January 22, 2015 - (Mostly) Northern Rhone Night (Browntrout - Chicago, IL): An elegant and perfumed Cote Rotie. For my tastes, it's still a bit primary but to its credit still has airiness and elegance. Could be just a weird-ish time for the 2004s, I think most are closing in on their prime drinking window while others (like this one) will need some more time to open up. Great material here, just needs patience.
January 22, 2015 - Geeky Syrah Night at Browntrout (Chicago, IL): I hear this one is a bit of a unicorn these days. The nose was dominated by smokiness, but the palate was one of sweet fruit, almost to the point where you could accuse it of being overripe (in 2004 no less). This was smoky, floral, gentle, and very, very feminine. Ready now.
November 26, 2014 - Beautiful bottle, in prime time. Elegance and finesse.
November 25, 2014 - Initially, smoky, blue fruit, round, dusty sides, then with air more raspberry, smokey black fruit, silky texture. Lovely, has a certain sweetness to the strawberry fruit, slightly dusty texture. Love this Old School style. With Chomsky and Jason at Amali.
July 31, 2013 - Medium red-garnet. Medium intense aromas of beef broth, violets, berry fruit and olives. The other taster identified a hint of bell pepper and though I didn't, I believe what he described as bell pepper is what I called violets; it seems impossible to not perceive the herbal pungency, whether positively or neagatively. Lovely silkiness in the mouth, very long finish. Wonderful style without much new oak influence. Bottle #4 of twelve.
May 4, 2013 - Double-decanted and given a couple hours of air. This came across as very pure with great finesse, with good midpalate energy and firmness despite the wine's slender profile. I'll try to keep my hands off the others for 3-5 years.
April 11, 2007 - SFwine Northern Rhone tasting (Dave's pad, San Francisco): Like the other 2004 CR in this tasting, there is an odd scorched green coffee bean note on the nose, but it's not as unpleasant here. Somewhat thin palate with some red fruit, vegetal, tobacco. Not as much tannin as i'd expect for a 2004, but what' s there tastes green.
September 28, 2006 - DAvid Bowler Tasting (the rest of the notes) (NYC): closed, good fruit and finish. will need time