Tasted blind. Fragrant nose of apples, some butter, and popcorn. Nice acidity with orange zest, citrus, and good minerality. Nice finish.
The color was very golden and there was some debate whether this was premoxed (especially given the producer and vintage) or just aged White Burgundy. I do think it was slightly move "advanced" than it should have been, but at the same time it was very enjoyable. It could've used a bit more weight on the palate to really feel "Grand Cru", though.
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Brilliant pale colour, green and gold with pleasing tints against the light. Elegant aroma, and a delicious classy glass of chardonnay at its best. No sweetness, fruit and acidity in balance, a wine for sipping without food. Very pure with rapier like precision, a very arresting bite, and great length. Delightful. Certainly ready, but I wonder if it will get better still with a few more years.
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Like most Girardin's, this showed well, but doesn't approach the greatness that the vintage and vineyard are capable of. Good, enjoyable, just not rock star.
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Two bottles consumed from the same lot (both purchased from the "Surgeon's Library" wine collection offered through Benchmark, with exceptional provenance and storage), yet the wines were distinctly different. Thankfully, neither bottle was premoxed...not for my palate, nor the group who sampled the wines. The first bottle showed more youthful though...probably showed younger than one would expect for an 11-year-old. This bottle had a stony minerality and felt light in the mouth. Wonderful lemony brightness. Very fine. Good acid cut and lovely balance. The second bottle had a touch more yellow color, and was richer and fatter in the mouth. More fruit than the first bottle, and the acid was a bit more under wraps. This one had some lovely buttery character, and after awhile open, showed a hint of fresh mint. This second bottle displayed the level of development I expected for a sound 2002. Some tasters commented that both bottles showed delicious spice character as well. Both bottles were quite enjoyable in their own way. I should also note that despite the knocks on Girardin as an oak-abuser (especially in this pre-2005 period), neither of these bottles showed as oaky at all. If they ever showed as oaky before (I did not have this wine younger than it is now), the oak has been nicely absorbed and integrated. At this stage this is a very classy wine drinking well.
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Celebration for Bud's Seventieth Birthday (Eketahuna, New Zealand): Rich aged Chardonnay that was slightly clumsy at the table. Highly oaked with bottle age character and lots of presence in the mouth. The flavours veered towards opulence and tropical flavours that to my taste were slightly unrelieved by the structural elements in the wine. I would call this outstanding but slightly out of balance.
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Popped & poured. Only just ready. Lightish colour. Lovely flavours of hazelnuts, straw & flowers. Excellent bite in mid-palate; no butter, no honey (and no premox). Well balanced. Very good indeed.
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This was the best of a case I have purchased. yellow but not gold no browning. Nose pleasant but not too revealing but the palate was awesome: britght citrus fruit with a rich long creamy finish. It was even better with food. 5+12+18+8
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This is a texture driven wine. Smooth and sexy, well balance. Lightly nuanced, only showing hints of potential. May come alive with food as well. Every sip reveals something new. Lemon custard and minerals. This has a slight backbone of acidity, but fleshy and rich. Honey in the nose and more vanilla driven oak flavors than a bottle I had late last year. The oak is more integrated now. Very nice medium bodied drink. Not a knock you over the head style, but introspective and thought provoking.
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Clear rim, yellow, slightly pale appearance. Nose interesting, white petals, bees wax. Zesty acidity, lemon, mineral, and a long finish. Still fresh and young
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Pale straw, quite some legs; intense, pure – almost delicate – nose, but beautifully nuanced, 2* Michelin finesse – think “spiced poached pear” at its zenith; very full in the mouth – clean pure rich and poised apricot and hazelnut flavours with marked acidity; very good length and poise; will keep. 4-
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4/5/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Fragrant nose of apples, some butter, and popcorn. Nice acidity with orange zest, citrus, and good minerality. Nice finish.
The color was very golden and there was some debate whether this was premoxed (especially given the producer and vintage) or just aged White Burgundy. I do think it was slightly move "advanced" than it should have been, but at the same time it was very enjoyable. It could've used a bit more weight on the palate to really feel "Grand Cru", though.
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10/17/2020 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Developed nicely, a little bigger now with evolution but still good precision. Perfect cheese accompaniment.
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4/25/2018 - psyrah wrote: flawed
Corked
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4/1/2018 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Clear focused mineraly
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9/13/2017 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
best bottle yet - excellent BV - tension, intensity, acidity all right to balance
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8/29/2016 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
good bottle again, but start to think this would need a bit more acidity, so possibly time to drink
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1/15/2016 - steinersing wrote: 92 Points
lovely, minerals, fine - a bit in the shadow of a bunch of Leflaives we had earlier this week
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7/27/2015 - Remony wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant pale colour, green and gold with pleasing tints against the light. Elegant aroma, and a delicious classy glass of chardonnay at its best. No sweetness, fruit and acidity in balance, a wine for sipping without food. Very pure with rapier like precision, a very arresting bite, and great length. Delightful. Certainly ready, but I wonder if it will get better still with a few more years.
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9/6/2014 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
Perfect bottle, still youthful but sufficiently interesting to drink now. Honey, purity, fine.
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7/9/2014 - godx wrote: flawed
A Week in Osoyoos; 7/5/2014-7/11/2014 (Osoyoos, BC): Fully oxidized. Down the drain.
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2/16/2014 - VoteferPedro wrote:
Golden hue, mineral nose with good fruit and faint savoriness on the finish
My last but still alive and can be enjoyed for a while
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12/22/2013 - VoteferPedro wrote:
deliscious, like last note
one glass left was even better the next day…this one keeps going on
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12/14/2013 - steinersing wrote: 92 Points
Good contrast between a pure acidity and some honey / citrus overtones.
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10/18/2013 - BradE wrote:
Like most Girardin's, this showed well, but doesn't approach the greatness that the vintage and vineyard are capable of. Good, enjoyable, just not rock star.
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8/25/2013 - godx wrote:
La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Vancouver) - Summer Luncheon 2013 (Vancouver, BC): This bottle was much fresher than mine (same source though). There was some stony minerality with nice lemon and orchard fruit flavours. Quite good.
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8/25/2013 - godx wrote: flawed
La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Vancouver) - Summer Luncheon 2013 (Vancouver, BC): Quite advanced.
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8/25/2013 - Blair Curtis wrote: 93 Points
Two bottles consumed from the same lot (both purchased from the "Surgeon's Library" wine collection offered through Benchmark, with exceptional provenance and storage), yet the wines were distinctly different. Thankfully, neither bottle was premoxed...not for my palate, nor the group who sampled the wines. The first bottle showed more youthful though...probably showed younger than one would expect for an 11-year-old. This bottle had a stony minerality and felt light in the mouth. Wonderful lemony brightness. Very fine. Good acid cut and lovely balance. The second bottle had a touch more yellow color, and was richer and fatter in the mouth. More fruit than the first bottle, and the acid was a bit more under wraps. This one had some lovely buttery character, and after awhile open, showed a hint of fresh mint. This second bottle displayed the level of development I expected for a sound 2002. Some tasters commented that both bottles showed delicious spice character as well. Both bottles were quite enjoyable in their own way. I should also note that despite the knocks on Girardin as an oak-abuser (especially in this pre-2005 period), neither of these bottles showed as oaky at all. If they ever showed as oaky before (I did not have this wine younger than it is now), the oak has been nicely absorbed and integrated. At this stage this is a very classy wine drinking well.
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6/22/2013 - Marc wrote: 90 Points
Celebration for Bud's Seventieth Birthday (Eketahuna, New Zealand): Rich aged Chardonnay that was slightly clumsy at the table. Highly oaked with bottle age character and lots of presence in the mouth. The flavours veered towards opulence and tropical flavours that to my taste were slightly unrelieved by the structural elements in the wine. I would call this outstanding but slightly out of balance.
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10/9/2012 - Remony wrote: 93 Points
Popped & poured. Only just ready. Lightish colour. Lovely flavours of hazelnuts, straw & flowers. Excellent bite in mid-palate; no butter, no honey (and no premox). Well balanced. Very good indeed.
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9/1/2011 - VoteferPedro wrote: 93 Points
This was the best of a case I have purchased. yellow but not gold no browning. Nose pleasant but not too revealing but the palate was awesome: britght citrus fruit with a rich long creamy finish. It was even better with food. 5+12+18+8
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8/22/2011 - Flavito wrote: 89 Points
A little tired, perhaps some premox.
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7/13/2011 - VoteferPedro wrote: flawed
Prematurely Oxidized.
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8/21/2009 - VoteferPedro wrote: 91 Points
Great balance of acidity and fruit
lingering finish...this was a slammer
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12/28/2008 - VoteferPedro wrote: 91 Points
enjoyed at dinner last night, was very consistent with last notes but a tad less exciting
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10/24/2007 - P.A. Cross wrote: 94 Points
This is a texture driven wine. Smooth and sexy, well balance. Lightly nuanced, only showing hints of potential. May come alive with food as well. Every sip reveals something new. Lemon custard and minerals. This has a slight backbone of acidity, but fleshy and rich. Honey in the nose and more vanilla driven oak flavors than a bottle I had late last year. The oak is more integrated now. Very nice medium bodied drink. Not a knock you over the head style, but introspective and thought provoking.
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9/22/2007 - VoteferPedro wrote: 92 Points
Clear rim, yellow, slightly pale appearance. Nose interesting, white petals, bees wax. Zesty acidity, lemon, mineral, and a long finish. Still fresh and young
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1/1/2004 - HandPickedBurgundy wrote:
Pale straw, quite some legs; intense, pure – almost delicate – nose, but beautifully nuanced, 2* Michelin finesse – think “spiced poached pear” at its zenith; very full in the mouth – clean pure rich and poised apricot and hazelnut flavours with marked acidity; very good length and poise; will keep. 4-
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