Notes are similar to my December 2021 tasting, but I'm enjoying this even more. Paired with a Mediterranean salad with chickpeas & feta and it went very well. Fruit is fresh, with slight herbal qualities that showed off the region.
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Color is brick throughout, definitely time to drink. Tastes fresher than it looks, with kirsch black current flavors. A touch of garrigue herbal influence adds some complexity. Enjoyable, but not a high-end experience for CdP.
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Dense wine, garrigue notes taking a back seat to concentrated dark cherry and plum flavors. Quality CdP, no doubt, but needs time to see if the tertiary garrigue notes will become more prominent. Not sure if this vintage will enable a good expression of the balance between fruit and savory notes.
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Deep ruby red color with spicy Grenache-focused nose. Spices suggestive of mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Later floral elements including lavender and rose. Initially slightly abrasive on the palate but after 15 minutes of aeration, it was smooth with good length. A pleasure to drink despite its 15% alcohol content.
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For fans of this wine, and CdP in general, I am sorry but this just was not my cup of tea. It was, for wifey and I, an absolute brute of a wine. Complex, intriguing yes but too heady for us. Wifey suggested it was a tad porty/sweet which I didn’t get. I couldn’t get past the barnyard monster, an edge of liquorice, heavy herbal leather and dense alcohol (15 degrees alcohol, felt like more than that). I can admire this, from a distance, but I needed a lie down and a glass of light rose after this.
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Too ripe for sure but some things to love. Ripe black cherry, plums and thyme. Dry black cherry, vanilla and roasted plum flavours and a very tannic dry finish that kind of saves things.
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30 minutes of air time yielded aromas of kirsch, black licorice and spice. Modern on the palate, with ripe black cherry, soft red licorice, pepper, a touch of garrigue, and fresh baked blackberry cobbler on the finish. Dense, but stays light on its feet with mouthwatering acidity.
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OK. I surrender. This is one weird wine, and I can't quite get a handle on it. Most recent previous bottle a few weeks ago was very nice, but only after 90+ minutes of air. Started drinking this one 90 minutes after opening, and it was disjointed, port-like, raisiny, and hot. After another hour or so, it was much better integrated, but it was still too sweet, at least for my tastes. I only have one bottle left, and I'm gonna see what it's like in 2018 or 2019.
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Three months ago, a bottle of this was pruny, raisiny, hot, and disjointed. I thought it might have been cooked. This time, however, I opened it about two hours before drinking. With an initial taste about 30 minutes after opening, it was very similar to my previous bottle. 90 minutes later, it was just fine. An hour after that, it was singing. Plums on the nose and on the palate. Nothing to indicate where it's from or what it is. However, it was rich, full-bodied, and seamless with a rather bodacious finish. Not a typical CdP and not very complex, but it was flat-out delicious. Holding up fine with a long life ahead of it.
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All I got from this was raisins, heat, and stewed prunes. Completely disjointed and hot, even after three hours of air. Although it was shipped to me in the winter, I suspect that it was cooked somewhere along the line. MAYBE another couple years for my remaining bottles will help them become more balanced and integrated, but I'm not optimistic.
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According to our previous experience combining this wine with soy sauce we chose it for dry aged beef filet with onions chinese style (with soy sauce and green beans). With its pruney attitude it was soooo perfect. We do not think that it will improve but stay on that level for a while. Just lovely.
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Nose, of white pepper, plum, prunes, balxkberries with liquor tones, similar palate which is full bodied, with spice, hints of heat and bitterness on the finish
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Took a while to open up, but was worth the wait, as this beautiful floral bouquet and layered palate started blooming, revealing plums, currants and sweet cherry, with secondary notes of walnut, toffle and tobacco. All perfectly balanced and round, with full yet subtle mouth fillment, luxuriously creamy and buttery on the remarkable long finish. May be better in a year or two, but drinking beautifully now. 94-95
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Decanted for 1 hour. The cabbage smell on the nose was still present but weaker than last time. Slight improvement compared with last bottle, but consistent with old tasting note. It served our fusion food (Lambchops with a mint-chili-lemon sauce and sweet potatoes with cilantro, ginger and sesame oil) perfectly.
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On nose. Kirsch, licorice, stewed prunes, raspberry jam Palate. Meaty, garique, Initially bright cherries that faded with time. Nice minerality. Medium long finish. With tones of marzipan and dry cherries
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macerated cherries, marzipan, and black forest cake. A bit of heat on the finish that faded with time. Better on day 2 after it had some time to settle down.
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Luscious, lusty and just all out fun to drink. The round textured, fresh, juicy, sweet, ripe black raspberries, kirsch and garrigue is showing great today, if you like your Chateauneuf on the young side, like I do.
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Decanted for 4 hours. Full bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins. Long finish. Drinking very well now. Drank alongside the 2011 Tradition. Slight preference for 2011.
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Really intense nose of black raspberries, licorice, prune liqueur, palate is loaded with fruit but not in an excessive or over extracted way, medium acidity but unfortunately there is a little heat on the finish
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Decanted for 4 hours. Slight cabbage smell from the decanter but also the expected berries, sweetness and licorice. In the glass the wine was balanced, harmonious: A traditional Chateauneuf-du Pape. It worked exceptionally well with duck breast Vietnamese style and root vegetables. I was surprised how well the wine paired with the soy sauce. Very good value.
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Consumed four bottles of this - the first three were great. This one was harsh, dry and astringent. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was flawed, per se, but it showed significant variability from past bottles which were consistently 92+. NR.
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Drank with a butterflied leg of lamb on the grill for Easter. Opened the bottle about 5 hours before dinner - and had a better experience than the last time I tried this wine. The additional air softened the wine but added complexity and more savory characteristics to the fruit and spice. It also worked nicely with the lamb.
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This was just wonderful. The nose was filled with red cherries, strawberries, sweet licorice and spices. In the mouth the wine is medium to full bodied with loads of sweet red and dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and some meatiness. It is just so juicy! There are some, but not a lot of tannins, but enough to balance the wine just fine. This is a treat know!
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Consumed over 5 hours. Dark fruits, hints of coffee and chocolate, low acidity, light-med tannins. Really enjoyed. Similar flavor profile to Clos St. Jean. Both are quite good, I think this is a little lighter softer effort, CSJ is a little bolder and more intense.
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Decanted for 1-2 hours. A nice generous nose or kirsch, raspberry and cassis with hints of meat juices leading to a nice mouth of red fruit. The nice smooth finish with mouth coating flavors and a lush feel. It was my first Giraud wine and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m sure glad I got some of the ’10 Gallimardes.
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Drank this against a Clos Saint Jean Vielles Vines that was 5 dollars more -- and for my money I would go back for the CSJVV. The Giraud is good, and a terrific qpr -- but I like the CSJ tannins better, both now and for the future.
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Let breathe for four hours. Kalua pig, red licorice, thyme, mushroom and fig. Light on its well-structured feet; the tannins are very polished. Effervescent and long, showing fine and Pinot-like finesse. Very enjoyable at this stage and unanimously inclined with any cellar. Drink 2013 - 2028.
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Raspberry and a bit of perfume. Almost like a lemonade in structure even though it has a a bit of an alcoholic taste. Maybe this wine need time to come around. I know it is the same oenolog here as for Clos Saint jean and I think the CSJ is a number bigger than this wine. More complex and well structured.
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The 2009 Giraud Tradition is a well-crafted effort which expresses a nice balance and superb integration. There is plenty of thyme, rosemary and a very elegant touch of mint. The nose also expresses a slight scent of mature apples, but there is nothing wrong with the wine, I just get a lot of apples in the nose. Palate is medium-bodied and well integrated. The apples reduces the score compared to the last tasting. (score 90+)
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Liked this wine quite a bit. Ripe plum, graphite, and a hint of tobacco. Low acidity, nice finish, and tannins which could use some time. Moderate to high concentration and nice balance.
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A full-bodied effort from Domaine Giraud. The nose is full of the classical tones of dark fruit, morellos and kirsch. There is also a subtle whiff of menthol and mature apples(?). Palate is nicely integrated but reveals this effort is very young since the tannins are more vivid and expressive compared to the fruit and the pleasant acidity. My guess is this wine needs a few years to settle down and integrate from a palate perspective. (score is 92+)
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2/14/2022 - SchlaepDog wrote:
From a magnum and stored well since purchase.
Slightly over the hill with the fruit a little bit oxidized. Should have drunk this bottle two years ago. I would recommend drinking now/soon.
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1/24/2022 - GGinSF wrote: 89 Points
Notes are similar to my December 2021 tasting, but I'm enjoying this even more. Paired with a Mediterranean salad with chickpeas & feta and it went very well. Fruit is fresh, with slight herbal qualities that showed off the region.
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1/11/2022 - Tpmess wrote: 90 Points
plum on the nose with full berry fruit, licorice and leather on the tongue
very big wine taste lingers but not especially complex
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12/17/2021 - GGinSF wrote: 87 Points
Color is brick throughout, definitely time to drink. Tastes fresher than it looks, with kirsch black current flavors. A touch of garrigue herbal influence adds some complexity. Enjoyable, but not a high-end experience for CdP.
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3/11/2021 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Tasted Blind): Nose: 89-90. Palate: 90-91
My #8, Group's #3 (133 pts). Tasted blind
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3/8/2021 - urban_dk wrote: 89 Points
Dense wine, garrigue notes taking a back seat to concentrated dark cherry and plum flavors. Quality CdP, no doubt, but needs time to see if the tertiary garrigue notes will become more prominent. Not sure if this vintage will enable a good expression of the balance between fruit and savory notes.
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12/17/2020 - DH90 wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby red color with spicy Grenache-focused nose. Spices suggestive of mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Later floral elements including lavender and rose. Initially slightly abrasive on the palate but after 15 minutes of aeration, it was smooth with good length. A pleasure to drink despite its 15% alcohol content.
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11/29/2020 - belfast taxman wrote: 87 Points
For fans of this wine, and CdP in general, I am sorry but this just was not my cup of tea. It was, for wifey and I, an absolute brute of a wine. Complex, intriguing yes but too heady for us. Wifey suggested it was a tad porty/sweet which I didn’t get. I couldn’t get past the barnyard monster, an edge of liquorice, heavy herbal leather and dense alcohol (15 degrees alcohol, felt like more than that). I can admire this, from a distance, but I needed a lie down and a glass of light rose after this.
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11/9/2018 - jackaroo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and flavorful, with enough tannins to ensure at least a five year future. But it's drinking so beautifully now, why wait.
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10/21/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 88 Points
Too ripe for sure but some things to love. Ripe black cherry, plums and thyme. Dry black cherry, vanilla and roasted plum flavours and a very tannic dry finish that kind of saves things.
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5/19/2018 - Ollee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Plommon, vanilj, peppar, djup och lång eftersmak. Önskade jag hade fler...
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12/24/2017 - ziavino wrote: 91 Points
30 minutes of air time yielded aromas of kirsch, black licorice and spice. Modern on the palate, with ripe black cherry, soft red licorice, pepper, a touch of garrigue, and fresh baked blackberry cobbler on the finish. Dense, but stays light on its feet with mouthwatering acidity.
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12/4/2016 - Night Train wrote: 85 Points
OK. I surrender. This is one weird wine, and I can't quite get a handle on it. Most recent previous bottle a few weeks ago was very nice, but only after 90+ minutes of air. Started drinking this one 90 minutes after opening, and it was disjointed, port-like, raisiny, and hot. After another hour or so, it was much better integrated, but it was still too sweet, at least for my tastes. I only have one bottle left, and I'm gonna see what it's like in 2018 or 2019.
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11/19/2016 - Night Train Likes this wine: 91 Points
Three months ago, a bottle of this was pruny, raisiny, hot, and disjointed. I thought it might have been cooked. This time, however, I opened it about two hours before drinking. With an initial taste about 30 minutes after opening, it was very similar to my previous bottle. 90 minutes later, it was just fine. An hour after that, it was singing. Plums on the nose and on the palate. Nothing to indicate where it's from or what it is. However, it was rich, full-bodied, and seamless with a rather bodacious finish. Not a typical CdP and not very complex, but it was flat-out delicious. Holding up fine with a long life ahead of it.
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9/15/2016 - sc03852 wrote:
4 - Medium ruby/garnet, black fruits, red fruits, very juicy and sweet, concentrated on palette as is on nose
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8/27/2016 - Night Train wrote: flawed
All I got from this was raisins, heat, and stewed prunes. Completely disjointed and hot, even after three hours of air. Although it was shipped to me in the winter, I suspect that it was cooked somewhere along the line. MAYBE another couple years for my remaining bottles will help them become more balanced and integrated, but I'm not optimistic.
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8/20/2016 - win_fried wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous note. No reason to wait. Just lovely.
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11/14/2015 - win_fried Likes this wine: 92 Points
According to our previous experience combining this wine with soy sauce we chose it for dry aged beef filet with onions chinese style (with soy sauce and green beans). With its pruney attitude it was soooo perfect. We do not think that it will improve but stay on that level for a while. Just lovely.
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10/31/2015 - stayhappy21 wrote: 91 Points
Tasted this during Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate's Matter of Taste @ The Grand Hyatt, Singapore.
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4/12/2015 - eoinhharkins wrote:
Nose, of white pepper, plum, prunes, balxkberries with liquor tones, similar palate which is full bodied, with spice, hints of heat and bitterness on the finish
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3/22/2015 - kbcadeponei wrote: 94 Points
Took a while to open up, but was worth the wait, as this beautiful floral bouquet and layered palate started blooming, revealing plums, currants and sweet cherry, with secondary notes of walnut, toffle and tobacco. All perfectly balanced and round, with full yet subtle mouth fillment, luxuriously creamy and buttery on the remarkable long finish. May be better in a year or two, but drinking beautifully now. 94-95
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3/13/2015 - win_fried Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. The cabbage smell on the nose was still present but weaker than last time. Slight improvement compared with last bottle, but consistent with old tasting note. It served our fusion food (Lambchops with a mint-chili-lemon sauce and sweet potatoes with cilantro, ginger and sesame oil) perfectly.
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3/7/2015 - Jonesdnm@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
On nose. Kirsch, licorice, stewed prunes, raspberry jam
Palate. Meaty, garique, Initially bright cherries that faded with time. Nice minerality. Medium long finish. With tones of marzipan and dry cherries
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1/3/2015 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 89 Points
macerated cherries, marzipan, and black forest cake. A bit of heat on the finish that faded with time. Better on day 2 after it had some time to settle down.
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11/30/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Luscious, lusty and just all out fun to drink. The round textured, fresh, juicy, sweet, ripe black raspberries, kirsch and garrigue is showing great today, if you like your Chateauneuf on the young side, like I do.
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10/12/2014 - eoinhharkins wrote:
Consistent with previous eerience, not a fan of this style but it goes great with steak cooked over a flame
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9/15/2014 - BordeauxBuff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Full bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins. Long finish. Drinking very well now. Drank alongside the 2011 Tradition. Slight preference for 2011.
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9/13/2014 - eoinhharkins wrote:
Really intense nose of black raspberries, licorice, prune liqueur, palate is loaded with fruit but not in an excessive or over extracted way, medium acidity but unfortunately there is a little heat on the finish
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4/18/2014 - win_fried Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Slight cabbage smell from the decanter but also the expected berries, sweetness and licorice. In the glass the wine was balanced, harmonious: A traditional Chateauneuf-du Pape. It worked exceptionally well with duck breast Vietnamese style and root vegetables. I was surprised how well the wine paired with the soy sauce. Very good value.
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11/14/2013 - affordableCollector wrote: 88 Points
dark red in color. dark cherry, licorice, on the nose. blueberry, blackberry, spice, candy, on the palate. medium acid on the finish.
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9/13/2013 - daniel.jay wrote:
Consumed four bottles of this - the first three were great. This one was harsh, dry and astringent. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was flawed, per se, but it showed significant variability from past bottles which were consistently 92+. NR.
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6/25/2013 - Silveradoup wrote: 93 Points
I echo most of the recent notes, great wine right now and a great value!
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4/7/2013 - Cahill wrote: 92 Points
Drank with a butterflied leg of lamb on the grill for Easter. Opened the bottle about 5 hours before dinner - and had a better experience than the last time I tried this wine. The additional air softened the wine but added complexity and more savory characteristics to the fruit and spice. It also worked nicely with the lamb.
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10/28/2012 - MayValley wrote: 93 Points
This was just wonderful. The nose was filled with red cherries, strawberries, sweet licorice and spices.
In the mouth the wine is medium to full bodied with loads of sweet red and dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and some meatiness. It is just so juicy! There are some, but not a lot of tannins, but enough to balance the wine just fine. This is a treat know!
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10/14/2012 - daniel.jay wrote: 92 Points
Consumed over 5 hours. Dark fruits, hints of coffee and chocolate, low acidity, light-med tannins. Really enjoyed. Similar flavor profile to Clos St. Jean. Both are quite good, I think this is a little lighter softer effort, CSJ is a little bolder and more intense.
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9/10/2012 - CRAUBER4242 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1-2 hours. A nice generous nose or kirsch, raspberry and cassis with hints of meat juices leading to a nice mouth of red fruit. The nice smooth finish with mouth coating flavors and a lush feel. It was my first Giraud wine and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m sure glad I got some of the ’10 Gallimardes.
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7/29/2012 - Cahill wrote: 90 Points
Drank this against a Clos Saint Jean Vielles Vines that was 5 dollars more -- and for my money I would go back for the CSJVV. The Giraud is good, and a terrific qpr -- but I like the CSJ tannins better, both now and for the future.
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5/30/2012 - Matt Scott wrote: 93 Points
Let breathe for four hours. Kalua pig, red licorice, thyme, mushroom and fig. Light on its well-structured feet; the tannins are very polished. Effervescent and long, showing fine and Pinot-like finesse. Very enjoyable at this stage and unanimously inclined with any cellar. Drink 2013 - 2028.
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4/19/2012 - St Paul wrote: 90 Points
Raspberry and a bit of perfume. Almost like a lemonade in structure even though it has a a bit of an alcoholic taste. Maybe this wine need time to come around. I know it is the same oenolog here as for Clos Saint jean and I think the CSJ is a number bigger than this wine. More complex and well structured.
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4/18/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 90 Points
The 2009 Giraud Tradition is a well-crafted effort which expresses a nice balance and superb integration. There is plenty of thyme, rosemary and a very elegant touch of mint. The nose also expresses a slight scent of mature apples, but there is nothing wrong with the wine, I just get a lot of apples in the nose. Palate is medium-bodied and well integrated. The apples reduces the score compared to the last tasting. (score 90+)
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4/15/2012 - nivatro wrote: 91 Points
Liked this wine quite a bit. Ripe plum, graphite, and a hint of tobacco. Low acidity, nice finish, and tannins which could use some time. Moderate to high concentration and nice balance.
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2/6/2012 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A full-bodied effort from Domaine Giraud. The nose is full of the classical tones of dark fruit, morellos and kirsch. There is also a subtle whiff of menthol and mature apples(?). Palate is nicely integrated but reveals this effort is very young since the tannins are more vivid and expressive compared to the fruit and the pleasant acidity. My guess is this wine needs a few years to settle down and integrate from a palate perspective. (score is 92+)
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2/26/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Sweet, dark, syrupy, blackberry taste. Wood. Nicely balanced already. 91/92.
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