March 14, 2024 - Best bottle (Belsers Restaurant, Nürtingen): Glass: Sophienwald Bordeaux
Clear, deep garnet color. Very advanced nose with some lovage, warm cooked fruit and spices. On the palate fine tannin, rum pot, stewed fruit, lacks acidity and tension. Well made, but no origin or terroir. Drink now. 90-91
March 1, 2024 - Syrah - N Rhone vs SA with the N London Crew; 2/29/2024-3/1/2024 (La Cabotte): Oh Columella. This was a little bit disjointed - someone mentioned an almost whisky characteristic on the nose and while I didn't quite get that, I could see the point. There was a kind of drying, powdery finish - not a bad wine by any means but given what this producer can deliver on a good day (and the current purchase price of this wine) hard not to be disappointed.
February 29, 2024 - Syrah - Rhone vs SA - Cabotte with the NLWTS (Cabotte): Dark fruited, v fresh nose. Bit of leather. Palate is a tiny bit hot; doesn’t feel particularly well balanced. Some primary fruit but not enough to stop if feeling a little bit sharp/spikey; the pretty racy acidity doesn’t feel in line with the rest of it.
February 29, 2024 - Syrah at Cabotte with the TWS North London Group (Cabotte, London): Quite dark. Nose far less giving than the Colombier, but is initially right there on the palate - a bit racier, a bit fresher, with good fruit that has a nice element of sweetness, but at the same time there is a lack of harmony and vibrancy that I can't explain and I much preferred the Hermitage. Maybe a slightly tired bottle here? High hopes for this following a sensational 2007 but ultimately this fell some way short of those heights.
February 5, 2022 - Deep ruby color, with light rim discoloration. The nose is subdued with subtle floral aromas and white pepper that becomes more present with air. It also smells like raspberries and fresh red fruits. On the palate it feels somewhat mute as well, with almost a minty note on the back end. The mouthfeel is disappointing as well, starting well then getting thinner half way through, towards a short, slightly hot finish.
Though it feels technically well made and it's a good wine, it lacks of something in almost every aspect, as if "elegance" was the only goal of this wine, at the expense of everything you'd expect from a Syrah-dominated wine. At that price, I'd get a French Rhone that'd deliver so much more.
November 10, 2020 - Decanted 2 hours. Notes from 3rd day. Dark garnet. Subdued nose. First day this was tough, unyielding. 3rd day it had opened up a bit and shows high toned cherry with some alcohol perceptible on the medium final. Medium bodied, fine tannins.
On balance I'm not particularly impressed, particularly given the reviews of others. I find this a bit monolithic and tough going at the moment. Hoping the remainder of my stash will open up a bit.
October 2, 2020 - Ripe and fragrant black currant fruits on the nose, the palate is more complex and savoury with some liquorice, tobacco and spice getting along nicely with the fruit. Good to drink now but will probably improve, pretty impressive
January 19, 2020 - Columella complete Vertical Tasting (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): First of all it was an amazing tasting. No bottle was corked or defective. We double decanted all bottles. We drank one bottle after one. No flights. We started with the bold years but they were so good that I changed the order after 6 vintages and I mixed the elegant years in between. All old bottles delivered phantastically.
The order
2005
Still primary fruit, very balanced, starting to reach his peak, silky tannins, alcohol well integrated. 93+
2003 DMG
From this size really fresh, black berries, a bit plums, soft tannins, you feel the hot vintage but not marmelade style, easy to drink and not over the top. 92-93
2007 MG
Still some oaky notes, much fruit, somehow one dimensional and missing a bit the refreshing acidity. I would prefer 03 as a warm vintage. 90
2002
Very reluctant, it reminds me to a classic Bordeaux vintage, even the nose shows black currant and cedar wood. Delicate and elegant. Even it was one of your first vintages it is a masterpiece, really not bold and broad. At least 10 more years. Great. 95-96
2001
Great structure and ultra fresh, firm tannins. It needs decantation. Lovely fruitieness and some herbal notes. A decade ahead. 94+
2004
I had this wine a few times before. Always delivering as today again. Fresh, elegant, decanted for 2 hours, reminds me to a very good Northern Rhone wine. Great acidity structure. White pepper, dark berries, saline and firm and ripe tannins. No hurry to finish it. For many in the group WOTN. 94-95
2011
Maybe this bottle was not perfect, a bit clumsy and some acetone
2016
3 hours decantation, ultra fresh and young. Very accessible and a pure fruit. Reminds many friends to a great Burgundy, I would go for a great CF from the Loire as Clos Rougeard. Graceful 95++
2014
2 hours of decanation. Fresh, accessible, evrybody's darling from the beginning. Tannins soft, great refreshing acidity, very balanced. 94
2000
Lovely, lean, still primary fruit, spicy, pepper, dark cherries, precise finish. Starting to reach his peak. At least 5-7 more yeras ahead. 94+
2006
A bit broad and wild. A lot of fruit but missing structure and substance for a further aging. 90
2008
Balanced, in a really nice drinking window, reluctant fruit but cracking acidity. 93
2009
A bit broad, a lot fruit, alcohol perceptible, somehow one dimensional. 91
2013
Fine, elegant, great structure, a lot of acidity, reduced fruit, spicy, a monster, precise finish. A lot to come in next 2 decades. 3 hours decantation. 95+
2012
Powerful and fruit dominated, less concentrated than 2013. Balanced, niice drinking window. 92
2015
Compared to 2013 a bit more "alcoholic" and not the finesse but still powerful and spicy Northern Rhone wine. Only 1 hour of decantion. Maybe this was the "problem".94+
2010
Still young, Many in the group are flashed from this wine, for me a bit short in the finish. Not completely balanced at this stage. I guess maybe in a closed window. Great structure. 92
2017
3 hours of decantation. Fresh, alcohol percetible, maybe it was a lot of alcohol at the end of the tasting, nicely balanced in fruit and acidity, great length, precise. 93+
My Top 5
2002, 2016, 2001, 2013, 2000
April 27, 2019 - Praelum - The Wine King (Praelum Wine Bistro): Literally tannins in a bottle, but hot and not pleasant tannins though. Still a bit of blackberries and fern, but the extremely high tannins proved too distracting
February 7, 2018 - Really interesting wine. Overpriced though. At half the price it would have a great niche.