If you have a bottle of this wine, drink it yesterday. it won't get any better, but it continues to show signs of life!
I enjoyed this bottler with a meal of lamb chops, sautéed mushrooms and a vegetable mix (zucchini, onions, green and red peppers, and squash).
This venerable wine is a quiet conversation with an old friend, where you speak in whispers, but of weighty things.
A twenty-two-year-old vintage of a southern Rhône wine is a bit of a risk, but this one pays off. The wine does show its age, with a full centimeter of ullage below the capsule, noticeable streaking up the cork and browning around the rim, but it nonetheless shows signs of life.
The bouquet is dominated by tertiary aromas that result from its years in the bottle: leather, cigar box and prominent "funk" (Brettanomyces). It sits with medium-body on the palette hinting at its restrained 13.5% ABV. Its warm, gentle tannins are a soft, fleece blanket.
The savory entree and sides bind with the tannins to coax out fading echoes of fruit, including cassis, cherry and raspberry, that evolve across a gradual decrescendo over a long finish.
This wine is an historical document, a true message-in-a-bottle, crafted and sealed by the winemaker until opened and received this evening, more than two decades later.
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Definitely getting a bit brown. Decent nose. The fruit is drying up and the finish is a little drying. Would probably have been better to drink this 5 years ago. I think the tannin has outlasted the fruit.
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Drinking surprisingly well and still keeps a core of fruit - dark cherries and cassis - though being dominated by age notes as leather, coffee and herbs. Slightly oaked for my personal flavor but certainly an enjoyable wine
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medium red with aging rim, cherries and dried herbs on the nose, moss, on the palate a ripe sweet cherry fruit, some game notes, fully mature with a finish of moderate length showing some heat on the end, a pleasant and enjoyable wine but drink soon as the finish is starting to crack a bit.
***, drink soon.
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Brick coloured with a noticeably paler brick meniscus and a classic CNP nose. Far better than the 2000 drunk a few days earlier. Lots of garrigue, lavender, saddle leather, tons of smoky earthy loam, tobacco, black plum and black tea. Fully resolved oak and tannins, great acidity and a wonderful long finish. Excellent mature CNP and well stored bottles like this one have some life left, perhaps up to 5 years but probably best to drink sooner than later.
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Double blind tasting. Brief note. This wine kind of blew my mind when revealed as I thought I knew what it was on my first taste of it. Meat, pickling brine, cracked peppercorns, oil cured black olives, black and red sour currants, and then a sweet floral bouquet from what I thought was viognier. Long, pleasurable and complex finish. I had this pegged as N. Rhone. I was stupefied when it was revealed. Very nice.
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Beautiful nose of roasted black cherries and herb switches. Lots of Herbs de Provence, particularly rosemary, thyme and lavender. Medium-full bodied, silky and fully mature. Drink now-2021+ 91
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Fully mature dark ruby with no bricking or sediment. Lovely nose of dark cherry kirsch liqueur and spice leading to a palate-coating tasting and medium finish.
If a date, this was a 25 year old university beauty queen with a colorful past and no real future. Perhaps 5-10 years of great drinking remaining. Drink up soon
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Drank over two nights which was a mistake - pnp first night, earthy nose, a little spice, mushrooms. A little light bodied, but finish was longer than I expected. Night two - gone, nose non-existent, flavor profile had gone almost like an Amarone- heavy raisin profile, not enjoyable. Don't hold on to these any longer - well past its prime. Score reflects night one experience.
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Still drinking well. Color is moving toward garnet and a bit thin, but wine opened up very well and drank well with a reasonably long finish. Was one of the favorites in a tasting of aged wines tonight
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This was very enjoyable pre-dinner and opened very quickly after decanting. The color was light and almost slightly pale and the bouquet was classic Chateau-neuf... Tannins were none existent and the balance overall was great. There was something on the finish that did not seem completely balanced to me with the Grenache really lingering more than I've never noticed in CNDP's of this age in the past but it worked. I question the "Community Drink Dates" on this one... I feel this may not mature much more but will continue to keep very very well.
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Not quite as much wow factor as the bottle I had two years ago. Both were bought on auction so who the hell knows what to make of that. This one was just as smooth, but just a little less flavor and a little more heat. Still though, this was a great chateauneuf year and I think guigal didn't overdo this one at all. This has barnyard and rusticity and still has a bit of cherry. Good job here.
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This is one of those wines that remind you of how good wine can be. It is also one of those wines that defies reductionist description (at least by me). Bought on release and cellared under good conditions. Opened the night before (to make sure it wasn't flawed) and kept under vacuum for 24h, so notes were basically in a pop & pour context. Two bottles (from same case) consumed with identical notes. The nose is extremely complex and moderately powerful. It sashays rather than jumps out of the glass, but is by no means a shrinking violet. I can't place specific aromas, but it definitely smells like other great Chateauneufs I've had. On the palate, similarly complex but can't pick out specific flavors. The tannins are almost completely resolved. The finish is medium, not super-long, but nonetheless, this was a very special wine. Wouldn't decant. Wouldn't necessarily wait any longer to drink either.
This greatly elevates my opinion of Guigal as I've never had their CDP before but I have had their CDR which has always disappointed me.
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Time has been kind to this wine. Nice classic CDP. Barnyard blew off in about 15 minutes. The bottle was singing after an hour. Still has quite a bit of life in it.
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Nice ruby color, funky but not unpleasant nose at first, red fruit, earth, taste of cherry, herbs, eucalyptus, medium body, balanced, long finish. Has held up well, but won't wait too long to drink my last bottle.
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Who set the window on this? This wine is still holding.
I bought two bottles ages ago. I drank one on my birthday in 2007, and I remember it being a nice wine that didn't blow me away.
Well, I forgot all about this one in a random case in our wine locker. So last week I am doing some cleaning and I take it out (along with half a dozen CA wines that are now vinegar, and tonight because I had no reason not to, I pop the cork. Upon first sniff I am certain the wine is done. I Pour it. Color is nice, so I let it sit for 15 minutes or so. I take a sip and its absolutely f***ing fantastic! This is a lovely CDP, and it only got nicer as the hour went on. Dare I say that this may have another couple years that you could play with? Tabacco, Cherries, dark pruned syrah. Everything right about CDP with a little age and a little less bite than I have come to love. It has elegantly maintained a decent structure and quality. Admiring the bottle now, I see the original price tag of $44.99 - which in my book is a steal for what I had tonight.
Extremely fresh and delicious. Clear ruby color, with a trace of orange at the rim. Surprisingly clean cork without sediment or crystals. Fruity, well balanced tannins.
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Slight bit of funk upon initial opening and pour, but blew off very quickly. No tannins to speak of reddish fruit/berries on the nose - very prominent. Medium palate and length. Very pleasant considering its age. However, after 10-15 minutes in the glass the nose started turning pruney and started to exhibit that past its prime funky odor. Don't let it get a lot of air and you will be pleased - too much air accelerates the downhill spiral.
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No formal notes here... this bottle was nice and in a good place to drink, however it did not show the complexity of other CdP's from the evening, including a 2001 Bois de Boursan Cuvee des Felix. Good dark red fruit with nicely integrated tannins... just seemed a bit lacking in depth.
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Super Tasting 4 of 5; Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape (Chris' House): Doubled decanted approximately 2 hours in advance, served blind. Translucent garnet in the glass. On the nose, crushed raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry, crushed rock, a touch of mint leaves, dried herbs and spice. On the palate, showing lovely balance, with a touch higher than medium acid and mild fine grained tannin. The finish is medium, framed with tastes of raspberry puree, red cherry, mineral, mint and spice. On reveal, this was a great surprise. Very nice showing.
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Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape: (tasted blind, wine #11) Very clean pure, and precise nose that is centered on the pure red fruit. Nose is of raspberry coulis, creme anglais, strawberry, mint, eucalyptus and light notes of mixed spices. Palate has moderate tannin, and a fair bit of refreshing acid with a medium length finish. I ended up liking this more than I expected, though it was very fruit forward, lacking in secondary or tertiary development. One of the surprises of the night, I think some liked it even more than me.
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Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Southern Rhone (Dundas, Ontario): Double decanted 1 hour ahead of service. Served blind Pretty nose...tart red fruits, spice, raspberry coulis and creme anglais. The palate is really pure....so clean and polished. Raspberry, cherry, incense, herbs, mint, eucalyptus. Very nice. Finish is medium+ with great fruit that is pure, lithe and integrated. Nice wine....was very surprised on reveal.
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PnP; Mid-neck fill; cork in excellent condition. Dusty plum/brick color. Insubstantial nose of exotic spice, bramble, cedar, vanilla and rosemary. Beefy, spicy and earthy palate consisting of bacon fat, garrigue, cherry, strawberry, vanilla and tobacco. Plenty of acidic zing remaining. An exceptional CdP, drinking wonderfully right now.
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Lovely. My last one of these and it's just a touch less satisfying than last one we had. Solid, classic, CdP. Beautiful garnet red. Dark cherry and band-aid on the nose. Silky smooth texture. Mostly cherry and spice on the palate, with hints of raspberry and kirsch. Tannins are resolved. Good acidity, medium bodied, slightly tart finish. No need to hold. Drink now - 2016.
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Perhaps not quite as good (which was very good) as my last bottle. May be showing signs of tiring. Still......good. However, I will drink up my last two bottles.
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After a hour opened, very open red fruit nose, brambly elements with vanilla notes. Silky palate with elegant bright fruit notes and asian spices, Burgundian like at first, then opened up and became more open and primal.
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Rather week nose of cherry and a bit of funk. All dark cherry on the palate, nice medium body, still a bit of tannin left in it. I disagree with some recent reviews saying this is nearing the end of its life. I believe it could be a fine 15 year old; that said, I haven't anymore, and there's no reason not to drink it now. Drinking much better than the 2001 Saint Cosme, of which I have too many, that reviewed much better early on.
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Pnp. Had with lamb. Oh my god I have got to start being more patient with my wine. This one was just so nice. Dark cherry all over. Almost rioja like. Perfect dissipating tannins. Not the longest finish and missing the punch in the face that some cndp have but so what. Drink this now if u r lucky enuff to have it.
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Still in its prime but likely not for much longer. Opened, but not decanted, ~4 hours before drinking. Mild nose but flavor a evolves nicely over dinner. Blueberry and black cherry up front, strong mid-palate and nice but somewhat short finish.
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Maybe getting slightly tired but still a solid mature bottle of Chateauneuf. Some cherry, iodine and Band Aid on the nose. Resolved tannins and modest acidity. Would be better but the midpalate is a little thin. Still, yeah babe.
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Tasted non blind with dinner. Followed over about two hours.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of raspberries, smoke, plums and dust. Flavors of raspberries, berries and cherries. Tart acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink Now.
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My last bottle and it is sad. This wine has totally peaked. This is the CNP that they drank 50 years ago. Incredibly complex bursting with blackberry and a hint of raspberry with olive paste and a kirsch core. Do not wait. Drink it now and be transported back in time
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Une bouteille en pleine forme! C’est un style un peu plus viril et moins gourmand que le charmant 2000. Un vin plein, épicé, très typé, avec une finale longue mais un peu chaude, sur le kirsch. L’aération permet au fruit de mieux s’exprimer, la chaleur disparait. 90 pts
Je le trouve une coche au-dessous du 2000 pris il y a un mois. Deux excellents Ch9.
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Piercing and fresh, lovely balance, has matured into a really nice bottle. If this bottle is an indication, this should be good for some time. Drinking beautifully now, but no hurry.
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Still drinking nicely but probably not for much longer. Open it up! Popped and poured and enjoyed the secondary and tertiary characteristics of an aged wine. Drank higher than price point. Typical CDP characteristics and really harmonius wine. I will look out for more of Guigal's wines based on this experience, but aging added a lot to the wine.
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This wine exemplifies why a cellar gives such pleasure. An average priced CndP from a good year sits around for a decade. Not decanted, thank-you tasting notes from Cellar Tracker; it poured red and a little brick. Beautiful nose of dark fruit and spices, medium body with the soft tannins one and a long finish. Lovely with roasted chicken, Last one, drinking great, don't wait.
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Poured straight from cellar: Low in character at first, but as it warmed up, revealed meat, coffee and powdered cocoa with light stewed plum and cooked wild blackberry/blackcherry. Subtle lavender and garrigue notes and a slight herbal character. Mouthfeel was silky and elegant with a little pepper-wild herb note. This was not explosive, but reminded me of an earthy Burgundy in feel--medium body, silky, somewhat subtle for CdP, but put together nicely. Tannins mostly resolved, and more importantly, was stunning with lamb chops cooked with rosemary and garlic. Alone it's an 89 or so, but showed its full potential with a fitting food combination (and John Williams' Spanish guitar on the hi fi). With the emotional factor, add another point to 92! This was my last bottle of this, and it is at its peak.
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Again this is all about the food you put this with. Mum's roast beef brought all the great subtleties and comp,exits that is in cndp. But it won't cover spice etc,. Definitely not past it
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Should have had this wine 2 years ago. It was good. We had short ribs with an asian sauce. Both were lots of fun but I'm sure the wine could have been fuller bodied.
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Unlike other recent ratings, this bottle was a bit tired and threw off loads of sediment. CdP for sure with some decent cherry and garigue initially, but after about an hour it was thin and fading.
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Opened in about 45 min in glass, notable floral aromas, medium bodied, nicely integrated but present tannins. Cedar, earth, chocolate, nice mid palate and moderately long finish. Better than I expected as I feared it was getting beyond its time-not so
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Popped and poured. This is a medium ruby red wine that is clear and consistent throughout, with no browning and virtually no sediment. On the nose, there are herbs, rosehips, and a bit of earth – it’s a typical CdP nose, but far from an extraordinary one. In the mouth, the wine is juicy with a medium weight and a bit of fig flavor. Overall, this is an enjoyable wine that is still drinking well, but is unlikely to leave any grand memories. It probably should be drunk up soon. 90 points.
Very good but possibly over the hill. Nevertheless great with lamb,, really brought out the flavor of the wine. Opened at restaurant (Chez Papa, San Francisco). A bit tight at first, but halfway through the meal it opened up nicely.
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The wine is drinking very well right now. It really opened up after a few hours. I will let my other bottles age a bit longer. Love the dirty smell and taste of the CPD wines.
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Brought it to a restaurant with friends.....it was gone almost before I turned around. Fruit forward. Great nose. 3 bottles left. Will be careful how I consume them.
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Absolutely delicious! I'm sorry I only have one bottle left. We let it breath for over an hour and it kept getting better. Smooth tasting with a hint of complexity which kept it interesting.
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Ruby red with slight bricking. Ripe red berry compote, garrigue and a floral note make up a modern CdP nose. A silky medium bodied palate follows through with candied raspberry fruit, leather and touch of lavender in the finish,
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Quite a surprise for me. Found this bottle buried in the cellar and figured it was time to drink. Nice floral nose with a wonderful supple mouthfeel. This is really in its drinking window and I'm bummed this was my last bottle. Excellent QPR, bought at Costco years ago.
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Quite delicious. The Grenache is so integrated into this wine that it is hard to identify. Extra smooth with bright, clean fruit and easy to accommodate tannins. One drinker initially called it over-ripe, but as it sat in the class this quickly changed into an elegant, sweet accent that really brought the wine together. The son is home for the holiday's after a very long absence from these tasting notes. With his usual hardnosed approach to French wine, he is only willing to grant a 91 on this bottle.
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Decanted for 2 hours...A somewhat reticent, almost sweet nose of mixed red and dark fruits and vanilla notes. Still fairly primary showing blackberry, red and black cherry and red raspberry. There's graphite and minerality components to the mid-palate, I like this better than the last bottle, it might continue to improve, but its in a good place now.
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Tannins noticeable on nose and first sip, but finish is clean - even delicate. A more robust wine would obscure the fine (but harsh) notes; this is less overpowering. Herbal tastes with a hint of anise; light enough for seafood, not quite bold enough for red meat. Might have been better a couple of years ago.
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Opened for 1 hour and poured. Served at 63 F in Riedel Vinum Bordeaux stems Slightly opaque garnet color of medium intensity Nose was pronounced and developed with fruit, floral, spices and damp forest floor.. Palate was medium high acid and medium plus bodied.. Flavors were pronouced fruit, floral, spice and wood... Length was long... Fruit components were raspberry and red cherry... Floral perfume of cloves, nutmeg and lavender.. Hebaceous notes of wet leaves, and mushroom . Oak has resinous tobacco Tannins were structured This bottle was drinking exceptionally well Outstanding mature ChdP
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I enjoyed this. Certainly at the end of it life. Fruit fading but nice acid on backend. I like the restrained dusty feminine almost flowery character. Perfectly integrated and aged since release. Sadly, it's my last bottle. 13.5% etoh.
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29th Birthday Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): A blend of 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 5% mourvèdre, 5% other varieties. Aromas of rhubarb, cherry skins, bitter coffe, raspberry greens. The aromas maintain a pungency that I like. The wine still has a lot of grippy tannins and fresh acid. Flavors of red plums, coffee, peppered steak, cherry pits. This wine has a lot going on, and it shifted a lot over the course of several hours. This wine is nowhere near the end of its life. A lot of the people who attended the tasting thought this wine was too astringent, and I get that. For me, it’s a serious CdP that has five more years ahead of it at least. Beautiful stuff. By the second day, the aromas were even more savory and I picked up some rose petal aromas as well. Finishes with hints of meat and dusty tannins.
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Significantly smoother than other bottles from the past; has probably reached full maturity at this stage. The savory flavors have integrated nicely and revealed some mineral notes that were hidden before. Drink up.
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Absolutley lovely afrer about 30 minutes of air. Beautiful nose of tobacco and flavors to match. My only bottle which is a crying shame, alleviated only by the knowledge I still have half a bottle upstairs. Great juice. If only I could go back in time and buy a case.
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Impressive nose of charcoal, caramel, dried herbs and some dried flowers! Quite rich on the palate, chewy but a bit rustic! Fruits is there though lacking freshness! Youthful looking! Still a little tannins need to resolved! A few more years to go in my opinion if it is stored correctly! Definitely a wine for autumn! Not spring!
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vanilla on open, pencil, mineral, berries, mellow tannis, smooth, medium complexity, long finish. continued to evolve, wine getting ever-better at 1.5 hrs after opening with decanting, would have love to see it evolve further, but sadly, the decanter was empty. :( Truly a wine that I was sad to see end. Maybe that's the allure of the 3L bottle! Great today, but if I had more, I think there's a few more years to go. 15 min's after open, would rate it tastily at 87, after 1.5 hrs, I'd rate it at 90-91.
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An earthy wine with hints of blackcurrant, soft tannins with a medium body, slightly acidic, beautiful bouquet with hints of raspberry with a typical toasty vanilla oak flare. The color is a beautiful browny-amber with great clarity. Nice drinking this bottle right now!
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Slow-O 3 hours. Medium ruby core, no sign of age. My second bottle in the past year, and the best showing thus far. Packed with red and black fruits, herbs, faint horse notes, and galets on the nose, following through to the medium+ bodied palate. A respectable vein of acids keeps the dense fruits lively and layered. 24 hours afterwards, a half-full glass showed no sign of degradation at all. Solid, satisfying juice. recommended, 13,5% abv, score: A-
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Outstanding. Restrained fruit but unmistakingly CDP; the structure and nicely balanced acidity along with soft tannins made this unique and a greatly enjoyable wine.
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agree that it may be past it's prime, but i have one bottle left that will be opened in the morning and drank in the evening. I felt hints of the great wine it was and am hoping some time in the decanter will wake it up!
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This wine just never fails to impress. Popped and poured immediately; it was a bit closed at first but it opened up quickly. I was too engrossed in conversation this time to ponder the palate much but the very balanced finish left a lasting impression.
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Cherry and oak on the nose. Soft tannins and little acidity on the palate. Agree with everyone that this, while still good, is on its way down from the peak.
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My last bottle of this and probably a tad past peak. Lisa's favorite red wine. From Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: "In the bottle the acids were long ago resolved; the imperial dye had softened with time, as the color grows richer in stained windows; and the glow of hot autumn afternoons on hillside vineyards was ready to be set free and to disperse the fogs of London." Robert Louis Stevenson was clearly a fan of good wine. We set this bottle free on Christmas.
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On the nose, some spice and dried red and purple (plum?) fruit. In the mouth, good balance of acid, tannin, and fruit. Dried fruit and spice. Clean, without any funk.
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Gave this an hour slow-o decant and the skunky aspect, found only on the palate, receded leaving behind a satisfying cdp nose of cherry, garrigue and licorice framed by Oak. The palate showed resolved tannins and enough acidity to keep things interesting while the Oak, although well integrated, showed a bit drying on the otherwise decent palate. 2 hrs. in the nose is almost gone. Drink fast!
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The third of six bottles stored in our passive cellar since release. It has been at least 18 months since the last one and this was the most impressive yet. High neck fill with a very tight cork. Decanted for 30 minutes before serving leaving a moderate amount of gritty sediment. Medium garnet core with some edge browning. Generous enticing aromatics of black cherry, baking spices, hint of garrigue, a touch of funk, damp earth, and old leather. Round and smooth in the mouth, medium weight with a fascinating mix of primary and secondary flavors. It continued to open up and fill out over the next hour. Great balance and length without a hint of alcohol (13.5% ABV). Crisp edgy finish. I had every intention of reserving half of the bottle to try again the next day, but it was just so good that it didn't happen. This wine is in a wonderful place now and was a superb accompaniment to our cassoulet and cheese course that followed. This should hold for another 2 years before any decline, but the other 3 bottles will be long gone by then.
3/13/2013 UPDATE The last bottle and it was really lovely. It could be starting to fade just a little bit so if you have it, don't wait too long.
It should say something that over a week or so I have drunk the 99, 00 and 01. The 99 was a dissappointment, the 00 was a decent bottle, and the 01 was really marvelous! Sometimes simple bottles can really impress you. And, sometimes you need to pull the trigger just a little bit sooner.
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This is drinking great right now. Purplish-red with a hint of chocolate brown in the glass. Lots of spice and fruit and leather on the nose. Silky smooth tannins.
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drank alongside 2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme. no decanting, drank over 90 minutes. fruit moving into background while earth, leather, mushrooms, minor smoke starting to show up more compared to pevious bottle and Telegraphe.
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Unlike the bottle in my previous note, this wine was mine (bought on release, yada, yada). Decanted an hour+ before serving. Again this wine is on plateau, with resolved tannins and an open knit texture that just makes you want to linger... what did you say? Kind of hard to pay attention to what's going on around you when the wine in your glass is like this and at it's peak. Even if it's not a blockbuster, the marriage of fruit and non-fruit flavors that are well intergrated is just an ---aaah.
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What a seductive wine and an outstanding example of CDP. Nice fruit flavours, medium body, with silky smooth tannins, layers of complexity and a lengthy finish.
My wife really enjoyed this as well.
Had a brief musty, barn yard nose right after opening the bottle...which disappeared after 10-15min. Very tasty and enjoyable... unfortunately my last bottle.
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Seemed nice. I didn't spend enough time with it to get a full impression but I do recall it being easy to drink with bright red fruit and not too much tannin.
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Good down the middle CdP. Nose was stingy at first but opens up to show earth, garrigue, strawberry with a hint of tar. Palate is medium bodied, smooth with fresh fruit and balance. Medium finish. Not overpowering. True to form CdP in flavor and texture.
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Mixed dark fruit with some moderate earthiness on the nose. Black cherry and ripe plum on the front end. Medium tannins with cherry liquor, mild anise notes and earthy component
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Mixed dark fruit with some moderate earthiness on the nose. Black cherry and ripe plum on the front end. Medium tannins with cherry liquor, mild anise notes and earthy components on the palate.
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Transparent ruby, pruney/vegetal nose. More savory flavors than fruit, with leather, blood, beef, mushroom, and cooked tomato flavors. Interesting but not delicious. This was my third bottle; I liked it better 4 years ago when it had more fruit.
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barnyard notes (mostly blow off early) and earth on the nose; potent straightforward sweet cherry and strawberry made brighter by the acidity; leather tobacco and sl bitter herb/game/tannin on the finish; medium bodied/not overdone; i am not a CDP drinker but will now try more of these.
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I'll be the contrarian and say that this was pretty much DOA. Had a bad pruny flavor of being too old - without the offsetting "pop" of other fruits. Doubt I will do anything but dump the rest of mine.
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17,5/20 COUP DE COEUR VISUEL : Grenat, noites orangées, pas très foncé. OLFACTIF : Terre, sous-bois et quelques notes de truffes. Agréable nez ! GUSTATIF : En bouche ce Châteauneuf-du-Pape est d'une texture soyeuse avec une belle complexité. Les nuances de truffes persistent en bouche avec aussi du sous-bois et un côté animal. Les tanins sont bien assagis par le temps et l'ensemble est savoureux avec une belle suavité. Mais quelle bouche : c'est fin et long, long. Rare, exquis. Dégusté après avoir carafé une bonne heure et bu avec de l'agneau façon gardiane de la Camargue. 52$ pour cette bouteille qui a maintenant 10 ans. On pourrait attendre un peu mais pourquoi remettre à demain ce que l'on peut boire aujourd'hui. Allez-y débouchez vos bouteilles !
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Had this one at dinner with good friends. What a treat. Very traditional CDP. Well balanced between fruit, tannins, and old world flavors. The spice and leather is pronounced with earthy barnyard aromas. The finish was long and the mid palate medium. Great wine!!
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Classic Châteauneuf aroma with leather, plum, ground pepper, Provencal herbs and wild mushroom. Smooth, round, full-bodied and lightly tannic, traditional wine, long pleasant finish. Currently at it's peak. To be consumed until 2014.
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The seemingly established view that this wine is in the 'drink now' space would be largely correct. Tight early with dried salty fruits (and acid) giving the wine a quite intense tingly structure. Not unlike funky pinot in this respect. Not a lot of meaty gravelly grenache fruits and in this respect looks quite mature. Gradually filled out with prune fruits over time.
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Great spice notes on the nose, with savory brown sauce, hint of barnyard, and sweet macerated cherries; medium light body, but well proportioned with fine tannins, and a touch of sweet old fruit in the mouth. Good finish, excellent lighter Chateauneuf with good age. Could go another 3 years max.
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Full and aromatic nose of roasted meat, stewed prunes, sweet raisins and earth. Similar flavors that thin out a bit on the finish. Still, a very good wine - drink soon.
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This was thin and weak when opened. After around 30 minutes, it had put on some weight. A nice nose of spice and cherries. Some complexity. This was never a great wine, but this is solid although, this bottle should have been opened a year or so ago.
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Decanted 2 hours. Very pretty at first, with aromatics of fresh flowers, garrigue, softly scented cherry, strawberry and some gamey undertones circling the fruit. On the palate, it's lightweight, yet full of expression albeit in a femininely styled sense. A solid effort for the vintage, it paired nicely with roasted squab and garlicky yukons. Still, I don't see the structure (depth of fruit mostly) for extended cellaring. Clean and rewarding, this should definitely be decanted and consumed over the next 3-5 years for best enjoyment.
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Casual Night at Home (Pine Close): This was a pretty decent CdP. Rather tight at first, so that it came across almost as a coiled up young Burg. Tons of umami smells, mushroom, soy sauce, dried oysters, savoury meat, chicken essence, along with mature smelling red fruit and woody, piney accents. With a splashy decanting and some time, the CdP came out quite clearly, with prunes, flowers and bloody meaty accents appearing, along with pepper, lavender and garrigue. Palate had lots of acidity, it just hits you on the attack, then red fruit, strawberries, red cherries et al. It started out quite tight, with a nice amount of concentration, but lacking a bit of the lushness on the midpalate. Some black tea at the finish mingled with more fruit hints, blackcurrants this time, and a touch of tannins. With time, lots more spice notes started coming out. Another 45 minutes in the decanter brought out thick prune scents, and the palate filled out quite a bit too. One gets a feeling this needs quite a bit more time yet though, and preferably some meaty food!
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Neck showed some dried leakage under foil, and cork showed slight moistness down one side.
Medium to dark garnet core, softening to a more slightly brickish color at edges. Showing it's age. Medium to strong legs.
Nose of plums, dried figs, black cherry, citrus, earth, leaves and chocolate. Slight cork funk that blew off in 15 minutes, no doubt related to the observed leakage.
On palate, Brambly black fruit and cherry, plums, nice restrained citrusy acid, firm but moderate grip. Hint of chocolate and cigar box. Alcohol was mostly integrated, but in the end could feel it in the stomach once down the hatch.
Nice finish - medium, mostly smooth, with touch of leather on the end. However, slight oxidised flavour and leftover alcohol.
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There was no nose on this wine. I tried and tried but all I get is saline and some alcohol. Weird. Palate is pleasant, balanced but the finish is clipped. Fruit is deep but muted dominated by dark cherry with a hint of earthiness. Overall enjoyed it but not memorable.
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Drinking beautifully. Stereotypical CNdP and showing some degree of maturity. Pure fruit, great balance. My remaining bottles will be opened in the next 1-3 years.
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Decanted for about 30 min. Color was surprisingly light. Overall, this was a very pleasant wine, but was not quite as exciting and big as I hoped it would be. Enjoyable but not outstanding.
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Bustawinos V6 (Jorge Jr's apartment): Very complex nose of cured meats, beef jerky, fresh grass, "fully loaded baked potato" with everything from the butter to the sour cream and chives. Very very lush on the palate, some touches of tobacco. Fantastic bottle of wine that should evolve extremely well over the next several years. Danny's wine. One of my favorites of the night.
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Decanted and served immediately--really benefited from ~30 min in the decanter. Tart red fruit on the palate but a gorgeous cocoa-dusted raspberry jam finish!
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Drank with brother (children were present), no formal notes taken. Delicious and balanced. Plenty of light brambly grenache fruit and fine tannins. A hint of brown sugar. But it didn't do the Full Monty like the '03. Maybe it needed more time in the decanter.
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This is in a great spot right now. Decanted for about 15 min, just before serving. Well-balanced and smooth this was showing a great bouquet with dark fruits, leather, a touch of licorice and a good amount of spice. On the palate, this is round, balanced and a good presence with dark fruits and underbrush. The tannins have largely dropped out and the smooth finish was of medium length, but left you wanting more! Outstanding bottle.
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Truly outstanding. Kept improving over time. This is by far the best of 4 bottles we've had. Initially, some funk had to blow off, but the fruit, acidity, secondary characteristics were all there. So smooth and yummy! Have one more bottle we will hold for at least 2years. Great QPR. At peak.
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Great intense nose with black fruits, some leather, food spices, perhaps some wood, and definitely some earth. Palate is medium bodied. Maybe a little unbalanced with tannins and flavors, but definitely at a good point for drinking now. It's perhaps a bit simple, and the palate shows a hint of red fruit and quite a bit of earth.
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Tasting note after dinner (Garlic/almond/poppyseed/Punjabi masal lamb...yum). Thus, palate affected. Bottle open 1 hour. Seductive nose of leather and a hint of licorice. Palate has a lot of underlying charred oak that is a nice frame but perhaps a little too dominant at this point. On top of the wood, is some sour cherry and black currants that lead to a tobacco laced finish. Might have some unraveling left to do with the tannins offering a little "chunK" towards the end. Probably give it another 3 years or so as a curiosity...certainly nice now.
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Nice dense, color reddish rust ..Nose of earthy mulch, boysenberries, cherries, leather and baking spices. very structured tannins with a fine balance ...
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Had this for RWS directors meeting with 4 other CdP and served it last - it was a bit thin compared to the others. Some really liked it but it was not my favorite. Actually went well with the chocolate raspberry torte.
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No detailed notes. Drank over two days. A bit tight, thin on day one. Decant was a benefit. On Day 2 - more open and rich on the palate. Incredibly, a glass sitting on the counter overnight smelled and tasted great the next day.
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Wish I had more. Opened and poured off a glass, but really didn't begin drinking for about 30 min. At first somewhat closed, but opened up as time passed (and temp warmed). Nose was nice, and nice in the mouth. Decent finish. Drying tannins at first, but became much better and niight progressed. Probably good for many years.
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Smoky nose, with traditional CdP characteristics. Very seductive! The body of the wine was liush with mature dark red fruit. Drinking well right now, could benefit from another decade slumbering.
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Opened this alongside several CdP's including the 1998 Guigal. This was much better than the last bottle of this that I had a few years ago and was the best CdP of the night. Not decanted. This had the most tannic grip. Notes of berry with earthy red fruit. Very vibrant with a long finish. This seemed to fade a little as the night went on. 92 points.
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Drinking quite well; not enough depth or complexity for me, but it's a completely drinkable and enjoyable wine; for $27, though, I expect more; got the feeling this wine has reached its peak
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Definitely barnyard on opening but mellowed after about an hour. Initially a little sharp tasting, but that too mellowed with about an hour in the glass. Nice cherry flavours and a decent finish. There was a fair amount of sediment, so decanting was needed. I liked this, but won't buy it again as others seem to be a much better for similar price.
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WOTN - beating out a 04 Beaurenard CdP. Second bottle in two weeks, and similar notes. Dark purple inky color. Wet hay barnyard smell settled in to wonderful herbal smell and taste after 1hr+ decant. Fatty meat smell more noticeable than previous bottle. Great lingering finish as currant/berry flavors mingle with tannins and pronounced thyme, lavender, and other herbs.
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Buena presentación en botella, en copa de color rojo ciruela intenso aunque limpio y brillante. Buen cuerpo y densidad.Después de 45 minutos de reposo y dejarlo respira, en nariz se percibe poderoso a frutas maduras, especies y madera. En boca en definitiva es un vino de gran ataque, con buen cuerpo y larga permanencia, algo amargo y buenos taninos. Realmente es un buen vino para carnívoros (como yo) que gustan de carnes con bastante chile (Tampiqueña con huacamole, arrachera con salsa roja molcajeteada... solo como ejemplos).
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Not impressive at first - give it lots of time to open and you will be rewarded with a superb wine. I like earthy wines, but this one was way too much earth at first. I'll echo other tasters that it smelled like a barnyard (someone commented they must not have washed their feet after feeding the animals and before crushing the grapes!) We poured through a respirer which helped a little, but it still needed another 30-60 minutes. Then it was a rich boquet of herbs and flowers: lilac, lavender, mint, thyme, fennel, almost too many to name. Plums and cassis also were present along with some earthy mushrooms or truffles. The taste was even better. The herbs blended well with the fruit becoming more pronounced. A long, smooth rewarding finish. The longer it sat, the better it got.
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Ruby in color, no bricking noted. Great nose of black cassias, raw meat, plums and bacon fat. Palate primarily of purple fruits and ripe bing cherry. A very good bottle of wine;
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Put off a bit by the color - deep puple but with a hint of brown; thought it my be oxidized up but it wasn't. Started opening up. Medium bodied with some leather, finishing with a hint of cherry. Enjoyable and drinking well now. Would not age much longer.
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Bought from the Intermarché grocery store today for €29. Popped and poured for dinner. A nice ruby red with an orange rim. The nose is nicely expressive with cherries, bloody meat and leather coming through. On the palate there are still ample tannins and nice tastes of aged wine, still lots of fruit and a nice long finish on it. This is at a perfect stage for my tastes, definitely has age on it. Could hold up for a few years more, but why wait? 50+5+12+16+8=91
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Has scents of leather, plum, blood, and raspberry. Medium body. Moderate, slightly coarse tannins. Medium acidity. Dry finish with moderate complexity and good fruit and a little pepper. Pretty good balance but the tannins are a little drying. Overall, a very nice wine that is drinking well now.
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I bought a case about 5 years ago and it has developed well over that time. It's maintaining its color, with perhaps just a touch or bricking around the edges depending on the light. Dark red cherry flavor on the palate with some earthiness without any hint of brett. Finish seems to have gotten a lot longer. There are tertiary flavors reminiscent of sherry but I really do not think it is oxidized, just the normal development of age. The mouth feel is very smooth. Decanted and poured and then drunk over 2 hours. Nice fruit development as it opens up.
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Somewhat murky both in terms of clarity and in flavor delineation, but generally a decent, easy drinking CdP that perhaps won't change your life, but won't ruin your dinner either. Drink up; this doesn't seem like it has too many more years in it.
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Drank over the course of 2 days. Impressive aromas of cherry, earth, and plum. Fruit flavors continue over to the palate, with a crisp acidity pulling it all together. I think this is at peak, and should hold for another year or two.
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A lighter weight CdP, no question. I'm getting some good meatiness, red fruits (especially plum), and a good dose of bacon on both the nose and the palate. It is light in texture, however, but does gain a bit of oomph in the finish. I'm enjoying it, and for what I paid I have no issues with it, although I was definitely expecting something a bit grander in scale. They will be consumed in the short term and should work well with many foods.
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Don't kill the messenger...I think this wine is already on the downslope. Very light effort in general that doesn't give up much on the nose other than a little smoke and earth. Better on the palate where there's some plum, earth and red fruits. The best part of the wine is the finish, which has good length, but the flavors and aromas are so simple and one dimensional that it reminds me more of a decent Cotes Du Rhone than a CdP. The redeeming value of this wine is that it's got nice freshness and works well with food. All in all, definitely a disappointment, and this needs to be consumed asap if you hold any.
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As good as it's going to get, IMO; soft, accessible, friendly CdP, noticeably plummy; not what I seek in a CdP -- not nearly earthy enough on the midpalate -- so while it's completely pleasant, it's also unremarkable and seems far too new world; if this is what the house thinks is Chateauneuf, then it would scare me away from buying any of the Guigal top end wines
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Opened two bottles for Easter dinner to accompany roast leg of lamb. Drinking very well now. Deep color, nice brambly fruit, long finish. Very good to excellent.
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This was quite good, I was surprised. It has really come together. Very earthy barnyard with cherry. Drinking very well right from open and another 3 hours (when there none left). Seems quite well balanced. It benefited form sixty minutes of aiir. Very well balanced. If I were to find a complain, it would be that it came off slightly flabby. It might improve somewhat but I think we're close to the top.
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and excellent and true CdP....cherry and barnyard on the nose. On the palate, this is just silky smooth and nicely balanced. Nicely integrated red fruit (cherry & pomagranite) w/ some nice spice and earthones. very well made!!
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Just as good as last time. The cork was in the bottle good and tight. Decanted. Very little sediment. Medium dark ruby in color. Nose was earthy and cherry. No leather smell this time. Medium bodied. Surprisingly this one looks and tastes still young. Lots of fresh cherry and mineral with some spice and earth components. Smooth. It may be in it's prime drinking window, but I still think it has several years to go before it starts heading south. Will try another in about a year.
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Similar to previous notes. Medium ruby red color. Red and black cherry, earth, minerals and earth - a little iodine like? Medium to full bodied palate has well resolved tannins and plenty of fruit with a nice finish. Probably not going to improve further...
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I love this wine and it still amazes me how much that it changes with time. I decanted the bottle about an 1.5 hours before tasting. The initial nose was cranberry and earth tones. The wine was acidic with a light red currant body. At the 2 hour point, plum and carmel notes were present and after 3.5 hours the nose showed raspberry and red currant, and the wine became silky smooth with light plum tones and honey. This wine has plenty of life remaining.
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Red-brown. Cherry nose and earth. Red fruit through midpalate, and nearly resolved tannins at the finish. Drinking well. It's time to finish them, I suspect.
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I enjoyed this wine much better when it was young. I am not sure if this was bottle variation or just how this wine has evolved, but the nose and flavors are considerably muted compared to my earlier impressions. Cherries and red fruit are still dominant in this wine, but the herbal, earthy, and spice notes seem to have faded.
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From the half bottle. Browned from age. The nose is typical, and so is the flavour. The tannins are mellowed from age. Would be good with red meat or coq au vin. Pretty good, but not great (84.5).
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Not a very good showing. Even after leaving overnight, this was surprisingly retiscent on the nose. Also, very dry on the palate behind the cherry, berry and raspberry fruit. Tannins are pretty mild. This seems to be past peak, either that or a bad bottle. Another Costco CndP that did not work out that well.
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Slight bricking already with heavy sediment. Got from father so could be falty storage. Leather and earth on the nose with more of that in the mouth. Guests were not enthused with this one although I found it interesting. Highly tannic finish. Wasn't bad but wasn't great.
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I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the last four or five bottles as the early metalic flavours had returned, albeit at a deeper resonance. Perhaps it was the food pairing - which was steak instead of pork...
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Garnet red and clear. The nose offers up some nice grenache fruit with leather and herbs. Medium weight with moderate grainy tannins. Good acidity. Slightly drying finish, fruit seems to be fading from the palate but it's decently complex. If I had to guess, I'd say this is drinking at peak now. Drink whenever the desire strikes you.
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Very disappointing-I think there was a problem with this bottle. (husband didn't think so) Musty barnyard smell- I didn't pick up any of the grenache flavor I had hoped for-or any fruit for that matter-very sad about this one.
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This wine has developed very nicely and now exhibits not only the red fruit and cherry of its youth, but also the characteristic garrigue/earthiness of a mature chateauneuf. There is also a bit of leather on the palate. It has gained complexity with only a slight loss of bright fruit. Color is moderate and not extremely dark, but no brown around the edges. Finish is moderate to long and the wine has balance. Excellent pairing with grilled rack of lamb.
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I'm down to my last few of these, and I think the timing for drinking is about perfect. It has mellowed, and it's showing with a great depth and sophistication that a great CDP ought to have now. Enjoy!
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Leather, game and cranberry sauce on the nose. In the mouth, medium bodied with cherries in chocolate. Roast beef and candied spice. Sweet tanins linger on the finish. (reflects 90 min out of bottle)
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This was exceptional from the start. Gave it about an hour to open up and then paired with roasted lamb. What a great combination. There were cherry and raspberry flavors, but more importantly the wine was so well balanced and smooth. After another hour there was a bit of spicy flavor that came out but it just added to the experience.
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Although more of this is readily available given the production volume, I'm feeling fine about this being our last bottle because: A) It's drinking well now B) It hasn't moved much over the last couple years and so doesn't seem like it will improve, and C) There are newer/better Rhone blends to be had for fewer greenbacks, so invariably that is what draws my wallet. Decant and pour. Color garnet with ruby at the rim. Initial nose of raspberry, barnyard, smoked meat, touch of bacon, earth, minerals. After a little while the barnyard dissipated and was replaced with spicebox, which was nice. Mildly tart red raspberry and strawberry on the attack. The midpalate for this bottle was slightly thin or watery, and loaded with iron and minerals, and darker raspberry and significant black pepper to the fore in the finish. Acidity was intact and medium, and drying tannins starting from midpalate through finish were fairly smooth and tolerable. Overall, a fairly well balanced CDP with a moderate level of complexity bring this in for a landing at excellent, just shy of outstanding. Typical tag is around 28, an approachable price relative to many CDP's nowadays, but the value is just good.
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Nice, well balanced fruit. This wine is in it's prime and ready to drink now. The finish is long and solid. Some tannins still prevelant on the finish as well. All in all, a well balanced wine that needs to be served with food. Classic CDP.
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This is a well made CdP with lots of garrigue, raspberry, forest floor and a silky midpalate with firm tannins. Well made and enjoyable, but not showing extra layers of complexity. Drink over the next 5 years.
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Had this with Camille and Deanna in BC. Paired with prime rib roast, peppercorn gravy, yorshire puddings and baby potatoes. Light ruby color. Great nose of spice box, game, raspberry and red fruits. On the palate, good attack with red fruits and spice, followed by a mid palate of earth and bloody meat flavors. Nice acidity and well integrated tannin. Paired very well with the Alberta prime rib, and moderately well with the sides. Because of the already well integrated tannin, I think this is drinking very well right now and should be consumed in the next 2-3 years.
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Red to brick with intermediate legs. Nose of red fruit, earth, and garrigue. Cherry, earth, herbs and long drying tannins. Drinking well--I'd buy it again.
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Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting - Seattle: Red with a bit of bricking in the glass. This wine had lovely bouquet and palate with dried fruit and flowers, and appealing earthy aspects. The finish was long and fine. This is drinking beautifully right now IGB’sHO. There is a wide range of opinion on this wine but our group found it to be excellent at worst.
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Popped and poured. Clear ruby color. Nose of bacon, olive, raspberry, black cherry, and barnyard. On the palate, plum, olive, blackberry, leather, meat. Finishes nicely with soft tannins. Textbook CDP. Excellent, just short of oustanding. Acceptable value at $29.
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The wife's quote of "CDP's are never boring" fits the bill here. Great floral nose along with cherry, caramel, cooke raspberries, plum, smoked meats, olive, and tar. Nice palate of dried meats, plum, green olives, blackberry, cinnamon, tar, tobacco, barnyard funk, raspberries, and vanilla. Nice all the way thru the medium finish. The bbq'd pork lin brought out the fruits, camembert brought out the earth, and the blackberries... well.. brought out the blackberries. Nice overall CDP. Everything you want out of a CDP, but nothing that screams extra-ordinary compared to the last CDP tasted; Reserve Rayas.
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Out of the 5 bottles we have had of this wine, this was by far the best. Right out of the bottle it was singing. The color was a brick reddish hue. On the nose you could smell the fresh rasberries. It was spicy on the palate with loads of red fruit and a complexity that made you contemplate each sip. Wonderful long finish and I wish I had a few more stashed away.
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Not especially impressed with this wine, considering CDPs are difficult to make bad. Not that this was bad, but I would echo a previous poster who describes it as thin and hollow. CDPs for me typically explode with intense, wild blends of fruit, spices and leather. To be honest, this one was so hyper-restrained it seemed terrified to come out of the bottle. Maybe Guigal is getting too big for its britches, but I have usually been very pleasantly happy with their wines. Definite Grenache dominance in the blend on this one, and not at all fruit forward.
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End of School Dinner (Dev's House, Bryan, TX): Had this late in the evening after several other wines so my palate was a bit numb but I did enjoy this and noticed an herbal character emerge in the second glass, but no detailed notes. I probably wouldn't decant this next time unless a larger group were drinking it.
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One of nine wines tasted blind at Lucio's dinner 4/26/08: Barnyard funk on the nose, but not a lot else going on with the wine. Just okay. General impressions at the table were "thin" and "hollow". Did not rate in anyone's top 3.
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If you are reading this - you must own the bottles and looking to see if it is ready to drink? Well - it is ready. Not sure how much it will evolve, but the tannins have settled and it is a nice smooth wine. I had issue with it because of the strong "barnyard" taste. One could relate the taste to a strong cheese, but I could not get past the aroma of a wet cattle farm.
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Excellent, a few years of bottle age has increased the complexity and structure of this fabulous CdP - It was dark red/purple, medium/full bodied with notes of earth, sweet cherry, plum, pepper, spice and vanilla on the nose, very well structured, smooth on the palate with gorgeous length (92 Points).
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Great chateauneuf. A bit alcoholic upfront but improves with air. Spices, meat and barnyard flavors intermingle together with good fruit and acidity. was almost better day two, so if i had any more i would save them a couple of years.
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Nice brick rusty color in the glass, barnyard funk and dusty aromas with hints of fruit, tobacco and molasses. Smoothe easy drinking with garrigue, dark cherry undertones and a very balanced acidity. Long finish.
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Drank while decanting over the course of a lazy Sunday. I was underwhelmed. Nice, rich nose after about 2 hours of decanting but the palate never really came into its own and remained fairly one dimensional. Leather notes with spice. Finish was nice and lasting, with a little spice. Definitely better with food than by itself. A bit thinner than expected.
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Out of 375ml. Popped & poured, started out very light but put on weight and spice after a short time in the glass. Could probably benefit from decanting. Very nice!
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Decanted for 5 hours, burnt orange color reminiscent of an older CAB. Earthy/Loom nose with tannin and raspberry. Tangy on the pallet, could really taste the vineyard with enjoyable fruit and acidity.
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Enjoyed a 375 this evening before bed. A fair amount of sediment in the bottle as usual. But tonight the flavours were not quite as pronounced as other recent tries - perhaps it was my late evening palate. Still, all in all a beautiful wine.
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TASTE: similar to the Boislauzon; funky; maybe a bit closed?; spice, clove and tobacco notes too. I think this will continue to put on weight for a couple more years.
B: 50, 5, 13, 15, 8 = 91 points.
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This is a very nice, easy drinking wine. It has dark fruit nose with very light tannins. Probably more appropiate with lighter dishes like fish or lighter meats. It will not stand up to a steak.
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This wine seems to get better and better. Drank a 375 tonight that was full of earth, rasberries, and fine grained tannins. On the verge of earning a higher score.
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An okay wine, but nothing great. For $32 a few years ago, and supposedly rated 92 points, I'd say it was a disappointment. It didn't taste like $32 - more like $12.
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Took this wine to a Pops Concert so did not ability to decant. Nice and earthy, loads of berry and fig. The second half of the bottle was wonderful as it evolved. Did a side by side with an 01 Charvin CnP and the Guigal was softer and smoother. (The Charvin I believe will evolve very well over the next 3-5 years.) But the Guigal is wonderful now and ready to enjoy. This is a perfect match with a leg of lamb. It worked well with Ribs, Brisket and Sausage.
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Enjoyed a 375 this evening whilst listening to Conor Oberst. Not sure if the music amplified the wine's flavours, but tonight it seemed to have evolved a bit further along the path to Outstanding. I don't know if this will improve further, but it is a beautiful wine now.
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Smelled like an older wine, with plenty of leather and mushroom alongside the supple red fruit and garrigue. Maybe even a tad bretty. Tannins negligible. If I had more, I'd drink soon.
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Very please with this choice for Christmas dinner. Blackberry, Fig, Currant and some spice...a finish that lingers for longer than i first expected. Definitely ready to drink now.
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Decant 30 minutes. Color red and clear. Nose is strawberry, rasberry, a little pepper, and mild mineral. Bouquet largely translated to taste, with good grip and fairly good balance. Overall this bottle was lighter than expected, rather straightforward CdP and not as complex as previous bottles of the same. I let some sit in a glass for 3 hours and it did not get more interesting. The fruit became oxidized and the tannins more pronounced. Couple bottles remain, will drink within the next two years.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Bright cherry fruit. Lacking in characteristic CNdP earthiness but still an excellent wine. I had a lot of southern Rhones from Gigondas and Vacqueyras on Saturday and I though this lacked a bit of the earthy complexity of the others, which some might find a plus. Color was a bit on the light side. I had to go out for a while and came back to another glass 3-1/2 hours after decanting. The cherry fruit was still there and . . . was that a bit of chocolate and raspberry? Some spice. No pepper. Very clean. Easy to drink. An excellent wine that just didn't quite get the outstanding category. Six hours aftre decanting, the fruit is fading a bit and the spiciness is coming out, along with the beginings of oxidation on the surface that goes away fast..
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Popped and poured Christmas dinner. Funky, earthy nose. Anne detected olives and mushrooms on the nose. Color was dark ruby red. A little bretty on the nose and palate which faded with time. Complex flavors of earth, crushed rocks, dark berries. Medium to full-bodied. Very nice finish. Guests preferred this to the 2000 Bellefont-Belcier, mainly due to the complexity compared to the fruit-driven St. Emilion, though I preferred the Bellefont-Belcier.
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Agree with Parker and WS on this one. Poured at a tasting with Mr. and Mrs. mlawrence and the future Mrs. jnastynebr and others at the Parthenon Greek restaurant in Lincoln. Light ruby red with some softening on the edges. Thick legs. At first, some serious funk that blew off to reveal some baked cinnamon pastries, and sweet raspberry on the nose. Pronounced earthy component complimented by red fruit and allspice. Elegant, mouth coating texture, finishing with red berries and smooth tannins. Beautiful wine. Drink now.
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Matched with slightly spiced Cajun turkey - and it seemed the turkey masked some of the finer attributes of the wine I've noticed when drinking it alone. Still, it was a popular choice at the table.
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NM. Aromas intensos, com notas de couro, carne crua, aceto balsâmico, pimenta do reino e especiarias. Taninos marcantes, funghi, pimenta, boa acidez e final longo. 91-92pts. O/E.
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Started out pretty and floral, nuances of rose and strawberry. Over the next two hours, took on significant meaty depth (think extra-rare t-bone) and added mineral notes to the finish. Better than 9 months ago, and I think this has further room to improve. Delicious.
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Consistently surprises on the upside. Aromatic notes of leather, fig, spice and cherry. This wine strikes an optimal balance of aromatics/tannin/texture/fruit/weight and finish- seamless. 92
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Tasting notes consistent with my notes of 15 mos. ago, but tasted from a 750ml this time. This wine keeps getting better and better. Pepper, plums, strawberry & cherry on the nose. Medium body. Very clean, and more of an old world style CdP in that it is not warm and fruit driven. Flavors spread across the palate and create a sense of weight. Focused, yet complex. Fantastic structure & nice finish. Now just beginning to exhibit hints of additional characteristics such as leather and tobacco that come with maturity. Although this wine is drinking beautifully, I will likely hold on to my last bottle for several more years to see if it ages as gracefully as I predict it will.
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Decanted for about 1 hour before. Not much of a nose. Minimally spicy. Hardly at all. Had smoothed out since last try. Not sure if it is decanting or little time
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Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking. A very pleasant wine that paired well with a spicy chicken dish. A bit hot on the nose but not on the palate. Well balanced fruit and acidity. The wine continued to improve over the course of dinner.
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Light garnet red color. Aromatically, it doesn't offer up much, but the most obvious smells are dried herbs, pine sap, and a hint of kirsch liqueur. On the palate, the wine has a fair presence with a very good finish. Keeps leaning toward the pine sap and has a salty quality. Very good wine, certainly for the $27 at release, but not outstanding IMO. Maybe time will change this, but I just don't see the stuffing and complexity to call this outstanding.
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Nice clear medium red color, good nose of strawberry, cherry and raspberry. Earthy elements on the finish, which still shows a bit of acid out of balance with the fruit. Good QPR and I will hold the other three for a year plus.
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Showing some maturity. Brown red colour. Big nose of leather, raw meat, funk, cherries, plums, pepper and garrigue. Medium-bodied with nice balancing acidity, good length. Much better than expected -drinking beautifully now!
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Decanted for 90 minutes. The color was a brown-ish burgundy. After 30 minutes from opening, the nose was red and dark fruit. Once in the glass, the nose still had fruit but also mixed in leather. The palate was plum, cherries and leather. After an hour in the glass, the fruit was still vibrate and the leather was becoming more forward. Very nice wine, but a tad on the expensive side.
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Nice dark red. Expressive nose of fruits, earth, leather, and herbs. Started out light in body but gained some weight with air to end up medium to full in body. Noce finish with integrated tannins and good balance. May improve but not much. 50 + 5 + 12 + 17 + 8
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We opened and had with dry rub spare ribs, pineapple and watermelon. The rub was peppery, and the wine actually blended quite nicely with it. Opened up more throughout the evening.
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I decanted for over an hour and drank it over four. Paired with beautiful prime ribeye steaks marinated in an asian glaze, with chedder rice & broccoli. I picked up cola on the nose, a tasteless acidic mouthfeel that wasn't all that appealing at mid-pallet, and at the back some toffee, earthiness and tabacco, though a bit too much tabacco on the finish. Not something I'd seek to buy again.
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Again tonight this wine showed it's best at the last glass. I did not follow my own advice and just popped and poured. I have one more left and will decant at least 1 hour.
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Drank with varied meats at Brazilian churascuria. Wine was opened and poured, no decanting. Color was deep ruby. Initially, nose was alcoholic and a little spicy, but after 30 minutes or so, this softened to herbs, toffee and berries, very pleasant. Like the nose, the palate initially had a hard edge and a slightly bitter finish, but this too softened after 30 minutes or so with berries, herbs and vanilla. Nice mouthfeel. It was an enjoyable wine and neither overwhelmed nor was overwhelmed by the varied meat selection.
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A fair food wine, but really not that great on its own. What I noticed most was leather and stones, with some vegetal, pickle tones, over fairly weak fruit. I can't imagine that there's any improvement with further age.
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A good wine with good potential. Nose was lightly smoky with some strawberry and cherry smell follow with herbal complexity. Palate is quite juicy with some sour and astringent bitterness. Abit rough for now. Should be better in few years to come.
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Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet in color. Peppery Floral Red fruit nose. Medium bodied with smooth supple mouth feel. Long finish consistent with nose with pepper bursting out. Very balanced wine. Excellent food wine.
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Had at deanna’s with something veggie. My notes below are from a previous tasting, but still apply Subtle fruit and almost hidden tannins. Many layers but you resally have to be paying attention to notice.
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Decanted for an hour before drinking and paired it with steak Shish kabob. What a difference two years has made in this wine, two years ago it took over 4 hours to open up.
In the glass the color was ruby red and the nose had plenty of dark berries and a dusty earthy component that is very nice. In the mouth there is plenty of cherry and a spicy finish that lingers for a long time. The wine is very well balanced with a nice bite of acidity and very smooth tannins. Will revisit this bottle tomorrow night to see how it holds up.
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Nice CdP... Medium ruby red color. Nice nose of red fruits, minerals, earth and a touch of menthol. Medium-full bodied palate has nice acidity with red fruits, licorice, and minerals. Tannins are still firm and there is a nice, lingering finish.
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Bright rose red, dusty nose of red berry fruit, mixed spices, brown sugar and penetrating alcohol, medium bodied, the meaty palate quickly turns from rustic CDP to sweet berry fruit, beef steak, animal notes and iodine, medium finish, great QPR
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Opened for 24hrs, not decanted. Great stuff! Drank with friends, matched up nicely with Bleu cheese. Medium body, long finish, decent structure, very well balanced, loads of berry and earth notes. A very enjoyable wine, probably best suited for light fare. The 24hr air time suggests that this wine has quite a bit of life ahead of it, the 13.5% alc. was not an issue on day 2.
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This wine started off a little slow, the nose and finish did not come around until the last glass. Could probably benefit from a short decant to hasten development. Notes of lilac and cherry.
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375 mL. Delicious, mature aromas of cigar box, cherry and dark berry fruit, forest floor, and bacon. Gentle in the mouth, tannins virtually gone. Possibly ever-so-slightly past its prime.
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This wine is great! Very soft with a ton of flavor. Kind of like cherry covered leather. Balance is spot on, velvety, voluptous. Wish I had more of this. Paired wonderfully with duck.
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Had with pork tenderloin. The nose on this one is a mix of leather and plum. The wine still has plenty of tannins, but they are not obtrusive. There is a good dose of spiciness, mineral and acidity which makes it a great food wine. Medium bodied, well-balanced and a good 10-15 second finish adds to it's qualities. I think it might improve and it should drink well for another 7-9 years. Can't wait to try another one in a year or two.
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Opened to commemorate my 12th anniversary at my company.
Good stuff: floral, plummy bouquet with earth and licorice. Notes of cherry, syrupy fruits, and cinnamon. The tannic grip is detectable in the finish, and really makes the whole thing work.
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One year after my first review (see my review of 5/16/06) I enjoyed another bottle on a Friday after a busy week. Everything I said last year still applies, except the tannins have smoothed out and the wine opens up sooner after decanting. Wine is drinking very well now. I think the community drinking window is probably exactly right.
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Old world nose of dark cherries, saddle leather and damp earth. Silky texture, amazing polished tannins, great balance and an elegant finish. After a couple of hours it lost some of it's finess becoming more austere and a little bitter on the finish. Started out as a 92 but this downslope after opening got me down to 91.
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April FWR Tasting (FWR, Toronto, Canada): Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of medicine/bandaid, herbs, licorice, and alcohol. Medium-full bodied, good acidity, with red fruit and garrigue notes. Moderate-finish, ~35-40s, with red fruit. Much better on the palate than the nose.
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nose with stawberry,rasberry and spice. similar flavors in the mouth with a nice finish. This was a tremendously balanced wine. as opposed the the california rhones, all I kept thinking was balance. the flip side is that their was nothing compelling either. very middle of the road.
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A very enjoyable bottle. Color was that of strawberry jam; nose had spice, pepper, and red berries; palate was big, smooth, and spicy. Had with grill beef roast. Ed was over.
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SUL DA FRANÇA (ICI BISTRÔ): Ruby claro e límpido. Aromas que evocam frutos vermelhos, ervas, pimenta e terra molhada. Na boca médio corpo, com acidez viva e refrescante, média concentração de fruta, taninos finos e um bom equilibrio.Final de média persistência. Excelente
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Medium intensity, pepper, dried currant, black tea and mushroom nose. Full-bodied, assertive and spiced; showing some maturity with good potential; long, finish. 4/5
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Tasted at a retailer tasting. Reddish purple in color with some bricking around the edges. Licorice, sweet cherry, and perhaps a bit too sweet for my tastes. Decent moutfeel showing currant, cherry, and nice acidity leading to a long finish.
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Comes with some red fruit and all the earthy leathery notes you would expect from a CdP, but overall lacks a bit in structure and power. Eucalyptus notes towards the end. Decanted 1 hour.
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Decanted 1 hour. A rust-tinged brick red color. A dirty eucalyptus nose. Dirt flavors start the palate which then moves to tobacco and red currants. A little licorice on the finish. Overall sense of earthiness with moderate complexity and smoothness.
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Again the 375ml is drinking far better than the 750s. Argues strongly for holding the 750s another year or two before trying again. Again, a large amount of sediment which was strained easily.
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Tasted January 21, 2007 at home. Opened and decanted about 30-45 minutes before serving in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Light garnet to garnet color in the glass, slightly opaque. Nose of leather, smoke and brown spices; not much in the way of fruit on the nose. Flavors of red berries, celery seed, eucalyptus and a slighty metallic/medicinal finish. Light to medium acidity, tannins and body. I’ll likely wait another year or so before opening my next bottle. I can’t say I was impressed with this bottling.
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Brought this to dinner at Foreign Cinema with Julie and Kael. The sommelier noticed our bottle and struck up a conversation about the reputable producer, fine vintage, etc. Jammy bouquet of raspberries, finely balanced fruit and tannin. J and K liked it. Your basic low/mid-range CdP... elegant but not stunning. Perhaps not well paired with the robust ragout I had for my entree...
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Purple-rose hue with slight bricking. Feminine, floral nose. Medium-light body with strawberry and floral nuances. Silky and refined, but flavors are too subtle for this to really be a knockout. Very nice with grilled pork.
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Sat out of the cellar too long before opening and the harshness of Grenache came roaring through. Wine was probably in the high 60s temperature, but needed to be much cooler to be enjoyed.
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Too young to have opened. Closed and thin. Bright, ruby in the glass. The potential is there, with typical Rhone nose, well-defined fruit and light tannin. The acidity should serve this well for holding. Now, this is a 88-89pt wine, but with 5-15 years, should rate much higher.
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A bit softer than I expected, but then we had had some champagne ... Wonderful smell of soft fruit, delightful body, nice finish. A very nice bottle of wine.
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Not as good as previous bottle. Poped and poured. Cloudy in the glass, maybe because it rode across torn in my car. Not much nose and the taste was as muddy as the appearance.JP
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A medium body Chateauneuf but a great wine even without food. I have tasted the wine at restaurants, home, with friends who really like wine, and with those that rarely drink wine. Always a hit. Red fruit, cherry bouquet. Very smooth with raspberry and light plum, and a bit of spice and licorice.
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This was a 375 so it should have aged a little faster. It was richer, with deeper flavours than previous samples. Argues for holding the 750s a bit longer.
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Restrained red fruit, earth, smoked meat, and a felicitous fleeting funk on the nose. Smooth and sleek with spice, lovely raspberry, more gamey smoked meat, and anise on the very nicely structured palate. Longish finish. A group of us drinking a mix of Rhones were not ready for this to be so good - it was elegant, classy and delicious
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A consistent wine that was just right for a family birthday dinner. This wine followed on 02 Syrah from Napa and while that wine was decent the CdP had much more going on with an earthy nose and red berry finish
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Seemed thin at pouring. My first dabble with Rhone wines and did not know waht to expect. Was pleasantly surprised with the flavor. Not overly tannic. Will try more
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Drank a 375ml for a bed-time snack. This is the first time I saw noticable sediment on the bottle side for this wine. Very enjoyable combination of earth and fruit. Will never be a great wine, but is consistently darn good.
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Medium ruby red color. Great nose of strawberry, cherry and rasberry jam. Medium to full nodied palate had a lot of fruit and a little earth. Nice. lingering finish. Nice, but not overly complex.
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Laura: Decanted 1 hour. Reddish brown and opaque. Cherry, pomegrenate, and spice predominate. Good structure and balance. Hint of earth/wood in the background.
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Drinking very well now. We decanted this bottled for 1.5 hours then had it with a rib eye pan jus and potato mash. Very well rounded, soft silky tannins, deep berry flavors, earth, leather. The wine is so balanced, its difficult to pick out any one characteristic.
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I've been thinking about this wine for a year and a half. Spicy, open, earthy. My definition of CDP. Drinking very good right now with time and air, but I believe it will get better.
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I had to see what all the tasting notes were about becase this wine was constanlyt showing up on my Home page. I was hesitant because the 2000 CdP from E. Guigal was underwhelming. It was too thin and while I can appreciate a tannic wine can benefit from bottle age, a thin wine will never improve. Decanted this for 1/2 hour and served with anti-pasto my wife prepared. This was delicious from the first sip. A wondeful nose of ripe cherries and smooth well polished finish. This is drinking wonderful right now and I agree with the very good scores it is receiving.
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Drank with Jane to celerate "chick weekend". Soft fruit on the start with a good, un-tannic finish. As Jane would say, it did not burn, but smooth with a good finish. Overall, we just like this wine and recommend it. Just drink it.
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Not much to add to previous notes (game, earth, red fruit, tobacco, leather, dark cherry, mushrooms, the whole gamut albiet without a ton of power)... my bottle had character and length and a good amount of fine-grained tannin so I wished I had waited another year or three to crack it. Delicious in any case, and surely worth the price.
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Decanted 30 min. Drank a bit better than the last bottle. Enjoyable. Pleasant nose. Good dark fruit flavor. Nice finish. Not a bombshell but glad I have more.
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This bottle tastes fuller than previous and more like WS description. (Subtle fruit and almost hidden tannins. Many layers but you resally have to be paying attention to notice.
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Simple and lighter in color than I remember. Not a bad wine, especially for the $27 price tag, but based on the reviews I was still hoping for more. Going to hold the last two for a few more years to see how they develop.
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Opened and poured a 750 direct from cellar and was shocked at just how good this wine actually is. IMHO, the best it has ever been. Excellent depth of flavors, excellent focus, and not a hint of tannin. The quality now makes the $40 price and the low 90s score both seem reasonable.
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A great reference point for CdP. Drinking beautifully right now from 375's. I haven't opened a 750 in over a year, but this wine is really coming together nicely. Pepper, plums, strawberry & cherry on the nose. Medium body. Flavors spread across the palate and create a sense of weight. Focused, yet complex and not at all linear. Fantastic structure & nice finish.
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Very Dark Purple Good nose with spice, ripe fruit and pine Very dry, dired fruit and spice. Somewhat weak in the middle and not as balanced or concentrated as I would have liked
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Nose of fig, minerals, exotic flowers and spice. Bright, pinot-like acidity that compliments the abundant, palate coating red fruit flavors. Solid long finish. Consistently good, solid go-to wine. A great lead off wine if pouring several during the evening. 92
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Drank with roast pork & currant sauce. Decanted for about an hour prior. Very smokey on the nose with very enveloping aroma. Medium-bodied on the palate with decent finish. Great, fun CNDP flavors. Got a "this wine is delicious" comment from guest.
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Dinner @ Restaurant Alma. The color was more advanced than I expected, showing plenty of amber at the rim. With air, this opened up to reveal rich red fruit, some game/earth/animal on the midpalate, and nice bright acidity. Herbs, tomato, and garrigue flavors, without being green or vegetal in profile. I suspect this bottle had been stored at restaurant temperature, causing it to be a bit more evolved than usual.
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Anita: w/Dave & Marise; great classic balance, earthy, with some light plum, med. weight, leather, garrigue, complex but intellectual, but not unaccessible. Very good. TJ Ribs.
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Stunning wine - stood up exceptionally well by itself, then went well with the meal - a pork chop with a strong garlic sauce. Guigal makes the penultimate du Pape - and the fruitiness really balances well with the wonderful red flavors.
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Did not decant. Medium ruby color leads to an aromatic bouquet of prune, plum, game, leather, mushroom, earth, and a hint of smoke. The wine is full-bodied with light tannins and shows nice fruit that leads to a long finish.
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Drank this along side the 2000. This is a little lighter than the 2000 and has a profile on the nose and palate but the palate is more tannic with a little more acidity. There is also a stronger earth component on the nose. Overall a very nice wine but the 2000 is drinking better today. 50 + 4 + 13 + 16 + 8
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Decanted and consumed over about 1 1/2 hours, including with a pork chop dinner. Nose and palate a little tight at first as expected, but strawberries, cherries, coffee, mocha on the palate fairly quickly. The moderate nose opened up eventually, but I really liked the wine in the mouth. As it evolved, it became a little smoky, meaty and spicy, with herbal, floral and mushroomy nuances that never overpowered the fruit. Tannins were still present (this has more cellar life in it) but tame. Decently long, pleasant finish. I'm glad I have more bottles!
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Somewhat muted nose of hot stones and chalk with black pepper over rather faint fruit. However, very good in the mouth, with good CdP complexity and unusually juicy mouthwatering finish.
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Straight out of the bottle this displays juicy red fruit character including cherry, licorice, and some herbal undertones along with a soft core of orangish cranberry color. This is a structured wine on the palate with good concentration of lifted fruit and ample minty tannins through the lingering finish. I found this to be a textbook CDP; enjoyable young with its sweet fruit and herbal nuances yet plenty of life ahead of it due to the structure. Great effort. I should note that this bottle had been stored in less than ideal passive conditions for the last year so it may have been slightly advanced.
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Dinner at Ponti: We drank this while the VT was in the decanter, perhaps a bit unfair. Very nice but certainly not a big complex CdP. Red fruit, some rhone spice and traces of smoke and earth on the nose and the palate. Medium in weight with a smooth pleasureable mouth feel and a nice finish. This was finished very quickly and I suspect giving it more time would have been a good idea. (please see earlier rants about my "old world" brother in-law)
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Medium body and color. Sour cherries, leather, and forest floor. Occassionaly whiffs of white pepper. This wine is still quite tight and if I had more, they'd sit for another 3-5 years. Questionable value at $45 from gourmet grocery store in St Helena and not worth seeking out. It was a much better value 10 bucks cheaper two years ago. Tasted as part of the Winodepot April 2006 Tasting With Friends.
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From a 375ml. I had this wine with some lamb shank and couscous. Opened and poured it in a decanter for about 90 mins. Light ruby color, the nose is still really tight, not giving much besides a little flower and spices. On the palate, cherries and a bit of mushroom. The acidity is pretty good but the finish is somehow on the short side. After about 3 hours the wine just started waking up but this was my last glass... So far, I can find plenty of better CdR Villages for half the price. I won't touch another half for about 2 years and we'll see from there. 88-89
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Dark ruby red color. Sour cherry, tobacco, black pepper, and hint of rhone garrigue on the nose. Still tight on the palate, but it gives enough to say "I'm here, I've got some stuff, but keep your hands off me", reminding me of a few ex-girlfriends. Cola, sour cherry, and tobacco again in the mouth. It finishes well. This is a nice wine, and if the palate softens a little it'll be a very nice wine in 5-7 years.
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Finally had one of these and while there are plenty of tasting notes on this particular wine I will add my own. Didn't do it for me, but then my expectations were a little too high given the hype around this wine. Solid core of fruit and tannins are subdued which makes for a pleasant drinking wine but nothing more.
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This was a half bottle, so perhaps it's maturing a bit faster than the 750's, but this wine took a step in the right direction. The menthol had faded, the cherries were more up front and helped to give it structure and a smoother presentation. Argues for keeping the wine another year and trying again.
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The nose was full of wild berries. On the palate was a very fruit forward taste. A lot of blueberry, vanilla, and wild berries. The finish was average at best. Not a complex wine but still enjoyable.
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Blueberry, leather and underbrush on the nose with deep, long-lasting berry fruits in the mouth. Somewhat thin in the mid-palate, but with a long pleasing finish that leaves a little trail of smoke behind. Very nice $30 CdP.
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NYC CdP Fest at S&W (Smith & Wollensky's): Fairly light ruby with a Grenache-y nose. Decent fruit (plums), but a bit austere at this point. A very nice drinker although not a superstar.
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2001 CdP NYC with 33.3% women (NYC Smith & Wollensky): Medium dark ruby. A little barnyard with grilled meat and raspberry on the nose. Palate is more austere with shale/mineral, bitter sweet chocolatea and little fruit but nice structure. An austere style that I'm inclined to enjoy with the right food. Really cuts the steak.
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A little Barnyard musty mushrooms on the nose, bright fruit, cherries, herbs, very smooth, maybe a little lighter than I expected. Had a good, slightly sweet finish.I think will be good for another 5-8 years. The fruit really opened up in the glass. Definately got better with time. Paired very well with the herb encrusted rack of lamb!!
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More forward than expected and it grew with time. Typical southern rhone nose of red and black cherry, damp earth and dried herbs. Flavors are a bit muted but are grenache based with cherry, black rasberry and a small dose of oak. This finishes with a nice warming sensation and light tannins. From past experience with this label I would expect this to improve for several years. Very good QPR.
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Medium ruby color, hate to be cliche, but yes mild barnyard smell, more accurately wet, dusty earth witha bit of spice (perhaps clove). A bit better than I expected. Medium bodied, well integrated, mellow fruit, spice.
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What a difference a day makes. Had another this eve on a taste test with crab. The food brought out the sweetness and earthly flavors of the wine and it held up very well.
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Wine Exchange: Intense concentrated aromas, concentrated cran, plum, lite on smoke, low earth; well-bal, clean; cranb. a’s, good structure, med. bod, not big, not huge t’s. Like good, big CdR with structure.
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Opened not decanted. Brownish red color with clarity at the edge. Served pretty cold as it came straight from the cellar (around 55F). A slight tannic bite with a little heat. Needs to warm up and or needs air as it's pretty subdued right now.
Later: a toasted and menthol nose with a herbal component (dill?) on the palate.
Day 2: Sort of a warm beet / raisin nose, still a little puckery, with a dry raisin mid palate finish. Good, but not great.
My memory is that I bought this based on the WS score of 93. I don't us the 100 point WA/WS system for wines, as my palate is not that discriminating. However, this, so far is a good, decent, but not exceptional wine.
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I had higher expectations for this, but it let me down a little. Still a good CDP. Dark plum in color with a nose of red fruits earthy aromas (mushrooms) cigar ash, and a hint of leather. In the mouth it is soft and velvity but still a bit tanic with an edge. The midpalate and finish is peppery with some wood and again a hint of leather with a floral background. Medium to long finish. Maybe just not my cup of tea.
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Minneapolis Dinner and Tasting - Chateauneuf, Bordeaux, and Burgundy (mainly) (J.P.'s in Minneapolis): Same bottle as Siggy's TN... I found this wine to be a bit simple. That said, I did like the style in which it is made. It shared some general similarities with the 2000 Pegau (see TN), tasted side by side, but it was lighter, more simple, and a little more overtly spicy. I preferred it over the 2000 Gardine (see TN). This is a decent, mid-weight Chateauneuf that probably benefits from being from a good vintage... Probably one to drink over the next five or so years, though it might last longer. I would buy this only if the price were right...
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don't know whether this was travel shock or just overrated by press, but this didn't do much for me. Modest cherry and sweet raspberry fruit, a little hint of leather. Just the tiniest hint of herb to make one realize this might be CdP, but I have had many CdR that exhibited more Southern Rhone character than this. Nothing offensive, but nothing to make stand out either. Wasn't justthe strange match- Day 2 with some roast chicken didn't show any better.
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Medium red with good clarity. Initially a nose of dark berries and just a touch of white pepper. The palate seemed little thin but a nice earthy and animally 15 to 20 second finish. After breathing for 90 minutes the color darkened just a little. The nose opened up to more intense berry aromas and pepper. Perhaps a bit of garrigue. The palate became fuller and richer although still a little thin. The finish starts off subtle but intensifies with earth, animal, and berries. Lengthened after breathing. Good structure, balance, and acidity. Nice complexity and it was pleasureable to drink. Should be decanted one or two hours before drinking.
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Decanted 45 minutes. Good nose of red fruits, leather and pepper. Rich, gamey flavors of blackcherry, blackberry and some raspberry which turned cranberry at times along with plum and pepper. Good acidity. Started just a touch thin with a glycerol surface but gained really good depth the longer it was decanted. Palate was smooth yet bright at the start, had a full bodied mid-point and opened up a little too much on the lengthy, mineral finish.
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Medium ruby colour. Perfumed nose, with roses, red currant, game, and earth. Medium-bodied, with replays from nose. Nice finish, 30-35s. 91 points with upside.
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I opened one of these from a 375 about 18 months ago and was underwhelmed. I figured I'd pop a 750 to see where it was at. I did not decant, but the bottle was opened 1 hour ago and I just poured the first glass. Right now, there is a faint nose of earth and smokey meat with cranberry lurking. On the palate there is cranberry and spice, but not much else going on right now. A bit tight, or perhaps just not a great CDP from a decent vintage? Perhaps this just needs some air. We'll see...
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Subtle fruit and almost hidden tannins. Many layers but you resally have to be paying attention to notice. I don’t know where WS gets off calling this a full-bodied mouthful. They’ve been in France too long, I think.
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Still a youthful color and aromas of red fruit intermingled with hints of earth and animal notes. In the mouth it was medium bodied and fairly long with a good level of acidity. Good QPR
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A let-down of sorts. It's predominately gamey on the nose, opening up to earth, leather, tobacco, and non-descript wood on the palate. Per-Henrik Mansson of Wine Spectator gives it a great rating and says that it's seductive. I believe he's wrong yet again. I have nothing against the rustic, barnyard style, which is what a good CDP is all about, but this price and hype would seem to call for a little more elegance or power than I can find. The finish is long and pleasantly minerally (or is it floral?), but I think the rest is a bit lacking.
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Splash decanted. Lovely fruity flavors immediately evident, typical southern Rhone style, nice balance of acid and some tannins. Enjoyable now but will keep for several years.
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I did not have time to decant it. This wine was tight. Compact fruit notes and firm tannins. Spice, black fruit and tobacco notes were present. It really did need to soften up around the edges. 88+ points.
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Opened one at Oakland 2004 XMas party with lamb shanks - lovely! Medium body, good fruit with the black pepper spiciness on the finish that I like. Good mouthfeel, medium body and not too lean. Almost as good to my thinking as the '98 (which I prefer over the '99).
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Nose - earth, meat. At first not much fruit, but after 2.5 hours it started to give up fruity notes - cherries, strawberries. Mineral finish, balanced.
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Nose: A spring barnyard, sweet and earthy Palette: The earthy character carried over to the palette. Silky smooth but not much fruit. Comments: Unbalanced but a pleasant drink. I would only have it with the lightest of foods.
88 pts
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Tasty, but does not live up to its billing. Not much fruit, structure, excitement in this glass. Either it is missing or it is so tightly wound that it didn't give it up. So either the reviews are off or this is in a slumber spot in its cycle. Try again late 2004.
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Red Carpet: Red Carpet: Med. brick color; spicey, pruney plums, raisins; med bod, spicey mth, pepper, some red spices too; well-bal, med dry t’s, med. fin; lots of grip.***A very good “classic” lighter style CdP.
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good french wine. Very french. Just different from California wines that we're used to; more complex, maybe, but not nearly as much depth. Good fruit ans spiciness up front but a bit of hollowness in middle and that vague minerally taste that we find off-putting.
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Tasted as an add-on at a vertical Beaucastel tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, roasted herbs and licorice. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Mediium, smooth finish.
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Right now, this seems closed up and tannic. No real fruit emerges even after 1+hour in the glass. The nose is complex with earthy aromas and tobacco present. i suppose I will wait another 6 months or so to see if my 375's evolve at all. Not very impressive compared to other recent CdP's I have tasted.
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Attempted to find TN's on this but found none. Acquired one bottle to try...color presents with light ruby. Nose offers scents of leather, kirsch, slight tobacco. Fairly light to medium body, more in line with a Cotes Du Rhone. To me, this is ready to be consumed. While it is a decent drink and represents the varietal well, there is nothing distinct or exciting about this, and considering the going rate of $30+ per bottle I am going to pass on more - why not just buy more CdR for less? How could this be the sibling of the 2000 Guigal CdP? Will try the remaining bottle tonight...
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Blind Chateauneufs at Bellini's: Dirt, high-toned red fruit. Grenachey red fruit on the palate. This is passable, but seems too cleanly made and commercial. Not for me.
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9/8/2023 - MJMcCarthy Likes this wine:
If you have a bottle of this wine, drink it yesterday. it won't get any better, but it continues to show signs of life!
I enjoyed this bottler with a meal of lamb chops, sautéed mushrooms and a vegetable mix (zucchini, onions, green and red peppers, and squash).
This venerable wine is a quiet conversation with an old friend, where you speak in whispers, but of weighty things.
A twenty-two-year-old vintage of a southern Rhône wine is a bit of a risk, but this one pays off. The wine does show its age, with a full centimeter of ullage below the capsule, noticeable streaking up the cork and browning around the rim, but it nonetheless shows signs of life.
The bouquet is dominated by tertiary aromas that result from its years in the bottle: leather, cigar box and prominent "funk" (Brettanomyces). It sits with medium-body on the palette hinting at its restrained 13.5% ABV. Its warm, gentle tannins are a soft, fleece blanket.
The savory entree and sides bind with the tannins to coax out fading echoes of fruit, including cassis, cherry and raspberry, that evolve across a gradual decrescendo over a long finish.
This wine is an historical document, a true message-in-a-bottle, crafted and sealed by the winemaker until opened and received this evening, more than two decades later.
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2/26/2023 - CLEguy wrote: flawed
Stewed fruit, lots of sediment. Took a gamble on this one, sadly lost.
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2/2/2023 - grossie Likes this wine: 88 Points
Definitely getting a bit brown. Decent nose. The fruit is drying up and the finish is a little drying. Would probably have been better to drink this 5 years ago. I think the tannin has outlasted the fruit.
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12/22/2022 - Morten VB Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drinking surprisingly well and still keeps a core of fruit - dark cherries and cassis - though being dominated by age notes as leather, coffee and herbs. Slightly oaked for my personal flavor but certainly an enjoyable wine
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12/4/2022 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine:
Delicious. Drink now, more age won’t help!
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11/8/2022 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink now!
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5/1/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
medium red with aging rim, cherries and dried herbs on the nose, moss, on the palate a ripe sweet cherry fruit, some game notes, fully mature with a finish of moderate length showing some heat on the end, a pleasant and enjoyable wine but drink soon as the finish is starting to crack a bit.
***, drink soon.
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5/18/2020 - DemonC2H5OH Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brick coloured with a noticeably paler brick meniscus and a classic CNP nose. Far better than the 2000 drunk a few days earlier. Lots of garrigue, lavender, saddle leather, tons of smoky earthy loam, tobacco, black plum and black tea. Fully resolved oak and tannins, great acidity and a wonderful long finish. Excellent mature CNP and well stored bottles like this one have some life left, perhaps up to 5 years but probably best to drink sooner than later.
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3/19/2020 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
very nice
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3/18/2020 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
This is drinking very nice. holding up.
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2/2/2020 - DDemole Likes this wine: 88 Points
A little flat but still pretty decent. A lot of the fruit was gone.
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7/12/2019 - Mdubnik Likes this wine: 89 Points
It was okay. Not past it’s prime. But not much “wow” factor. But very acceptable.
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2/1/2019 - mattiasjansson wrote:
Tired and past its prime
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9/9/2018 - John F wrote: 92 Points
This wine is still standing very tall.... don’t give up!
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7/30/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
Double blind tasting. Brief note. This wine kind of blew my mind when revealed as I thought I knew what it was on my first taste of it. Meat, pickling brine, cracked peppercorns, oil cured black olives, black and red sour currants, and then a sweet floral bouquet from what I thought was viognier. Long, pleasurable and complex finish. I had this pegged as N. Rhone. I was stupefied when it was revealed. Very nice.
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6/3/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful nose of roasted black cherries and herb switches. Lots of Herbs de Provence, particularly rosemary, thyme and lavender. Medium-full bodied, silky and fully mature. Drink now-2021+ 91
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12/25/2017 - FPLopes wrote: flawed
This wine has past its time. Rubbish now unfortunately.
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12/1/2017 - mnoljo wrote: 91 Points
Notes of iodine and seaweed. Medium weight on palate the Syrah really seemed dominant and a seamless lasting finish.
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8/2/2017 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fully mature dark ruby with no bricking or sediment. Lovely nose of dark cherry kirsch liqueur and spice leading to a palate-coating tasting and medium finish.
If a date, this was a 25 year old university beauty queen with a colorful past and no real future.
Perhaps 5-10 years of great drinking remaining.
Drink up soon
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6/27/2017 - Raye1970 wrote: 90 Points
Still got a little bit of a pop... Drink up now...
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5/18/2017 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
consistent with notes 3/31/2017
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5/8/2017 - Rangeldoug Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank over two nights which was a mistake - pnp first night, earthy nose, a little spice, mushrooms. A little light bodied, but finish was longer than I expected. Night two - gone, nose non-existent, flavor profile had gone almost like an Amarone- heavy raisin profile, not enjoyable. Don't hold on to these any longer - well past its prime. Score reflects night one experience.
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3/31/2017 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely nose with dried cherry, spice, and rose petal. Light bodied and smoky, drink this now.
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10/23/2016 - JeffBro wrote:
So so.
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10/22/2016 - plhew wrote:
Light on body. Do not hold longer. A bit unbalanced, somewhat of a disappointment
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9/19/2016 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Still going, but clearly very mature now. Nice juice, with plenty of character and interest, but I'd recommend drinking this in the next year or so.
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8/5/2016 - SeaCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well. Color is moving toward garnet and a bit thin, but wine opened up very well and drank well with a reasonably long finish. Was one of the favorites in a tasting of aged wines tonight
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4/24/2016 - SeaCellar wrote: 89 Points
Still within the drinking window, if well-cellared, but drink in the next 12 months or so.
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3/27/2016 - Raye1970 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was very enjoyable pre-dinner and opened very quickly after decanting. The color was light and almost slightly pale and the bouquet was classic Chateau-neuf... Tannins were none existent and the balance overall was great. There was something on the finish that did not seem completely balanced to me with the Grenache really lingering more than I've never noticed in CNDP's of this age in the past but it worked. I question the "Community Drink Dates" on this one... I feel this may not mature much more but will continue to keep very very well.
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2/9/2016 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not quite as much wow factor as the bottle I had two years ago. Both were bought on auction so who the hell knows what to make of that. This one was just as smooth, but just a little less flavor and a little more heat. Still though, this was a great chateauneuf year and I think guigal didn't overdo this one at all. This has barnyard and rusticity and still has a bit of cherry. Good job here.
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12/27/2015 - Momus99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is one of those wines that remind you of how good wine can be. It is also one of those wines that defies reductionist description (at least by me). Bought on release and cellared under good conditions. Opened the night before (to make sure it wasn't flawed) and kept under vacuum for 24h, so notes were basically in a pop & pour context. Two bottles (from same case) consumed with identical notes. The nose is extremely complex and moderately powerful. It sashays rather than jumps out of the glass, but is by no means a shrinking violet. I can't place specific aromas, but it definitely smells like other great Chateauneufs I've had. On the palate, similarly complex but can't pick out specific flavors. The tannins are almost completely resolved. The finish is medium, not super-long, but nonetheless, this was a very special wine. Wouldn't decant. Wouldn't necessarily wait any longer to drink either.
This greatly elevates my opinion of Guigal as I've never had their CDP before but I have had their CDR which has always disappointed me.
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12/25/2015 - sroseiz wrote:
surprisingly, excellent
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6/25/2015 - sroseiz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Remarkably smooth. It just had such a marvelous taste!
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6/21/2015 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle. Still very good. Classic CNdP.
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5/16/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 92 Points
Time has been kind to this wine. Nice classic CDP. Barnyard blew off in about 15 minutes. The bottle was singing after an hour. Still has quite a bit of life in it.
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4/12/2015 - MY458 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Aging very very ... smooth and lost its tannins which is the way I like it.
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3/25/2015 - cabber Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice ruby color, funky but not unpleasant nose at first, red fruit, earth, taste of cherry, herbs, eucalyptus, medium body, balanced, long finish. Has held up well, but won't wait too long to drink my last bottle.
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2/20/2015 - skinnydave Likes this wine: 92 Points
Who set the window on this? This wine is still holding.
I bought two bottles ages ago. I drank one on my birthday in 2007, and I remember it being a nice wine that didn't blow me away.
Well, I forgot all about this one in a random case in our wine locker. So last week I am doing some cleaning and I take it out (along with half a dozen CA wines that are now vinegar, and tonight because I had no reason not to, I pop the cork. Upon first sniff I am certain the wine is done. I Pour it. Color is nice, so I let it sit for 15 minutes or so. I take a sip and its absolutely f***ing fantastic! This is a lovely CDP, and it only got nicer as the hour went on. Dare I say that this may have another couple years that you could play with?
Tabacco, Cherries, dark pruned syrah. Everything right about CDP with a little age and a little less bite than I have come to love. It has elegantly maintained a decent structure and quality.
Admiring the bottle now, I see the original price tag of $44.99 - which in my book is a steal for what I had tonight.
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11/26/2014 - dirk21 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Extremely fresh and delicious. Clear ruby color, with a trace of orange at the rim. Surprisingly clean cork without sediment or crystals. Fruity, well balanced tannins.
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11/17/2014 - skinut Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slight bit of funk upon initial opening and pour, but blew off very quickly. No tannins to speak of reddish fruit/berries on the nose - very prominent. Medium palate and length. Very pleasant considering its age. However, after 10-15 minutes in the glass the nose started turning pruney and started to exhibit that past its prime funky odor. Don't let it get a lot of air and you will be pleased - too much air accelerates the downhill spiral.
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11/6/2014 - schwank wrote:
No formal notes here... this bottle was nice and in a good place to drink, however it did not show the complexity of other CdP's from the evening, including a 2001 Bois de Boursan Cuvee des Felix. Good dark red fruit with nicely integrated tannins... just seemed a bit lacking in depth.
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10/10/2014 - ND05 wrote: flawed
Corked. Too bad; tasted on day 2 and there was some really interesting stuff going on behind the TCA.
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10/4/2014 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
Super Tasting 4 of 5; Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape (Chris' House): Doubled decanted approximately 2 hours in advance, served blind. Translucent garnet in the glass. On the nose, crushed raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry, crushed rock, a touch of mint leaves, dried herbs and spice. On the palate, showing lovely balance, with a touch higher than medium acid and mild fine grained tannin. The finish is medium, framed with tastes of raspberry puree, red cherry, mineral, mint and spice. On reveal, this was a great surprise. Very nice showing.
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10/4/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 90 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape: (tasted blind, wine #11) Very clean pure, and precise nose that is centered on the pure red fruit. Nose is of raspberry coulis, creme anglais, strawberry, mint, eucalyptus and light notes of mixed spices. Palate has moderate tannin, and a fair bit of refreshing acid with a medium length finish. I ended up liking this more than I expected, though it was very fruit forward, lacking in secondary or tertiary development. One of the surprises of the night, I think some liked it even more than me.
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10/4/2014 - Dave Canada wrote: 92 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 4 of 5 - Chris does 2001 Southern Rhone (Dundas, Ontario): Double decanted 1 hour ahead of service. Served blind
Pretty nose...tart red fruits, spice, raspberry coulis and creme anglais.
The palate is really pure....so clean and polished. Raspberry, cherry, incense, herbs, mint, eucalyptus. Very nice.
Finish is medium+ with great fruit that is pure, lithe and integrated. Nice wine....was very surprised on reveal.
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9/12/2014 - Martysfo wrote: 94 Points
Very tasty. Brick color, cloudy with lots of garique. Cassis, cedar and graphite. Very full body and a finish from here back to Marseilles.
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8/30/2014 - Dfinn wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very nicely. Very soft. Fragment nose and well balanced finish.
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7/10/2014 - Glharv wrote: 94 Points
PnP; Mid-neck fill; cork in excellent condition. Dusty plum/brick color. Insubstantial nose of exotic spice, bramble, cedar, vanilla and rosemary. Beefy, spicy and earthy palate consisting of bacon fat, garrigue, cherry, strawberry, vanilla and tobacco. Plenty of acidic zing remaining. An exceptional CdP, drinking wonderfully right now.
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6/30/2014 - wine4ever Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely. My last one of these and it's just a touch less satisfying than last one we had. Solid, classic, CdP. Beautiful garnet red. Dark cherry and band-aid on the nose. Silky smooth texture. Mostly cherry and spice on the palate, with hints of raspberry and kirsch. Tannins are resolved. Good acidity, medium bodied, slightly tart finish. No need to hold. Drink now - 2016.
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6/29/2014 - WineGuyFL wrote: 92 Points
Perhaps not quite as good (which was very good) as my last bottle. May be showing signs of tiring. Still......good. However, I will drink up my last two bottles.
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6/9/2014 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 90 Points
After a hour opened, very open red fruit nose, brambly elements with vanilla notes. Silky palate with elegant bright fruit notes and asian spices, Burgundian like at first, then opened up and became more open and primal.
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6/1/2014 - rhanke wrote: 90 Points
light but refined
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4/13/2014 - Champagne88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rather week nose of cherry and a bit of funk. All dark cherry on the palate, nice medium body, still a bit of tannin left in it. I disagree with some recent reviews saying this is nearing the end of its life. I believe it could be a fine 15 year old; that said, I haven't anymore, and there's no reason not to drink it now. Drinking much better than the 2001 Saint Cosme, of which I have too many, that reviewed much better early on.
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3/22/2014 - rm97 Likes this wine: 89 Points
classic lesser CDP
nearing end of life but still enjoyable
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3/5/2014 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pnp. Had with lamb. Oh my god I have got to start being more patient with my wine. This one was just so nice. Dark cherry all over. Almost rioja like. Perfect dissipating tannins. Not the longest finish and missing the punch in the face that some cndp have but so what. Drink this now if u r lucky enuff to have it.
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1/22/2014 - Thomas B wrote: 91 Points
Still in its prime but likely not for much longer. Opened, but not decanted, ~4 hours before drinking. Mild nose but flavor a evolves nicely over dinner. Blueberry and black cherry up front, strong mid-palate and nice but somewhat short finish.
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1/19/2014 - Saint Stephen wrote: 90 Points
Maybe getting slightly tired but still a solid mature bottle of Chateauneuf. Some cherry, iodine and Band Aid on the nose. Resolved tannins and modest acidity. Would be better but the midpalate is a little thin. Still, yeah babe.
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12/22/2013 - wineismylife wrote: 89 Points
WIML89
Tasted non blind with dinner. Followed over about two hours.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of raspberries, smoke, plums and dust. Flavors of raspberries, berries and cherries. Tart acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink Now.
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11/23/2013 - nvdierdo wrote: 87 Points
nice peppery nose, yet fruits had faded, much lighter than expected, over its peak
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11/10/2013 - Zed57 wrote: 95 Points
My last bottle and it is sad. This wine has totally peaked. This is the CNP that they drank 50 years ago. Incredibly complex bursting with blackberry and a hint of raspberry with olive paste and a kirsch core. Do not wait. Drink it now and be transported back in time
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10/31/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
Une bouteille en pleine forme!
C’est un style un peu plus viril et moins gourmand que le charmant 2000. Un vin plein, épicé, très typé, avec une finale longue mais un peu chaude, sur le kirsch. L’aération permet au fruit de mieux s’exprimer, la chaleur disparait. 90 pts
Je le trouve une coche au-dessous du 2000 pris il y a un mois. Deux excellents Ch9.
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10/1/2013 - robmatic wrote: 91 Points
Piercing and fresh, lovely balance, has matured into a really nice bottle. If this bottle is an indication, this should be good for some time. Drinking beautifully now, but no hurry.
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9/16/2013 - NNV Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking nicely but probably not for much longer. Open it up! Popped and poured and enjoyed the secondary and tertiary characteristics of an aged wine. Drank higher than price point. Typical CDP characteristics and really harmonius wine. I will look out for more of Guigal's wines based on this experience, but aging added a lot to the wine.
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9/8/2013 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine exemplifies why a cellar gives such pleasure. An average priced CndP from a good year sits around for a decade. Not decanted, thank-you tasting notes from Cellar Tracker; it poured red and a little brick. Beautiful nose of dark fruit and spices, medium body with the soft tannins one and a long finish. Lovely with roasted chicken, Last one, drinking great, don't wait.
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9/1/2013 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Poured straight from cellar: Low in character at first, but as it warmed up, revealed meat, coffee and powdered cocoa with light stewed plum and cooked wild blackberry/blackcherry. Subtle lavender and garrigue notes and a slight herbal character. Mouthfeel was silky and elegant with a little pepper-wild herb note. This was not explosive, but reminded me of an earthy Burgundy in feel--medium body, silky, somewhat subtle for CdP, but put together nicely. Tannins mostly resolved, and more importantly, was stunning with lamb chops cooked with rosemary and garlic. Alone it's an 89 or so, but showed its full potential with a fitting food combination (and John Williams' Spanish guitar on the hi fi). With the emotional factor, add another point to 92! This was my last bottle of this, and it is at its peak.
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8/25/2013 - Sonoffalstaff wrote: 90 Points
Again this is all about the food you put this with. Mum's roast beef brought all the great subtleties and comp,exits that is in cndp. But it won't cover spice etc,. Definitely not past it
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8/22/2013 - tbvinolvr wrote: 85 Points
Should have had this wine 2 years ago. It was good. We had short ribs with an asian sauce. Both were lots of fun but I'm sure the wine could have been fuller bodied.
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8/15/2013 - winejnky wrote: 86 Points
Unlike other recent ratings, this bottle was a bit tired and threw off loads of sediment. CdP for sure with some decent cherry and garigue initially, but after about an hour it was thin and fading.
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7/2/2013 - Pour Boy wrote: 92 Points
Still lots of life left in this. Needed about 30 minutes to open up. Classic CDP from a great vintage.
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6/15/2013 - Ken63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened in about 45 min in glass, notable floral aromas, medium bodied, nicely integrated but present tannins. Cedar, earth, chocolate, nice mid palate and moderately long finish. Better than I expected as I feared it was getting beyond its time-not so
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5/26/2013 - whitmanlholt wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. This is a medium ruby red wine that is clear and consistent throughout, with no browning and virtually no sediment. On the nose, there are herbs, rosehips, and a bit of earth – it’s a typical CdP nose, but far from an extraordinary one. In the mouth, the wine is juicy with a medium weight and a bit of fig flavor. Overall, this is an enjoyable wine that is still drinking well, but is unlikely to leave any grand memories. It probably should be drunk up soon. 90 points.
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4/26/2013 - Mrmikesfo wrote: 90 Points
Very good but possibly over the hill. Nevertheless great with lamb,, really brought out the flavor of the wine. Opened at restaurant (Chez Papa, San Francisco). A bit tight at first, but halfway through the meal it opened up nicely.
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4/14/2013 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine is drinking very well right now. It really opened up after a few hours. I will let my other bottles age a bit longer. Love the dirty smell and taste of the CPD wines.
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3/11/2013 - Drugstore Cowboy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Probably not stored in optimum conditions, but delicious none the less.
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3/7/2013 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought it to a restaurant with friends.....it was gone almost before I turned around. Fruit forward. Great nose. 3 bottles left. Will be careful how I consume them.
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3/4/2013 - Zed57 wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic
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2/8/2013 - Stowe638 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Absolutely delicious! I'm sorry I only have one bottle left. We let it breath for over an hour and it kept getting better. Smooth tasting with a hint of complexity which kept it interesting.
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2/1/2013 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby red with slight bricking. Ripe red berry compote, garrigue and a floral note make up a modern CdP nose. A silky medium bodied palate follows through with candied raspberry fruit, leather and touch of lavender in the finish,
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1/20/2013 - Gabe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite a surprise for me. Found this bottle buried in the cellar and figured it was time to drink. Nice floral nose with a wonderful supple mouthfeel. This is really in its drinking window and I'm bummed this was my last bottle. Excellent QPR, bought at Costco years ago.
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12/30/2012 - wr12162 Likes this wine: 93 Points
So sad this was our last bottle. Just delicious...
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12/23/2012 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
Quite delicious. The Grenache is so integrated into this wine that it is hard to identify. Extra smooth with bright, clean fruit and easy to accommodate tannins. One drinker initially called it over-ripe, but as it sat in the class this quickly changed into an elegant, sweet accent that really brought the wine together. The son is home for the holiday's after a very long absence from these tasting notes. With his usual hardnosed approach to French wine, he is only willing to grant a 91 on this bottle.
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11/25/2012 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours...A somewhat reticent, almost sweet nose of mixed red and dark fruits and vanilla notes. Still fairly primary showing blackberry, red and black cherry and red raspberry. There's graphite and minerality components to the mid-palate, I like this better than the last bottle, it might continue to improve, but its in a good place now.
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10/20/2012 - KC Lawyer wrote: 89 Points
Tannins noticeable on nose and first sip, but finish is clean - even delicate. A more robust wine would obscure the fine (but harsh) notes; this is less overpowering. Herbal tastes with a hint of anise; light enough for seafood, not quite bold enough for red meat. Might have been better a couple of years ago.
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10/14/2012 - profiler54 wrote: 94 Points
Opened for 1 hour and poured. Served at 63 F in Riedel Vinum Bordeaux stems Slightly opaque garnet color of medium intensity Nose was pronounced and developed with fruit, floral, spices and damp forest floor.. Palate was medium high acid and medium plus bodied.. Flavors were pronouced fruit, floral, spice and wood... Length was long... Fruit components were raspberry and red cherry... Floral perfume of cloves, nutmeg and lavender.. Hebaceous notes of wet leaves, and mushroom . Oak has resinous tobacco
Tannins were structured This bottle was drinking exceptionally well Outstanding mature ChdP
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10/3/2012 - rwpalmer wrote: 91 Points
Fading gracefully with all manner of lovely flavours. Soft, and in no way brittle. Consume with pleasure.
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10/1/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this. Certainly at the end of it life. Fruit fading but nice acid on backend. I like the restrained dusty feminine almost flowery character. Perfectly integrated and aged since release. Sadly, it's my last bottle. 13.5% etoh.
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9/27/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
29th Birthday Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): A blend of 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 5% mourvèdre, 5% other varieties. Aromas of rhubarb, cherry skins, bitter coffe, raspberry greens. The aromas maintain a pungency that I like. The wine still has a lot of grippy tannins and fresh acid. Flavors of red plums, coffee, peppered steak, cherry pits. This wine has a lot going on, and it shifted a lot over the course of several hours. This wine is nowhere near the end of its life. A lot of the people who attended the tasting thought this wine was too astringent, and I get that. For me, it’s a serious CdP that has five more years ahead of it at least. Beautiful stuff. By the second day, the aromas were even more savory and I picked up some rose petal aromas as well. Finishes with hints of meat and dusty tannins.
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9/5/2012 - mnoljo wrote: 91 Points
a pleasure to drink. smooth elegant and a finish that reminds you of southern france.
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8/26/2012 - the godfather wrote:
good, might be over the hill
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8/24/2012 - Magnolian wrote: 92 Points
Significantly smoother than other bottles from the past; has probably reached full maturity at this stage. The savory flavors have integrated nicely and revealed some mineral notes that were hidden before. Drink up.
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8/10/2012 - Sugarb wrote: 95 Points
Excellent.
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7/4/2012 - GPW wrote:
Slow ox for 1 hour. Silky, integrated. Drinking well now.
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6/18/2012 - sunalsorises wrote: 91 Points
Good mouthfeel and smooth tannins on the long finish. Very good wine.
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6/8/2012 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 93 Points
Just terrific. Comparable: Mark Grace
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5/27/2012 - rojoloco wrote: 92 Points
Absolutley lovely afrer about 30 minutes of air. Beautiful nose of tobacco and flavors to match. My only bottle which is a crying shame, alleviated only by the knowledge I still have half a bottle upstairs. Great juice. If only I could go back in time and buy a case.
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5/21/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Lovely leather tones with some light spice. Really a gem of a wine that's come into it's own after these years. So soft.
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5/10/2012 - Tao wrote: 90 Points
Impressive nose of charcoal, caramel, dried herbs and some dried flowers! Quite rich on the palate, chewy but a bit rustic! Fruits is there though lacking freshness! Youthful looking! Still a little tannins need to resolved! A few more years to go in my opinion if it is stored correctly! Definitely a wine for autumn! Not spring!
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5/3/2012 - Saint Stephen wrote: 91 Points
Really nice - noticably better than the 00, but then I've always prefered the 01 CdPs to the 00s.
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4/29/2012 - wine247365 wrote: 89 Points
vanilla on open, pencil, mineral, berries, mellow tannis, smooth, medium complexity, long finish. continued to evolve, wine getting ever-better at 1.5 hrs after opening with decanting, would have love to see it evolve further, but sadly, the decanter was empty. :( Truly a wine that I was sad to see end. Maybe that's the allure of the 3L bottle! Great today, but if I had more, I think there's a few more years to go. 15 min's after open, would rate it tastily at 87, after 1.5 hrs, I'd rate it at 90-91.
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4/20/2012 - bajayngo wrote:
Quick note from the Sleight of Hand private CDP party - same experience as the other Guigal CDP's i've had before. Classic style but hum-ho
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4/5/2012 - jonb72 wrote: 89 Points
A very soft raisinscent with a gentle perfumy honey
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4/1/2012 - 8725 wrote: 91 Points
An earthy wine with hints of blackcurrant, soft tannins with a medium body, slightly acidic, beautiful bouquet with hints of raspberry with a typical toasty vanilla oak flare. The color is a beautiful browny-amber with great clarity. Nice drinking this bottle right now!
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3/15/2012 - WinePrincess wrote: 91 Points
This wine had all the characteristics you look or in a Chateauneuf du Pape. Silky smooth tannins. Long finish. Great wine. Wished I had more.
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3/8/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Slow-O 3 hours. Medium ruby core, no sign of age. My second bottle in the past year, and the best showing thus far. Packed with red and black fruits, herbs, faint horse notes, and galets on the nose, following through to the medium+ bodied palate. A respectable vein of acids keeps the dense fruits lively and layered. 24 hours afterwards, a half-full glass showed no sign of degradation at all. Solid, satisfying juice. recommended, 13,5% abv, score: A-
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2/25/2012 - vinocerus wrote:
Outstanding. Restrained fruit but unmistakingly CDP; the structure and nicely balanced acidity along with soft tannins made this unique and a greatly enjoyable wine.
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2/15/2012 - phil0711 wrote: 85 Points
agree that it may be past it's prime, but i have one bottle left that will be opened in the morning and drank in the evening. I felt hints of the great wine it was and am hoping some time in the decanter will wake it up!
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2/4/2012 - Penguino212 wrote: 87 Points
A bit past its prime.
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2/1/2012 - Mgraham49 wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/20/2012 - guido23 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine just never fails to impress. Popped and poured immediately; it was a bit closed at first but it opened up quickly. I was too engrossed in conversation this time to ponder the palate much but the very balanced finish left a lasting impression.
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1/18/2012 - mnoljo wrote: 92 Points
in peak form.
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1/15/2012 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nicely mature. Well integrated fruit with soft tannins. Tasted over several hours. Not improving but a very nice bottle.
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1/3/2012 - MFC wrote: 89 Points
Cherry and oak on the nose. Soft tannins and little acidity on the palate. Agree with everyone that this, while still good, is on its way down from the peak.
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1/2/2012 - muellerkim wrote:
Thought we had consumed this previously, and discovered we still had a bottle left. Unfortunately, it was a little over the hill.
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12/26/2011 - Pour Boy wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle of this and probably a tad past peak. Lisa's favorite red wine. From Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: "In the bottle the acids were long ago resolved; the imperial dye had softened with time, as the color grows richer in stained windows; and the glow of hot autumn afternoons on hillside vineyards was ready to be set free and to disperse the fogs of London." Robert Louis Stevenson was clearly a fan of good wine. We set this bottle free on Christmas.
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12/24/2011 - gbauer wrote:
On the nose, some spice and dried red and purple (plum?) fruit. In the mouth, good balance of acid, tannin, and fruit. Dried fruit and spice. Clean, without any funk.
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12/23/2011 - strad wrote: 86 Points
Gave this an hour slow-o decant and the skunky aspect, found only on the palate, receded leaving behind a satisfying cdp nose of cherry, garrigue and licorice framed by Oak. The palate showed resolved tannins and enough acidity to keep things interesting while the Oak, although well integrated, showed a bit drying on the otherwise decent palate. 2 hrs. in the nose is almost gone. Drink fast!
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12/19/2011 - VTCellarDweller Likes this wine: 92 Points
The third of six bottles stored in our passive cellar since release. It has been at least 18 months since the last one and this was the most impressive yet.
High neck fill with a very tight cork.
Decanted for 30 minutes before serving leaving a moderate amount of gritty sediment.
Medium garnet core with some edge browning.
Generous enticing aromatics of black cherry, baking spices, hint of garrigue, a touch of funk, damp earth, and old leather.
Round and smooth in the mouth, medium weight with a fascinating mix of primary and secondary flavors. It continued to open up and fill out over the next hour.
Great balance and length without a hint of alcohol (13.5% ABV). Crisp edgy finish.
I had every intention of reserving half of the bottle to try again the next day, but it was just so good that it didn't happen. This wine is in a wonderful place now and was a superb accompaniment to our cassoulet and cheese course that followed.
This should hold for another 2 years before any decline, but the other 3 bottles will be long gone by then.
3/13/2013 UPDATE
The last bottle and it was really lovely. It could be starting to fade just a little bit so if you have it, don't wait too long.
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12/10/2011 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
It should say something that over a week or so I have drunk the 99, 00 and 01. The 99 was a dissappointment, the 00 was a decent bottle, and the 01 was really marvelous! Sometimes simple bottles can really impress you. And, sometimes you need to pull the trigger just a little bit sooner.
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12/3/2011 - Pour Boy wrote: 93 Points
This is drinking great right now. Purplish-red with a hint of chocolate brown in the glass. Lots of spice and fruit and leather on the nose. Silky smooth tannins.
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12/1/2011 - gwkozar wrote: 91 Points
drank alongside 2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme. no decanting, drank over 90 minutes. fruit moving into background while earth, leather, mushrooms, minor smoke starting to show up more compared to pevious bottle and Telegraphe.
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11/30/2011 - Rickfell wrote: 92 Points
a good CDP, maybe getting past prime but still enjoyable after 1 hour decant. Muted fruit but lots of leather, mushrooms, etc.
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11/15/2011 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
Unlike the bottle in my previous note, this wine was mine (bought on release, yada, yada). Decanted an hour+ before serving. Again this wine is on plateau, with resolved tannins and an open knit texture that just makes you want to linger... what did you say? Kind of hard to pay attention to what's going on around you when the wine in your glass is like this and at it's peak. Even if it's not a blockbuster, the marriage of fruit and non-fruit flavors that are well intergrated is just an ---aaah.
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11/13/2011 - folsomarndt wrote: 93 Points
What a seductive wine and an outstanding example of CDP. Nice fruit flavours, medium body, with silky smooth tannins, layers of complexity and a lengthy finish.
My wife really enjoyed this as well.
Had a brief musty, barn yard nose right after opening the bottle...which disappeared after 10-15min. Very tasty and enjoyable... unfortunately my last bottle.
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11/6/2011 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
15th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Notable iodine / kelp component along w/ spice, red cherries, meat and earth. nice texture and length. Ready! 90pts on day 2
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7/30/2011 - jmh st louis wrote: 92 Points
great as always
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7/24/2011 - grossie wrote:
Seemed nice. I didn't spend enough time with it to get a full impression but I do recall it being easy to drink with bright red fruit and not too much tannin.
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7/15/2011 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Good down the middle CdP. Nose was stingy at first but opens up to show earth, garrigue, strawberry with a hint of tar. Palate is medium bodied, smooth with fresh fruit and balance. Medium finish. Not overpowering. True to form CdP in flavor and texture.
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7/15/2011 - WineDoctors wrote: 91 Points
with duck confit on mooshoo pancakes, cherry balsami hoisin reduction. Beautiful meaty, smoky with excellent finish. At its peak
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7/10/2011 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 89 Points
Mixed dark fruit with some moderate earthiness on the nose. Black cherry and ripe plum on the front end. Medium tannins with cherry liquor, mild anise notes and earthy component
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7/10/2011 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 89 Points
Mixed dark fruit with some moderate earthiness on the nose. Black cherry and ripe plum on the front end. Medium tannins with cherry liquor, mild anise notes and earthy components on the palate.
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7/3/2011 - jmh st louis wrote: 92 Points
better with every pour in the glass, anise, cherry, wet leather with a gentle pepper on the long finish.
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6/12/2011 - alba_br wrote: 92 Points
Mesmas impressões anteriores.
Maravilhoso
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5/19/2011 - TonyH wrote: 90 Points
very tasting with a long finish
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4/17/2011 - Fred M wrote: 90 Points
We Let it breathe for two hours, some tannins and a quite long aftertaste. Served with grilled marinated chicken and vegetables worked nicely.
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4/15/2011 - Magnolian wrote: 87 Points
Transparent ruby, pruney/vegetal nose. More savory flavors than fruit, with leather, blood, beef, mushroom, and cooked tomato flavors. Interesting but not delicious. This was my third bottle; I liked it better 4 years ago when it had more fruit.
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4/11/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
barnyard notes (mostly blow off early) and earth on the nose; potent straightforward sweet cherry and strawberry made brighter by the acidity; leather tobacco and sl bitter herb/game/tannin on the finish; medium bodied/not overdone; i am not a CDP drinker but will now try more of these.
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3/26/2011 - fCOT wrote: 84 Points
same comments as Mallards.No good evolution of tis bottle.Disappointing.
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3/24/2011 - mouton45 wrote: 91 Points
A small and good surprise. Decanted through a Vinturi. Delicious with Cathy's pot roast
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3/24/2011 - Mallards wrote: 79 Points
I'll be the contrarian and say that this was pretty much DOA. Had a bad pruny flavor of being too old - without the offsetting "pop" of other fruits. Doubt I will do anything but dump the rest of mine.
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2/25/2011 - yayin wrote: 91 Points
Very good. Slight barnyard. Plenty of dark fruit still in this wine. Drinking very well right now.
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2/20/2011 - BoireBio wrote: 91 Points
17,5/20 COUP DE COEUR
VISUEL : Grenat, noites orangées, pas très foncé.
OLFACTIF : Terre, sous-bois et quelques notes de truffes. Agréable nez !
GUSTATIF : En bouche ce Châteauneuf-du-Pape est d'une texture soyeuse avec une belle complexité. Les nuances de truffes persistent en bouche avec aussi du sous-bois et un côté animal. Les tanins sont bien assagis par le temps et l'ensemble est savoureux avec une belle suavité. Mais quelle bouche : c'est fin et long, long. Rare, exquis. Dégusté après avoir carafé une bonne heure et bu avec de l'agneau façon gardiane de la Camargue. 52$ pour cette bouteille qui a maintenant 10 ans. On pourrait attendre un peu mais pourquoi remettre à demain ce que l'on peut boire aujourd'hui. Allez-y débouchez vos bouteilles !
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2/13/2011 - HollyAndMark wrote: 90 Points
Balanced and complex ... more complex than balanced. Very earthy. Excellent CDP ... especially for the price.
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2/5/2011 - ey1294 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted one hour. Classic CDP on the nose, leather is primary. delicious and well balanced. rich cola color. Classic Guigal and ready now.
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2/5/2011 - Darkhorn wrote: 90 Points
Had this one at dinner with good friends. What a treat. Very traditional CDP. Well balanced between fruit, tannins, and old world flavors. The spice and leather is pronounced with earthy barnyard aromas. The finish was long and the mid palate medium. Great wine!!
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2/4/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Châteauneuf aroma with leather, plum, ground pepper, Provencal herbs and wild mushroom. Smooth, round, full-bodied and lightly tannic, traditional wine, long pleasant finish. Currently at it's peak. To be consumed until 2014.
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1/12/2011 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Potentially getting over the hill. I recommend drinking now. Losing some of it's concentration and structure, but still very nice.
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1/10/2011 - wpd wrote: 90 Points
Same as last notes, aging just fine.
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1/3/2011 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Muted musty basement aroma. After some time developed earthy black fruit and gamey flavors. Rich, medium body with nice balance and lingering finish.
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12/25/2010 - StewartWent wrote: 89 Points
The seemingly established view that this wine is in the 'drink now' space would be largely correct. Tight early with dried salty fruits (and acid) giving the wine a quite intense tingly structure. Not unlike funky pinot in this respect. Not a lot of meaty gravelly grenache fruits and in this respect looks quite mature. Gradually filled out with prune fruits over time.
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11/28/2010 - shk5157 wrote: 91 Points
strawberry flavor, similar to an '01 Donjon
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11/27/2010 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Great spice notes on the nose, with savory brown sauce, hint of barnyard, and sweet macerated cherries; medium light body, but well proportioned with fine tannins, and a touch of sweet old fruit in the mouth. Good finish, excellent lighter Chateauneuf with good age. Could go another 3 years max.
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11/27/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Ready to drink. Quite leathery - really nice, interesting and approachable wine.
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11/24/2010 - vino vidi vici wrote: 90 Points
Full and aromatic nose of roasted meat, stewed prunes, sweet raisins and earth. Similar flavors that thin out a bit on the finish. Still, a very good wine - drink soon.
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11/20/2010 - Arcturus wrote: 91 Points
Aging gracefully. Hint of leather on the nose-fruit and tannin well integrated. 91
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11/18/2010 - alba_br wrote: 92 Points
Maravilhoso. Bem equilibrado com taninos bem definidos, aromas de frutas vermelhas com um toque de madeira e um final marcante na boca.
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11/16/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
This was thin and weak when opened. After around 30 minutes, it had put on some weight. A nice nose of spice and cherries. Some complexity. This was never a great wine, but this is solid although, this bottle should have been opened a year or so ago.
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11/5/2010 - KSWinegeek wrote: 90 Points
Dried fruit and earthiness on palate. Smooth and approachable. Delightful sour cherry finish. Thanks Tom and Wendy for sharing.
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11/5/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Decanted 2 hours. Very pretty at first, with aromatics of fresh flowers, garrigue, softly scented cherry, strawberry and some gamey undertones circling the fruit. On the palate, it's lightweight, yet full of expression albeit in a femininely styled sense. A solid effort for the vintage, it paired nicely with roasted squab and garlicky yukons. Still, I don't see the structure (depth of fruit mostly) for extended cellaring. Clean and rewarding, this should definitely be decanted and consumed over the next 3-5 years for best enjoyment.
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10/23/2010 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Casual Night at Home (Pine Close): This was a pretty decent CdP. Rather tight at first, so that it came across almost as a coiled up young Burg. Tons of umami smells, mushroom, soy sauce, dried oysters, savoury meat, chicken essence, along with mature smelling red fruit and woody, piney accents. With a splashy decanting and some time, the CdP came out quite clearly, with prunes, flowers and bloody meaty accents appearing, along with pepper, lavender and garrigue. Palate had lots of acidity, it just hits you on the attack, then red fruit, strawberries, red cherries et al. It started out quite tight, with a nice amount of concentration, but lacking a bit of the lushness on the midpalate. Some black tea at the finish mingled with more fruit hints, blackcurrants this time, and a touch of tannins. With time, lots more spice notes started coming out. Another 45 minutes in the decanter brought out thick prune scents, and the palate filled out quite a bit too. One gets a feeling this needs quite a bit more time yet though, and preferably some meaty food!
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9/23/2010 - Wamrod Likes this wine: 89 Points
Neck showed some dried leakage under foil, and cork showed slight moistness down one side.
Medium to dark garnet core, softening to a more slightly brickish color at edges. Showing it's age. Medium to strong legs.
Nose of plums, dried figs, black cherry, citrus, earth, leaves and chocolate. Slight cork funk that blew off in 15 minutes, no doubt related to the observed leakage.
On palate, Brambly black fruit and cherry, plums, nice restrained citrusy acid, firm but moderate grip. Hint of chocolate and cigar box. Alcohol was mostly integrated, but in the end could feel it in the stomach once down the hatch.
Nice finish - medium, mostly smooth, with touch of leather on the end. However, slight oxidised flavour and leftover alcohol.
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9/19/2010 - EyeDoc wrote: 89 Points
Drinking very well. Probably will not improve a whole lot.
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9/5/2010 - mpemulis wrote: 86 Points
Very good. Needed to be decanted to open. Enjoyed it quite a lot.
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9/2/2010 - Eric wrote:
STG does Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1998-2001 (Seattle, WA, USA): An easy, forward, oxidative style. Crazily plush, ripe and fun. Easy and smooth. Not a ton of depth and spice but round and ready. Solid wine.
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8/19/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 85 Points
There was no nose on this wine. I tried and tried but all I get is saline and some alcohol. Weird. Palate is pleasant, balanced but the finish is clipped. Fruit is deep but muted dominated by dark cherry with a hint of earthiness. Overall enjoyed it but not memorable.
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7/24/2010 - the godfather wrote:
pretty darn tasty
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7/16/2010 - ken-yyz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully. Stereotypical CNdP and showing some degree of maturity. Pure fruit, great balance. My remaining bottles will be opened in the next 1-3 years.
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6/24/2010 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for about 30 min. Color was surprisingly light. Overall, this was a very pleasant wine, but was not quite as exciting and big as I hoped it would be. Enjoyable but not outstanding.
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5/19/2010 - jorgerunfast wrote:
Bustawinos V6 (Jorge Jr's apartment): Very complex nose of cured meats, beef jerky, fresh grass, "fully loaded baked potato" with everything from the butter to the sour cream and chives. Very very lush on the palate, some touches of tobacco. Fantastic bottle of wine that should evolve extremely well over the next several years. Danny's wine. One of my favorites of the night.
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5/5/2010 - guido23 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted and served immediately--really benefited from ~30 min in the decanter. Tart red fruit on the palate but a gorgeous cocoa-dusted raspberry jam finish!
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4/17/2010 - wpd wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, smooth easy drinking CDP, no flaws.
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4/11/2010 - bluedog wrote: 93 Points
Very nice bottle. Extremely well balanced, good fruit, smooth medium finish. Wish I had more in my cellar.
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4/4/2010 - kdsipe wrote: 90 Points
Drank with brother (children were present), no formal notes taken. Delicious and balanced. Plenty of light brambly grenache fruit and fine tannins. A hint of brown sugar. But it didn't do the Full Monty like the '03. Maybe it needed more time in the decanter.
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4/4/2010 - gwkozar wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits, some leather and earth. Palate is medium bodied. Simple and staiightforward. A very good wine, but not complex.
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3/21/2010 - gblacave wrote: 92 Points
This is in a great spot right now. Decanted for about 15 min, just before serving. Well-balanced and smooth this was showing a great bouquet with dark fruits, leather, a touch of licorice and a good amount of spice. On the palate, this is round, balanced and a good presence with dark fruits and underbrush. The tannins have largely dropped out and the smooth finish was of medium length, but left you wanting more! Outstanding bottle.
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3/9/2010 - wine4ever wrote: 93 Points
Truly outstanding. Kept improving over time. This is by far the best of 4 bottles we've had. Initially, some funk had to blow off, but the fruit, acidity, secondary characteristics were all there. So smooth and yummy! Have one more bottle we will hold for at least 2years. Great QPR. At peak.
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1/13/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Great intense nose with black fruits, some leather, food spices, perhaps some wood, and definitely some earth. Palate is medium bodied. Maybe a little unbalanced with tannins and flavors, but definitely at a good point for drinking now. It's perhaps a bit simple, and the palate shows a hint of red fruit and quite a bit of earth.
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1/10/2010 - wineward wrote: 89 Points
Tasting note after dinner (Garlic/almond/poppyseed/Punjabi masal lamb...yum). Thus, palate affected. Bottle open 1 hour. Seductive nose of leather and a hint of licorice. Palate has a lot of underlying charred oak that is a nice frame but perhaps a little too dominant at this point. On top of the wood, is some sour cherry and black currants that lead to a tobacco laced finish. Might have some unraveling left to do with the tannins offering a little "chunK" towards the end. Probably give it another 3 years or so as a curiosity...certainly nice now.
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1/2/2010 - JonnyB wrote: 86 Points
Agree with the "thin" comments below, it is definitely not much of an upgrade over the regular Guigal CDR, at least this vintage.
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12/23/2009 - profiler54 wrote: 92 Points
Nice dense, color reddish rust ..Nose of earthy mulch, boysenberries, cherries, leather and baking spices. very structured tannins with a fine balance ...
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12/14/2009 - Zinlady wrote: 89 Points
Had this for RWS directors meeting with 4 other CdP and served it last - it was a bit thin compared to the others. Some really liked it but it was not my favorite. Actually went well with the chocolate raspberry torte.
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12/12/2009 - btennan1 wrote: 88 Points
Not drink as well as the past, possible that the bottle is on the decline. More likely a red flag that my storage conditions are less than ideal.
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12/1/2009 - willjschmidt wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, light berries, cherries, leather. Very smooth, very drinkable. Nice reddish brown color.
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11/18/2009 - rdsboca wrote: 90 Points
complex fruit integrated with coffee and chocolate. Vibrant and delicate dark cherries.
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11/15/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
No detailed notes. Drank over two days. A bit tight, thin on day one. Decant was a benefit. On Day 2 - more open and rich on the palate. Incredibly, a glass sitting on the counter overnight smelled and tasted great the next day.
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11/14/2009 - ctbob wrote:
Soft and accessible -- almost to the point of being forgettable; as good as its ever going to get, by all means drink up
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10/29/2009 - bvwino wrote: 92 Points
Wish I had more. Opened and poured off a glass, but really didn't begin drinking for about 30 min. At first somewhat closed, but opened up as time passed (and temp warmed). Nose was nice, and nice in the mouth. Decent finish. Drying tannins at first, but became much better and niight progressed. Probably good for many years.
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10/29/2009 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Smoky nose, with traditional CdP characteristics. Very seductive! The body of the wine was liush with mature dark red fruit. Drinking well right now, could benefit from another decade slumbering.
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10/28/2009 - geoffucla wrote: 90 Points
A nice basic light CdP with average complexity. 90.
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10/28/2009 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Opened this alongside several CdP's including the 1998 Guigal. This was much better than the last bottle of this that I had a few years ago and was the best CdP of the night. Not decanted. This had the most tannic grip. Notes of berry with earthy red fruit. Very vibrant with a long finish. This seemed to fade a little as the night went on. 92 points.
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9/17/2009 - ctbob wrote:
Drinking quite well; not enough depth or complexity for me, but it's a completely drinkable and enjoyable wine; for $27, though, I expect more; got the feeling this wine has reached its peak
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9/16/2009 - geppetto wrote: 91 Points
Definitely barnyard on opening but mellowed after about an hour. Initially a little sharp tasting, but that too mellowed with about an hour in the glass. Nice cherry flavours and a decent finish. There was a fair amount of sediment, so decanting was needed. I liked this, but won't buy it again as others seem to be a much better for similar price.
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8/29/2009 - pmilne wrote: 93 Points
WOTN - beating out a 04 Beaurenard CdP. Second bottle in two weeks, and similar notes. Dark purple inky color. Wet hay barnyard smell settled in to wonderful herbal smell and taste after 1hr+ decant. Fatty meat smell more noticeable than previous bottle. Great lingering finish as currant/berry flavors mingle with tannins and pronounced thyme, lavender, and other herbs.
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8/24/2009 - afagjoi wrote: 90 Points
Buena presentación en botella, en copa de color rojo ciruela intenso aunque limpio y brillante. Buen cuerpo y densidad.Después de 45 minutos de reposo y dejarlo respira, en nariz se percibe poderoso a frutas maduras, especies y madera. En boca en definitiva es un vino de gran ataque, con buen cuerpo y larga permanencia, algo amargo y buenos taninos. Realmente es un buen vino para carnívoros (como yo) que gustan de carnes con bastante chile (Tampiqueña con huacamole, arrachera con salsa roja molcajeteada... solo como ejemplos).
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8/15/2009 - pmilne wrote: 91 Points
Not impressive at first - give it lots of time to open and you will be rewarded with a superb wine. I like earthy wines, but this one was way too much earth at first. I'll echo other tasters that it smelled like a barnyard (someone commented they must not have washed their feet after feeding the animals and before crushing the grapes!) We poured through a respirer which helped a little, but it still needed another 30-60 minutes. Then it was a rich boquet of herbs and flowers: lilac, lavender, mint, thyme, fennel, almost too many to name. Plums and cassis also were present along with some earthy mushrooms or truffles. The taste was even better. The herbs blended well with the fruit becoming more pronounced. A long, smooth rewarding finish. The longer it sat, the better it got.
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7/19/2009 - vinojones wrote: 91 Points
notes lost
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7/19/2009 - pilot360 wrote: 89 Points
Ruby in color, no bricking noted. Great nose of black cassias, raw meat, plums and bacon fat. Palate primarily of purple fruits and ripe bing cherry. A very good bottle of wine;
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7/16/2009 - mgl wrote: 89 Points
Put off a bit by the color - deep puple but with a hint of brown; thought it my be oxidized up but it wasn't. Started opening up. Medium bodied with some leather, finishing with a hint of cherry. Enjoyable and drinking well now. Would not age much longer.
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7/13/2009 - NiklasW wrote: 91 Points
Bought from the Intermarché grocery store today for €29. Popped and poured for dinner. A nice ruby red with an orange rim. The nose is nicely expressive with cherries, bloody meat and leather coming through. On the palate there are still ample tannins and nice tastes of aged wine, still lots of fruit and a nice long finish on it. This is at a perfect stage for my tastes, definitely has age on it. Could hold up for a few years more, but why wait? 50+5+12+16+8=91
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7/3/2009 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
Has scents of leather, plum, blood, and raspberry. Medium body. Moderate, slightly coarse tannins. Medium acidity. Dry finish with moderate complexity and good fruit and a little pepper. Pretty good balance but the tannins are a little drying. Overall, a very nice wine that is drinking well now.
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6/19/2009 - MrSnooty wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Henry's wine tasting last weekend. No notes...
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6/13/2009 - Jay Hack wrote: 90 Points
I bought a case about 5 years ago and it has developed well over that time. It's maintaining its color, with perhaps just a touch or bricking around the edges depending on the light. Dark red cherry flavor on the palate with some earthiness without any hint of brett. Finish seems to have gotten a lot longer. There are tertiary flavors reminiscent of sherry but I really do not think it is oxidized, just the normal development of age. The mouth feel is very smooth. Decanted and poured and then drunk over 2 hours. Nice fruit development as it opens up.
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5/28/2009 - Niagara wrote: 87 Points
Somewhat murky both in terms of clarity and in flavor delineation, but generally a decent, easy drinking CdP that perhaps won't change your life, but won't ruin your dinner either. Drink up; this doesn't seem like it has too many more years in it.
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5/23/2009 - Haggis wrote: 90 Points
Drank over the course of 2 days. Impressive aromas of cherry, earth, and plum. Fruit flavors continue over to the palate, with a crisp acidity pulling it all together. I think this is at peak, and should hold for another year or two.
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5/21/2009 - jwihardja wrote: 90 Points
This wine is now mature and very tasty, but does not seem like it will last too long. Drink Soon!
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5/11/2009 - Todd French wrote: 90 Points
A lighter weight CdP, no question. I'm getting some good meatiness, red fruits (especially plum), and a good dose of bacon on both the nose and the palate. It is light in texture, however, but does gain a bit of oomph in the finish. I'm enjoying it, and for what I paid I have no issues with it, although I was definitely expecting something a bit grander in scale. They will be consumed in the short term and should work well with many foods.
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5/8/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Don't kill the messenger...I think this wine is already on the downslope. Very light effort in general that doesn't give up much on the nose other than a little smoke and earth. Better on the palate where there's some plum, earth and red fruits. The best part of the wine is the finish, which has good length, but the flavors and aromas are so simple and one dimensional that it reminds me more of a decent Cotes Du Rhone than a CdP. The redeeming value of this wine is that it's got nice freshness and works well with food. All in all, definitely a disappointment, and this needs to be consumed asap if you hold any.
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5/3/2009 - ctbob wrote:
As good as it's going to get, IMO; soft, accessible, friendly CdP, noticeably plummy; not what I seek in a CdP -- not nearly earthy enough on the midpalate -- so while it's completely pleasant, it's also unremarkable and seems far too new world; if this is what the house thinks is Chateauneuf, then it would scare me away from buying any of the Guigal top end wines
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4/13/2009 - naimthattune wrote: 94 Points
Extremely well-balanced, no flabbiness. Lovely.
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4/12/2009 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Same as other bottle opened this day.
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4/12/2009 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Opened two bottles for Easter dinner to accompany roast leg of lamb. Drinking very well now. Deep color, nice brambly fruit, long finish. Very good to excellent.
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4/5/2009 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
This was quite good, I was surprised. It has really come together. Very earthy barnyard with cherry. Drinking very well right from open and another 3 hours (when there none left). Seems quite well balanced. It benefited form sixty minutes of aiir. Very well balanced. If I were to find a complain, it would be that it came off slightly flabby. It might improve somewhat but I think we're close to the top.
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4/4/2009 - SS Chris wrote: 91 Points
and excellent and true CdP....cherry and barnyard on the nose. On the palate, this is just silky smooth and nicely balanced. Nicely integrated red fruit (cherry & pomagranite) w/ some nice spice and earthones. very well made!!
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3/5/2009 - ToddR911 wrote: 92 Points
Quite good. Sweet taste. Medium-light purple color. Drinking well now.
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3/3/2009 - wine4ever wrote: 91 Points
Just as good as last time. The cork was in the bottle good and tight. Decanted. Very little sediment. Medium dark ruby in color. Nose was earthy and cherry. No leather smell this time. Medium bodied. Surprisingly this one looks and tastes still young. Lots of fresh cherry and mineral with some spice and earth components. Smooth. It may be in it's prime drinking window, but I still think it has several years to go before it starts heading south. Will try another in about a year.
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2/23/2009 - bmarshall wrote: 91 Points
Similar to previous notes. Medium ruby red color. Red and black cherry, earth, minerals and earth - a little iodine like? Medium to full bodied palate has well resolved tannins and plenty of fruit with a nice finish. Probably not going to improve further...
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2/22/2009 - NealN wrote: 93 Points
I love this wine and it still amazes me how much that it changes with time. I decanted the bottle about an 1.5 hours before tasting. The initial nose was cranberry and earth tones. The wine was acidic with a light red currant body. At the 2 hour point, plum and carmel notes were present and after 3.5 hours the nose showed raspberry and red currant, and the wine became silky smooth with light plum tones and honey. This wine has plenty of life remaining.
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2/22/2009 - roasted hill wrote:
Red-brown. Cherry nose and earth. Red fruit through midpalate, and nearly resolved tannins at the finish. Drinking well. It's time to finish them, I suspect.
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2/22/2009 - rlysecky wrote: 89 Points
I enjoyed this wine much better when it was young. I am not sure if this was bottle variation or just how this wine has evolved, but the nose and flavors are considerably muted compared to my earlier impressions. Cherries and red fruit are still dominant in this wine, but the herbal, earthy, and spice notes seem to have faded.
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2/9/2009 - Ombibulous wrote: 85 Points
From the half bottle. Browned from age. The nose is typical, and so is the flavour. The tannins are mellowed from age. Would be good with red meat or coq au vin. Pretty good, but not great (84.5).
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1/11/2009 - thebonnydooner wrote: 85 Points
Not a very good showing. Even after leaving overnight, this was surprisingly retiscent on the nose. Also, very dry on the palate behind the cherry, berry and raspberry fruit. Tannins are pretty mild. This seems to be past peak, either that or a bad bottle. Another Costco CndP that did not work out that well.
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1/6/2009 - pepeelvis wrote:
wonderful, earthy traditional CDP. Drinking very well
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12/30/2008 - dberan wrote: 90 Points
Good fruit, tannins softened after being in the open for a while. Maybe this needs some decanting?
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11/28/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 86 Points
Slight bricking already with heavy sediment. Got from father so could be falty storage. Leather and earth on the nose with more of that in the mouth. Guests were not enthused with this one although I found it interesting. Highly tannic finish. Wasn't bad but wasn't great.
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11/20/2008 - zheem wrote:
Not as good as I'd remembered, but no notes to support this.
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11/10/2008 - pepeelvis wrote:
Funky old school CDP. earth, mushromms, with dark fruit. Ready to drink, probably peaking.
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11/8/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the last four or five bottles as the early metalic flavours had returned, albeit at a deeper resonance. Perhaps it was the food pairing - which was steak instead of pork...
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11/6/2008 - gven wrote:
Not my cup of tea. To much alcohol and spices. Lacking fruit.
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11/5/2008 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
Garnet red and clear. The nose offers up some nice grenache fruit with leather and herbs. Medium weight with moderate grainy tannins. Good acidity. Slightly drying finish, fruit seems to be fading from the palate but it's decently complex. If I had to guess, I'd say this is drinking at peak now. Drink whenever the desire strikes you.
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11/2/2008 - scottmlew wrote: flawed
Very disappointing-I think there was a problem with this bottle. (husband didn't think so) Musty barnyard smell- I didn't pick up any of the grenache flavor I had hoped for-or any fruit for that matter-very sad about this one.
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10/13/2008 - djreme wrote: 91 Points
Ready to drink now. Very good.
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10/4/2008 - Jay Hack wrote: 90 Points
This wine has developed very nicely and now exhibits not only the red fruit and cherry of its youth, but also the characteristic garrigue/earthiness of a mature chateauneuf. There is also a bit of leather on the palate. It has gained complexity with only a slight loss of bright fruit. Color is moderate and not extremely dark, but no brown around the edges. Finish is moderate to long and the wine has balance. Excellent pairing with grilled rack of lamb.
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9/27/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
I'm down to my last few of these, and I think the timing for drinking is about perfect. It has mellowed, and it's showing with a great depth and sophistication that a great CDP ought to have now. Enjoy!
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9/20/2008 - davidryan wrote: 92 Points
excellent, decanted for hour
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9/19/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 90 Points
Same note. A very intersting fun wine, a bit complicated, but not the wow factor. Decent value. Will hold, but is drinking fine.
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9/17/2008 - tairanosaurus wrote: 89 Points
Leather, game and cranberry sauce on the nose. In the mouth, medium bodied with cherries in chocolate. Roast beef and candied spice. Sweet tanins linger on the finish. (reflects 90 min out of bottle)
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9/8/2008 - rfras wrote: 92 Points
This was exceptional from the start. Gave it about an hour to open up and then paired with roasted lamb. What a great combination. There were cherry and raspberry flavors, but more importantly the wine was so well balanced and smooth. After another hour there was a bit of spicy flavor that came out but it just added to the experience.
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8/26/2008 - BonzelCassie wrote: 90 Points
Yum. Dark berries, leather and earth.
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8/25/2008 - ToddR911 wrote: 93 Points
Janet says Yippee! Sweet flavors with influences of tobacco and mushrooms. Drinking well now so I'm glad we have one bottle left to enjoy.
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8/23/2008 - Dr_Bob wrote: 91 Points
very nice bottle
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8/17/2008 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Although more of this is readily available given the production volume, I'm feeling fine about this being our last bottle because: A) It's drinking well now B) It hasn't moved much over the last couple years and so doesn't seem like it will improve, and C) There are newer/better Rhone blends to be had for fewer greenbacks, so invariably that is what draws my wallet. Decant and pour. Color garnet with ruby at the rim. Initial nose of raspberry, barnyard, smoked meat, touch of bacon, earth, minerals. After a little while the barnyard dissipated and was replaced with spicebox, which was nice. Mildly tart red raspberry and strawberry on the attack. The midpalate for this bottle was slightly thin or watery, and loaded with iron and minerals, and darker raspberry and significant black pepper to the fore in the finish. Acidity was intact and medium, and drying tannins starting from midpalate through finish were fairly smooth and tolerable. Overall, a fairly well balanced CDP with a moderate level of complexity bring this in for a landing at excellent, just shy of outstanding. Typical tag is around 28, an approachable price relative to many CDP's nowadays, but the value is just good.
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8/10/2008 - ey1294 wrote: 89 Points
Nice, well balanced fruit. This wine is in it's prime and ready to drink now. The finish is long and solid. Some tannins still prevelant on the finish as well. All in all, a well balanced wine that needs to be served with food. Classic CDP.
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7/30/2008 - rmodak wrote: 89 Points
This is a well made CdP with lots of garrigue, raspberry, forest floor and a silky midpalate with firm tannins. Well made and enjoyable, but not showing extra layers of complexity. Drink over the next 5 years.
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7/27/2008 - gellie wrote: 90 Points
drifting a it
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7/23/2008 - thirtyoneknots wrote:
Well integrated cherry, herb, earth, and mineral with drying tannins that cry out for food. Very balanced, more enjoyable than the last tasting.
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7/20/2008 - callmeacab22 wrote: 87 Points
Not up to my (somewhat high) expectations. Rather thin with modest flavors that gave up too quickly. Basically no excitement.
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7/18/2008 - cmbond wrote: 90 Points
Had this with Camille and Deanna in BC. Paired with prime rib roast, peppercorn gravy, yorshire puddings and baby potatoes. Light ruby color. Great nose of spice box, game, raspberry and red fruits. On the palate, good attack with red fruits and spice, followed by a mid palate of earth and bloody meat flavors. Nice acidity and well integrated tannin. Paired very well with the Alberta prime rib, and moderately well with the sides. Because of the already well integrated tannin, I think this is drinking very well right now and should be consumed in the next 2-3 years.
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7/9/2008 - roasted hill wrote:
Red to brick with intermediate legs. Nose of red fruit, earth, and garrigue. Cherry, earth, herbs and long drying tannins. Drinking well--I'd buy it again.
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7/5/2008 - lk wrote: 90 Points
After an hour open, nose blossomed into a typical CNP. Aromas of cherry, raspberry; sweet tannins and long finish. Very good CNP.
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7/4/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 90 Points
20th Anniversary - Huntington Beach, California; 6/30/2008-7/10/2008 (Huntington Beach - Paradise House aka Joe's Pad): Nice light floral nose. Good light body weight, easy in the mouthfeel, coating a nice liquid around the palate. Not fruity, not too French. A bit sweet on the finish? Drinking fine now, with some life left.
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7/4/2008 - E wrote: 82 Points
this just isn't our cup of tea...seems overly vegetal...not one to buy again.
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6/28/2008 - greenblanket wrote:
Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting - Seattle: Red with a bit of bricking in the glass. This wine had lovely bouquet and palate with dried fruit and flowers, and appealing earthy aspects. The finish was long and fine. This is drinking beautifully right now IGB’sHO. There is a wide range of opinion on this wine but our group found it to be excellent at worst.
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6/15/2008 - Julex wrote: 86 Points
Getting old and a little tired
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6/13/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Clear ruby color. Nose of bacon, olive, raspberry, black cherry, and barnyard. On the palate, plum, olive, blackberry, leather, meat. Finishes nicely with soft tannins. Textbook CDP. Excellent, just short of oustanding. Acceptable value at $29.
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6/7/2008 - Vinsant wrote:
The wife's quote of "CDP's are never boring" fits the bill here. Great floral nose along with cherry, caramel, cooke raspberries, plum, smoked meats, olive, and tar. Nice palate of dried meats, plum, green olives, blackberry, cinnamon, tar, tobacco, barnyard funk, raspberries, and vanilla. Nice all the way thru the medium finish. The bbq'd pork lin brought out the fruits, camembert brought out the earth, and the blackberries... well.. brought out the blackberries. Nice overall CDP. Everything you want out of a CDP, but nothing that screams extra-ordinary compared to the last CDP tasted; Reserve Rayas.
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5/28/2008 - Arch57 wrote: 92 Points
Out of the 5 bottles we have had of this wine, this was by far the best. Right out of the bottle it was singing. The color was a brick reddish hue. On the nose you could smell the fresh rasberries. It was spicy on the palate with loads of red fruit and a complexity that made you contemplate each sip. Wonderful long finish and I wish I had a few more stashed away.
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5/17/2008 - cvvhrn wrote: 90 Points
Hints of dried berries, leather, and anise on the nose with dark fruit on the palate, nice finish
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5/8/2008 - ProfessorHTF wrote: 82 Points
Not especially impressed with this wine, considering CDPs are difficult to make bad. Not that this was bad, but I would echo a previous poster who describes it as thin and hollow. CDPs for me typically explode with intense, wild blends of fruit, spices and leather. To be honest, this one was so hyper-restrained it seemed terrified to come out of the bottle. Maybe Guigal is getting too big for its britches, but I have usually been very pleasantly happy with their wines. Definite Grenache dominance in the blend on this one, and not at all fruit forward.
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5/8/2008 - gellie wrote: 90 Points
Starting to fade
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5/7/2008 - thirtyoneknots wrote:
End of School Dinner (Dev's House, Bryan, TX): Had this late in the evening after several other wines so my palate was a bit numb but I did enjoy this and noticed an herbal character emerge in the second glass, but no detailed notes. I probably wouldn't decant this next time unless a larger group were drinking it.
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4/27/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
This wine continues to improve. This was a 375 and it was heavy with chocolate and fine grained tannins. Exceptional.
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4/27/2008 - scofer wrote: 86 Points
One of nine wines tasted blind at Lucio's dinner 4/26/08: Barnyard funk on the nose, but not a lot else going on with the wine. Just okay. General impressions at the table were "thin" and "hollow". Did not rate in anyone's top 3.
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4/14/2008 - Wop wrote: 91 Points
Typical - the last bottle I had was the best, and made me realize I'd drunk the rest too early. Nice complexity, good finish.
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4/7/2008 - moudy wrote: 88 Points
If you are reading this - you must own the bottles and looking to see if it is ready to drink? Well - it is ready. Not sure how much it will evolve, but the tannins have settled and it is a nice smooth wine. I had issue with it because of the strong "barnyard" taste. One could relate the taste to a strong cheese, but I could not get past the aroma of a wet cattle farm.
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4/5/2008 - Tarrant wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, a few years of bottle age has increased the complexity and structure of this fabulous CdP - It was dark red/purple, medium/full bodied with notes of earth, sweet cherry, plum, pepper, spice and vanilla on the nose, very well structured, smooth on the palate with gorgeous length (92 Points).
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3/31/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
Dark in color with good clarity. Light in style for a CDP with nice elegance. A good range of flavors with a long, long finish. Yummy stuff.
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3/21/2008 - Frommen wrote: 90 Points
Great chateauneuf. A bit alcoholic upfront but improves with air. Spices, meat and barnyard flavors intermingle together with good fruit and acidity. was almost better day two, so if i had any more i would save them a couple of years.
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3/13/2008 - marksharky wrote: 91 Points
Nice brick rusty color in the glass, barnyard funk and dusty aromas with hints of fruit, tobacco and molasses. Smoothe easy drinking with garrigue, dark cherry undertones and a very balanced acidity. Long finish.
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3/10/2008 - Triryan wrote: 91 Points
Caramel and berries on the nose. Light tanins. Great with the Salmon we had for dinner.
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3/9/2008 - Sijan wrote: 85 Points
Drank while decanting over the course of a lazy Sunday. I was underwhelmed. Nice, rich nose after about 2 hours of decanting but the palate never really came into its own and remained fairly one dimensional. Leather notes with spice. Finish was nice and lasting, with a little spice. Definitely better with food than by itself. A bit thinner than expected.
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3/9/2008 - sakemakibug wrote: 92 Points
delicious out of a paper cup in San Fran!
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3/1/2008 - The Dabbler wrote: 89 Points
Out of 375ml. Popped & poured, started out very light but put on weight and spice after a short time in the glass. Could probably benefit from decanting. Very nice!
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2/29/2008 - dtirsell wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 5 hours, burnt orange color reminiscent of an older CAB. Earthy/Loom nose with tannin and raspberry. Tangy on the pallet, could really taste the vineyard with enjoyable fruit and acidity.
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2/28/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed a 375 this evening before bed. A fair amount of sediment in the bottle as usual. But tonight the flavours were not quite as pronounced as other recent tries - perhaps it was my late evening palate. Still, all in all a beautiful wine.
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2/15/2008 - grafstrb wrote: 91 Points
Tasted non-blind alongside an '01 Boislauzon (regular cuvee). I thought the Boislauzon was a tad better.
NOSE: funky; mature raspberry; mint; underbrush; tar, caramel
BODY: medium bodied; garnet colored w/burnt sienna throughout; nice depth; clear
TASTE: similar to the Boislauzon; funky; maybe a bit closed?; spice, clove and tobacco notes too. I think this will continue to put on weight for a couple more years.
B: 50, 5, 13, 15, 8 = 91 points.
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2/15/2008 - vpoms wrote: 90 Points
This is a very nice, easy drinking wine. It has dark fruit nose with very light tannins. Probably more appropiate with lighter dishes like fish or lighter meats. It will not stand up to a steak.
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2/9/2008 - roasted hill wrote:
Ruby-brown. Moderate legs. Red fruit nose with leather and garrigue. Red fruit in the early and midpalate. Smooth medium-long and consistent finish.
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2/4/2008 - jbshows wrote: 91 Points
I thought the first bottle was better than the second. I thought the first was fab and something like a 95. Still VERY tasty.
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1/31/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
This wine seems to get better and better. Drank a 375 tonight that was full of earth, rasberries, and fine grained tannins. On the verge of earning a higher score.
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1/28/2008 - Cheers_mate! wrote: 85 Points
An okay wine, but nothing great. For $32 a few years ago, and supposedly rated 92 points, I'd say it was a disappointment. It didn't taste like $32 - more like $12.
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1/19/2008 - tomreep wrote: 92 Points
Took this wine to a Pops Concert so did not ability to decant. Nice and earthy, loads of berry and fig. The second half of the bottle was wonderful as it evolved. Did a side by side with an 01 Charvin CnP and the Guigal was softer and smoother. (The Charvin I believe will evolve very well over the next 3-5 years.) But the Guigal is wonderful now and ready to enjoy. This is a perfect match with a leg of lamb. It worked well with Ribs, Brisket and Sausage.
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1/15/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed a 375 this evening whilst listening to Conor Oberst. Not sure if the music amplified the wine's flavours, but tonight it seemed to have evolved a bit further along the path to Outstanding. I don't know if this will improve further, but it is a beautiful wine now.
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1/5/2008 - bbrungardt wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous tasting note...
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1/2/2008 - wwooding wrote: 90 Points
Not too fruit forward. Very easy wine to drink and enjoy.
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1/1/2008 - silton wrote: 90 Points
Smelled like an older wine, with plenty of leather and mushroom alongside the supple red fruit and garrigue. Maybe even a tad bretty. Tannins negligible. If I had more, I'd drink soon.
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12/27/2007 - cwaltonhouse wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Some good CdP aromas on the nose, solid dark fruit and minerals on the palate. Very good, but not overly impressive.
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12/25/2007 - JAKurek wrote: 92 Points
Very please with this choice for Christmas dinner. Blackberry, Fig, Currant and some spice...a finish that lingers for longer than i first expected. Definitely ready to drink now.
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12/25/2007 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Decant 30 minutes. Color red and clear. Nose is strawberry, rasberry, a little pepper, and mild mineral. Bouquet largely translated to taste, with good grip and fairly good balance. Overall this bottle was lighter than expected, rather straightforward CdP and not as complex as previous bottles of the same. I let some sit in a glass for 3 hours and it did not get more interesting. The fruit became oxidized and the tannins more pronounced. Couple bottles remain, will drink within the next two years.
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12/24/2007 - Jay Hack wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Bright cherry fruit. Lacking in characteristic CNdP earthiness but still an excellent wine. I had a lot of southern Rhones from Gigondas and Vacqueyras on Saturday and I though this lacked a bit of the earthy complexity of the others, which some might find a plus. Color was a bit on the light side. I had to go out for a while and came back to another glass 3-1/2 hours after decanting. The cherry fruit was still there and . . . was that a bit of chocolate and raspberry? Some spice. No pepper. Very clean. Easy to drink. An excellent wine that just didn't quite get the outstanding category. Six hours aftre decanting, the fruit is fading a bit and the spiciness is coming out, along with the beginings of oxidation on the surface that goes away fast..
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12/24/2007 - cbraun wrote: 92 Points
For dinner with Grilled pork loin. Fantastic. Opened and poured. Decided not to decant, not needed in my opinion.
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12/22/2007 - brewery44 wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured Christmas dinner. Funky, earthy nose. Anne detected olives and mushrooms on the nose. Color was dark ruby red. A little bretty on the nose and palate which faded with time. Complex flavors of earth, crushed rocks, dark berries. Medium to full-bodied. Very nice finish. Guests preferred this to the 2000 Bellefont-Belcier, mainly due to the complexity compared to the fruit-driven St. Emilion, though I preferred the Bellefont-Belcier.
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11/24/2007 - jnastynebr wrote: 92 Points
Agree with Parker and WS on this one. Poured at a tasting with Mr. and Mrs. mlawrence and the future Mrs. jnastynebr and others at the Parthenon Greek restaurant in Lincoln. Light ruby red with some softening on the edges. Thick legs. At first, some serious funk that blew off to reveal some baked cinnamon pastries, and sweet raspberry on the nose. Pronounced earthy component complimented by red fruit and allspice. Elegant, mouth coating texture, finishing with red berries and smooth tannins. Beautiful wine. Drink now.
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11/23/2007 - cct wrote: 89 Points
Round and middle weight. Kirsch and pepper with good spice. Well done if a bit uncomplicated. 89 pts.
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11/23/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
Matched with slightly spiced Cajun turkey - and it seemed the turkey masked some of the finer attributes of the wine I've noticed when drinking it alone. Still, it was a popular choice at the table.
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11/20/2007 - Vinho wrote: 92 Points
NM. Aromas intensos, com notas de couro, carne crua, aceto balsâmico, pimenta do reino e especiarias. Taninos marcantes, funghi, pimenta, boa acidez e final longo. 91-92pts. O/E.
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11/13/2007 - Magnolian wrote: 92 Points
Drank out of a Reidel pinot noir glass. Whatever.
Started out pretty and floral, nuances of rose and strawberry. Over the next two hours, took on significant meaty depth (think extra-rare t-bone) and added mineral notes to the finish. Better than 9 months ago, and I think this has further room to improve. Delicious.
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11/9/2007 - Arcturus wrote: 92 Points
Consistently surprises on the upside. Aromatic notes of leather, fig, spice and cherry. This wine strikes an optimal balance of aromatics/tannin/texture/fruit/weight and finish- seamless. 92
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11/8/2007 - rothdog wrote: 92 Points
Tasting notes consistent with my notes of 15 mos. ago, but tasted from a 750ml this time. This wine keeps getting better and better. Pepper, plums, strawberry & cherry on the nose. Medium body. Very clean, and more of an old world style CdP in that it is not warm and fruit driven. Flavors spread across the palate and create a sense of weight. Focused, yet complex. Fantastic structure & nice finish. Now just beginning to exhibit hints of additional characteristics such as leather and tobacco that come with maturity. Although this wine is drinking beautifully, I will likely hold on to my last bottle for several more years to see if it ages as gracefully as I predict it will.
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11/3/2007 - dharri1 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for about 1 hour before.
Not much of a nose.
Minimally spicy. Hardly at all. Had smoothed out since last try. Not sure if it is decanting or little time
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10/31/2007 - Gfritzh wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking. A very pleasant wine that paired well with a spicy chicken dish. A bit hot on the nose but not on the palate. Well balanced fruit and acidity. The wine continued to improve over the course of dinner.
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9/29/2007 - barthes wrote: 88 Points
Not great, but enjoyable for the price after a little decanting. Some dark cherries, tobacco, leather.
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9/16/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
Opened after a huge American Cab, and this CdP representated itself as a softer, more refined pleasure.
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9/16/2007 - ejca wrote:
Needed about 1.5 hours to open, once it did, good fruit that lingered. Love everything about this wine.
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9/16/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Light garnet red color. Aromatically, it doesn't offer up much, but the most obvious smells are dried herbs, pine sap, and a hint of kirsch liqueur. On the palate, the wine has a fair presence with a very good finish. Keeps leaning toward the pine sap and has a salty quality. Very good wine, certainly for the $27 at release, but not outstanding IMO. Maybe time will change this, but I just don't see the stuffing and complexity to call this outstanding.
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9/8/2007 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Nice clear medium red color, good nose of strawberry, cherry and raspberry. Earthy elements on the finish, which still shows a bit of acid out of balance with the fruit. Good QPR and I will hold the other three for a year plus.
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9/7/2007 - Northern wrote: 91 Points
Showing some maturity. Brown red colour. Big nose of leather, raw meat, funk, cherries, plums, pepper and garrigue. Medium-bodied with nice balancing acidity, good length. Much better than expected -drinking beautifully now!
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9/2/2007 - moudy wrote: 85 Points
Mildly spicy leather - not what would one think of for a WS top 50.....
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9/1/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Hint of pepper, plump and round, with a big fleshy cherry kirsch core.
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8/29/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 86 Points
Chateauneuf-du-Pape dinner (Canyon Lodge American Grill - Laguna Beach, CA): This wine has never really lived up to its promise for me. Nose of roasted meats, black pepper, and touch of menthol. Balsam wood and herb garden flavors in the mouth.
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8/27/2007 - purcellj wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. The color was a brown-ish burgundy. After 30 minutes from opening, the nose was red and dark fruit. Once in the glass, the nose still had fruit but also mixed in leather. The palate was plum, cherries and leather. After an hour in the glass, the fruit was still vibrate and the leather was becoming more forward. Very nice wine, but a tad on the expensive side.
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8/26/2007 - kris.h wrote: 92 Points
Nice dark red. Expressive nose of fruits, earth, leather, and herbs. Started out light in body but gained some weight with air to end up medium to full in body. Noce finish with integrated tannins and good balance. May improve but not much. 50 + 5 + 12 + 17 + 8
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8/20/2007 - navybrat wrote: 91 Points
We opened and had with dry rub spare ribs, pineapple and watermelon. The rub was peppery, and the wine actually blended quite nicely with it. Opened up more throughout the evening.
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8/17/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 84 Points
I decanted for over an hour and drank it over four. Paired with beautiful prime ribeye steaks marinated in an asian glaze, with chedder rice & broccoli. I picked up cola on the nose, a tasteless acidic mouthfeel that wasn't all that appealing at mid-pallet, and at the back some toffee, earthiness and tabacco, though a bit too much tabacco on the finish.
Not something I'd seek to buy again.
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8/11/2007 - Arch57 wrote: 88 Points
Again tonight this wine showed it's best at the last glass. I did not follow my own advice and just popped and poured. I have one more left and will decant at least 1 hour.
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8/9/2007 - pjhr wrote: 90 Points
Tasty plum and leather aromas and flavors with delicious minerality on the finish.
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7/29/2007 - lbrent wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable - floral - plum - pepper. Better warming up from cellar than a bit later when became a bit bitter.
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7/15/2007 - JuniorSamples wrote: 90 Points
Drank with varied meats at Brazilian churascuria. Wine was opened and poured, no decanting. Color was deep ruby. Initially, nose was alcoholic and a little spicy, but after 30 minutes or so, this softened to herbs, toffee and berries, very pleasant. Like the nose, the palate initially had a hard edge and a slightly bitter finish, but this too softened after 30 minutes or so with berries, herbs and vanilla. Nice mouthfeel. It was an enjoyable wine and neither overwhelmed nor was overwhelmed by the varied meat selection.
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7/13/2007 - pgm wrote: 86 Points
A fair food wine, but really not that great on its own. What I noticed most was leather and stones, with some vegetal, pickle tones, over fairly weak fruit. I can't imagine that there's any improvement with further age.
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7/7/2007 - groper1234 wrote: 89 Points
A good wine with good potential. Nose was lightly smoky with some strawberry and cherry smell follow with herbal complexity. Palate is quite juicy with some sour and astringent bitterness. Abit rough for now. Should be better in few years to come.
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7/6/2007 - pitt71 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet in color. Peppery Floral Red fruit nose. Medium bodied with smooth supple mouth feel. Long finish consistent with nose with pepper bursting out. Very balanced wine. Excellent food wine.
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7/4/2007 - twoamps wrote: 89 Points
Had at deanna’s with something veggie. My notes below are from a previous tasting, but still apply
Subtle fruit and almost hidden tannins. Many layers but you resally have to be paying attention to notice.
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7/3/2007 - madeiradog wrote: 91 Points
Finally starting to awaken from its slumber, this bottle was delicious. Dark berry and plummy with good structure and balance.
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6/30/2007 - Seanr7 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour before drinking and paired it with steak Shish kabob. What a difference two years has made in this wine, two years ago it took over 4 hours to open up.
In the glass the color was ruby red and the nose had plenty of dark berries and a dusty earthy component that is very nice. In the mouth there is plenty of cherry and a spicy finish that lingers for a long time. The wine is very well balanced with a nice bite of acidity and very smooth tannins. Will revisit this bottle tomorrow night to see how it holds up.
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6/30/2007 - rrw wrote: 85 Points
Average
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6/24/2007 - bbrungardt wrote: 91 Points
This wine really was excellent once it opened up. A liitle fruity up fornt and then peppery spice and nice finish.
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6/21/2007 - bmarshall wrote: 91 Points
Nice CdP... Medium ruby red color. Nice nose of red fruits, minerals, earth and a touch of menthol. Medium-full bodied palate has nice acidity with red fruits, licorice, and minerals. Tannins are still firm and there is a nice, lingering finish.
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6/6/2007 - G.O. wrote: 91 Points
Great, really outstanding CdP! Fantastic aroma!
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6/2/2007 - duchamp wrote: 91 Points
Bright rose red, dusty nose of red berry fruit, mixed spices, brown sugar and penetrating alcohol, medium bodied, the meaty palate quickly turns from rustic CDP to sweet berry fruit, beef steak, animal notes and iodine, medium finish, great QPR
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5/30/2007 - AzorianMatador wrote: 91 Points
Opened for 24hrs, not decanted. Great stuff! Drank with friends, matched up nicely with Bleu cheese.
Medium body, long finish, decent structure, very well balanced, loads of berry and earth notes. A very enjoyable wine, probably best suited for light fare.
The 24hr air time suggests that this wine has quite a bit of life ahead of it, the 13.5% alc. was not an issue on day 2.
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5/26/2007 - Arch57 wrote: 89 Points
This wine started off a little slow, the nose and finish did not come around until the last glass. Could probably benefit from a short decant to hasten development. Notes of lilac and cherry.
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5/22/2007 - Li6 wrote: 90 Points
375 mL. Delicious, mature aromas of cigar box, cherry and dark berry fruit, forest floor, and bacon. Gentle in the mouth, tannins virtually gone. Possibly ever-so-slightly past its prime.
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5/19/2007 - rael007 wrote: 91 Points
Fruity and funky. Drank after '03 Andre Brunel CdP and this had a bit less fruit and more funk. Good stuff.
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5/19/2007 - tbone wrote:
This wine is great! Very soft with a ton of flavor. Kind of like cherry covered leather. Balance is spot on, velvety, voluptous. Wish I had more of this. Paired wonderfully with duck.
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5/11/2007 - wine4ever wrote: 91 Points
Had with pork tenderloin. The nose on this one is a mix of leather and plum. The wine still has plenty of tannins, but they are not obtrusive. There is a good dose of spiciness, mineral and acidity which makes it a great food wine. Medium bodied, well-balanced and a good 10-15 second finish adds to it's qualities. I think it might improve and it should drink well for another 7-9 years. Can't wait to try another one in a year or two.
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5/8/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 91 Points
Opened to commemorate my 12th anniversary at my company.
Good stuff: floral, plummy bouquet with earth and licorice. Notes of cherry, syrupy fruits, and cinnamon. The tannic grip is detectable in the finish, and really makes the whole thing work.
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5/6/2007 - JBBridge wrote: 90 Points
One year after my first review (see my review of 5/16/06) I enjoyed another bottle on a Friday after a busy week. Everything I said last year still applies, except the tannins have smoothed out and the wine opens up sooner after decanting. Wine is drinking very well now. I think the community drinking window is probably exactly right.
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4/28/2007 - cousteau wrote: 91 Points
Old world nose of dark cherries, saddle leather and damp earth. Silky texture, amazing polished tannins, great balance and an elegant finish. After a couple of hours it lost some of it's finess becoming more austere and a little bitter on the finish. Started out as a 92 but this downslope after opening got me down to 91.
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4/25/2007 - futronic wrote: 90 Points
April FWR Tasting (FWR, Toronto, Canada): Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of medicine/bandaid, herbs, licorice, and alcohol. Medium-full bodied, good acidity, with red fruit and garrigue notes. Moderate-finish, ~35-40s, with red fruit. Much better on the palate than the nose.
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4/24/2007 - ejensen wrote: 93 Points
First Chateauneuf for us and we loved it. Very balanced and smooth. Will definitely try more.
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4/22/2007 - gellie wrote: 93 Points
popped and poured.excellent cdp
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4/18/2007 - jmh st louis wrote: 91 Points
must, cherry, wet leather. cherry and anise with med finish
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4/16/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 89 Points
nose with stawberry,rasberry and spice. similar flavors in the mouth with a nice finish. This was a tremendously balanced wine. as opposed the the california rhones, all I kept thinking was balance. the flip side is that their was nothing compelling either. very middle of the road.
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4/14/2007 - marka wrote: 92 Points
A very enjoyable bottle. Color was that of strawberry jam; nose had spice, pepper, and red berries; palate was big, smooth, and spicy. Had with grill beef roast. Ed was over.
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4/11/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 91 Points
SUL DA FRANÇA (ICI BISTRÔ): Ruby claro e límpido. Aromas que evocam frutos vermelhos, ervas, pimenta e terra molhada. Na boca médio corpo, com acidez viva e refrescante, média concentração de fruta, taninos finos e um bom equilibrio.Final de média persistência. Excelente
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4/10/2007 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Rhone Rangers at RHB: Blind Red 7 - Reticent nose. Solid, translucent garnet. Old world, subdued. I was thinking Cotes du Rhone. Okay.
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4/8/2007 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Opened and poured to accompany rack of lamb (grilled). Only had a glass, but it was a decent wine with spice and dark fruits.
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4/4/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Drank a 375 - this wine is drinking beautifully right now.
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3/24/2007 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Nice dusty red fruit. Lots of red fruit with a dusty/spicy undertone. Fairly long finish.
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3/18/2007 - purcellj wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs. Some fruit on the nose, but couldn't pick out a particular fruit. Lots of raspberry on the palate with a good 15 second finish.
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3/6/2007 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium intensity, pepper, dried currant, black tea and mushroom nose. Full-bodied, assertive and spiced; showing some maturity with good potential; long, finish.
4/5
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2/22/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 90 Points
Interesting. Unlike the last 375's I've had this one had no sediment, and was not nearly as flavorful.
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2/17/2007 - drcbarroso wrote:
Tasted at a retailer tasting. Reddish purple in color with some bricking around the edges. Licorice, sweet cherry, and perhaps a bit too sweet for my tastes. Decent moutfeel showing currant, cherry, and nice acidity leading to a long finish.
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2/5/2007 - Filippo wrote: 89 Points
Comes with some red fruit and all the earthy leathery notes you would expect from a CdP, but overall lacks a bit in structure and power. Eucalyptus notes towards the end. Decanted 1 hour.
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2/4/2007 - wineward wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 1 hour. A rust-tinged brick red color. A dirty eucalyptus nose. Dirt flavors start the palate which then moves to tobacco and red currants. A little licorice on the finish. Overall sense of earthiness with moderate complexity and smoothness.
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1/27/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Again the 375ml is drinking far better than the 750s. Argues strongly for holding the 750s another year or two before trying again. Again, a large amount of sediment which was strained easily.
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1/22/2007 - yui wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Meaty, fennel plus the usual CdP fruits, meaty, earth, pepper?. Had w/Danube's roasted Chicken w/Paprika sauce.
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1/21/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 87 Points
WIML87-88,WA92,WS93
Tasted January 21, 2007 at home. Opened and decanted about 30-45 minutes before serving in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Light garnet to garnet color in the glass, slightly opaque. Nose of leather, smoke and brown spices; not much in the way of fruit on the nose. Flavors of red berries, celery seed, eucalyptus and a slighty metallic/medicinal finish. Light to medium acidity, tannins and body. I’ll likely wait another year or so before opening my next bottle. I can’t say I was impressed with this bottling.
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1/19/2007 - yeastbeast wrote: 87 Points
Brought this to dinner at Foreign Cinema with Julie and Kael. The sommelier noticed our bottle and struck up a conversation about the reputable producer, fine vintage, etc. Jammy bouquet of raspberries, finely balanced fruit and tannin. J and K liked it. Your basic low/mid-range CdP... elegant but not stunning. Perhaps not well paired with the robust ragout I had for my entree...
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1/16/2007 - Magnolian wrote: 90 Points
Purple-rose hue with slight bricking. Feminine, floral nose. Medium-light body with strawberry and floral nuances. Silky and refined, but flavors are too subtle for this to really be a knockout. Very nice with grilled pork.
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12/27/2006 - trankin wrote: 88 Points
Largely as expected - good quaffer, nothing special. no notes.
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12/25/2006 - bganderson wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for only about 30 minutes (the rib roast finished a bit earlier than expected).
It started out very good, and evolved to great over the course of the meal.
I drank this following a CdP-ish variety from Australia, which was OK, but can't touch the real Rhone...
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12/24/2006 - Wrighty wrote: 91 Points
Christmas wines; 12/24/2006-12/25/2006 (Hong Kong): Deep purple red. Lovely structure, hidden power and some cherry fruit. This seems to be brooding.
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12/21/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 87 Points
Sat out of the cellar too long before opening and the harshness of Grenache came roaring through. Wine was probably in the high 60s temperature, but needed to be much cooler to be enjoyed.
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12/18/2006 - Haggis wrote: 89 Points
Too young to have opened. Closed and thin. Bright, ruby in the glass. The potential is there, with typical Rhone nose, well-defined fruit and light tannin. The acidity should serve this well for holding. Now, this is a 88-89pt wine, but with 5-15 years, should rate much higher.
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12/17/2006 - wmbar wrote: 90 Points
Still early.
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12/16/2006 - rael007 wrote: 91 Points
A bit softer than I expected, but then we had had some champagne ... Wonderful smell of soft fruit, delightful body, nice finish. A very nice bottle of wine.
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12/9/2006 - AzorianMatador wrote: 85 Points
Thin, dissapointing.
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12/3/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Fairly closed on the nose. On the palate, nice dark fruit, garrigue. Old-school style. Blood / nice core of minerality. Very nice.
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12/3/2006 - Prego wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic as always
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11/23/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as previous bottle. Poped and poured. Cloudy in the glass, maybe because it rode across torn in my car. Not much nose and the taste was as muddy as the appearance.JP
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11/20/2006 - NealN wrote: 92 Points
A medium body Chateauneuf but a great wine even without food. I have tasted the wine at restaurants, home, with friends who really like wine, and with those that rarely drink wine. Always a hit. Red fruit, cherry bouquet. Very smooth with raspberry and light plum, and a bit of spice and licorice.
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11/13/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
This was a 375 so it should have aged a little faster. It was richer, with deeper flavours than previous samples. Argues for holding the 750s a bit longer.
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11/5/2006 - greenblanket wrote: 92 Points
Restrained red fruit, earth, smoked meat, and a felicitous fleeting funk on the nose. Smooth and sleek with spice, lovely raspberry, more gamey smoked meat, and anise on the very nicely structured palate. Longish finish. A group of us drinking a mix of Rhones were not ready for this to be so good - it was elegant, classy and delicious
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11/4/2006 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
A consistent wine that was just right for a family birthday dinner. This wine followed on 02 Syrah from Napa and while that wine was decent the CdP had much more going on with an earthy nose and red berry finish
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11/3/2006 - esim wrote: 90 Points
earthy, got better with time, pleasantly surprised
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11/1/2006 - WineForRob wrote: 90 Points
Seemed thin at pouring. My first dabble with Rhone wines and did not know waht to expect. Was pleasantly surprised with the flavor. Not overly tannic. Will try more
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10/27/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 90 Points
Drank a 375ml for a bed-time snack. This is the first time I saw noticable sediment on the bottle side for this wine. Very enjoyable combination of earth and fruit. Will never be a great wine, but is consistently darn good.
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10/27/2006 - bmarshall wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby red color. Great nose of strawberry, cherry and rasberry jam. Medium to full nodied palate had a lot of fruit and a little earth. Nice. lingering finish. Nice, but not overly complex.
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10/24/2006 - plasticman wrote: 90 Points
thoughts of cherry and raspberry jam with good soft tannin structure.... overall elegant.
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10/14/2006 - lewisrise wrote: 93 Points
Laura: Decanted 1 hour. Reddish brown and opaque. Cherry, pomegrenate, and spice predominate. Good structure and balance. Hint of earth/wood in the background.
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10/14/2006 - cschorr wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very well now. We decanted this bottled for 1.5 hours then had it with a rib eye pan jus and potato mash. Very well rounded, soft silky tannins, deep berry flavors, earth, leather. The wine is so balanced, its difficult to pick out any one characteristic.
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10/10/2006 - blacky wrote: 92 Points
I've been thinking about this wine for a year and a half. Spicy, open, earthy. My definition of CDP. Drinking very good right now with time and air, but I believe it will get better.
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10/5/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
There has been a noticable maturation of this wine over the last two years, resulting in a Guigal worthy of the lable's reputation.
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10/3/2006 - Zingrrl wrote: 92 Points
Great CdP
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9/23/2006 - A&B wrote: 90 Points
Dark sweet fruit, some glycerin and a hint of liqorish. Nice mouthfeel with some soft tannins.
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9/16/2006 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
I had to see what all the tasting notes were about becase this wine was constanlyt showing up on my Home page. I was hesitant because the 2000 CdP from E. Guigal was underwhelming. It was too thin and while I can appreciate a tannic wine can benefit from bottle age, a thin wine will never improve. Decanted this for 1/2 hour and served with anti-pasto my wife prepared. This was delicious from the first sip. A wondeful nose of ripe cherries and smooth well polished finish. This is drinking wonderful right now and I agree with the very good scores it is receiving.
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9/15/2006 - Zingrrl wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Jane to celerate "chick weekend". Soft fruit on the start with a good, un-tannic finish. As Jane would say, it did not burn, but smooth with a good finish. Overall, we just like this wine and recommend it. Just drink it.
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9/15/2006 - silton wrote: 91 Points
Not much to add to previous notes (game, earth, red fruit, tobacco, leather, dark cherry, mushrooms, the whole gamut albiet without a ton of power)... my bottle had character and length and a good amount of fine-grained tannin so I wished I had waited another year or three to crack it. Delicious in any case, and surely worth the price.
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9/13/2006 - Zingrrl wrote: 92 Points
Great stuff
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9/11/2006 - dharri1 wrote: 91 Points
Little spicy out of the bottle, as would be expected from Shirah.
Definitely mellowed out with some time in the glass.
Little to "dry" for steffi.
I thought it was very good.
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9/7/2006 - balassis wrote: 89 Points
Not decantd bottle. Medium purple color. Nice aromas of plum, cherry and spices. Ready to drink now. Very good, but not exciting.
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9/4/2006 - Vette Z06 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 30 min. Drank a bit better than the last bottle. Enjoyable. Pleasant nose. Good dark fruit flavor. Nice finish. Not a bombshell but glad I have more.
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9/1/2006 - twoamps wrote: 90 Points
This bottle tastes fuller than previous and more like WS description. (Subtle fruit and almost hidden tannins. Many layers but you resally have to be paying attention to notice.
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8/30/2006 - TomTom wrote: 87 Points
Simple and lighter in color than I remember. Not a bad wine, especially for the $27 price tag, but based on the reviews I was still hoping for more. Going to hold the last two for a few more years to see how they develop.
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8/29/2006 - jameslilley wrote: 89 Points
still has good things to come
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8/22/2006 - robimon wrote: 91 Points
well built and classy if not a bit light. still boasted tannins which hint at longer maturity than expected.
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8/13/2006 - Prego wrote: 93 Points
Earthy robust wine. Fruits were nicely integrated into the wine...subtle, but elegant wine.
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8/6/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 92 Points
Opened and poured a 750 direct from cellar and was shocked at just how good this wine actually is. IMHO, the best it has ever been. Excellent depth of flavors, excellent focus, and not a hint of tannin. The quality now makes the $40 price and the low 90s score both seem reasonable.
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8/5/2006 - Danny Joe wrote: 90 Points
Smokey nose, lots of red fruit. Ong in the mid pallete, again with red fruit, especially rasberries. Great finish.
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8/3/2006 - rothdog wrote: 92 Points
A great reference point for CdP. Drinking beautifully right now from 375's. I haven't opened a 750 in over a year, but this wine is really coming together nicely. Pepper, plums, strawberry & cherry on the nose. Medium body. Flavors spread across the palate and create a sense of weight. Focused, yet complex and not at all linear. Fantastic structure & nice finish.
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8/2/2006 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Very Dark Purple
Good nose with spice, ripe fruit and pine
Very dry, dired fruit and spice. Somewhat weak in the middle and not as balanced or concentrated as I would have liked
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7/29/2006 - Zingrrl wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Aromas of game and leather. Initial taste of cherryish plum transitioning to flint and smoke wiht a long tannic finish.
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7/26/2006 - Arcturus wrote: 92 Points
Nose of fig, minerals, exotic flowers and spice. Bright, pinot-like acidity that compliments the abundant, palate coating red fruit flavors. Solid long finish. Consistently good, solid go-to wine. A great lead off wine if pouring several during the evening. 92
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7/17/2006 - vy#10 wrote:
Drank with roast pork & currant sauce. Decanted for about an hour prior. Very smokey on the nose with very enveloping aroma. Medium-bodied on the palate with decent finish. Great, fun CNDP flavors. Got a "this wine is delicious" comment from guest.
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7/17/2006 - Siggy wrote: 90 Points
Dinner @ Restaurant Alma. The color was more advanced than I expected, showing plenty of amber at the rim. With air, this opened up to reveal rich red fruit, some game/earth/animal on the midpalate, and nice bright acidity. Herbs, tomato, and garrigue flavors, without being green or vegetal in profile. I suspect this bottle had been stored at restaurant temperature, causing it to be a bit more evolved than usual.
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7/15/2006 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Anita: w/Dave & Marise; great classic balance, earthy, with some light plum, med. weight, leather, garrigue, complex but intellectual, but not unaccessible. Very good. TJ Ribs.
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7/8/2006 - pitt71 wrote: 92 Points
mushroom and earth on the nose with herbal understones, great balance with notes of black pepper and mushroom on the palate, nice long finish
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7/5/2006 - Obalde wrote:
Fruity nose long with raspberries and wild berries. Nice full-bodied finish which picked up an earthy tone.
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7/4/2006 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
This has opened up nicely...fruit forward with complex midpalate and long finish...classic CNP
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7/1/2006 - Mallards wrote: 91 Points
Stunning wine - stood up exceptionally well by itself, then went well with the meal - a pork chop with a strong garlic sauce. Guigal makes the penultimate du Pape - and the fruitiness really balances well with the wonderful red flavors.
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6/28/2006 - SMG wrote: 90 Points
Did not decant. Medium ruby color leads to an aromatic bouquet of prune, plum, game, leather, mushroom, earth, and a hint of smoke. The wine is full-bodied with light tannins and shows nice fruit that leads to a long finish.
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6/23/2006 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
Drank this along side the 2000. This is a little lighter than the 2000 and has a profile on the nose and palate but the palate is more tannic with a little more acidity. There is also a stronger earth component on the nose. Overall a very nice wine but the 2000 is drinking better today. 50 + 4 + 13 + 16 + 8
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5/31/2006 - twoamps wrote: 89 Points
medium body grenache with good fruit without much of the french tinny terrior that we don’t like.
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5/16/2006 - JBBridge wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and consumed over about 1 1/2 hours, including with a pork chop dinner. Nose and palate a little tight at first as expected, but strawberries, cherries, coffee, mocha on the palate fairly quickly. The moderate nose opened up eventually, but I really liked the wine in the mouth. As it evolved, it became a little smoky, meaty and spicy, with herbal, floral and mushroomy nuances that never overpowered the fruit. Tannins were still present (this has more cellar life in it) but tame. Decently long, pleasant finish. I'm glad I have more bottles!
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5/11/2006 - Ibetian wrote: 86 Points
Nice Grenache nose, but just didn't offer much in complexity or interest. A bit closed, so time might help, but disappointing now.
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4/24/2006 - pgm wrote: 88 Points
Somewhat muted nose of hot stones and chalk with black pepper over rather faint fruit. However, very good in the mouth, with good CdP complexity and unusually juicy mouthwatering finish.
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4/23/2006 - Badfish wrote:
Straight out of the bottle this displays juicy red fruit character including cherry, licorice, and some herbal undertones along with a soft core of orangish cranberry color. This is a structured wine on the palate with good concentration of lifted fruit and ample minty tannins through the lingering finish. I found this to be a textbook CDP; enjoyable young with its sweet fruit and herbal nuances yet plenty of life ahead of it due to the structure. Great effort. I should note that this bottle had been stored in less than ideal passive conditions for the last year so it may have been slightly advanced.
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4/22/2006 - transpodude wrote: 91 Points
Wife drank this without me, said it was quite good.
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4/22/2006 - greenblanket wrote: 89 Points
Dinner at Ponti: We drank this while the VT was in the decanter, perhaps a bit unfair. Very nice but certainly not a big complex CdP. Red fruit, some rhone spice and traces of smoke and earth on the nose and the palate. Medium in weight with a smooth pleasureable mouth feel and a nice finish. This was finished very quickly and I suspect giving it more time would have been a good idea. (please see earlier rants about my "old world" brother in-law)
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4/20/2006 - AtlantaBill wrote: 91 Points
Aroma of mushroom and dark fruit all with a bit of tar. Taste of dark cherries. Soft tannins. Earthiness. Long finish
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4/17/2006 - babnik wrote: 87 Points
Medium body and color. Sour cherries, leather, and forest floor. Occassionaly whiffs of white pepper. This wine is still quite tight and if I had more, they'd sit for another 3-5 years. Questionable value at $45 from gourmet grocery store in St Helena and not worth seeking out. It was a much better value 10 bucks cheaper two years ago. Tasted as part of the Winodepot April 2006 Tasting With Friends.
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4/17/2006 - ArieS wrote: 88 Points
From a 375ml.
I had this wine with some lamb shank and couscous.
Opened and poured it in a decanter for about 90 mins.
Light ruby color, the nose is still really tight, not giving much besides a little flower and spices.
On the palate, cherries and a bit of mushroom.
The acidity is pretty good but the finish is somehow on the short side.
After about 3 hours the wine just started waking up but this was my last glass...
So far, I can find plenty of better CdR Villages for half the price.
I won't touch another half for about 2 years and we'll see from there.
88-89
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4/17/2006 - grossie wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby red color. Sour cherry, tobacco, black pepper, and hint of rhone garrigue on the nose. Still tight on the palate, but it gives enough to say "I'm here, I've got some stuff, but keep your hands off me", reminding me of a few ex-girlfriends. Cola, sour cherry, and tobacco again in the mouth. It finishes well. This is a nice wine, and if the palate softens a little it'll be a very nice wine in 5-7 years.
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4/15/2006 - Bunski wrote: 89 Points
Finally had one of these and while there are plenty of tasting notes on this particular wine I will add my own. Didn't do it for me, but then my expectations were a little too high given the hype around this wine. Solid core of fruit and tannins are subdued which makes for a pleasant drinking wine but nothing more.
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4/11/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 90 Points
This was a half bottle, so perhaps it's maturing a bit faster than the 750's, but this wine took a step in the right direction. The menthol had faded, the cherries were more up front and helped to give it structure and a smoother presentation. Argues for keeping the wine another year and trying again.
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4/8/2006 - joshtpa wrote: 88 Points
The nose was full of wild berries. On the palate was a very fruit forward taste. A lot of blueberry, vanilla, and wild berries. The finish was average at best. Not a complex wine but still enjoyable.
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4/1/2006 - ruddy wrote: 91 Points
Blueberry, leather and underbrush on the nose with deep, long-lasting berry fruits in the mouth. Somewhat thin in the mid-palate, but with a long pleasing finish that leaves a little trail of smoke behind. Very nice $30 CdP.
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3/30/2006 - bsherwin wrote:
NYC CdP Fest at S&W (Smith & Wollensky's): Fairly light ruby with a Grenache-y nose. Decent fruit (plums), but a bit austere at this point. A very nice drinker although not a superstar.
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3/30/2006 - Bob Fyke wrote: 90 Points
2001 CdP NYC with 33.3% women (NYC Smith & Wollensky): Medium dark ruby. A little barnyard with grilled meat and raspberry on the nose. Palate is more austere with shale/mineral, bitter sweet chocolatea and little fruit but nice structure. An austere style that I'm inclined to enjoy with the right food. Really cuts the steak.
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3/2/2006 - tiswas wrote: 89 Points
A little Barnyard musty mushrooms on the nose, bright fruit, cherries, herbs, very smooth, maybe a little lighter than I expected. Had a good, slightly sweet finish.I think will be good for another 5-8 years. The fruit really opened up in the glass. Definately got better with time. Paired very well with the herb encrusted rack of lamb!!
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3/2/2006 - bhardie wrote: 89 Points
More forward than expected and it grew with time. Typical southern rhone nose of red and black cherry, damp earth and dried herbs. Flavors are a bit muted but are grenache based with cherry, black rasberry and a small dose of oak. This finishes with a nice warming sensation and light tannins. From past experience with this label I would expect this to improve for several years. Very good QPR.
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2/26/2006 - buckeye76 wrote: 91 Points
CHERRIES, RASPBERRIES AND A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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2/25/2006 - cadamson wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby color, hate to be cliche, but yes mild barnyard smell, more accurately wet, dusty earth witha bit of spice (perhaps clove). A bit better than I expected. Medium bodied, well integrated, mellow fruit, spice.
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2/17/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 89 Points
What a difference a day makes. Had another this eve on a taste test with crab. The food brought out the sweetness and earthly flavors of the wine and it held up very well.
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2/16/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 89 Points
Tasted metallic tonight - all the way through which was surprising and perhaps alarming given this has become a home favorite of ours.
--guy
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2/13/2006 - whiner wrote: 87 Points
a little disapointing, too much menthol flavours. however Nice nose and good berries.
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2/11/2006 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Wine Exchange: Intense concentrated aromas, concentrated cran, plum, lite on smoke, low earth; well-bal, clean; cranb. a’s, good structure, med. bod, not big, not huge t’s. Like good, big CdR with structure.
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2/11/2006 - umazz wrote: 90 Points
Big, dry, we both loved it.
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2/5/2006 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Brownish red color with clarity at the edge. Served pretty cold as it came straight from the cellar (around 55F). A slight tannic bite with a little heat. Needs to warm up and or needs air as it's pretty subdued right now.
Later: a toasted and menthol nose with a herbal component (dill?) on the palate.
Day 2: Sort of a warm beet / raisin nose, still a little puckery, with a dry raisin mid palate finish. Good, but not great.
My memory is that I bought this based on the WS score of 93. I don't us the 100 point WA/WS system for wines, as my palate is not that discriminating. However, this, so far is a good, decent, but not exceptional wine.
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2/1/2006 - jordanj wrote: 89 Points
I had higher expectations for this, but it let me down a little. Still a good CDP. Dark plum in color with a nose of red fruits earthy aromas (mushrooms) cigar ash, and a hint of leather. In the mouth it is soft and velvity but still a bit tanic with an edge. The midpalate and finish is peppery with some wood and again a hint of leather with a floral background. Medium to long finish. Maybe just not my cup of tea.
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1/15/2006 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Rustic wine with minerals, floral and earth notes. Medium finish and a bit tight. Needs time.
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1/15/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
The 2001 Guigal was actually pretty similar in taste to the 2000 Pegau cuvee reservee. A little less of everything, but still a very good wine.
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1/15/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Minneapolis Dinner and Tasting - Chateauneuf, Bordeaux, and Burgundy (mainly) (J.P.'s in Minneapolis): Same bottle as Siggy's TN... I found this wine to be a bit simple. That said, I did like the style in which it is made. It shared some general similarities with the 2000 Pegau (see TN), tasted side by side, but it was lighter, more simple, and a little more overtly spicy. I preferred it over the 2000 Gardine (see TN). This is a decent, mid-weight Chateauneuf that probably benefits from being from a good vintage... Probably one to drink over the next five or so years, though it might last longer. I would buy this only if the price were right...
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1/15/2006 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Old World Wines (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Caramel and grape notes, along with an interesting roasted herbal component. Young and tannic; needs more time.
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1/11/2006 - win wrote: 92 Points
Like this wine, but not as much as the 1999. I really liked the background of smoked wood that seems to be present in this wine. 90-93
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12/30/2005 - DaleW wrote:
don't know whether this was travel shock or
just overrated by press, but this didn't do much for me. Modest
cherry and sweet raspberry fruit, a little hint of leather. Just the
tiniest hint of herb to make one realize this might be CdP, but I have had many CdR that exhibited more Southern Rhone character than this. Nothing offensive, but nothing to make stand out either. Wasn't justthe strange match- Day 2 with some roast chicken didn't show any
better.
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12/5/2005 - PinoyNoir wrote:
great barnyard nose
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11/18/2005 - rlysecky wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of cherries, red fruit, spice, and an earthy herbal undertone follwoing with abundant fruit on the palate with mild tannins.
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11/14/2005 - KRB wrote: 88 Points
A nice solid wine, but nothing spectacular. Tasted a while ago and forgot to jot down notes.
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10/30/2005 - kris.h wrote: 90 Points
Medium red with good clarity. Initially a nose of dark berries and just a touch of white pepper. The palate seemed little thin but a nice earthy and animally 15 to 20 second finish. After breathing for 90 minutes the color darkened just a little. The nose opened up to more intense berry aromas and pepper. Perhaps a bit of garrigue. The palate became fuller and richer although still a little thin. The finish starts off subtle but intensifies with earth, animal, and berries. Lengthened after breathing. Good structure, balance, and acidity. Nice complexity and it was pleasureable to drink. Should be decanted one or two hours before drinking.
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10/29/2005 - davetong wrote: 90 Points
Decanted. Fruity and complex from the get-go, improving over the 2+ hours that it was open. Worth getting more.
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10/24/2005 - 97mjr wrote: 89 Points
[Nice Matin] 375ml. Barnyard, animal notes, orange, and red fruit on the nose. Medium Bodied. Red fruit and citrus on the palate. Gravel like texture.
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10/24/2005 - GreenDrazi wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 45 minutes. Good nose of red fruits, leather and pepper. Rich, gamey flavors of blackcherry, blackberry and some raspberry which turned cranberry at times along with plum and pepper. Good acidity. Started just a touch thin with a glycerol surface but gained really good depth the longer it was decanted. Palate was smooth yet bright at the start, had a full bodied mid-point and opened up a little too much on the lengthy, mineral finish.
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10/22/2005 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby colour. Perfumed nose, with roses, red currant, game, and earth. Medium-bodied, with replays from nose. Nice finish, 30-35s. 91 points with upside.
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10/20/2005 - madeiradog wrote: 89 Points
Easy drinking but a bit one dimensional. Strong kirsch notes and velvety finish.
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10/4/2005 - Double-A wrote: 90 Points
Aromatic, garrigue, pepper, meat, currant, and mineral nose. Full and concentrated; assertive with gripping tannins; lengthy finish.
4/5
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9/16/2005 - decaturwinedude wrote: 89 Points
I opened one of these from a 375 about 18 months ago and was underwhelmed. I figured I'd pop a 750 to see where it was at. I did not decant, but the bottle was opened 1 hour ago and I just poured the first glass. Right now, there is a faint nose of earth and smokey meat with cranberry lurking. On the palate there is cranberry and spice, but not much else going on right now. A bit tight, or perhaps just not a great CDP from a decent vintage?
Perhaps this just needs some air. We'll see...
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7/17/2005 - TomTom wrote: 88 Points
A nice wine, but not a good as the last bottle we had. Simple, but quite enjoyable.
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5/22/2005 - twoamps wrote: 89 Points
Subtle fruit and almost hidden tannins. Many layers but you resally have to be paying attention to notice. I don’t know where WS gets off calling this a full-bodied mouthful. They’ve been in France too long, I think.
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5/18/2005 - claudio_bxl wrote:
Still a youthful color and aromas of red fruit intermingled with hints of earth and animal notes. In the mouth it was medium bodied and fairly long with a good level of acidity. Good QPR
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5/7/2005 - mdstenner wrote: 92 Points
TWC does Southern Rhone and Aussie GSMs (Dennis and Karin's House): Ruby red, with purple hints. A nose of spice and cherry, with sadde leather, spice, and earth flavors, good tannic grip and a dry finish. A beautiful Châteauneuf.
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4/29/2005 - Stephan O wrote: 87 Points
A let-down of sorts. It's predominately gamey on the nose, opening up to earth, leather, tobacco, and non-descript wood on the palate. Per-Henrik Mansson of Wine Spectator gives it a great rating and says that it's seductive. I believe he's wrong yet again. I have nothing against the rustic, barnyard style, which is what a good CDP is all about, but this price and hype would seem to call for a little more elegance or power than I can find. The finish is long and pleasantly minerally (or is it floral?), but I think the rest is a bit lacking.
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3/22/2005 - John wrote: 83 Points
not much taste. Pretty thin for the vintage. Tasted like a major part was water. Not exiting.
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3/14/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 90 Points
Splash decanted. Lovely fruity flavors immediately evident, typical southern Rhone style, nice balance of acid and some tannins. Enjoyable now but will keep for several years.
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3/8/2005 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
I did not have time to decant it. This wine was tight. Compact fruit notes and firm tannins. Spice, black fruit and tobacco notes were present. It really did need to soften up around the edges. 88+ points.
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1/22/2005 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Herbs, minerals, earth and raspberry. A tannic wine that needs some cellar time.
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12/20/2004 - Barstool wrote:
Opened one at Oakland 2004 XMas party with lamb shanks - lovely! Medium body, good fruit with the black pepper spiciness on the finish that I like. Good mouthfeel, medium body and not too lean. Almost as good to my thinking as the '98 (which I prefer over the '99).
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10/23/2004 - archer752000 wrote: 91 Points
Nose - earth, meat.
At first not much fruit, but after 2.5 hours
it started to give up fruity notes - cherries, strawberries.
Mineral finish, balanced.
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10/15/2004 - juggernt wrote: 88 Points
Name: E. Guigal CdP '01
Nose: A spring barnyard, sweet and earthy
Palette: The earthy character carried over to the palette. Silky smooth but not much fruit.
Comments: Unbalanced but a pleasant drink. I would only have it with the lightest of foods.
88 pts
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7/15/2004 - ajjar wrote: 89 Points
Tasty, but does not live up to its billing. Not much fruit, structure, excitement in this glass. Either it is missing or it is so tightly wound that it didn't give it up. So either the reviews are off or this is in a slumber spot in its cycle. Try again late 2004.
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6/25/2004 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Red Carpet: Red Carpet: Med. brick color; spicey, pruney plums, raisins; med bod, spicey mth, pepper, some red spices too; well-bal, med dry t’s, med. fin; lots of grip.***A very good “classic” lighter style CdP.
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5/16/2004 - jwolf99 wrote:
game, leather, plum, sautéed wild mushroom; tobacco; old-fashioned, full body, long, sweet finish
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4/21/2004 - twoamps wrote: 88 Points
good french wine. Very french. Just different from California wines that we're used to; more complex, maybe, but not nearly as much depth. Good fruit ans spiciness up front but a bit of hollowness in middle and that vague minerally taste that we find off-putting.
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4/19/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 88 Points
Tasted as an add-on at a vertical Beaucastel tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, roasted herbs and licorice. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Mediium, smooth finish.
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2/27/2004 - decaturwinedude wrote: 88 Points
Right now, this seems closed up and tannic. No real fruit emerges even after 1+hour in the glass. The nose is complex with earthy aromas and tobacco present. i suppose I will wait another 6 months or so to see if my 375's evolve at all. Not very impressive compared to other recent CdP's I have tasted.
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2/15/2004 - Dteng wrote: 88 Points
Attempted to find TN's on this but found none. Acquired one bottle to try...color presents with light ruby. Nose offers scents of leather, kirsch, slight tobacco. Fairly light to medium body, more in line with a Cotes Du Rhone. To me, this is ready to be consumed. While it is a decent drink and represents the varietal well, there is nothing distinct or exciting about this, and considering the going rate of $30+ per bottle I am going to pass on more - why not just buy more CdR for less? How could this be the sibling of the 2000 Guigal CdP? Will try the remaining bottle tonight...
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1/4/2004 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Blind Chateauneufs at Bellini's: Dirt, high-toned red fruit. Grenachey red fruit on the palate. This is passable, but seems too cleanly made and commercial. Not for me.
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4/4/2003 - jmcmchi wrote: 88 Points
Appeared a very commercial blend, a crowd pleaser, but....
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