June 16, 2020 - Serious, serious apex predator white. Incredible length, penetrating wow palate. (43/900)
January 24, 2020 - Massive and delicious. Everything is tell-tale for d'Auvenay here, from the buttered popcorn nose to the driving finish full of saline, acid, and mineral driven power. It can be no other. Sure, maybe the '99 is better because it's more delineated, but on it's own I challenge you to say that this wine is not everything it's supposed to be. Totally crushing it. XXX+++
December 20, 2019 - Holiday Burgundy Lunch (Scottsdale, AZ): Served blind. Smoke and reduction reminiscent of the '99 Leroy CC served beside it, but mouthfeel is completely different. Where the Leroy was focused and lean on the palate, this is broad and viscous. I like both very much, and the contrast is remarkable. This wine is so dense it's almost chewy, quite a long finish as well.
March 3, 2018 - La Paulée de San Francisco - Gala Dinner (The Fairmont - San Francisco CA): Small glass, brief note. Last year’s bottle was sadly too reduced, but tonight’s was glorious. Rich apple and tropical fruit with exotic spice. Long, amazing concentrated and wonderfully complex. I really liked this wine, while some guys LOVED it, but I found the tropical elements a bit less alluring.
March 3, 2018 - La Paulée de SF Gala Dinner (Fairmont Hotel, SF CA): A seriously stunning wine with massive proportion but amazing energy and brightness. Awesome concentration with decadently sweet and round fruit, while still tense and taut from acidity. This is liquid gold.
March 11, 2017 - Significant wood and reduction on the nose. Good stuff underneath, uncharacteristically powerful. Surprising the extent to which the character of this wine is still masked
March 11, 2017 - Paulee. Struck match city. Needs so much more time, but balance and persistence impressive. 2002 much more enjoyable today.
March 11, 2017 - La Paulée de New York Gala Dinner (Pier Sixty - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Massive reduction just never dissipated so it was impossible to fully enjoy, despite great material hidden in the the glass. I would think/hope this would be wonderful with a few hours of air, but alas was hurt by the format of La Paulée.
December 30, 2011 - Colore giallo chiarissimo, al naso fisso per ore su zolfo, cerino. La bocca è enorme, acida, intensa, persistenza infinita. Dopo averlo bevuto risale e si fissa dappertutto, non fosse per il naso fisso sullo zolfo sarebbe molto vicino al 100.