three Rivers/Chris Ringland designation from my vantage point. If you want to get a try of Three Rivers/Chris Ringland quality for half the price, get a bottle of the 1997 Randall’s Hill if you can find one. Wine will probably be at its peak in 2 years. Drink now. 96+

8/30/2009 - rthun wrote:

The 2003 Pegau Reservee is fantastic. I had this wine 3 years ago and it was too port-like and tight. The wine has certainly improved with time in the cellar. Opened 3 hours and decanted for another hour before drinking. Deep purple/garnet color. Initial nose upon opening the bottle of port and dried fruits. As the wine had time to breathe, the nose changed to sweet black fruits, garrigue and gunmetal. Layered flavors of raspberries, strawberries, dried cherries, chocolate, garrigue, pepper, iron, beef blood, tar, licorice and anise. This wine had different flavors with each taste. Nice, long finish. Tannins are still very much present. Some oak also distinguishable after 30+ on the finish. This wine is tasting more and more like the Capo. This wine is drinking well now, but will be even better in 2-4 years. If you're dying to try this wine and you have a few bottles, drink one now. If you have 1-2 bottles in your cellar, wait a few years to pop the cork.

8/28/2009 - rthun wrote:

Deep yellow color. Big, rich Chardonnay. Flavors of pear, apples, lemons, minerals and marshmallow. Despite its emensity, the fruit couldn't hold back the high alcohol. Although not exceptionally balanced, this is a great Chardonnay for the money. Great everyday wine if you like your Chardnonnays big.

8/29/2009 - rthun wrote:

Bottle opened for 3 hours and then decanted. Still very young. Dark purple/black color. Powerful wine with flavors of plums, blackberries, white pepper, petrol, gunmetal, mineral, tar and briar. Alcohol still needs time to burn off, but should balance out after a few years of cellaring. I would say it is a notch below the recent SQN Syrahs of Midnight Oil, Just for the Love of It, Papa, Poker Face and Atlantis. However, still a great wine in its own right. Circle back in 3 years. 96+

8/29/2009 - rthun wrote:

Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Dark garnet color. Beautiful nose of sweet, dark fruit. Still a little chewy. Plenty of tannins still present. Wine evolved throughout the night. Flavors of dark cherries, lead pencil, tar, briar, saddle leather. Still a little too young. Needs 5 more years in the cellar. A very good Pavie.

8/14/2009 - rthun wrote:

The 2003 Usseglio Deux Frères has a dark garnet/purple color. This is a very densely concentrated wine with considerable alcohol. Flavors of figs, plums, mineral, chocolate, raisins, cherry liqueur, prunes, roasted meats and garrigue. The wine has shed a good portion of its tannins, but still needs time to burn off the alcohol. Nice core acidity and fairly well-balanced considering the high alcohol. For me, the heat and raisiny/pruney flavors are the detriments to this wine. Perhaps this will improve with time, but still falls short of expectations. Hold for another 3 years before drinking. (92 points - 8/14/09)

8/7/2009 - rthun wrote:

Opened 4 hours before drinking. Dark purple/black color. Giant wine. Flavors of plum, blackberries, eucalyptus, tar. Wine has very high alcohol that has not fully burned off, leaving the wine slightly out of balance. Not in the same class in my opinion as the 2005 Kayli Morgan . Will likely be more approachable in 3 years once the alcohol integrates better with the fruit. Best in 7 years. (95 points)

8/7/2009 - rthun wrote:

The 2001 Shafer Hillside Select is a monster wine. Opened 8 hours before drinking. Purple/black color. Bouquet of bananas foster and black fruit. Flavors of blackberries, brown sugar, banana bread, vanilla, lead pencil, eucalyptus and mint. Able to balance the huge fruit and alcohol. Nice balance and beautiful mouthfeel. This wine would be a WOTN contender on any night in 4-5 years. WOTN tonight as well. I think the 2001 HSS is a better wine than the 2002 HSS and will have a longer shelf life. Great wine!

8/7/2009 - rthun wrote:

Opened for 4 hours before drinking. Dark purple color. A very smooth, elegant Syrah with nice balance. Flavors of stewed plums, licorice and crushed stones. Finish falls off the shelf quickly. Similar flavor profile to the 2005 Kongsgaard Syrah. Hold 2-3 years before drinking.

8/5/2009 - rthun wrote:

Pleasantly surprised with how well the SQN Atlantis Syrah was drinking. I have had this wine once before about a year ago and it was not drinking up to its praise at all. Other Cellar Tracker notes suggest this wine is over-rated. I agree somewhat (it doesn't merit triple digits), but it is still a fantastic wine and is starting to come around. Flavors of blackberry, plum, mineral, anise and gun metal. Similar flavor profile as the 2003 Reva drank prior to the Atlantis, however, the Atlantis was slightly less concentrated yet slightly better balanced than the Reva. I would put the Reva just ever so slightly ahead of the Atlantis. I was thinking of selling this wine, but no longer. Hold for two more years before drinking.

8/5/2009 - rthun wrote:

Yet another fantastic bottle of Alban. The 2003 Reva was outstanding. Super concentrated. Near black color. Flavors of blackberries, plum, licorice, petrol, tar, gun metal, barnyard and minerality with a nice floral bouquet. If served blind, I would have probably guessed SQN Midnight Oil. Still has plenty of miles left in the tank. I would think this wine will be at its peak in 4-5 years. A hedonist's delight. Yummy! 98+!

8/4/2009 - rthun wrote:

I was pleasantly surprised by the 2005 Montelena. My past experiences have been wines that are more terroir-driven and herbaceous with rough tannins. This Montelena was definitely different. Purple/black color. Initial bouquet of lavender, blackberries and brown sugar. This is a more feminine style wine than the generally more masculine Montelenas. It tastes like a hypothetical cross between a Colgin, a Ducru Beaucaillou and a Cos D'Estournel (irony?). Black fruits, plums, dark cherry, saddle leather, briar, sagebrush, licorice, lead pencil and anise. Pretty well-balanced with a core acidity that will require a few years to burn off. The primary area that this wine lacks is the finish. The flavors hang on the tongue for only 10-15 seconds and then fall off sharply. This will not be as long-lived as other Montelenas but will drink better earlier. Best to try again in 3 years.

8/1/2009 - rthun wrote:

Not sure how this wine merits 100 points. Ruby/garnet color with some cloudiness in the glass. Tannins still very firm. Decanted for 2 hours and drank over 7-8 hours. Very concentrated wine. Flavors of cherry cough drop, stewed plums, beef blood, garrigue, quartz, green pepper, menthol, petrol, licorice and gun metal. Medium to long finish with a medicinal and metallic after taste. Wine slightly out of balance with the alcohol, or perhaps it’s just the medicinal flavor profile that accentuates the alcohol rather than masking it. Disappointing bottle considering the triple digit score that the wine received. Probably could use at least 3 more years in the cellar. Who wants to buy my last bottle? I mean, wow! 100 pointer. Best wine ever……

7/30/2009 - rthun wrote:

The 2003 Janasse VV is a fantastic CdP. Dark garnet color. Decanted 2 hours before drinking, the wine was very approachable upon opening. Port-like concentration. Primary flavor of sweet cherry liqueur followed by notes of cassis, raspberries, licorice, garrigue, tar and anise. Medium to long finish. There is definitely alcohol lurking in the background, but it is masked well by the gobs of fruit the wine possesses. While this wine is very enjoyable now, it will probably be even better in 3-4 years. This wine probably has the structure to last another 15-20 years. If the 2001 and 2003 are this good, I can't wait to try the 2007.