Full body, with lots of meaty, pepper, black cherry and dried herbs. After a couple of hours more earthy notes started showing like black truffle, forest floor, and moss. A touch of oxidization, with an almost port like on the finish.
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This wine was at its peak about an hour after opening, with an enticing nose and the kind of restrained flamboyance you sometimes get from aged CdP - cherry kirsch and furry leather. 7-8 hours later the bitter coffee characteristics are coming through. Time to drink.
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More understated than the Senechaux. Leaner and less concentrated too but no overripeness. It is time to drink this as it already reached peak and the descend is on the horizon.
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A modern clean style, this bottling has always been a "house" CDP for us. Bought 3 cases for an average of $17 per bottle between 2003 and 2004 - all from Premier Cru before they broke bad. Just drank the last bottle. Wine is more than smell and taste. I must admit that the enjoyment of this bottle was somewhat mitigated by the bad stench of bad memories.
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Opened and poured a glass, let stand for an hour. Still a big and fresh wine. Leather, smoke, plum/prune over a solid base of integrated tennis. A great drink with grilled lamb. My cellar is at 55, so the aging might be slower than for others.
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Brown around the edge. Still a bit dark mid. Smelled like a mix of coffee beans and dates. Unfortunately, tasted like black coffee and not a fresh one at that (bitter, funky, harsh). Got a glimpse into what it was at its' prime :) Bought just cuz it was on sale. NOT the best reason to buy wine kekek The reserve should hold up better. Unless you like your coffee black. Then go for it!
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Quite plummy and tart. Rated 88 points on the first night, as didn't think much of it. But had it the next day and it had put on some serious muscle and the plummy flavor was greatly reduced. Very nice now.
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Thrown into a Bordeaux tasting as a ringer. This wine shows an advanced nose of stewed plums and currant fruit, some smoke and spice notes. On the palate, seems fully matured, with resolved tannins, med acidity, and a shortish finish showing off the black fruit and spice profile. Drink up now through 2018 or so...will not improve further, IMHO.
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From magnum. A bit more developed than last time but this still is so enjoyable. Similar notes as before with some forest floor and game popping up on the nose.
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Opened last night, enjoyed a few glasses. Recorked the wine and opened again tonite to drink the rest of the bottle. On the nose, prunes, soil, herbs, and black cherry. The palate shows off a full bodied wine, slightly hot, with mostly resolved tannins and med acidity to keep the wine in good balance. Showing flavors of cooking herbs, black cherry pie, plum and fig notes, with earthy flavors due to the age of the wine. This wine has reached it apogee and is on the decline. It was better on the first night. Drink now...but still very good if consumed all in one evening.
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Crimson color still vibrant. Nose was hard and edgy, with eucalyptus element, cherry cough syrup, hard tack candy and meat. Palate showed similarly with more green tree, dark cherry pit, twigs and some blood element. Very old world and lacking any fruit. I do not see this one improving - drink now.
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Thanksgiving Dinner WOTN. From magnum. Youthful, fresh, no signs of age. Sweet fruit with herbs on the mid-palate with a dry, savory long finish. Potent but balanced. A wine meant to be shared given it power.
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Medium red-garnet color. Lovely, old fashioned CndP. A bit of weediness and dried cranberry, ripe without goop, almost no oak influence, with an ideal level of fine, firm tannin. Finishing sweetness that aged CndP can give. Not from our cellar.
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Mellow and restrained, just like I like it. Not overly ripe or sweet. Drier than many at this level and it seems to just be entering the mature phase. It's got a few years left of life. Now, this is rustic, but at the pricepoint, this is a very good QPR and a highly enjoyable bottle.
Pairing: Rabo Encendido. Cuban Oxtail Stew. CdP never fails. [A]
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Since this wasn't the Reserve Sixtine, I was kind of expecting it to be a pushover. It was no such thing. While not as silky and refined as the Reserve, this was still pretty stout juice, showing very youthful, with lingering unresolved tannins, and well focused fruit. Overall it was a really nice wine with plenty of stuffing and even worthy of further cellaring.
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Slightly polished and glossy but not nearly as much as the awful cuvée Sixtine. Pine needles, spices and glossy fruit on the palate. Perhaps just a bit too extracted. Doesn't do much for me.
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My bottles were not stored properly at the store to say the least. Thus they may age faster than normal. The color shows signs of aging with bricks red color. Not much legs. Dominated by Grenache with cigar, sweet herbal tea and some spice. Tannins are pretty dissovled. Good finish.
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Not holding up well. The overripe, roasted quality is gone, but it is showing signs of oxidation. Perhaps this is a bad bottle, but recent notes show several bad bottles.
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Lots of lavendar on the nose along with some garrigue. True to the vintage, a firm structure, good acidity and sweet but still pronounced tannins. Sweet black raspberry fruit.
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This wine was decanted off its sediment and subsequently re-decanted via Vinturi. The robe is deep ruby and the nose opens within the first 30 minutes to show moderately intense aromas of black cherry, garrigue and licorice. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14%). Unlike my previous tasting, the tannins on this bottle seem to be a bit rustic. The flavors mirror the nose and the middle palate is solid. Medium, slightly dry finish. This wine is still drinking well, with plenty of fruit. It is lacking the complexity that I was hoping for at this point, and the tannins actually seem to be a bit more coarse than at the time of my most recent tasting 7/30/10. Drink now-12/17.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2011 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – medium red colour. At first on the nose this had that vitamin smell that was blocking most of the other aromas for me but after 10-15min in the glass that blew leaving a sweeter nose of juicy red fruits, leather and earth. In the mouth this soft yet fresh with good acidity and fine tannins. I’d say this is just starting to enter its drinking window and should continue to develop and age well for at least another 5 years. Excellent. 90+
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Southern Rhone Tasting (San Jose, CA): Dark red color with brown edges. Tremendous earthy bouquet. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and black fruit-dominated flavors. Long finish. In a great spot right now! My WOTN today. (RANK: #1/10)
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Drinking beautifully in 2011, tremendous earthy bouquet, roasted meats, dark ripe berries.The palate has real depth of flavour, seamless and beautifully integrated, fantastic
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This bottle was consumed in a somewhat dimly lit restaurant, making color assessment difficult (other than stating that the color was deep). The wine was decanted by the waiter without regard to sediment. A beautiful nose ensued within thirty minutes, and remained thereafter with aromas of assorted black fruits, earth, underbrush and minerals. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and black fruit-dominated flavors. The full middle palate leads to a long finish. A beautiful match with the roasted lamb breast. Still youthful. Drink now-12/17.
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Very nice herbal aromas. A bit lean having lost some of the fruit that previoius bottles showed. Paired well with grilled lamb loin chops, baba ghanoush, and pita bread. Should drink last two bottles over the next year or so.
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Aged terroir on the nose similar to stewed prunes. Not quite as lively as the last bottle which still showed youth. Bottle variation? Dried cherries on the palate and cheries on the nose after decantation with a nose of alcahol. The wine went great will dinner! EG
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Medium-to-deep red-garnet robe with garnet rim. Clean nose, developing over 60-90 minutes to show a moderately intense bouquet of black cherries, underbrush and exotic spices. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium dusty tannins and flavors which mirror the nose. Medium, slightly hot finish. Quite nice now, but has the structure to possibly further improve. This is a wine which will be enjoyable for at least 5-7 more years. Drink now-12/16.
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Grabed another from the cellar without looking at my past notes...............ooops. Still nice medium garnet color. The aromas black cherry and tobacco are present. The finish is long but I think it's mostly alcohol and the fruit is still not there yet! Glad I have more of this one. I will add more notes in the morning after this bottles breaths a bit! After 24 hours, alas this wine needs more time in the cellar!
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Palate: More conc., bit more serious, slightly darker nose than Miliere; earth, dark spice, strucured t’s, bit more youthful. Very good. 2nd taste, less powerful.
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This bottle was opened at cellar temperature. I poured a small amount into my glass to warm up while I grilled dinner. At first, the bouquet was of dark red fruit. My first taste was cherries, somewhat like Regal Royal Crown candy but a bit deeper in the nose. We consumed the wine with some Lamb burgers my wife picked up from the Kosher butcher. I was thinking there would be notes of guarigue to offset the gamey flavor of the Lamb. That old world flavor I was looking for never really jumped out of the glass like some other CdP's. I drank the bottle over a two hour period. It never opened up all the way. This bottle may actually need a bit more time aging to show its muscle.
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Chris L. brought over to watch the Broncos. This was one of the ex chateau bottles that he decanted for about 5 hrs. Still mostly primary with nice notes of red and black fruit. mid body and nice balance. with a little time in the glass we started to see some mint & tobacco leaf aromatics and a sweeter mouth feel. very enjoyable with middle eastern food this is entering a nice drinking window and will probably evolve more over the next few years 91-92+
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I'm not sure what to do with these wines. The bouquet is heavily laced with a burnt quality, which I often like in some wines, but here it gives the wine a heaviness, a ponderance, that makes the whole drinking experience disappointing and tiresome. Pruney, hot, and flabby. Why is it like this? I know this wine is about 70% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault, in declining order. That's not a problem. Aged in old foudres? Perfect. But it comes across--unlike a number of other 2001 Chateauneufs I've had recently--as burdensome and dull.
Wine should not be enervating. Wine should--apart from any alcoholic effect--enliven us, quicken our hearts and memories, remind us of joy and open us to more of the same. But sometimes it doesn't and sometimes we make mistakes. I made six of them here.
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This wine was different. Initial notes of iodine blew off quickly revealing savory asian spices and roast. A wine of perfect mid-weight and texture. Nice balance too. Medicinal flavors sandwich a core of cracked pepper and glazed berries. An outstanding pairing with miso and ginger pork chops, sesame-soy green beans, and couscous.
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Still somewhat closed. A big funk at opening took some time to blow off. Very herbal with the alcohol not quite balanced yet. Quite dry and good grip but still somewhat lacking in the fruit dept.
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Lots of dried fruit--on the raisiny side. Tannins are mellowing, with good structure. Lots of tobacco. There's some black pepper, but more of an undercurrent on the palate, not so much on the nose, like some CdP's. The nose is not as full as some, but the flavors are really nice. Given the substantial tannins, though, it's best with winter food. Just had it for Christmas dinner with lamb--good combination.
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No formal notes, but this bottle seemed well past its prime. Cloudy with muted flavors (twizzler, dried flowers) and just not impressed. Had this along with the '03 Reserve from the same producer, and the '03 KILLED this wine. But I think even if we had had this bottle on its own, it would still have not impressed. Too bad.
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Dinner w/ basecadet (Le P'tit Plateau, Montreal, Canada): Dark ruby colour. Typical grenache nose of raspberry coulis, herbes-de-Provence, and alcohol. Medium-full bodied, good grip, showing pepper, spice, currant, raspberry, and earth notes on the palate. Moderate finish, with nice red fruit and spice. Quite a lovely and elegant wine.
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Medium ruby color. On the nose, soy, plums, raspberries and some meaty notes with a little menthol. On the palate, asian spice, menthol, pepper and meat - fruit (plums, prunes) is there but in the background. Tannins kick in on the medium-length finish. Nice, complex wine - well balanced. Good value.
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I think this was a particularly good bottle. Similar notes: Full of fruit, full bodied, with excellent texture and finish. It went excellently with my Cassoulet at A Rebours. However, this time around the wine was very spicy. True South Asian spices filled the glass and even our server Alan was astounded by the piquant nature of the wine.
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Enjoyed with pork and winter fruit compote. Nice complement of fruity syrah. Wine had a nice flavor on front of pallate but not particularily full or lingering taste.
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A very nice CdP. The nose is reserved with tight dark fruit, pepper, and an earthy garrigue. The taste is also a little compact, but pretty well packed with fruit, possessing good balance, slightly tannic, and decent length on the finish. This has potential to become more expressive with bottle age and would then be an outstanding bottle of wine. Both Desiree and I preferred this to the 1999 Peju served at the same time. I'll wait at least three years before opening my next bottle.
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I think this was a particularly good bottle. Full of fruit, full bodied, with excellent texture and finish. It went excellently with my Cassoulet at A Rebours. A classic representation of this appellation.
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Scents of olive, herbs de Provence, and licorice waft out of this heavily tannic Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This wine's tannins and acids dominate the pallet, but there is clearly a large amount of herbs and fruit underneath the firm structure of this wine. The question is whether or not the tannins will soften before the fruit fades. At the moment, this wine does not merit an outstanding score. This is my third bottle with similar notes.
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Doesn't have the classic 'hot' taste but there is definitely a lot of heat from the Rhone stones in this wine. 15% Alcohol which is noticeablly present but not overpowering. Hard to pick up the fruit, some small stone fruits. Would be better to leave for 5 to 10 years.
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Medium-dark ruby colour with purple flecks. Huge raspberry aromas with currant, plums, and grilled meat as well. Medium-full bodied, with red fruit, minerals, and raspberry notes. Short-moderate finish, 20-25s, with raspberry and currant. Will be better with time.
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Tasted in blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing quite intense kirsch, licorice, raspberry, spice and earth aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with ample sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Outstanding now and should drink nicely for several more years.
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4/11/2022 - DaleW wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/6/2020 - SommelierSam Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full body, with lots of meaty, pepper, black cherry and dried herbs. After a couple of hours more earthy notes started showing like black truffle, forest floor, and moss. A touch of oxidization, with an almost port like on the finish.
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4/5/2019 - shormi wrote: flawed
No longer drinkable
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6/14/2018 - jayw Likes this wine:
This wine was at its peak about an hour after opening, with an enticing nose and the kind of restrained flamboyance you sometimes get from aged CdP - cherry kirsch and furry leather. 7-8 hours later the bitter coffee characteristics are coming through. Time to drink.
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11/10/2017 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 87 Points
More understated than the Senechaux. Leaner and less concentrated too but no overripeness. It is time to drink this as it already reached peak and the descend is on the horizon.
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10/21/2017 - jayw wrote:
Smells more delicious than it tastes. Very fresh and clean on the palate, but not a lot of complexity.
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9/11/2017 - berkeleywinedog Likes this wine: 91 Points
A modern clean style, this bottling has always been a "house" CDP for us. Bought 3 cases for an average of $17 per bottle between 2003 and 2004 - all from Premier Cru before they broke bad. Just drank the last bottle. Wine is more than smell and taste. I must admit that the enjoyment of this bottle was somewhat mitigated by the bad stench of bad memories.
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8/4/2017 - OCWino wrote: 90 Points
Opened and poured a glass, let stand for an hour. Still a big and fresh wine. Leather, smoke, plum/prune over a solid base of integrated tennis. A great drink with grilled lamb. My cellar is at 55, so the aging might be slower than for others.
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1/27/2017 - All Is Whale wrote: 75 Points
Brown around the edge. Still a bit dark mid. Smelled like a mix of coffee beans and dates. Unfortunately, tasted like black coffee and not a fresh one at that (bitter, funky, harsh).
Got a glimpse into what it was at its' prime :)
Bought just cuz it was on sale. NOT the best reason to buy wine kekek
The reserve should hold up better. Unless you like your coffee black. Then go for it!
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8/18/2016 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Huge smokey black cherry and cassis. Terroir driven. I wonder if it still has some evolution in it.
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4/24/2016 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Quite plummy and tart. Rated 88 points on the first night, as didn't think much of it. But had it the next day and it had put on some serious muscle and the plummy flavor was greatly reduced. Very nice now.
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2/20/2016 - drrobvino wrote: 88 Points
Thrown into a Bordeaux tasting as a ringer.
This wine shows an advanced nose of stewed plums and currant fruit, some smoke and spice notes.
On the palate, seems fully matured, with resolved tannins, med acidity, and a shortish finish showing off the black fruit and spice profile.
Drink up now through 2018 or so...will not improve further, IMHO.
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1/1/2016 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 90 Points
From magnum. A bit more developed than last time but this still is so enjoyable. Similar notes as before with some forest floor and game popping up on the nose.
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11/25/2015 - jcubed Likes this wine:
Delicious. Will last 10 years at least.
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5/7/2015 - drrobvino wrote: 90 Points
Opened last night, enjoyed a few glasses. Recorked the wine and opened again tonite to drink the rest of the bottle.
On the nose, prunes, soil, herbs, and black cherry.
The palate shows off a full bodied wine, slightly hot, with mostly resolved tannins and med acidity to keep the wine in good balance. Showing flavors of cooking herbs, black cherry pie, plum and fig notes, with earthy flavors due to the age of the wine.
This wine has reached it apogee and is on the decline. It was better on the first night. Drink now...but still very good if consumed all in one evening.
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5/3/2015 - Zed57 wrote: 90 Points
massive black fruit ,cassis,tar and leather with. Sweet cherry core. Completely ready to drink
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4/11/2015 - T.E.D. wrote: 89 Points
Crimson color still vibrant. Nose was hard and edgy, with eucalyptus element, cherry cough syrup, hard tack candy and meat. Palate showed similarly with more green tree, dark cherry pit, twigs and some blood element. Very old world and lacking any fruit. I do not see this one improving - drink now.
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11/27/2014 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thanksgiving Dinner WOTN. From magnum. Youthful, fresh, no signs of age. Sweet fruit with herbs on the mid-palate with a dry, savory long finish. Potent but balanced. A wine meant to be shared given it power.
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9/8/2014 - Hodby wrote: 90 Points
Medium red-garnet color. Lovely, old fashioned CndP. A bit of weediness and dried cranberry, ripe without goop, almost no oak influence, with an ideal level of fine, firm tannin. Finishing sweetness that aged CndP can give. Not from our cellar.
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9/6/2014 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mellow and restrained, just like I like it. Not overly ripe or sweet. Drier than many at this level and it seems to just be entering the mature phase. It's got a few years left of life. Now, this is rustic, but at the pricepoint, this is a very good QPR and a highly enjoyable bottle.
Pairing: Rabo Encendido. Cuban Oxtail Stew. CdP never fails. [A]
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7/25/2014 - shormi wrote:
drank with Ryann and Miller
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3/9/2014 - minndavid60 wrote: flawed
My last bottle of a case and the 3rd bottle from that case that was corked. Sassa frassin, frickin rickin...
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3/3/2014 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Since this wasn't the Reserve Sixtine, I was kind of expecting it to be a pushover. It was no such thing. While not as silky and refined as the Reserve, this was still pretty stout juice, showing very youthful, with lingering unresolved tannins, and well focused fruit. Overall it was a really nice wine with plenty of stuffing and even worthy of further cellaring.
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2/1/2014 - pbaek wrote:
Slightly polished and glossy but not nearly as much as the awful cuvée Sixtine. Pine needles, spices and glossy fruit on the palate. Perhaps just a bit too extracted. Doesn't do much for me.
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10/10/2013 - SteveHyde Does not like this wine:
Something wrong with this bottle. Not sure what. Not corked, but off.
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7/19/2013 - zovizule Likes this wine:
Good - this bottle maybe showing a little more age than I expected, but still nice the second day
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5/28/2013 - shormi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this. Medium bodied, smooth finish, well balanced. Aromas of black currant and chocolate.
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4/3/2013 - swittersMN wrote:
Hopefully just bottle variation but this one was all structure, no fruit
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3/10/2013 - dexterng wrote: 87 Points
My bottles were not stored properly at the store to say the least. Thus they may age faster than normal. The color shows signs of aging with bricks red color. Not much legs. Dominated by Grenache with cigar, sweet herbal tea and some spice. Tannins are pretty dissovled. Good finish.
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11/25/2012 - Jason wrote: 80 Points
Not holding up well. The overripe, roasted quality is gone, but it is showing signs of oxidation. Perhaps this is a bad bottle, but recent notes show several bad bottles.
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11/10/2012 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Showing great, silky and balanced fruit. Good and dark, not cloying at all. Blackberry/cherry with some earth and dusty chocolate.
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11/6/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 87 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): - It's somewhat balanced with a medium body. Linear texture with a medium finish - John R's wine. It may have been flawed, both John and Pablo thought so.
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10/27/2012 - minndavid60 wrote: 91 Points
Lots of lavendar on the nose along with some garrigue. True to the vintage, a firm structure, good acidity and sweet but still pronounced tannins. Sweet black raspberry fruit.
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9/9/2012 - rpenn77 wrote: flawed
Something was wrong with this bottle.
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8/7/2012 - SteveHyde wrote:
Oaky, unbalanced. Not very pleasurable. Not showing noticeable signs of damage or age. Just not very good.
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3/31/2012 - the godfather wrote:
A little woody but solid
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3/26/2012 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
This wine was decanted off its sediment and subsequently re-decanted via Vinturi. The robe is deep ruby and the nose opens within the first 30 minutes to show moderately intense aromas of black cherry, garrigue and licorice. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14%). Unlike my previous tasting, the tannins on this bottle seem to be a bit rustic. The flavors mirror the nose and the middle palate is solid. Medium, slightly dry finish. This wine is still drinking well, with plenty of fruit. It is lacking the complexity that I was hoping for at this point, and the tannins actually seem to be a bit more coarse than at the time of my most recent tasting 7/30/10. Drink now-12/17.
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12/4/2011 - David J Cooper wrote: 89 Points
Mrdium red. Lots of roasted red fruit with some spice and earth. Slightly sweet entry and a decent bit of tannins. Missed this one. My bad.
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12/2/2011 - godx wrote: 90 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2011 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – medium red colour. At first on the nose this had that vitamin smell that was blocking most of the other aromas for me but after 10-15min in the glass that blew leaving a sweeter nose of juicy red fruits, leather and earth. In the mouth this soft yet fresh with good acidity and fine tannins. I’d say this is just starting to enter its drinking window and should continue to develop and age well for at least another 5 years. Excellent. 90+
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11/6/2011 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
15th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Middle of the pack wine w/ spice and game notes leading the way. Cherries/kirsch and some plum. Smooth texture and a long finish, this seems to be on plateau. 89pts on day 2.
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8/26/2011 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
Southern Rhone Tasting (San Jose, CA): Dark red color with brown edges. Tremendous earthy bouquet. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and black fruit-dominated flavors. Long finish. In a great spot right now! My WOTN today. (RANK: #1/10)
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5/27/2011 - eudora wrote: 84 Points
Both bottles were badly over the hill. Pruney, dull fruit, no vivacity.
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5/18/2011 - Dinovino wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully in 2011, tremendous earthy bouquet, roasted meats, dark ripe berries.The palate has real depth of flavour, seamless and beautifully integrated, fantastic
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5/4/2011 - MichaelF wrote:
Notes consistent with prior bottle. Still youthful.
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7/30/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was consumed in a somewhat dimly lit restaurant, making color assessment difficult (other than stating that the color was deep). The wine was decanted by the waiter without regard to sediment. A beautiful nose ensued within thirty minutes, and remained thereafter with aromas of assorted black fruits, earth, underbrush and minerals. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and black fruit-dominated flavors. The full middle palate leads to a long finish. A beautiful match with the roasted lamb breast. Still youthful. Drink now-12/17.
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4/5/2010 - MichaelF wrote: 89 Points
My annual Easter wine. Nice asian spices, cedar, some herbal component, stewed fruits/raisin. Long and complex finish. Chewy tannins
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2/26/2010 - Ericpe wrote: flawed
corked
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1/15/2010 - Wiltse wrote: 90 Points
Very nice herbal aromas. A bit lean having lost some of the fruit that previoius bottles showed. Paired well with grilled lamb loin chops, baba ghanoush, and pita bread. Should drink last two bottles over the next year or so.
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12/28/2009 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Served at small Christmas party and loved by everyone. Ready to drink.
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8/12/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 89 Points
Aged terroir on the nose similar to stewed prunes. Not quite as lively as the last bottle which still showed youth. Bottle variation? Dried cherries on the palate and cheries on the nose after decantation with a nose of alcahol. The wine went great will dinner! EG
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5/24/2009 - the godfather wrote: 90 Points
a simple cndp but shows the vintage pedigree
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4/23/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
Medium-to-deep red-garnet robe with garnet rim. Clean nose, developing over 60-90 minutes to show a moderately intense bouquet of black cherries, underbrush and exotic spices. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium dusty tannins and flavors which mirror the nose. Medium, slightly hot finish. Quite nice now, but has the structure to possibly further improve. This is a wine which will be enjoyable for at least 5-7 more years. Drink now-12/16.
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4/9/2009 - vijayk416 wrote: 86 Points
This was sadly ... boring.
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3/16/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 90 Points
Grabed another from the cellar without looking at my past notes...............ooops. Still nice medium garnet color. The aromas black cherry and tobacco are present. The finish is long but I think it's mostly alcohol and the fruit is still not there yet! Glad I have more of this one. I will add more notes in the morning after this bottles breaths a bit! After 24 hours, alas this wine needs more time in the cellar!
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1/4/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: flawed
Horribly corked.
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11/13/2008 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Palate: More conc., bit more serious, slightly darker nose than Miliere; earth, dark spice, strucured t’s, bit more youthful. Very good. 2nd taste, less powerful.
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10/24/2008 - WineArchitect wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was opened at cellar temperature. I poured a small amount into my glass to warm up while I grilled dinner. At first, the bouquet was of dark red fruit. My first taste was cherries, somewhat like Regal Royal Crown candy but a bit deeper in the nose. We consumed the wine with some Lamb burgers my wife picked up from the Kosher butcher. I was thinking there would be notes of guarigue to offset the gamey flavor of the Lamb. That old world flavor I was looking for never really jumped out of the glass like some other CdP's. I drank the bottle over a two hour period. It never opened up all the way. This bottle may actually need a bit more time aging to show its muscle.
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10/12/2008 - bon vivant wrote:
Chris L. brought over to watch the Broncos. This was one of the ex chateau bottles that he decanted for about 5 hrs. Still mostly primary with nice notes of red and black fruit. mid body and nice balance. with a little time in the glass we started to see some mint & tobacco leaf aromatics and a sweeter mouth feel. very enjoyable with middle eastern food this is entering a nice drinking window and will probably evolve more over the next few years 91-92+
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9/7/2008 - Junior wrote:
I'm not sure what to do with these wines. The bouquet is heavily laced with a burnt quality, which I often like in some wines, but here it gives the wine a heaviness, a ponderance, that makes the whole drinking experience disappointing and tiresome. Pruney, hot, and flabby. Why is it like this? I know this wine is about 70% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault, in declining order. That's not a problem. Aged in old foudres? Perfect. But it comes across--unlike a number of other 2001 Chateauneufs I've had recently--as burdensome and dull.
Wine should not be enervating. Wine should--apart from any alcoholic effect--enliven us, quicken our hearts and memories, remind us of joy and open us to more of the same. But sometimes it doesn't and sometimes we make mistakes. I made six of them here.
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8/20/2008 - MichaelF wrote: 89 Points
Dark, smokey fruit. Asian spices. Good tannic grip. A little disjointed, but a lot of life in this wine.
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8/20/2008 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Notably more lively and exciting than last month's bottle.
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7/30/2008 - Rollerball wrote: 90 Points
This wine was different. Initial notes of iodine blew off quickly revealing savory asian spices and roast. A wine of perfect mid-weight and texture. Nice balance too. Medicinal flavors sandwich a core of cracked pepper and glazed berries. An outstanding pairing with miso and ginger pork chops, sesame-soy green beans, and couscous.
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7/6/2008 - vijayk416 wrote: 88 Points
Still somewhat closed. A big funk at opening took some time to blow off. Very herbal with the alcohol not quite balanced yet. Quite dry and good grip but still somewhat lacking in the fruit dept.
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6/21/2008 - i musicisti di boston wrote:
Showing generous grenache fruit and smooth tannins. Not terribly complex, but open, giving and tasty.
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6/9/2008 - facchair wrote: 89 Points
At this price point a nice Rhone ready to drink.
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3/3/2008 - Friedo wrote: 90 Points
Needed a little opening. Very respectable.
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1/8/2008 - espia wrote:
Ok
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12/25/2007 - econobob wrote: 90 Points
Lots of dried fruit--on the raisiny side. Tannins are mellowing, with good structure. Lots of tobacco. There's some black pepper, but more of an undercurrent on the palate, not so much on the nose, like some CdP's. The nose is not as full as some, but the flavors are really nice. Given the substantial tannins, though, it's best with winter food. Just had it for Christmas dinner with lamb--good combination.
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11/3/2007 - bmarshall wrote: 82 Points
Disappointing - mediocre at best... some red fruits and earth, but jammy, somewhat medicinal and past peak.
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10/27/2007 - Grape Stuff wrote: 84 Points
No formal notes, but this bottle seemed well past its prime. Cloudy with muted flavors (twizzler, dried flowers) and just not impressed. Had this along with the '03 Reserve from the same producer, and the '03 KILLED this wine. But I think even if we had had this bottle on its own, it would still have not impressed. Too bad.
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8/19/2007 - simpsonr wrote: 89 Points
Heady very ripe peppery grenache nose. The palate is a little alcoholic, tannic, big flavor but in the end is rustic and one dimensional.
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6/21/2007 - futronic wrote: 90 Points
Dinner w/ basecadet (Le P'tit Plateau, Montreal, Canada): Dark ruby colour. Typical grenache nose of raspberry coulis, herbes-de-Provence, and alcohol. Medium-full bodied, good grip, showing pepper, spice, currant, raspberry, and earth notes on the palate. Moderate finish, with nice red fruit and spice. Quite a lovely and elegant wine.
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6/15/2007 - shelt wrote: 86 Points
hhhmmm. nothing like my last bottle. very flat and disappointing...
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4/2/2007 - DLT wrote: 92 Points
Medium ruby color. On the nose, soy, plums, raspberries and some meaty notes with a little menthol. On the palate, asian spice, menthol, pepper and meat - fruit (plums, prunes) is there but in the background. Tannins kick in on the medium-length finish. Nice, complex wine - well balanced. Good value.
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3/16/2007 - lars1014 wrote: 92 Points
I think this was a particularly good bottle. Similar notes: Full of fruit, full bodied, with excellent texture and finish. It went excellently with my Cassoulet at A Rebours. However, this time around the wine was very spicy. True South Asian spices filled the glass and even our server Alan was astounded by the piquant nature of the wine.
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3/11/2007 - windinthewillows1 wrote:
Enjoyed with pork and winter fruit compote. Nice complement of fruity syrah. Wine had a nice flavor on front of pallate but not particularily full or lingering taste.
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3/7/2007 - espia wrote:
Very different from Haut Brusquieres. More brick color, more murky, much lesser nose, perhaps weightier palate. Not distinctive
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2/14/2007 - Bunbury wrote: 86 Points
Dead and gone. There's nothing left. Little fruit and overly soft tannins. This should have held up better.
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2/13/2007 - Jason wrote:
This was disappointing. It found it to be very overripe with a distinct roasted quality to it. Hopefully it will settle with time.
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2/9/2007 - shelt wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, balanced, classic CdP. Much better than my last bottle. Ready to drink now, but has plenty of age left.
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2/4/2007 - Tad GW wrote: 91 Points
50+5+12+16+8=91
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1/19/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 89 Points
A very nice CdP. The nose is reserved with tight dark fruit, pepper, and an earthy garrigue. The taste is also a little compact, but pretty well packed with fruit, possessing good balance, slightly tannic, and decent length on the finish. This has potential to become more expressive with bottle age and would then be an outstanding bottle of wine. Both Desiree and I preferred this to the 1999 Peju served at the same time. I'll wait at least three years before opening my next bottle.
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1/17/2007 - nottrev wrote: 85 Points
A mid range Chateauneuf. Some of the peppery flavour you expect form a C-d-P but could have been more firey. Good drinking wine, worth a try.
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12/16/2006 - lars1014 wrote: 92 Points
I think this was a particularly good bottle. Full of fruit, full bodied, with excellent texture and finish. It went excellently with my Cassoulet at A Rebours. A classic representation of this appellation.
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11/24/2006 - lars1014 wrote: 87 Points
Scents of olive, herbs de Provence, and licorice waft out of this heavily tannic Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This wine's tannins and acids dominate the pallet, but there is clearly a large amount of herbs and fruit underneath the firm structure of this wine. The question is whether or not the tannins will soften before the fruit fades. At the moment, this wine does not merit an outstanding score. This is my third bottle with similar notes.
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8/31/2006 - Acohen wrote: 91 Points
Delicious with smoky ribs, lots of plum, smoke and rich taste. Not tons of fruit, but great depth and taste
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5/31/2006 - Tad GW wrote:
50+5+12+15+8=90
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9/1/2005 - Wrighty wrote: 90 Points
Doesn't have the classic 'hot' taste but there is definitely a lot of heat from the Rhone stones in this wine. 15% Alcohol which is noticeablly present but not overpowering. Hard to pick up the fruit, some small stone fruits. Would be better to leave for 5 to 10 years.
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7/15/2005 - futronic wrote: 89 Points
Medium-dark ruby colour with purple flecks. Huge raspberry aromas with currant, plums, and grilled meat as well. Medium-full bodied, with red fruit, minerals, and raspberry notes. Short-moderate finish, 20-25s, with raspberry and currant. Will be better with time.
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5/30/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted in blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing quite intense kirsch, licorice, raspberry, spice and earth aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with ample sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Outstanding now and should drink nicely for several more years.
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