This one was bad and musty. The few others we've had have been a little over the hill, but still complex and delicious. I'm hopeful that most--if not all--of the remaining bottles have held up.
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Deep flavors--liquorice, black currant. Complex and chewy with a reasonably long finish. Cork was intact, decanted for 90 minutes, drank with marinated Top Round Steak ... delicious!
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Last bottle. Popped and decanted due to the cork crumbling as it came out. No noticeable bricking Nose was reasonably complex and pleasant. Didn't come off as a 22 year old wine near it's end. Seemed nicely integrated and ready for action. Palate was decent, not spectacular but solid. Good dark fruit, nice integration of flavors and good acid balance. Paired with my wife's 8 hour ribs that were spectacular and it paired very well. Would buy again.
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Comes across as really old. Not in a bad way but if this was a Bordeaux I would have guessed more like 40 years old (than the actual 20). A little musty, aged wood nose. Still bold flavors and a long finish.
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nose is off. Nail polish remover mixed with candied red licquorish that isn't pleasant. palate has the nail polish remover blended with red fruit. very odd. I'll call this flawed.
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Decanted 2 hours. Lots of gunky sediment. Very darkly colored with no signs of age. Sexy aromas of black fruit, incense, roasted spices and oak notes. Quite ripe but nicely balanced flavors feature licorice, currants, fruit liqueur and oak spice. The oak that dominated this wine in its youth is now just a nice element in this powerful but complex and elegant wine. Unfortunately, my last bottle. At its peak for sure, but should continue to please for several more years.
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nose: cinnamon, spice, nice fruit, some muted secondary notes that are still in the background. Enjoyable to sit and sniff. Palate is smooth, full with nice fruit and good complexity. Finish was decently long and complete. This was reviewed at the 2 hour mark, last glass. Would buy again.
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Good wine with strong cabernet character eventually coming out. Still had some fruit showing after being decanted for a couple hours. Also opened 1992, 1994, 2003, & 2004 the same night. This was the sleeper, not very implressive at first but rose to be one of the night's favorites. After the 1992, it was the next to be finished off.
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This wine is in a really weird place right now. On open it is nothing but barn yard. Blows off after about an hour but then is stewed cherries and prunes. The next day it is amazing. Still a bit of funk on the nose, but the flavor is black cherries, plums and currants with a bit of chocolate on the finish. Saving the next bottle for a year or so.
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Nose: Fabulous. Cinnamon, spice, nice dark fruit, well integrated. Very enjoyable to sit and sniff. Palate: Nicely integrated fruit and oak flavors. Chocolate and cinnamon married to the fruit flavors of dark cherry and cassis. The tannins are nicely integrated and the finish is long and enjoyable. I'm told there is much in common between 1999 and 2010 vintages in WA. I'll be stocking up on 2010.
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I was worried about drinking this one after reading several of the CT reviews. This bottled was decanted and then allowed to rest in the glass. Fortunately, it turned out to be a very nice wine. There was still a lot of fruit that was now matured and mixed with essence of earth. The tannins was nicely resolved and fit well with the fruit. If I had more of this I would drink it soon as I do not see it getting any better.
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A good, but not altogether great wine. Seems there is some bottle variation here. This example had medium amounts of fruit, and was largely in balance. Shot to medium finish. Good, but not the memorable example I remember when it was released. Better experience than my previous tasting in 2007.
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Faint blueberry, septic tank aroma in latter stages of fermentation. Disjointed flavours resembling darker fruits, perhaps on the wane. After one hour decanting, reminds me of tasting makeup the following morning.
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This wine is holding up. Decanted for half hour and could have used a little more time. There was cherry and spice scents in the nose. The wine is well integrated with cherry, currants and herbal flavors. Smooth balanced finish.
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Pretty nice wine. Interesting nose, high-toned with a mildly vegetal and mineral edge, cassis. Nice fruit intensity on the palate, spicy, chambord is the dominant element. This seemed a little more interesting in its opulent youth, although perhaps it is just in a little dumb phase right now.
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Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Quick notes: lots of dark fruit and anise flavors. Good balance. Seemed ready to go but could also hold. Nice wine.
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Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Nose of anise and a mix of dark fruits. Flavors of black currants and black berries. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Hold.
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No tasting notes recorded. This bottle never opened up for me, tasting over five hours, it still remained a closed and astringent Chaleur. A possible bad example, but I can’t point to any defects.
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cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc in unknown percentages.
this wine shows no signs of integrating. tannic, full of oak, and hot on the finish, it's just another mediocre wine without distinction. located in woodinville. go figure.
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This is a great wine-very balanced and all parts are in place. Not an overpowering wine, but very expressive. I have had about a half case of this and love it.
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14% alc...popped and poured, enjoyed over two evenings...the nose was rather loud and proud on this wine, loads of spice, a touch of portishness - not in a bad way, but it is surely present, maybe better described as ripe - medium body, verging on full, big structure, on the second night heat came through more prominently, more ripe nuances, but the first night this wine sang the praises of waiting for it to come around! Spices, herbs, luscious and pure. No overt oak, in fact, no oak to speak of. Delightful wine. I don't drink much wine like this anymore - cab-based - but I do like it alot. Especially out of the agressive youthfulness it showed 3 years ago.
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We tasted one of our bottles in a blind tasting, along with heavy hitter CA CS's and blends, including Viader, Caymus Reserve, etc.. Everyone kept selecting the Chaleur for wines not quite so well liked, assuming would be somewhat acidic and lacking in depth, as is sometimes the case with WA Cabernets. At the end of the evening, this was the clear winner. Wonderful CS nose, rich fruit, great finish. An outstanding wine...the best WA CS we've had vs. several Leonetti's, Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole 41, etc. Wish we had much more than we have.
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A great match for some grilled, beautifully marbled, prime NY strips with Béarnaise, roasted shallots and Brussels sprouts, and a salad of asparagus with pesto vinaigrette and grated Asiago.
Opaque dark purple, turning to a reddish purple at the rim. Still young and tight. Needs time in the cellar (preferably) or decanter. Flowers (some violets), graphite, and dark fruits on the nose. Berries, currants, chocolate, and minerals on the palate. Well structured, but the tannins are still a little rough at this point in its life. I have had quite a few bottles of this wine, but this bottle seems the tightest. I did not decant this, and I may have done so with the other bottles. If you have any, wait or decant.
I have been buying this wine since the 1998 and I really enjoy them. They are more Bordeaux-like than California cab blends.
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With dinner with David and Nadia. Paired with Grilled Rosemary tri-tip roast. Seems to be developing nicely. Focussed cherry and currant flavors, slight hint of rose and spice on the nose. Mocha on the finish. Doesn't have the seamless texture that I look for, but I think a couple more years will do this wine good.
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Dinner with Amy & Justin at Val d'Isere. $160 CD. Very high-toned with strong initial VA, but amazingly this settled down and showed a more exotic, floral, spicy character more reminiscent of Cab Franc. On the palate this shows a lot of caramel and Asian spice with very plush mouthfeel, deeply layered with ample structure but bursting in fruit. I am stunned by how forward this wine was even though it was clearly holding back oodles. Lots of baby fat, plenty of love, quite exotic.
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Tasted at Patrick's single blind 1999 Washington tasting. Somewhat herbal with distinct vanilla notes. Very spicy on the palate, candied with dill appearing after this spends time in the glass. This has some serious oak to integrate. Powerful finish. I thought this was the Leonetti.
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DeLille Cellars 7th annual Paulee de Woodinville (Woodinville, WA, USA): (**) Poured from Magnum along with the squab course. Savage tannins, very pure fruit, painfully young, lots of wood still to be integrated. This has all the pieces, it just needs to settle down and knit in the bottle. No hurry on this. I wouldn't go near this wine for 5 years minimum and probably closer to 10.
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2/29/2024 - BradboBaggins Likes this wine:
Fantastic spot now
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2/6/2022 - geomack Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice complexity, dark berry flavors, well-integrated tannins. Went well with chicken and sausage with a red vegetable sauce. Delicious!
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10/17/2021 - geomack wrote: flawed
This one was bad and musty. The few others we've had have been a little over the hill, but still complex and delicious. I'm hopeful that most--if not all--of the remaining bottles have held up.
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7/31/2021 - geomack wrote: 92 Points
Deep flavors--liquorice, black currant. Complex and chewy with a reasonably long finish. Cork was intact, decanted for 90 minutes, drank with marinated Top Round Steak ... delicious!
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2/9/2021 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Last bottle.
Popped and decanted due to the cork crumbling as it came out.
No noticeable bricking
Nose was reasonably complex and pleasant. Didn't come off as a 22 year old wine near it's end. Seemed nicely integrated and ready for action.
Palate was decent, not spectacular but solid. Good dark fruit, nice integration of flavors and good acid balance.
Paired with my wife's 8 hour ribs that were spectacular and it paired very well.
Would buy again.
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10/17/2019 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 91 Points
Comes across as really old. Not in a bad way but if this was a Bordeaux I would have guessed more like 40 years old (than the actual 20). A little musty, aged wood nose. Still bold flavors and a long finish.
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7/7/2015 - hiker_guy wrote: flawed
nose is off. Nail polish remover mixed with candied red licquorish that isn't pleasant.
palate has the nail polish remover blended with red fruit. very odd.
I'll call this flawed.
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2/13/2015 - jfagan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Lots of gunky sediment. Very darkly colored with no signs of age. Sexy aromas of black fruit, incense, roasted spices and oak notes. Quite ripe but nicely balanced flavors feature licorice, currants, fruit liqueur and oak spice. The oak that dominated this wine in its youth is now just a nice element in this powerful but complex and elegant wine. Unfortunately, my last bottle. At its peak for sure, but should continue to please for several more years.
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10/16/2014 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Nose is leather, stewed plums
Palate is smooth, reasonably complex and very enjoyable.
Finish was decently long
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1/5/2014 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
nose: cinnamon, spice, nice fruit, some muted secondary notes that are still in the background. Enjoyable to sit and sniff.
Palate is smooth, full with nice fruit and good complexity. Finish was decently long and complete.
This was reviewed at the 2 hour mark, last glass. Would buy again.
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11/16/2013 - meld Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good wine with strong cabernet character eventually coming out. Still had some fruit showing after being decanted for a couple hours. Also opened 1992, 1994, 2003, & 2004 the same night. This was the sleeper, not very implressive at first but rose to be one of the night's favorites. After the 1992, it was the next to be finished off.
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12/11/2011 - mlawren1 wrote: 91 Points
Ended up opening this one, much better than the last one. Cherries and earth with a strong chocolate on the finish.
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11/26/2011 - Yak wrote: 94 Points
Drinking great. Plenty left. Anted and let rest for about an hour.
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11/18/2011 - mlawren1 wrote: 89 Points
This wine is in a really weird place right now. On open it is nothing but barn yard. Blows off after about an hour but then is stewed cherries and prunes. The next day it is amazing. Still a bit of funk on the nose, but the flavor is black cherries, plums and currants with a bit of chocolate on the finish. Saving the next bottle for a year or so.
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10/29/2011 - rfras wrote: 91 Points
There was cherry and currant scents in the nose. Well balanced wine that is still holding up. Cherry and spice flavors followed by a smooth finish.
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9/18/2011 - hiker_guy wrote:
Nose:
Fabulous. Cinnamon, spice, nice dark fruit, well integrated. Very enjoyable to sit and sniff.
Palate:
Nicely integrated fruit and oak flavors. Chocolate and cinnamon married to the fruit flavors of dark cherry and cassis. The tannins are nicely integrated and the finish is long and enjoyable.
I'm told there is much in common between 1999 and 2010 vintages in WA. I'll be stocking up on 2010.
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4/19/2011 - Redteeth wrote:
I was worried about drinking this one after reading several of the CT reviews. This bottled was decanted and then allowed to rest in the glass. Fortunately, it turned out to be a very nice wine. There was still a lot of fruit that was now matured and mixed with essence of earth. The tannins was nicely resolved and fit well with the fruit. If I had more of this I would drink it soon as I do not see it getting any better.
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3/25/2011 - Catnapped wrote:
It's dead Jim. All prunes and soy sauce. No rating since it was probably lovely in its day, but that was a while ago.
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1/24/2010 - Mark wrote: 88 Points
A good, but not altogether great wine. Seems there is some bottle variation here. This example had medium amounts of fruit, and was largely in balance. Shot to medium finish. Good, but not the memorable example I remember when it was released. Better experience than my previous tasting in 2007.
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12/27/2009 - queneau wrote: 85 Points
Faint blueberry, septic tank aroma in latter stages of fermentation. Disjointed flavours resembling darker fruits, perhaps on the wane. After one hour decanting, reminds me of tasting makeup the following morning.
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10/28/2009 - rfras wrote: 91 Points
This wine is holding up. Decanted for half hour and could have used a little more time. There was cherry and spice scents in the nose. The wine is well integrated with cherry, currants and herbal flavors. Smooth balanced finish.
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8/1/2009 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, savory, balanced, tasty
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7/10/2009 - jcbrand wrote: 87 Points
Had high expectations for this wine given its history and reputation but was let down. Off balance yet intense with no fruit left.
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11/1/2008 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 90 Points
Nice, not overly flamboyant, solid
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6/21/2008 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Pretty nice wine. Interesting nose, high-toned with a mildly vegetal and mineral edge, cassis. Nice fruit intensity on the palate, spicy, chambord is the dominant element. This seemed a little more interesting in its opulent youth, although perhaps it is just in a little dumb phase right now.
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5/8/2008 - EricBe wrote: 94 Points
Still drinking quite nicely; enjoy!
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3/31/2008 - ScottG wrote: 89 Points
Nicely resolved, Delicate Cab notes. Slightly secondary- but won't improve further. Drink now.
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3/1/2008 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 88 Points
Bit oaky out of chute, integrates w/air, tasty rich wine
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11/10/2007 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Quick notes: lots of dark fruit and anise flavors. Good balance. Seemed ready to go but could also hold. Nice wine.
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11/10/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Nose of anise and a mix of dark fruits. Flavors of black currants and black berries. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Hold.
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6/21/2007 - Yak wrote:
Martha. with Judy, etc. Isabelle's birthday. GREAT! WOnderful! I loved it.
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6/3/2007 - Mark wrote:
No tasting notes recorded. This bottle never opened up for me, tasting over five hours, it still remained a closed and astringent Chaleur. A possible bad example, but I can’t point to any defects.
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3/28/2007 - jeff nowak wrote: 86 Points
14.5% alcohol. yakima valley (washington).
cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc in unknown percentages.
this wine shows no signs of integrating. tannic, full of oak, and hot on the finish, it's just another mediocre wine without distinction. located in woodinville. go figure.
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2/10/2007 - Dave Mci wrote: 94 Points
This is a great wine-very balanced and all parts are in place. Not an overpowering wine, but very expressive. I have had about a half case of this and love it.
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1/4/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote:
14% alc...popped and poured, enjoyed over two evenings...the nose was rather loud and proud on this wine, loads of spice, a touch of portishness - not in a bad way, but it is surely present, maybe better described as ripe - medium body, verging on full, big structure, on the second night heat came through more prominently, more ripe nuances, but the first night this wine sang the praises of waiting for it to come around! Spices, herbs, luscious and pure. No overt oak, in fact, no oak to speak of. Delightful wine. I don't drink much wine like this anymore - cab-based - but I do like it alot. Especially out of the agressive youthfulness it showed 3 years ago.
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7/18/2006 - kris.h wrote:
Dinner with Chet Kern at Szmania's (Seattle, WA): Lots of lush ripe fruit on the nose. Also a lot of oak with a strong vanilla component. Soft acidity and big tannins.
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4/23/2006 - amred wrote: 95 Points
We tasted one of our bottles in a blind tasting, along with heavy hitter CA CS's and blends, including Viader, Caymus Reserve, etc.. Everyone kept selecting the Chaleur for wines not quite so well liked, assuming would be somewhat acidic and lacking in depth, as is sometimes the case with WA Cabernets. At the end of the evening, this was the clear winner. Wonderful CS nose, rich fruit, great finish. An outstanding wine...the best WA CS we've had vs. several Leonetti's, Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole 41, etc. Wish we had much more than we have.
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12/23/2005 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
A great match for some grilled, beautifully marbled, prime NY strips with Béarnaise, roasted shallots and Brussels sprouts, and a salad of asparagus with pesto vinaigrette and grated Asiago.
Opaque dark purple, turning to a reddish purple at the rim. Still young and tight. Needs time in the cellar (preferably) or decanter. Flowers (some violets), graphite, and dark fruits on the nose. Berries, currants, chocolate, and minerals on the palate. Well structured, but the tannins are still a little rough at this point in its life. I have had quite a few bottles of this wine, but this bottle seems the tightest. I did not decant this, and I may have done so with the other bottles. If you have any, wait or decant.
I have been buying this wine since the 1998 and I really enjoy them. They are more Bordeaux-like than California cab blends.
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9/29/2004 - EricBe wrote: 94 Points
delicious, well balanced, rich on the mouth, smooth on the finish.
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8/18/2004 - EricBe wrote: 92 Points
Lots of chocolate and licorice is what I'm tasting; absolutely wonderful.
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3/20/2004 - ScottG wrote: 92 Points
With dinner with David and Nadia. Paired with Grilled Rosemary tri-tip roast. Seems to be developing nicely. Focussed cherry and currant flavors, slight hint of rose and spice on the nose. Mocha on the finish. Doesn't have the seamless texture that I look for, but I think a couple more years will do this wine good.
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12/21/2003 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Amy & Justin at Val d'Isere. $160 CD. Very high-toned with strong initial VA, but amazingly this settled down and showed a more exotic, floral, spicy character more reminiscent of Cab Franc. On the palate this shows a lot of caramel and Asian spice with very plush mouthfeel, deeply layered with ample structure but bursting in fruit. I am stunned by how forward this wine was even though it was clearly holding back oodles. Lots of baby fat, plenty of love, quite exotic.
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12/7/2003 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at Patrick's single blind 1999 Washington tasting. Somewhat herbal with distinct vanilla notes. Very spicy on the palate, candied with dill appearing after this spends time in the glass. This has some serious oak to integrate. Powerful finish. I thought this was the Leonetti.
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11/2/2003 - Eric wrote:
DeLille Cellars 7th annual Paulee de Woodinville (Woodinville, WA, USA): (**) Poured from Magnum along with the squab course. Savage tannins, very pure fruit, painfully young, lots of wood still to be integrated. This has all the pieces, it just needs to settle down and knit in the bottle. No hurry on this. I wouldn't go near this wine for 5 years minimum and probably closer to 10.
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