Eight years since last tasted; time was very kind. Superb on PnP, great color, elegant, perfectly mature with vivid, complex aromas and flavors. Burgundian popped into my head more than once. Seems in a perfect place for my tastes though it does have several years remaining. highly recommended
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Final bottle - Aromas of baked red fruits and a touch of leather. Still plenty of red fruits alongside the earthy, dried meat and leather flavours that are developing. Maybe a touch lighter in intensity than the last bottle.
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A: pale garnet with bricking around the rim N: dried strawberry, dried blueberry, black plum, black pepper, garrigue, cocoa/dark chocolate, earth, leather P: dry, high refined/integrated tannins, med (+) acidity, full body, 14.5% ABV C: very good wine = balanced dried fruit/tertiary with integrated tannins, aged with dried fruit but still bright/lively on the palate, med (+) intensity, med (+) concentration, pronounced complexity, long finish on dried strawberry and dark chocolate. Drink now - and enjoy!
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Enjoyed with Thanksgiving dinner, 2023. Admittedly I'm a sucker for aged CnDP. Didn't pay quite enough attention and am writing the notes the day after.
Opened for service around 530pm, decanted off a decent bit of sediment and allowed to air for about 1.5 hours prior to dinner at 7.
This wine gained a bit of depth with air, was initially a little thin on the palate. After decanting though it came together nicely and put on enough weight to support a rather rich meal. Really nice red fruited profile supported by your southern rhone earthy notes. I recall thinking the wine exemplified the typicity of agreed southern rhone, and that I'd probably have guessed that blind. Regardless, the flavors were a great match with your traditional Thanksgiving meal. I was actually surprised at how much fruit remained given the vintage, probably skewed 70% fruit 30% rhone earthy notes, whereas I might have expected 50/50 or even less fruit.
My only knocks might be that the finish was a tad short and drying on the end. Both of these pretty minor though, and with food negligible.
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Well, CT tells me my last TN on this was 2011 so 12 years later …(SpongeBob narrator voice😆)
Surprisingly light on its feet, really nice but not overly expressive nose, balanced and smooth palate with hints of dark chocolate, black cherry on start and finish (but not fruity finish). Garrigue seems to have faded into background, bit of eucalyptus. It’s not young but it’s really enjoyable. Still a bit (but minor) tannic “grip”. Good example of midrange (upper mid realistically for non wine geeks) aged wine.
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Meaty aromas with baked red fruits and green herbs. Velvety tannins and good acidity. Floral red fruits and black fruits on long finish. In a very nice place. Bright but fresh. Lovely. Touch menthol at the back of the finish.
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It took a bit of air for this to get going, but really satisfying on the nose. With fine balance and mostly resolved structure. Beautiful spicebox and raspberry liqueur aromas and a heady richness that never veered into heavy territory. Really a lovely bottle. Purchased on release.
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From a bottle purchased upon release and pristinely cellared, this wine was decanted off of its substantial sediment and serially tasted over the ensuing 2-3 hours. Deep garnet with bricking at the rim, it aromatically offers a core of dark plum fruit that is accented with Provençal herbs, baking spices, cocoa, white pepper, leather and loamy earth. Full-bodied, fresh, and with soft residual tannins, it follows with flavors that mirror the aromas. The wine's alcohol (listed as 14.5%) throws no heat when served at 60-65°F. Dense on the mid-palate and lengthy on the mineral-driven back end, this is currently drinking beautifully. Comparably cellared bottles should provide pleasure for another 4-5 years. Be sure to decant the wine off of its sediment and allow it at least an hour in carafe if possible. Drink now-2028.
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A mellow glow, old yet fresh: dry autumn leaves, juicy blackberry compote and preserved cherries, dried herbs (esp. thyme), and the tannins have completely melted into the wine. Harmonious and gentle and really quite beautiful.
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Gorgeous, trditional and generous. Not too sweet, not too rustic, right in the middle. Soft notes of plums, black cherries, beefstew, garrigue, brown spices and a whiff of hearty umami nuances like porcini, sundried tomatoes and vegemite/soysauce. Well balanced, medium bodied and full of detail and finesse. Great stuff.
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A brilliant bottle. Flowers, leather, herbs, raspberries, strawberries — harmonious, with silken texture. I’ve liked some bottles of this vintage pretty well, thought a couple were only OK, but this one delivered the goods. Wow.
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Friday Night Brown Bagger (R&D’s): Blind. Light color. Red fruit, earth, herbs, cherry, garrigue and perfume notes; lovely. Medium-bodied, with flavors of red fruit, spice and pepper. Balanced. Double decanted off its sediment over an hour earlier.
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Deep red, high extract big and bruising. Peppery with a good length and weight. Not very subtle and takes a bit of time to open up and show and show all the fruit. Not as good as previously tasted but still healthy and does not need to be drunk up yet.
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DnP. Medium red, yellow tinged, 5. Bouquet of C9P oxidation, +2h: Ox. replaced by Grenache liquer. On palate quite hot cooked fruit. Unbalanced! Drink up.
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Quite aromatic with black fruit, and a bit of leather. Nice supple texture with delicate but slightly dusty tannins. Black fruits, cherry, leather, and tobacco on the palate. Good length.
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Decanted for an hour, drank over 3 hours. Took a while to open up. Nose is a bit shy. Medium bodied and starting to darken around the edges. Very smooth and elegant at this stage. Dark cherry, kirsch, licorice, provencial herbs, mineral. Just lovely and still in it's peak drinking window.
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Deep, dark garnet in color with slight bricking & clearing at the edges. Nose was initially funky but eventually opened up to full, forward & attractive, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & kirsch with overtones of garrigue, sous bois & earthy/dusty notes, floral notes, spices, pepper, leather, tobacco, iron, minerals & a hint of cedar undertones in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of blueberries, cherries & plums, spices, herbs & minerals. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 18 years of age it is at its peak of development. I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging, so drink up! Cork was clean & intact with the fill at upper neck.
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Opened four hours prior to tasting. Brilliant ruby hue with bricking on the edges. The nose was incredible; cherry, old leather, box of old nails, garrigue, hint of tobacco. Still fruit forward on the palate, but firm, well structured. More flavors of funky cherry, iron, sous bois. Nice acidity keeps things lively for an 18-year old CdP. Finishes a bit short, but plenty of flavor. A bit drying by the end of the bottle. Really enjoyable. Drink ‘em if ya got ‘em.
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I cannot think of a wine with greater bottle to bottle variation than I have experienced with the 2004 Vieux Telegraphe. Fresher by a large margin than one consumed a couple of years ago. Classic flavors of kirsch and brush, warm leather and mineral salts. Shows it’s pedigree well.
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Decanted for 3.5 hours. This is a very pleasing cndp. Best of the 3 bottles tasted since 2018 Interesting with decent length. Only negative - A little dry on the finish. Happy to have 3 more bottles but conclude best to enjoy they them sooner rather than later Very enjoyable !!
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From 375mL. 1 hr decanted. Light-medium ruby; medium intensity aromatics with some raspberry, garrigue, a bit of smoke, requires a bit of searching but it's all in the glass; palate is light bodied, integrated tannins which build to a bit of a bite in the midpalate, medium balanced acidity, high alcohol (14.5%) which shows a bit, fading primary fruit without a ton of tertiary complexity to replace it; finish is short-medium length. I wanted to revisit this since it had been a few years, but while decent this does not resonate with me like some other tasting notes written here. I'm glad I don't collect Chateauneuf anymore. 86 2 hours decanted: Not substantially better. It's not a bad wine... it's reasonably well balanced and integrated and does have a bit of nice garrigue, but it's just not striking me and better than average.
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In a perfect place. Interesting, compared to other recent reviews, this one had little settlement and only needed a brief decant. Is still vibrant, with notes of raspberry and garrigue.
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should have decanted because of the large amount of fine sediment. It could use a decant for air also. Had it open about three hours before drinking and testing during that time indicated a very astringent harsh wine. Was very nice after three hours though: robust, rich cherry, licorice with spice and stony minerality in the background. Long finish.
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This delicious red is drinking so beautifully right now! A classic CDP from a propitious vintage, aromas of Chambord, fig newton, garrigue, and anise. Big ripe black fruit on the palate, silky, balanced out by soft tannins and very decent acidity for a wine this mature. Peaking, folks! White pepper, red and black cherry licorice on a luxurious finish. Paired perfectly with sweet Italian sausage and garlic mashed potato.
Opened one hour in advance. Dense herbal cherry aroma. Rich cherry flavor with earthy notes. Anise dominates the lingering finish. Lively, classic, some complexity, drinking really well.
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Since my last good bottle (magnum) in 2015 this has evolved perfectly and slower than I anticipated. The raspberry notes may now be faded but the palate is velvety perfection. Drink soon.
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Blackberries, black cherries, and licorice in the nose and flavor with some floral notes in the nose. Medium bodied, nice complexity and a medium to long finish.
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Dark rocky fruits, slightly stewed, licorice, olives, garrigue and a touch of spirit. Dense, dark and very rocky / minerally. A slight edginess from the tannin and acid, but this keep everything interesting, a bit of warmth and spirit on the finish.
EDIT - this all came together after 90 mins in the decanter. Integrated nicely - dark fruit and licorice driven , very mineral, with a touch of warmth but it all hung together nicely.
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Final of 10 x 375 ml bottles. Just delicious, still very elegant, leaning to cooked fruits and savory, complex soil flavors. Lovely, fine-grained tannins and moderating acidity, leading into a long and soil-driven finish. Drink now.
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This wine seems to enter either decline or a second dormant period, and I am afraid, it's the first. The fruit is fading. I have followed this wine through 5 bottles and 2 magnums, with one of each left still to drink. The nose is still brilliant with garrigue and a lot of tertiary notes. The taste is with quite a ine dimensional aromatic profile, weak(ening) fruit, warm alcohol and dry tannins. The finish is shorter than usually and clearly finishing on the high alcohol. This has been a great wine to follow since the release and I will be finishing of the remaining bottles soon.
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I might even be tempted to give this a 94. A medium to light red brick color. Immediately on the nose is classic, old world CDP. Warm stewed prunes and pitted fruit, grass, pipe tobacco, leather, dust, cooking spices, faint hint of blackberry with a streak of the alcohol that does dissipate over time. On the palate there is an immediate taste of raisin and savory stewed fruit. The sweetness no doubt has seen better days, but that is to this wine's advantage. I would even say there is a bit of tanginess which truly is enjoyable. The body is a bit too much on the light side for me as this would be an absolute killer if it had a little more depth. Do decant.
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Very dark still, first taste not entirely pleasant but two hours in the decanter opened it up nicely to reveal hidden fruit and something I can only describe as garrigue. Much sediment. Lots of different tastes going on but I wondered if I had left this one too long. It appeared quite tannic still but this did not hold the wine together and by day two (left overnight in the decanter, on the counter) the wine had declined noticeably. Of course I still drank it....
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(Decanted for one and a half hour) Lovely maturity showing truffles, forest floor and violet flowers and some liquorice. Fully evolved tannins still showing a nice balance of tertiary notes and some fruity sweetness still in a delicious way. (Best 2019-2029)
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Wow, terrific wine. Displayed a medium to light red brick color out of the bottle, definitely a shade or so lighter than a mere 16 years would suggest. But it did not indicate the slightest fault with the wine. Super old world nose right off the bat - saddle leather, roasted espresso, some forest floor. Fruit very present on the palate, with chewy tannins that were nicely rounded at this point, with oak present but restrained. Finish was medium to long, again, nicely drawing out the dark red fruit components but still nicely complimented by the earthiness found on the nose. Really nice. Tough to judge aging for me - I’d say peak now, perhaps another five years, tough for me to consider this a 10yr+ wine at this point.
Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Breathtaking nose of red fruits, blood, garrigue and roasted herbs. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. The concentration and power is impressive. Kirsch, anise, iron and cherries on the palate. The finish is long with copious, drying tannins. Vieux Telegraphe is firmly a traditional producer and 04 was an overlooked, but traditional, vintage. The combination is just an exceptional CdP that is showing incredibly well at 16 years of age. I'll drink my last bottle at the 20 year mark.
Excellent CNP. Fruity nose, long finish and very well balanced. This is at it's peak and should be there for another 2-3 years but not longer. Tannins are very soft and just the right amount of acidity to make this wine a drinking pleasure.
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First from case. Decanted 2 hours. Bright colour. Relatively light. Elegant fruit on nose restrained but balanced. Lovely balance and elegance on palate. Fresh and long. Excellent . Drank alongside Clos Des Papes 2004. Tough to choose between them.
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The 2004 Vieux Telegraphe always pleases me. It's a less powerful vintage but with all of the usual VT pallette, and now getting to the age where it becomes much more expressive. It's great to drink now and probably for another decade. Or more. Excellent.
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I think this wine is dormant right now. When you drink it, it feels tightened and restrained. Almost like it doesn't want to give itself up. I'm leaving this along for at least 5 more years, may more. Just recently had a '95 and it was amazing. I can see this one getting there.
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Brett has become minty/menthol, the balance and structure were very good. Flavors a bit murky and gassing it and going to wait a day for a second try after decanting.
Day 2: The menthol has died back and now this an aged Grenache, good stucture and powdery tannin edges. Not very aromatic, but very supple. Not totally redeamed but drinkable.
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Not what I expected. I think this is over the hill. Initially a lot of volatile acidity on the nose which then evolved to a Chinese plum nose. Finish with sweet plummy notes but really missing the palate - it was thin and unexciting. Not what I expected from this CdP.
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Served both from MG and regular bottle - was there a difference? I don't trust my own impressions, but it is certainly a cool VT, leaner than many other vintages, but very elegant and well structured; minerals on the forefront here, entering maturity - don't think, this will be as long lived as other vintages. #Ratschaksvej#GoodbyeToAllThat
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This wine started out a bit "wobbly" with some funky aromas and slightly stewed elements but righted itself nicely after just 15 minutes or so in the glass. Coming out with a still dark red slightly tinged with purple, the fruit structure on this was still intact - plums, raspberries, a bit of licorice all nicely combined with some still (slightly) present tannins to produce a nicely integrated effort. After about an hour or so the wine got even better, with the fruit coming to the foreground a bit more, making me regret not decanting it (bottle also had a lot of sediment). Stood up to some very strong food, nice finish, 20 seconds+. I'd say close to peak, maybe a few years left on this but a nice crowdpleaser at present.
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Coravin: Crimson. Garrigue, brambles on nose. Balanced sweet fruit (not as rich as some CdPs of this kind), mostly black but some red fruit, silky, rounded tannins. Long finish.
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Did not decant. Had quite a bit of fine sediment, so should stand for a day or two and then decant.
There is something about this bottle that made it much better with food. Not sure what. Maybe seems a little ripe by itself? The nose is full of garrigue. On the palate, less of that, red fruit, tobacco, earth. Occasional hints of anise adds some interesting complexity. It seems to round out well on the finish which is quite long.
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Drank from 375 ml bottle, this is my 9th of 10 bottles. Approaching perfection for what I love in CdP. Garrigue and spice, leaning toward the red-fruited spectrum, with soil and earthy notes alongside spices. Refreshing acidity, fantastic finish. loved it.
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I found this on the rich side, and lacking complexity. Pruney and Port-like; little secondary or tertiary character. The CT drinking window (to 2018) seems too short as there's still a decent bit of tannin underlying all the sweet fruit.
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From a 375. Light-medium ruby; moderate intensity aromatics, black licorice, spice, violets, black cherry; palate is light bodied, high alcohol (out of balance), integrated mature cherry fruit, low acid; short-medium finish. Not a bad nose, but the alcohol takes over any character on the palate. I think I was a lot more generous last time because the rest of my family really liked it, but it doesn't fit my style at all. 83
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Very surprised by this bottle. Almost port-like in its pruney, alcoholic intensity. Decanted for one hour and drank with herbed lamb; yummy but a bit overwhelming
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Deep red colour with a mature on the nose showing leather, soil and herbs before opening up with licorice and tobacco. Smooth palate with softened tannins still showing some primary red fruit and with some tertiary notes on the well balanced finish. Good showing tonight and matched the lamb entrecôte very well. This is drinking well now, and should evolve very nicely over the coming years showing more tertiary notes. (Best 2019-2029)
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From Magnum. Decanted for two hours. Opened considerable in that time, and continued through the meal. Rather light in color for a CdP, and perhaps "thinner" than most too, although not a thin wine itself. Roses and garrigue on the nose continue in the mouth with red berries and dark fruit. 92-93/100
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Opened up over c4 hours. Interesting nose. Initially lacked body and was flat with minimal energy/weight. Eventually showed up with some length and interest.
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Pulled from 13C cellar and let sit for 24 hours. Excellent cherry fruit up front supported but fully integrated tannins. Elegant, nicely balanced. This wine is in drinking window now and for the next 3-5 years.
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Drank over two days. Tremendous, superbly balanced and full of vibrant fruit. There seems to be good reason that the current value is 2x release price.
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Terrific bottle and still getting better when we finished it. Opened and poured a couple of glasses. Did not decant. Drank over the next 90 minutes. Was really starting to sing at the end of that period. Lots of tobacco and mineral flavors. Dark fruit - robust but not overly ripe. Everything is nicely balanced at this point. Smooth finish.
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Much better than the bottle we had two years ago. No decant necessary. Powerful nose of ripe raspberry and velvety licorice. Classic CDP profile. More licorice in the mouth with drying red/black fruits and a finishing hit of mint. Mature and perhaps just starting to fade a bit so drink now or over the next 1-2 years. Lovely with braised lamb with spring vegetables.
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Medium deep carmine with just a hint of browning - earthy, leather, stewed plum nose - smooth, velvety palate, with a dryish finish - palate shows leather and tobacco nuances to good black fruit - the fruit fades on the finish where the tannins take over - I'd say drink soon, as the tannins might outlast the fruit-this would be best with something rich/fatty to parry the tannins and draw forth the fruit.
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This is a much better bottle than one consumed about a year ago, and more likely to bottle variation than maturity I would guess. Kirsch, leather, hot stones -- a lively wine for its size.
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Grand Vin in da house, a different world and a different class than the modern Brunello served vis-vis. Guessed this, finally, should have nailed, it is true, blue, calm & collected, very much in the style of the vintage and the house. Still very young indeed, this can be approached - with great joy. VT rules. #NielsC
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No formal TN, this 375ml bottle was consumed with friends from out of town. So delicious, with refined tannins that become more apparent with an hour of aeration. Perfectly balanced acidity, with a whisper of spice layered over beautifully ripened red fruits and mint. Drink now through 2020+.
Light crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 14.5% ABV. The nose is scintillating with aromas of red fruit, leather, garrigue and herbes de Provence. Medium body with perfect acidity. Rustic, old school CdP. Concentrated and powerful. Kirsch, tea, dried cherries and white pepper on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with substantial tannins. Super Chateauneuf-du-Pape from an overlooked vintage. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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From magnum. Perfectly mature and in a great place right now. Decanted for two hours. Very beautiful bottle that kept revealing new notes along the evening. Nicely balanced.
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Christmas Eve Dinner (San Francisco, CA): From a 375. Light ruby; highly aromatic, red fruit, spice, some garrigue; light bodied, high alcohol, red fruit; medium finish. Seems a bit unbalanced for my preference with the high alcohol, but it’s actually very forward with fruit and showing well today. A lot of the group liked it a lot. 91-92
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Blind tasting d'or m'y guests. Dark hue, almost ink. Flavours of old soft prunes, BlackBerry jam, underforest notes. Granby tannins, but lacking flesh ans energy. To Kate.
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Beaujolais Day 2017 (Wine Wizards Stockton): I am not wild about this wine, it is flat and has not developed that well. My cellar is well maintained, so storage is not the issue. I will give it a night to open up but the acid balance will not change, but the wine might open up other wise. Day 2, it was better but the tannins are bitter edged and overwhelm the other flavors, the acid balance has not improved, this wine was probably at is best 5-6 years ago. I opened this bottle after tasting a Domaine de la Charbonniere 2006 VV at my wine merchants earlier in the day, I have a nice vertical 2005 back to 1998 and 2004 had two bottles left so one could go now. I will be tasting the rest of the vertical blind with friends soon get a group opinion.
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This was right in its drinking window. Great dark fruits and minerality. Medium finish. Paired nicely with grilled lamb chop. Probably has some years left, even though it is drinking well now.
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Waited a long time for this treat, to share with a friend with whom I toured the Provence and Rhone valleys! Opened 4 hrs prior to tasting. Decanting would have helped. What did it become in 2 more hours?? Rich, luscious plum and dark berries, muted woodsiness and smooth velvety tannins. The burnt sugar cane danced through in the final parts of the taste, exploding in mouth! Paired with homemade, delicious eggplant rollatini and chicken cacciatore. Did NOT want the bottle to empty!! Wishing for another!
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I loved this wine on release for its freshness and balance. It seems a little tight to me now, better with a good bit of exposure to air (like a day or so). There is strawberry and leather and a little more heat than I remember. It seems to have lost some tension and verve. This is VT and I think it is and will continue to be just fine, but it may be a wine that will never be as good older as it was when it was young and vibrant. I will need to check back in on this within a year to see if I can get a better handle on where it is heading.
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Seamless, beautiful CdP, at a perfect point in it's drinkability. Consumed from a 375ml bottle. I have 3 more of these, and will enjoy them all by 2022 or so.
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Lovely rubin red colour with a lovely maturing nose showing leather, truffles and spicy blackberries. Smooth tannins with lots of fruit left on the palate in a perfect balance. Nice licorice in the sweet and warm finish. This was drinking very nicely tonight, and has lots of life left to evolve even further over the next decade. Best 2019-2029.
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Second Sunday Group: Montalcino (Leon's): Popped and poured. This particular bottle was ready to go from the start. Red berry fruit along with herbs, lavender, roasted meat and peppery spice aromas follow through on the palate. Soft tannins with plenty of fruit and spice carrying through the finish. paired perfectly with braised short ribs. Just beginning to enter a lengthy window of prime drinking, now through 2024+.
Popped and poured. This is a clear, strawberry-colored wine that glimmers in the glass. There is some caking on the inside of the bottle and some modest sediment toward the end -- reminder to self to decant next time. On the nose, I get kirsch, pine needles, sea breeze, stones, and scrub. In the mouth, this has sweet raspberry and wildlands notes, leaving a tangy and herbal finish. Overall, this remains a fresh and lively wine; a CdP with good balance and persistence. This is not a show-stopper wine, but plainly is very good indeed. 91 points.
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Medium bodied, fresh, lively, earthy, kirsch, black cherry and herbs are right where they need to be in the nose, and on the palate. You can definitely enjoy this wine with pleasure.
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The release of this vintage marked a time when I began to lose interest in this region (had been a fan for over a decade at that point), finding the wines, for my palate, generally too ripe and unbalanced. As I prefer to have some age on a wine, I do so with the careful consideration that the wine's got to be able to offer the right amount of freshness as well, once said time has arrived. That said, this was nice, and did have a few moments of fun, but it was also pretty unmemorable. I may age my last one as an experiment; I want to believe, but this bottle left me wanting.
Aerated to decanter 4 hours, returned to (clean) bottle and served at cellar temp. A pretty tight range of foods/dishes, the wine not showing a lot of breadth.
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My son killed a rabbit, and made rabbit stew. I opened this wine (in 375mL format) as a salute to his birthyear, and to go with the stew. Upon opening, it seemed possibly corked. This passed on the 2nd day, where the wine opened up beautifully and seemed well-integrated, with significant soil notes, and great structure with quite noticeable tannins. Showing off mature red fruits, licorice, road tar, garrigue, earthy green peppers, and rocks. Quite complex, quite serious, yet with an underlying elegance. Drink now through 2020+, but in the 375mL format, I will drink my remaining bottles in the next 2-3 years...it's perfect.
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From a 375. Light ruby with some bricking appropriate for middle age; nose is aromatic with plenty of red fruit, some meatiness, some spice; palate is medium bodied but good concentration of fruit throughout, surprisingly dense and chewy youthful tannin, medium alcohol and medium fresh acidity, never over-ripe; finish is medium length. Overall at this point this wine does have good CnDP characteristics, though somewhat denser than the average grenache-based wine, atypically youthful tannins for this age and for 5+ years since my last half (and from half!), and good fruit, though lacking the depth of complexity that it may still develop with more time. Has at least 5+, possibly 10 years left. 92
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A superb wine, that we tasted against 6 other wines nearly every lunch and dinner for 4 days, that has everything it needs and is supremely delightful, integrated, and savory, without being the biggest, blackest, and richest. Very delicious, refreshing, and smooth, with a great balance of fruit, acid, and tannin. Has aged magnificently into the best this vintage has ever been.
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As others have mentioned this needs time to open up. Quite closed & dumb initially. However after some air the nose is quite inviting with dark fruit smell. Nice dark fruit & spice initially on the palette too. However, after trading with some earth this slaps you across the face with a rather crude & boozy finish. A crude wine that is lacking refinement for me.
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Decanted. Tough to figure at first. Odd, almost heat damaged flavors, but they receded as it opened up. Still strange. hard to describe. I'm going with cooked, but it's a head scratcher.
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Crazy tight. Took two hours in the decanter to show anything at all. Muted black fruit and some buttered toast but overall it didn't really pop. Lacked weight and power.
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Showing very nicely. Reminds me of 1999, a vintage that showed all the fine VT characteristics, but dialed down. At this stage, this is perhaps a bit fruitier. Enjoyable now, but still no rush here. Excellent.
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In a word: great; a showing not dissimilar to the 2004-tasting, this is cool, calm and collected with a clear and precise fruit, the strict backbone of the domaine and the light elegance of the vintage. A brilliant result in a overlooked vintage, #with PB @ the domaine
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I liked this a lot, concentrated and complex, much more open than the 2005 and without the sweetness or the weight of the 2007....in some ways this seemed the best of these wines. The others probably have more to come, this seems in a good place to drink now...
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This has been in my cellar since Kermit Lynch released it, frankly it is disappointing. Quite advanced in age and a bit tired it is still enjoyable but it should be more vibrant at this point. I was disappointed with the 2001 and more so with this vintage. It is not a question of the cellaring conditions which are good, but of the wine
The nose, while not super expressive, does give off some nice dark cherry fruit aromas. This vintage of V.T. seems to have more fruit to it with notes of dark cherries, and ripe plums. On the savory side, it has notes of saddle leather, spices, garrigue, nice minerality and medium acidity. The tannins are fully resolved, but the wine should continue to age well.
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VT - Vertical 1983-2012 Tasted alongside the 2003, both wines were a bit dissapointing, stewed, overripe fruit, alcohol too dominating. A bit better than the 2003, but not my style. Flawed?
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Has opened up and developed many different shades, fruity aroma dominated by red and dark berries, hints of dried fruit, spices and oak barrels. some dried fruit, spices and fat, firm aftertaste, wine does not taste any better than this!
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Oh me, oh my. This is gooood. Silky smooth after PnP from a 375 mL. Shows notes of black cherry compote, perfectly ripened plums, smoked meat, and gravel/soil. Perfectly balanced med acidity, with soft and silky tannins that build with air. Deliciously long finish, this wine will keep going through 2023 or so. Marvelous.
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Paired with a saffron forward Abruzzi lamb ragu. Maybe not a classic pairing but it was wonderful. The wine was medium bodied, notably fresh and showed a nuanced balance of fruit and garrigue and earth.
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From magnum this bottle showed all the elegance of a cooler but ripe year. A hint of raspberry and olive on the nose, but it was the sweetly rounded palate that really impressed.
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Medium garnet. Expressive nose of garrigue, red fruit with earth and and amimalic touch, nice and complex. Enters the palate medium-light for a CdP and holds good freshness and tannins. A fully mature wine with good balance.
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From a magum purchased upon release and cellared in pristine condition, this wine was brought to a restaurant for a dinner celebration with friends. Deep ruby and immediately intensely fragrant, it offers blackberry, garrigue, spice box, lavender and leather aromas. Full-bodied, fresh and with medium-weight, sweet tannins, it follows with flavors which mirror the nose. Listed as 14.5%, the alcohol shows no heat. Solid in the middle and very long on the finish, this wine remains youthful but is beginning to show some lovely secondary characteristics as a result of time in the cellar. It should provide pleasure for several more years. Drink now-2024.
Complex truffle and raspberry nose. Tannins still firm, but very approachable. Delicious ripe fruit. Developing well an hour after opening. Lovely wine.
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Some tawny, orange shadings at the rim. A blast of garrigue comes out with the cork. Age-smoothed entry. The offers notes of garrigue, black cherry and kirsch. There is some heat on the finish and a wall of tannins. 89-90
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Starts out a bit sketchy and disjointed. Different story after 60 minutes of air. Not a great VT, but a fun, garrigue filled wine (true to vintage) that is rustic and enjoyable. Should drink well for many years to come. (91)
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It was a pleasure to drink an earlier-vintage Vieux - more understated and friendly than, for example, 07, 09 or 10. Very black purple with a hint of alcohol on the nose but mostly earth, lilac and ripe black plum. In the mouth there is a bit of spice cake and a long melange of black fruit flavors, ending with a bit of sweet tannin and pepper. Long finish that gently tapers away. All in balance and pleasing. This was in the magnum format so perhaps a bit behind 750 evolution - my impression was that visiting this in ten years would be fine and probably a fair bit better than today. And today was pretty darn good.
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dark purple core - looks very young very fresh floral nose tannin, structure and refreshment - this is more like it! some length, restrained Very young, lots of fruit and ripe tannin. This has a long life ahead of it but already gorgeous
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18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Just a notch deeper than the '04 Charvin before it. Spice and pepper notes made it stand out. Some blackberry and kirsch, but a lot of savory, earth notes. Better in the evening after the formal blind tasting, with only a slight drop to 92 on day 2.
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Egads. I have no idea how to score this. If, like me, you've stored this wine at cellar temps, put it back and don't even think about drinking it for another decade. Not remotely ready to drink: primary, tannic, opaquely purple. Even after 3 hours of decanting, disjointed and harsh, barely hinting at future nuance. I saved half a bottle for tomorrow but I'm not optimistic that it will improve much. Not flawed, just painfully, egregiously, criminally immature.
Ready for business! Lovely dried herbs and lavender, then very savory in the mouth. Some tannins but mostly integrated. Long, smooth finish. Seems a bit early maturing but should last another 5 years plus.
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Clear ruby hue with orange rim. On the nose, it primarily exhibits a bouquet of flowers including rose petals, lilac, lily, and lavender soap, followed by dried prune, dried apricot, stewed fig and pomegranate with subtle nutmeg to top it off. Slight touch of volatile acidity. Sour red fruits on the palate, leather, spice, midium tannin, midium-plus acid. midium-high alcohol. The tannin has some ways to integrate but it is fully expressive on the nose. Nicely layered wine with strength and finesse. Consume between now and 2020.
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Classical CdP profile. Kirsch, herbs de Provance, some dark chocolate. Quite suave and lush palate. Everything is well proportioned, with the exception of some alcohol sticking out. Very well made, but lacks some whoomph to be special. Drinking slightly better on the second night, but good with a couple of hours of air on Day 1.
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Purchased on release. One of the first wines I purchased to age. Started with a 6 pack and down to 2 after tonight. Bit of alcohol blew off. Red cherry fruit, hint of soy, hint of seaweed, a little bit of earth. Nicely balanced. Not much secondary notes yet. In a nice place but room for improvement.
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Decanted and let rest for one hour plus. Showed hints of being a bad bottle because of a very medicinal and unappealing aftertaste. That feature faded and left us with an ok taste experience.
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That's it - just drank my last bottle of 2004 - how sad! This is a pretty classy CNdP with the berry flavours and tannins nicely balanced. It also has a lovely long finish with flavours being enjoyed long after the swallow.
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Dinner with M/M vinole (HB Bistro, Chicago): Tasted just a couple of minutes after vinole opened it, and it was tight. Red currants, herbs and pepper with red berry notes on the palate. I missed the opportunity to retaste it.
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Opened by Vinole at Home Bistro. Second time I've had this and it is singing right now. Dark fruit with a hit of spice. Probably my favorite red of the night.
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Drinking well with about 2 hours of air. Got a bit spirity around the 1 hour mark. A bit of funk with a nice freshness. This bottle was enjoyable, but I'm hoping for more improvement over the next few years
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The nose screams VT, very classic kirsch, spice, sea brine and blackberry elements. Still fairly tight and clenched on the palate with good intensity of flavor and really very accessible. Shortish finish and could show further development but no harm in opening one today.
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Better than 2005 at this point but was very closed after popping, muted, sweet red fruit and licorice showed after at least 3-4 hours of air. Pepper, spices, garrigue and fine tannins. Last bottle.
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Took 30 min to open up. Fairly stemmy nose with some vibrant dark notes of wood, manure and cranberries. Uneventful attack, medium body with some astringency left. Finish is carried by acidity. Not my favourite producer in CNDP.
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Notes after 12 hours open. Color is dark magenta-black, about 90% opaque, with a light haze and clear average legs. Small amount of sediment. Nose is timid, giving some spicy Syrah notes and light garrigue. Palate feels like it's near maturity by way of smooth tannins, transparent acidity, and invisible alcohol. Flavors are still in development but I don't think there's much more that the wine can offer from this vintage. Slid downhill rapidly into flat and stewy after about 10 hours. 4+10+16+7 = 87
Rather muted; somewhat underwhelming. Opens up a little after two hours, but still.... a little worried about this cork - may have dried up while the bottle was standing on the shelf at Adnams (London, Bloomsbury); parts of the cork are nearly completely soaked. This bottle is no match for a number of other 2004 Châteauneufs at this price range. Disappointing.
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Purchased upon release and cellared under ideal conditions, this wine was double-decanted prior to serving at a walk-around Super Bowl party. It was allowed three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. Despite being ten years of age, this wine retains its youthful deep ruby robe. Pleasantly fragrant, it remains in "primary phase" with respect to its nose and palate. Bramble fruits, garrigue, clove and cinnamon aromas and flavors are supported by a full-bodied frame with fresh acidity, medium sweet tannins and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14.5%). Solid in the middle and impressively long on the finish, this wine can be enjoyed now (which I would consider to be its youth) or cellared for another 7-10 years in order to appreciate the "metamorphosis" that characterizes age-worthy Châteauneuf. Drink now-2024.
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Opened 3 hours but not decanted. Light colour sweet fruit and spice on the nose. The palate was slightly sweet with moderate acidity and a nice finish.
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Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Resolved with large crimson rim; leather, cranberry, duller fruit, fig; spicy, tart red fruit, not bright, sweet gingerbread, fruitcake, almond extract on finish, long; not a strongly structured vintage but a very balanced wine, resolved and drinking well, tasty.
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Half bottle. Garnet. All garrigue aromatically to begin, but later showed more bark and tobacco. Similarly, light, spicy with little fruit at first, but then gains some texture, blue fruit and even a bit of chocolatiness, all wrapped up by fine acidity. This has continued to do very well in a cooler style-particularly impressive out of this smaller format bottle.
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Loved this. Mature, rounded CdP. Nose of strawberries, flowers, pepper, and underbrush. Palate bursts with a beam of strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, underlaid by a mineral/chalky limestone streak. Still fairly acidic. Good stuff.
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Dark ruby red color. Served cool, about 55F. Some earth, spice, pepper and kirsch on the nose. Palate has lots of ripe red fruit, with some earthy tones, orange pith, a hint of plum, refined tannin, and slightly drying on the finish with kind of persimmon-type astringency. Quite nice and is drinking well now. This should be even more interesting as it ages into it's 2nd and 3rd decades.
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Blind tasting for my guest. Heavy nose of liquorice, coffee, jam of blackcurrant, sap. Exactly like a Christmas pudding. The mouth explose of fruits, sap, cedar, long after taste. The end is a bit astringent, like orange peal. But what an experience. 93. An old-school blockbuster, complex, excellent, the final could be a bit more improved.
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From magnums this was still bright but not especially deep, and more importantly primary in its nose and general development. Refined impression on the palate. Some CNDP 2004's can seem a little mean but this is nicely judged with many years in hand.
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This one is struggling a touch to open up and there is a slightly scorched soil, burnt herb tang. I was expecting more leather and sweeter red fruit. Nevertheless there are some more blacker elements underneath the firmer structure. No rush to drink, but I'd be pushed to place it as Chateaneuf. Some camphor coming through. Needs some more time to develop, although I'm pretty sure other bottles I've had of this have been more open.
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Score is for day two when the wine really opened up. Layers of multiple and lively red fruits engaged the palette. Definitely a difference on the nose as well. Happy to have a couple bottles remaining.
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Beautiful wine. I usually go for the heavier styles but this was a wonderful reminder of French elegance at its best. Super smooth. Great balance. Opened up wonderfully afte decanting. Very enjoyable indeed
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Wow, what an inauspicious beginning but what a great bottle. When I tasted it on opening it was extremely bitter, thought it was flawed. Almost got another bottle immediately, but waited. After about 20 minutes that bitterness was gone. At an hour, it was beautiful.
A mix of dark fruit flavors and red berry fruit flavors, medium bodied, a lot of minerality, garrigue spice, some black pepper that picked up the black pepper on the veal nicely, very long smooth finish. Simply gorgeous!
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Un nez d'épices et de kirsch, avec de l'anis. La bouche montre une belle vigueur, du fruit et de la fraîcheur. J'aime bien ce profil traditionnel, qui n'est pas marqué par l'alcool. Il n'a pas la profondeur d'autres millésimes médiatisés (à juste titre), mais comme plusieurs 2004, il vient nous chercher avec une expression franche, authentique et équilibrée. 91 pt
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Thought I may have been too late for this half bottle. So wrong. The 04 La Crau is still wrapped up in itself with plenty of beautiful fruit, tannin, glycerin, and much complexity. This is meaty, beaty, and still has plenty of bounce, even from a half showing just a whisper of oxidation. Amazing wine. Drink by spring, 2020.
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Let it breathe....30 minutes. Then the violet, balance and depth shine. Smooth and incredibly enjoyable. More complex than I had imagined for a wine at this price point.
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Bramble, herby nose with soft ripe tannins on the palate. Flavours continue to develop with tar and liquorice hints. Good VT without being great. WoFW 15/20
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I wished I had decanted this for a few hrs prior to dinner but we really didn't have an option. Still very young ' could use another decade in the cellar. With that said it was quite vibrant with brooding plum & black cherry. The minerality & earthiness come through on the palate with tobacco on the end. Very nice.
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Decanted one hour and served with pheasant. Bright color, still very fruity and dense. Alcohol present but integrated. Cherry and spice dominated. Nice acidity and could be conserved longer. Much more interesting than when tasted 5 years ago. Will buy again
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Blood and some spices, vanilla, kirsch on the nose. Blood mineral and bitter sensation on the palate. Bitterness in the aftertaste is a bit too excessive. It needs more time to mature I guess.
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Nicely balanced to a point. The tannins were still too strong to let the wine shine but would benefit from more time in the bottle or a long decant. Tasted head to head with an 04 pegau and found the pegau to be further along and more in balance with good fruit. Brought these wines to Bibou and had with the venison medallions. CDP went very well with the medallions.
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Christmas BYO (HSH): Intense and young nose with dark plums and spices. Fresh cherries on the palate with plenty of dried spices and a solid cranberry-flavor acidity. Powerful young wine!
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I was concerned that the wine had turned when I first opened the bottle. But it evened out after a little while. Strong cherry flavors right from the start, almost like cough syrup in flavor, but not thick and so much better.
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Decanted and poured, this wine has left a fair amount of sediment and it benefits from careful decanting. This wine gave an outstanding showing for its combination of youthful fruit and underlying maturing elements. The aromatics shows black fruits, granite, herbs, underbrush and spice notes. The color is a maturing tarnished dark ruby that is appropriate for the wines age. The medium bodied palate shows excellent overall balance and medium length on the finish with tannins remain present. This is most likely at or around its peak and should continue to drink well over the next six to eight years.
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Very sweet, ripe nose with powerful cherry fruit and dried herbs. Very forward and primary with a lovely cherry bakewell flavour. Dry, spicy tannins help give some definition to the sweet fruits. Excellent, plenty of potential to improve.
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Half bottle. Lighter ruby. Very fragrant with herbs and red fruit. Elegant, spicy and vibrant due to excellent acidity. Picked up some volatility toward the end. Very good and at its peak from this small format.
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Showing well, rich, creamy fruit with some pepper and wet earth in the background. Not sure this is going anywhere else based on this bottle, but it's quite nice right now.
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Consumed in vertical tasting of 03, 04, 05, and 06. Opened bottles 6 hours before consuming. All bottles would have been better with decanting as all opened up as the bottles were consumed. 03-lighter in style, stoney with more mineral, plum and spice. 04-more extracted, heaviest of vertical, raspberry,mineral, velvety. 05-less extracted, chewy spiced black fruit, hotter, minerality present. 06-More like 04. Floral, nutty, stone, less fruit. Super finish.
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From magnum. Just excellent. Melange of aromas, changing from cherry to herbs to pepper to wet earth. On the palate, sweet cherry and pomegranate intermingle with notes of pepper, licorice, and chocolate. Nicely acidity, with moderate tannins. Intriguing and drinking very well now.
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Decanted for four hours prior to tasting. Aromas of herbes de Provence, plums and black cherries and garrigue are in there, and the mouthfeel is that of a fairly large scaled CDP, but not particularly evolved yet. It is still fairly monolithic to my palate. Needds 5 additional years of age IMO. Try again in 2017, okay maybe 2015.
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The wine is medium ruby in color, with notes of ripened plums and black cherries on the nose, followed up by tar, old leather, black pepper, and a nice streak of rocky minerality in the upper register. I catch a bit of alcoholic heat on the nose as well. In the mouth, this CdP shows flavors of raw meats, with a more tart fruit profile of black cherry and pomegranate, tobacco, supported by beautifully integrated tannins, excellent balance, leading into a medium-to-long finish that shows suppleness, a velvety mouthfeel, incredible elegance, and the hint of what is to come with this incredible effort. Will drink nicely for 10+ years, IMHO.
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Decanted 2 hours, out of a 375ml bottle. A beautiful medium ruby in color, 13.5% abv. This CdP shows off a very fragrant nose of ripened bing cherries and plums, with a strong medicinal/iodine quality that melds nicely with scents of soil, meat, and strong spice/pepper. Very rich, a bit heady and Grenache-esque at this point. On the palate, this CdP reveals it's pedigree by showing nicely restrained ripe dark fruits of black cherry and plum, leading into one of the most pure tobacco tastes I have ever experienced in a wine, complicated further by notes of wet wood, a little barnyard funk, more spice, and moderately mature tannins that usher in a gorgeous, chalk and mineral-laden finish that goes on for 45+ seconds. The wine is utterly delicious at this point, but I imagine the window on drinking has just opened recently, and will go on for 10+ years. Fabulous.
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This was a lovely wine, somewhat on the lighter side for a CdP, but the lineup of powerful Cali/Northern Rhone Syrahs it was served after probably made it seem so. I thought it was in a good drinking window, and the final two bottles I own will probably not make it too long before I kill 'em.
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Took at least an hour to open up. At first, tasted slightly acidic and alcohol but in time, you'll be rewarded. Flowers on the nose like a good CDP, but limestone and a leathery taste with bursts of cherries revealed. Wine surprised me - thought it was past its prime but after opening up think there are many more years ahead of it. Good thing I have 1 more bottle.
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Delicious. Cherry, wild herbs, dirt, meat, spice Wonderfu ripel fruit, great structure, long finish, terrific. Rustic beauty. Drinking great right now but expect it has many years ahead of it. Wish I had more.
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très beau nez de épicée, mentholé fruits rouge bouche de fruits rouges légèrement anisés, garrigue, épices, très grande longueur très bel accompagnement d'un diner truffe aux tablettes de JL Nomicos
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Tasted alongside Pegau 2004. The Pegau was more meaty and dense both in smell and taste, while the VT was more elegant, lighter and more stemmy. The VT had a bouquet of green herbs, some medicine and bright red fruit. The attack was leaner than the Pegau and had a medium body. OK length but not a great wine at this stage.
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Gorgeous aromas of fruit and spice. Light bodied for a southern rhone, but spicy notes on the palate still needing time in a decanter to unwind a bit. Excellent.
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Dark ruby hue. Aromas of raspberry, spice, and earth. Flavors of blackberry, anise, Herbs de Provemce, tar, raspberry, cherry, and earth. Very well balanced with nice freshness and acidity. Chewy tannin. Good depth and complexity on the midpalate and finish. Built for age. Seems to be sleeping a bit compared to earlier experiences. Hold for 2-3 more years. Built to age. 14.5% alcohol.
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Fairly light bodied, almost Burgundy-like in is beautifully perfumed aromas. Cherry, berry flavors with light tannins. A nice wine but pretty atypical in its delicacy.
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Decanted for 45 minutes, it could have used more as the wine continued to open in the glass. Med body. Clean. Strawberry, chocolate, compote/fig flavors. Super-fine tannins coat the tongue and roof of the mouth. A little heat in the throat the first few sips, but this burned off quickly. Very nice.
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Impression only from a few days ago; one word would be rustic. From the pop, intriguing nose, with lots of garrigue, that faded with air (the later nose wasn't as good). On the palate, tight with some stems and green pepper but a distinct note of red fruit. The whole time this was open, the palate felt a little hollow. After about an hour's air, it also became tight and less forgiving on the finish. For me, this isn't ready and I will try to remember (with CT help) not to open another for several years.
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Hearty, classic garigue flavored CdP. Seems open for a young VT yet the fruit is primary. Fine to drunk now but I think another 5 years will add interest and sweetness. Still, a fine mouthful of wine tonight. (91+)
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Half bottle. Medium translucent ruby. Some surmaturite aromas gave way to red raspberry, licorice and a light dusting of green herbs. Physiologically ripe fruit freshened by the acidity of the vintage. Very good showing but again very different from the more brooding dark bottle I had in early 2010. This wine continues to confound, fortunately tonight in a pleasant way.
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From a 375. Light ruby color; nose intense, cherry, earthy mourvedre, lovely; palate is very young structurally with intense tannins, juicy red fruit, mouthfilling texture; nice spice on the finish and it is quite long-30sec. An excellent wine, and very young. My next half won't be for ~2 years. 92-93+ Update: 1hr air: Showing some complexity, still tannic. Needs more air.
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A dark rich red leading to black. Black currant and pepper on the nose. Medium weight with crushed dark fruits and a stony character. Very nice wine, but not as good as I remember. $37.99/ 375ml OH Retail.
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Verticale Vieux Télégraphe Nez de dattes, avec de la réglisse noire. La bouche est riche, un peu chaleureuse, la finale est épicée et d’une belle complexité. Pas aussi long que le 4e vin (2007). Je croyais au 2006. 91-92 pts
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Drank at a restaurant; we opened it about an hour ahead but still this was not nearly sufficient. It remained extremely closed, and could have easily demanded another 3-4 hours in a carafe. Absolutely no nose, and the flavors were restricted. Despite the reported drinking window of 2007, onward, I would not recommend opening this wine for another five years or more. Tremendous potential, but not presently ready.
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Wow, explosive and still too early surprisingly even after a 2 hour aeration, will be interesting to see how the Beaucastel '04 that is still in the decanter compares - Dark brick, full bodied with a nose of cherry, plum, spice, pepper and vanilla, very complex and powerful, still very young tannins and needs time, comes alive with food, sour, smooth on the finish with awesome length (93+ Points).
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Half bottle. Medium red, pale rim. This started out all cherry jam/liqueur with more than a trace of alcohol. For all of that, not that big or heavy in the mouth, in fact, rather fresh with a nice earthy edge. Some greener aromatics appeared later. In the end, the heat was still bothersome, and the feel was not pleasing. Each half bottle of this has been an unpredictable adventure. I was not crazy about this one.
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Never fully opened, even with a few hours decanting. A bit disappointing but I blame it on me opening it too soon. Won't open the other bottle for a few more years
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The nose was largely unrevealing. It was served a little cooler this time than I had tasted it previously, but it had a plasticy aroma that wasn't very pleasant. The palate had raspberry and sweet strawberry flavors and again drew comparisons to a medium bodied Pinot from me.
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WLTV and others do CdPs (Bellevue Wine Storage): nose: tar, sappy. very focused/penetrating nose, with smoky essence. palate: light mouthfeel, dominated by raspberry and other red berries, soft tannin, rather delicate. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
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I opened this with friends on 7/3/10. It had a slightly reserved bouquet of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, anise and spice. The palate followed with good acidity, moderate tannins and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, spice and minerals. It had a long, terrific finish. 92+
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The nose had bramble fruit, cherry and anise aromas. The palate had raspberry, strawberry, licorice, earth and a fig newton-like note. This wine had a much lighter mouthfeel than I had expected. This drank much more like a Pinot Noir than what I expected from a Southern Rhone wine. Medium bodied with a medium length finish.
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Half bottle. Man, very different impression from prior tastings, and in fact, the darkest, most somber facade I've ever noted in a VT. Very bark-like aromas with licorice and olive-I would have thought this was Beaucastel or some Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. Strong, well integrated acidity, medium weight, tarry. Only later did brighter red fruit and plums appear, along with some early perfumed, herbal secondary notes. Excellent but not typical of VT in my experience.
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I agree with Mr. Visser -- really spicy and a little thin upon opening, but drank the remainder the next day at lunch and was absolutely delicious. Filled out, balanced, and integrated. Verdict: a lovely vintage that's not ready to drink yet.
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Six Vintages of Vieux Telegraphe (Vin Vino, Palo Alto): After a subtly corked bottle we started over. Medium to lighter red with paler edge. Piquant nose of raspberry and some creosote. Lighter weight, lively due to its snappy acidity. The feel and quality of fruit reminded me of Chambolle Musigny. Probably my third favorite wine. It has developed beautifully in the 2 1/2 years since the one time I previously tasted it and found it to be grapey and simple.
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Ruby colour. Nose of dark fruit (raspberry, bramble), leather, figs, liqourice. Taste full of dark fruit and a complex mix of secondary tones (leather, spice, mint, chocolate, pepper). Pleasant lenghty aftertaste. Directly after opening the wine seems not fully integrated with a hot peppery finish, after 2 hours and especially the next day the wine is much better balanced and drinks very well.
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Yet to be let down by Vieux Telegraphe. Nose: Licorice/sarsaparilla/root beer, fig sauce, cherry liquer, tar, char siu, and cocoa. Dark, brooding, and never stops showing - I could sit here nosing it all night. Palate: Licorice, chocolate, mint, sugary figs, kirsch, raspberry liquer... and this is all up front. A second wave of licorice, then tar on the mid-palate followed by some very nicely balanced tannins and acid. Long finish... 45+ seconds. This VT is definitely more tar than fruit. Less so than the 2003 and much richer, and way more delicious, but not nearly as fruited as the whopper that is 2006. I need to fill in the gap and drink the 2005 to see who the winner is. The 2004 is drinking really nice right now though.
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Poured into a decanter and drank over 2 hours. Medium ruby, very slight brownish hue showing, barely. Had first glass right away, but was quite tight and hot on the finish. After an hour in decanter, it opened up a little, but not fully. Was giving some notes of kirsch, leather, raspberries and a very slight hint of VA on the nose. After 2 hours it showed a bit more on the nose giving further notes of sweaty socks and ripe raspberries…both sweet and sour. On the palate, black raspberry and black cherry with leather. Medium to high acidity, medium tannin, medium body, medium finish. Lots of fruit. But not over the top. This wine is delicious. Needs another 5-10 years to truly show its stuff. Hold. Excellent. 90+
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Delicious and ready from a half-bottle but should continue to improve for a few years. Dark fruit character, almost syrah-like, with some hint of garrigue.
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First half bottle of this and the cork has a red streak almost up to the top - could it be heat damaged? Thankfully, it was not. More advanced than what I would have suspected but then it is a half bottle. Solid core of dark juicy fruit with some lavender and rosemary.
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Ruby red color. Red berry nose with some earthiness. Tastes of raspberries with plumb, earth, garrigue, cherry, pepper and exotic spice. Exceptionally well balanced. Deeply complex with nice length. Starting to show very well with a long glorious life ahead. My daughter's birth year. Happy fifth birthday to Elle. 14.5% alcohol.
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Popped and poured. This wine gets better with each bottle I open. Medium bodied. The alcohol has just about completely integrated. There was nothing disjointed about this bottle last night. Juicy cherry and dark strawberry notes that I associate with mature bottles of VT with the right amount of mineral and earth to give it some weight. A balanced wine that went well with simply prepared grilled bone in pork chop. I'll continue to enjoy these while waiting for the 05's to come around.
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This wine was decanted and poured. It was tasted side-by-side with the 2005. This showed exceptionally well but slightly lacked some of the completeness of the 2005. This wine showed a similar profile to a bottle tasted in September of 2008 with forward, primary fruit more toned down with this bottle. This wine does show similar characteristics to the 2005 and like the 2005 should age well over the next decade.
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Clear garnet with a hugely complex nose. Raspberry, strawberry, oak, sweet spices, liquorice, vanilla, herbs, the list goes on. Medium acidity, and understandably tannic. These wines are renowned for needing time. Usually 10+ years will see the true colours emerging. This however was great! An abundance of red fruits, more liquorice, spices ,white pepper. Will cellar some from the Brunier family for future enjoyment. This with a good stew, maybe a moroccan stew for the spice, would be truly divine
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Old School Wineauxs do Rhones (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Bright big nose of violets and big juicy ripe berries. Some complexity peaking through on a tight palate. Strong grip. This almost drank new worldish to me with its abundant big ripe berry fruits and none of the seconday characteristics you usually see in the regions bottles. Very good but not your dad's CdP.
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A really exciting, inviting nose, animal farmyard aromas and fresh green vegetables with crushed black pepper. This is lovely to drink now with a beautiful balance, integrated baked fruitiness and tannins but there's so much potential it's a shame to drink this wine so young. Maybe at its best in 6 - 20 years!
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Wine Education Service Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting (LSE, London): Magnum. Fresh, cedary and brambly fruit aromas, some vegetal nuances and a touch of marzipan. Tannins are quite soft, plenty of baked fleshy fruit and tremendous persistency. Well balanced and delicious.
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Color: Medium purple Nose: Barnyard, mineral, floral Taste: Some heat with mineral, floral, barnyard, earth Finish: Medium and intense Evaluation: Solid effort 92 points
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From 375, double decanted. Oh so yummy, chocolate ganache, fruitcake, a little framboise. Round, plump, pleasurable. While not the most rich or profound vintages of VT, and certainly holding something back, it is a lovely wine with a nice medium-term future.
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This wine was decanted and continues to show well. This is the fourth time this wine has been tasted since release and it has shown exceptionally well on each occasion. The aromatics show chocolate, granite, spice, plum and raspberry notes. The color is dark ruby to purple. It is youthful and vibrant. The medium/full bodied palate shows excellent concentration and balance. The tannins provide grip on the finish without being overpowering. This should age well and compares favorably to the "05 VT.
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Chocolate, pastry like nose. Sensed plum and raspberry. Classic style wine, subtle, light body. The finish was surprisingly short, like it drops off a cliff. Decanted for 40 minutes and paired it with thin slices of steak, can't say if this enhanced the flavor or not. I just don't have much experience with French wine. It was enjoyable, however, and I had a pleasant evening sharing the bottle with my wine buds.
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(from memory) Dark purple/red, a modest nose but opened as the night wore on, raspberry, spice, kirsch, cherry and big sauve tannins on the generous palate, long to super long complex finish
Second time I have had this wine, this has really opened up from a year ago, much fuller, rounder and memorable
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Completely shut down, crushed stone, Red fruits, licorice, cherry, very rustic in style and nicely balanced. Can't wait to try this with some age. Solid.
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Raspberry, spice earth, and cherry. Very firm tannins. This wine is built to last. Seemed to be shutting down last year but now much more approachable. Excellent balance. Incredibly complex finish. 14.5% alcohol.
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Nez d'herbes de Provence avec une pointe d'alcool perceptible. Beau vin avec ce coté confiture de fraises propre au domaine, une bonne concentration de fruit sans excès, sauf pour ce coté capiteux que je semble retrouver dans plusiers 2004. Un bon mais pas un grand VT.
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Enjoyed with a nice wagyu beef sirloin steak. Bottle was decanted and served over the following hour. Surprisingly for a young VT, this bottle was open for business and indeed singing. Noble, rich, deep colour. Nose was a little mute but the palate was superb. Plenty of tannins but they were gorgeously sweet and backed up by lovely, refreshing dark berry fruits. An absolute winner.
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Drank over 3 days. Held up very well. Enticing fruit aromas. Wonderful texture with tart red fruit, spice, deli meat, fine acidity, young but integrated tannins. Refreshing. Young but good now. Elegant wine.
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Very tight at open, muted nose, very litle fruit on the palate. With a few hours air, berry fruit coming foward and nose developing. Next day, fruit still good, palate more complex, and nose developed even further. A bit lighter than top vintages of VT, and not quite as mouth filling, but very nice with strong potential to age to a better wine. Leave sleep for several years.
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One hour decant. Really was tight at the outset, yet picked up momentum with every minute of air exposure. I was really impressed with the structure of this wine. Dominated by red berries and a small mint-element. Will seek out more.
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Solid Cdp with raspberry and coffee notes on the nose framed by a structured palate that is not showing much right now. More dark fruit, some blackberry and raspberry on the palate with relatively mild acidity and very well integrated tannins. Holds the alcohol very well. Will show much better in another 5 years or so.
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Very young. A bit restrained, but showing cherry, graham cracker, and clove spices with a little bit of thyme on the nose, but the palate was surprisingly big. Initially, the finish was a little medicinal and slightly hot, but as the tannins came out, the alcohol receeded. Lingering finish. J. liked it less than I did, but I'm calling it a 92-94.
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From magnum at Ribs & Rhone. Purple. Very primary aromas of kirsh and raspberries. Good strong acids and middle weight fruit. Should be a winner, but needs significant bottle age to settle down and come together. Would expect to merit a higher rating in time.
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Fratello's Offline (Laguna Niguel, CA): A delicious wine. Fresh nose of raspberry jam, earth, and spice. On the palate, a blend of raspberry and strawberry jam, white pepper, and earth. Young, but very nice. 91-92 points.
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Fantastic wine, very earthy, light jammyness with bold pepper notes. this wine needs way more time to truely show itself. drinking well now though. I would say hold for another 3 years at least.
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wonderful hot rocks, exotic spices and brambly dark fruit with a few cherries thrown in. silky yet very structured. nice acidity and good finish. would have no problem drinking this often.
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Tasted over several nights. Never really opened up. A disappointment when compared to past vintages. Some structure, some classic cinnamon spice notes, cola flavors, licorice, but nothing spectacular. In view of the comments I've read from others, I do wonder whether this has just totally shut down. Might try again in a few months, but for now will NOT be stashing any of this.
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Caramel, cherries, anise and blackberries. Huge richness and concentration. Firm tannins. This wine is shutting down and showing less and less each time I try it. Huge upside. This wine will be amazing in 10 years.
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Vieux Telegraphe Vertical Dinner (Rubicon, San Francisco): Dark ruby. The last wine tasted in sequence. After the older ones, this seemed like a barrel sample--shockingly grapy, simple, and primary. A bit heavier in weight and feel than most of the others. Unfair to judge its potential in this context.
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Dark and an almost opaque purple color with a firm nose rendolent of dark berries, spice and a subtle wafting nuance of licorice. Drank this over two days and it never backed down, though on the second day there seemed to be a more rounded texture of fruit in the grip...which never wavered from start to finish. A lot of substance here for the long haul.
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From memory. Had with dinner at Lalimes, so don't have detailed recollection. But, overall impression is that this was fabulous. One of the best wines I've had to date. Nice, strong nose. Great blackberry, rasberry and boysenberry fruit, spice and a tangy meatiness on the palate. Well balanced. Powerful and elegant. Good grip, chewy, but tannins were supple and fine. Beautiful, silky texture. Not earthy, per se, but some minerals, definitely a sense that this came from the soil (as opposed to just a barrel. . ) Haven't had a lot of chateauneufs, but this is far and away the best I've had yet. I imagine this wine was young, and will get better with time, but it was wonderful right now. Didn't feel closed at all.
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Decanted 1 hour for the first taste. Not much on the nose, lots of fruit behind a wall of tannin. Let it sit a few more hours in the decanter. Wow the nose is really coming on strong now, wild cherry and blackberry effervescent nose that jumps out of the glass. Very nice on the pallate with big fruit, and spice. Poured back into the bottle for day 2 tasting. Nose not as fruity, spice and pepper taking over now. Still a wonderfull mouthfeel and loads of fruit and spice.
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Blind night- Kevin's house: big deep nose. cherries, meat, pepper. nice balance. darker fruits, some minerality. great midpalate. nice fine grained tannins. a special wine. WOTN
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Blind Night (Kevin): Blackberries, cherries, raspberries, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Well balanced with good acidity. Nice complexity but huge tannins are starting to peek through. This wine is definitely shutting down right now. Showed much better this past fall on release. This wine is special and will be amazing with some bottle age on it. If you have any, please let them sleep for at least 5-10 years. Josh was the only one in the right ballpark on this one. Most guessed Bordeaux??? This was the consensus red wine of the night for the group. 14.5% alcohol. My second contribution for the night.
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A very nice bottle of wine. Nice ripe fruit, good typicity, nicely structured and well balanced. This will be a beauty in 5 to 10 years. If drinking one early, decant for 90 minutes or more.
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Decanted 1 hour. At first the nose was a little closed, but with some air time it opened up a little to reveal some raspberry and red fruits. Nice acidity in this smooth wine that showed its tannins, and has a nice backbone to last for many years. I think this will improve quite a bit in the bottle as VT seems to take 8 - 10 years to really show its stuff.
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Wow – this really impressed me. Classic Chateauneuf aromatics – red fruits, garrique and animal. Medium bodied, but lovely depth and intensity. Young, but delicious. I think this will be wonderful for the next 15 years or so. I believe wines from this domaine are consistently underrated. (18+)
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I wanted to drink a bottle before I cellared the rest. NOTE: The case showed up today after a 2-day air travel. No rest for the weary I suppose. Based on numerous suggestions I decanted 2+ hours. An initial taste straight from the bottle before decanting came across as more tart than tannicy. The fragrance was strawberries and a darker berry. I certainly wasn't getting a nose full, but no complaints. The initial glass from the decanter was full and juicy. I was happy I splurged on a case. I smelled and sipped on it for an hour, the nose never really opened up. The second glass was more like the taste straight from the bottle. Tartness, fire and no nose. I poured some more in the glass about an hour later and kind of put it to the side. It's now 5 hours since the initial decant and we are back to glass one's flavors. I know this isn't much of a review, but the wine wasn't giving up much. I'm looking forward to see how it develops. I have a few VT '95s I may compare this to in the next few weeks.
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Nose of earth and Herbs de Provence. Very deep and fresh. Tastes of violets. Very firm tannins. Way too young. Beautiful midpalate with many layers. Quite elegant and extremely well balanced in its youth. Needed two hours to really blossom. 30 second finish. Best ever since 1978? Only time will tell. Highly recommended.
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Tasted side by side with the 1998 and 1994 VT (see TNs), all three showed beautifully tonight. The 2004 was decanted for 3+ hours before we tried it. The person who decanted it said the nose was pretty tight when he first popped it, and certainly by the time we tried it the wine had opened up nicely...TN: Fairly open, expressive nose of ripe, slightly spicy red fruit, with a note of cocoa. On the palate, slightly brambly, with seemingly darker fruit than the nose had suggested, as well as elements of cocoa and garrigue. Nicely balanced. Impressive. I was more impressed with this (recently shipped) bottle than I was with the '04 when I tried it at the domaine in June '06 (see TN). Side by side, the '04 did not have the same depth and underlying minerality as the '98, but it did show a somewhat similar red fruit profile. FWIW, the '94 was showing great, it's in an evolved, open state, offering a gorgeous interplay of fruit and decay. It would be nice to see the '04 showing like the '94 in 10 years...
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Vineyard Gate Retail Tasting (Millbrae, CA): Packed and concentrated wine. Bold and still very balanced. However, did not seem to be yielding any definite flavors during the tasting. Score should rise greatly as this wine emerges.
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Absolutely gorgeous, with a tightly structured raspberry/cherry, gamey, briary-spicy profile. About three hours later-- just in time for dinner-- it clamped down like a Pit Bull's jaw. The nose was all heat, and the palate was all tannins. It was on the rebound at 10PM, with no discernible heat. Rare beef, pepper, and cocoa were much more prominent than fruit on the nose. On the palate, it was still fiercely astringent. It needed a full day of air to resolve itself on the palate to the point where we enjoyed it. This shows great potential, but lay it down for a decade-- at least.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby color, with white pepper, spice, earth and dried fruit aromas. Earthy raspberry and red fruit flavors, with a bit of chalky mineral on the finish. Very nice.
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Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of roasted herbs, black cherries, vanilla and cayenne. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, medium ripe tannins and a black fruit-dominated palate. The wine builds on the mid-palate and finishes long.
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3/1/2024 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Eight years since last tasted; time was very kind. Superb on PnP, great color, elegant, perfectly mature with vivid, complex aromas and flavors. Burgundian popped into my head more than once. Seems in a perfect place for my tastes though it does have several years remaining. highly recommended
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2/24/2024 - LW31 wrote:
A point. Delicious red fruited CDP. Perfect with our roast squab
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12/23/2023 - SeattlePaul wrote: flawed
Corked... will try to get that replaced from the disty.
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12/19/2023 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
Final bottle - Aromas of baked red fruits and a touch of leather. Still plenty of red fruits alongside the earthy, dried meat and leather flavours that are developing. Maybe a touch lighter in intensity than the last bottle.
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12/16/2023 - despore Likes this wine: 92 Points
A: pale garnet with bricking around the rim
N: dried strawberry, dried blueberry, black plum, black pepper, garrigue, cocoa/dark chocolate, earth, leather
P: dry, high refined/integrated tannins, med (+) acidity, full body, 14.5% ABV
C: very good wine = balanced dried fruit/tertiary with integrated tannins, aged with dried fruit but still bright/lively on the palate, med (+) intensity, med (+) concentration, pronounced complexity, long finish on dried strawberry and dark chocolate. Drink now - and enjoy!
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11/23/2023 - smveluv Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyed with Thanksgiving dinner, 2023. Admittedly I'm a sucker for aged CnDP. Didn't pay quite enough attention and am writing the notes the day after.
Opened for service around 530pm, decanted off a decent bit of sediment and allowed to air for about 1.5 hours prior to dinner at 7.
This wine gained a bit of depth with air, was initially a little thin on the palate. After decanting though it came together nicely and put on enough weight to support a rather rich meal. Really nice red fruited profile supported by your southern rhone earthy notes. I recall thinking the wine exemplified the typicity of agreed southern rhone, and that I'd probably have guessed that blind. Regardless, the flavors were a great match with your traditional Thanksgiving meal. I was actually surprised at how much fruit remained given the vintage, probably skewed 70% fruit 30% rhone earthy notes, whereas I might have expected 50/50 or even less fruit.
My only knocks might be that the finish was a tad short and drying on the end. Both of these pretty minor though, and with food negligible.
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10/1/2023 - Squirreljam Likes this wine:
Well, CT tells me my last TN on this was 2011 so 12 years later …(SpongeBob narrator voice😆)
Surprisingly light on its feet, really nice but not overly expressive nose, balanced and smooth palate with hints of dark chocolate, black cherry on start and finish (but not fruity finish). Garrigue seems to have faded into background, bit of eucalyptus. It’s not young but it’s really enjoyable. Still a bit (but minor) tannic “grip”. Good example of midrange (upper mid realistically for non wine geeks) aged wine.
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9/27/2023 - Biggsy wrote: 91 Points
Meaty aromas with baked red fruits and green herbs. Velvety tannins and good acidity. Floral red fruits and black fruits on long finish. In a very nice place. Bright but fresh. Lovely. Touch menthol at the back of the finish.
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8/26/2023 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
It took a bit of air for this to get going, but really satisfying on the nose. With fine balance and mostly resolved structure. Beautiful spicebox and raspberry liqueur aromas and a heady richness that never veered into heavy territory. Really a lovely bottle. Purchased on release.
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7/5/2023 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a bottle purchased upon release and pristinely cellared, this wine was decanted off of its substantial sediment and serially tasted over the ensuing 2-3 hours. Deep garnet with bricking at the rim, it aromatically offers a core of dark plum fruit that is accented with Provençal herbs, baking spices, cocoa, white pepper, leather and loamy earth. Full-bodied, fresh, and with soft residual tannins, it follows with flavors that mirror the aromas. The wine's alcohol (listed as 14.5%) throws no heat when served at 60-65°F. Dense on the mid-palate and lengthy on the mineral-driven back end, this is currently drinking beautifully. Comparably cellared bottles should provide pleasure for another 4-5 years. Be sure to decant the wine off of its sediment and allow it at least an hour in carafe if possible. Drink now-2028.
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5/26/2023 - Wicker Parker Likes this wine:
A mellow glow, old yet fresh: dry autumn leaves, juicy blackberry compote and preserved cherries, dried herbs (esp. thyme), and the tannins have completely melted into the wine. Harmonious and gentle and really quite beautiful.
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5/23/2023 - Hamersly wrote: 95 Points
Really singing from magnum. Lovely floral nose, tannins resolved but still plenty of soft, luscious fruit.
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5/16/2023 - jkoenen wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous, trditional and generous.
Not too sweet, not too rustic, right in the middle.
Soft notes of plums, black cherries, beefstew, garrigue, brown spices and a whiff of hearty umami nuances like porcini, sundried tomatoes and vegemite/soysauce.
Well balanced, medium bodied and full of detail and finesse.
Great stuff.
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5/14/2023 - bhouk wrote:
A brilliant bottle. Flowers, leather, herbs, raspberries, strawberries — harmonious, with silken texture. I’ve liked some bottles of this vintage pretty well, thought a couple were only OK, but this one delivered the goods. Wow.
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5/12/2023 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Friday Night Brown Bagger (R&D’s): Blind. Light color. Red fruit, earth, herbs, cherry, garrigue and perfume notes; lovely. Medium-bodied, with flavors of red fruit, spice and pepper. Balanced. Double decanted off its sediment over an hour earlier.
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4/2/2023 - TroyP wrote: 86 Points
Funky
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4/2/2023 - Loathesome Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep red, high extract big and bruising. Peppery with a good length and weight. Not very subtle and takes a bit of time to open up and show and show all the fruit. Not as good as previously tasted but still healthy and does not need to be drunk up yet.
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3/4/2023 - btock wrote: flawed
Corked
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2/22/2023 - asgerG wrote: 85 Points
DnP. Medium red, yellow tinged, 5. Bouquet of C9P oxidation, +2h: Ox. replaced by Grenache liquer. On palate quite hot cooked fruit. Unbalanced! Drink up.
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1/18/2023 - Biggsy wrote: 90 Points
Quite aromatic with black fruit, and a bit of leather. Nice supple texture with delicate but slightly dusty tannins. Black fruits, cherry, leather, and tobacco on the palate. Good length.
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11/2/2022 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour, drank over 3 hours. Took a while to open up. Nose is a bit shy. Medium bodied and starting to darken around the edges. Very smooth and elegant at this stage. Dark cherry, kirsch, licorice, provencial herbs, mineral. Just lovely and still in it's peak drinking window.
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9/16/2022 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink up. Still a very nice bottle, but in decline. Tasted alongside a Beaucastel '04 that performed much much better.
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8/19/2022 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark garnet in color with slight bricking & clearing at the edges. Nose was initially funky but eventually opened up to full, forward & attractive, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & kirsch with overtones of garrigue, sous bois & earthy/dusty notes, floral notes, spices, pepper, leather, tobacco, iron, minerals & a hint of cedar undertones in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of blueberries, cherries & plums, spices, herbs & minerals. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 18 years of age it is at its peak of development. I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging, so drink up! Cork was clean & intact with the fill at upper neck.
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7/29/2022 - CHarder Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is for sure peaking. Classic CdP. Quality stuff.
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5/5/2022 - WineDuq Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened four hours prior to tasting. Brilliant ruby hue with bricking on the edges. The nose was incredible; cherry, old leather, box of old nails, garrigue, hint of tobacco. Still fruit forward on the palate, but firm, well structured. More flavors of funky cherry, iron, sous bois. Nice acidity keeps things lively for an 18-year old CdP. Finishes a bit short, but plenty of flavor. A bit drying by the end of the bottle. Really enjoyable. Drink ‘em if ya got ‘em.
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4/21/2022 - kris.h Likes this wine: 93 Points
It's a beautiful wine. Garrigue, earth, dark fruits. Lively acidity and firm tannins. Long structured finish.
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4/17/2022 - bhouk wrote:
I cannot think of a wine with greater bottle to bottle variation than I have experienced with the 2004 Vieux Telegraphe. Fresher by a large margin than one consumed a couple of years ago. Classic flavors of kirsch and brush, warm leather and mineral salts. Shows it’s pedigree well.
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4/17/2022 - neilsforest Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 3.5 hours. This is a very pleasing cndp. Best of the 3 bottles tasted since 2018 Interesting with decent length. Only negative - A little dry on the finish. Happy to have 3 more bottles but conclude best to enjoy they them sooner rather than later Very enjoyable !!
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3/14/2022 - aagrawal wrote: 86 Points
From 375mL. 1 hr decanted. Light-medium ruby; medium intensity aromatics with some raspberry, garrigue, a bit of smoke, requires a bit of searching but it's all in the glass; palate is light bodied, integrated tannins which build to a bit of a bite in the midpalate, medium balanced acidity, high alcohol (14.5%) which shows a bit, fading primary fruit without a ton of tertiary complexity to replace it; finish is short-medium length. I wanted to revisit this since it had been a few years, but while decent this does not resonate with me like some other tasting notes written here. I'm glad I don't collect Chateauneuf anymore. 86
2 hours decanted: Not substantially better. It's not a bad wine... it's reasonably well balanced and integrated and does have a bit of nice garrigue, but it's just not striking me and better than average.
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2/23/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine: 95 Points
light red to dark red. tight nose after two hours but then opened up. Beautiful clean fruit. Still quite tannic but balanced. excellent concentration.
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1/6/2022 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a perfect place. Interesting, compared to other recent reviews, this one had little settlement and only needed a brief decant. Is still vibrant, with notes of raspberry and garrigue.
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12/12/2021 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
should have decanted because of the large amount of fine sediment. It could use a decant for air also. Had it open about three hours before drinking and testing during that time indicated a very astringent harsh wine. Was very nice after three hours though: robust, rich cherry, licorice with spice and stony minerality in the background. Long finish.
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9/18/2021 - cugel_saga Likes this wine: 93 Points
Licqorice and black olive tapenade.
Responds well to a long decant.
Just wonderful.
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8/29/2021 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
This delicious red is drinking so beautifully right now! A classic CDP from a propitious vintage, aromas of Chambord, fig newton, garrigue, and anise. Big ripe black fruit on the palate, silky, balanced out by soft tannins and very decent acidity for a wine this mature. Peaking, folks! White pepper, red and black cherry licorice on a luxurious finish. Paired perfectly with sweet Italian sausage and garlic mashed potato.
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7/19/2021 - levicn wrote: 93 Points
醒酒半小时,深石榴红酒体,闻香是山楂,李子,酒精味,老酒轻微酱味,烟草和薄荷的气息,入口酸度中等,单宁细腻,酒液很咸,收口微甜,话梅汤一般的口感,李子香气。酒体饱满,口感粘稠,奶油质感,收尾是胡椒一类辛香料味,伴随着植物的微苦和清凉感,能明显感觉到橡木桶的影响,泥土气息,可可和烟熏质感明显。一支非常传统、非常经典的教皇新堡,以橡木桶和矿物感为主导,在保证浓郁度的同时又展现出结构。虽然酒精度很高却做得非常平衡,余味是成熟干果和香料味,浓郁持久。随着醒酒时间的增加,香气更浓郁,口感更甜美,增添一些黑加仑的香味,橡木桶的香草味也更明显,但只要酒温稍微升高,后段的苦感就会非常突出,需要控制在低酒温饮用才能保持完美的口感,一支不太适合夏天饮用的酒。虽然我不习惯它的风格,但是不可否认它是一支好酒,正值适饮巅峰,有深度,有复杂度,做得工整大气。
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7/14/2021 - wineshlub wrote: 92 Points
Opened one hour in advance. Dense herbal cherry aroma. Rich cherry flavor with earthy notes. Anise dominates the lingering finish. Lively, classic, some complexity, drinking really well.
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6/26/2021 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
Since my last good bottle (magnum) in 2015 this has evolved perfectly and slower than I anticipated. The raspberry notes may now be faded but the palate is velvety perfection. Drink soon.
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6/9/2021 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberries, black cherries, and licorice in the nose and flavor with some floral notes in the nose. Medium bodied, nice complexity and a medium to long finish.
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5/22/2021 - Schonnemann wrote:
Just perfect - will finish my remaining bottles within the next 2 years
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5/6/2021 - agnorger Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasting great now. In the sweet spot. Need to finish this case off in the next few years. This is why you buy good CDP.
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4/25/2021 - CHarder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best so far!
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4/17/2021 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark rocky fruits, slightly stewed, licorice, olives, garrigue and a touch of spirit. Dense, dark and very rocky / minerally. A slight edginess from the tannin and acid, but this keep everything interesting, a bit of warmth and spirit on the finish.
EDIT - this all came together after 90 mins in the decanter. Integrated nicely - dark fruit and licorice driven , very mineral, with a touch of warmth but it all hung together nicely.
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4/2/2021 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
Final of 10 x 375 ml bottles. Just delicious, still very elegant, leaning to cooked fruits and savory, complex soil flavors.
Lovely, fine-grained tannins and moderating acidity, leading into a long and soil-driven finish. Drink now.
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3/16/2021 - UMRich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful CdP drinking very well. Glad to have another in the cellar
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2/18/2021 - christyler wrote:
Dried out. Well-stored, so I was surprised.
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1/23/2021 - cugel_saga Likes this wine: 92 Points
Maybe some rip roaring blackcurrant, but it’s the herby, peppery, clover garrigue that rocks most.
Great wine.
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1/13/2021 - camben wrote:
Fantastic
Drank over 4 days
While it was close to impossible
It was great to see this evolve
Classic
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12/24/2020 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine seems to enter either decline or a second dormant period, and I am afraid, it's the first. The fruit is fading. I have followed this wine through 5 bottles and 2 magnums, with one of each left still to drink. The nose is still brilliant with garrigue and a lot of tertiary notes. The taste is with quite a ine dimensional aromatic profile, weak(ening) fruit, warm alcohol and dry tannins. The finish is shorter than usually and clearly finishing on the high alcohol. This has been a great wine to follow since the release and I will be finishing of the remaining bottles soon.
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12/12/2020 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
I might even be tempted to give this a 94. A medium to light red brick color. Immediately on the nose is classic, old world CDP. Warm stewed prunes and pitted fruit, grass, pipe tobacco, leather, dust, cooking spices, faint hint of blackberry with a streak of the alcohol that does dissipate over time. On the palate there is an immediate taste of raisin and savory stewed fruit. The sweetness no doubt has seen better days, but that is to this wine's advantage. I would even say there is a bit of tanginess which truly is enjoyable. The body is a bit too much on the light side for me as this would be an absolute killer if it had a little more depth. Do decant.
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12/12/2020 - CHarder wrote: 91 Points
Mature and drinkkng well now-3yrs
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12/9/2020 - oenanthe wrote: 86 Points
Very dark still, first taste not entirely pleasant but two hours in the decanter opened it up nicely to reveal hidden fruit and something I can only describe as garrigue. Much sediment. Lots of different tastes going on but I wondered if I had left this one too long. It appeared quite tannic still but this did not hold the wine together and by day two (left overnight in the decanter, on the counter) the wine had declined noticeably. Of course I still drank it....
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11/3/2020 - Frijole wrote:
burgundy, medium clarity, brickish hue
Nose: plum, blackberry, tea, tobacco, wet earth, dirt, clove, black pepper, oak
Pal: plum, blackberry, tea, tobacco, cigar, wet earth, dirt, spice, black pepper, dark chocolate, minerals, touch cola, oak
Feel: medium, savory, acidic
Finish: long
T9
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10/3/2020 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Decanted for one and a half hour)
Lovely maturity showing truffles, forest floor and violet flowers and some liquorice. Fully evolved tannins still showing a nice balance of tertiary notes and some fruity sweetness still in a delicious way.
(Best 2019-2029)
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7/18/2020 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
From magnum. Corked.
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7/16/2020 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Ditto Mr. Hrazdiiv! I would only add that I got some licorice on the palate and pine wood on the nose. Loved it.
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7/16/2020 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, terrific wine. Displayed a medium to light red brick color out of the bottle, definitely a shade or so lighter than a mere 16 years would suggest. But it did not indicate the slightest fault with the wine. Super old world nose right off the bat - saddle leather, roasted espresso, some forest floor. Fruit very present on the palate, with chewy tannins that were nicely rounded at this point, with oak present but restrained. Finish was medium to long, again, nicely drawing out the dark red fruit components but still nicely complimented by the earthiness found on the nose. Really nice. Tough to judge aging for me - I’d say peak now, perhaps another five years, tough for me to consider this a 10yr+ wine at this point.
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7/12/2020 - hargy Likes this wine: 88 Points
from magnum, there was no bite to this and it tasted flat with the fruit gone - there seems to be quite a lot of bottle variation?
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7/10/2020 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Breathtaking nose of red fruits, blood, garrigue and roasted herbs. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. The concentration and power is impressive. Kirsch, anise, iron and cherries on the palate. The finish is long with copious, drying tannins. Vieux Telegraphe is firmly a traditional producer and 04 was an overlooked, but traditional, vintage. The combination is just an exceptional CdP that is showing incredibly well at 16 years of age. I'll drink my last bottle at the 20 year mark.
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6/28/2020 - yipen wrote:
This bottle is pasted prime a bit, but still delicious with Plum and savoy note and no tannin left.
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6/27/2020 - mike410 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent CNP. Fruity nose, long finish and very well balanced. This is at it's peak and should be there for another 2-3 years but not longer. Tannins are very soft and just the right amount of acidity to make this wine a drinking pleasure.
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6/20/2020 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
First from case. Decanted 2 hours. Bright colour. Relatively light. Elegant fruit on nose restrained but balanced. Lovely balance and elegance on palate. Fresh and long.
Excellent . Drank alongside Clos Des Papes 2004. Tough to choose between them.
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5/9/2020 - theRealPepe Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 2004 Vieux Telegraphe always pleases me. It's a less powerful vintage but with all of the usual VT pallette, and now getting to the age where it becomes much more expressive. It's great to drink now and probably for another decade. Or more. Excellent.
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4/17/2020 - Two Winos Likes this wine:
I think this wine is dormant right now. When you drink it, it feels tightened and restrained. Almost like it doesn't want to give itself up. I'm leaving this along for at least 5 more years, may more. Just recently had a '95 and it was amazing. I can see this one getting there.
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4/12/2020 - Rico100 wrote: 94 Points
Nice but ready.0122465619
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3/23/2020 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Nicely aged, garnet color showing the slightest bit of age. Cherry and raspberry, kirsch, and minerally dry fur notes. A nice classic CdP profile.
Definitely at maturity now, should be drunk in the next three years.
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3/20/2020 - Woodbridge Brad wrote:
Brett has become minty/menthol, the balance and structure were very good. Flavors a bit murky and gassing it and going to wait a day for a second try after decanting.
Day 2: The menthol has died back and now this an aged Grenache, good stucture and powdery tannin edges. Not very aromatic, but very supple. Not totally redeamed but drinkable.
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3/17/2020 - bhouk wrote:
Third bottle — each very different from the other two. I tend to favor a little brett for the complexity it tends to add but this is too much for me.
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3/8/2020 - M.Y. Chong Does not like this wine:
Not what I expected. I think this is over the hill. Initially a lot of volatile acidity on the nose which then evolved to a Chinese plum nose. Finish with sweet plummy notes but really missing the palate - it was thin and unexciting. Not what I expected from this CdP.
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1/12/2020 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Served both from MG and regular bottle - was there a difference? I don't trust my own impressions, but it is certainly a cool VT, leaner than many other vintages, but very elegant and well structured; minerals on the forefront here, entering maturity - don't think, this will be as long lived as other vintages.
#Ratschaksvej#GoodbyeToAllThat
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12/2/2019 - H2OGEO Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptional wine. Could still go for several more years.
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10/31/2019 - neilsforest Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last tasted 12 months ago. Decanted for 2 hours. Again, a good nose and good body and long finish. Slightly dry ending.
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7/28/2019 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine started out a bit "wobbly" with some funky aromas and slightly stewed elements but righted itself nicely after just 15 minutes or so in the glass. Coming out with a still dark red slightly tinged with purple, the fruit structure on this was still intact - plums, raspberries, a bit of licorice all nicely combined with some still (slightly) present tannins to produce a nicely integrated effort. After about an hour or so the wine got even better, with the fruit coming to the foreground a bit more, making me regret not decanting it (bottle also had a lot of sediment). Stood up to some very strong food, nice finish, 20 seconds+. I'd say close to peak, maybe a few years left on this but a nice crowdpleaser at present.
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6/26/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Coravin: Crimson. Garrigue, brambles on nose. Balanced sweet fruit (not as rich as some CdPs of this kind), mostly black but some red fruit, silky, rounded tannins. Long finish.
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4/1/2019 - RMundell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking great right now.
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3/18/2019 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Did not decant. Had quite a bit of fine sediment, so should stand for a day or two and then decant.
There is something about this bottle that made it much better with food. Not sure what. Maybe seems a little ripe by itself? The nose is full of garrigue. On the palate, less of that, red fruit, tobacco, earth. Occasional hints of anise adds some interesting complexity. It seems to round out well on the finish which is quite long.
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3/2/2019 - drrobvino wrote: 95 Points
Drank from 375 ml bottle, this is my 9th of 10 bottles.
Approaching perfection for what I love in CdP. Garrigue and spice, leaning toward the red-fruited spectrum, with soil and earthy notes alongside spices. Refreshing acidity, fantastic finish. loved it.
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3/1/2019 - Krowson wrote:
Bottle corked, wasn't bad taste but just nothing good. Shame!
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2/24/2019 - NickA Likes this wine: 88 Points
I found this on the rich side, and lacking complexity. Pruney and Port-like; little secondary or tertiary character. The CT drinking window (to 2018) seems too short as there's still a decent bit of tannin underlying all the sweet fruit.
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2/12/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 83 Points
From a 375. Light-medium ruby; moderate intensity aromatics, black licorice, spice, violets, black cherry; palate is light bodied, high alcohol (out of balance), integrated mature cherry fruit, low acid; short-medium finish. Not a bad nose, but the alcohol takes over any character on the palate. I think I was a lot more generous last time because the rest of my family really liked it, but it doesn't fit my style at all. 83
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1/20/2019 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Over two days. Rich and full bodied. Very little finesse here. Pair with something bloody for a great experience.
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1/19/2019 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prune nose. Excellent mouth of prune, black licorice, grilled herbs, black chocolate. Looooong. At its peak now but many years ahead.
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12/31/2018 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Very surprised by this bottle. Almost port-like in its pruney, alcoholic intensity. Decanted for one hour and drank with herbed lamb; yummy but a bit overwhelming
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12/8/2018 - thewiz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red colour with a mature on the nose showing leather, soil and herbs before opening up with licorice and tobacco.
Smooth palate with softened tannins still showing some primary red fruit and with some tertiary notes on the well balanced finish.
Good showing tonight and matched the lamb entrecôte very well. This is drinking well now, and should evolve very nicely over the coming years showing more tertiary notes. (Best 2019-2029)
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11/28/2018 - grapist Likes this wine: 92 Points
From Magnum. Decanted for two hours. Opened considerable in that time, and continued through the meal. Rather light in color for a CdP, and perhaps "thinner" than most too, although not a thin wine itself. Roses and garrigue on the nose continue in the mouth with red berries and dark fruit. 92-93/100
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11/23/2018 - neilsforest wrote: 90 Points
Opened up over c4 hours. Interesting nose. Initially lacked body and was flat with minimal energy/weight. Eventually showed up with some length and interest.
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11/8/2018 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Corked
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10/15/2018 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
This is a beautifully balanced classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape in its prime. Opened 3-4 hours before but not decanted.
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10/13/2018 - cweiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
erved last night at a dinner partyt with a slow simmered pork butt. Lovely following a 2h decant.
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10/6/2018 - Stevey wrote: 92 Points
Pulled from 13C cellar and let sit for 24 hours. Excellent cherry fruit up front supported but fully integrated tannins. Elegant, nicely balanced. This wine is in drinking window now and for the next 3-5 years.
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9/10/2018 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over two days. Tremendous, superbly balanced and full of vibrant fruit. There seems to be good reason that the current value is 2x release price.
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8/25/2018 - wsammons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very smooth wine - good cool fruit with integrated finish
At least another 4-5 years left of drinking, but good to drink now
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8/11/2018 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice CDP. Drinking well and fully mature in my humble opinion.
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7/17/2018 - mike1234 Likes this wine: 86 Points
The most opaque purple color, hint of Cedar on nose, medium body, good acidity, bit flat in the Finish
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6/3/2018 - jseal@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
fruit and astringent, alcohol prevelant. This is classic, medium complexity, but big body and length. Chewey grape.
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6/2/2018 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Terrific bottle and still getting better when we finished it. Opened and poured a couple of glasses. Did not decant. Drank over the next 90 minutes. Was really starting to sing at the end of that period. Lots of tobacco and mineral flavors. Dark fruit - robust but not overly ripe. Everything is nicely balanced at this point. Smooth finish.
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5/13/2018 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than the bottle we had two years ago. No decant necessary. Powerful nose of ripe raspberry and velvety licorice. Classic CDP profile. More licorice in the mouth with drying red/black fruits and a finishing hit of mint. Mature and perhaps just starting to fade a bit so drink now or over the next 1-2 years. Lovely with braised lamb with spring vegetables.
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5/9/2018 - winot Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium deep carmine with just a hint of browning - earthy, leather, stewed plum nose - smooth, velvety palate, with a dryish finish - palate shows leather and tobacco nuances to good black fruit - the fruit fades on the finish where the tannins take over - I'd say drink soon, as the tannins might outlast the fruit-this would be best with something rich/fatty to parry the tannins and draw forth the fruit.
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5/7/2018 - fatsdmx wrote:
Singing. A stunning wine. No brett. Fruit well balanced against the acidity. PnP, minor decant.
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3/21/2018 - hargy Likes this wine: 90 Points
mature and well made CdP maybe lacking a little character - not for the long haul so drink over the next three or four years
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3/11/2018 - bhouk wrote:
This is a much better bottle than one consumed about a year ago, and more likely to bottle variation than maturity I would guess. Kirsch, leather, hot stones -- a lively wine for its size.
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3/9/2018 - JM_MadTown wrote: 90 Points
This is a nice, mature V.T. It has some cherry fruit, garrique, and a medium finish. Nice, but not outstanding.
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3/1/2018 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Grand Vin in da house, a different world and a different class than the modern Brunello served vis-vis. Guessed this, finally, should have nailed, it is true, blue, calm & collected, very much in the style of the vintage and the house. Still very young indeed, this can be approached - with great joy. VT rules. #NielsC
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1/21/2018 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
No formal TN, this 375ml bottle was consumed with friends from out of town.
So delicious, with refined tannins that become more apparent with an hour of aeration. Perfectly balanced acidity, with a whisper of spice layered over beautifully ripened red fruits and mint.
Drink now through 2020+.
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1/18/2018 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Light crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 14.5% ABV. The nose is scintillating with aromas of red fruit, leather, garrigue and herbes de Provence. Medium body with perfect acidity. Rustic, old school CdP. Concentrated and powerful. Kirsch, tea, dried cherries and white pepper on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with substantial tannins. Super Chateauneuf-du-Pape from an overlooked vintage. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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1/6/2018 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Perfectly mature and in a great place right now. Decanted for two hours. Very beautiful bottle that kept revealing new notes along the evening. Nicely balanced.
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1/3/2018 - rwpalmer wrote: flawed
Very slightly corked magnum.
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12/24/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Christmas Eve Dinner (San Francisco, CA): From a 375. Light ruby; highly aromatic, red fruit, spice, some garrigue; light bodied, high alcohol, red fruit; medium finish. Seems a bit unbalanced for my preference with the high alcohol, but it’s actually very forward with fruit and showing well today. A lot of the group liked it a lot. 91-92
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11/25/2017 - dead puddle wrote: 85 Points
Blind tasting d'or m'y guests. Dark hue, almost ink. Flavours of old soft prunes, BlackBerry jam, underforest notes. Granby tannins, but lacking flesh ans energy. To Kate.
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11/16/2017 - Woodbridge Brad wrote: 87 Points
Beaujolais Day 2017 (Wine Wizards Stockton): I am not wild about this wine, it is flat and has not developed that well. My cellar is well maintained, so storage is not the issue. I will give it a night to open up but the acid balance will not change, but the wine might open up other wise. Day 2, it was better but the tannins are bitter edged and overwhelm the other flavors, the acid balance has not improved, this wine was probably at is best 5-6 years ago. I opened this bottle after tasting a Domaine de la Charbonniere 2006 VV at my wine merchants earlier in the day, I have a nice vertical 2005 back to 1998 and 2004 had two bottles left so one could go now. I will be tasting the rest of the vertical blind with friends soon get a group opinion.
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11/13/2017 - Rico100 wrote: 95 Points
Superb - drinking really well right now!
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11/7/2017 - eudora Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young with terrific structure and typical flavor profile. Part of a 1995-2005 vertical.
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10/10/2017 - gew71walsh wrote: 93 Points
This was right in its drinking window. Great dark fruits and minerality. Medium finish. Paired nicely with grilled lamb chop. Probably has some years left, even though it is drinking well now.
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9/10/2017 - JM_MadTown wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark berry fruit, garrigue and mostly resolved tannins. Good, but not a great wine.
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7/11/2017 - monk1019 wrote: 95 Points
Waited a long time for this treat, to share with a friend with whom I toured the Provence and Rhone valleys! Opened 4 hrs prior to tasting. Decanting would have helped. What did it become in 2 more hours?? Rich, luscious plum and dark berries, muted woodsiness and smooth velvety tannins. The burnt sugar cane danced through in the final parts of the taste, exploding in mouth! Paired with homemade, delicious eggplant rollatini and chicken cacciatore. Did NOT want the bottle to empty!! Wishing for another!
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7/8/2017 - CHarder wrote: 90 Points
Would give it another 2-3 years
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6/19/2017 - bhouk wrote:
I loved this wine on release for its freshness and balance. It seems a little tight to me now, better with a good bit of exposure to air (like a day or so). There is strawberry and leather and a little more heat than I remember. It seems to have lost some tension and verve. This is VT and I think it is and will continue to be just fine, but it may be a wine that will never be as good older as it was when it was young and vibrant. I will need to check back in on this within a year to see if I can get a better handle on where it is heading.
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6/6/2017 - Welin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Åååååh så god. Syra på tungan, lakrits, viol, tobak. Underbar med en entrecote
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5/28/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 94 Points
Seamless, beautiful CdP, at a perfect point in it's drinkability. Consumed from a 375ml bottle. I have 3 more of these, and will enjoy them all by 2022 or so.
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4/14/2017 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely rubin red colour with a lovely maturing nose showing leather, truffles and spicy blackberries. Smooth tannins with lots of fruit left on the palate in a perfect balance. Nice licorice in the sweet and warm finish. This was drinking very nicely tonight, and has lots of life left to evolve even further over the next decade. Best 2019-2029.
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3/19/2017 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Second Sunday Group: Montalcino (Leon's): Popped and poured. This particular bottle was ready to go from the start. Red berry fruit along with herbs, lavender, roasted meat and peppery spice aromas follow through on the palate. Soft tannins with plenty of fruit and spice carrying through the finish. paired perfectly with braised short ribs. Just beginning to enter a lengthy window of prime drinking, now through 2024+.
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3/5/2017 - Rico100 wrote: 94 Points
sublime
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2/12/2017 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a clear, strawberry-colored wine that glimmers in the glass. There is some caking on the inside of the bottle and some modest sediment toward the end -- reminder to self to decant next time. On the nose, I get kirsch, pine needles, sea breeze, stones, and scrub. In the mouth, this has sweet raspberry and wildlands notes, leaving a tangy and herbal finish. Overall, this remains a fresh and lively wine; a CdP with good balance and persistence. This is not a show-stopper wine, but plainly is very good indeed. 91 points.
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2/1/2017 - drrobvino wrote: flawed
This wine was mildly corked. Still drinkable, but not fully enjoyable based on previous bottles.
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1/15/2017 - Bourgognefreak Likes this wine: 92 Points
mature, open and accessible CdP. Rather powerful but still balanced wine.
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12/31/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Medium bodied, fresh, lively, earthy, kirsch, black cherry and herbs are right where they need to be in the nose, and on the palate. You can definitely enjoy this wine with pleasure.
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12/25/2016 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 91 Points
From magnum
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12/12/2016 - Tim Heaton wrote:
The release of this vintage marked a time when I began to lose interest in this region (had been a fan for over a decade at that point), finding the wines, for my palate, generally too ripe and unbalanced. As I prefer to have some age on a wine, I do so with the careful consideration that the wine's got to be able to offer the right amount of freshness as well, once said time has arrived. That said, this was nice, and did have a few moments of fun, but it was also pretty unmemorable. I may age my last one as an experiment; I want to believe, but this bottle left me wanting.
Aerated to decanter 4 hours, returned to (clean) bottle and served at cellar temp. A pretty tight range of foods/dishes, the wine not showing a lot of breadth.
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11/27/2016 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
My son killed a rabbit, and made rabbit stew. I opened this wine (in 375mL format) as a salute to his birthyear, and to go with the stew.
Upon opening, it seemed possibly corked. This passed on the 2nd day, where the wine opened up beautifully and seemed well-integrated, with significant soil notes, and great structure with quite noticeable tannins. Showing off mature red fruits, licorice, road tar, garrigue, earthy green peppers, and rocks. Quite complex, quite serious, yet with an underlying elegance. Drink now through 2020+, but in the 375mL format, I will drink my remaining bottles in the next 2-3 years...it's perfect.
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11/26/2016 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well but probably not for long. Red cherry and plum with some earth and leather notes. Good finish, still has decent acidity to it.
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10/11/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
From a 375. Light ruby with some bricking appropriate for middle age; nose is aromatic with plenty of red fruit, some meatiness, some spice; palate is medium bodied but good concentration of fruit throughout, surprisingly dense and chewy youthful tannin, medium alcohol and medium fresh acidity, never over-ripe; finish is medium length. Overall at this point this wine does have good CnDP characteristics, though somewhat denser than the average grenache-based wine, atypically youthful tannins for this age and for 5+ years since my last half (and from half!), and good fruit, though lacking the depth of complexity that it may still develop with more time. Has at least 5+, possibly 10 years left. 92
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6/27/2016 - Mossrose wrote: 94 Points
A superb wine, that we tasted against 6 other wines nearly every lunch and dinner for 4 days, that has everything it needs and is supremely delightful, integrated, and savory, without being the biggest, blackest, and richest. Very delicious, refreshing, and smooth, with a great balance of fruit, acid, and tannin. Has aged magnificently into the best this vintage has ever been.
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6/18/2016 - Nick4378 Does not like this wine: 85 Points
As others have mentioned this needs time to open up. Quite closed & dumb initially. However after some air the nose is quite inviting with dark fruit smell. Nice dark fruit & spice initially on the palette too. However, after trading with some earth this slaps you across the face with a rather crude & boozy finish. A crude wine that is lacking refinement for me.
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6/14/2016 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Decanted. Tough to figure at first. Odd, almost heat damaged flavors, but they receded as it opened up. Still strange. hard to describe. I'm going with cooked, but it's a head scratcher.
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6/12/2016 - drmarclevine wrote: 88 Points
Crazy tight. Took two hours in the decanter to show anything at all. Muted black fruit and some buttered toast but overall it didn't really pop. Lacked weight and power.
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6/4/2016 - theRealPepe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showing very nicely. Reminds me of 1999, a vintage that showed all the fine VT characteristics, but dialed down. At this stage, this is perhaps a bit fruitier. Enjoyable now, but still no rush here. Excellent.
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5/16/2016 - moany rhoney wrote: 94 Points
Resolved yet still fruity, Savoury and dry yet not at all bitter. Deep but light on it feet. I enjoyed it.
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5/2/2016 - irish95 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Totally closed when opened. Over the course of dinner, it came alive, but I don't think I'd wait until 2022 to drink it. Next few years.
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4/28/2016 - dcwino wrote: 90 Points
Scott's Wine dinner at Honeysuckle, a bit of everything! (Honeysuckle, Washington DC): Sort of unfair to be served with the 04 Celestine. Ripe black fruits, fruitcake, baking spices, a hint of garrigue and earth. Good concentration and medium finish. A bit of heat at the end. Comparable to a pretty solid $30 retail regular cuvee CDP.
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4/21/2016 - beatles Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a word: great; a showing not dissimilar to the 2004-tasting, this is cool, calm and collected with a clear and precise fruit, the strict backbone of the domaine and the light elegance of the vintage. A brilliant result in a overlooked vintage, #with PB @ the domaine
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4/13/2016 - Guillaume-en-égypte Likes this wine: 91 Points
I liked this a lot, concentrated and complex, much more open than the 2005 and without the sweetness or the weight of the 2007....in some ways this seemed the best of these wines. The others probably have more to come, this seems in a good place to drink now...
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4/7/2016 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 85 Points
This has been in my cellar since Kermit Lynch released it, frankly it is disappointing. Quite advanced in age and a bit tired it is still enjoyable but it should be more vibrant at this point. I was disappointed with the 2001 and more so with this vintage. It is not a question of the cellaring conditions which are good, but of the wine
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3/27/2016 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very enjoyable, tannins seem to be resolved, I would enjoy now.
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3/18/2016 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 91 Points
The nose, while not super expressive, does give off some nice dark cherry fruit aromas. This vintage of V.T. seems to have more fruit to it with notes of dark cherries, and ripe plums. On the savory side, it has notes of saddle leather, spices, garrigue, nice minerality and medium acidity. The tannins are fully resolved, but the wine should continue to age well.
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3/10/2016 - brihprivat wrote: 86 Points
VT - Vertical 1983-2012
Tasted alongside the 2003, both wines were a bit dissapointing, stewed, overripe fruit, alcohol too dominating. A bit better than the 2003, but not my style. Flawed?
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2/17/2016 - Rico100 wrote: 94 Points
Superb
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2/11/2016 - Per-Harald Likes this wine: 94 Points
Has opened up and developed many different shades, fruity aroma dominated by red and dark berries, hints of dried fruit, spices and oak barrels. some dried fruit, spices and fat, firm aftertaste, wine does not taste any better than this!
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1/22/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
So good and so gone! The last of 6. Still fresh tasting. Deep rich flavor that took a while to develop.
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1/20/2016 - drrobvino wrote: 94 Points
Oh me, oh my. This is gooood.
Silky smooth after PnP from a 375 mL. Shows notes of black cherry compote, perfectly ripened plums, smoked meat, and gravel/soil.
Perfectly balanced med acidity, with soft and silky tannins that build with air. Deliciously long finish, this wine will keep going through 2023 or so. Marvelous.
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12/2/2015 - agnorger Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a baby. Closed upon opening and needs time to develop. It is going to be good for a long time ahead.
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11/22/2015 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
This bottle was disappointing.
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11/17/2015 - greenblanket Likes this wine:
Paired with a saffron forward Abruzzi lamb ragu. Maybe not a classic pairing but it was wonderful. The wine was medium bodied, notably fresh and showed a nuanced balance of fruit and garrigue and earth.
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11/5/2015 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Stony, precise, concentrated – and young; tannins are still very evident, lingers on, quite juicy underneath as well. Grand Vin.
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10/8/2015 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Another great bottle continuing to improve as it got more air. Didn't write notes at the time so no specifics, but it was really beautiful.
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9/14/2015 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
From magnum this bottle showed all the elegance of a cooler but ripe year. A hint of raspberry and olive on the nose, but it was the sweetly rounded palate that really impressed.
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8/17/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Medium garnet. Expressive nose of garrigue, red fruit with earth and and amimalic touch, nice and complex. Enters the palate medium-light for a CdP and holds good freshness and tannins. A fully mature wine with good balance.
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5/28/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a magum purchased upon release and cellared in pristine condition, this wine was brought to a restaurant for a dinner celebration with friends. Deep ruby and immediately intensely fragrant, it offers blackberry, garrigue, spice box, lavender and leather aromas. Full-bodied, fresh and with medium-weight, sweet tannins, it follows with flavors which mirror the nose. Listed as 14.5%, the alcohol shows no heat. Solid in the middle and very long on the finish, this wine remains youthful but is beginning to show some lovely secondary characteristics as a result of time in the cellar. It should provide pleasure for several more years. Drink now-2024.
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5/14/2015 - Imagnu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Complex truffle and raspberry nose. Tannins still firm, but very approachable. Delicious ripe fruit. Developing well an hour after opening. Lovely wine.
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5/13/2015 - swade wrote: 90 Points
Some tawny, orange shadings at the rim. A blast of garrigue comes out with the cork. Age-smoothed entry. The offers notes of garrigue, black cherry and kirsch. There is some heat on the finish and a wall of tannins. 89-90
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5/11/2015 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Starts out a bit sketchy and disjointed. Different story after 60 minutes of air. Not a great VT, but a fun, garrigue filled wine (true to vintage) that is rustic and enjoyable. Should drink well for many years to come. (91)
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4/6/2015 - randyjc wrote: 92 Points
It was a pleasure to drink an earlier-vintage Vieux - more understated and friendly than, for example, 07, 09 or 10. Very black purple with a hint of alcohol on the nose but mostly earth, lilac and ripe black plum. In the mouth there is a bit of spice cake and a long melange of black fruit flavors, ending with a bit of sweet tannin and pepper. Long finish that gently tapers away. All in balance and pleasing. This was in the magnum format so perhaps a bit behind 750 evolution - my impression was that visiting this in ten years would be fine and probably a fair bit better than today. And today was pretty darn good.
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2/6/2015 - redknife Likes this wine: 89 Points
took to brasserie central
unfortunately did not decant; wine was closed but had potential
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1/10/2015 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
dark purple core - looks very young
very fresh floral nose
tannin, structure and refreshment - this is more like it!
some length, restrained
Very young, lots of fruit and ripe tannin. This has a long life ahead of it but already gorgeous
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12/21/2014 - hadlieh2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
had with crown rack of lamb and was so good it didn't last to the end of the meal. no residual alcohol.
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11/22/2014 - PhilJ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent bottle of CdP. Bursting with rich fruit and spices.
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11/2/2014 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Just a notch deeper than the '04 Charvin before it. Spice and pepper notes made it stand out. Some blackberry and kirsch, but a lot of savory, earth notes. Better in the evening after the formal blind tasting, with only a slight drop to 92 on day 2.
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10/26/2014 - Brix wrote:
Egads. I have no idea how to score this. If, like me, you've stored this wine at cellar temps, put it back and don't even think about drinking it for another decade. Not remotely ready to drink: primary, tannic, opaquely purple. Even after 3 hours of decanting, disjointed and harsh, barely hinting at future nuance. I saved half a bottle for tomorrow but I'm not optimistic that it will improve much. Not flawed, just painfully, egregiously, criminally immature.
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10/20/2014 - pwillen1 wrote:
Ready for business! Lovely dried herbs and lavender, then very savory in the mouth. Some tannins but mostly integrated. Long, smooth finish. Seems a bit early maturing but should last another 5 years plus.
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9/3/2014 - ctulsky wrote:
Clear ruby hue with orange rim.
On the nose, it primarily exhibits a bouquet of flowers including rose petals, lilac, lily, and lavender soap, followed by dried prune, dried apricot, stewed fig and pomegranate with subtle nutmeg to top it off. Slight touch of volatile acidity. Sour red fruits on the palate, leather, spice, midium tannin, midium-plus acid. midium-high alcohol. The tannin has some ways to integrate but it is fully expressive on the nose. Nicely layered wine with strength and finesse. Consume between now and 2020.
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8/30/2014 - pifcho Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classical CdP profile. Kirsch, herbs de Provance, some dark chocolate. Quite suave and lush palate. Everything is well proportioned, with the exception of some alcohol sticking out. Very well made, but lacks some whoomph to be special. Drinking slightly better on the second night, but good with a couple of hours of air on Day 1.
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8/21/2014 - FYC wrote:
Purchased on release. One of the first wines I purchased to age. Started with a 6 pack and down to 2 after tonight. Bit of alcohol blew off. Red cherry fruit, hint of soy, hint of seaweed, a little bit of earth. Nicely balanced. Not much secondary notes yet. In a nice place but room for improvement.
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8/1/2014 - lvjohn wrote: 87 Points
Decanted and let rest for one hour plus. Showed hints of being a bad bottle because of a very medicinal and unappealing aftertaste. That feature faded and left us with an ok taste experience.
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7/27/2014 - Noeyedeer wrote: 91 Points
That's it - just drank my last bottle of 2004 - how sad! This is a pretty classy CNdP with the berry flavours and tannins nicely balanced. It also has a lovely long finish with flavours being enjoyed long after the swallow.
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7/20/2014 - vinole wrote: 93 Points
See note by thelostverse.
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7/20/2014 - AllRed wrote:
Dinner with M/M vinole (HB Bistro, Chicago): Tasted just a couple of minutes after vinole opened it, and it was tight. Red currants, herbs and pepper with red berry notes on the palate. I missed the opportunity to retaste it.
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7/20/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Opened by Vinole at Home Bistro. Second time I've had this and it is singing right now. Dark fruit with a hit of spice. Probably my favorite red of the night.
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6/15/2014 - snipes wrote:
Drinking well with about 2 hours of air. Got a bit spirity around the 1 hour mark. A bit of funk with a nice freshness. This bottle was enjoyable, but I'm hoping for more improvement over the next few years
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5/8/2014 - llink wrote: 91 Points
The nose screams VT, very classic kirsch, spice, sea brine and blackberry elements. Still fairly tight and clenched on the palate with good intensity of flavor and really very accessible. Shortish finish and could show further development but no harm in opening one today.
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5/4/2014 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
In a nice drinking window. Great food wine with earth notes and underbrush on a nicely balanced palate. Good fruit, clean finish.
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4/21/2014 - matt182 wrote: 90 Points
Better than 2005 at this point but was very closed after popping, muted, sweet red fruit and licorice showed after at least 3-4 hours of air. Pepper, spices, garrigue and fine tannins. Last bottle.
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4/11/2014 - UTPK wrote:
Took 30 min to open up. Fairly stemmy nose with some vibrant dark notes of wood, manure and cranberries. Uneventful attack, medium body with some astringency left. Finish is carried by acidity. Not my favourite producer in CNDP.
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3/23/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich, robust CDP built for food and pleasure. Very nice.
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3/3/2014 - fingers wrote: 87 Points
Notes after 12 hours open. Color is dark magenta-black, about 90% opaque, with a light haze and clear average legs. Small amount of sediment. Nose is timid, giving some spicy Syrah notes and light garrigue. Palate feels like it's near maturity by way of smooth tannins, transparent acidity, and invisible alcohol. Flavors are still in development but I don't think there's much more that the wine can offer from this vintage. Slid downhill rapidly into flat and stewy after about 10 hours. 4+10+16+7 = 87
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2/19/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of liquorice, black tea, some alcohol. This wine is meaty, full bodied, tannic but balanced. Good fruit on the palate and a concentrated finish.
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2/9/2014 - Herschel Krustofski wrote:
Rather muted; somewhat underwhelming. Opens up a little after two hours, but still.... a little worried about this cork - may have dried up while the bottle was standing on the shelf at Adnams (London, Bloomsbury); parts of the cork are nearly completely soaked. This bottle is no match for a number of other 2004 Châteauneufs at this price range. Disappointing.
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2/2/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased upon release and cellared under ideal conditions, this wine was double-decanted prior to serving at a walk-around Super Bowl party. It was allowed three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. Despite being ten years of age, this wine retains its youthful deep ruby robe. Pleasantly fragrant, it remains in "primary phase" with respect to its nose and palate. Bramble fruits, garrigue, clove and cinnamon aromas and flavors are supported by a full-bodied frame with fresh acidity, medium sweet tannins and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14.5%). Solid in the middle and impressively long on the finish, this wine can be enjoyed now (which I would consider to be its youth) or cellared for another 7-10 years in order to appreciate the "metamorphosis" that characterizes age-worthy Châteauneuf. Drink now-2024.
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1/27/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
Opened 3 hours but not decanted. Light colour sweet fruit and spice on the nose. The palate was slightly sweet with moderate acidity and a nice finish.
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1/17/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Resolved with large crimson rim; leather, cranberry, duller fruit, fig; spicy, tart red fruit, not bright, sweet gingerbread, fruitcake, almond extract on finish, long; not a strongly structured vintage but a very balanced wine, resolved and drinking well, tasty.
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1/7/2014 - henryd1 wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good, but not a patch on a bottle of the 1995 I had a couple of years back.
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1/4/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Garnet. All garrigue aromatically to begin, but later showed more bark and tobacco. Similarly, light, spicy with little fruit at first, but then gains some texture, blue fruit and even a bit of chocolatiness, all wrapped up by fine acidity. This has continued to do very well in a cooler style-particularly impressive out of this smaller format bottle.
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12/26/2013 - JOJ wrote: 94 Points
Loved this. Mature, rounded CdP. Nose of strawberries, flowers, pepper, and underbrush. Palate bursts with a beam of strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, underlaid by a mineral/chalky limestone streak. Still fairly acidic. Good stuff.
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12/24/2013 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tannins soft so now drinking well. This is good VT without being great.
WoFW 15.5/20
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12/15/2013 - theRealPepe Likes this wine:
Dark ruby red color. Served cool, about 55F. Some earth, spice, pepper and kirsch on the nose. Palate has lots of ripe red fruit, with some earthy tones, orange pith, a hint of plum, refined tannin, and slightly drying on the finish with kind of persimmon-type astringency. Quite nice and is drinking well now. This should be even more interesting as it ages into it's 2nd and 3rd decades.
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12/14/2013 - dead puddle wrote: 93 Points
Blind tasting for my guest. Heavy nose of liquorice, coffee, jam of blackcurrant, sap. Exactly like a Christmas pudding. The mouth explose of fruits, sap, cedar, long after taste. The end is a bit astringent, like orange peal. But what an experience. 93. An old-school blockbuster, complex, excellent, the final could be a bit more improved.
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11/23/2013 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
So delicious. Tasty as can be.
No formal note, but should drink well now through 2023.
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11/5/2013 - rwpalmer wrote: 88 Points
From magnums this was still bright but not especially deep, and more importantly primary in its nose and general development. Refined impression on the palate. Some CNDP 2004's can seem a little mean but this is nicely judged with many years in hand.
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11/2/2013 - petec-s wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful complex old school wine, licorice and herb garden nose, raspberry then macadamia palate, pure long and dry, class tannin 14.5% great bottle.
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10/30/2013 - pjaines wrote:
This one is struggling a touch to open up and there is a slightly scorched soil, burnt herb tang. I was expecting more leather and sweeter red fruit. Nevertheless there are some more blacker elements underneath the firmer structure. No rush to drink, but I'd be pushed to place it as Chateaneuf. Some camphor coming through. Needs some more time to develop, although I'm pretty sure other bottles I've had of this have been more open.
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10/28/2013 - 1961Vintage wrote: 92 Points
Score is for day two when the wine really opened up. Layers of multiple and lively red fruits engaged the palette. Definitely a difference on the nose as well. Happy to have a couple bottles remaining.
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8/9/2013 - DonDon wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. I usually go for the heavier styles but this was a wonderful reminder of French elegance at its best. Super smooth. Great balance. Opened up wonderfully afte decanting. Very enjoyable indeed
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6/23/2013 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
No detailed notes as consumed while away, but drinking very well now, entering a great window.
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5/27/2013 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Wow, what an inauspicious beginning but what a great bottle. When I tasted it on opening it was extremely bitter, thought it was flawed. Almost got another bottle immediately, but waited. After about 20 minutes that bitterness was gone. At an hour, it was beautiful.
A mix of dark fruit flavors and red berry fruit flavors, medium bodied, a lot of minerality, garrigue spice, some black pepper that picked up the black pepper on the veal nicely, very long smooth finish. Simply gorgeous!
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5/12/2013 - citizen1 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 1 hour. Lovely
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3/10/2013 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2000 Grand Cru Red Burgundy (Rich & Dana's): Dark fruit, violets, warm stones and garrigue. Really nice fruit and spice notes on the palate. Long finish.
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3/8/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Un nez d'épices et de kirsch, avec de l'anis.
La bouche montre une belle vigueur, du fruit et de la fraîcheur. J'aime bien ce profil traditionnel, qui n'est pas marqué par l'alcool. Il n'a pas la profondeur d'autres millésimes médiatisés (à juste titre), mais comme plusieurs 2004, il vient nous chercher avec une expression franche, authentique et équilibrée. 91 pt
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2/10/2013 - kanjimoti wrote: 92 Points
Thought I may have been too late for this half bottle. So wrong. The 04 La Crau is still wrapped up in itself with plenty of beautiful fruit, tannin, glycerin, and much complexity. This is meaty, beaty, and still has plenty of bounce, even from a half showing just a whisper of oxidation. Amazing wine. Drink by spring, 2020.
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2/7/2013 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Let it breathe....30 minutes. Then the violet, balance and depth shine. Smooth and incredibly enjoyable. More complex than I had imagined for a wine at this price point.
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2/1/2013 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bramble, herby nose with soft ripe tannins on the palate. Flavours continue to develop with tar and liquorice hints. Good VT without being great. WoFW 15/20
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1/14/2013 - JDV.DDSPHD wrote: 92 Points
I wished I had decanted this for a few hrs prior to dinner but we really didn't have an option. Still very young ' could use another decade in the cellar. With that said it was quite vibrant with brooding plum & black cherry. The minerality & earthiness come through on the palate with tobacco on the end. Very nice.
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12/30/2012 - 1961Vintage wrote: 92 Points
More delish with every sip. Well made, well balanced and great nose of violets and crushed dried fruit. Long life ahead..
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12/30/2012 - Imagnu wrote: 90 Points
Still tight - firm acids & tannins. Fruit unite shy, opened up a bit after few hours.
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12/25/2012 - pbeauparlant@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted one hour and served with pheasant. Bright color, still very fruity and dense. Alcohol present but integrated. Cherry and spice dominated. Nice acidity and could be conserved longer. Much more interesting than when tasted 5 years ago. Will buy again
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12/15/2012 - atbarbar wrote:
Blood and some spices, vanilla, kirsch on the nose. Blood mineral and bitter sensation on the palate. Bitterness in the aftertaste is a bit too excessive. It needs more time to mature I guess.
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12/14/2012 - ecpratt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nicely balanced to a point. The tannins were still too strong to let the wine shine but would benefit from more time in the bottle or a long decant. Tasted head to head with an 04 pegau and found the pegau to be further along and more in balance with good fruit. Brought these wines to Bibou and had with the venison medallions. CDP went very well with the medallions.
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12/8/2012 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Christmas BYO (HSH): Intense and young nose with dark plums and spices.
Fresh cherries on the palate with plenty of dried spices and a solid cranberry-flavor acidity.
Powerful young wine!
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11/10/2012 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Bright red fruit dominated by cherry in smooth layers with a nice spice finish.
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11/7/2012 - Litigater2 wrote: 90 Points
I was concerned that the wine had turned when I first opened the bottle. But it evened out after a little while. Strong cherry flavors right from the start, almost like cough syrup in flavor, but not thick and so much better.
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11/3/2012 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Cellar Diminishment Party (M/M thelostverse): Notes of dark fruit and spice, plum and garrigue. Dark fruit, white pepper and garrigue flavors on the palate. Long finish.
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11/3/2012 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
Opened by Allred @ CDP.
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10/18/2012 - sehill Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine has left a fair amount of sediment and it benefits from careful decanting. This wine gave an outstanding showing for its combination of youthful fruit and underlying maturing elements. The aromatics shows black fruits, granite, herbs, underbrush and spice notes. The color is a maturing tarnished dark ruby that is appropriate for the wines age. The medium bodied palate shows excellent overall balance and medium length on the finish with tannins remain present. This is most likely at or around its peak and should continue to drink well over the next six to eight years.
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9/30/2012 - Biggsy wrote: 91 Points
Very sweet, ripe nose with powerful cherry fruit and dried herbs. Very forward and primary with a lovely cherry bakewell flavour. Dry, spicy tannins help give some definition to the sweet fruits. Excellent, plenty of potential to improve.
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9/15/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Lighter ruby. Very fragrant with herbs and red fruit. Elegant, spicy and vibrant due to excellent acidity. Picked up some volatility toward the end. Very good and at its peak from this small format.
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9/4/2012 - ghood wrote: 92 Points
Showing well, rich, creamy fruit with some pepper and wet earth in the background. Not sure this is going anywhere else based on this bottle, but it's quite nice right now.
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9/1/2012 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consumed in vertical tasting of 03, 04, 05, and 06. Opened bottles 6 hours before consuming. All bottles would have been better with decanting as all opened up as the bottles were consumed.
03-lighter in style, stoney with more mineral, plum and spice.
04-more extracted, heaviest of vertical, raspberry,mineral, velvety.
05-less extracted, chewy spiced black fruit, hotter, minerality present.
06-More like 04. Floral, nutty, stone, less fruit. Super finish.
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8/26/2012 - JOJ wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Just excellent. Melange of aromas, changing from cherry to herbs to pepper to wet earth. On the palate, sweet cherry and pomegranate intermingle with notes of pepper, licorice, and chocolate. Nicely acidity, with moderate tannins. Intriguing and drinking very well now.
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8/15/2012 - Grape Juice Godiva wrote: flawed
Corked! Two more put away...
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8/12/2012 - cfe wrote:
Decanted for four hours prior to tasting. Aromas of herbes de Provence, plums and black cherries and garrigue are in there, and the mouthfeel is that of a fairly large scaled CDP, but not particularly evolved yet. It is still fairly monolithic to my palate. Needds 5 additional years of age IMO. Try again in 2017, okay maybe 2015.
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6/10/2012 - gesusser wrote: 91 Points
decanted 2 hours but still needed time; day #2 = classic CdP; young wine, can easily wait several years on remaining bottles
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5/31/2012 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
The wine is medium ruby in color, with notes of ripened plums and black cherries on the nose, followed up by tar, old leather, black pepper, and a nice streak of rocky minerality in the upper register. I catch a bit of alcoholic heat on the nose as well. In the mouth, this CdP shows flavors of raw meats, with a more tart fruit profile of black cherry and pomegranate, tobacco, supported by beautifully integrated tannins, excellent balance, leading into a medium-to-long finish that shows suppleness, a velvety mouthfeel, incredible elegance, and the hint of what is to come with this incredible effort. Will drink nicely for 10+ years, IMHO.
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5/26/2012 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours, out of a 375ml bottle. A beautiful medium ruby in color, 13.5% abv. This CdP shows off a very fragrant nose of ripened bing cherries and plums, with a strong medicinal/iodine quality that melds nicely with scents of soil, meat, and strong spice/pepper. Very rich, a bit heady and Grenache-esque at this point. On the palate, this CdP reveals it's pedigree by showing nicely restrained ripe dark fruits of black cherry and plum, leading into one of the most pure tobacco tastes I have ever experienced in a wine, complicated further by notes of wet wood, a little barnyard funk, more spice, and moderately mature tannins that usher in a gorgeous, chalk and mineral-laden finish that goes on for 45+ seconds. The wine is utterly delicious at this point, but I imagine the window on drinking has just opened recently, and will go on for 10+ years. Fabulous.
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5/21/2012 - WineTrooper wrote: 91 Points
This was a lovely wine, somewhat on the lighter side for a CdP, but the lineup of powerful Cali/Northern Rhone Syrahs it was served after probably made it seem so. I thought it was in a good drinking window, and the final two bottles I own will probably not make it too long before I kill 'em.
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5/18/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Cherry liqueur smell. Medium weight, very vibrant fruit, deep anise core, crisp acidity. Young, vigorous and really tasty.
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5/9/2012 - lvjohn wrote:
Beautiful floral and dark fruit nose.
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4/21/2012 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Beautiful. Showing lots of structure. Raspberry fruit, hints of iodine, lots of rocky minerality, and very spicy. Long finish.
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4/21/2012 - Kraigers1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took at least an hour to open up. At first, tasted slightly acidic and alcohol but in time, you'll be rewarded. Flowers on the nose like a good CDP, but limestone and a leathery taste with bursts of cherries revealed. Wine surprised me - thought it was past its prime but after opening up think there are many more years ahead of it. Good thing I have 1 more bottle.
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4/7/2012 - Larre wrote: flawed
Corked!
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3/17/2012 - schway wrote: 94 Points
Delicious. Cherry, wild herbs, dirt, meat, spice Wonderfu ripel fruit, great structure, long finish, terrific. Rustic beauty. Drinking great right now but expect it has many years ahead of it. Wish I had more.
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2/3/2012 - zarped wrote: 92 Points
très beau nez de épicée, mentholé fruits rouge bouche de fruits rouges légèrement anisés, garrigue, épices, très grande longueur
très bel accompagnement d'un diner truffe aux tablettes de JL Nomicos
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1/23/2012 - Daffo wrote:
Really nice bottle. Nice nose and lots of red fruit, peppar. Full bodied
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1/9/2012 - 1961Vintage wrote: 92 Points
Classic nose, classic mint, classic deep red fruit...just classic!
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12/27/2011 - JOsgood wrote: flawed
Slightly corked but still drank really well initially. With air, the cork taint became more obvious.
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12/26/2011 - the godfather wrote:
slightly corked....unfortunate, seemed to have the stuffing
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12/25/2011 - UTPK wrote:
Tasted alongside Pegau 2004. The Pegau was more meaty and dense both in smell and taste, while the VT was more elegant, lighter and more stemmy. The VT had a bouquet of green herbs, some medicine and bright red fruit. The attack was leaner than the Pegau and had a medium body. OK length but not a great wine at this stage.
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12/17/2011 - PhilJ wrote: 91 Points
Gorgeous aromas of fruit and spice. Light bodied for a southern rhone, but spicy notes on the palate still needing time in a decanter to unwind a bit. Excellent.
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11/24/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby hue. Aromas of raspberry, spice, and earth. Flavors of blackberry, anise, Herbs de Provemce, tar, raspberry, cherry, and earth. Very well balanced with nice freshness and acidity. Chewy tannin. Good depth and complexity on the midpalate and finish. Built for age. Seems to be sleeping a bit compared to earlier experiences. Hold for 2-3 more years. Built to age. 14.5% alcohol.
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11/21/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Fairly light bodied, almost Burgundy-like in is beautifully perfumed aromas. Cherry, berry flavors with light tannins. A nice wine but pretty atypical in its delicacy.
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11/12/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes, it could have used more as the wine continued to open in the glass. Med body. Clean. Strawberry, chocolate, compote/fig flavors. Super-fine tannins coat the tongue and roof of the mouth. A little heat in the throat the first few sips, but this burned off quickly. Very nice.
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10/2/2011 - Squirreljam wrote:
Impression only from a few days ago; one word would be rustic. From the pop, intriguing nose, with lots of garrigue, that faded with air (the later nose wasn't as good). On the palate, tight with some stems and green pepper but a distinct note of red fruit. The whole time this was open, the palate felt a little hollow. After about an hour's air, it also became tight and less forgiving on the finish. For me, this isn't ready and I will try to remember (with CT help) not to open another for several years.
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9/21/2011 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Hearty, classic garigue flavored CdP. Seems open for a young VT yet the fruit is primary. Fine to drunk now but I think another 5 years will add interest and sweetness. Still, a fine mouthful of wine tonight. (91+)
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8/28/2011 - City Wine Journal wrote: flawed
Cork showed signs of seepage, capsule was not spinning, and wine was slightly pruny. flaw.
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7/23/2011 - skifree wrote: 91 Points
First VT I opened - not disappointed at all. Juicy fruit, some intriguing "stemminess", a bit peppery.
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5/30/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Medium translucent ruby. Some surmaturite aromas gave way to red raspberry, licorice and a light dusting of green herbs. Physiologically ripe fruit freshened by the acidity of the vintage. Very good showing but again very different from the more brooding dark bottle I had in early 2010. This wine continues to confound, fortunately tonight in a pleasant way.
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4/24/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From a 375. Light ruby color; nose intense, cherry, earthy mourvedre, lovely; palate is very young structurally with intense tannins, juicy red fruit, mouthfilling texture; nice spice on the finish and it is quite long-30sec. An excellent wine, and very young. My next half won't be for ~2 years. 92-93+
Update: 1hr air: Showing some complexity, still tannic. Needs more air.
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1/1/2011 - austinbeeman- austinbeeman.com wrote: 91 Points
A dark rich red leading to black. Black currant and pepper on the nose. Medium weight with crushed dark fruits and a stony character. Very nice wine, but not as good as I remember.
$37.99/ 375ml OH Retail.
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12/14/2010 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Verticale Vieux Télégraphe
Nez de dattes, avec de la réglisse noire. La bouche est riche, un peu chaleureuse, la finale est épicée et d’une belle complexité. Pas aussi long que le 4e vin (2007). Je croyais au 2006. 91-92 pts
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11/25/2010 - bruceb wrote: 89 Points
Drank at a restaurant; we opened it about an hour ahead but still this was not nearly sufficient. It remained extremely closed, and could have easily demanded another 3-4 hours in a carafe. Absolutely no nose, and the flavors were restricted. Despite the reported drinking window of 2007, onward, I would not recommend opening this wine for another five years or more. Tremendous potential, but not presently ready.
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11/5/2010 - tournesol wrote: 91 Points
Pepper, anise, dark cherry, young tannin and good acid. Noted alcohol.
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9/4/2010 - Tarrant wrote: 93 Points
Wow, explosive and still too early surprisingly even after a 2 hour aeration, will be interesting to see how the Beaucastel '04 that is still in the decanter compares - Dark brick, full bodied with a nose of cherry, plum, spice, pepper and vanilla, very complex and powerful, still very young tannins and needs time, comes alive with food, sour, smooth on the finish with awesome length (93+ Points).
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9/2/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Medium red, pale rim. This started out all cherry jam/liqueur with more than a trace of alcohol. For all of that, not that big or heavy in the mouth, in fact, rather fresh with a nice earthy edge. Some greener aromatics appeared later. In the end, the heat was still bothersome, and the feel was not pleasing. Each half bottle of this has been an unpredictable adventure. I was not crazy about this one.
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8/7/2010 - Laughs and Juice wrote: 89 Points
Never fully opened, even with a few hours decanting. A bit disappointing but I blame it on me opening it too soon. Won't open the other bottle for a few more years
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7/31/2010 - last chance wrote: 88 Points
Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The nose was largely unrevealing. It was served a little cooler this time than I had tasted it previously, but it had a plasticy aroma that wasn't very pleasant. The palate had raspberry and sweet strawberry flavors and again drew comparisons to a medium bodied Pinot from me.
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7/31/2010 - tarheel17 wrote: 92 Points
WLTV and others do CdPs (Bellevue Wine Storage): nose: tar, sappy. very focused/penetrating nose, with smoky essence.
palate: light mouthfeel, dominated by raspberry and other red berries, soft tannin, rather delicate. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
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7/3/2010 - garambler wrote: 93 Points
I opened this with friends on 7/3/10. It had a slightly reserved bouquet of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, anise and spice. The palate followed with good acidity, moderate tannins and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, spice and minerals. It had a long, terrific finish. 92+
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6/11/2010 - last chance wrote: 89 Points
The nose had bramble fruit, cherry and anise aromas. The palate had raspberry, strawberry, licorice, earth and a fig newton-like note. This wine had a much lighter mouthfeel than I had expected. This drank much more like a Pinot Noir than what I expected from a Southern Rhone wine. Medium bodied with a medium length finish.
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3/29/2010 - willjschmidt wrote: 92 Points
Rich, lush, fruit forward. Cherries and other dark fruits. Very complex and lots of layers. Leather and tobacco as well. Very delicious wine.
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2/17/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Man, very different impression from prior tastings, and in fact, the darkest, most somber facade I've ever noted in a VT. Very bark-like aromas with licorice and olive-I would have thought this was Beaucastel or some Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. Strong, well integrated acidity, medium weight, tarry. Only later did brighter red fruit and plums appear, along with some early perfumed, herbal secondary notes. Excellent but not typical of VT in my experience.
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2/16/2010 - hfindlay wrote:
I agree with Mr. Visser -- really spicy and a little thin upon opening, but drank the remainder the next day at lunch and was absolutely delicious. Filled out, balanced, and integrated. Verdict: a lovely vintage that's not ready to drink yet.
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2/7/2010 - MatthijsVisser wrote:
Did not decant this long enough so still very closed and tannic. Do not open the next bottle for at least another three years.
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12/10/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Lance's Birthday (Bowling Green, OH): Herbal smoke nose, a little shy. Tannic, medium+ acid and body. Garrigue. Slightly green and rustic.
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10/31/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Six Vintages of Vieux Telegraphe (Vin Vino, Palo Alto): After a subtly corked bottle we started over. Medium to lighter red with paler edge. Piquant nose of raspberry and some creosote. Lighter weight, lively due to its snappy acidity. The feel and quality of fruit reminded me of Chambolle Musigny. Probably my third favorite wine. It has developed beautifully in the 2 1/2 years since the one time I previously tasted it and found it to be grapey and simple.
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10/16/2009 - Burgaddict wrote: 90 Points
Ruby colour. Nose of dark fruit (raspberry, bramble), leather, figs, liqourice. Taste full of dark fruit and a complex mix of secondary tones (leather, spice, mint, chocolate, pepper). Pleasant lenghty aftertaste. Directly after opening the wine seems not fully integrated with a hot peppery finish, after 2 hours and especially the next day the wine is much better balanced and drinks very well.
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10/12/2009 - gunpwdr wrote: 94 Points
Yet to be let down by Vieux Telegraphe. Nose: Licorice/sarsaparilla/root beer, fig sauce, cherry liquer, tar, char siu, and cocoa. Dark, brooding, and never stops showing - I could sit here nosing it all night. Palate: Licorice, chocolate, mint, sugary figs, kirsch, raspberry liquer... and this is all up front. A second wave of licorice, then tar on the mid-palate followed by some very nicely balanced tannins and acid. Long finish... 45+ seconds. This VT is definitely more tar than fruit. Less so than the 2003 and much richer, and way more delicious, but not nearly as fruited as the whopper that is 2006. I need to fill in the gap and drink the 2005 to see who the winner is. The 2004 is drinking really nice right now though.
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9/15/2009 - godx wrote: 90 Points
Poured into a decanter and drank over 2 hours. Medium ruby, very slight brownish hue showing, barely. Had first glass right away, but was quite tight and hot on the finish. After an hour in decanter, it opened up a little, but not fully. Was giving some notes of kirsch, leather, raspberries and a very slight hint of VA on the nose. After 2 hours it showed a bit more on the nose giving further notes of sweaty socks and ripe raspberries…both sweet and sour. On the palate, black raspberry and black cherry with leather. Medium to high acidity, medium tannin, medium body, medium finish. Lots of fruit. But not over the top. This wine is delicious. Needs another 5-10 years to truly show its stuff. Hold. Excellent. 90+
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9/13/2009 - snipes wrote:
Still drinking wonderfully. A balanced wine that's starting to show the cherry undertones I enjoy so much from VT.
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8/22/2009 - iamandyc wrote: 90 Points
Deep for a DP with good structure. Nose was closed. Dark fruit. Have more to age and looking forward to how it matures
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7/10/2009 - madeiradog wrote: 92 Points
Delicious and ready from a half-bottle but should continue to improve for a few years. Dark fruit character, almost syrah-like, with some hint of garrigue.
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7/1/2009 - madeiradog wrote: 92 Points
First half bottle of this and the cork has a red streak almost up to the top - could it be heat damaged? Thankfully, it was not. More advanced than what I would have suspected but then it is a half bottle. Solid core of dark juicy fruit with some lavender and rosemary.
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6/23/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
Ruby red color. Red berry nose with some earthiness. Tastes of raspberries with plumb, earth, garrigue, cherry, pepper and exotic spice. Exceptionally well balanced. Deeply complex with nice length. Starting to show very well with a long glorious life ahead. My daughter's birth year. Happy fifth birthday to Elle. 14.5% alcohol.
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5/9/2009 - snipes wrote:
Popped and poured. This wine gets better with each bottle I open. Medium bodied. The alcohol has just about completely integrated. There was nothing disjointed about this bottle last night. Juicy cherry and dark strawberry notes that I associate with mature bottles of VT with the right amount of mineral and earth to give it some weight. A balanced wine that went well with simply prepared grilled bone in pork chop. I'll continue to enjoy these while waiting for the 05's to come around.
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5/1/2009 - sehill wrote: 91 Points
This wine was decanted and poured. It was tasted side-by-side with the 2005. This showed exceptionally well but slightly lacked some of the completeness of the 2005. This wine showed a similar profile to a bottle tasted in September of 2008 with forward, primary fruit more toned down with this bottle. This wine does show similar characteristics to the 2005 and like the 2005 should age well over the next decade.
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3/23/2009 - chiliman96 wrote: 87 Points
not much aroma; tannins need time; wine tastes hot and alcoholic; may be better with age?
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3/23/2009 - thewineoceros wrote: 94 Points
Clear garnet with a hugely complex nose. Raspberry, strawberry, oak, sweet spices, liquorice, vanilla, herbs, the list goes on. Medium acidity, and understandably tannic. These wines are renowned for needing time. Usually 10+ years will see the true colours emerging. This however was great! An abundance of red fruits, more liquorice, spices ,white pepper. Will cellar some from the Brunier family for future enjoyment.
This with a good stew, maybe a moroccan stew for the spice, would be truly divine
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3/11/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Old School Wineauxs do Rhones (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Bright big nose of violets and big juicy ripe berries. Some complexity peaking through on a tight palate. Strong grip. This almost drank new worldish to me with its abundant big ripe berry fruits and none of the seconday characteristics you usually see in the regions bottles. Very good but not your dad's CdP.
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3/2/2009 - tendring wrote: 96 Points
A really exciting, inviting nose, animal farmyard aromas and fresh green vegetables with crushed black pepper.
This is lovely to drink now with a beautiful balance, integrated baked fruitiness and tannins but there's so much potential it's a shame to drink this wine so young. Maybe at its best in 6 - 20 years!
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3/2/2009 - moods wrote: 92 Points
Wine Education Service Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting (LSE, London): Magnum. Fresh, cedary and brambly fruit aromas, some vegetal nuances and a touch of marzipan. Tannins are quite soft, plenty of baked fleshy fruit and tremendous persistency. Well balanced and delicious.
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1/23/2009 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Barnyard, mineral, floral
Taste: Some heat with mineral, floral, barnyard, earth
Finish: Medium and intense
Evaluation: Solid effort 92 points
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1/1/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
nose of earth , cherry, cedar. nice balance with more cherry, some tannic structure and a nice finish
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12/25/2008 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Medium body, very good, but probably not showing everything yet.
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9/29/2008 - bknysak wrote: 90 Points
From 375, double decanted. Oh so yummy, chocolate ganache, fruitcake, a little framboise. Round, plump, pleasurable. While not the most rich or profound vintages of VT, and certainly holding something back, it is a lovely wine with a nice medium-term future.
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9/28/2008 - sehill wrote: 93 Points
This wine was decanted and continues to show well. This is the fourth time this wine has been tasted since release and it has shown exceptionally well on each occasion. The aromatics show chocolate, granite, spice, plum and raspberry notes. The color is dark ruby to purple. It is youthful and vibrant. The medium/full bodied palate shows excellent concentration and balance. The tannins provide grip on the finish without being overpowering. This should age well and compares favorably to the "05 VT.
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8/9/2008 - Terran23 wrote: 89 Points
Chocolate, pastry like nose. Sensed plum and raspberry. Classic style wine, subtle, light body. The finish was surprisingly short, like it drops off a cliff. Decanted for 40 minutes and paired it with thin slices of steak, can't say if this enhanced the flavor or not. I just don't have much experience with French wine. It was enjoyable, however, and I had a pleasant evening sharing the bottle with my wine buds.
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7/8/2008 - duchamp wrote: 93 Points
(from memory) Dark purple/red, a modest nose but opened as the night wore on, raspberry, spice, kirsch, cherry and big sauve tannins on the generous palate, long to super long complex finish
Second time I have had this wine, this has really opened up from a year ago, much fuller, rounder and memorable
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6/7/2008 - jivey wrote: 94 Points
Completely shut down, crushed stone, Red fruits, licorice, cherry, very rustic in style and nicely balanced. Can't wait to try this with some age. Solid.
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5/7/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Raspberry, spice earth, and cherry. Very firm tannins. This wine is built to last. Seemed to be shutting down last year but now much more approachable. Excellent balance. Incredibly complex finish. 14.5% alcohol.
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4/15/2008 - Vinoguy wrote: 91 Points
Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, CNdP & Domaine les Pallieres, Gigondas (Roberts & Speight): Poured with the 2005. Dull in colour by comparison. Medium bodied, nice balance and structure, quite soft. Strong singular flavours of cassis and raspberry, some cherry also. Medium length finish. 90 - 91 pts. £29.99 per bottle.
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4/11/2008 - d'Artagnan wrote: 89 Points
Nez d'herbes de Provence avec une pointe d'alcool perceptible. Beau vin avec ce coté confiture de fraises propre au domaine, une bonne concentration de fruit sans excès, sauf pour ce coté capiteux que je semble retrouver dans plusiers 2004. Un bon mais pas un grand VT.
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1/9/2008 - DAN BAILEY wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed with a nice wagyu beef sirloin steak. Bottle was decanted and served over the following hour. Surprisingly for a young VT, this bottle was open for business and indeed singing. Noble, rich, deep colour. Nose was a little mute but the palate was superb. Plenty of tannins but they were gorgeously sweet and backed up by lovely, refreshing dark berry fruits. An absolute winner.
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12/15/2007 - lhickey wrote: 91 Points
Drank over 3 days. Held up very well. Enticing fruit aromas. Wonderful texture with tart red fruit, spice, deli meat, fine acidity, young but integrated tannins. Refreshing. Young but good now. Elegant wine.
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12/14/2007 - Rechrom wrote: 90 Points
Very tight at open, muted nose, very litle fruit on the palate. With a few hours air, berry fruit coming foward and nose developing. Next day, fruit still good, palate more complex, and nose developed even further. A bit lighter than top vintages of VT, and not quite as mouth filling, but very nice with strong potential to age to a better wine. Leave sleep for several years.
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11/30/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Needs air. I will hang on to the last one for quite a while before opening it.
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11/28/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 92 Points
Notes from memory.
One hour decant. Really was tight at the outset, yet picked up momentum with every minute of air exposure. I was really impressed with the structure of this wine. Dominated by red berries and a small mint-element. Will seek out more.
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11/18/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
nose of earth, black cherries, raspberry. nice mouth with balance, although tight (not decanted), and complex.
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11/10/2007 - mimik wrote: 92 Points
Solid Cdp with raspberry and coffee notes on the nose framed by a structured palate that is not showing much right now. More dark fruit, some blackberry and raspberry on the palate with relatively mild acidity and very well integrated tannins. Holds the alcohol very well. Will show much better in another 5 years or so.
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11/5/2007 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Very young. A bit restrained, but showing cherry, graham cracker, and clove spices with a little bit of thyme on the nose, but the palate was surprisingly big. Initially, the finish was a little medicinal and slightly hot, but as the tannins came out, the alcohol receeded. Lingering finish. J. liked it less than I did, but I'm calling it a 92-94.
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8/25/2007 - cfe wrote: 90 Points
From magnum at Ribs & Rhone. Purple. Very primary aromas of kirsh and raspberries. Good strong acids and middle weight fruit. Should be a winner, but needs significant bottle age to settle down and come together. Would expect to merit a higher rating in time.
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8/21/2007 - mreinitz wrote: 91 Points
Very big and dark for a CDP. Tasty, but still a somewhat primary; will definitely improve with time.
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7/24/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
Fratello's Offline (Laguna Niguel, CA): A delicious wine. Fresh nose of raspberry jam, earth, and spice. On the palate, a blend of raspberry and strawberry jam, white pepper, and earth. Young, but very nice. 91-92 points.
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7/13/2007 - dre wrote:
Fantastic wine, very earthy, light jammyness with bold pepper notes. this wine needs way more time to truely show itself. drinking well now though. I would say hold for another 3 years at least.
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7/8/2007 - Eric wrote:
Purchased off the list at CK's. Smokey Grenache. Black cherry. A bit of garrigue. Somewhat chunky but surprisingly friendly and approachable.
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7/2/2007 - br wrote:
wonderful hot rocks, exotic spices and brambly dark fruit with a few cherries thrown in. silky yet very structured. nice acidity and good finish. would have no problem drinking this often.
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7/2/2007 - rob1869 wrote: 87 Points
Not bad straight away but better after a night in the stoppered bottle. Less full than the Pegau Res. 04 with less nuance and length.
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7/1/2007 - cab wrote:
Tasted over several nights. Never really opened up. A disappointment when compared to past vintages. Some structure, some classic cinnamon spice notes, cola flavors, licorice, but nothing spectacular. In view of the comments I've read from others, I do wonder whether this has just totally shut down. Might try again in a few months, but for now will NOT be stashing any of this.
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6/11/2007 - agnorger wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful aromas loaded with so french character. Nicely balanced. Flavors evolved over 2 hours. Nice now, I think it will hold for another 10 years.
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6/8/2007 - Geoffrey Carter wrote: 92 Points
Opened and decanted 3 hours. Showed really well after about an hour in the glass. It will be awhile before I open another.
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5/20/2007 - whittyj wrote: 92 Points
Great wine, my favorite of the 04 Châteauneuf tasting I had. If I am going to get a high quality French red wine this is probably it.
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5/18/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 88 Points
Rhone dinner with Paul Jaouen (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Not showing as well as the bottle I had a couple of months ago. Very tannic. Monolithic now - needs time. Last time I saw tremendous upside - this time it had shut down too hard to tell.
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5/18/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
vanilla, spice, grilled meat. touch of bitterness in mouth. not as good as last tasting. hold the rest for awhile
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5/18/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
Caramel, cherries, anise and blackberries. Huge richness and concentration. Firm tannins. This wine is shutting down and showing less and less each time I try it. Huge upside. This wine will be amazing in 10 years.
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5/14/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
Vieux Telegraphe Vertical Dinner (Rubicon, San Francisco): Dark ruby. The last wine tasted in sequence. After the older ones, this seemed like a barrel sample--shockingly grapy, simple, and primary. A bit heavier in weight and feel than most of the others. Unfair to judge its potential in this context.
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5/10/2007 - Siggy wrote:
2007 France Trip - Pegau, Pierre Usseglio, Monpertuis, Vieux Telegraphe, Dinner w/ Philippe Cambie (Southern Rhone): Perfumed red fruits on the nose. Tea, leather, rhubarb/cherry. Moderate concentration. Good.
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5/4/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 92 Points
Really great wine...Big fruit with an almost jammy, but textured feel...very rich and oppulent
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5/2/2007 - Tejano wrote: 91 Points
Dark and an almost opaque purple color with a firm nose rendolent of dark berries, spice and a subtle wafting nuance of licorice. Drank this over two days and it never backed down, though on the second day there seemed to be a more rounded texture of fruit in the grip...which never wavered from start to finish. A lot of substance here for the long haul.
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4/21/2007 - schway wrote: 94 Points
From memory. Had with dinner at Lalimes, so don't have detailed recollection. But, overall impression is that this was fabulous. One of the best wines I've had to date. Nice, strong nose. Great blackberry, rasberry and boysenberry fruit, spice and a tangy meatiness on the palate. Well balanced. Powerful and elegant. Good grip, chewy, but tannins were supple and fine. Beautiful, silky texture. Not earthy, per se, but some minerals, definitely a sense that this came from the soil (as opposed to just a barrel. . ) Haven't had a lot of chateauneufs, but this is far and away the best I've had yet. I imagine this wine was young, and will get better with time, but it was wonderful right now. Didn't feel closed at all.
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4/12/2007 - Frijole wrote:
clear ruby, burgundy, cherry red, silver edges
Nose: pepper, cranberries, rosemary, thyme, burnt cherries, oak, minerals
Pal: pepper, cranberries, chalk, tannins, tart apples, limestone, burnt cherries
Feel: medium, tannic
Finish: long
TC8
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4/11/2007 - SimonG wrote:
Uncorked Rhone Tasting (Uncorked, Exchange Arcade, London): Nice nose, elegant, fragrant and scented. Slightly high toned acetone on the finish but otherwise clean and elegant. Good. 4
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4/1/2007 - dcleven wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour for the first taste. Not much on the nose, lots of fruit behind a wall of tannin. Let it sit a few more hours in the decanter. Wow the nose is really coming on strong now, wild cherry and blackberry effervescent nose that jumps out of the glass. Very nice on the pallate with big fruit, and spice. Poured back into the bottle for day 2 tasting. Nose not as fruity, spice and pepper taking over now. Still a wonderfull mouthfeel and loads of fruit and spice.
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3/24/2007 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Meaty red fruit and dusty earth tones. Lots of dark fruit on the palate with firm tannins.
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3/21/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 93 Points
Blind night- Kevin's house: big deep nose. cherries, meat, pepper. nice balance. darker fruits, some minerality. great midpalate. nice fine grained tannins. a special wine. WOTN
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3/20/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 94 Points
Blind Night - Kevin's place (Kevin Stoddard's house): Young and tannic. Shutting down, but showing beautiful fruit. Will be stunning with time. (Double-blind. Kevin's bottle.)
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3/20/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
Blind Night (Kevin): Blackberries, cherries, raspberries, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Well balanced with good acidity. Nice complexity but huge tannins are starting to peek through. This wine is definitely shutting down right now. Showed much better this past fall on release. This wine is special and will be amazing with some bottle age on it. If you have any, please let them sleep for at least 5-10 years. Josh was the only one in the right ballpark on this one. Most guessed Bordeaux??? This was the consensus red wine of the night for the group. 14.5% alcohol. My second contribution for the night.
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3/10/2007 - kris.h wrote: 93 Points
A very nice bottle of wine. Nice ripe fruit, good typicity, nicely structured and well balanced. This will be a beauty in 5 to 10 years. If drinking one early, decant for 90 minutes or more.
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3/10/2007 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
From .375. Big nose of brambly fruit, licorice and cola. Full-bodied, black fruits, a lot of structure - but still tight
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2/25/2007 - SMG wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour. At first the nose was a little closed, but with some air time it opened up a little to reveal some raspberry and red fruits. Nice acidity in this smooth wine that showed its tannins, and has a nice backbone to last for many years. I think this will improve quite a bit in the bottle as VT seems to take 8 - 10 years to really show its stuff.
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2/25/2007 - dbkitc wrote:
Wow – this really impressed me. Classic Chateauneuf aromatics – red fruits, garrique and animal. Medium bodied, but lovely depth and intensity. Young, but delicious. I think this will be wonderful for the next 15 years or so. I believe wines from this domaine are consistently underrated. (18+)
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2/23/2007 - snipes wrote: 91 Points
I wanted to drink a bottle before I cellared the rest. NOTE: The case showed up today after a 2-day air travel. No rest for the weary I suppose. Based on numerous suggestions I decanted 2+ hours. An initial taste straight from the bottle before decanting came across as more tart than tannicy. The fragrance was strawberries and a darker berry. I certainly wasn't getting a nose full, but no complaints. The initial glass from the decanter was full and juicy. I was happy I splurged on a case. I smelled and sipped on it for an hour, the nose never really opened up. The second glass was more like the taste straight from the bottle. Tartness, fire and no nose. I poured some more in the glass about an hour later and kind of put it to the side. It's now 5 hours since the initial decant and we are back to glass one's flavors. I know this isn't much of a review, but the wine wasn't giving up much. I'm looking forward to see how it develops. I have a few VT '95s I may compare this to in the next few weeks.
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12/5/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Nose of earth and Herbs de Provence. Very deep and fresh. Tastes of violets. Very firm tannins. Way too young. Beautiful midpalate with many layers. Quite elegant and extremely well balanced in its youth. Needed two hours to really blossom. 30 second finish. Best ever since 1978? Only time will tell. Highly recommended.
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12/3/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Tasted side by side with the 1998 and 1994 VT (see TNs), all three showed beautifully tonight. The 2004 was decanted for 3+ hours before we tried it. The person who decanted it said the nose was pretty tight when he first popped it, and certainly by the time we tried it the wine had opened up nicely...TN: Fairly open, expressive nose of ripe, slightly spicy red fruit, with a note of cocoa. On the palate, slightly brambly, with seemingly darker fruit than the nose had suggested, as well as elements of cocoa and garrigue. Nicely balanced. Impressive. I was more impressed with this (recently shipped) bottle than I was with the '04 when I tried it at the domaine in June '06 (see TN). Side by side, the '04 did not have the same depth and underlying minerality as the '98, but it did show a somewhat similar red fruit profile. FWIW, the '94 was showing great, it's in an evolved, open state, offering a gorgeous interplay of fruit and decay. It would be nice to see the '04 showing like the '94 in 10 years...
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11/17/2006 - Wine Spam wrote: 93 Points
Vineyard Gate Retail Tasting (Millbrae, CA): Packed and concentrated wine. Bold and still very balanced. However, did not seem to be yielding any definite flavors during the tasting. Score should rise greatly as this wine emerges.
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11/1/2006 - ArieS wrote: 92 Points
From a 375ml.
Beautiful ruby color with violet edge.
Great fragrant nose, spices, red fruits. On the palate, licorice, berries, pepper.
Excellent.
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10/30/2006 - Brix wrote: 91 Points
Absolutely gorgeous, with a tightly structured raspberry/cherry, gamey, briary-spicy profile. About three hours later-- just in time for dinner-- it clamped down like a Pit Bull's jaw. The nose was all heat, and the palate was all tannins. It was on the rebound at 10PM, with no discernible heat. Rare beef, pepper, and cocoa were much more prominent than fruit on the nose. On the palate, it was still fiercely astringent. It needed a full day of air to resolve itself on the palate to the point where we enjoyed it. This shows great potential, but lay it down for a decade-- at least.
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10/28/2006 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby color, with white pepper, spice, earth and dried fruit aromas. Earthy raspberry and red fruit flavors, with a bit of chalky mineral on the finish. Very nice.
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10/13/2006 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of roasted herbs, black cherries, vanilla and cayenne. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, medium ripe tannins and a black fruit-dominated palate. The wine builds on the mid-palate and finishes long.
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10/13/2006 - jim dixon wrote: 92 Points
A great bottle from a very consistent producer. Strong but sweet tannins. The usual (lovely) licorice and spices on the nose.
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9/15/2006 - EricB wrote: 82 Points
Suprisingly fruity – almost American zinfandelesque. Perhaps was a bad bottle - but did not enjoy.
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6/15/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Tasted at the domaine. Balanced. Fine acidity. Good fruit. Raspberry. Clean style.
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