We had the 1998 Guigal Château d'Ampuis earlier this month and I far preferred this bottling -- livelier, more of its place, more structured. Fully ready to drink.
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PnP, this showed really well. Deep syrah aromatics with leather, dark fruit, earthy and beefy elements. Relatively light palate pointing to the village level. Excellent food wine. Drink up, holding well but past peak.
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Lys transparent rød-brun farge. Moden aroma med tydelige jordlige toner, , oliven og litt kryddertoner. Moden munnfølelse med fullstendig integrerte tanniner, men samtidig tydelig syre, ok lengde. Etter hvert som vinen fikk mer luft så kom det frem mer frukt og en lett sødme i frukten. Ok lengde. Rett etter åpning så virket vinen neste gone, ble dekantert i 30-45 min og da våknet den igjen. Uansett full moden og noen år over toppen, så du må like godt modne viner for å sette pris på denne( i hvert fall de flaskene jeg har, kjøpt på auksjon). 90- p.
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On the downside of the curve but still enjoyable. The tannins which were very prominent earlier are tamed. there is still some black fruit and herbs. Drank over 2 nights without much change.
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Had with perfect grilled wagu, kale, roast potatoes and crab cakes. Cork 2/3 saturated but even and top in perfect condition. Delightful. Herbal, vegetal, meaty, smoky. Surprisingly light, good acid and tannins, no harshness at all.
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Excellent cork. Decanted 45+ minutes. Light garnet with very slightly orange rim. Superb complex spicy, smokey nose with some earth and olives. Light entry unfolded to mature spicy black fruits, maybe a little stemminess, and a long, elegant finish. Fully mature but still singing, recommend drink up soon!
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Like new cork; violet-ruby colour with little bricking; fresh ground black pepper, latex, tar, violet, clean red fruit. Good acidic lift; Surprisingly youthful
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Decanted for 2hrs. Medium to deep garnet. Wonderful and very intense nose with iron, dried blood, blue berries, pepper. Medium to light body, light tannins, first impression is peppery, mineral, then come some light blue berries flavours, green pepper. Decent length. Good intensity of flavours throughout but definitely fruit is on the wane. Was going to give 89 overall but my wife insisted that the intensity of the aromas warrant at least 90.
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Beautiful nose of the sweetest, ripest black cherries given char-marks on the grill, singed herb switches of rosemary, thyme and sage and a bit of smoke. Medium-full bodied and perfectly smooth. This just glides across the palate with mouth-watering acidity and diaphanous tannins. Baked black cherries and roasting meat with herbs on the palate. Absolutely delicious with Chinese beef ribs. Drink NOW-2023 92 df 9.3
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Another consistent performance and a very much Greta value with lots of ageing capacity in the Guigal line up. ( well kept bottles of the 1990 are drinking like a baby La La now) Smoky, roast meat , classic cote Rosie but also with a bit of emphasis on rich dark fruit at this stage. Drinks very nicely now and will definitely improve with time. We have 3 bottles sleeping in the cellar and we will leave them in peace for another 5yrs minimum. 92
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Need a touch of decanting to kickstart it but no need for a very lo g decant. The nose needs a touch of help albeit the palate is singing from the start. Andreas who tried this blind was split between a ripe burgundy but settled quickly into Northen Rhône from ripe vintage with 15yrs plus of age. Spice, roast meats, smoky from nose to finish and a very classic well aged Cote Rotie with a good 10yrs more in the tank if not more. Solid 92-93
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Wine was a bit cloudy - not a lot of sentiment to filter out though when decanting. Decanted for about an hour before drinking - still going strong. Has a great red fruit front with a little bit of smoke behind it
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Despite its modest pedigree, still drinking very well after 22 years. Growing in the glass. Classical Cote-Rôtie nose with the typical almost 'cannabislike' haziness, dark fruits, smoke, cedar/cigarbox, tobacco. Medium bodied, nice softened tannins. Good balance and freshness. Quite polished and smooth as we know from this house, but not boring at all. Thought I should expediate drinking my remaining bottles, but based on this one, no problem to keep them 5+ years.
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Surprisingly youthful, but, as others have noted, this needs decanting. Make sure to use a strainer as sediment is present. Fruit forward, cassis, thyme, plums and pomegranate. Medium to light body, medium tannins, some leather. Long finish with a touch of pepper. Very nice.
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Popped and poured. Generous nose of red fruit, leather & perhaps cedar. Light to medium body, still good fruit here with hints of pepper, some smoky, leathery with some iron or mature earthiness/barnyard going on. Nice length too. This is a mature wine for sure, but drinking nicely. Decant! Loads of sediment in the bottle
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Opened and served. Meaty , smoky very much the textbook wine but also with a lot of fruit and less earthy than we would have thought. Solid wine full of elegance and charm but also still with so much more evolution and charm to come. Having recentrly tried the glorious 1990 (Papies 93) this shows that its on the path for great things. 92 for now but def one to age.
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An aged ruby colour but no bricking. Leathery nose plus minty herbs top notes. Super supple palette, tannins fully integrated making for a plushness that marries the last of the berry fruit with a subtle secondary note leading into a super long finish topped off with a mild spiciness. Superb.
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Held up quite well the aging. Was still enjoyable, silky and balanced between primary and secondary aromas. Quite elegant and good considering this is Guigal's entry level Cote-Rotie.
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Hazy pale garnet in color. Nose is clean and of medium intensity. A note of pepper is very evident with red and dark fruits along with some game and iron notes. Dry with medium plus acidity, low tannin and soft silky texture. Light to medium body. Finish is bright and of mid length. This is a sophisticated drink. Warning, I can get used to it. ;-)
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From magnum. Enjoyed at new Burke restaurant in Nomad. Aged beautifully. Tannins shed, but dense, chewy mouthfeel. Gamey and delicious. Love the way aging in mags gets extended!
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Weekend in Napa; 7/5/2018-7/8/2018 (Napa, CA): 92-93 gorgeous and mature bouquet. Medium body with mostly resolved tannin, good acidity, drinking great now and may have a few years in left in the tank but wouldn't wait much longer.
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Fantastic aroma of mature No Rhone Syrah. Black cherries, fresh herbs (Rosemary, thyme, lavender) and cedar galore. Medium-bodied and fresh with moderately high acidity and soft, supple tannins. Super spicy on the palate with more sweet black cherry and hints of blackberry as well as more Provencal herbal shadings and a hint of eucalyptus. This is complex and complete and still fresh but needs to be drunk soon. 91
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PnD drank right away. Dark clear garnet with slightly brickish rim. Cherry cordial balsamic slightly acetone note with touch of tar on the nose. Cherry tobacco leather plum. Very smooth and fruity with a lingering finish. In a nice window drink up.
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Extremely balanced and a tell-tale côte-rôtie. When you know the producer you still feel the polish, but the showing here is impeccable and such a full blown côte-rôtie, that delivers. Will live on. #Fogheads#Palægade
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Best showing yet. Couldn't have asked for more: bright fruit, excellent acidity, lucious smoky, meaty, fatty, and herbal tertiery character that you could still taste the next day.
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1998 E. GUIGAL BRUNE et BLONDE COTE ROTIE- nicely evolved fruity wine with an air of elegance and sophistication; it had a medium body, good feel and an extended fruit laced finish.
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Iron, blood, bright and tart black cherry, smoke. Plenty of acidity and fruit, with fully resolved tannins. Not a profound Northern Rhone but it sure is enjoyable.
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Deep red. Decanted for 60 minutes. A bit of spice behind layered roasted aromas and nicely balanced fruit. Mature, but well-structured. Very well made.
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Light medium red. Beautiful elegant red fruit nose, cassis, raspberry and in the background light notes of black pepper, smoke and meat. Almost floral.
Earthy flavours but with an elegant red fruit back note. Soft tannins and just the right amount of acid.
This was a huge surprise. I'm 92 but really could go higher. So elegant.
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Medium garnet-red color. Leather-y nose, with peppercorn, faint cherry, wet dog. On arrival, pervasive dry, medium tannin, medium-low acidity. Tastes older than most '98s. Just dry, narrow, meaty and a bit of wood tannin on the finish. Not enough stuffing for the wood and structure. Bottle #2 of four.
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Third bottle from an auction lot. The last one was fantastic, and this one started out with promise: a nose of freshly slaughtered meat, dense and bloody. The palate lived up to the nose... at least until it hit the mid-palate, when the bloody carcass fell of the edge of the cliff and disappeared. By the time it hit the back of the tongue, there was nothing. Nada, except for a drying sensation. Talk about a short finish: this one pulled up short about a kilometre from the finish.
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Monthly Tasting Group EEE #046; Côte Rôti (@ JWS): In the bouquet fresh and ripe red berries, cerise, raspberries, plums and some tobacco. On the palate a juicy wine with red and dark berries, spices like pepper, some leather, salty licorice and laurel. Good acidity and tannin with still a good bite. I brought this wine to a tasting, but I did not know when it would be in the line-up. And even though I drank this wine last month as well, I did not recognize it. This bottle, although showing some maturity, tasted much younger than last month’s bottle.
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted double blind. Black berry aromas and flavors, slightly mature, with modest spice. Hints of roasted meat. Very classically northern Rhone, even if it didn't show the spice I associate with Côte-Rôtie.
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All the same elements as before: ripe red berries, beef blood, bacon fat, herbs (oregano, thyme)... But whereas the last few bottles were somewhat disjointed, this one has melded into a real beauty.
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UWS (@ JB): Beautiful and mature bouquet with minerals, animals, leather and some pleasant barnyard. On the palate minerals like flint stone, leather and iodine, some truffle, earth and autumn. Good acidity and soft tannin and bitterness. Overall a beautiful wine and fully mature now. Probably wise to drink it over the next two years.
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Very nice, but nothing special. A very typical old-world syrah. Probably at peak right now. Perfect balance, a clear garnet color with bricking on the edges. Slight barnyard nose, lots of subdued flavors, good acidity. No major flaws, just wish it had more umph to be memorable.
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Dark dense red with a hint of orange at the edge. Decanted. At 30 min. began to open. At 60-90 min. aromas were complex and layered with a peppered, roasted note. Palate was generous, but just a little hot. Overall very good.
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Still shows fruit and acidity. In my view having had two bottles, this wine never really showed over the course of its life. It sat in the middle of the class room never brave enough to raise his/her hand. Moved on to college where it shunned the sciences and majored in business. Thought about graduate school but instead joined a bank. Will probably die with a few good friends and a nice obituary (just never great or really good).
Wine with Friends (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Black berry, black pepper, roasted meat aromas and flavors. Some ripe fruit elements with a hint of blood sausage. Moderate density and length, with overall good balance. Still drinking very nicely.
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Blood, meat, iron, bacon, ripe fruit, funk... All of the above, but not yet in harmony. Big, intense and disjointed flavours. Really interesting and unique. Hope it all comes together 4 or 5 years from now.
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Served at Daniel, NYC. Deep purple color, little clarity. Big nose of initial barnyard, touch of Brett, meat, leather and stone red fruit. Palate showed some mintyness, stewed fruit, earth, pepper and leather. Touch of astringent acid which softened over time. Drinking well, a peak.
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1hr decant. High neck fill, cork in perfect condition. Deep prune color; bricked edges. Pepper and sulfur nose, some earthy/decomposed scents, alcohol still blowing off. Tart black cherry and cranberry, blackberry, blueberry and pepper palate. Bitter chocolate medium+ finish.
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Regular dinner group (@ JvT): Beautiful mature bouquet with ripe red fruits, herbs and spices and sweet licorice. On the palate the same with a nice balance between acidity and sweetness and beautiful minerality. Ready now and the next few years.
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Light brick in color. Nose was earthy wet forest. Very old world style, earth, forest, mushroom. What little fruit that was present in the last bottle is gone. Tannins almost nonexistent. Very good Wine served next to 2008 DeLille Doyenne Signature Syrah and the contrast was startling. Both very good in their own way. My last bottle and I think I pretty much timed it right. This is at the end of the window.
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PnP. High neck fill, virtually no cork soakage. Nice deep plum/blood red core with fully bricked meniscus. Cola and perfume nose, almost like a warm-climate pinot. Blueberry and strawberry palette; brooding; black pepper; mature tobacco and leather. Faint limoncello undercurrent. Caramel finish. Not a lot of acidity in here, perhaps owing to age, which contributes to an overall lack of depth. Tannins a non-factor at this point. Has held up impressively after sixteen years, though -- still drinking nicely, but probably slightly past peak.
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Took a couple of hours to really get going before revealing smoky and delicious berry fruits on its medium-bodied palate. Very supply and silky on entry but tannins are still kicking quite hard on the finish so will leave the next one for at least 3 years. Plenty of room for improvement here.
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Nose with blackberries, dark plums, spice, pronounced animal and barnyard notes, and some flowery hints. A very fine nose. Medium bodied, with dark berries, spice, good acidity, somewhat softened and well integrated tannins. Fully developed but not "tired". 90 p.
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Not a great effort. The relatively light nose on this wine is of vanilla, sunscreen, white pepper, bacon, strawberry, and currants. I like the lighter style but it's no overly complex or powerful, especially on the nose. The palate has good acid, and still moderate tannin though the finish is medium minus at best.
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I found this a bit disappointing. Some sturdy dark fruit, leather, a touch of floral, good acids, but a little ashtray, and it turned pruney with an hour or so of air. B-
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Popped and poured. For 14 y/o wine it was surprisingly bright initially with some raspberry. As time went on it became more of what you would expect, earth notes with nice tannins. After about an hour even got a hint of mint which was a surprise. Nice wine. I will be drinking up my other bottle since I don't think it will be getting any better.
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Decanted and started to drank within a few minutes. Initially, a bit restrained and tired, but after a few minutes this one really opened up and tasted delicious. Cherries, a bit of raspberry, and more. Amazing stuff for a bottle that was sort of lost in the cellar.
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Drank at a Ned tasting, alongside the 1999. Medium red color for each, both showing a tad of browning at the edges though the 98 more so. Beautifully fragrant nose on the 99--dark fruits, some earth, pepper, spice and even some animal meat. The 98 too had a similar, if less powerful nose. On the palate, the 99 still showed great and ripe dark fruit, excellent complexity, leather, spice, some forest in there too. Nice soft tannins that were well integrated into the wine, but still very present. Also, very nice length. This wine still has a lot of life left in it. The fruit on the 98 was a bit more faded, also a bit less ripe (some noticed some vegetal qualities), and more tertiary nuances. The 98 seems to be on the downswing, while the 99 is singing right now. Both were very enjoyable wines and among the favorites of the evening--certainly mine.
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There are ripe fruits that have a light raisin character. Passionfruit skins are what I often associate with Côte Rotie and they’re here. It is mid-weight, nicely balanced with supple tannins. The fruit has a delicious perfume about it and it is a wine that slides down quite quickly.
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Nose a bit vegetal, freshky cut grass, sous-bois, wet wood, mushrooms... very light taste, red berries, high acidity, lacking lenght... not a great wine
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This wine was really dynamite. Slight tawny rimming but vibrant nose and a very peppery mouth presence, still with deep fruit, good acidity, silky tannins and a medium-long finish.
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Well, this exceeded my expectations. This came busting out of the bottle with huge white pepper, and some complex barnyard aromas. The wine has become secondary - the fruit is now in the background, but still quite sufficient. Gorgeous cured meat and blood/iron. In a really good place right now.
Nice floral and berry aromas. Medium to full bodied. Clean red fruit flavours with hints of sour cherry, pepper, and raw meat. Tannins in the background. Nice wine.
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This well-aged Cote Rote is still a wonderful ruby red. The nose is huge with layered chocolate candied black fruit, then leather, peppercorn, then black olive. The body is full with glycerin, and lovely soft fruit with acid and a layered tannic finish. It’s an exceedingly vibrant wine after 14 years in bottle. Decant and wait for the nose to appear before drinking. It is at the point where to should be consumed.
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Very good right out of the bottle and similar to last note - cool dark fruit, leather, game, and went really well with food. Elegant and fully mature, but eems like it will hold for a bit. A-
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DJ's Birthday. A mixed set of special and beautiful wines. (@The psychologist): Beautiful and elegant bouquet. On the palate red fruits and a lot of fresh acidity. A touch of sweetness as well. Beautiful and elegant wine and completely ready now. (This bottle was stored a bit too warm for many years, so if you own a bottle stored at the right temp. it is probably wise to wait a few more years.)
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Decanted 1h. Dark red, yellow rim, 5.5. Fruit packed nose dominated by classical green peppery notes. Intense harmonious taste, racy dark fruit, elegant finish. Perfect right now. Or wait 5 years.
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From magnum and sadly my last. A surprising amount of fruit upon opening to go along with the black pepper. Roasted herbs and bacon fat emerge over 30-60 minutes of airtime. Not expressive enough to be a show stopper, but a surprisingly feminine and versatile wine. Nicely made and begs to be sipped.
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Beautiful and juicy wine with good fruits, some cinnamon and other herbs and spices, elegant acidity and a long finish. The wine is round and still has enough power. It is now at the beginning of its peak.
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Still holding up decently - a bit of bricking around the edges. A slight overripe note but still drinkable. 4 more - must consume them within the next 6-12 months
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Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Extremely well balanced! Nice and spicy, relatively mild and drinkable for a traditional Syrah of this age. Bacon fat, black pepper, blackberries, medium bodied. Completely ready to go. Lovely! 17.5-18/20
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Really showed well. Great nose of leather and game with the cool fruit you expect from the vintage. Solid on the palate, while just a bit thin in the middle, it has a nice crisp finish. Great with food. A-
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Textbook CR. More towards the feminine side. Savory flavors with nice black pepper aromas. Good length and drinking in a nice place right now. Mature plateau at the moment. Wonderful! Bottle 5 of 6.
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Starts with a bit of attractive game, meat flavor then quickly evolves to red fruit, olives and earth. Nicely balanced and textured. Delicious, drinking now.
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Medium red color. Aromas of smoked meat, red fruits, leather, black licorice and spices. Medium-bodied ripe fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and well-integrated tannins. Still very fresh and nicely delineated with some emerging complexity. Just now entering peak period with perhaps a decade of drinking pleasure ahead.
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My last bottle. Popped and poured. Color was deep red with some bricking. After some time it began to take on brown hues. Throughout the nose was tight, at first giving up eucalyptus (not unlike a Thackrey Orion) which, with more air, morphed into dill showing the predominance of the oak. The oak carried through on the palate somewhat, but melded with the dark fruit producing a smoky character. Tannins seemed nearly resolved. Nice pairing with BBQ brisket.
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quick note. popped and poured. Color dark garnet. nose was tight, showing eucalyptus followed by some oak then dark fruit with coaxing. on the palate, there was amazing balance of fully mature fruit and tannin, with an incredibly soft palate feel. finish was generous and soft. really a nice wine. i still think that this has years ahead, but not sure how much this will improve. thanks jeff!
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Moderate signs of bricking. Nose of smoked meat, green peppers, and some red fruit lurking in the background. Some spicy qualities as well. On the palate, this is certainly an aged wine, with some good balance of secondary characteristics as well as red fruits. Notes of olives on the finish.
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Wonderful bouquet of smoked bacon and subdued fruit. Smooth and harmonious on the palate -- not fatiguing at all. Delicious with both the stuffed chicken breast and the braised short ribs of beef. I could have polished off this magnum all by myself ... if there weren't ten other wines waiting to be tasted.
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Bright and fresh, nothing but black olives on the nose with a bit o bramble. speaks of place at first then dwindles into monotone semi boring. a few rough edges going down the throat but overall enjoyable and forgettable. big pass..even at $45.
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Dark red, yellow rim, 5½. Classic nothern Rhône syrah nose, green pepper, pine, a little fleshy. Elegant taste starting to mellow up, dark fruits, some tannin and fine acidity. Elegant finish. Still quite young althoug it is beginnign to reach the maturity plateau. Drink now - 2020
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Just lovely and much better than the last bottle i had. Olives, mint and red fruit, with a terrific balance between fruit and tannins and a fine and long finish.
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Northern Rhone Night for Last Thursday (Willamette Wine Storage - Portland, OR): Nutmeg, dark cherries, and beef jerky show on the nose. Rosemary and beef jerky come through immediately on the palate along with some plum flavors. All flavors linger nicely, and the acidity runs out evenly on the finish. It works well for slow sipping.
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Northern Rhone Night for Last Thursday (Willamette Wine Storage - Portland, OR): This nose reminds me of a big entrée with carrots, spicy roast beef, worcestershire sauce, and some plums. The wine is light on contact with the palate and it delivers some great cherry flavors along with black pepper. Balanced acid and tannins work well together for a firm drying sensation that doesn't become overwhelming. Some minerality appears later too.
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Northern Rhone (blind) (Willamette Wine Storage): Okay... totally weird. Identical wine as earlier in the night, and I got a totally different impression! Many others got a similar drastically different note as I did, while at least one other thought they tasted the same. I re-tasted these and still got the totally different impression. I wouldn't think this would be strictly a provenance issue, as they flat out tasted differently styled. Perhaps a different bottling? Anyway, this one was speaking to me like a Californian Syrah. It was oaky, and smelled of lily pollen. Big on the palate as well, with building tannins, and tasting new worldy again. Spicy acid into the finish, with big fruit. This one was definitely more "open" than the previous bottle, but it certainly wasn't as enjoyable. A fun experience.
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Northern Rhone (blind) (Willamette Wine Storage): Much more complex aromas, though lighter in scale than the previous wines. Very delicious, soft aromas of spice, pepper, graphite, but there's also this nice pine aroma. Overall the nose is more about elegance than any of the particular flavors. Again, more mellow on the palate, soft in texture, and very tight. Nice structure. Nice spice into the finish, with good acid building; tight structure, with more light pine tree. Really good. Would wait another 5 years on these.
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Ruby red core to a brick rim. Wine smells hot and developed with a barnyard funk bouquet, rich black and red fruit jam as well as herbal notes and a bloody, peppery dustiness. Slightly bitter finish with otherwise fine balance and nice complexity: tomato juice, dried flowers, herbs, soy, blood, salted beef, vanilla and rubber. Very good, drinking well and moving into it's prime...2012-2020.
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Ruby/brick red, herbal and musty on the nose followed by brown sugar, garrigue and woodsy notes, acidic on the attack but fills out on the mid-palate with juicy cherry and plum, finish is complex and sweet with maple, brown sugar, exotic spices and black cherry
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A earth, oak smell after opening blow off with 30 minutes in the glass. Fresh and well integrated, but lighter than I had anticipated. Aromas of meat, red fruits, earth and spice were followed by flavors of red fruits, berry and white pepper. Nice, but not sure it is a W/S top ten.
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Deep red center, dark red rim with some signs of age (but surprisingly young looking). Meaty, blackberries, smokey, brightness, grapey. Acidity and tannin up front, bacon, blackberries and blackcurrants, a little greenness, white pepper, good length with acid through the finish. Great with food. Not sure where this will go. High acid and tannin will support aging but will the fruit survive? Second day: acid has mellowed somewhat, jammy red fruits, great length. Probably needs two or three more years.
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Same notes as previously. Also, noticed some game meat in this, I had goat today for lunch and this wine gives off the same meaty smell/taste as the goat today. Pretty weird in a good way. Interesting wine, still showing well.
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good, not great. Still fresh but lacks depth and seemed a bit lean. Not sure if this had any viogner, seemed to lack the aromatics and mouthfeel that they typically would. A nice wine, not much more. this was from magnum, if I owned more I'd wait another 10yrs.
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Opened our last two for Christmas dinner. Much thinner than we remember but very good nonetheless. These were bought at auction so prior storage may have been an issue vs. other bottles we had. More red fruit taste vs. the black fruit we remember.
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Possibly flawed bottle, though this was not detectable as such on the nose. Color was fading at the edges. nose peppery, Overall disappointing. Some fruit came through, but never very much. Drying tannins and pepper bordering on cork. Not at all what I expextect.
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1997 Ornellaia - Beautiful, sublime, sexy wine. Drinking incredibly well. Impeccable balance. 1997 Pavie-Macquin - despite what one might think of the 1997 vintage in Bordeaux, this wine was brilliant. 1997 Beringer Private Reserve - A perennial favourite. 1997 Lafite Rothschild - A barnyardy nose, which blew off with time. Great pedigree and structure. Lay down for 5 years.
1991 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque - my personal favourite of the tasting. A brilliant, complete wine - my favourite wine ever! 1998 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde - a beautifully made, delicious wine 1998 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - Probably the only really good La chapelle made since the 1990 in my view 1996 Chateau de Fonsalette Reserve Cuvee Syrah - my second favourite of teh flight. Deep, dark, sweet, thick, amazing
All wines showed beautifully, and were drinking well.
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had at Vintages tasting class ( both 2004 & 1998 ) - as a newbie I have only had one other Cote Rotie ( Gilles Barge & I liked this ) and 27 others in last 18 mths - mostly from Crozes-Hermitage - came away un-impressed with these
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white pepper, bbq meats, spicey and slightly smokey dark fruits. good fine tannins and the acid is still present. A little sour cherry on the palate. Nice bouquet.
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Saturday Night Soiree (Chez Pelz): Tasted double blind; The nose was awful on this wine - it smelled like a whiff of pond scum to me. The palate was mainly herbal with no fruit. It almost didn't seem like wine. Flawed?
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The bottle we drank was ruby red in colour. Smells includes dried plum, green peppers, hints of red fruit but fading, touch of nuts and licorice - still some acid and tannines on the tongue, but would not keep these much longer.
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Very slight leaker. Despite the minor leakage, this is performing well, albeit not as well as last time I had it about two years ago. Bacon fat, black pepper, and black currant on the nose. Pretty solid structure on the palate with good freshness. Black currant, pepper, and cold smoked flavors on the palate. Finishes long and fully dry. Keeps putting on more and more weight with continued air. Will be interesting to see how the next bottle will perform.
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Pork Fest Wines: 06 Charvin, 01 Turley, 96 Grasso, 02 Shirvington, etc. (Rockridge, CA (Oakland)): Brought by Sasha and Kiara...i paired it with the pancetta and mushroom ragout on sweet potato cakes and it was probably the best pairing of the night...it may have been my wine of the night also. Just impeccably balanced and in a great place. Ripe raspberry and dark cherry fruit, a little hint of underbrush, a little bit of tarry asphalt and bacon fat and a bit of white pepper with a terrific silky texture and medium long finish..
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The nose is spicy and smoky, with hints of oak. Smooth but tannic on the palate. Cassis and jammy dark fruits. Maybe still a little tannic, or just finishes with quite a kick by virtue of of the fact that it is syrah dominant.
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Blackberries and red cherry, still a bit tannic, some herb and smoke. Some oak signature still apparent, though not in your face. Pretty good if not compelling, but a few more years might do it some good. B+/ B
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Very proper and slightly maturing color, but looking a bit watery. Nice complexity on the nose, with licorice, tar, spice, old saddle leather, cherry and grape. Great acidity, a bit warm, with enough alcohol to give an impression of thinness, despite the pleasant taste. Slightly stemmy, pleasantly tannic finish, turning nutty, almost tawny Port-like. This can benefit from a long decant to blow off some of the volatile alcohol, and still has some life in it. Sorry I only had one of these.
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rood van kleur, rood fruit in de neus, wat dierlijk en gekruid, smaak is mooi in balans en nog in goede conditie, wat gepolijst en licht een zoetje, mooi gerijpt glas, nu in goede vorm
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Not a great bottle, I'm hoping it's just in a dumb phase. Some fat on the nose, but not much else. Fairly tannic and acidic, with small amounts of red fruit peeking through. With the light body, and biting nature, it reminded me of drinking a nebbiolo too early. The next morning a little leftover showed darker fruit, much more at the forefront -- I'll take this as a hopeful sign for the future.
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A killer cote rotie in a great place right now. The nose screams white pepper and saddle leather, and leather. The palate is impeccably balanced with raspberries, leather, briar, smoked bacon all matched with great acid. Drink or hold.
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From a magnum with 1 hour decant. Very dark black/purple, opaque. Spicy black fruit nose. Full bodied, rich spicy black fruit, well balanced with firm finish. Geat wine with good balance and strength. Great foundation of fruit and spice. Holding up well.
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Opened at the restaurant. Not possible to see the color of the wine. Nose gave off scents of lavender, baking spices, licorice, beef blood. Surprisingly soft and somewhat dilute on the palate at first, but with air filled in nicely with mostly red fruits, meatiness, pepper, and licorice. Surprisingly lush in texture. Nice with food.
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From distant memory - but i think it had an interesting and changing nose, and smooth finish, but just didnt wow me at all. Was a bit thin and muted on the palate. Nose was of plums, soil and bacon fat (the bacon fat my wife picked up on in her best tasting note yet - go girl).
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Outstanding nose of cherry, earth, pepper, smoked meats and spices. On the palate the wine is still youthful with layers of dark red fruits, spice and peppers. Medium tannins and good acidity, this wine has a few years until it peaks and with proper cellaring will drink great for another 15 years or more. foodandwineblog.com
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Drinking even better than it did two years ago. Decanted for about an hour and a half. Wonderful nose, elegant and smooth mouthfeel and firm but supple tannins that have softened quite a bit in the last two years. Still had lots of fruit and a slight minerality with just a hint of leather. Wonderfully elegant wine. Wish this hadn't been my last bottle.
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Popped and poured. Just the slightest hint of mature syrah blackberry-esque perfume on the nose, a very strong black pepper profile, both on the nose and the palate, and just the right amount of black olive and saddle leather to let us know were this wine was born. Medium weight structure, but refined and classy, with a good dose of red cherry fruit that has blended admirably with the tannin to create a balanced and interesting experience. Miles better that the last of bottle of the 99 I had a few months ago, and should drink well for another 5-8 years ahead. Very nice Cote Rotie.
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Light red to red in color. Bought on release. On the nose an immediate strong note of black pepper. As it developed plenty of black fruit notes on the nose and palate. Developing secondary flavors. Tannins have mellowed but still quite noticeable. Quite a bit of length. Good balance between tannins and fruit. Medium acidity. Overall near peak. Would re-evaluate in a couple of years.
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Medium/dark red colour with a lot of spice, pepper and red and dark fruits on the nose with some meaty notes. Pepper, black cherry and more red fruits dominate the palate which is medium bodied with fairly smooth tannins. Medium length finish.
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Dark, dull purple, opaque. Black fruit and pine on the nose. Mature, balanced integrated black fruit. Nice medium bodied, balanced, dried black fruit, easy drinking.
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Rick's birthday dinner (Aquarelle (Austin)): Yet another great wine. It's the cheapest of the Cote-Rotie bottlings, but it brings the thunder. Love the plum juiciness along with the bacon fat and smokiness. Makes for a great food wine that's got many years left to improve and then plateau for another good number of years. No need to drink this now.
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Lovely dark ruby, funky nose including dirt, forest floor, and truffle. Excellent balance between acids, tannins and fruit, very complex, long finish. Will improve for at least a few more years. We opened 2+ hours before the first full glass. It was much better as the evening went on. Decant or open early.
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Drinking surprisingly mature. Tons of peppery spice notes with somewhat citrusy bright red fruit. Some definite smokey bacon character. Very open but seemed quite light-weight and even a bit soft in places.
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Similar to experience 4 months ago. The wine performed very nicely with roasted chicken. Decided to decant for two hours given how it opened up throughout the evening last time. This seemed to help as there was plenty there when served. Peppery spice notes were evident this time (that I did not mention any last time and which others have said were diminished). Still with nice structure.
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Decanted for 30 min. Medium ruby color with light bricking. Intruiging nose with dust and dark fruits. Subtle, smooth, glycerine-filled attack. Palate started with red currant and raspberry flavors that faded over the first hour, than came back with additional earth notes but a tighter finish. Didn't quite stand up to a spicy lasagna, probably better suited to roast pork or chicken. Very enjoyable, but not a knockout. I have 1 bottle left that I'll try in 12-18 months.
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Decanted 2 hrs. Still young and fairly tight tasting. But fine smooth body and texture. Really gave impression of more to give. wait a couple of years for next bottle.
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Decanted 15 minutes. Nose of sweet fruit and spice. Medium ruby garnet color, full clean flavors of ripe berries with a nice balance of pepper and spice. Medium finish, this was delicious with roasted rack of lamb. Ready to drink, should last for several more years at least.
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Not a dark wine or displaying much heft. In fact, I would have liked a bit more flesh and structure on this rather light wine. Pleasant pepper, grilled meat, dark fruit. Shallow middle and finish. Easy to pass up at $34 from an Internet retailer.
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Dinner with d core: Wanted to check on the progress of this one. The color has not changed much over the years, still a semi-dark crimson. Crushed black pepper is the obvious note on the nose with some dark plummy fruits and a very mild gamey quality comming through. Nice palate feel with the aromatics continuing on the palate. Still possesses a nice acidic backbone with moderate somewhat silky tannins and decent length on the finish. I don't get the lush feel I like in other CR, like Jamet, with this wine. It is a bit restrained at the moment with not enough of the bloody, roasted meat characteristic I really enjoy. Still for the under $30 release price, the wine is easily worth the money. I hope this adds some weight down the road.
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I wish I decanted this wine before consuming it. It was very tight. Nose of pepper, roasted meat and earth. I picked up some flavors of blackberries and cherry. It did not show well with the other bottles on the table. Took half a bottle home to see how it will fare after a day.
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Darkly extracted. Not decanted. Nose became more expressive throughout the evening and was a really intriguing mix of cherry/plum fruit and roasted meats, minerals, blood (?) and leather. The palate was fuller than would have been expected with from the nose. On the finish the there was nice structure with acidity and tame tannins. Also the aromas came back and added to a very pleasing finish. Kind of a surprise for such a "generic" production.
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Deep red/coffee color. Big aroma of strawberry, stewed tomatos, and red licorice - makes me dizzy! Bright red solid acidic fruit. Some tannin, chocolate, and mineral. 1/05
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Tasted from 375ml. This is a young and delicious Côte-Rôtie. The nose offers up notes of roasted meat and tapenade. On the palate the acid is quite aggressive showing a bright, cherry personality. (With a grilled ribeye this gets along wonderfully!) Savory and mineral laden with nice balance and a suave, silky texture. This wine has a long way to go before it really blossoms. With more air, a bit more structure starts to come forward on the palate.
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Lots of pepper and spicy notes in this wine. Fruit seems reticent leaving a bit of a hollow and acidic mid-palate. Some herbs on the finish. Overall nice, but will hopefully pick up some weight and come together more.
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decanted for 4 hours. A sharp focused wine with high acidity. Rich black fruit notes with spice and currant as well. This wine is too tannic at the moment. 90.
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Portfolio Ref # RHO C1 Setting: Study Group / Bests at Paul Farrell's Appearance: bright, medium-dark intensity Nose: raisiny, cherry and red licorice, red currant and raspberry jam notes, and a truck-load of black pepper Palate: dry, very well integrated wine with black cherry and pepper, eathy notes, above average acid and alcohol, solid muscular tannins, full bodied with a long finish, very nice balance on this wine Comments: very complex, don't sneeze!
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Tasted at grossie's BBQ as part of a mini vert of Guigal B&B. Smelled like those licorice snap candies that are shellacked in shiny bright colors. Rich and thick. Solid tannins on the finish. My favorite of the mini-vert (over the '99 and the '95).
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Tasted at the 2002 Wine Spectator Las Vegas Wine Experience at a seminar featuring the WS Top Ten wines of 2001. Guigal was represented on the dais by Patrick Will. Hand-harvested from steep terraced vineyards, where pickers frequently must be tethered to trucks at the top of the hill to prevent from tumbling down the slopes. 36 months in the barrel (one third new). 3% viognier lends a feminine character to the wine. Complex bouquet and flavors of white pepper, cinnamon, smoke, earth, mulberry, vanilla and even citrus and floral nuances. Silky, strong, and persistent. Said Will: "Over time the wine will gain sweet fruitiness on the palate. Suggest 10-15 years of aging, but can easily go for 25+ years."
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Sydney MW Summer School; 1/26/2002-1/27/2002 (Sydney Airport Stamford Hotel): Dry savoury nose. Viognier isn’t obvious, if it is there. Has an oxidative quality. Stalky character to the flavours. Not much fruit evident. Round palate is about texture, but its still a bit simple. Needs some fruit. Medium weight, dry tannic finish.
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($40) Masculine wine, with a complex nose of charcoal, minerals, smoke, meat, flowers, and pepper. Underlying ripeness, but currently has an austere edge to it. Medium-full bodied. Decent enough. Went well with Mona's Venison steak.
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11/30/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine:
We had the 1998 Guigal Château d'Ampuis earlier this month and I far preferred this bottling -- livelier, more of its place, more structured. Fully ready to drink.
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11/24/2023 - brasstab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Held up well. Smoky nose and mid-palette with a suitably spicy finish. Opened on Friendsgiving to celebrate 25 years of friendship with the neighbors.
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7/31/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
PnP, this showed really well. Deep syrah aromatics with leather, dark fruit, earthy and beefy elements. Relatively light palate pointing to the village level. Excellent food wine. Drink up, holding well but past peak.
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5/29/2023 - Bernt Olav wrote: 90 Points
Lys transparent rød-brun farge. Moden aroma med tydelige jordlige toner, , oliven og litt kryddertoner. Moden munnfølelse med fullstendig integrerte tanniner, men samtidig tydelig syre, ok lengde. Etter hvert som vinen fikk mer luft så kom det frem mer frukt og en lett sødme i frukten. Ok lengde.
Rett etter åpning så virket vinen neste gone, ble dekantert i 30-45 min og da våknet den igjen. Uansett full moden og noen år over toppen, så du må like godt modne viner for å sette pris på denne( i hvert fall de flaskene jeg har, kjøpt på auksjon). 90- p.
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7/19/2022 - Vascular46 wrote: 90 Points
On the downside of the curve but still enjoyable. The tannins which were very prominent earlier are tamed. there is still some black fruit and herbs. Drank over 2 nights without much change.
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7/12/2022 - crewald wrote:
Had with perfect grilled wagu, kale, roast potatoes and crab cakes. Cork 2/3 saturated but even and top in perfect condition. Delightful. Herbal, vegetal, meaty, smoky. Surprisingly light, good acid and tannins, no harshness at all.
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4/1/2022 - BHRH Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent cork. Decanted 45+ minutes. Light garnet with very slightly orange rim. Superb complex spicy, smokey nose with some earth and olives. Light entry unfolded to mature spicy black fruits, maybe a little stemminess, and a long, elegant finish. Fully mature but still singing, recommend drink up soon!
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2/5/2022 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Like new cork; violet-ruby colour with little bricking; fresh ground black pepper, latex, tar, violet, clean red fruit. Good acidic lift; Surprisingly youthful
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2/5/2022 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 2hrs.
Medium to deep garnet.
Wonderful and very intense nose with iron, dried blood, blue berries, pepper.
Medium to light body, light tannins, first impression is peppery, mineral, then come some light blue berries flavours, green pepper. Decent length.
Good intensity of flavours throughout but definitely fruit is on the wane.
Was going to give 89 overall but my wife insisted that the intensity of the aromas warrant at least 90.
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1/22/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of the sweetest, ripest black cherries given char-marks on the grill, singed herb switches of rosemary, thyme and sage and a bit of smoke. Medium-full bodied and perfectly smooth. This just glides across the palate with mouth-watering acidity and diaphanous tannins. Baked black cherries and roasting meat with herbs on the palate. Absolutely delicious with Chinese beef ribs. Drink NOW-2023 92 df 9.3
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12/25/2021 - MeMyself&I wrote: 92 Points
Very tight upon opening, Nose of shoe leather and a bit of barnyard. Integrated tannins. Excellent with the roasted duck entree.
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1/30/2021 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Another consistent performance and a very much Greta value with lots of ageing capacity in the Guigal line up. ( well kept bottles of the 1990 are drinking like a baby La La now)
Smoky, roast meat , classic cote Rosie but also with a bit of emphasis on rich dark fruit at this stage. Drinks very nicely now and will definitely improve with time. We have 3 bottles sleeping in the cellar and we will leave them in peace for another 5yrs minimum. 92
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1/30/2021 - Bil Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really came back to life with some air. Dark red fruit, some spice and meat. Silky, medium body, light, well integrated tannins.
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1/2/2021 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Need a touch of decanting to kickstart it but no need for a very lo g decant. The nose needs a touch of help albeit the palate is singing from the start. Andreas who tried this blind was split between a ripe burgundy but settled quickly into Northen Rhône from ripe vintage with 15yrs plus of age.
Spice, roast meats, smoky from nose to finish and a very classic well aged Cote Rotie with a good 10yrs more in the tank if not more. Solid 92-93
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12/28/2020 - wsammons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine was a bit cloudy - not a lot of sentiment to filter out though when decanting. Decanted for about an hour before drinking - still going strong. Has a great red fruit front with a little bit of smoke behind it
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11/5/2020 - svdheijden wrote: 91 Points
Despite its modest pedigree, still drinking very well after 22 years. Growing in the glass. Classical Cote-Rôtie nose with the typical almost 'cannabislike' haziness, dark fruits, smoke, cedar/cigarbox, tobacco. Medium bodied, nice softened tannins. Good balance and freshness. Quite polished and smooth as we know from this house, but not boring at all. Thought I should expediate drinking my remaining bottles, but based on this one, no problem to keep them 5+ years.
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7/3/2020 - Bacchus05 wrote: 91 Points
Still strong. Decanting a good idea. After an hour, the finish is stronger than the front end.
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6/19/2020 - Aris1a Likes this wine: 91 Points
Surprisingly youthful, but, as others have noted, this needs decanting. Make sure to use a strainer as sediment is present. Fruit forward, cassis, thyme, plums and pomegranate. Medium to light body, medium tannins, some leather. Long finish with a touch of pepper. Very nice.
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4/29/2020 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Generous nose of red fruit, leather & perhaps cedar. Light to medium body, still good fruit here with hints of pepper, some smoky, leathery with some iron or mature earthiness/barnyard going on. Nice length too. This is a mature wine for sure, but drinking nicely. Decant! Loads of sediment in the bottle
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3/17/2020 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Opened and served. Meaty , smoky very much the textbook wine but also with a lot of fruit and less earthy than we would have thought. Solid wine full of elegance and charm but also still with so much more evolution and charm to come. Having recentrly tried the glorious 1990 (Papies 93) this shows that its on the path for great things. 92 for now but def one to age.
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9/21/2019 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 94 Points
An aged ruby colour but no bricking. Leathery nose plus minty herbs top notes. Super supple palette, tannins fully integrated making for a plushness that marries the last of the berry fruit with a subtle secondary note leading into a super long finish topped off with a mild spiciness. Superb.
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6/6/2019 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking beautifully, with leather, olives, earthy red fruit and minerals. Smooth and delicious.
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4/12/2019 - frenchiecagowine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Held up quite well the aging. Was still enjoyable, silky and balanced between primary and secondary aromas. Quite elegant and good considering this is Guigal's entry level Cote-Rotie.
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1/27/2019 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hazy pale garnet in color. Nose is clean and of medium intensity. A note of pepper is very evident with red and dark fruits along with some game and iron notes. Dry with medium plus acidity, low tannin and soft silky texture. Light to medium body. Finish is bright and of mid length. This is a sophisticated drink. Warning, I can get used to it. ;-)
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1/3/2019 - pawa wrote: 90 Points
Drank over four days. It started out meaty but it transformed and this is perhaps the most perfumed Northern Rhône Syrah I've ever had.
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11/18/2018 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another winner - high toned red fruit, fresh beef blood, bacon fat, campfire smoke. Terrific value.
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10/27/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
LaLaLa tasting #0:
Reference wine, 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier.
Animalic nose with mixed blue/red fruit, wet leafs, damp cellar, barnyard, cedar, black currant, mushrooms. Bordeaux like nose.
Round and smooth on the palate, polished tannins fully integrated. Distinct acidity, dry finish.
Fully mature in beautiful condition.
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8/15/2018 - jdlee1232 wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyable. Not special.
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8/3/2018 - wineappreciation wrote: 91 Points
Smoke, spices, bramble berry; medium bodied, lively, well developed and balanced, medium length, smooth and pleasing
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7/26/2018 - bobbubbabs wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Enjoyed at new Burke restaurant in Nomad. Aged beautifully. Tannins shed, but dense, chewy mouthfeel. Gamey and delicious. Love the way aging in mags gets extended!
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7/5/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 93 Points
Weekend in Napa; 7/5/2018-7/8/2018 (Napa, CA): 92-93 gorgeous and mature bouquet. Medium body with mostly resolved tannin, good acidity, drinking great now and may have a few years in left in the tank but wouldn't wait much longer.
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6/24/2018 - wsammons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still going strong - another 2-3 years before it’s over the hill
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4/22/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic aroma of mature No Rhone Syrah. Black cherries, fresh herbs (Rosemary, thyme, lavender) and cedar galore. Medium-bodied and fresh with moderately high acidity and soft, supple tannins. Super spicy on the palate with more sweet black cherry and hints of blackberry as well as more Provencal herbal shadings and a hint of eucalyptus. This is complex and complete and still fresh but needs to be drunk soon. 91
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3/29/2018 - jlgnml wrote: 90 Points
Good fruit, dark color, rich in the glass over time it faded, so time to drink up.
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3/1/2018 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
Vegetal Nose: B/B+ Sour palate: B+/B++
My #9, Group's #9 (80 pts) Tasted Blind.
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1/6/2018 - Vandiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely wine. Balanced and elegant. I imagine the fruit and structure may have been brighter and more solid a year ago, but still a treat.
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1/6/2018 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnD drank right away. Dark clear garnet with slightly brickish rim. Cherry cordial balsamic slightly acetone note with touch of tar on the nose. Cherry tobacco leather plum. Very smooth and fruity with a lingering finish. In a nice window drink up.
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11/17/2017 - Wineson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very distinctive nose and on the palate.
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11/6/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine:
Time to drink up
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10/31/2017 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
Extremely balanced and a tell-tale côte-rôtie. When you know the producer you still feel the polish, but the showing here is impeccable and such a full blown côte-rôtie, that delivers. Will live on.
#Fogheads#Palægade
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6/21/2017 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Best showing yet. Couldn't have asked for more: bright fruit, excellent acidity, lucious smoky, meaty, fatty, and herbal tertiery character that you could still taste the next day.
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6/2/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 92 Points
1998 E. GUIGAL BRUNE et BLONDE COTE ROTIE- nicely evolved fruity wine with an air of elegance and sophistication; it had a medium body, good feel and an extended fruit laced finish.
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5/4/2017 - Jon and Bek Likes this wine: 90 Points
Geoff Kelly's Guigal Retrospective (Regional Wines & Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Red-garnet colour, mineral notes on the nose, charred meats, slightly smoky. Full palate of plum and blackcurrants, complex body, with earthy leather, and a distinct mineral almost salty character on the finish.
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3/18/2017 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Iron, blood, bright and tart black cherry, smoke. Plenty of acidity and fruit, with fully resolved tannins. Not a profound Northern Rhone but it sure is enjoyable.
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12/29/2016 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
PNP. Excellent.
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12/23/2016 - aChave wrote: 91 Points
Deep red. Decanted for 60 minutes. A bit of spice behind layered roasted aromas and nicely balanced fruit. Mature, but well-structured. Very well made.
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12/18/2016 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good with the pork
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9/26/2016 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Drinking very well, we paired with grilled lamb loin chops on a beautiful early fall evening. Perfect.
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6/2/2016 - RiGiD Wines wrote: 79 Points
Dark fruit, slight leathery smell, some cherry. Good mouth feel and finish, but it seems like it is slightly past prime drinking time.
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5/28/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Light medium red. Beautiful elegant red fruit nose, cassis, raspberry and in the background light notes of black pepper, smoke and meat. Almost floral.
Earthy flavours but with an elegant red fruit back note. Soft tannins and just the right amount of acid.
This was a huge surprise. I'm 92 but really could go higher. So elegant.
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2/9/2016 - Hodby wrote: 84 Points
Medium garnet-red color. Leather-y nose, with peppercorn, faint cherry, wet dog. On arrival, pervasive dry, medium tannin, medium-low acidity. Tastes older than most '98s. Just dry, narrow, meaty and a bit of wood tannin on the finish. Not enough stuffing for the wood and structure. Bottle #2 of four.
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1/30/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Nicely mature, very Rhone like with some roasted meat and modest spice. Seemed slightly older vs another bottle from a few months back. Drink up.
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1/24/2016 - sunnylea57 wrote: 87 Points
Third bottle from an auction lot. The last one was fantastic, and this one started out with promise: a nose of freshly slaughtered meat, dense and bloody. The palate lived up to the nose... at least until it hit the mid-palate, when the bloody carcass fell of the edge of the cliff and disappeared. By the time it hit the back of the tongue, there was nothing. Nada, except for a drying sensation. Talk about a short finish: this one pulled up short about a kilometre from the finish.
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1/6/2016 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group EEE #046; Côte Rôti (@ JWS): In the bouquet fresh and ripe red berries, cerise, raspberries, plums and some tobacco. On the palate a juicy wine with red and dark berries, spices like pepper, some leather, salty licorice and laurel. Good acidity and tannin with still a good bite. I brought this wine to a tasting, but I did not know when it would be in the line-up. And even though I drank this wine last month as well, I did not recognize it. This bottle, although showing some maturity, tasted much younger than last month’s bottle.
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12/19/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted double blind. Black berry aromas and flavors, slightly mature, with modest spice. Hints of roasted meat. Very classically northern Rhone, even if it didn't show the spice I associate with Côte-Rôtie.
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11/22/2015 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
All the same elements as before: ripe red berries, beef blood, bacon fat, herbs (oregano, thyme)... But whereas the last few bottles were somewhat disjointed, this one has melded into a real beauty.
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11/12/2015 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
UWS (@ JB): Beautiful and mature bouquet with minerals, animals, leather and some pleasant barnyard. On the palate minerals like flint stone, leather and iodine, some truffle, earth and autumn. Good acidity and soft tannin and bitterness. Overall a beautiful wine and fully mature now. Probably wise to drink it over the next two years.
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10/31/2015 - wine4ever wrote: 89 Points
Very nice, but nothing special. A very typical old-world syrah. Probably at peak right now. Perfect balance, a clear garnet color with bricking on the edges. Slight barnyard nose, lots of subdued flavors, good acidity. No major flaws, just wish it had more umph to be memorable.
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7/25/2015 - aChave wrote: 90 Points
Dark dense red with a hint of orange at the edge. Decanted. At 30 min. began to open. At 60-90 min. aromas were complex and layered with a peppered, roasted note. Palate was generous, but just a little hot. Overall very good.
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5/6/2015 - JohnTelford wrote: 88 Points
Still shows fruit and acidity. In my view having had two bottles, this wine never really showed over the course of its life. It sat in the middle of the class room never brave enough to raise his/her hand. Moved on to college where it shunned the sciences and majored in business. Thought about graduate school but instead joined a bank. Will probably die with a few good friends and a nice obituary (just never great or really good).
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2/6/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Wine with Friends (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Black berry, black pepper, roasted meat aromas and flavors. Some ripe fruit elements with a hint of blood sausage. Moderate density and length, with overall good balance. Still drinking very nicely.
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12/22/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blood, meat, iron, bacon, ripe fruit, funk... All of the above, but not yet in harmony. Big, intense and disjointed flavours. Really interesting and unique. Hope it all comes together 4 or 5 years from now.
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11/12/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
Casual bottles with the SLDS and associates: Pepper and redcurrant on the nose. Mild mannered palate, medium length. Drink now.
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11/8/2014 - Two Winos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking REALLY well. Probably lots of life left. Wish I had more. My mouth is watering thinking about it 2 days later!
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9/16/2014 - T.E.D. wrote: 91 Points
Served at Daniel, NYC. Deep purple color, little clarity. Big nose of initial barnyard, touch of Brett, meat, leather and stone red fruit. Palate showed some mintyness, stewed fruit, earth, pepper and leather. Touch of astringent acid which softened over time. Drinking well, a peak.
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8/31/2014 - Glharv wrote: 93 Points
1hr decant. High neck fill, cork in perfect condition. Deep prune color; bricked edges. Pepper and sulfur nose, some earthy/decomposed scents, alcohol still blowing off. Tart black cherry and cranberry, blackberry, blueberry and pepper palate. Bitter chocolate medium+ finish.
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8/2/2014 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Regular dinner group (@ JvT): Beautiful mature bouquet with ripe red fruits, herbs and spices and sweet licorice. On the palate the same with a nice balance between acidity and sweetness and beautiful minerality. Ready now and the next few years.
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6/29/2014 - JS1056 wrote: 89 Points
Light brick in color. Nose was earthy wet forest.
Very old world style, earth, forest, mushroom. What little fruit that was present in the last bottle is gone. Tannins almost nonexistent. Very good Wine served next to 2008 DeLille Doyenne Signature Syrah and the contrast was startling. Both very good in their own way.
My last bottle and I think I pretty much timed it right. This is at the end of the window.
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6/11/2014 - Glharv wrote: 91 Points
PnP. High neck fill, virtually no cork soakage. Nice deep plum/blood red core with fully bricked meniscus. Cola and perfume nose, almost like a warm-climate pinot. Blueberry and strawberry palette; brooding; black pepper; mature tobacco and leather. Faint limoncello undercurrent. Caramel finish. Not a lot of acidity in here, perhaps owing to age, which contributes to an overall lack of depth. Tannins a non-factor at this point. Has held up impressively after sixteen years, though -- still drinking nicely, but probably slightly past peak.
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5/16/2014 - Will Devize wrote: 92 Points
Took a couple of hours to really get going before revealing smoky and delicious berry fruits on its medium-bodied palate. Very supply and silky on entry but tannins are still kicking quite hard on the finish so will leave the next one for at least 3 years. Plenty of room for improvement here.
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5/4/2014 - Vintomas wrote: 90 Points
Nose with blackberries, dark plums, spice, pronounced animal and barnyard notes, and some flowery hints. A very fine nose. Medium bodied, with dark berries, spice, good acidity, somewhat softened and well integrated tannins. Fully developed but not "tired". 90 p.
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4/19/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 90 Points
Not a great effort. The relatively light nose on this wine is of vanilla, sunscreen, white pepper, bacon, strawberry, and currants. I like the lighter style but it's no overly complex or powerful, especially on the nose. The palate has good acid, and still moderate tannin though the finish is medium minus at best.
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1/19/2014 - JonnyG wrote: 89 Points
I only paid a quick visit to this as it struck me as a bit faded and very one dimensional.
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12/20/2013 - jayw wrote:
Plum and blackberry, iron, earth, meat, and leather.
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12/11/2013 - redders Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely Syrah weave on nose. Good balanced palate and fruit but lacks a little in finish
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11/26/2013 - DaleW wrote:
I found this a bit disappointing. Some sturdy dark fruit, leather, a touch of floral, good acids, but a little ashtray, and it turned pruney with an hour or so of air. B-
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7/20/2013 - JS1056 wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. For 14 y/o wine it was surprisingly bright initially with some raspberry. As time went on it became more of what you would expect, earth notes with nice tannins. After about an hour even got a hint of mint which was a surprise. Nice wine.
I will be drinking up my other bottle since I don't think it will be getting any better.
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7/3/2013 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and started to drank within a few minutes. Initially, a bit restrained and tired, but after a few minutes this one really opened up and tasted delicious. Cherries, a bit of raspberry, and more. Amazing stuff for a bottle that was sort of lost in the cellar.
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5/22/2013 - cephomer wrote: 91 Points
Drank at a Ned tasting, alongside the 1999. Medium red color for each, both showing a tad of browning at the edges though the 98 more so. Beautifully fragrant nose on the 99--dark fruits, some earth, pepper, spice and even some animal meat. The 98 too had a similar, if less powerful nose. On the palate, the 99 still showed great and ripe dark fruit, excellent complexity, leather, spice, some forest in there too. Nice soft tannins that were well integrated into the wine, but still very present. Also, very nice length. This wine still has a lot of life left in it. The fruit on the 98 was a bit more faded, also a bit less ripe (some noticed some vegetal qualities), and more tertiary nuances. The 98 seems to be on the downswing, while the 99 is singing right now. Both were very enjoyable wines and among the favorites of the evening--certainly mine.
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3/28/2013 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
There are ripe fruits that have a light raisin character. Passionfruit skins are what I often associate with Côte Rotie and they’re here. It is mid-weight, nicely balanced with supple tannins. The fruit has a delicious perfume about it and it is a wine that slides down quite quickly.
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3/24/2013 - Philippe_C wrote: 89 Points
Nose a bit vegetal, freshky cut grass, sous-bois, wet wood, mushrooms... very light taste, red berries, high acidity, lacking lenght... not a great wine
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2/3/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red fruit, mushrooms, light color but bright fruits with hints of mint, vibrant acidity, 30 second finish. It took a full hour to fully open.
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1/15/2013 - thwacker Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine was really dynamite. Slight tawny rimming but vibrant nose and a very peppery mouth presence, still with deep fruit, good acidity, silky tannins and a medium-long finish.
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1/2/2013 - Blair Curtis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well, this exceeded my expectations. This came busting out of the bottle with huge white pepper, and some complex barnyard aromas. The wine has become secondary - the fruit is now in the background, but still quite sufficient. Gorgeous cured meat and blood/iron. In a really good place right now.
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11/25/2012 - SPierson wrote: 89 Points
Spicy, black pepper, red meat but beginning to fade
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10/27/2012 - saturnaisland wrote: 92 Points
Nice floral and berry aromas. Medium to full bodied. Clean red fruit flavours with hints of sour cherry, pepper, and raw meat. Tannins in the background. Nice wine.
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8/8/2012 - OregonWineGeeks Likes this wine: 96 Points
This well-aged Cote Rote is still a wonderful ruby red. The nose is huge with layered chocolate candied black fruit, then leather, peppercorn, then black olive. The body is full with glycerin, and lovely soft fruit with acid and a layered tannic finish. It’s an exceedingly vibrant wine after 14 years in bottle. Decant and wait for the nose to appear before drinking. It is at the point where to should be consumed.
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6/17/2012 - BernieMSY wrote: 91 Points
Dark, still some tannins. Decent fruit, but a bit angular. Good, not great.
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5/29/2012 - dd wrote:
nice dark fruits
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4/22/2012 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking great right now. Fruit strong, fresh mi
D peppery aroma and flavor. Really enjoyable.
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3/26/2012 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
1998 Rhone Syrahs (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA)): Generous nose with flowers and berries. Pepper, plum, leather palate. My 6th; group's 4th. Tasted blind.
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3/26/2012 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blind Tasting 1998 Rhone Syrahs (and Aussie ringers) (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA): Enchanting nose of blackberry, raspberry and flowers. Kept sniffing this. Medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Black plum, blackberry and iron on the palate. Very light tannins. Delicious. (my 2nd, group's 4th)
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3/1/2012 - MC wrote:
Very good right out of the bottle and similar to last note - cool dark fruit, leather, game, and went really well with food. Elegant and fully mature, but eems like it will hold for a bit. A-
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1/14/2012 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
DJ's Birthday. A mixed set of special and beautiful wines. (@The psychologist): Beautiful and elegant bouquet. On the palate red fruits and a lot of fresh acidity. A touch of sweetness as well. Beautiful and elegant wine and completely ready now. (This bottle was stored a bit too warm for many years, so if you own a bottle stored at the right temp. it is probably wise to wait a few more years.)
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1/7/2012 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1h. Dark red, yellow rim, 5.5. Fruit packed nose dominated by classical green peppery notes. Intense harmonious taste, racy dark fruit, elegant finish. Perfect right now. Or wait 5 years.
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11/7/2011 - DollarMenunaire wrote: 92 Points
From magnum and sadly my last. A surprising amount of fruit upon opening to go along with the black pepper. Roasted herbs and bacon fat emerge over 30-60 minutes of airtime. Not expressive enough to be a show stopper, but a surprisingly feminine and versatile wine. Nicely made and begs to be sipped.
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10/6/2011 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
At its peak. Needs a little time in the decanter, but a very lovely wine that is showing soft tannins and nicely balanced acidity and fruit.
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9/17/2011 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful and juicy wine with good fruits, some cinnamon and other herbs and spices, elegant acidity and a long finish. The wine is round and still has enough power. It is now at the beginning of its peak.
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8/27/2011 - RCS73 wrote: 89 Points
Still holding up decently - a bit of bricking around the edges. A slight overripe note but still drinkable. 4 more - must consume them within the next 6-12 months
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8/19/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Extremely well balanced! Nice and spicy, relatively mild and drinkable for a traditional Syrah of this age. Bacon fat, black pepper, blackberries, medium bodied. Completely ready to go. Lovely! 17.5-18/20
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8/12/2011 - MC wrote:
Really showed well. Great nose of leather and game with the cool fruit you expect from the vintage. Solid on the palate, while just a bit thin in the middle, it has a nice crisp finish. Great with food. A-
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7/15/2011 - hsacks wrote: 92 Points
very similar to the 4/24/11 bottle.
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5/31/2011 - gregg g wrote:
Textbook CR. More towards the feminine side. Savory flavors with nice black pepper aromas. Good length and drinking in a nice place right now. Mature plateau at the moment. Wonderful! Bottle 5 of 6.
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5/26/2011 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Starts with a bit of attractive game, meat flavor then quickly evolves to red fruit, olives and earth. Nicely balanced and textured. Delicious, drinking now.
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5/26/2011 - kenv wrote:
WCC Blind Rhone Varietals from Around the World (Salty's Pub, Clifton Park, NY): Nice sweet fruit, but some odd greenish tannins. Not sure what to make of this. NR. 0 votes for WOTF.
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5/15/2011 - Honey Badger wrote: 93 Points
Drink up
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4/24/2011 - hsacks wrote: 92 Points
Medium red color. Aromas of smoked meat, red fruits, leather, black licorice and spices. Medium-bodied ripe fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and well-integrated tannins. Still very fresh and nicely delineated with some emerging complexity. Just now entering peak period with perhaps a decade of drinking pleasure ahead.
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3/27/2011 - JFish wrote:
My last bottle. Popped and poured. Color was deep red with some bricking. After some time it began to take on brown hues. Throughout the nose was tight, at first giving up eucalyptus (not unlike a Thackrey Orion) which, with more air, morphed into dill showing the predominance of the oak. The oak carried through on the palate somewhat, but melded with the dark fruit producing a smoky character. Tannins seemed nearly resolved. Nice pairing with BBQ brisket.
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3/27/2011 - chcook wrote: 92 Points
quick note. popped and poured. Color dark garnet. nose was tight, showing eucalyptus followed by some oak then dark fruit with coaxing. on the palate, there was amazing balance of fully mature fruit and tannin, with an incredibly soft palate feel. finish was generous and soft. really a nice wine. i still think that this has years ahead, but not sure how much this will improve. thanks jeff!
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1/4/2011 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Moderate signs of bricking. Nose of smoked meat, green peppers, and some red fruit lurking in the background. Some spicy qualities as well. On the palate, this is certainly an aged wine, with some good balance of secondary characteristics as well as red fruits. Notes of olives on the finish.
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12/31/2010 - Javachip wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful bouquet of smoked bacon and subdued fruit. Smooth and harmonious on the palate -- not fatiguing at all. Delicious with both the stuffed chicken breast and the braised short ribs of beef. I could have polished off this magnum all by myself ... if there weren't ten other wines waiting to be tasted.
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12/29/2010 - AndrewR wrote: 89 Points
Bright and fresh, nothing but black olives on the nose with a bit o bramble. speaks of place at first then dwindles into monotone semi boring. a few rough edges going down the throat but overall enjoyable and forgettable. big pass..even at $45.
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12/19/2010 - Lord Rayas wrote: 81 Points
SPCC 95th anniversary dinner (Hong Kong Convention Centre): lacks complexity and depth. just some primary notes of sweet berries and forest floor. not particularly charming.
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12/4/2010 - asgerG wrote: 90 Points
Dark red, yellow rim, 5½. Classic nothern Rhône syrah nose, green pepper, pine, a little fleshy. Elegant taste starting to mellow up, dark fruits, some tannin and fine acidity. Elegant finish. Still quite young althoug it is beginnign to reach the maturity plateau. Drink now - 2020
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10/21/2010 - Whitman wrote: 93 Points
Just lovely and much better than the last bottle i had. Olives, mint and red fruit, with a terrific balance between fruit and tannins and a fine and long finish.
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10/8/2010 - MC wrote:
Very good wine. Not the weight and finish of the best but a very good wine. B+
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9/6/2010 - edbev wrote:
balanced and smooth. hint of oak. feminine wine, with intreguing perfume. v long.
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8/29/2010 - Lord Rayas wrote: 88 Points
Notes of licorice, blackberry and cassis fruit. Simple and forward.
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6/13/2010 - moudy wrote: flawed
Wine was either cork'd
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5/29/2010 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Red fruit, olives, earth, game and dried herbs, beautifully balanced and textured. Delicious, drinking now.
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5/27/2010 - subtlet wrote: 89 Points
Northern Rhone Night for Last Thursday (Willamette Wine Storage - Portland, OR): Nutmeg, dark cherries, and beef jerky show on the nose. Rosemary and beef jerky come through immediately on the palate along with some plum flavors. All flavors linger nicely, and the acidity runs out evenly on the finish. It works well for slow sipping.
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5/27/2010 - subtlet wrote: 91 Points
Northern Rhone Night for Last Thursday (Willamette Wine Storage - Portland, OR): This nose reminds me of a big entrée with carrots, spicy roast beef, worcestershire sauce, and some plums. The wine is light on contact with the palate and it delivers some great cherry flavors along with black pepper. Balanced acid and tannins work well together for a firm drying sensation that doesn't become overwhelming. Some minerality appears later too.
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5/27/2010 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 86 Points
Northern Rhone (blind) (Willamette Wine Storage): Okay... totally weird. Identical wine as earlier in the night, and I got a totally different impression! Many others got a similar drastically different note as I did, while at least one other thought they tasted the same. I re-tasted these and still got the totally different impression. I wouldn't think this would be strictly a provenance issue, as they flat out tasted differently styled. Perhaps a different bottling? Anyway, this one was speaking to me like a Californian Syrah. It was oaky, and smelled of lily pollen. Big on the palate as well, with building tannins, and tasting new worldy again. Spicy acid into the finish, with big fruit. This one was definitely more "open" than the previous bottle, but it certainly wasn't as enjoyable. A fun experience.
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5/27/2010 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Northern Rhone (blind) (Willamette Wine Storage): Much more complex aromas, though lighter in scale than the previous wines. Very delicious, soft aromas of spice, pepper, graphite, but there's also this nice pine aroma. Overall the nose is more about elegance than any of the particular flavors. Again, more mellow on the palate, soft in texture, and very tight. Nice structure. Nice spice into the finish, with good acid building; tight structure, with more light pine tree. Really good. Would wait another 5 years on these.
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5/8/2010 - sethmorgenlong wrote:
Ruby red core to a brick rim. Wine smells hot and developed with a barnyard funk bouquet, rich black and red fruit jam as well as herbal notes and a bloody, peppery dustiness. Slightly bitter finish with otherwise fine balance and nice complexity: tomato juice, dried flowers, herbs, soy, blood, salted beef, vanilla and rubber. Very good, drinking well and moving into it's prime...2012-2020.
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4/20/2010 - Putte Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice earthy nose, with some white peppar. Red fruit, rather high acidity and mellow tannins in the mouth. Good, but a little thin in the middle.
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4/17/2010 - duchamp wrote: 93 Points
Ruby/brick red, herbal and musty on the nose followed by brown sugar, garrigue and woodsy notes, acidic on the attack but fills out on the mid-palate with juicy cherry and plum, finish is complex and sweet with maple, brown sugar, exotic spices and black cherry
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3/28/2010 - matthen wrote: 90 Points
A earth, oak smell after opening blow off with 30 minutes in the glass. Fresh and well integrated, but lighter than I had anticipated. Aromas of meat, red fruits, earth and spice were followed by flavors of red fruits, berry and white pepper. Nice, but not sure it is a W/S top ten.
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2/12/2010 - pdadams66 wrote: 90 Points
Deep red center, dark red rim with some signs of age (but surprisingly young looking).
Meaty, blackberries, smokey, brightness, grapey.
Acidity and tannin up front, bacon, blackberries and blackcurrants, a little greenness, white pepper, good length with acid through the finish.
Great with food. Not sure where this will go. High acid and tannin will support aging but will the fruit survive?
Second day: acid has mellowed somewhat, jammy red fruits, great length. Probably needs two or three more years.
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1/29/2010 - DougLee wrote: 89 Points
Very good garnet robe. Nose of fresh blackberries, pepper, licorice, beef blood. Tasted of currant, garrigue, earth, spicey black fruits. Nice.
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1/10/2010 - Rok wrote: 91 Points
Same notes as previously. Also, noticed some game meat in this, I had goat today for lunch and this wine gives off the same meaty smell/taste as the goat today. Pretty weird in a good way. Interesting wine, still showing well.
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12/30/2009 - PIR wrote: 88 Points
good, not great. Still fresh but lacks depth and seemed a bit lean. Not sure if this had any viogner, seemed to lack the aromatics and mouthfeel that they typically would. A nice wine, not much more. this was from magnum, if I owned more I'd wait another 10yrs.
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12/29/2009 - gblacave wrote: flawed
Sad. Oxidized beyond repair.
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12/25/2009 - Teamcrev wrote: 90 Points
Opened our last two for Christmas dinner. Much thinner than we remember but very good nonetheless. These were bought at auction so prior storage may have been an issue vs. other bottles we had. More red fruit taste vs. the black fruit we remember.
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11/28/2009 - Forest Floor wrote: 75 Points
Possibly flawed bottle, though this was not detectable as such on the nose. Color was fading at the edges. nose peppery, Overall disappointing. Some fruit came through, but never very much. Drying tannins and pepper bordering on cork. Not at all what I expextect.
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11/17/2009 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Two flights, ranked in order of performance:
1997 Ornellaia - Beautiful, sublime, sexy wine. Drinking incredibly well. Impeccable balance.
1997 Pavie-Macquin - despite what one might think of the 1997 vintage in Bordeaux, this wine was brilliant.
1997 Beringer Private Reserve - A perennial favourite.
1997 Lafite Rothschild - A barnyardy nose, which blew off with time. Great pedigree and structure. Lay down for 5 years.
1991 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque - my personal favourite of the tasting. A brilliant, complete wine - my favourite wine ever!
1998 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde - a beautifully made, delicious wine
1998 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - Probably the only really good La chapelle made since the 1990 in my view
1996 Chateau de Fonsalette Reserve Cuvee Syrah - my second favourite of teh flight. Deep, dark, sweet, thick, amazing
All wines showed beautifully, and were drinking well.
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11/13/2009 - GregGH wrote: 89 Points
had at Vintages tasting class ( both 2004 & 1998 ) - as a newbie I have only had one other Cote Rotie ( Gilles Barge & I liked this ) and 27 others in last 18 mths - mostly from Crozes-Hermitage - came away un-impressed with these
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9/3/2009 - Rok wrote: 91 Points
white pepper, bbq meats, spicey and slightly smokey dark fruits. good fine tannins and the acid is still present. A little sour cherry on the palate. Nice bouquet.
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8/15/2009 - Winetex wrote:
Saturday Night Soiree (Chez Pelz): Tasted double blind; The nose was awful on this wine - it smelled like a whiff of pond scum to me. The palate was mainly herbal with no fruit. It almost didn't seem like wine. Flawed?
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7/28/2009 - Riezin wrote:
Nat cork. Drank beautifully at Tribeca Grill offline. Lovely pepperyness, length, and great liveliness. Was a favorite of the group.
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7/13/2009 - Biglama wrote: 89 Points
rode kleur, mooi neus, aards iets animaal, licht fruitig, gekruid, smaak is prettig met balans en nog een mooie inhoud, prima
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6/14/2009 - TLM79 wrote: 90 Points
The bottle we drank was ruby red in colour. Smells includes dried plum, green peppers, hints of red fruit but fading, touch of nuts and licorice - still some acid and tannines on the tongue, but would not keep these much longer.
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5/31/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Very slight leaker. Despite the minor leakage, this is performing well, albeit not as well as last time I had it about two years ago. Bacon fat, black pepper, and black currant on the nose. Pretty solid structure on the palate with good freshness. Black currant, pepper, and cold smoked flavors on the palate. Finishes long and fully dry. Keeps putting on more and more weight with continued air. Will be interesting to see how the next bottle will perform.
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5/10/2009 - tonyvelebil wrote: 93 Points
Pork Fest Wines: 06 Charvin, 01 Turley, 96 Grasso, 02 Shirvington, etc. (Rockridge, CA (Oakland)): Brought by Sasha and Kiara...i paired it with the pancetta and mushroom ragout on sweet potato cakes and it was probably the best pairing of the night...it may have been my wine of the night also. Just impeccably balanced and in a great place. Ripe raspberry and dark cherry fruit, a little hint of underbrush, a little bit of tarry asphalt and bacon fat and a bit of white pepper with a terrific silky texture and medium long finish..
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4/14/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 91 Points
The nose is spicy and smoky, with hints of oak. Smooth but tannic on the palate. Cassis and jammy dark fruits. Maybe still a little tannic, or just finishes with quite a kick by virtue of of the fact that it is syrah dominant.
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4/5/2009 - cookie7 wrote:
Lots of vanilla. Thus drank excellant with a 30 minute decant.
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3/22/2009 - DaleW wrote:
Blackberries and red cherry, still a bit tannic, some herb and smoke. Some oak signature still apparent, though not in your face. Pretty good if not compelling, but a few more years might do it some good. B+/ B
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3/5/2009 - cgrimes wrote: 91 Points
NSFOW March--Blinded Syrah (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Light purple. Similar nose and palate to the 2000 but slightly more density of fruit and tannic structure. Both were lovely wines and drinking very well.
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2/14/2009 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Very proper and slightly maturing color, but looking a bit watery. Nice complexity on the nose, with licorice, tar, spice, old saddle leather, cherry and grape. Great acidity, a bit warm, with enough alcohol to give an impression of thinness, despite the pleasant taste. Slightly stemmy, pleasantly tannic finish, turning nutty, almost tawny Port-like. This can benefit from a long decant to blow off some of the volatile alcohol, and still has some life in it. Sorry I only had one of these.
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1/19/2009 - Biglama wrote: 90 Points
rood van kleur, rood fruit in de neus, wat dierlijk en gekruid, smaak is mooi in balans en nog in goede conditie, wat gepolijst en licht een zoetje, mooi gerijpt glas, nu in goede vorm
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1/2/2009 - MObiker wrote:
Not a great bottle, I'm hoping it's just in a dumb phase. Some fat on the nose, but not much else. Fairly tannic and acidic, with small amounts of red fruit peeking through. With the light body, and biting nature, it reminded me of drinking a nebbiolo too early. The next morning a little leftover showed darker fruit, much more at the forefront -- I'll take this as a hopeful sign for the future.
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12/29/2008 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
A killer cote rotie in a great place right now. The nose screams white pepper and saddle leather, and leather. The palate is impeccably balanced with raspberries, leather, briar, smoked bacon all matched with great acid. Drink or hold.
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12/25/2008 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
From a magnum with 1 hour decant. Very dark black/purple, opaque. Spicy black fruit nose. Full bodied, rich spicy black fruit, well balanced with firm finish. Geat wine with good balance and strength. Great foundation of fruit and spice. Holding up well.
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12/21/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Blackberry, cherry, white pepper, barbecued meats, spice and barnyard. Pretty acidity. Rich finish.
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11/15/2008 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Opened at the restaurant. Not possible to see the color of the wine. Nose gave off scents of lavender, baking spices, licorice, beef blood. Surprisingly soft and somewhat dilute on the palate at first, but with air filled in nicely with mostly red fruits, meatiness, pepper, and licorice. Surprisingly lush in texture. Nice with food.
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10/20/2008 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red. Lots of fruit, but lots of other great things like raw bacon. pepper and meat. Lots of structure too. Exactly the kind of Syrah wine I love.
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8/28/2008 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 88 Points
From distant memory - but i think it had an interesting and changing nose, and smooth finish, but just didnt wow me at all. Was a bit thin and muted on the palate. Nose was of plums, soil and bacon fat (the bacon fat my wife picked up on in her best tasting note yet - go girl).
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6/4/2008 - foodandwineblog wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding nose of cherry, earth, pepper, smoked meats and spices. On the palate the wine is still youthful with layers of dark red fruits, spice and peppers. Medium tannins and good acidity, this wine has a few years until it peaks and with proper cellaring will drink great for another 15 years or more. foodandwineblog.com
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6/1/2008 - dinwiddie wrote: 93 Points
Drinking even better than it did two years ago. Decanted for about an hour and a half. Wonderful nose, elegant and smooth mouthfeel and firm but supple tannins that have softened quite a bit in the last two years. Still had lots of fruit and a slight minerality with just a hint of leather. Wonderfully elegant wine. Wish this hadn't been my last bottle.
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5/26/2008 - Dale M wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Just the slightest hint of mature syrah blackberry-esque perfume on the nose, a very strong black pepper profile, both on the nose and the palate, and just the right amount of black olive and saddle leather to let us know were this wine was born. Medium weight structure, but refined and classy, with a good dose of red cherry fruit that has blended admirably with the tannin to create a balanced and interesting experience. Miles better that the last of bottle of the 99 I had a few months ago, and should drink well for another 5-8 years ahead. Very nice Cote Rotie.
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5/17/2008 - Wrighty wrote: 91 Points
Nose of meat and leather. Pepperary palate and some sweet fruit. Good finish.
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5/11/2008 - Montecalvo wrote: 90 Points
Light red to red in color. Bought on release. On the nose an immediate strong note of black pepper. As it developed plenty of black fruit notes on the nose and palate. Developing secondary flavors. Tannins have mellowed but still quite noticeable. Quite a bit of length. Good balance between tannins and fruit. Medium acidity. Overall near peak. Would re-evaluate in a couple of years.
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4/13/2008 - BunandFun wrote: 92 Points
Drank this extraordinary bottle with my homemade boeuf bourgignon. It tasted just the way you would want from a great Rhone wine at its peak.
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3/12/2008 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Medium/dark red colour with a lot of spice, pepper and red and dark fruits on the nose with some meaty notes. Pepper, black cherry and more red fruits dominate the palate which is medium bodied with fairly smooth tannins. Medium length finish.
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1/28/2008 - dea wrote:
Not a very good showing. It had herbal vegetable aroma and was not any better in the mouth. Possibly a flawed bottle.
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12/29/2007 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote:
Dark, dull purple, opaque. Black fruit and pine on the nose.
Mature, balanced integrated black fruit. Nice medium bodied, balanced, dried black fruit, easy drinking.
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12/15/2007 - Old_Winyards wrote:
Lacquer, sweetish plum, and spice nose. dark color with plum, smoke, animal fat flavors.
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9/15/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Rick's birthday dinner (Aquarelle (Austin)): Yet another great wine. It's the cheapest of the Cote-Rotie bottlings, but it brings the thunder. Love the plum juiciness along with the bacon fat and smokiness. Makes for a great food wine that's got many years left to improve and then plateau for another good number of years. No need to drink this now.
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9/6/2007 - jivey wrote: 89 Points
Started at 92 points and faded fast. Cranberry, earth, wet stone, mouthwatering tannins but with a dry finish.
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9/6/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: flawed
Backstreet - Syrah (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Medicinal nose. No fruit.
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9/6/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: flawed
stewed fruit, lack of fruit in the mouth. cooked
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9/6/2007 - kstoddard wrote:
Phoenix eRP Offline - Syrah (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Grape, blackberry, black pepper, earth and oak. Fruit is a bit cooked. Falls flat on the finish. Bottle must be off.
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6/10/2007 - wmbar wrote: 91 Points
Lots of pepper and spice. Drinking well with plenty of life.
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6/3/2007 - ml wrote:
Simple little Côte-Rôtie with a nice finish.
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5/26/2007 - mzimberg wrote: 93 Points
Lovely dark ruby, funky nose including dirt, forest floor, and truffle. Excellent balance between acids, tannins and fruit, very complex, long finish. Will improve for at least a few more years. We opened 2+ hours before the first full glass. It was much better as the evening went on. Decant or open early.
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4/29/2007 - la turque wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. plummy, sweet, smoky and deep. Drinking nicely now.
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3/23/2007 - tmay wrote: 89 Points
Pepper, spice and hints of cherry. Not as much fruit as a year ago. A little short on the finish.
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2/27/2007 - ScottG wrote: 90 Points
Drinking surprisingly mature. Tons of peppery spice notes with somewhat citrusy bright red fruit. Some definite smokey bacon character. Very open but seemed quite light-weight and even a bit soft in places.
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1/15/2007 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Similar to experience 4 months ago. The wine performed very nicely with roasted chicken. Decided to decant for two hours given how it opened up throughout the evening last time. This seemed to help as there was plenty there when served. Peppery spice notes were evident this time (that I did not mention any last time and which others have said were diminished). Still with nice structure.
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1/1/2007 - shadow wrote: 88 Points
less spice than other vintages, little thin, but reconizable, great dinner wine
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12/29/2006 - Magnolian wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 min. Medium ruby color with light bricking. Intruiging nose with dust and dark fruits. Subtle, smooth, glycerine-filled attack. Palate started with red currant and raspberry flavors that faded over the first hour, than came back with additional earth notes but a tighter finish. Didn't quite stand up to a spicy lasagna, probably better suited to roast pork or chicken. Very enjoyable, but not a knockout. I have 1 bottle left that I'll try in 12-18 months.
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12/26/2006 - Biglama wrote: 89 Points
Rode kleur, neus is gekruid en heeft rijp rood fruit. mooie balans met lekker zuurtje en fijne tannines. mooie afdronk
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10/28/2006 - zovizule wrote:
Decanted 2 hrs. Still young and fairly tight tasting. But fine smooth body and texture. Really gave impression of more to give. wait a couple of years for next bottle.
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9/3/2006 - wmbar wrote: 90 Points
Solid.
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5/13/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 15 minutes. Nose of sweet fruit and spice. Medium ruby garnet color, full clean flavors of ripe berries with a nice balance of pepper and spice. Medium finish, this was delicious with roasted rack of lamb. Ready to drink, should last for several more years at least.
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4/23/2006 - babnik wrote: 83 Points
Not a dark wine or displaying much heft. In fact, I would have liked a bit more flesh and structure on this rather light wine. Pleasant pepper, grilled meat, dark fruit. Shallow middle and finish. Easy to pass up at $34 from an Internet retailer.
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3/9/2006 - gregg g wrote:
Dinner with d core: Wanted to check on the progress of this one. The color has not changed much over the years, still a semi-dark crimson. Crushed black pepper is the obvious note on the nose with some dark plummy fruits and a very mild gamey quality comming through. Nice palate feel with the aromatics continuing on the palate. Still possesses a nice acidic backbone with moderate somewhat silky tannins and decent length on the finish. I don't get the lush feel I like in other CR, like Jamet, with this wine. It is a bit restrained at the moment with not enough of the bloody, roasted meat characteristic I really enjoy. Still for the under $30 release price, the wine is easily worth the money. I hope this adds some weight down the road.
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2/3/2006 - Love4Vino wrote:
I wish I decanted this wine before consuming it. It was very tight. Nose of pepper, roasted meat and earth. I picked up some flavors of blackberries and cherry. It did not show well with the other bottles on the table. Took half a bottle home to see how it will fare after a day.
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1/15/2006 - tmay wrote: 93 Points
Fruit, spice and pepper. Long finish. Balanced.
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9/29/2005 - ScottG wrote: 92 Points
Non US tasting at Palace Kitchen in Seattle; 9/28/2005-9/29/2005 (Palace Kitchen in Seattle): Would have been nice to have decanted this wine- but a very nice wine to finish up with. Peppery nose with some smoky bacon notes. Good texture and depth and still quite a bit of tannic structure. Continued to get better in the glass- try again in a couple of years.
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9/19/2005 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Darkly extracted. Not decanted. Nose became more expressive throughout the evening and was a really intriguing mix of cherry/plum fruit and roasted meats, minerals, blood (?) and leather. The palate was fuller than would have been expected with from the nose. On the finish the there was nice structure with acidity and tame tannins. Also the aromas came back and added to a very pleasing finish. Kind of a surprise for such a "generic" production.
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1/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 90 Points
Deep red/coffee color. Big aroma of strawberry, stewed tomatos, and red licorice - makes me dizzy! Bright red solid acidic fruit. Some tannin, chocolate, and mineral. 1/05
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10/26/2004 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Tasted from 375ml. This is a young and delicious Côte-Rôtie. The nose offers up notes of roasted meat and tapenade. On the palate the acid is quite aggressive showing a bright, cherry personality. (With a grilled ribeye this gets along wonderfully!) Savory and mineral laden with nice balance and a suave, silky texture. This wine has a long way to go before it really blossoms. With more air, a bit more structure starts to come forward on the palate.
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10/22/2004 - ScottG wrote: 89 Points
Lots of pepper and spicy notes in this wine. Fruit seems reticent leaving a bit of a hollow and acidic mid-palate. Some herbs on the finish. Overall nice, but will hopefully pick up some weight and come together more.
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9/2/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
decanted for 4 hours. A sharp focused wine with high acidity. Rich black fruit notes with spice and currant as well. This wine is too tannic at the moment. 90.
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2/29/2004 - Nuray wrote:
Portfolio Ref # RHO C1
Setting: Study Group / Bests at Paul Farrell's
Appearance: bright, medium-dark intensity
Nose: raisiny, cherry and red licorice, red currant and raspberry jam notes, and a truck-load of black pepper
Palate: dry, very well integrated wine with black cherry and pepper, eathy notes, above average acid and alcohol, solid muscular tannins, full bodied with a long finish, very nice balance on this wine
Comments: very complex, don't sneeze!
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9/5/2003 - otisabdul wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at grossie's BBQ as part of a mini vert of Guigal B&B. Smelled like those licorice snap candies that are shellacked in shiny bright colors. Rich and thick. Solid tannins on the finish. My favorite of the mini-vert (over the '99 and the '95).
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7/3/2003 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Cote Rotie and Hermitage at MoMo's: Intense nose. Fruity, medium-bodied. Fairly dense with reticent olive flavors.
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10/20/2002 - otisabdul wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at the 2002 Wine Spectator Las Vegas Wine Experience at a seminar featuring the WS Top Ten wines of 2001. Guigal was represented on the dais by Patrick Will. Hand-harvested from steep terraced vineyards, where pickers frequently must be tethered to trucks at the top of the hill to prevent from tumbling down the slopes. 36 months in the barrel (one third new). 3% viognier lends a feminine character to the wine. Complex bouquet and flavors of white pepper, cinnamon, smoke, earth, mulberry, vanilla and even citrus and floral nuances. Silky, strong, and persistent. Said Will: "Over time the wine will gain sweet fruitiness on the palate. Suggest 10-15 years of aging, but can easily go for 25+ years."
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1/26/2002 - graemeg wrote:
Sydney MW Summer School; 1/26/2002-1/27/2002 (Sydney Airport Stamford Hotel): Dry savoury nose. Viognier isn’t obvious, if it is there. Has an oxidative quality. Stalky character to the flavours. Not much fruit evident. Round palate is about texture, but its still a bit simple. Needs some fruit. Medium weight, dry tannic finish.
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1/2/2002 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($40) Masculine wine, with a complex nose of charcoal, minerals, smoke, meat, flowers, and pepper. Underlying ripeness, but currently has an austere edge to it. Medium-full bodied. Decent enough. Went well with Mona's Venison steak.
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9/4/2001 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Meat, blackberries, pepper, black currant and cinnamon spice on the nose. Full with good extract, moderate tannins and acid; long, spicy finish.
4/5
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8/27/2001 - SadEdjo wrote:
rich & intense white pepper & strawberry. nice mouth feel & long finish.
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7/2/2001 - tendring wrote:
Wine Education Service - Syrah/Shiraz (LSE): Smoky, liquorice, meaty nose.
Tight tannins.
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