Second of 2 (first: 5/21, 92). When I drank the first, I noted that it was early in its drinking window, and this bottle justified that call. While that one was quite nice, it skewed a bit cloying, but that’s been subsumed by forest floor, incense, funk, black tea, bitter chocolate and fig, among other notes, making for a more interesting, complex and rustic and less sweet wine. Particularly nice with a grilled pork chop and veggies one night, Indian food the next. Mid+ window now, with probably a few more good years in top form (taking in my window by 2 years). While this bottling doesn’t rank, for me, with my fave base CdPs, Close des Papes, Pegau and Beaucastel, more or less in that order, it’s reliably VG and compelling qpr. 93+ if scoring
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Opened with a dark coloring and an incredible nose of blackberries. The wine opened and the fruit notes faded a bit, letting the chocolate, kirsch and pepper appear. Incredibly smooth and well structured.
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Unplanned CdP taste off in Noe Valley. In honor of my sis, the Francophile, and a delicious rack of lamb, I opened this Pegau (about $85 at last fall's private party purchase), joined, unexpectedly, per the below, with a 2005 Sabon Prestige (about $45 in the same buy). We did pretty much of a PnP with the Pegau, which came out of the bottle almost tawny, on the nose and palate with lots of garrigue, floral notes, cherry/kirsch and mixed dried spice; to jump forward a bit, though, the wine was wan, not just in color, but all of the elements, including the structure, tasted a bit washed out, as if this bottle had probably peaked 3-5 years ago, and in fact, my sis poured the remainder of her first glass down the sink when I opened the Sabon. The Sabon came out of the bottle exactly the opposite, with extraordinarily vibrant cherry, olives, smoked meats, and a tangy citric finish, but marred on the nose and palate with a somewhat boozy, port-y note.
The skinny on the Pegau: tawny color which darkened--sounds crazy, but true--to a deep garnet, light bodied, subject to the below, medium legs. Light to moderate and well-integrated tannins, no heat. Per the changes below, light to medium complexity, light persistence and intensity.
The Sabon: Dark garnet with a purplish brown tint, medium to full bodied, thick legs. Very good persistence and intensity, medium complexity.
Ok, so here's where this gets interesting: as I mentioned, the Pegau came out what I can only call weak, and my sis was prepared to pour this bottle down the drain (my initial score, 88, hers 85), then we set it aside and opened, and had a glass of the Sabon. After the glass of the Sabon, which I'll come back to, and about an hour and a half had passed, we decided to double check on the Pegau before we did something rash, and with God as my witness, this 21 year old bottle came alive, darkening, becoming far more full-bodied and darker and developing the usual profound Pegau secondary and tertiary notes of tobacco, cedar, funk (although light for a Pegau, IMO) and an overall saline and savory feel. Not nearly as elegant as the '98 and with less apparent acidity than that bottling, this nonetheless checked all the boxes on fruit, structure, secondary notes and elegance and balance, even if with a lot less power than the '09, which I've had several times. Fabulous complement to the rack of lamb. Has continued to improve on night 2. 92 at end of night 1 to me, 93 on night 2, 91-92 for my sis at the end of night 1, 93 on night 2. So, to summarize, I'd actually be sure to give this a lot of air, subject to the usual caveats of bottle variation (which, IMO, become more pronounced in older wines, especially non-American ones) and how your bottle has been stored. With that said, it's drinking really well now, and with bottle variation and age, I concur with my CT friend Walker JFW that the likelihood of variation in this wine is more to the downside than up going forward, so I'd drink sooner than later.
The Sabon also developed, if a bit more predictably. The boozy notes integrated well, but make no mistake; my sis categorized this wine has a very New World, even as an aught era CdP in a hot year, with more of a sweet than savory feel. Tasting notes remained relatively consistent, but just as the Pegau became more assertive, this wine mellowed, even if it's not my, nor I suspect many others', idea of mellow. Still, this remains incredibly youthful, far closer, I think, toward the start than the end of its drinking window, and does have potential to improve a point, maybe 2, with powerful tannins and a lovely, if underlying, acidity which should stand it in good stead for years to come. If you're drinking now, at least for my taste, I'd give it not less than an hour and a half of air. I didn't drink it with the lamb, but it had enough acidity and savoriness to work surprisingly well with a seafood risotto. 88-89 on opening, 92 at the end of night one and the same on night 2. Even with the relative convergence on night 2, these 2 wines did a good job of showing the diversity of CdPs, and while I wouldn't have done the side-by-side had I known how the Pegau was going to develop, I'm glad we did.
NB: For a variety of reasons (my slow drinking at this point and a couple of invitations for dinners out at friends'), it took 5 days to polish this off, and this stayed at a solid 92 during the period. reiterate early drinking window with possibility for improvement.
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Even after being opened for three days, this wine continues to be stunning! Kirsch and garrigue, good tannins, smooth and delicious. Nothing old about this wine at all.
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92-93: amazingly fresh - it's been 8 years since I had this wine. I would have never guessed it was 14 years old. Loads of red fruit and garrigue, it's very rich and smooth, just smashing on its own or with food. Loved it.
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Very nice floral, chocolate and dark fruit aromas. No funk or barnyard. Very smooth, silky tannins. Dark fruits, cocoa, garrigue/mineral, spice and licorice in the long-lasting flavors. Drinking very well right now.
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Had alongside an 08 Casanova di Neri BdM. Both were excellent, but the BdM slightly edged this out. This didn’t need too long of a decant and it was definitely mellowed out and firmly in its drinking window. I’d say drink within the next 4 years.
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Much better than my last bottle, no significant VA or heat. Deep rich fruit flavors, still fruit forward but fresh, with a little spice in the background. Fine tannins on the finish with a little sandal wood. Some mature notes, though the fruit is still youthful.
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A fine expression of ripe and ready to drink CNP. lots of dark stewed fruit and a sold structure, finish had loads of wild flowers and rich spice. - not an over the top style but clearly refined and drinking well now.
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Disappointing given how good the '06 was this year. Quite dark in color for CDP. Nose was sullen initially, but with some coaxing gave off Christmas spice and dried dark fruit. Palate was prickly (carbonic?) with iron, blood, and spice notes. Fruit seemed a big monolithic and lazy, but tightened up with air adding a bit of energy. Moderate finish with sandalwood, spice, and maybe a hint of chocolate. Didn't have the expected polish and poise and came across as a slightly disjointed wine that was trying to be powerful. It did improve with air with is reassuring--could be in an awkward phase or could be trying too hard. Time will tell.
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Closed at first, but then decanted. Over next 15 minutes, developed amazing floral, chocolate and dark fruit aromas. No funk or barnyard. Very smooth, silky tannins. Dark fruits, cocoa, garrigue/mineral, spice and licorice in the long-lasting flavors. Drinking very well right now. (A 50+ year French chef/restaurant owner-friend at our private dinner said it was one of the best CDP's they had had in while. I'm glad I have 3 more.)
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vraiment très agréable, probablement a son apogée, longueur correcte, pas trop doux, assez typique sans être trop puissant et en restant assez élégant.
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En vin med "smæk for skillingen". Hed og pebret, røde frugter går lige i næsen. Bløde, silkeagtig, moden, frisk smag bekræfter duften. Vinen blev fremstillet af en blanding af 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah og 10% Mourvedre.
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Decided to open this sooner rather than later and for a largish group of philistines based on recent mediocre reviews here. Decanted for 2 hours, and I stuck to my Puffeney and didn't get to this until there was only one small glass left. To my surprise, I found it to be excellent. Sweet/ripe? Yes. But also complex, clean, not overly heavy. Lovely red fruit, a bit of spice and herbs. Overall, a very pleasant wine that I wish I'd drunk more of instead of leaving it to the folks who brought over the Chloe pinot noir... I don't regret the Puffeney for a second, but I was led astray (just a bit) by CT for once. Gah.
Best Burger Event, Monthly Tasting Group (Jason and Tracy's, Mpls, MN): I thought the nose was excellent on popping, slow-O for 2 hours and then splashed before travel. The palate was better initially and seems just too much now. Not really where I'd like this to be. Showing too much wood still and too much spiciness. Good nose, The fruit is there and potential, dark and dark red, with some earth and minerality ,charcoal, pepper, very spicy but just not the nuance that one hopes for. needs more time. A bit much right now. Give this 2-3 year at least.
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From 375. Very disappointed. This seemed to have a slight stewed or oxidized character to it, but I may have imagined that as an excuse for the wine showing in a way I for which I just did not care. This had a harsh / green aspect to it, which was completely unexpected for this producer and vintage. Overall one dimensional.
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This wine is maturing nicely indeed. Rich deep notes of kirsch, soy, hoisin, seaweed; quite dark in character but for a slight floral hint that really brightens up the nose. On the palate, it is a plush and fruity, very open knit with the alcohol giving it a delicate sweet edge. For someone who doesn't drink so much CDP these days, this is very enjoyable (especially on a cold and snowy winter night in Hokkaido)
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Very interesting bottle. The wine started out a bit tired but after about 15 minutes really freshened up and revealed very sappy and highly extracted fruit with excellent depth and length. This delicious wine went perfectly with the great food at Kanella Restaurant and is in its peak drinking period.
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Pouring revealed a medium garnet coloring with a purple rim. The nose was muted and opened slowly. Lots briery, brambley notes, along with some blueberry and plum features. The tannins seem to be lurking underneath but the profile is smooth on the palate. Hard to tell if this will improve or if it's just going through a dumb phase.
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Third try of this wine over the past three years, and I couldn't get excited about it any of these. Great vintage and pedigree, but the wine just doesn't deliver. Lacks fruit and acidity, so it just doesn't have any "zip" to it. Disappointing.
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too much air hurt this wine. at first pour it was very brash and assertive reminding me of a cote rotie. after several hours decant it was lacking much character and not holding up to food. meh.
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Dark garnet with purple hues and heavy in the glass. Brambly nose of pepper, black fruit, raspberry, BBQ char, tobacco and pine. Full body and, at cork & pour, explosive with racy and angular dark fruit, heavy spice, earth and tobacco on the palate. Leaning towards Côte-Rôtie. Long finish. Fell apart with time and then became mute after about four hours. Terrible with food.
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Very polished bottle of wine. Generally, I like my CdP with a little more "funk" to it (Pegau), but this was really good. 2005 was an excellent year and it shows. Needed about an hour to really show all it had. Probably at or near its peak.
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Another excellent bottle; notes of dark berries, soy and medicinal herbs. Dense but not overly heavy. Plush, long finish. Drinking nicely, not too early to open at all
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Wow, canned green beans and tomato sauce, rather hard to get through, not sure where this is going or why I held onto it. Just opened though. Maybe it will blow off.
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Beijing dumpling night at home with friends (Hong Kong): Excellent CDP with a classic Southern Rhone nose of dark fruits, licorice, garrigue and pepper. Smooth, plump and velvety with a sweet edge, the full-bodied palate boasted notes of black cherries, ripe figs and minerals. Nice long finish. While this wine can no doubt improve for another 10+ years it's already very enjoyable now. I've never had an unenjoyable CDP from this illustrious domaine.
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Pop/pour. Initially not giving much on the nose, but with some swirling starts to show a delicate perfumed mix of red fruits, spice, leather and wood. On the palate, full bodied, lush mouth feel, but not entirely open for business. A little bit tight through the mid palate and finish, with acidity and tannins not yet fully integrated. Overall, a nicely made wine with considerable future potential. Paired nicely with pork carnitas. With 4 bottles left, the plan would be to open the next one in 2016.
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Deep purple/red color. Aromas of black cherries, pepper and spices. Ripe and nicely structured fruit but currently a bit closed in the mouth with very good depth and length. This wine was decanted for an hour before it justified a 91 rating. Try again in 2 years.
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Spicy, with lots of fresh cracked pepper, kirsch and wild strawberry. Bright, fresh and concentrated, you can drink this today and over the next decade.
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Dumb, da-dumb dumb, DUMMMMMB. I won't touch the next one for at least 2 years. A whole lot of nothing going on right now. You get some smooth texture, a bit o' heat and then Elvis has left the building. I hold out hope for much better. If I had a gun to my head right now, maybe a 90? Structure is undoubtedly there.
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My second and final bottle. A little less impressed this time around. I was good and silky smooth but as in the case with most Rhone wines the alcohol is too noticeable for me. Decent fruit, but not a fruit bomb (like some cheaper Rhone blends can be) and modest oak. Nothing really negative per se except for the noticeable alcohol, but I would prefer a good Bordeaux.
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Nose of blackberry, wet stone and bramble. Silky sweet mouthfeel with flavors of plum, minerals and baking spice. Soft tannins and delicate, floral lingering finish. Drinking nicely right now.
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Friday Night Cellar Circuit -- decanted 1 hour and served with dinner. This wine seemed very shy all the way around at first -- reticent nose, a pleasant but undistinguished palate. When paired with the meal, the spices in the food brought out interesting notes of forest floor, mineral, and some concentrated spice notes. This is my first exposure to Sabon, but my guess is this CDP is in a dumb phase. Nice, but not awe-inspiring.
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No detailed notes. Made the mistake of serving this too warm. As a result, it showed as a well made wine....lush and smooth on the palate, but never really displayed its full potential. Long finish. Probably 92-93 points if served/prepared correctly.
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Popped an poured, with the remainder corked and consumed the next day. Rich, complex and layered with earth,forest floor, dark fruit, anise, plum,and a bit of spiciness. Tannins soft and integrated. Finish long. Beautiful. 92-94
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Delicious! Silky smooth, but with slightly drying tannins on the finish. This is drinking very well now, so it will be hard to keep my hands off additional bottles in the cellar. Jucy black current, silky glycerin, acidity balances nicely with soft tannins. Great body. A pleasure to drink.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The nose of this wine had dark cherry and anise aromas with some white peppercorn notes. The palate had very rich dark fruit flavors that were almost candied. This was one of the fullest bodied wines of the tasting and had a big mouthfeel and a long finish. I tasted this right after the 06 Prestige, and I loved the 05. Because the labels changed between 05 & 06, it took me a while to realize that it was the same wine, just a different vintage - they were really that different in style.
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Wow! A really pleasant surprise. We were nervous this might be similar to the 2003 we had recently. An entirely different beast. Deep black fruits with hints of cherries, currants, and figs. The only way to describe the body was opulent. Wonderfully balanced sweet fruit, Asian five spice, and black tea. The finish just hung in there with the tannins almost completely absorbed. We had this with miso/hoison glazed chicken skewers and red bliss potato salad.
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Sabon Prestige/Secret Vertical (Restaurant AOC): Plump blackberry nose with a little bark and sewer.. Very intense and impressive nose. The fruit on the palate seems much older than on the nose and the acidity seems a bit unstructured. Medium length aftertaste, mostly with blackberries and black currants. Pretty dry on the end and does lack acidity. Perhaps in a strange phase but not very impressive.
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Nose: Green peppers, plums, cocoa, raspberries, kirsch. Nose gives off impressions of classic CdP and pinot. Palate: Lots of sarsaparilla, along with raspberries, cherries, and tar on the attack. Sarsaparilla intensifies on the mid-palate. Long finish is set up by velvety tannins. Great structure and balance, plenty of ripe, juicy fruit, and lots of life ahead for this wine, but drinking great now.
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Un nez puissant, très réglissé, viande crue, beaucoup d’épices. Un style viril. Un vin plein, serré, tannique avec un bon fruit, jeune et encore carré à l’image du millésime. Bon potentiel, à revoir dans 4-5 ans. 90-91 pts
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Dinner at Grace: Ooohh man, this wine is going to be some kind of ridiculous-good in a few years! Hints of leather and spice accent the light wash of garrigue that settles throughout the glass; a light note of citrus oil comes in, too. Garnet color of great depth; medium-full bodied. Tannic, with spicy loganberries, on the palate. Hold.
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4/8/2024 - broadband013 wrote: 92 Points
Topissime!
À son apogée je pense, vraiment magnifique!
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2/10/2024 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:
Second of 2 (first: 5/21, 92). When I drank the first, I noted that it was early in its drinking window, and this bottle justified that call. While that one was quite nice, it skewed a bit cloying, but that’s been subsumed by forest floor, incense, funk, black tea, bitter chocolate and fig, among other notes, making for a more interesting, complex and rustic and less sweet wine. Particularly nice with a grilled pork chop and veggies one night, Indian food the next. Mid+ window now, with probably a few more good years in top form (taking in my window by 2 years). While this bottling doesn’t rank, for me, with my fave base CdPs, Close des Papes, Pegau and Beaucastel, more or less in that order, it’s reliably VG and compelling qpr. 93+ if scoring
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6/10/2023 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wish and unctuous with great fruit.
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9/24/2022 - vinolovers wrote: 93 Points
Opened with a dark coloring and an incredible nose of blackberries. The wine opened and the fruit notes faded a bit, letting the chocolate, kirsch and pepper appear. Incredibly smooth and well structured.
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5/28/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Unplanned CdP taste off in Noe Valley. In honor of my sis, the Francophile, and a delicious rack of lamb, I opened this Pegau (about $85 at last fall's private party purchase), joined, unexpectedly, per the below, with a 2005 Sabon Prestige (about $45 in the same buy). We did pretty much of a PnP with the Pegau, which came out of the bottle almost tawny, on the nose and palate with lots of garrigue, floral notes, cherry/kirsch and mixed dried spice; to jump forward a bit, though, the wine was wan, not just in color, but all of the elements, including the structure, tasted a bit washed out, as if this bottle had probably peaked 3-5 years ago, and in fact, my sis poured the remainder of her first glass down the sink when I opened the Sabon. The Sabon came out of the bottle exactly the opposite, with extraordinarily vibrant cherry, olives, smoked meats, and a tangy citric finish, but marred on the nose and palate with a somewhat boozy, port-y note.
The skinny on the Pegau: tawny color which darkened--sounds crazy, but true--to a deep garnet, light bodied, subject to the below, medium legs. Light to moderate and well-integrated tannins, no heat. Per the changes below, light to medium complexity, light persistence and intensity.
The Sabon: Dark garnet with a purplish brown tint, medium to full bodied, thick legs. Very good persistence and intensity, medium complexity.
Ok, so here's where this gets interesting: as I mentioned, the Pegau came out what I can only call weak, and my sis was prepared to pour this bottle down the drain (my initial score, 88, hers 85), then we set it aside and opened, and had a glass of the Sabon. After the glass of the Sabon, which I'll come back to, and about an hour and a half had passed, we decided to double check on the Pegau before we did something rash, and with God as my witness, this 21 year old bottle came alive, darkening, becoming far more full-bodied and darker and developing the usual profound Pegau secondary and tertiary notes of tobacco, cedar, funk (although light for a Pegau, IMO) and an overall saline and savory feel. Not nearly as elegant as the '98 and with less apparent acidity than that bottling, this nonetheless checked all the boxes on fruit, structure, secondary notes and elegance and balance, even if with a lot less power than the '09, which I've had several times. Fabulous complement to the rack of lamb. Has continued to improve on night 2. 92 at end of night 1 to me, 93 on night 2, 91-92 for my sis at the end of night 1, 93 on night 2. So, to summarize, I'd actually be sure to give this a lot of air, subject to the usual caveats of bottle variation (which, IMO, become more pronounced in older wines, especially non-American ones) and how your bottle has been stored. With that said, it's drinking really well now, and with bottle variation and age, I concur with my CT friend Walker JFW that the likelihood of variation in this wine is more to the downside than up going forward, so I'd drink sooner than later.
The Sabon also developed, if a bit more predictably. The boozy notes integrated well, but make no mistake; my sis categorized this wine has a very New World, even as an aught era CdP in a hot year, with more of a sweet than savory feel. Tasting notes remained relatively consistent, but just as the Pegau became more assertive, this wine mellowed, even if it's not my, nor I suspect many others', idea of mellow. Still, this remains incredibly youthful, far closer, I think, toward the start than the end of its drinking window, and does have potential to improve a point, maybe 2, with powerful tannins and a lovely, if underlying, acidity which should stand it in good stead for years to come. If you're drinking now, at least for my taste, I'd give it not less than an hour and a half of air. I didn't drink it with the lamb, but it had enough acidity and savoriness to work surprisingly well with a seafood risotto. 88-89 on opening, 92 at the end of night one and the same on night 2. Even with the relative convergence on night 2, these 2 wines did a good job of showing the diversity of CdPs, and while I wouldn't have done the side-by-side had I known how the Pegau was going to develop, I'm glad we did.
NB: For a variety of reasons (my slow drinking at this point and a couple of invitations for dinners out at friends'), it took 5 days to polish this off, and this stayed at a solid 92 during the period. reiterate early drinking window with possibility for improvement.
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12/17/2020 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Drinking well. Can go longer. Good balance and body with a long finish.
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11/17/2020 - Papa Eo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remarkably easy-drinking. Beautiful wine.
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8/10/2020 - Mossrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Even after being opened for three days, this wine continues to be stunning! Kirsch and garrigue, good tannins, smooth and delicious. Nothing old about this wine at all.
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5/9/2020 - hsacks wrote: flawed
Corked
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4/13/2020 - mpdonnel Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a good place. Typical CdP red fruits and garrigue. Palate very smooth, if a bit thin.
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10/5/2019 - BBinSC wrote: 92 Points
92-93: amazingly fresh - it's been 8 years since I had this wine. I would have never guessed it was 14 years old. Loads of red fruit and garrigue, it's very rich and smooth, just smashing on its own or with food. Loved it.
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6/21/2019 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
Happily, this bottle was similar to the 10/29/18 bottle.
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4/14/2019 - PetePullen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice floral, chocolate and dark fruit aromas. No funk or barnyard. Very smooth, silky tannins. Dark fruits, cocoa, garrigue/mineral, spice and licorice in the long-lasting flavors. Drinking very well right now.
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2/15/2019 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had alongside an 08 Casanova di Neri BdM. Both were excellent, but the BdM slightly edged this out. This didn’t need too long of a decant and it was definitely mellowed out and firmly in its drinking window. I’d say drink within the next 4 years.
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11/8/2018 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than my last bottle, no significant VA or heat. Deep rich fruit flavors, still fruit forward but fresh, with a little spice in the background. Fine tannins on the finish with a little sandal wood. Some mature notes, though the fruit is still youthful.
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10/29/2018 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle was fresher than the prior two bottles and was thicker and longer on the palate.
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4/21/2018 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the 9/18/14 bottle.
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7/5/2017 - Miamidivorcelawyer wrote: 89 Points
A fine expression of ripe and ready to drink CNP. lots of dark stewed fruit and a sold structure, finish had loads of wild flowers and rich spice. - not an over the top style but clearly refined and drinking well now.
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8/26/2016 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Disappointing given how good the '06 was this year. Quite dark in color for CDP. Nose was sullen initially, but with some coaxing gave off Christmas spice and dried dark fruit. Palate was prickly (carbonic?) with iron, blood, and spice notes. Fruit seemed a big monolithic and lazy, but tightened up with air adding a bit of energy. Moderate finish with sandalwood, spice, and maybe a hint of chocolate. Didn't have the expected polish and poise and came across as a slightly disjointed wine that was trying to be powerful. It did improve with air with is reassuring--could be in an awkward phase or could be trying too hard. Time will tell.
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8/21/2016 - PetePullen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Closed at first, but then decanted. Over next 15 minutes, developed amazing floral, chocolate and dark fruit aromas. No funk or barnyard. Very smooth, silky tannins. Dark fruits, cocoa, garrigue/mineral, spice and licorice in the long-lasting flavors. Drinking very well right now. (A 50+ year French chef/restaurant owner-friend at our private dinner said it was one of the best CDP's they had had in while. I'm glad I have 3 more.)
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2/4/2016 - broadband013 wrote: 91 Points
vraiment très agréable, probablement a son apogée, longueur correcte, pas trop doux, assez typique sans être trop puissant et en restant assez élégant.
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12/20/2015 - Bureso Likes this wine: 90 Points
En vin med "smæk for skillingen". Hed og pebret, røde frugter går lige i næsen. Bløde, silkeagtig, moden, frisk smag bekræfter duften. Vinen blev fremstillet af en blanding af 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah og 10% Mourvedre.
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10/7/2015 - Enfant sauvage Likes this wine:
Decided to open this sooner rather than later and for a largish group of philistines based on recent mediocre reviews here. Decanted for 2 hours, and I stuck to my Puffeney and didn't get to this until there was only one small glass left. To my surprise, I found it to be excellent. Sweet/ripe? Yes. But also complex, clean, not overly heavy. Lovely red fruit, a bit of spice and herbs. Overall, a very pleasant wine that I wish I'd drunk more of instead of leaving it to the folks who brought over the Chloe pinot noir... I don't regret the Puffeney for a second, but I was led astray (just a bit) by CT for once. Gah.
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9/15/2015 - geneswine wrote: 89 Points
Showing age, a slight oxidized taste that did not go away as it warmed from cellar temp as many wines seem to. It's time to drink this these 2005's.
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7/19/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Best Burger Event, Monthly Tasting Group (Jason and Tracy's, Mpls, MN): I thought the nose was excellent on popping, slow-O for 2 hours and then splashed before travel. The palate was better initially and seems just too much now. Not really where I'd like this to be. Showing too much wood still and too much spiciness. Good nose, The fruit is there and potential, dark and dark red, with some earth and minerality ,charcoal, pepper, very spicy but just not the nuance that one hopes for. needs more time. A bit much right now. Give this 2-3 year at least.
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6/4/2015 - GoBlue2002 Does not like this wine: 84 Points
From 375. Very disappointed. This seemed to have a slight stewed or oxidized character to it, but I may have imagined that as an excuse for the wine showing in a way I for which I just did not care.
This had a harsh / green aspect to it, which was completely unexpected for this producer and vintage. Overall one dimensional.
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5/10/2015 - chanukha Likes this wine: 93 Points
Over the past year, this wine has gotten much better. Third drinking.
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5/9/2015 - dase13 wrote: 91 Points
Color of medium red. Scents of cherry and raspberry. Tastes consistent with scents. Nice light wine.
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1/1/2015 - ilee Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is maturing nicely indeed. Rich deep notes of kirsch, soy, hoisin, seaweed; quite dark in character but for a slight floral hint that really brightens up the nose. On the palate, it is a plush and fruity, very open knit with the alcohol giving it a delicate sweet edge. For someone who doesn't drink so much CDP these days, this is very enjoyable (especially on a cold and snowy winter night in Hokkaido)
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9/18/2014 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very interesting bottle. The wine started out a bit tired but after about 15 minutes really freshened up and revealed very sappy and highly extracted fruit with excellent depth and length. This delicious wine went perfectly with the great food at Kanella Restaurant and is in its peak drinking period.
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3/15/2014 - vinolovers wrote: 91 Points
Pouring revealed a medium garnet coloring with a purple rim. The nose was muted and opened slowly. Lots briery, brambley notes, along with some blueberry and plum features. The tannins seem to be lurking underneath but the profile is smooth on the palate. Hard to tell if this will improve or if it's just going through a dumb phase.
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2/16/2014 - ewsds wrote: 85 Points
Third try of this wine over the past three years, and I couldn't get excited about it any of these. Great vintage and pedigree, but the wine just doesn't deliver. Lacks fruit and acidity, so it just doesn't have any "zip" to it. Disappointing.
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2/11/2014 - mike l. Likes this wine: 88 Points
too much air hurt this wine. at first pour it was very brash and assertive reminding me of a cote rotie. after several hours decant it was lacking much character and not holding up to food. meh.
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2/8/2014 - christophee Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark garnet with purple hues and heavy in the glass. Brambly nose of pepper, black fruit, raspberry, BBQ char, tobacco and pine. Full body and, at cork & pour, explosive with racy and angular dark fruit, heavy spice, earth and tobacco on the palate. Leaning towards Côte-Rôtie. Long finish. Fell apart with time and then became mute after about four hours. Terrible with food.
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1/25/2014 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as the 10/14/12 bottle.
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11/29/2013 - Idrink,therefore,Iam wrote: 94 Points
Very polished bottle of wine. Generally, I like my CdP with a little more "funk" to it (Pegau), but this was really good. 2005 was an excellent year and it shows. Needed about an hour to really show all it had. Probably at or near its peak.
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11/13/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 92 Points
Took time to open, maybe 45 mins. Lovely fruit, subtle earthiness, nice structure, very enjoyable. I think it's at its peak
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5/29/2013 - ilee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another excellent bottle; notes of dark berries, soy and medicinal herbs. Dense but not overly heavy. Plush, long finish. Drinking nicely, not too early to open at all
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4/9/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Wow, canned green beans and tomato sauce, rather hard to get through, not sure where this is going or why I held onto it. Just opened though. Maybe it will blow off.
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3/30/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful nose, fruit doesn't seem to have softened much, and I fear acids will start to overpower soon.
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3/15/2013 - ilee wrote: 93 Points
Beijing dumpling night at home with friends (Hong Kong): Excellent CDP with a classic Southern Rhone nose of dark fruits, licorice, garrigue and pepper. Smooth, plump and velvety with a sweet edge, the full-bodied palate boasted notes of black cherries, ripe figs and minerals. Nice long finish. While this wine can no doubt improve for another 10+ years it's already very enjoyable now. I've never had an unenjoyable CDP from this illustrious domaine.
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2/24/2013 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Pop/pour. Initially not giving much on the nose, but with some swirling starts to show a delicate perfumed mix of red fruits, spice, leather and wood. On the palate, full bodied, lush mouth feel, but not entirely open for business. A little bit tight through the mid palate and finish, with acidity and tannins not yet fully integrated. Overall, a nicely made wine with considerable future potential. Paired nicely with pork carnitas. With 4 bottles left, the plan would be to open the next one in 2016.
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10/14/2012 - hsacks wrote: 92 Points
Same as the 6/6/12 bottle except more open and integrated.
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6/6/2012 - hsacks wrote: 91 Points
Deep purple/red color. Aromas of black cherries, pepper and spices. Ripe and nicely structured fruit but currently a bit closed in the mouth with very good depth and length. This wine was decanted for an hour before it justified a 91 rating. Try again in 2 years.
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5/9/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Spicy, with lots of fresh cracked pepper, kirsch and wild strawberry. Bright, fresh and concentrated, you can drink this today and over the next decade.
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3/3/2012 - jj96 wrote:
Dumb, da-dumb dumb, DUMMMMMB. I won't touch the next one for at least 2 years. A whole lot of nothing going on right now. You get some smooth texture, a bit o' heat and then Elvis has left the building. I hold out hope for much better. If I had a gun to my head right now, maybe a 90? Structure is undoubtedly there.
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12/31/2011 - Fateful Destiny Likes this wine: 90 Points
My second and final bottle. A little less impressed this time around. I was good and silky smooth but as in the case with most Rhone wines the alcohol is too noticeable for me. Decent fruit, but not a fruit bomb (like some cheaper Rhone blends can be) and modest oak. Nothing really negative per se except for the noticeable alcohol, but I would prefer a good Bordeaux.
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9/29/2011 - Porchino wrote: 91 Points
Not to big like Cali syrah
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9/1/2011 - GGinSF wrote: 90 Points
Really enjoyed it, but it's too young for the complexity to show through. Must...keep....hands...off!
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7/24/2011 - Surfdoc wrote: 92 Points
Nose of blackberry, wet stone and bramble. Silky sweet mouthfeel with flavors of plum, minerals and baking spice. Soft tannins and delicate, floral lingering finish. Drinking nicely right now.
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6/12/2011 - BBinSC wrote: 91 Points
Friday Night Cellar Circuit -- decanted 1 hour and served with dinner. This wine seemed very shy all the way around at first -- reticent nose, a pleasant but undistinguished palate. When paired with the meal, the spices in the food brought out interesting notes of forest floor, mineral, and some concentrated spice notes. This is my first exposure to Sabon, but my guess is this CDP is in a dumb phase. Nice, but not awe-inspiring.
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6/6/2011 - vanpe003 wrote:
No detailed notes. Made the mistake of serving this too warm. As a result, it showed as a well made wine....lush and smooth on the palate, but never really displayed its full potential. Long finish. Probably 92-93 points if served/prepared correctly.
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2/24/2011 - JDRFoster wrote: 93 Points
Popped an poured, with the remainder corked and consumed the next day. Rich, complex and layered with earth,forest floor, dark fruit, anise, plum,and a bit of spiciness. Tannins soft and integrated. Finish long. Beautiful. 92-94
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8/9/2010 - GGinSF wrote: 93 Points
Delicious! Silky smooth, but with slightly drying tannins on the finish. This is drinking very well now, so it will be hard to keep my hands off additional bottles in the cellar. Jucy black current, silky glycerin, acidity balances nicely with soft tannins. Great body. A pleasure to drink.
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7/31/2010 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting: The nose of this wine had dark cherry and anise aromas with some white peppercorn notes. The palate had very rich dark fruit flavors that were almost candied. This was one of the fullest bodied wines of the tasting and had a big mouthfeel and a long finish. I tasted this right after the 06 Prestige, and I loved the 05. Because the labels changed between 05 & 06, it took me a while to realize that it was the same wine, just a different vintage - they were really that different in style.
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7/30/2010 - TMacpherson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! A really pleasant surprise. We were nervous this might be similar to the 2003 we had recently. An entirely different beast. Deep black fruits with hints of cherries, currants, and figs. The only way to describe the body was opulent. Wonderfully balanced sweet fruit, Asian five spice, and black tea. The finish just hung in there with the tannins almost completely absorbed. We had this with miso/hoison glazed chicken skewers and red bliss potato salad.
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4/9/2010 - canan wrote: 88 Points
Sabon Prestige/Secret Vertical (Restaurant AOC): Plump blackberry nose with a little bark and sewer.. Very intense and impressive nose.
The fruit on the palate seems much older than on the nose and the acidity seems a bit unstructured. Medium length aftertaste, mostly with blackberries and black currants. Pretty dry on the end and does lack acidity.
Perhaps in a strange phase but not very impressive.
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1/4/2010 - gunpwdr wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Green peppers, plums, cocoa, raspberries, kirsch. Nose gives off impressions of classic CdP and pinot. Palate: Lots of sarsaparilla, along with raspberries, cherries, and tar on the attack. Sarsaparilla intensifies on the mid-palate. Long finish is set up by velvety tannins. Great structure and balance, plenty of ripe, juicy fruit, and lots of life ahead for this wine, but drinking great now.
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11/24/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Un nez puissant, très réglissé, viande crue, beaucoup d’épices. Un style viril.
Un vin plein, serré, tannique avec un bon fruit, jeune et encore carré à l’image du millésime. Bon potentiel, à revoir dans 4-5 ans. 90-91 pts
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6/12/2009 - grafstrb wrote:
Dinner at Grace: Ooohh man, this wine is going to be some kind of ridiculous-good in a few years! Hints of leather and spice accent the light wash of garrigue that settles throughout the glass; a light note of citrus oil comes in, too. Garnet color of great depth; medium-full bodied. Tannic, with spicy loganberries, on the palate. Hold.
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4/30/2007 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Tasted at the domaine. Following the 2005 Reserve, the Prestige showed greater purity, with deeper, fairly jammy, sappy fruit. Quite impressive.
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