Incredibly beautiful and balanced! If modern CdP drank like this, I would like the region much more. For my taste, this is at its peak, but it has the acidity and structure to keep going.
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Double decanted 3h so this was probably the most expressive of all the bottles I’ve written about before. The underlying quality is still the same. Some called Burgundy.
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Enjoyed double blind... This was evident to the table as a great grenache-dominated wine with some darker tones and with plenty of maturity (FWIW, I initially guessed the 2001 Pegau, but this wasn't funky enough to try check that box). Beautifully textured and layered, a CdP in a style I (still) love. Certainly at its apogee, but showing now signs of fading.
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Bottle showing its age. Slightly brown with fading fruit. Low acidity so best drunk cool. Still a nice wine but if this bottle is representative it is well past its best. Will try another bottle very shortly to see if there is bottle variation.
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Not going to rate this one, hard to tell what's going on. Bouquet of wet earth and a hint of dark fruit. The taste was completely dominated by chocolate, and a very round creamy mouthfeel. This made it hard to enjoy the wine, and to instead puzzle over it. Popped and poured, then decanted over 6+ hours, then tried out of the decanter the next day.
At first I thought it was over the hill, but there's still some fruit at the core, and it's got a bit of pleasant acid on the finish. Just really unclear to me what's going on with this. Usually a fan of the house.
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Having bought a case of 12, i have been following this 2000 Vieux Telegraphe over the years and this is the best example so far. I have been less than impressed before (to say the least - which led me to never buy from this domaine again! Being a kid from Vaucluse, it says a lot about my disappointment then). That said, that bottle was nice and enjoyable, fully coming together and unmistakably CdP. However, this is not at the level it should be, given the prestige this estate enjoyed back then (deeply in the top 10) and the prices it was commanding 20 years ago, and clearly not the price this bottle is worth now! There are many good or great CdP estates nowadays, so no reason to buy them again.
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Vieux Telegraphe Vertical (The Sun Street Hotel, Liverpool Street): Medium to dark translucent red. Olivey and slightly sharp in nature on the nose, something pungent, somewhat in common with the 1996 but has not tipped over the edge in the same way. On the palate this is a better story, a lovely marriage of sweet fruit and resolved tannins, smooth drinking, some leather and game as well as the tapenade. There is some evolution over the 2001, more advanced than the year difference would suggest, and within the flight of four (00, 01, 05, 06) this sits with the 2006 in terms of character. It seems to go downhill in the glass, so I would suggest drink up on this one.
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Vieux Telegraphe Vertical (Sun Street Hotel, Liverpool Street, London): Some steeped Christmas cake richness here and something meaty too, some bresaola? There is also a sun dried tomato note and a little Mellow Birds coffee character as well. Palate a tad shorter than the '01 although a lovely acidic refreshing character. Good stuff.
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Old faithful, still going strong, nothing to prove. Faint bricking around the edges but drinks downright spry. Plums, black cherry, and (would you believe at 22 y/o) freshly mowed grass…that’s what I get. Last bottle and turns out there was no rush.
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Followed for 4 hours, the 00 Vieux Télégraphe takes some coaxing to show its best. An hour of air encourages the nose to unfurl, though it remains relatively demure for CdP of its age. The palate is more obviously creditable, with red and black cherry, garrigue, smoke, allspice, and rubber, conveyed in a medium body, playing an able accompaniment to dinner.
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Perfect fill, perfect cork. Initially showing quite primary notes with a good local feel, plenty of garrigue, Grenache showing well. Still the dry and vertical style of the domaine is intact. #NewYearsEve
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Friday Night Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind, and you can almost copy my note from two years ago, substituting asphalt for clay in my note from April 2018:
“cherry, [asphalt] and red fruit notes. Fully integrated; decent acidity. Nice red fruit and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced. 92+ pts. CndP was not on my radar here.”
I liked this, but would have guessed a companion Bordeaux. This did not scream grenache or CndP to me yet again. (R&D)
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Ruby red in color. 14% ABV. Spellbinding nose of red fruits, Herbes de Provence, garrigue and wet, warm asphalt. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Rustic, old school CdP at its best. Kirsch, blood, licorice and a hint of pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with pronounced tannins. Fantastic wine with more than enough fruit to keep the tannins in check. If I had more bottles I would drink over the next 2-3 years.
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Wonderful complex nose of red fruits and earthy depth. Rich and unctuous in the mouth with plenty of fruit still in evidence, perfectly balanced with nuanced acidity. A long, lingering finish makes my keep coming back to the glass for more. It's got that funky nose and palate of an older wine, but without losing much of its youthful exuberance. Drinking beautifully in my opinion!
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Brick red with browning around the edges. Complex aromas of red fruits (strawberry, plums), smoked meat, sautéed herbs, soil and lifted spice on the nose. Perfectly medium bodied palate that is at once, sweet and savory showing silky crushed red fruits, mushroom/meat stock, medium (-) acidity, no tannins and a long earth and spice tinged finish. This has aged beautifully and has started to reveal secondary aromatics.
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Pungent aromas which spell "old". Gamey old leather, vegetal, oxidised. Somewhat better on the palate but dominated by old leather. Medium bodied sweet fruit there underneath the leather. Medium weight structure, warmth from the 14% alcohol. I don't think this will improve.
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Rusty brown color, very faded, tons of sediment; Tootsy roll, brown suace, underbrush, leather, not fruit whatsoever left on this except for raisins. Silky, some pedigree here, but clearly prematurely aged. Guessed a 1980's Bordeaux. Blind group at Teviot
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Very nice fruit but surprisingly little punch out of magnum. Round with very little tannin or acid - pleasant but I expected more, especially given how it showed 10 years ago.
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The 2000 is less aromatically complex that the 1998 and 99. The nose is Grenache raisins. The mouth is clearly a bit more youthful in a relative sense, but completely developed also. It drinks nicely but so far the 1998 wins.
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Drunk during our second CdP 2000 tasting! This wine is known to have a reputation of a long keeper. Its all true with this bottle. It was NOT ready at all. It needs probably another 10 or 10+ years in the bottle. 1,5 hours ina decanter did not change nothing. If you are planning to buy this - go for minimum 1990 or older.
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Anise & licorice candy. Mint. Seems still to have quite a bit of body for a 19 year old boy. The mint touch keeps it fresh in the mouth, but there's still some noticable warmth in the aftertaste. Long.
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At Shayas in New Orleans with Estie and Danny. Opened and decanted by waitstaff. Garnet red in color. Fragrant cedar and spice cake nose. Sweet brambly fruit in the mouth along with herbs and perhaps mocha. Tannins have subsided. Nice finish. Went well with Middle Eastern food.
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Completely ready and full of red fruit. Good garrigue, not a lot of tannins, smooth and a profile that reminded me of Rayas. Very enjoyable and a crowd pleaser.
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A weak Vieux Telegraphe but not a bad wine as such. Flabby, soft, lacks structure and the usual VT trademarks of seaweed etc. It really faded next to the Bonneau normale.
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This was okay. Nothing like my last bottle, which admittedly was almost four years ago. This one was a bit like some of the less positive reviews. It is a bit raisiny, though not in a flawed way -- just less complex in flavor. There is a bit of heat, and even slight bitterness. It was perfectly pleasant to drink, but not something I would seek out. I am hoping that this is bottle variation as others have said. Otherwise I clearly waited too long for my last three bottles......
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Medium red with slight bricking. Soaring aromas of crushed red fruits, pepper, licorice, baking spices on the nose. Perfectly medium bodied on the palate with bright red crushed berries, licorice, forest floor, medium (-) acidity, resolved tannins and lovely perfumed finish. This has aged superbly.
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Beautiful cork and perfectly stored bottle. Consumed over about 2.5 hours and it definitely opened and became more generous over the first hour and hung out there for the rest of the bottle. Bright red fruit with a background of mineral and earth, smooth texture and very enjoyable with some pork.
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At the Zuni Cafe in SF with Estie and Dan. PnP by staff. Initially nose a bit reticent, but quickly opened up with spice box and cedar aromas. Some dark fruit on the palate (blackberries, black currants and black raspberries) along with garrigue, nutmeg and herbs. Smooth, tannin essentially resolved with nice balance. Good finish. Went very well with my roasted chicken.
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Really nice but fragile. Out of the bottle it had all the good characteristics mentioned by the previous reviewers, but faded rapidly with decanting and air. After about an hour of breathing it's snap and fruit were all but gone. Enjoy drinking this 18yr old but don't linger over it for too long.
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Absolutely amazing. Such a unique wine. Nutty, leathery, and still some beautiful fruit. Easily mid 90's! One of the few wines that I'd enjoy sipping all by itself, or with a bit of baguette or cheese.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Our house): Double blind. An initial hint of sulfur/matchstick blows off leaving cherry, clay and red fruit notes. Fully integrated; decent acidity. Nice red fruit and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced. 92+ pts. No guess, but CndP was not on my radar here.
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A pleasant, enjoyable CdP even if not the most complex; Fairly rich palate, with dark fruits, some earth and herbal tones; A fairly clean expression of CdP that checks all the right boxes, even if it lacks an extra gear to truly make it great
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Going very strong at age 18. Rich herb-filled fruit that is more black than red. Fairly dense without becoming heavy. Lots of savory herb in the finish.
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Cassoulet at Bill's (Wilmette, IL): VT is one of the few CdP producers that I think are worth drinking. This bottle is no exception. There's a very nice aromatic nose, with good red fruit and a gentle amount of dirt, without any funkiness at all. The palate is mostly resolved, and shows the same characteristics. The red fruit here is sweet and there's a slight liqueur-like aspect to it. Good restraint here, with alcohol levels in check.
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Drinking beautifully right now. Certainly not a bruiser - refined and subtle, but with good depth and earthy, mature flavors. Nose was not there at first, so we decanted the bottle (very little sediment, BTW) and a some aromas appeared.
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Subsequent notes on this wine from well over three years ago. Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & kirsch notes with garrigue overtones, some floral notes, Provençal herbs of rosemary, fennel & lavender, earthy/dusty, spice notes of cinnamon & pepper, leather, minerals & a hint of cedar undertones in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, cherries & plummy, pepper, spices, herbs, earthy, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 17 years of age it is at its peak of development, so I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging.
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40th Anniversary Magnum Party; 6/3/2017-6/4/2017 (R&D's): From magnum. Faded crimson color. Notes of red currant, pepper and dried berry fruit with a dusty/earty undertone. Fully resolved tannin. Flavors of red berry fruit and spice with a vegetal quality too. If this is representative, for my palate, this is a bit past peak.
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I was not thrilled with this V.T. I have been working my way through a case of the 2000 vintage for a while and it has never delivered the pleasure I have come to expect from V.T. They have been properly stored in a temperature controlled cellar.
This bottle had a funky nose that was not inviting. After an hour or two it improved slightly. The fruit was good with notes of dried cherries, kirch, garrigue and olives. But it seemed to be very rustic and slightly disjointed.
At nearly 17 years of age, the wine is obviously fully mature. The tannins are fully resolved. So additional cellaring is not the answer.
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Garnet in color. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, garrigue, white pepper and seaweed. Medium body with medium to strong acidity. Big and bold with noticeable tannins. Cherries, kirsch, minerals and iron on the palate. The finish is long and somewhat tannic. Classically structured Chateauneuf from a traditional producer. I'd be inclined to drink over the next several years while there is enough fruit to balance out the tannins.
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Was light, but also interesting and even intriguing. I have several more and won't hesitate nor wait much to drink them as I do sense, thou, it is passed it's prime and no longer bettering with time
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From a bottle left over from the prior evening's tasting. Notes of licorice, red berry and spice follow through on the palate. Fully-integrated and at maturity.
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somewhat disappointing, given the some of the recent reviews on Cellartracker. I thought it was past its prime, and a little dull and lifeless. Lots of sediment. It really paled next to a 2008 Sonoma Pinot Noir. But in fairness, I should point out, that this bottle was finished by my dinner guests, and the Pinot has some wine left over.
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Medium to dark ruby. Not decanted. Balanced, but not at all opulent or generous. On the second day, it continued to be somewhat clipped and closed, with a finish that was not especially long. Nice enough, but it paled in comparison to another from the same appellation and vintage.
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Purchased in a small boutique wine retailer in Les Halles de Lyons who kept wines in a temperature controlled cellar. On the nose it is exhibiting the sweet raisiny kirsch aromas of a typical CdP in the back end of its life. Colour is brick red turning to orange. The palate is holding together somewhat although the wine has plenty of heat and the fruit is in decline. A good example of CdP however it's best years seem behind it. Enjoyable nonetheless but drink up soon.
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Not terribly aromatic at first, but developing. Redolent of red fruits/cherries. Palate is full-bodied with a little tannin left, but it lacks the presence or sweetness of the 1998. Spicy! Almost cedary. This has better density than I first gave it credit for. Delicious and tastes as if it will develop at least another 4-5 years. 92
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Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is still on the youthful side, though the feel is rounding well into form along with black cherries, white pepper, licorice, raspberries, and a touch of herbs on the back end.
Overall: This is starting to show itself off. The structure surprised me a slight bit given the vintage, but, its a lovely wine that has a long ways to go.
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Yeah bummer, should have taken into consideration all of the recent tasting notes here to drink up. This is definitely past its prime and certainly not what it used to be. Red fruit, although muted, with some earth and spice notes. Not much left on the end. Fortunately my last bottle, drink up if you have any left.
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Tasted over 2 day, best on day 2, this wine is entering maturity, all though it is still fresh (very fresh indeed for a 2000), the fruit is warm for a VT, but cool for 2000, still backbone, the cool aristocratic style of the VT is somewhat lacking; still a good, local feel, garrigue and a nice sweet fruit. This will keep, but it is time to drink, IMHO, a surprise, VT is normally a long distance runner.
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Cellared since release. Nice wine but nothing special. Decanted (no sediment really, except what was on stuck on side of bottle). Very clear, maroon color, medium bricking. Very floral nose. Elegant, not very complex, but with lots of red fruit flavors, spice, mineral, medium body. Some tannins remain. Fruit fades over time though, so drink sooner rather than later.
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Ok, As a fan of V.T., I am relieved as this bottle is showing much better than my last one. This bottle has been open a couple of hours now and has an expressive nose. I like the kirsh, garrigue, spice box and olive tapenade flavors along with good acidity and some tannin left in the tank.
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This bottle has been open for several hours and it has a little mustiness on the nose. The wine has been well stored, but this bottle maybe slightly off.
While I am a big fan of Vieux Télégraphe, this seems at times to have turned out to be a mediocre vintage. In my experience, there has been a lot of bottle variation with this vintage.
The fruit, while still there, seems to be fading, so it provides more minerality at this point along with some garrigue, tapenade, and other savory notes.
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This was mush. Past its prime. Cloudy, flat plop. Maybe it wasn't cellared well. Too bad I bought three bottles of this. Would be wary before buying anything this old again without knowing the exact storage conditions.
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Not that different from my tasting note from November 2014. This is one of the few CdP producers that I've kept in my cellar because I find that VT tends to age better than most others and doesn't have that over-ripe, raisiny Grenache profile that I have come to dislike. This 2000 is in-line with that VT profile, showing still-vibrant dark fruits, melted liquorice, and garrige. Not as much nori/seaweed that VT typically shows. It has plenty of life left and should continue to age well and show more tertiary qualities. Barbounia.
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From magnum. Completely bricked, orangy color. Wild, fragrant, brambly red fruit, coarse texture on opening. No improvement with three hour slow-ox, softens but at the expense of fruit and freshness. Next time pop and pour, drink up.
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Last half-bottle and it was time to be drunk. Tasted more like an old burgundy than a CdP. That said, it was a very pleasant pairing with pork tenderloin
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Fully mature, this shows dusty red fruit, leather, herbs and just a subtle hint of tannic structure. It's very easy to drink, making a lovely partner to my cheese plate. There may even be a hint of oxidative decay in there, but it really just makes the wine more complex. Drink now, and enjoy.
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My last bottle. It's been a good ride. I drank a number of them too young, when it was more tannic and austere but they were nice. A bottle in 2007 was a rush - Fruity with aggressive tannin and otherwise a typical VT signature. Some bottles around 2010 seemed to be a little tannic with no fruit. This last bottle showed off some aged sweet fruit and a little, not a lot, of the VT signature flavors to balance. Not the greatest vintage though quite pleasant, perhaps getting close but not quite outstanding. I could imagine some very nice dinners with older bottles. Excellent.
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Dark garnet. Younger than expected at 15 years old but still showing some good development. Spice and red berries on the nose, followed by some fall leaves, cinnamon, beets, and currants.
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Fully developed and time to consume. Lovely with a white bean and lamb stew. Added a splash of 2014 Languedoc rose and it was far nicer. Conclusion is that I waited too long, still it was lovely unsullied but I am looking at my 2001 to 2005's.
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Owned and properly stored since release. At first opening, this was all spirity/minty menthol and vanilla on the nose, perhaps in part because it was still a little cool from the cellar. Those notes held with time but were joined by a floral (violets? lavender?) component. Medium tannins are mostly resolved. Less funk than I often get from Chateauneuf - somewhat elegant. My general perspective is that this is a very nice, fully mature CdP without room to improve - delicious but perhaps even slightly past peak. The lingering impression is that minty/floral thing.
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Open overnight. Still a healthy ruby, with medium legs. Tea-like fruit in the nose, with hints of shoe polish, tomato leaf. Somewhat faded. Primary flavors are gone, leaving somewhat rustic secondary fruit, with somewhat dry, earthy fruit. Good texture, not over the hill but probably past its prime. Not cracking up, I just think it would have been better several years ago. In that context, disappointing. 4-11-15-7: 87/100.
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I admit that I wasn't quite as blown away by this as I had expected to be. But, putting away my perhaps inflated expectations, this was a very fine wine. I decanted it, and it was exposed for a couple of hours although I admit to tasting it along the way. It was thinner and more refined than I thought it would be; perhaps that is the one facet that had been affected by age. Otherwise, it tasted very fresh, no negatives. It did have a middle period where it rose to an incredible level of elegance. Maybe that's it: It did not have the power and heft of typical CDP. It was actually quite an elegant and fine wine. Anyway, I remain a fan of Vieux Telegraphe and look forward to the two other bottles I have at a later date. They should age further just fine.
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Garnet with faded rim. All garrigue-lavender and mint, predominantly. Medium weight, cool, greener elements also are most prominent in the mouth. It's interesting that you feel more than taste the remaining red fruit and a touch of fig. Good acidity and completely resolved tannin. My last bottle of this-very good but definitely time to ring the bell.
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This bottle also has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. On the nose, it is pretty expressive with notes of cherry fruit and garrigue. On the palate, it has nice kirsch, garrigue, green olive and asain spice flavors. Very nice with some years ahead of it yet.
Now that this bottle has been open for several hours, it has become even more complex and delicious. Just like the previous reviewer's experience, I think the wine benefits greatly from several hours of airtime. It now offers more sweet kirsch, forest floor, and dark cherry chocolate fruit.
I am having the 2nd half of this bottle on day two and it continues to drink nicely. I have increased my score slightly.
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Subtle nose of violets, sweet dark fruits, with hints of earth and forest floor. The attack is subdued – a suspended middle weight, which slowly unfolds to reveal some lovely dark fruits with dusting of white and some black pepper. There are some subtle tannins at the end, with a nice medium finish. This is not a big powerful wine. Not a blockbuster. I approach this like a burgundy – subtle, lovely, and unfolding as one swirls the wine in the glass, and repeatedly taste as the wine evolves. With time (one hour or so) this gets even more complex. A bit more assertive. Slightly stronger attack. More bite. Flavor highlights are more kirsch, with more present, slightly gritty, tannins. After two hours, even more lovely and complex. I do think this can use some more age. After two hours, the nose is more pronounced, with lovely dark cherries, dark chocolate, with hints of white pepper, and other aromas I cant quite pinpoint. Complex nose with corresponding taste follows. Nice softer fruit, brambly forest, and other earth tones. And even better after about 3-4 hours. This is a wine that needs to be coaxed. It slowly reveals itself. And when it does, how delicious. My rating kept going up the longer this sat in the glass.
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Tonight's bottle is not showing as well as previous ones. It has been open about two hours. The nose is reserved and on the palate it has notes of cherries, not much garrique, some Asian spices, and kind of a tart finish. May be an off bottle.
On day two, saved in a half bottle, the wine was much better. It is interesting how some wines require a lot of airtime. Tonight, I am getting kirsch, green olive, and rosemary with a medium finish. I increased the score slightly from last evening.
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Drank against Beaucastel 2000 which was a touch better; this was a little softer and more charming; the Beaucastel a bit more structured, with slightly harder Beaucastel-like tannins. Both very good
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Light ruby. Cherry and plums with minimal garrigue. Medium bodied, elegant feel, sound acidity, and for the first time over these many bottles an earthy, mineral filled finish. Very good but not nearly as robust and lively as a bottle a few months ago. This very much gave the impression of being at or very close to the death spiral. The message is that your experience will vary bottle by bottle, which is hardly a shock with 15 year old Chateauneuf.
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Gourmet Night at the Palace. Smelled and tasted pretty funky when I opened and decanted the bottle an hour before dinner. But in the glass, this wone was full-bodied yet elegant. A very delightful surprise
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I've had a few bottles of this over the past year and was pretty much of the mind that it had begun its inexorable gentle decline, but this bottle gave me pause. Grenadine colored. Absolutely glorious and complex aromatics over the first 2 hours it was open-plummy fruit, brown spices, and the perfume of maturity. No brett as has been present in several recent bottles, and only after a couple of hours did more menthol/garrigue notes insert themselves. Perfect weight and feel, which is to say medium bodied but expressing ripeness without alcohol or heaviness. Pure, beautiful red fruit and citrus drop backed up by tobacco leaf and potpourri with faded tannins and excellent acidity. The fruit did begin to involute after the 3 hour mark.
Forgive me if this note sounds like a nostalgic elegy to an ideal of Chateauneuf that no longer exists, but drinking this wine made me both very happy and very sad simultaneously. Elated since this captures the exceptionally intriguing array of aromas and flavors that made me fall in love with the appellation originally, disheartened to observe that 15 years later this has all been distorted by too much wood, ripeness, alcohol, and extraction. It is truly a shame, but that did not detract from the greatness of this bottle at this meal.
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brown rim, dark core dakr cherries and leather on the nose - fresh smelling refreshing, quite light, sweet warm fruit some dark choc long Maturing nicely. Harmonious
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Decanted at restaurant with significant sediment captured. Could let sit for 2 hours I'm sure but tasted after 30 minutes. Earth pepper cherry on the nose. Amazing tannin and acid and tapenade flavors on the front palate, pepper and dark fruit and a little strawberry on the back, v long 30 sec+ finish to a peppery finish. Super terrific.
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Excellent showing, the best in recent memory for this wine. Poured into a decanter at the restaurant, I tasted a small glass right at uncorking and it was fabulous from the get-go and only improved with air. The fruit here is still vibrant, and is mixed with all sorts of autumnal nuances like twigs and spice and dried leaves, along with salted meat notes. There are still some tannins to resolve on the back end. The fruit is dark cherry and raspberry and shows just a hint of raisined Grenache, just a hint. Very well received at the table. I've found many 2000 CdPs to be boring, but this one is showing plenty of power. L'Apicio with Bruce, Neil and Michel.
Rumors of its demise are premature. This wine still has plenty of life ahead of it. Classic VT with a hint of youth. That said, it is drinking beautifully now. Drink or hold for a couple of years.
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From a half, browning at the rim and on this showing in this format perhaps beginning to lose some fruit. All the VT qualities but slightly muted and drying.
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Decanted for only about half an hour. Quite a bit of sediment causing the wine to be somewhat opaque. Fruit was quite subdued, other than that, the wine was excellent in every way. Time to drink up.
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A bit disappointing this time. I had this wine about a month ago and it was showing great. This particular bottle showed a fruit forward direction with much less nuances and typical characteristics that we love in CdP.
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Mediocre showing. Showed some sweet, stewed Grenache notes, not pruney but almost there, without much of the iodine/seaweed notes that make VT unique. Brought to Brooklynguy's place.
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breathed in the bottles for 3+ hrs, and drank over 2 hrs dinner.
light red color. beautiful nose of floral, herb and mineral. upon first serving, it was on the light body, silky tannin/ balanced acidity. it gained weight on palate towards the end of dinner (similar to the 1st bottle tt i drank 1+yr ago). it is drinking very well now. excellent bottle!
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Magnum. Garnet. Some introductory funk, but this quickly cleaned up to floral tones and light red fruit. Medium weight, balanced, savory feel, excellent length. At its peak, even from a larger format bottle.
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Second one out of my stash, even better than last time and certainly one of the best 2000's, I have tasted; it has a core of coolness and minerality, that i I love along with the tell-tale notes of garrigue and sweet fruit - it is almost up there with the 98. It is still very young and primary, but not difficult to drink now. In complete harmony and no sign of the heat of the vintage. Much more to come, but if you love the fresh fruit now is a good time, I think. (with AD at Apriarys, NYC)
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Light ruby. Cleaner than a bottle a few weeks ago. Light red fruit and herbs. Savory, complex, elegant and long. At a perfect place. More supple than the 2000 Pegau alongside it.
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Last bottle. Popped and poured directly from the cellar. Medium transparent ruby. Smells of boules, flowers and garrigue. Tastes minerally with secondary notes of herbs and flowers underlying the subtle sweet kirsch fruit. This wine is fully mature and delicious. Long finish. Sometimes the earlier bottles seemed somewhat clunky. This one definitely is not. The acids here and the tannins provide some nice grip.
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I was young(er), poor(er), and less knowledgeable, so I only bought 1 bottle. Damn. Black fruit, violets, a little strawberry and a hint of Rose on the nose; flavours to match. I see no reason to rush, this is drinking beautifully.
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As before, the wine has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. Notes of kirsch on the nose and the same on the palate along with garrigue and asain spices. Very delicious drinking right now. Consistent notes for the past couple of bottles.
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Red center, browning rim. A touch of funk, but mostly secondary aromas of leather, tobacco leaf, and light herbs. Very pleasing middle weight and feel. Brown spices, coffee, and that strong tobacco/licorice core. The finish isn't perfectly clean or long. This is old fashioned, savory, complex, mature Chateauneuf without artifice. When I last tasted it in late 2012, I hoped it would last for another 3 or 4 years, and by golly, it seems to be holding at a plateau, although the less than harmonious finish may indicate that it has entered its downward slide.
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Garnet color; quite clearly aged. Fleeting aromas of hot stones, fennel, a metallic aspect, and some of the dried seaweed characteristic of this vineyard. Palate evolves continuously: at first, nothing fruit-like at all, then it comes in, recedes, and reappears. My overall impression however is not one of 'fruitiness'--indeed, sometimes the fruit has tinges of raisin about it. Slightly drying tannins. Moderate length. Mature, in my view.
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This bottle has been open for about an hour now. The bottle, like the last couple, has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. Notes of kirsch, garrigue and asain spices. Very delicious drinking right now. The Grenache is not as chewy this time. It is more harmonious than before. A lovely bottle of VT.
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Very similar to my tasting note from Oct 2013. I poured and let this sit for 30 minutes. I enjoyed it from the first sip, but it kept getting better and better. The palate has relaxed, the texture is silky, and deep cherry and black and red raspberry notes emerge from the deep palate. There are some dried spices mixed in, along with some notes of soy, and not much of the nori/iodine/seaweed aspect that is unique to many vintages of Vieux Telegraphe. At one point, the red fruit is so deep and pure that I am reminded of Rayas. Just a lovely, honest, Old World expression of Chateauneuf. UPDATE: I poured half the bottle into a .375, corked it and refrigerated for two nights. The wine did not survive this process. It was raisiny and uninteresting. This wine is at peak and should be consumed in one sitting.
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Bright orange color - very mature. On the palate, it has silky, soft tannins, spiciness, zesty acidity garrigue, dark fruits, rosemary, fennel. Quite earthy. The granache is a little chewy in a good way. A very mellow CdP. I think I need to pull more corks on the remaining bottles that I have of this wine and enjoy them before they get too much older.
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Deep, dark garnet in color with no signs of aging. Fragrant, attractive, developed & complex nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & kirsch with garrigue overtones, floral notes, Provençal herbs notes of rosemary, fennel & lavender, stony/earthy, spice notes of cinnamon & pepper, leather, minerals and a hint of barnyard undertones in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, ripe, dark fruit flavors of blackberries, cherries & plummy, pepper, spices, herbs, earthy, minerals and a touch of oak. Smooth lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present and should hold for several more years although any further development would be limited.
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A good but not excellent Chateauneuf. It has some fruit, some herbal elements, some earthiness and is well developed in terms of softening tannin and overall harmony. It is however lacking in the mid-palate and finish where it comes across as more than a little watery/thin. Not much depth here.
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Grabbed another bottle for this weekend, since the one we opened the other day was so darn good. This vintage VT has entered a perfect window for drinking--all the elements are present: the primary fruit has subsided, leaving all of the terroir driven elements that are unmistakable in a VT. I can't predict how long this will last, so my plan is to drink this at every opportunity.
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Opened and decanted for about an hour. This is drinking extremely well--hint of garrique, some barnyard and that unmistakable VT hint of what I call fennel/cinnamon.
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Good colour, not the deepest but not much fade either; very perfumed red fruits on the nose alongside good quality leather, mushrooms and undergrowth. Not really powerful but very charming; silky texture on the palate, lovely complex maturing berried flavours and saddle leather. Tannins very fine - drink now, no point in keeping longer. A little heat on the finish.
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A lovely autumn 3-day weekend called for this bottle, resting in my cellar since release. Two years since I last opened this wine. Uncorked and sat in the glass for about an hour, the bouquet is like a garden, both flowers and soil notes. This is showing lovely red fruit, somewhat aged but still precise, the red fruit still showing a core of sweetness, along with complex secondary notes. Not as much peat, iodine and seaweed notes that I find to be very typical of Vieux Telegraphe in almost every vintage, the palate is more dried spices than marine. The texture here is relaxed, although the wine has years left to ride out this plateau. As usual, the last glass, at about the 5 hour mark, was by far the best, with the fruit more focused and surrounded by lovely complexities.
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A good, not great, VT. Still strong dark garnet color. Nose has some garrigue, herbs, spice. Gentle in the mouth, round and smooth, tannins mostly resolved. Fully mature, it is a fine wine but nothing to write home about. Decent finish. 4-12-16-7: 89/100
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Seems like there's some bottle variation in the TNs here. This bottle is superb. Beautifully peaking with stong notes of tobacco leaf, green pepper, lavender and herbs de Provence. This bottle is clean, with hints of garrigue, but the overall impression is of clean, ripe, layered and tertiary-nuanced, mature fruit. The best ChdP I've enjoyed in quite a while. Hugely better than than the 99 tasted recently. A pleasant surprise. 93pts pure quality, 94pts personal preference. Next evening - this is oxidizing quickly, so drink up.
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Medium red. Young fruity, herbal nose: cranberry compote, garrigue, leafy. On entry, lean fruit and medium tannin; unbalanced. Flavors are medium-light in intensity but correct for grenache-dominated blends. Tobacco and elevated tannin in the finish; typically, grenache tannin of this level does not dissipate with time in a friendly way. Drink now. Bottle #2 of three.
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour. Dark red core, lighter/brighter at rim but no bricking. Cherry and tobacco on the nose. Medium body, cherry and tobacco follow the nose with a bit of forest floor to add complexity, nicely balanced, hint of ashy tannins on the back palate, medium finish. Holds its own over a few hours without any fading, developing a bit more complex sweetness and a hint of chocolate. In a nice spot now and should continue to drink well, perhaps becoming more complex, over the next 5-10 years. Outstanding.
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decanted 2 hours before drinking. This vintage is at it's peak or just starting to decline right now in my opinion. The fruit is starting to fade along with the acid which leads me to wonder if it will be flat in 3-5 years. THere were some wonderful secondary earthy and mushroom flavors that have taken over
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Decanted 2 hours. Expectations were high, but I should have read my own note from last year. This bottle gave the same impression. Nose that definitely opened with the decant, but an unfocussed palate put a damper on things. Still, it had plenty of red cherry fruit, nice tannic structure and a little acid and went very nicely with Brussel sprout/asparagus risotto and grilled pork tenderloin.
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Nose: berry, plum, chocolate Palate: light fruit on the top deepening into a mocha/chocolate dominated finish, thick texture in the middle. Had a few hot moments
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Medium ruby in color. Smells of sous bois and old leather. This needs to be open for an hour before it shows what it has. My perception of Vieux Telegraphe is that it generally takes longer to mature than most other Chateauneufs. When young it is fairly hard and muted. With age, they finally come around, but it takes awhile. This tastes of subdued grenache/cherry fruit, garrigue, lavender and leather. Acids are becoming soft and the tannins are still present. To me this bottle is just ok. Not great even after 3 hours of air. This just doesn't measure up compared to the 2003 Pegau Reservee we had just the other night.
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PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and Day 2 -bright med red, minimal bricking -vibrant aromatics, red fruited grenache, touch of iodine, garrigue-y herbal -med acidity, med concentration/weight, tannins mostly resolved, red fruit, moderately complex with early tertiary development, touch of heat on backend, with decent length. Started falling apart on Day 2. -great nose, reaching full maturity
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Consistent with the last bottle, expressive kirsch and brambly fruit nose. Extracted blackberry fruit on the palate, really opened up after a few hours in the decanter.
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Purple/garnet. Fragrant, maturing Grenache on the nose. Black cherry, plum and a touch of Asian spice. On the palate; tannic with a touch of astringency/dryness. Less charming than the 2001/1998, but still impressive. Better with food. Perhaps one to drink up, or alternatively leave for a while, could be going through a ‘difficult’ period.
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A rich nose of dark cherry and kirsch with a hint of leather. Rich, saturated blackberry fruit, kirsch liquor, blueberry compote exhibiting a sweet mid-palate. Finish is a bit light, but overall very solid.
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Quite evolved garnet hue, gamey animal nose, plenty of vivid intensity but not the finesse or purity of the 2001 served alongside. Delicious current drinking and recognisably Chateauneuf in a funky animal way. Good depth at peak now.
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Grenadine color. Crystallized lavender and strong tobacco note. Relatively light, elegant and above all, dry despite being perfectly ripe. Wonderful acidity that carries it. The fruit has definitely lost its primary character. Third time tasted this year, and all of my notes attest to its great consistency and lovely state of development. I trust (and hope) that it will maintain this peak for another 3 or 4 years.
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Brick / ruby. Sophisticated CdP with an exotic flair. Red fruits and stones in a medium bodied wine that shows good sweetness and little evidence of the rubber tire that frequently penalizes this vintage. Nice and a big step up from last experience with this wine. (92)
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Classic CDP showing its maturity perfectly now. Dark almost brown-tinged but still robust color. Slight chocolate and sandalwood nose giving way to forest berries. Well interested tannins and a touch of spice on the palate make this a very pleasurable if not terribly complex wine. Drink now or hold a bit but unlikely to improve.
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Pacific Point Wine Tasting Club - Barbera Night: Garnet color with aromatic spice, mineral dark fruit, and oak aromas. On the palate, it's medium full-bodied, smooth, and round with blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Long finish. 14% alcohol
Ready to drink. while this wine may evolve more, you can certainly pop it now and not be disappointed. More forward than many VT but still a long and interesting finish.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape Dinner: Generic, large Chateauneuf fruit. The palate is nice though, with pleasing dark fruits, tart, grippy acidity, and quite pretty overall. Soft strawberry fruit is noted. The finish is nice and lightly funky, with a tartness. Grippy, but very pleasing acidity permeates this one.
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Mature garnet color. Decanted for abt45, drank over 2 hrs. Aromatic CdP nose, herb. Medium n silky finish, integrated tannin. It tastes sweeter toward the end. It is drinking well now, very enjoyable!!
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Maturing color. Very complex aromatics of secondary fruit, light herbs and a strong tobacco leaf component. Medium weight, long, subtle and savory. Terrific and classic-just about ideal for 12 year old Chateauneuf.
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Decanted 2 hours and drunk over 2 nights. Another wine that's been 2 years since the last. Expressive CdP nose. Palate on this bottle was a bit muddied. Fruit was again medium bodied and had a soft texture, though tannins still present. Lacked acidity and verve. Low complexity and length. Served with homemade pizza along side a Saves Rose and this went almost untouched (thus the night 2 notes). Hope this is a 'dumb' phase -- other recent '00 CdPs have rocked.
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Mature garnet center with an orange/pink rim. You can almost smell the sun radiating off the large stones of the vineyard. This is complemented by roasted herbs and very ripe fruit. Silky mouthfeel - certainly a hot vintage wine. To be honest, I think this bottle is overdone - something I rarely encounter with VT. But there are certainly prunes on the palate. There is some acid but not enough to counter the hot flavor profile. One of the worst bottles of VT I have had. Fans of big, ripe CDP will like this a lot more. (78)
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Cassoulet and Vieux Telegrape 98-01 (Reno, NV): Before decanting this wine seemed a bit overripe in its fruit… with 30 minutes in the decanter it gained a lot more focus and delineation losing a lot of the overripe aromas… my notes were similar to two years ago with a couple of exceptions… noticed less depth of color and less extraction at rim, less brett. This wine still remains very firm in structure for the vintage and a bit adolescent and unevolved but with good underlying depth of flavor and structure. This thing has to flip from adolescent to adult sometime soon?
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This was the surprise of a VT vertical. Although not wotn, it was damn close. Fresh, meaty and extremely herbal. Silken palate, resolved tannin. At peak and in check. Probably has ten good years at this level and it's awesome. Would buy if I could find it.
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Opened this bottle, my oldest of a verticle from this date to present. Stiff and tanic out of the bottle, but over an hour to an hour and half, opened up, the tannins softened and fruit, and eventually, chocolate came out. Very enjoyable. Tannins show that more time in the bottle will probably work too.
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Horizontal Tasting of 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape (San Francisco): Structurally very similar to Les Cailloux-lighter weight and full of green, herbal components. Long, balanced and smooth. Seems close to peak. I thought this was pretty classic and wonderful.
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Still young but has shed it's baby fat and is starting to show that hreat Cdp profile of meat, blood, iodine, smoke and garrigue. This is drinking really nice now but may improve over the next few years.
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Open for business after an hour in the glass; very old school, very La Crau, loads of garrigue, pepper, cherry and darker fruits also, good grip here and also length and depth. Neuf at it's best. Quite firm for the vintage, will live for another ten years, but no mortal sin to drink it now.
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Popped and poured into 2 375s. The first was not opened for about 32 hours, so it had some slow O'ing for quite a while. Lovely medium ruby, transparent at the rim. Smells of sweet cherry fruit, garrigue and stones. Tastes like it smells plus you can add in some leather and earth from the Mourvedre in this wine. This wine has fairly firm tannins and should improve for some years to come. Very loing finish. Excellent wine.
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Fall Fest Wines (Larry's): Another CdP that is mature and IMO has morphed into a wine better than I thought it might be in its youth. Clean nose with black and red raspberries and still some floral notes. Not as much funk. On the palate, clean with lots of layering. Complex fruit and earthiness intertwined. Nice balance. Seems to be peaking.
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I meant to open the 2000 Vieux Donjon, not the 2000 Vieux Telegraphe, yet this was great. Seems more resolved than a bottle earlier this year, showing a mix of red and black fruits, pepper and iodine. Not as much seaweed/nori notes as one might find in Telegraphe, but the iodine is towards that element. The palate is cohesive, smooth around the sides and showing its age, yet there is still plenty of fortitude here, as well as fruit, to keep developing in the cellar. No degradation over night after pouring half the bottle in a .375 and sealing it. Another 2000 Chateauneuf that is showing very well presently, and this one adds class and uniqueness.
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I think my 2009 note captured this fairly well. Needs a little air, but opens nicely to a classic C du P, if perhaps a little sweet for my current tastes.
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11 years old and still a bit tight. Has grip. Muted nose with some herbaceousness. Tannins and acids are there balancing the wine. Tastes of leather, minerals, earth. The fruit is muted, but the wine is tasty. I think this wine still has room for improvement.
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Before going into the decanter: Sweet Grenache nose. Subdued and aged. On the palate, not a hint of fruit. It’s quite hollow, like it’s missing an essential component almost. Consists of white pepper and hints of garrigue. It all pulls together nicely for the finish. Still subdued, but showing more complexity with hints of black tea, blackcurrant, roasted herbs. After 2 hours this has more complexity. Tannins softened, blonde tobacco with some blackberry lurking in the background. Delicate, beautiful.
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Popped and poured: Garnet red, yellowish rim, 5½. Archetypical intense old school C9P nose, garrigue, red fruits, game. Harmonious taste, fine juicyness, some tannins. Very well balanced. Drink now - 2016
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This was not quite as pristine as a terrific bottle last summer, seeming to have a touch of brett that cut off the finish. Medium weight, and still a lovely mix of fruit, herbs and acidity, though.
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Big and brawny at first, with underbrush, pepper and alcohol sticking out; needs to smooth out. With a couple of hours of air, raspberry fruit, red and black fruit, lots of acidity and lots of pepper. On the second night, really impressive, no degradation overnight, with a core of solid raspberry fruit, very woodsy and spicy, with terrific underlying structure that is just starting to soften. Long on the palate, juicy acidity on the sides, good grip. Long finish of minerals and spices. Plenty of depth, class and fortitude. I’m very impressed with how good this is showing right now, but it still has plenty of time to go longer in the cellar. This is rocking.
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Luscious garnet color with good legs. Has the gorgeous olive, garrigue and animal smells I so love in the wines from this region. Nose is at perfect pitch right now. And it all carries right over onto the palate, with rich, voluptuous, mouthfilling red fruit flavors all in fine balance with wood and acid. Nice long finish. Not a blockbuster but it doesn't have to be when it is this wonderful. Drinking beautifully at it's peak but should remain here for years. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
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This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker, whose wines are notorious for being cellared in pristine fashion. The color is medium-to-deep garnet and the nose shows moderately intense aromas of raspberries, lavender, underbrush and dust. Medium-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium dusty tannins and flavors mirroring the nose. The middle is solid and the smooth finish is medium-to-long. This particular bottle was a bit more advanced than the bottle which Marshall served up 10/15/10. Drink now-12/14.
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This is really starting to hit its stride - a touch of maturity on the nose and the palate with lots of crushed black olives, aniseed and spices - the fruit and structure are blending really well right now, leaving a wine that is still substantial and warming but without any visible heat or weight. Excellent balance. No rush to drink either - still has years left.
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Decanted for about an hour before dinner. Surprisingly young and primary with red and black berries predominant. The fruit is sweet and slightly jammy, but not too much for my palate. Upon opening there were savory notes of green olive and bacon, but these took more of a background role with air. Drinking nicely now, but I won't open another bottle for a few years.
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From left over bottle, overnight. The nose is kinda fading, but the palate is getting better as the underlying sweet dark fruits, in fact, stew cherry fruits started to come out from the shell and merged together with the oak and tannin, but it was still powdery and dusty, with rustic, slight rough edge profile that added with some juicy tones, better but not necessary much better than yesterday. I have this weird feeling that the condition of this bottle is not perfect. Buy - No.
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This has opened for at least 4hours and still very tight, especially on the palate. The nose has this stew cherry tones that I often found in 2000, with touch of rustic core surrounded by roasted herb, blood, game. The palate is absolutely unyielding, dominating by oak and powdery tannin that mask the underlying fruits, formed a dusty mouth feel, rustic old school CDP profile with meatiness, earthiness flow on to the medium length finished. Buy - No.
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BW/WE Annual Riesling Dinner (Golden Beach Seafood Restaurant, Changi Golf Club): Third time with this wine, and it was probably the best showing. Dumped into the decanter for barely an hour, it was still amazingly young and tight, but boy, it was gorgeous old school stuff. Lovely nose showed floral notes of violets, lavender and garrigue layered over dark fruited black cherry and blueberry scents. The palate matched the nose stride by stride. Still so tight, clearly with lots of inner workings still coiled tightly around the mid-palate, but even then, there were lovely flavours of sappy dark cherries and black berries, spice and earth, some meaty notes, all clean, pure and juicy and wrapped around the most velvety of tannins. Classy stuff. After all the big, modern Grenache-fueled CdPs we have had recently, this was such a wonderful relief. Nice concentration, good fruit sweetness, yet not a touch confected or alcoholic. It went beautifully with our pork chop dish too. I enjoyed it very much on the day. However, unlike many of the 2000s, which have started opening up very nicely, this wine has some way to go yet. I would probably pin 2015 as a good time to start popping bottles.
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Decanted and poured, this wine showed well but seemed more advanced than previous bottles tasted in the past two years. The aromatics shows a combination of of raspberry, thyme, leather, rocks and spice notes. The color is a medium brick to dark ruby. the medium/full bodied palate shows good balance with a medium lengthy finish. The both the palate and bouquet show a maturing quality. Tannins remain present on the finish. This is at or around its peak and is not likely to benefit from additional bottle age.
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pleasant nose , medium bodied clean taste .....spice , some sweetness cranberries and a hint of strawberries, chewy day 2 nice herbs and floral scents on the palate
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Color: Dark purple Nose: Spice, floral, red currants Taste: Some sweetness with spice and raspberries present Finish: Floral, pepper, intense spices and a touch of sweetness Evaluation: Solid wine with no flaws 90 points
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Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker. It was decanted and serially tasted over 2-3 hours. Medium garnet in color, the wine showed a fairly intense nose of raspberries, garrigue and dry earth and clove. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium (slightly astringent) tannins and red fruit and mineral-driven flavors. The middle palate is solid and the finish, while a bit dry, is quite long. Drink now-12/15.
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Moderate depth of color, moderate amount of extraction at the rim that has tints of bricking. Aromatically the wine is quite closed showing a little bit of fruit, little bit of dried herb, some funk, no obvious new oak use... on the palate the wine has moderate + acidity, a firmish midpalate that transitions into a moderately tannic finish, moderate ETOH. Wine is on the firm side balance wise with the hard elements of the wine (acids and tannins) exceeding soft elements (ripeness of fruit, ETOH), good length and intensity, there is complexity in there but all the elements of this wine are quite muted. Wine has finesse, is texturally appropriate, flowing but firm, good expression of place. Time in the decanter helped this a bit, the fruit became more defined, a little more funk... but the wine remained shut down all night. Tonight drinking "very good" with potential to be "outstanding," try again in 2-4 years.
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Deep burgundy color. Strong nose of garrigue, licorice, earth with some heat. Full & rich on the palate, nice depth, tons of garrigue, black cherry, herbs & spices. Lovely complexity, long mouthwatering, spicy finish showing a little heat. Lots of character, robust and rustic. Definitely much more open than a bottle from one year ago, but needs some time to soften up a little, unless you like a big, robust wine to drink now. This was fun to drink.
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Decanted 2 hours. Brown/orange red. Plenty of red fruit, funk and spice on the nose. Palate has medium intensity fruit that starts strong, but thins out a bit in the midpalate. Structure is present in spades, giving this an almost rustic texture, so the acidity and especially the tannins may be overshadowing the fruit at the moment. Really good penetration and length. Sense of complexity is there, but not in harmony at this stage. Bolder than many '00s. Will wait a couple years to try again.
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Cellar Raid (ExtraSpace @ Boon Keng): Elegant but rich and juicy with plush currants, velvety black plums and slight hint of spices. The classiest in the lot.
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Cellar Raid: Grenache and Sangiovese (Extra Space, Singapore): One of the stars of the show on the day, and certainly the classiest wine. This very much made up for the corked bottle the last time round. Nose was still tight and unyielding. Lots of almost chalky mineral in true VT style, along with peppery spice and a nice dose of garrigue. Lovely classic lines on the palate. All still tight and subtle, but lots of quality, with dark cherry flavours, savoury meat and a super-long finish full of that lovely minerality, more meaty notes and a whiff of cigar smoke. Good concentration throughout, elegant balance, a really nice wine. Unlike many of the 2000 CdPs which are just so appealing now, this seemed to be just beginning to open up, and I would really give it another 4-5 years to hit peak.
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I know it’s corked as the cork is pulled but no sign of tca contamination in the wine after an hour. First sip shows no maturation, almost like a barrel sample with lots of earthy soil, a minor roasted quality and a disjointed tannic feel. Undrinkable. After two days in the fridge, subtle whiff of tca before warming and it just gets worse from there.
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Decanted. Bricking reddish brown color. Garrigue, earth, red fruits and seaweed on the nose. On the palate, almost restrained dark fruits, earth and mineral. Less exhuberant red fruits on the palate then previous bottles, but the trade-off is a much more balanced wine. Excellent.
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Darker than the last bottle. Gorgeous mixture of both red and black fruits with complicating herbal tones. Poised middle weight, sappy darker finish, excellent length. Over the past year or so, this has just continued to move from strength to strength. I'm glad I still have the better part of a case left.
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I was hoping for a bit more excitement out of this bottle based on some recent notes. A little bit roasted on first open, this gains freshness with air. Nice notes of white pepper and garrigue lead to a pure, clean, straightforward Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Very pretty and proper, classy for sure, but lacking some excitement.
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What a wine! Dark, brooding, spicy, incredibly long finish. Should continue to improve for many more years. WS gave it only an 85, eight years ago, which just goes to show that you have to trust your palate because the pros can be way off the mark .
Initially the nose was big, sweet and rich that reminded me of a strawberry fruit roll but as it sat in the glass the flamboyancy stepped back and what emerged were black currants, clove and spice. Lush and velvety on the palate with dark fruit, honey, cedar and more spice. The finish is medium long with peppery red fruits.
This was a totally different experience from my last bottle but it was drank from a magnum and in an outdoor setting, which could have accounted for differences.
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Drank along side another CdP that tasted more like an old Cotes du Rhone compared to this. This had wonderful structure and could easily last another 10-15 years with good storage. Wish I had better notes for this as it was really a special wine.
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Drank alongside a 2000 Usseglio Mon Aieul and this one showed better. Gorgeous nose of red and black fruits and garrigue, medium to full-bodied palate that fleshed out with time. Still had some grippy tannins, so I think this has a chance to get even better with a few more years.... now I just have to keep my hands off of my last bottle!
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Medium red with lighter rim. Beautiful aroma of raspberry and a whiff of funk. Not at all '00 in character-elegant feel, pure fruit, fresh acidity, low tannin, and not too sweet or alcoholic. I get less of the herbal background than I have in the past. A winner and the best showing yet for this wine, which has kept on improving as I've tasted through bottles over the past 3 years or so.
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Superb on the nose -- really filled out and funky. Somewhat less complexity in the mouth; decent length, not terribly big; slightly noticeable alcohol, but not overwhelming. Flavours disappointing relative to a striking nose, but a solid wine.
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Wow...Great. Light, young fruit, especially for a ten year old wine. No air, just popped and poured. Vibriant young subtle fruits...kiwi, stawberry, blueberries, spice, nice light acidity and tannins....great balance and very light mouthfeel. Nice stuff...would buy more on auction.
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Open for 20 minutes before drinking over the next hour from the bottle. Aromas of earth, minerals, garrigue and nori. On the palate earth, red fruits and black fruits abound. Touch of barnyard, provencal herbs and minerals. Still has a strong acid component (as compared to my last tasting of it in 2007), but the different components are harmonizing now. This could have stood decanting because it definitely improved as dinner progressed. Excellent.
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Drank at Susans with Tina Burrows. Hitting its stride at the 10 year point. Very smooth. Mid to dark translucent purple color. Spicy CDP aromas and flavors that held constant over the hour or so the bottle lasted. At or very close to peak and should hold another 5 to 10 years. Good stuff!
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Good showing. Needs a few more years. While the fruit is no longer primary, the palate is not that giving, and the wine is not yet at the point of softness and fuzzy texture that I like in CdP. Long, spicy-sweet finish hints to its future potential. Lots of red fruit and spice, tannins still there, vibrant acidity. In other words, the complete package of ingredients, but it needs to simmer a bit longer and become a bit more cohesive. Great potential. Try again in two or three years.
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I opened this after having had a weak bottle of the '00 VT two months ago, and I wanted to check if that had been a fluke. Yes, it was. The '00 VT is excellent and in a great place today. A nose of dried flowers carries over to a palate showing plenty of red fruit and spice, garrigue, and a bit of sweet tobacco, coming together nicely into a cohesive, well proportioned and very balanced palate. Less of the iodine/seaweed that VT often shows, more juicy, vibrant red fruit and spice. Lots of juicy acidity here, and still-strong tannin surrounded by fruit; this wine has ages to go. Like a stallion just getting started.
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Kicking back on the rooftop (Shane's, chicago IL): nose: great nose with lots of garrigue, black cherries, black fruits, roast beef, saddle leather and cracked pepper tones. Great depth and extremely well balanced with a real classic nose right now
taste: Excellent medium feel with good tannins and well balanced tones of garrigue, black cherries, roast beef, along with a whole lot of incense and perfume tones that seem to explode on the mid palate. Real good depth along with the feeling being fairly suave makes this fairly drinkable right now
overall: still a young CdP, this was very drinkable with a good decant. This comes off as entering what should be a long window and it should offer even more in another 5 years
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Six Vintages of Vieux Telegraphe (Vin Vino, Palo Alto): Healthy color, not much lighter than the youngest trio of wines. Immediately some secondary fragrance accompanying ripe whole red berries. Garrigue comes later. Middle weight, savory and not overly sweet, elegant feel for a wine from this vintage. Showing beautifully now, and in fact, my favorite wine of the flight, edging out the '07 (although it is likely that wine will overtake it with time). I've tried one of these a year, and it is still on an upward trajectory.
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Tasting of Rhône and some blinds by the DRC-club (Brugweg - Velp): When just poored, this wine gave a little shock. Is this good? But this was mainly because it was the first wine in the flight of reds, right after the white Hermitage (Chave, 2002). What power in the nose! But to be honest: not my type of wine. A little too much. I guess they tried to please Parker a little too much...
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It seems that this wine is starting to round into form. Althought not giving much on the nose at first, this bottle did start to show a bit of mouvedre funk, only a bit, and seemed dominated by grenache. A middle weight wine with good balance. It should be interesting as this develops.
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Served at cellar temperature with no decant. Dark color, seems closed - but with the stuffing for something pretty good. Hard to tell if this just needs time or is not all there. Next time give it some air. B+/A-
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A disappointing bottle. One-dimensional plum fruit, and nowhere is the trademark Vieux Telegraphe iodine, seaweed/nori, pepper and spice flavors that were so prevalent in recent bottles of the '95 and '99 VT. This bottle lacked dimension, nuance and energy. Aeration didn't do much to make this wine come alive. I'm hoping that this was a bad bottle only, as 2000 VT should be screaming good right now.
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Nez complexe. De la lavande et de la menthe fraiche qui complètent les classiques aromes de fraises et de garrigue.
La bouche est d'un très bel équilibre. Un cnp au style traditionnel, plein, belle richesse, savoureux, rien en trop et aucun alcool perceptible. La finale est sur les cerises à noyaux et la garrigue, d'une bonne longueur. Rien de spectaculaire, un beau vin authentique et typé. Un régal pour l'amateur. Le soleil de Provence pour réchauffer cet été maussade. 92 pts
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2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape tasting (Extra Space, Singapore): TCA. Not a huge amount, but a real pity. Under the wet cardboard and fish guts, I got a shy, woody nose with little remnants of perfume, savoury meat, plums and a touch of licorice. Palate, as one would expect, was flat and rather lifeless, just acid, along with touches of funk, licorice, quince and a metallic tinge all along the spine of the wine. Truncated finish linger with a touch of bittersweetness.
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This wine was decanted and poured about a half hour later. The bouquet shows concentrated raspberry, blackberry, smoke, granite and spice notes. The color is dark ruby. It is correct for the wines age. The medium/full bodied palate shows receding primary characteristics and the evolution to a more mature stage for this wine. Tannins remain present on the finish giving this structure. This wine is currently showing well with decanting. This is at or near its peak and should continue to drink well over the next 5 to 10 years.
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A deep, dark red color. Not a wine for the timid as aromas of Spice cookies, toast, bacon fat and black pepper burst from the glass. The fruit on the nose is almost an afterthought and shows as a mix of currant and dried plum. Medium bodied on the palate with raspberry fruit, cedar and spicy clove. The finish is long and lingering with a bit of rough tannin. This is drinking great now but could probably stand another year or two before it hits its plateau. It took about an hour to show it's true colors but it was worth the wait.
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Closed out of magnum. Pure red fruits, not particularly concentrated, fresh but not particularly long. I think will turn into something nice, but no reason to open for a number of years.
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Nice, complex nose of raspberries, blackberries, meat, smoke and tobacco. Medium bodied. A bit too sweet for my taste. A nice, though not especially long finish. A very good wine with some positive evolution ahead, but I'll start to work through my stash with some gusto.
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Wine Salon - Rhone (Chez Brian): This was more like it. Lovely nose of herbs and smoked meats, blackberry fruit, and a nice frame that should support many more years of graceful ageing.
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NOSE: rich dark red fruits provide the framework for ample spice and pepper notes; a secondary hint of Italian herbs brought-up the finish of this still-tight bouqet.
BODY: garnet color of medium depth; medium-full bodied; superfine particulate matter was suspended in the wine.
TASTE: more acidic than the '98 Clos des Papes; serious tobacco and dark raspberry flavors, as well as a complex earthy element; medium-long finish; well-balanced. A beautiful wine that still hasn't hit its peak yet. I would hold for a few more years, or give a long decant if drinking now. This easily beat-out its '01 and '05 brethren which were also served blind at this tasting. Tied for my #3 WOTN.
B: 50, 5, 12, 17, 8 = 92
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Blind CDP Tasting at Edina Country Club: Nose: Spicy with some red fruit and a little perfumy quality. Nose was somewhat closed. Palate: Bright red fruit and soft. Finishes rather quickly.
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Just love the VT. Didn't expect this to show so well in its youth. Drank from a .375. Silky sweet mouthfeel; dark fruit, cassis and perhap a little peat.
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Expressive aromatic nose, classic CdP. Bright pure fruit with some dirt. Slight sour note of the midpalate. Palate adds some earth and cedar notes, with some gritty tannins. Finish is medium length medium complexity mostly fruit and mineral slate notes. Overall a nicely drinking CdP, still with some perceptible tannins, and some bothersome heat. Drinking nicely now, might improve, unsure as I haven't had older wines from this producer.
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Medium red. Lots of cassis and raspberries, a hint of anise. Very bordeaux like? Very clean and a long dry finish. Like an over proof claret. Very good wine.
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(from memory) Dark purple/red, some oxidation on the nose but mixed with raspberry, spice, black plum and soda, palate is remarkably tight and dominated by saline fruit, plenty of tannins still in place, rolling finish with tons of character
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Very dark red. Nose of dark fruit, leather, and peppercorns. Good complexity. Nice monthfeel, clean, balanced, elegant. Tastes of black plums. Not a long finish, but a highly pleasing one. A beautiful bottle of this wine, the first of 18. Drinking very well now to my tastes, though no hurry to drink up.
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Oh my, this half bottle was so much better than one a year and a half ago. Maturing color. Nose of lavender, rosemary, and menthol. Smooth feel with ripe (but not overripe) dark fruit, licorice, and crisp acidity. Out of this format, a very enjoyable drink now. Excellent Chateauneuf which is better suited to the table than to a comparative tasting where it would not necessarily stand out from the crowd.
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2 half bottles, prior to opening both believed/known to be heat damaged.
Half A: Decent nose, sweet vanilla and red fruit. Slightly rustic. Acidic, lacks fruit, tastes heat damaged. Not as bad as half B though. Half B: Pruney fruit nose, smells heat damaged. Tastes rank.
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From 375. This bottle was clearly off. Didn't really show any typical CdP qualities. Nose was really funky with really plummy musty fruit. Palate was similar and just didnt give much pleasure. I let it open for a few hours but all of the characteristics remained the same.
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On the nose I notice ripe salted plums. I just noticed another taster had noted that. This is drinking well although slightly clunky. The ripeness level is a little high for me but there is still plenty of tannin going right across the palate. I hope the fruit does not go pruney.
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Reasonably open. Grenache fruit driven, fairly ripe. Fairly light tannin presence. Good CdP typicity, but doesn't scream VT at this point. Should improve more- still mostly primary flavors- don't think it ever shut down completely. Hope it build more complexity.
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Had the botle last night with a good friend and some of my favortie Italian (Tutto Fresco, RSM, CA). Opened the bottle a good hour before I left the house to let it breathe some.
Lots of terroir on the nose showing truffle, mushroom, moist wood chips, and a hint of peet. Nice rich garnet/purple color w/ good viscosity & legs.
An hour & a half after opening the bottle, I finally got to taste the wine. Initial taste showed no fruit at all but a lot of the terroir flavors mentioned above along with wet stone. Nice balance between flavor, body, and acidity. Tannins were a tad strong (young) but overall well balanced & having a nice long finish. Med+-Full bodied.
In the second hour after opening, a lot of dark & red fruits began to emerge. Black & sour cherries, strawberry, blackberry & mulberry; all present and showing a nice balance and complexity.
Overall a very pleasing wine with still a lot of ptoential for cellaring. I think I'm going to get another bottle! :-)
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taste: real nice feel and density on the palate. Peppercorn strikes you with some truffle, wood smoke, leather, and earth tones to give some back up
overall: a very beautiful and sumptuous wine. This is what I love about Vieux Telegraphe and the depth it brings. It's so much fun to drink and this one provides a wonderful finish and is really just an excellent wine
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Nose shows spice, cherry, rasberry and floral notes. The palate has some fruit combined with earth character and offers a medium finish. Not a life long fan of the Vieux Telegraphe wines compared to other Rhone producers but not bad. 89 points
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Garnet. Mellow nose of a hint of raspberries, garrigue. Mouth was a milder mix of the same. Nice, but I got the impression that this was a tweener-between youth and adulthood. Hold a few years.
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A lovely showing for this wine. Really clean, yet spicy, with pure forward fruit, lush midpalate and a smooth finish. Not as musky as the Pegau had alongside and given a slight preference, but a pretty special bottle of wine, especially for the money.
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Dinner at Siggy's House: Notes from memory. Double decanted about two hours before serving. The color was a deeper and darker red than the other two CdPs served. I found the nose decent but a little wild -- a lot going on with no smells distinct enough to lock in on. Let's just say dark fruit, garrigue, and mineral. The taste had good fruit concentration but still came across as a very structured wine. The finish was decent. I have trouble seeing the resemblance to the 85, 88, and 94 tasted recently. An upper 80s effort on this night, but should develop into a low 90s wine (or even higher) with additional bottle age.
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Dinner With Friends (Our House): Sappy, peppery black fruit, garrigue, kirsch, and a whiff of oak. Structured and quite tannic; somewhat "old school" in character. Long finish.
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A little disappointing versus other vintages of CNdP from Viexu Telegraphe. Lacks the complexity and depth found in 1998 or 1999. Not a bad bottle of wine, a little tanic on the finish and decent fruit- just not up to the normal standard.
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Everything was there..Dark Berry, Chocolate, tar, and nice oak. The wine however was just a bit restrained and somewhat closed. Seems like it could wait a few years. Oh well, its nice to enjoy now as well.
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Not a lot going on from a half bottle tonight. Slightly muted nose, then simple core of medicinal black cherry fruit and olive with some secondary, pine aromatics over time. Good fruit but similarly one dimensional palate impression with raspy tannins not giving a great mouth feel. Unimpressive-funny stage, subtly flawed, or is that all there is?
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Rather spirity nose, one dimensional aromas of kirsch that did not change much over 3 hours in the decanter - a little deeper at the end perhaps? Similar kirsch dominated flavours. Youthful, lean for a Chateauneuf and none of the sweetness that comes with the best of these wines. Give me Vieux Donjon or Pegau any day over this. This can be drunk now with some enjoyment but it has years ahead of it. If I had any more I'd leave it for another 5 years.
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TCF February 2006 Off-Line (Napa - Powell's): Bottle decanted 2 ½ hrs before my first sip. Slight burgundian funk on the nose and also brown tinted hue. Red fruits and smoke with a caramelized banana flavor turning to brown sugar note increasing the longer in the glass. Finished very light.
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It's the finish that dominates at present - tannic, chewy, full, long, and slightly warm. The fruit, both on the nose and the palate, is muted. Overall you get the sense of a meaty and powerful wine that is surely closed. vg+
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This is a simple wine without a lot of depth of fruit. After about 2 hours the wine displayed a bit more complexity but I do not see this wine getting much better if only a bit more nuanced with time.
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This was eaten with lamb marinated in soy/sesame seeds and grilled with rosemary - complimented by braised fennel. It had a lovely rounded taste that did not over power the food nor fade with the meal. Delicate yet moderately strong flavor.
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Birthday dinner for Mike at Chops in ATL. Going from memory, so not as detailed as other notes. Nice CdP. Deep garnet color. Strawberry and tar on the nose, continuing on the palate, with nice, structured tannins on the finish. A pleasant, not-too-powerful CdP. $100 at the restaurant.
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Very very young looking. Smells like a grenachey young Cotes du Rhone plonk. Soft, still quite grenachey, fruit on the attack, but for the rest it is totally dominated by tannins. Complete infanticide, and as a result not rated.
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Dinner at Château des Alpilles. This opened up very tight with a prominent note of tar or creosote on the nose. With time (and a grilled rack of lamb) this really spread out beautifully with garrigue and pine taking over. This shows lovely balance and restraint. Relative to a lot of other Châteauneuf-du-Pape this is much lighter and more feminine in character. After three hours this started to shut down.
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Half bottle at El Gaucho on L's 11th birthday. This was a spontaneous birthday dinner (we thought she would pick MacDonalds), just the 3 of us and me the only wine drinker. But wow, what a treat this CdP was! Big fat jammy fruit and great structured tannins in the finish. Nose was a bit closed, giving up some fruit and pepper, but not a big bouquet. Thoroughly enjoyable though. I was at Freddy's in Totem Lake tonight (3/2) and bought their last two bottles. Yummy.
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Light ruby in color and a lightly muted nose with sweet cherries and green apple. The palate displays thick red fruits, pepper and asian spices followed by an immediate rush of tannin. Time is best served.
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I had the 2000 Vieux Telegraphe at a blind tasting on Saturday and thought the flavors were muted with bitter tannins and a short finish. When the wine was disclosed as the 2000 VT, it was immediately apparent that the wine was closed down. It was not showing very well and needs time. 88+ points.
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Bright disc. Medium ruby with red rim. Somewhat subdued nose showing black fruit, cherry and dust/earth. Medium-bodied and with somewhat coarse tannins on the palate, with a decent attack but lack of follow-through to the mid-palate. The finish is medium and astringent. I am underwhelmed, but the wine may simply be in an awkward phase at this point. I wouldn't risk laying out the money to see if it comes around with cellaring.
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5/10/2024 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still enjoyable with stewed fruit and earthy notes, medium-short finish.
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4/19/2024 - bkc1428 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Incredibly beautiful and balanced! If modern CdP drank like this, I would like the region much more. For my taste, this is at its peak, but it has the acidity and structure to keep going.
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4/16/2024 - Buddy318 Does not like this wine:
Undrinkable. Over the hill. Just all prunes.
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4/13/2024 - geraldsng wrote:
Double decanted 3h so this was probably the most expressive of all the bottles I’ve written about before. The underlying quality is still the same. Some called Burgundy.
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4/9/2024 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed double blind... This was evident to the table as a great grenache-dominated wine with some darker tones and with plenty of maturity (FWIW, I initially guessed the 2001 Pegau, but this wasn't funky enough to try check that box). Beautifully textured and layered, a CdP in a style I (still) love. Certainly at its apogee, but showing now signs of fading.
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4/3/2024 - TheGreenFrog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful. Complex fruit and nice balance. Was rather apprehensive as last bottle I had two weeks ago was past its prime, but this bottle is fabulous.
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3/21/2024 - TheGreenFrog wrote: 91 Points
Bottle showing its age. Slightly brown with fading fruit. Low acidity so best drunk cool. Still a nice wine but if this bottle is representative it is well past its best. Will try another bottle very shortly to see if there is bottle variation.
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2/10/2024 - MrMoose Likes this wine: 88 Points
bricking & tired......disappointing for such a wonderful wine
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1/1/2024 - 831900_ wrote:
Not going to rate this one, hard to tell what's going on. Bouquet of wet earth and a hint of dark fruit. The taste was completely dominated by chocolate, and a very round creamy mouthfeel. This made it hard to enjoy the wine, and to instead puzzle over it. Popped and poured, then decanted over 6+ hours, then tried out of the decanter the next day.
At first I thought it was over the hill, but there's still some fruit at the core, and it's got a bit of pleasant acid on the finish. Just really unclear to me what's going on with this. Usually a fan of the house.
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10/5/2023 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blind Dinner (The Chef's Table in Café Capriccio, Albany, NY): [Double-decanted around noon; left bottle uncorked until 4:30 pm.] Big red fruit nose. Lovely, complex. The most elegant in this flight. Medium length.
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8/3/2023 - king-bing wrote:
Not given the attention it deserved but this was rather good. Very mid-weight and perfumed, especially after an hour or two. No hurry.
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7/19/2023 - Wineallover wrote: 91 Points
Having bought a case of 12, i have been following this 2000 Vieux Telegraphe over the years and this is the best example so far. I have been less than impressed before (to say the least - which led me to never buy from this domaine again! Being a kid from Vaucluse, it says a lot about my disappointment then). That said, that bottle was nice and enjoyable, fully coming together and unmistakably CdP. However, this is not at the level it should be, given the prestige this estate enjoyed back then (deeply in the top 10) and the prices it was commanding 20 years ago, and clearly not the price this bottle is worth now! There are many good or great CdP estates nowadays, so no reason to buy them again.
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4/25/2023 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 88 Points
Vieux Telegraphe Vertical (The Sun Street Hotel, Liverpool Street): Medium to dark translucent red. Olivey and slightly sharp in nature on the nose, something pungent, somewhat in common with the 1996 but has not tipped over the edge in the same way. On the palate this is a better story, a lovely marriage of sweet fruit and resolved tannins, smooth drinking, some leather and game as well as the tapenade. There is some evolution over the 2001, more advanced than the year difference would suggest, and within the flight of four (00, 01, 05, 06) this sits with the 2006 in terms of character. It seems to go downhill in the glass, so I would suggest drink up on this one.
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4/25/2023 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vieux Telegraphe Vertical (Sun Street Hotel, Liverpool Street, London): Some steeped Christmas cake richness here and something meaty too, some bresaola? There is also a sun dried tomato note and a little Mellow Birds coffee character as well. Palate a tad shorter than the '01 although a lovely acidic refreshing character. Good stuff.
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6/12/2022 - JonBarnes1 Likes this wine:
Old faithful, still going strong, nothing to prove. Faint bricking around the edges but drinks downright spry. Plums, black cherry, and (would you believe at 22 y/o) freshly mowed grass…that’s what I get. Last bottle and turns out there was no rush.
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5/18/2022 - MalcolmV Likes this wine:
40 years of Wine Tasting at DWS with John Pudduck and Graham Archer (Dulwich Wine Society): Very distinctive olive tapenade on the nose with hints of orange peel, rosemary and thyme. Blackcurrants on the palate. Slightly let down by the alcohol which sticks out a bit. (£78)
Quality:3/4
Price:2/3
X factor/interest:2/3
Total: 7/10
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1/1/2022 - englishman's claret wrote: 89 Points
Followed for 4 hours, the 00 Vieux Télégraphe takes some coaxing to show its best. An hour of air encourages the nose to unfurl, though it remains relatively demure for CdP of its age. The palate is more obviously creditable, with red and black cherry, garrigue, smoke, allspice, and rubber, conveyed in a medium body, playing an able accompaniment to dinner.
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12/31/2021 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Perfect fill, perfect cork. Initially showing quite primary notes with a good local feel, plenty of garrigue, Grenache showing well. Still the dry and vertical style of the domaine is intact.
#NewYearsEve
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11/25/2021 - spectrumphoto Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a good spot right now. Beginning to thin ever so slight
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4/16/2021 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Friday Night Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind, and you can almost copy my note from two years ago, substituting asphalt for clay in my note from April 2018:
“cherry, [asphalt] and red fruit notes. Fully integrated; decent acidity. Nice red fruit and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced. 92+ pts. CndP was not on my radar here.”
I liked this, but would have guessed a companion Bordeaux. This did not scream grenache or CndP to me yet again. (R&D)
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3/18/2021 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Ruby red in color. 14% ABV. Spellbinding nose of red fruits, Herbes de Provence, garrigue and wet, warm asphalt. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Rustic, old school CdP at its best. Kirsch, blood, licorice and a hint of pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with pronounced tannins. Fantastic wine with more than enough fruit to keep the tannins in check. If I had more bottles I would drink over the next 2-3 years.
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3/14/2021 - Hanibal wrote: 90 Points
getting tired
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3/10/2021 - LeChapeau wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful complex nose of red fruits and earthy depth. Rich and unctuous in the mouth with plenty of fruit still in evidence, perfectly balanced with nuanced acidity. A long, lingering finish makes my keep coming back to the glass for more. It's got that funky nose and palate of an older wine, but without losing much of its youthful exuberance. Drinking beautifully in my opinion!
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11/4/2020 - Hanibal wrote: 91 Points
Getting old but still kicking....tertiary notes here but i appreciate the old guard style that it has...
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10/10/2020 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Perfect now. Smoked meat, herb, red fruit confit with a hint of fennel. It’s a countryside restaurant in a glass.
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8/13/2020 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brick red with browning around the edges. Complex aromas of red fruits (strawberry, plums), smoked meat, sautéed herbs, soil and lifted spice on the nose. Perfectly medium bodied palate that is at once, sweet and savory showing silky crushed red fruits, mushroom/meat stock, medium (-) acidity, no tannins and a long earth and spice tinged finish. This has aged beautifully and has started to reveal secondary aromatics.
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7/20/2020 - TheGreenFrog Likes this wine: 94 Points
fabulous, long and intense with great balance; fully mature but no hurry to drink up; first bottle from a case stored in bond until 5 years ago
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6/28/2020 - Rico100 wrote: 95 Points
delicious
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6/20/2020 - Tree512 wrote: 92 Points
Another Rayas-like bottle. Round red fruit with great balance and a dollop of garrigue. Very tasty and savory.
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6/8/2020 - Cbanks Does not like this wine:
Past it’s best. Oxidised, sherry like. Improved a bit with airing but last 3 bottles need drinking up
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4/18/2020 - Philip67 Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Pungent aromas which spell "old". Gamey old leather, vegetal, oxidised. Somewhat better on the palate but dominated by old leather. Medium bodied sweet fruit there underneath the leather. Medium weight structure, warmth from the 14% alcohol. I don't think this will improve.
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2/5/2020 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
2020 Feb annual tasting hosted my me. Detailed notes later
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12/29/2019 - CyrilOO7 wrote: 94 Points
Had with lamb lavender mustard herbe de Provence rosemary
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11/30/2019 - murkybird Likes this wine: 91 Points
From magnum. Christmas spice and cherry cough drop. Round, rich, and drinking well.
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8/26/2019 - Rico100 wrote: 94 Points
superb!
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8/20/2019 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Rusty brown color, very faded, tons of sediment; Tootsy roll, brown suace, underbrush, leather, not fruit whatsoever left on this except for raisins. Silky, some pedigree here, but clearly prematurely aged. Guessed a 1980's Bordeaux. Blind group at Teviot
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8/16/2019 - Tree512 wrote: 88 Points
Very nice fruit but surprisingly little punch out of magnum. Round with very little tannin or acid - pleasant but I expected more, especially given how it showed 10 years ago.
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8/6/2019 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 89 Points
The 2000 is less aromatically complex that the 1998 and 99. The nose is Grenache raisins. The mouth is clearly a bit more youthful in a relative sense, but completely developed also. It drinks nicely but so far the 1998 wins.
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8/2/2019 - Lockareff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid CdP
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7/12/2019 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée!
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6/23/2019 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 88 Points
Italy 2019 Trip; 6/21/2019-7/10/2019 (UK / Maremma / Montalcino / Chianti): Cured meats, red plum, leather, bacon. Grainy mouthfeel, medium bodied, very nice red fruit flavor profile, but a little sweet for my taste.
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6/20/2019 - korniev wrote: 90 Points
Drunk during our second CdP 2000 tasting! This wine is known to have a reputation of a long keeper. Its all true with this bottle. It was NOT ready at all. It needs probably another 10 or 10+ years in the bottle. 1,5 hours ina decanter did not change nothing. If you are planning to buy this - go for minimum 1990 or older.
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6/9/2019 - Fre Likes this wine: 91 Points
Anise & licorice candy. Mint. Seems still to have quite a bit of body for a 19 year old boy. The mint touch keeps it fresh in the mouth, but there's still some noticable warmth in the aftertaste. Long.
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6/6/2019 - mhudes Likes this wine: 93 Points
At Shayas in New Orleans with Estie and Danny. Opened and decanted by waitstaff. Garnet red in color. Fragrant cedar and spice cake nose. Sweet brambly fruit in the mouth along with herbs and perhaps mocha. Tannins have subsided. Nice finish. Went well with Middle Eastern food.
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4/28/2019 - Tree512 wrote: 91 Points
Completely ready and full of red fruit. Good garrigue, not a lot of tannins, smooth and a profile that reminded me of Rayas. Very enjoyable and a crowd pleaser.
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3/13/2019 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Tasted over two days - much better on day two; true, blue cool, vertical, fresh and balanced. Drink or hold - if you drink, give it air.
#PB
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3/12/2019 - pbaek wrote:
A weak Vieux Telegraphe but not a bad wine as such. Flabby, soft, lacks structure and the usual VT trademarks of seaweed etc. It really faded next to the Bonneau normale.
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2/17/2019 - Ron Slye wrote: 85 Points
This was okay. Nothing like my last bottle, which admittedly was almost four years ago. This one was a bit like some of the less positive reviews. It is a bit raisiny, though not in a flawed way -- just less complex in flavor. There is a bit of heat, and even slight bitterness. It was perfectly pleasant to drink, but not something I would seek out. I am hoping that this is bottle variation as others have said. Otherwise I clearly waited too long for my last three bottles......
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12/21/2018 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium red with slight bricking. Soaring aromas of crushed red fruits, pepper, licorice, baking spices on the nose. Perfectly medium bodied on the palate with bright red crushed berries, licorice, forest floor, medium (-) acidity, resolved tannins and lovely perfumed finish. This has aged superbly.
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11/25/2018 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful cork and perfectly stored bottle. Consumed over about 2.5 hours and it definitely opened and became more generous over the first hour and hung out there for the rest of the bottle. Bright red fruit with a background of mineral and earth, smooth texture and very enjoyable with some pork.
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11/4/2018 - mhudes Likes this wine: 93 Points
At the Zuni Cafe in SF with Estie and Dan. PnP by staff. Initially nose a bit reticent, but quickly opened up with spice box and cedar aromas. Some dark fruit on the palate (blackberries, black currants and black raspberries) along with garrigue, nutmeg and herbs. Smooth, tannin essentially resolved with nice balance. Good finish. Went very well with my roasted chicken.
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11/4/2018 - Cmainardi wrote: 91 Points
This has not faded. Still with a mild tannic bite. Drinking well but should hold up a while.
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10/7/2018 - Jayloop Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really nice but fragile.
Out of the bottle it had all the good characteristics mentioned by the previous reviewers, but faded rapidly with decanting and air.
After about an hour of breathing it's snap and fruit were all but gone.
Enjoy drinking this 18yr old but don't linger over it for too long.
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9/21/2018 - frontenac Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely amazing. Such a unique wine. Nutty, leathery, and still some beautiful fruit. Easily mid 90's! One of the few wines that I'd enjoy sipping all by itself, or with a bit of baguette or cheese.
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8/22/2018 - danstrings Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showing great - still youthful at 18 years - a mellow earthy note with deep tobacco-y fruit. Yum.
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4/28/2018 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Our house): Double blind. An initial hint of sulfur/matchstick blows off leaving cherry, clay and red fruit notes. Fully integrated; decent acidity. Nice red fruit and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced. 92+ pts. No guess, but CndP was not on my radar here.
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3/25/2018 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
A pleasant, enjoyable CdP even if not the most complex; Fairly rich palate, with dark fruits, some earth and herbal tones; A fairly clean expression of CdP that checks all the right boxes, even if it lacks an extra gear to truly make it great
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3/25/2018 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Going very strong at age 18. Rich herb-filled fruit that is more black than red. Fairly dense without becoming heavy. Lots of savory herb in the finish.
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3/25/2018 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Cassoulet at Bill's (Wilmette, IL): VT is one of the few CdP producers that I think are worth drinking. This bottle is no exception. There's a very nice aromatic nose, with good red fruit and a gentle amount of dirt, without any funkiness at all. The palate is mostly resolved, and shows the same characteristics. The red fruit here is sweet and there's a slight liqueur-like aspect to it. Good restraint here, with alcohol levels in check.
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1/9/2018 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Certainly not a bruiser - refined and subtle, but with good depth and earthy, mature flavors. Nose was not there at first, so we decanted the bottle (very little sediment, BTW) and a some aromas appeared.
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12/9/2017 - robferguson1 wrote: 89 Points
Good colour but a bit stinky on the nose and tasted old with little follow thru
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12/6/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Subsequent notes on this wine from well over three years ago. Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & kirsch notes with garrigue overtones, some floral notes, Provençal herbs of rosemary, fennel & lavender, earthy/dusty, spice notes of cinnamon & pepper, leather, minerals & a hint of cedar undertones in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, cherries & plummy, pepper, spices, herbs, earthy, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 17 years of age it is at its peak of development, so I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging.
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10/1/2017 - winepog wrote: 89 Points
Nice, but ditto in having a heard time finding the fruit.
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9/21/2017 - cos82 wrote: 88 Points
A nice wine, but not a lot of fruit. Pepper and earth with a little spice.
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6/4/2017 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
40th Anniversary Magnum Party; 6/3/2017-6/4/2017 (R&D's): From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Notes of red fruit, spice and perfume but some oxidation overnight as well. Washed out red currant and spice flavors.
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6/3/2017 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
40th Anniversary Magnum Party; 6/3/2017-6/4/2017 (R&D's): From magnum. Faded crimson color. Notes of red currant, pepper and dried berry fruit with a dusty/earty undertone. Fully resolved tannin. Flavors of red berry fruit and spice with a vegetal quality too. If this is representative, for my palate, this is a bit past peak.
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5/23/2017 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:
Inventory actualization
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4/26/2017 - johneagle Likes this wine:
Not a representative bottle - perhaps getting a bit tired. Time to start on the 01s
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2/5/2017 - johneagle Likes this wine: 91 Points
With CAM and DJE @ Dev. Not decanted. first bottle opened 1 hour ahead, 2nd bottle better, pop n pour. VG but not going to improve
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2/3/2017 - JM_MadTown wrote: 87 Points
I was not thrilled with this V.T. I have been working my way through a case of the 2000 vintage for a while and it has never delivered the pleasure I have come to expect from V.T. They have been properly stored in a temperature controlled cellar.
This bottle had a funky nose that was not inviting. After an hour or two it improved slightly. The fruit was good with notes of dried cherries, kirch, garrigue and olives. But it seemed to be very rustic and slightly disjointed.
At nearly 17 years of age, the wine is obviously fully mature. The tannins are fully resolved. So additional cellaring is not the answer.
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1/16/2017 - Mellers wrote: flawed
Oxidised
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1/15/2017 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Garnet in color. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, garrigue, white pepper and seaweed. Medium body with medium to strong acidity. Big and bold with noticeable tannins. Cherries, kirsch, minerals and iron on the palate. The finish is long and somewhat tannic. Classically structured Chateauneuf from a traditional producer. I'd be inclined to drink over the next several years while there is enough fruit to balance out the tannins.
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12/27/2016 - CES911 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted. Very young. Tight. Opened up after 30 minutes but still 4-6 years in the wine - then decant for 1 hour hour and serve.
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12/3/2016 - Jessup76 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Was light, but also interesting and even intriguing. I have several more and won't hesitate nor wait much to drink them as I do sense, thou, it is passed it's prime and no longer bettering with time
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10/22/2016 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
From a bottle left over from the prior evening's tasting. Notes of licorice, red berry and spice follow through on the palate. Fully-integrated and at maturity.
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10/9/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 88 Points
somewhat disappointing, given the some of the recent reviews on Cellartracker. I thought it was past its prime, and a little dull and lifeless. Lots of sediment. It really paled next to a 2008 Sonoma Pinot Noir. But in fairness, I should point out, that this bottle was finished by my dinner guests, and the Pinot has some wine left over.
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10/1/2016 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 90 Points
Last drunk from this (half) format in October 2014. This was a better half and on this showing time in hand. A very enjoyable VT.
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9/17/2016 - concord Likes this wine:
Drinking very well
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9/4/2016 - johneagle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Now quite perfect. Only 5 left. Drink them soonish but this bottle was pure joy ....albeit soft. Just lovely.
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8/23/2016 - Mellers wrote: flawed
Oxidised. Shame, as the fruit underneath felt pretty good
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8/7/2016 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Medium to dark ruby. Not decanted. Balanced, but not at all opulent or generous. On the second day, it continued to be somewhat clipped and closed, with a finish that was not especially long. Nice enough, but it paled in comparison to another from the same appellation and vintage.
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7/30/2016 - Paco55 wrote: 90 Points
Purchased in a small boutique wine retailer in Les Halles de Lyons who kept wines in a temperature controlled cellar. On the nose it is exhibiting the sweet raisiny kirsch aromas of a typical CdP in the back end of its life. Colour is brick red turning to orange. The palate is holding together somewhat although the wine has plenty of heat and the fruit is in decline. A good example of CdP however it's best years seem behind it. Enjoyable nonetheless but drink up soon.
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7/17/2016 - Rico100 wrote: 93 Points
as always
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7/6/2016 - presterjohn wrote:
Quite rich and round, gentle old fruit, nicely balanced, moreish. On the way down but very pleasant. Quite long
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6/26/2016 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not terribly aromatic at first, but developing. Redolent of red fruits/cherries. Palate is full-bodied with a little tannin left, but it lacks the presence or sweetness of the 1998. Spicy! Almost cedary. This has better density than I first gave it credit for. Delicious and tastes as if it will develop at least another 4-5 years. 92
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6/25/2016 - rm97 wrote: 91 Points
Not many more years left on this
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5/20/2016 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Birthday Celebration Chateauneuf-Du-Papes (Bill's, Wilmette IL): Nose: There is an attractive dark fruited aspect to the nose with black cherries, white and black pepper, licorice, garrigue, rasbperries, and some bits of herbs.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is still on the youthful side, though the feel is rounding well into form along with black cherries, white pepper, licorice, raspberries, and a touch of herbs on the back end.
Overall: This is starting to show itself off. The structure surprised me a slight bit given the vintage, but, its a lovely wine that has a long ways to go.
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5/19/2016 - presterjohn wrote:
Old, fading, some spark at first but soon gives up. Poor bottle? Seems like it was once good
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5/1/2016 - THECORKDORK Likes this wine: 88 Points
Maybe this is shut down right now, or maybe it is tired but it was not as explosive as expected. A good but not great wine.
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4/22/2016 - Rico100 wrote: 89 Points
A tad dissapointing - not up to standard.
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4/21/2016 - brianofthevine wrote: 89 Points
Yeah bummer, should have taken into consideration all of the recent tasting notes here to drink up. This is definitely past its prime and certainly not what it used to be. Red fruit, although muted, with some earth and spice notes. Not much left on the end. Fortunately my last bottle, drink up if you have any left.
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4/9/2016 - beatles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted over 2 day, best on day 2, this wine is entering maturity, all though it is still fresh (very fresh indeed for a 2000), the fruit is warm for a VT, but cool for 2000, still backbone, the cool aristocratic style of the VT is somewhat lacking; still a good, local feel, garrigue and a nice sweet fruit. This will keep, but it is time to drink, IMHO, a surprise, VT is normally a long distance runner.
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4/7/2016 - wine4ever wrote: 90 Points
Cellared since release. Nice wine but nothing special. Decanted (no sediment really, except what was on stuck on side of bottle). Very clear, maroon color, medium bricking. Very floral nose. Elegant, not very complex, but with lots of red fruit flavors, spice, mineral, medium body. Some tannins remain. Fruit fades over time though, so drink sooner rather than later.
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3/10/2016 - brihprivat wrote: 80 Points
VT - Vertical 1983-2012
Tasted alongside the 2001, both wines were big disappointments. Way over its peak, flawed bottle?
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3/4/2016 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ok, As a fan of V.T., I am relieved as this bottle is showing much better than my last one. This bottle has been open a couple of hours now and has an expressive nose. I like the kirsh, garrigue, spice box and olive tapenade flavors along with good acidity and some tannin left in the tank.
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2/26/2016 - JM_MadTown wrote: 85 Points
This bottle has been open for several hours and it has a little mustiness on the nose. The wine has been well stored, but this bottle maybe slightly off.
While I am a big fan of Vieux Télégraphe, this seems at times to have turned out to be a mediocre vintage. In my experience, there has been a lot of bottle variation with this vintage.
The fruit, while still there, seems to be fading, so it provides more minerality at this point along with some garrigue, tapenade, and other savory notes.
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2/7/2016 - Blankje wrote: 65 Points
This was mush. Past its prime. Cloudy, flat plop. Maybe it wasn't cellared well. Too bad I bought three bottles of this. Would be wary before buying anything this old again without knowing the exact storage conditions.
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1/23/2016 - Bordeauxman wrote: 87 Points
This wine has under performed my expectations. Perhaps over the hill? The nose and taste were fine but underwhelming.
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1/2/2016 - dbg wrote:
Cherry, tobacco, clean earth. Good balance, medium complexity, nice finish. Excellent.
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12/27/2015 - Bordeauxman wrote: 90 Points
Floral nose. An elegant CndP with blackberry and raspberry taste. Drinking well but I would not hold for another 20 years.
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12/25/2015 - Buddrow Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ready drink now.
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12/14/2015 - Pknut wrote:
Not that different from my tasting note from November 2014. This is one of the few CdP producers that I've kept in my cellar because I find that VT tends to age better than most others and doesn't have that over-ripe, raisiny Grenache profile that I have come to dislike. This 2000 is in-line with that VT profile, showing still-vibrant dark fruits, melted liquorice, and garrige. Not as much nori/seaweed that VT typically shows. It has plenty of life left and should continue to age well and show more tertiary qualities. Barbounia.
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11/21/2015 - Force5 wrote: 90 Points
From magnum. Completely bricked, orangy color. Wild, fragrant, brambly red fruit, coarse texture on opening. No improvement with three hour slow-ox, softens but at the expense of fruit and freshness. Next time pop and pour, drink up.
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11/13/2015 - mouton45 wrote: 90 Points
Last half-bottle and it was time to be drunk. Tasted more like an old burgundy than a CdP. That said, it was a very pleasant pairing with pork tenderloin
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10/31/2015 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Fully mature, this shows dusty red fruit, leather, herbs and just a subtle hint of tannic structure. It's very easy to drink, making a lovely partner to my cheese plate. There may even be a hint of oxidative decay in there, but it really just makes the wine more complex. Drink now, and enjoy.
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10/9/2015 - theRealPepe Likes this wine:
My last bottle. It's been a good ride. I drank a number of them too young, when it was more tannic and austere but they were nice. A bottle in 2007 was a rush - Fruity with aggressive tannin and otherwise a typical VT signature. Some bottles around 2010 seemed to be a little tannic with no fruit. This last bottle showed off some aged sweet fruit and a little, not a lot, of the VT signature flavors to balance. Not the greatest vintage though quite pleasant, perhaps getting close but not quite outstanding. I could imagine some very nice dinners with older bottles. Excellent.
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10/8/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark garnet. Younger than expected at 15 years old but still showing some good development. Spice and red berries on the nose, followed by some fall leaves, cinnamon, beets, and currants.
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9/16/2015 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 89 Points
Fully developed and time to consume. Lovely with a white bean and lamb stew. Added a splash of 2014 Languedoc rose and it was far nicer. Conclusion is that I waited too long, still it was lovely unsullied but I am looking at my 2001 to 2005's.
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8/10/2015 - wine65 wrote: 91 Points
similar to 2/4/15 tasting but did notice this bottle improved (fruit became more vibrant) with about 30 min of air time
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8/9/2015 - Saint Stephen wrote: 91 Points
Owned and properly stored since release. At first opening, this was all spirity/minty menthol and vanilla on the nose, perhaps in part because it was still a little cool from the cellar. Those notes held with time but were joined by a floral (violets? lavender?) component. Medium tannins are mostly resolved. Less funk than I often get from Chateauneuf - somewhat elegant. My general perspective is that this is a very nice, fully mature CdP without room to improve - delicious but perhaps even slightly past peak. The lingering impression is that minty/floral thing.
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7/26/2015 - MicklethePickle wrote: 87 Points
Open overnight. Still a healthy ruby, with medium legs. Tea-like fruit in the nose, with hints of shoe polish, tomato leaf. Somewhat faded. Primary flavors are gone, leaving somewhat rustic secondary fruit, with somewhat dry, earthy fruit. Good texture, not over the hill but probably past its prime. Not cracking up, I just think it would have been better several years ago. In that context, disappointing. 4-11-15-7: 87/100.
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7/22/2015 - Tranquility Base Likes this wine: 91 Points
I admit that I wasn't quite as blown away by this as I had expected to be. But, putting away my perhaps inflated expectations, this was a very fine wine. I decanted it, and it was exposed for a couple of hours although I admit to tasting it along the way. It was thinner and more refined than I thought it would be; perhaps that is the one facet that had been affected by age. Otherwise, it tasted very fresh, no negatives. It did have a middle period where it rose to an incredible level of elegance. Maybe that's it: It did not have the power and heft of typical CDP. It was actually quite an elegant and fine wine. Anyway, I remain a fan of Vieux Telegraphe and look forward to the two other bottles I have at a later date. They should age further just fine.
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7/4/2015 - GGinSF wrote: 92 Points
Drank from a magnum. Still on the upswing, and should be excellent for another decade or more. Classic, rich CdP.
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6/25/2015 - rm97 wrote: 92 Points
nice mature VT
Got better over a few hours with lively balance and length
Several years left
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6/20/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Garnet with faded rim. All garrigue-lavender and mint, predominantly. Medium weight, cool, greener elements also are most prominent in the mouth. It's interesting that you feel more than taste the remaining red fruit and a touch of fig. Good acidity and completely resolved tannin. My last bottle of this-very good but definitely time to ring the bell.
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5/20/2015 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle also has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. On the nose, it is pretty expressive with notes of cherry fruit and garrigue. On the palate, it has nice kirsch, garrigue, green olive and asain spice flavors. Very nice with some years ahead of it yet.
Now that this bottle has been open for several hours, it has become even more complex and delicious. Just like the previous reviewer's experience, I think the wine benefits greatly from several hours of airtime. It now offers more sweet kirsch, forest floor, and dark cherry chocolate fruit.
I am having the 2nd half of this bottle on day two and it continues to drink nicely. I have increased my score slightly.
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4/23/2015 - Ron Slye wrote: 93 Points
Subtle nose of violets, sweet dark fruits, with hints of earth and forest floor. The attack is subdued – a suspended middle weight, which slowly unfolds to reveal some lovely dark fruits with dusting of white and some black pepper. There are some subtle tannins at the end, with a nice medium finish. This is not a big powerful wine. Not a blockbuster. I approach this like a burgundy – subtle, lovely, and unfolding as one swirls the wine in the glass, and repeatedly taste as the wine evolves. With time (one hour or so) this gets even more complex. A bit more assertive. Slightly stronger attack. More bite. Flavor highlights are more kirsch, with more present, slightly gritty, tannins. After two hours, even more lovely and complex. I do think this can use some more age. After two hours, the nose is more pronounced, with lovely dark cherries, dark chocolate, with hints of white pepper, and other aromas I cant quite pinpoint. Complex nose with corresponding taste follows. Nice softer fruit, brambly forest, and other earth tones. And even better after about 3-4 hours. This is a wine that needs to be coaxed. It slowly reveals itself. And when it does, how delicious. My rating kept going up the longer this sat in the glass.
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4/22/2015 - JM_MadTown wrote: 89 Points
Tonight's bottle is not showing as well as previous ones. It has been open about two hours. The nose is reserved and on the palate it has notes of cherries, not much garrique, some Asian spices, and kind of a tart finish. May be an off bottle.
On day two, saved in a half bottle, the wine was much better. It is interesting how some wines require a lot of airtime. Tonight, I am getting kirsch, green olive, and rosemary with a medium finish. I increased the score slightly from last evening.
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4/20/2015 - johneagle Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank against Beaucastel 2000 which was a touch better; this was a little softer and more charming; the Beaucastel a bit more structured, with slightly harder Beaucastel-like tannins. Both very good
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3/5/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light ruby. Cherry and plums with minimal garrigue. Medium bodied, elegant feel, sound acidity, and for the first time over these many bottles an earthy, mineral filled finish. Very good but not nearly as robust and lively as a bottle a few months ago. This very much gave the impression of being at or very close to the death spiral. The message is that your experience will vary bottle by bottle, which is hardly a shock with 15 year old Chateauneuf.
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2/5/2015 - mouton45 wrote: 91 Points
Gourmet Night at the Palace. Smelled and tasted pretty funky when I opened and decanted the bottle an hour before dinner. But in the glass, this wone was full-bodied yet elegant. A very delightful surprise
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2/4/2015 - wine65 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Floral nose, berries light herb and tannin. Not overly complex, drinking well now, not sure it will improve any further would enjoy.
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1/11/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
I've had a few bottles of this over the past year and was pretty much of the mind that it had begun its inexorable gentle decline, but this bottle gave me pause. Grenadine colored. Absolutely glorious and complex aromatics over the first 2 hours it was open-plummy fruit, brown spices, and the perfume of maturity. No brett as has been present in several recent bottles, and only after a couple of hours did more menthol/garrigue notes insert themselves. Perfect weight and feel, which is to say medium bodied but expressing ripeness without alcohol or heaviness. Pure, beautiful red fruit and citrus drop backed up by tobacco leaf and potpourri with faded tannins and excellent acidity. The fruit did begin to involute after the 3 hour mark.
Forgive me if this note sounds like a nostalgic elegy to an ideal of Chateauneuf that no longer exists, but drinking this wine made me both very happy and very sad simultaneously. Elated since this captures the exceptionally intriguing array of aromas and flavors that made me fall in love with the appellation originally, disheartened to observe that 15 years later this has all been distorted by too much wood, ripeness, alcohol, and extraction. It is truly a shame, but that did not detract from the greatness of this bottle at this meal.
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1/10/2015 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
brown rim, dark core
dakr cherries and leather on the nose - fresh smelling
refreshing, quite light, sweet warm fruit
some dark choc
long
Maturing nicely.
Harmonious
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12/5/2014 - peterhimes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted at restaurant with significant sediment captured. Could let sit for 2 hours I'm sure but tasted after 30 minutes. Earth pepper cherry on the nose. Amazing tannin and acid and tapenade flavors on the front palate, pepper and dark fruit and a little strawberry on the back, v long 30 sec+ finish to a peppery finish. Super terrific.
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11/23/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Excellent showing, the best in recent memory for this wine. Poured into a decanter at the restaurant, I tasted a small glass right at uncorking and it was fabulous from the get-go and only improved with air. The fruit here is still vibrant, and is mixed with all sorts of autumnal nuances like twigs and spice and dried leaves, along with salted meat notes. There are still some tannins to resolve on the back end. The fruit is dark cherry and raspberry and shows just a hint of raisined Grenache, just a hint. Very well received at the table. I've found many 2000 CdPs to be boring, but this one is showing plenty of power.
L'Apicio with Bruce, Neil and Michel.
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10/31/2014 - Cmainardi wrote: 93 Points
Rumors of its demise are premature. This wine still has plenty of life ahead of it. Classic VT with a hint of youth. That said, it is drinking beautifully now. Drink or hold for a couple of years.
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10/26/2014 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 89 Points
From a half, browning at the rim and on this showing in this format perhaps beginning to lose some fruit. All the VT qualities but slightly muted and drying.
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9/14/2014 - Haesebrouck Likes this wine: 91 Points
Puissance et longueur exceptionnelle. Tout cela étant parfaitement fondu. Je regrette toutes les bouteilles de ce millésime bu il y a quelques années.
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9/7/2014 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 91 Points
Powerful, rather warming, silky tannins, still full of fruit, although now more on the dried side.
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7/25/2014 - grapist Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for only about half an hour. Quite a bit of sediment causing the wine to be somewhat opaque. Fruit was quite subdued, other than that, the wine was excellent in every way. Time to drink up.
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7/5/2014 - djdaqm wrote: 90 Points
A bit disappointing this time. I had this wine about a month ago and it was showing great. This particular bottle showed a fruit forward direction with much less nuances and typical characteristics that we love in CdP.
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6/13/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Mediocre showing. Showed some sweet, stewed Grenache notes, not pruney but almost there, without much of the iodine/seaweed notes that make VT unique. Brought to Brooklynguy's place.
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6/4/2014 - mchiew Likes this wine: 92 Points
breathed in the bottles for 3+ hrs, and drank over 2 hrs dinner.
light red color. beautiful nose of floral, herb and mineral. upon first serving, it was on the light body, silky tannin/ balanced acidity. it gained weight on palate towards the end of dinner (similar to the 1st bottle tt i drank 1+yr ago). it is drinking very well now. excellent bottle!
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5/20/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Magnum. Garnet. Some introductory funk, but this quickly cleaned up to floral tones and light red fruit. Medium weight, balanced, savory feel, excellent length. At its peak, even from a larger format bottle.
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5/11/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
decanted about an hour. Great depth, no indication it was waning, beautiful minerals and flowers with a tremendously soft fruits.
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4/24/2014 - beatles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Second one out of my stash, even better than last time and certainly one of the best 2000's, I have tasted; it has a core of coolness and minerality, that i I love along with the tell-tale notes of garrigue and sweet fruit - it is almost up there with the 98. It is still very young and primary, but not difficult to drink now. In complete harmony and no sign of the heat of the vintage. Much more to come, but if you love the fresh fruit now is a good time, I think. (with AD at Apriarys, NYC)
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4/8/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light ruby. Cleaner than a bottle a few weeks ago. Light red fruit and herbs. Savory, complex, elegant and long. At a perfect place. More supple than the 2000 Pegau alongside it.
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4/6/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle. Popped and poured directly from the cellar. Medium transparent ruby. Smells of boules, flowers and garrigue. Tastes minerally with secondary notes of herbs and flowers underlying the subtle sweet kirsch fruit. This wine is fully mature and delicious. Long finish. Sometimes the earlier bottles seemed somewhat clunky. This one definitely is not. The acids here and the tannins provide some nice grip.
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3/30/2014 - Thomas B wrote: 90 Points
I was young(er), poor(er), and less knowledgeable, so I only bought 1 bottle. Damn.
Black fruit, violets, a little strawberry and a hint of Rose on the nose; flavours to match. I see no reason to rush, this is drinking beautifully.
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3/29/2014 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 91 Points
As before, the wine has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. Notes of kirsch on the nose and the same on the palate along with garrigue and asain spices. Very delicious drinking right now. Consistent notes for the past couple of bottles.
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3/25/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Red center, browning rim. A touch of funk, but mostly secondary aromas of leather, tobacco leaf, and light herbs. Very pleasing middle weight and feel. Brown spices, coffee, and that strong tobacco/licorice core. The finish isn't perfectly clean or long. This is old fashioned, savory, complex, mature Chateauneuf without artifice. When I last tasted it in late 2012, I hoped it would last for another 3 or 4 years, and by golly, it seems to be holding at a plateau, although the less than harmonious finish may indicate that it has entered its downward slide.
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3/24/2014 - slanum wrote:
Garnet color; quite clearly aged. Fleeting aromas of hot stones, fennel, a metallic aspect, and some of the dried seaweed characteristic of this vineyard. Palate evolves continuously: at first, nothing fruit-like at all, then it comes in, recedes, and reappears. My overall impression however is not one of 'fruitiness'--indeed, sometimes the fruit has tinges of raisin about it. Slightly drying tannins. Moderate length. Mature, in my view.
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3/16/2014 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle has been open for about an hour now. The bottle, like the last couple, has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. Notes of kirsch, garrigue and asain spices. Very delicious drinking right now. The Grenache is not as chewy this time. It is more harmonious than before. A lovely bottle of VT.
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2/18/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Very similar to my tasting note from Oct 2013. I poured and let this sit for 30 minutes. I enjoyed it from the first sip, but it kept getting better and better. The palate has relaxed, the texture is silky, and deep cherry and black and red raspberry notes emerge from the deep palate. There are some dried spices mixed in, along with some notes of soy, and not much of the nori/iodine/seaweed aspect that is unique to many vintages of Vieux Telegraphe. At one point, the red fruit is so deep and pure that I am reminded of Rayas. Just a lovely, honest, Old World expression of Chateauneuf.
UPDATE: I poured half the bottle into a .375, corked it and refrigerated for two nights. The wine did not survive this process. It was raisiny and uninteresting. This wine is at peak and should be consumed in one sitting.
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2/9/2014 - steinersing wrote: 90 Points
30mins to open up - lovely. lavender fields, rosemary, herbs de provence. quite smooth and long. drinks well at this point.
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2/6/2014 - Mike V wrote: flawed
Oxidized
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2/2/2014 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright orange color - very mature. On the palate, it has silky, soft tannins, spiciness, zesty acidity garrigue, dark fruits, rosemary, fennel. Quite earthy. The granache is a little chewy in a good way. A very mellow CdP. I think I need to pull more corks on the remaining bottles that I have of this wine and enjoy them before they get too much older.
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1/16/2014 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep, dark garnet in color with no signs of aging. Fragrant, attractive, developed & complex nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & kirsch with garrigue overtones, floral notes, Provençal herbs notes of rosemary, fennel & lavender, stony/earthy, spice notes of cinnamon & pepper, leather, minerals and a hint of barnyard undertones in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, ripe, dark fruit flavors of blackberries, cherries & plummy, pepper, spices, herbs, earthy, minerals and a touch of oak. Smooth lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present and should hold for several more years although any further development would be limited.
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12/29/2013 - mmkatz wrote: 93 Points
The 2000 vintage of VT is drinking perfectly. Another splendid bottle.
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12/28/2013 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine: 84 Points
A good but not excellent Chateauneuf. It has some fruit, some herbal elements, some earthiness and is well developed in terms of softening tannin and overall harmony. It is however lacking in the mid-palate and finish where it comes across as more than a little watery/thin. Not much depth here.
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12/12/2013 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 89 Points
Plummy undertones, very developed. Lacking slightly in complexity and depth.
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11/30/2013 - mmkatz wrote: 93 Points
Grabbed another bottle for this weekend, since the one we opened the other day was so darn good. This vintage VT has entered a perfect window for drinking--all the elements are present: the primary fruit has subsided, leaving all of the terroir driven elements that are unmistakable in a VT. I can't predict how long this will last, so my plan is to drink this at every opportunity.
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11/24/2013 - mmkatz wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted for about an hour. This is drinking extremely well--hint of garrique, some barnyard and that unmistakable VT hint of what I call fennel/cinnamon.
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11/10/2013 - stephen locke wrote: flawed
corked - another!
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10/22/2013 - vespasian Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good colour, not the deepest but not much fade either; very perfumed red fruits on the nose alongside good quality leather, mushrooms and undergrowth. Not really powerful but very charming; silky texture on the palate, lovely complex maturing berried flavours and saddle leather. Tannins very fine - drink now, no point in keeping longer. A little heat on the finish.
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10/14/2013 - Pknut wrote:
A lovely autumn 3-day weekend called for this bottle, resting in my cellar since release. Two years since I last opened this wine. Uncorked and sat in the glass for about an hour, the bouquet is like a garden, both flowers and soil notes. This is showing lovely red fruit, somewhat aged but still precise, the red fruit still showing a core of sweetness, along with complex secondary notes. Not as much peat, iodine and seaweed notes that I find to be very typical of Vieux Telegraphe in almost every vintage, the palate is more dried spices than marine. The texture here is relaxed, although the wine has years left to ride out this plateau. As usual, the last glass, at about the 5 hour mark, was by far the best, with the fruit more focused and surrounded by lovely complexities.
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7/28/2013 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 89 Points
A good, not great, VT. Still strong dark garnet color. Nose has some garrigue, herbs, spice. Gentle in the mouth, round and smooth, tannins mostly resolved. Fully mature, it is a fine wine but nothing to write home about. Decent finish. 4-12-16-7: 89/100
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7/27/2013 - sawira wrote: 93 Points
Seems like there's some bottle variation in the TNs here. This bottle is superb. Beautifully peaking with stong notes of tobacco leaf, green pepper, lavender and herbs de Provence. This bottle is clean, with hints of garrigue, but the overall impression is of clean, ripe, layered and tertiary-nuanced, mature fruit. The best ChdP I've enjoyed in quite a while. Hugely better than than the 99 tasted recently. A pleasant surprise. 93pts pure quality, 94pts personal preference.
Next evening - this is oxidizing quickly, so drink up.
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7/6/2013 - Hodby wrote: 86 Points
Medium red. Young fruity, herbal nose: cranberry compote, garrigue, leafy. On entry, lean fruit and medium tannin; unbalanced. Flavors are medium-light in intensity but correct for grenache-dominated blends. Tobacco and elevated tannin in the finish; typically, grenache tannin of this level does not dissipate with time in a friendly way. Drink now. Bottle #2 of three.
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6/16/2013 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour. Dark red core, lighter/brighter at rim but no bricking. Cherry and tobacco on the nose. Medium body, cherry and tobacco follow the nose with a bit of forest floor to add complexity, nicely balanced, hint of ashy tannins on the back palate, medium finish. Holds its own over a few hours without any fading, developing a bit more complex sweetness and a hint of chocolate. In a nice spot now and should continue to drink well, perhaps becoming more complex, over the next 5-10 years. Outstanding.
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6/10/2013 - JimSlatin wrote: 87 Points
decanted 2 hours before drinking. This vintage is at it's peak or just starting to decline right now in my opinion. The fruit is starting to fade along with the acid which leads me to wonder if it will be flat in 3-5 years. THere were some wonderful secondary earthy and mushroom flavors that have taken over
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6/2/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Expectations were high, but I should have read my own note from last year. This bottle gave the same impression. Nose that definitely opened with the decant, but an unfocussed palate put a damper on things. Still, it had plenty of red cherry fruit, nice tannic structure and a little acid and went very nicely with Brussel sprout/asparagus risotto and grilled pork tenderloin.
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6/1/2013 - Fur in the glass Likes this wine:
Nose: berry, plum, chocolate
Palate: light fruit on the top deepening into a mocha/chocolate dominated finish, thick texture in the middle. Had a few hot moments
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5/27/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium ruby in color. Smells of sous bois and old leather. This needs to be open for an hour before it shows what it has. My perception of Vieux Telegraphe is that it generally takes longer to mature than most other Chateauneufs. When young it is fairly hard and muted. With age, they finally come around, but it takes awhile. This tastes of subdued grenache/cherry fruit, garrigue, lavender and leather. Acids are becoming soft and the tannins are still present. To me this bottle is just ok. Not great even after 3 hours of air. This just doesn't measure up compared to the 2003 Pegau Reservee we had just the other night.
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4/24/2013 - Cote d'Or Likes this wine:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and Day 2
-bright med red, minimal bricking
-vibrant aromatics, red fruited grenache, touch of iodine, garrigue-y herbal
-med acidity, med concentration/weight, tannins mostly resolved, red fruit, moderately complex with early tertiary development, touch of heat on backend, with decent length. Started falling apart on Day 2.
-great nose, reaching full maturity
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4/7/2013 - stinkycook wrote: flawed
Corked badly
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4/6/2013 - sharonandroland wrote: 88 Points
Closed and one dimensional. Maybe in a dumb phase.
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3/21/2013 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
Russk ww at Prima vera.
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3/9/2013 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with the last bottle, expressive kirsch and brambly fruit nose. Extracted blackberry fruit on the palate, really opened up after a few hours in the decanter.
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2/24/2013 - Robert_Lyle wrote:
Purple/garnet. Fragrant, maturing Grenache on the nose. Black cherry, plum and a touch of Asian spice. On the palate; tannic with a touch of astringency/dryness. Less charming than the 2001/1998, but still impressive. Better with food. Perhaps one to drink up, or alternatively leave for a while, could be going through a ‘difficult’ period.
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2/20/2013 - lilolwindrinker wrote: 91 Points
powerful on nose and palate, entering its optimum drinking window
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2/16/2013 - stephen locke wrote: flawed
Corked
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2/16/2013 - stephen locke wrote: flawed
mildly corked I think - just stripped of fruit and slightly metallic
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1/5/2013 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 91 Points
A rich nose of dark cherry and kirsch with a hint of leather. Rich, saturated blackberry fruit, kirsch liquor, blueberry compote exhibiting a sweet mid-palate. Finish is a bit light, but overall very solid.
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12/30/2012 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine has an orange rim and a grenadine color in general. Notes of kirsch, garrigue and asain spices. Very delicious drinking right now.
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12/25/2012 - Chimer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite evolved garnet hue, gamey animal nose, plenty of vivid intensity but not the finesse or purity of the 2001 served alongside. Delicious current drinking and recognisably Chateauneuf in a funky animal way. Good depth at peak now.
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12/10/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Grenadine color. Crystallized lavender and strong tobacco note. Relatively light, elegant and above all, dry despite being perfectly ripe. Wonderful acidity that carries it. The fruit has definitely lost its primary character. Third time tasted this year, and all of my notes attest to its great consistency and lovely state of development. I trust (and hope) that it will maintain this peak for another 3 or 4 years.
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11/12/2012 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Brick / ruby. Sophisticated CdP with an exotic flair. Red fruits and stones in a medium bodied wine that shows good sweetness and little evidence of the rubber tire that frequently penalizes this vintage. Nice and a big step up from last experience with this wine. (92)
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10/1/2012 - LARich wrote: 90 Points
Classic CDP showing its maturity perfectly now. Dark almost brown-tinged but still robust color. Slight chocolate and sandalwood nose giving way to forest berries. Well interested tannins and a touch of spice on the palate make this a very pleasurable if not terribly complex wine. Drink now or hold a bit but unlikely to improve.
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9/28/2012 - Martin Redmond wrote: 90 Points
Pacific Point Wine Tasting Club - Barbera Night: Garnet color with aromatic spice, mineral dark fruit, and oak aromas. On the palate, it's medium full-bodied, smooth, and round with blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Long finish. 14% alcohol
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7/22/2012 - pwillen1 wrote:
Ready to drink. while this wine may evolve more, you can certainly pop it now and not be disappointed. More forward than many VT but still a long and interesting finish.
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7/21/2012 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Dinner: Generic, large Chateauneuf fruit. The palate is nice though, with pleasing dark fruits, tart, grippy acidity, and quite pretty overall. Soft strawberry fruit is noted. The finish is nice and lightly funky, with a tartness. Grippy, but very pleasing acidity permeates this one.
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7/13/2012 - mchiew wrote: 91 Points
Mature garnet color. Decanted for abt45, drank over 2 hrs. Aromatic CdP nose, herb. Medium n silky finish, integrated tannin. It tastes sweeter toward the end. It is drinking well now, very enjoyable!!
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7/10/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Maturing color. Very complex aromatics of secondary fruit, light herbs and a strong tobacco leaf component. Medium weight, long, subtle and savory. Terrific and classic-just about ideal for 12 year old Chateauneuf.
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7/3/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours and drunk over 2 nights. Another wine that's been 2 years since the last. Expressive CdP nose. Palate on this bottle was a bit muddied. Fruit was again medium bodied and had a soft texture, though tannins still present. Lacked acidity and verve. Low complexity and length. Served with homemade pizza along side a Saves Rose and this went almost untouched (thus the night 2 notes). Hope this is a 'dumb' phase -- other recent '00 CdPs have rocked.
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6/29/2012 - dbkitc wrote: 78 Points
Mature garnet center with an orange/pink rim. You can almost smell the sun radiating off the large stones of the vineyard. This is complemented by roasted herbs and very ripe fruit. Silky mouthfeel - certainly a hot vintage wine. To be honest, I think this bottle is overdone - something I rarely encounter with VT. But there are certainly prunes on the palate. There is some acid but not enough to counter the hot flavor profile. One of the worst bottles of VT I have had. Fans of big, ripe CDP will like this a lot more. (78)
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6/24/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Loads of CDP's and more (Meritage, St. Paul): No specific notes.
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5/2/2012 - markjanes wrote: 90 Points
Cassoulet and Vieux Telegrape 98-01 (Reno, NV): Before decanting this wine seemed a bit overripe in its fruit… with 30 minutes in the decanter it gained a lot more focus and delineation losing a lot of the overripe aromas… my notes were similar to two years ago with a couple of exceptions… noticed less depth of color and less extraction at rim, less brett. This wine still remains very firm in structure for the vintage and a bit adolescent and unevolved but with good underlying depth of flavor and structure. This thing has to flip from adolescent to adult sometime soon?
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4/26/2012 - liteagilis wrote: 93 Points
This was the surprise of a VT vertical. Although not wotn, it was damn close. Fresh, meaty and extremely herbal. Silken palate, resolved tannin. At peak and in check. Probably has ten good years at this level and it's awesome. Would buy if I could find it.
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4/15/2012 - wine65 wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color no fade. Leather and spice on the nose. Plums, spice, underbrush with leather and light tannins on the finish.
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4/10/2012 - Leeagolf6 wrote: 92 Points
Opened this bottle, my oldest of a verticle from this date to present. Stiff and tanic out of the bottle, but over an hour to an hour and half, opened up, the tannins softened and fruit, and eventually, chocolate came out. Very enjoyable. Tannins show that more time in the bottle will probably work too.
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3/31/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Horizontal Tasting of 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape (San Francisco): Structurally very similar to Les Cailloux-lighter weight and full of green, herbal components. Long, balanced and smooth. Seems close to peak. I thought this was pretty classic and wonderful.
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3/28/2012 - g-man wrote: 92 Points
Still young but has shed it's baby fat and is starting to show that hreat Cdp profile of meat, blood, iodine, smoke and garrigue. This is drinking really nice now but may improve over the next few years.
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2/10/2012 - Mingmong wrote: 90 Points
High alcohol nose, roasted tomatos and tomato soup nose. Ripe red fruits, tomatoes, toast, celery, capsicums, and black peppers.
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1/29/2012 - mouton45 wrote: 90 Points
From 375ml. Mature and ready to go
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1/14/2012 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Open for business after an hour in the glass; very old school, very La Crau, loads of garrigue, pepper, cherry and darker fruits also, good grip here and also length and depth. Neuf at it's best. Quite firm for the vintage, will live for another ten years, but no mortal sin to drink it now.
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1/6/2012 - Montecalvo wrote: 92 Points
This is drinking wonderfully over two days. Still quite young but it has some secondary notes. Easily can improve over the next 7-10 years.
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12/5/2011 - winemaker wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured into 2 375s. The first was not opened for about 32 hours, so it had some slow O'ing for quite a while. Lovely medium ruby, transparent at the rim. Smells of sweet cherry fruit, garrigue and stones. Tastes like it smells plus you can add in some leather and earth from the Mourvedre in this wine. This wine has fairly firm tannins and should improve for some years to come. Very loing finish. Excellent wine.
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10/22/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Fall Fest Wines (Larry's): Another CdP that is mature and IMO has morphed into a wine better than I thought it might be in its youth. Clean nose with black and red raspberries and still some floral notes. Not as much funk. On the palate, clean with lots of layering. Complex fruit and earthiness intertwined. Nice balance. Seems to be peaking.
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10/21/2011 - Pknut wrote:
I meant to open the 2000 Vieux Donjon, not the 2000 Vieux Telegraphe, yet this was great. Seems more resolved than a bottle earlier this year, showing a mix of red and black fruits, pepper and iodine. Not as much seaweed/nori notes as one might find in Telegraphe, but the iodine is towards that element. The palate is cohesive, smooth around the sides and showing its age, yet there is still plenty of fortitude here, as well as fruit, to keep developing in the cellar. No degradation over night after pouring half the bottle in a .375 and sealing it. Another 2000 Chateauneuf that is showing very well presently, and this one adds class and uniqueness.
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9/25/2011 - Ibetian wrote: 90 Points
I think my 2009 note captured this fairly well. Needs a little air, but opens nicely to a classic C du P, if perhaps a little sweet for my current tastes.
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9/24/2011 - winemaker wrote: 91 Points
11 years old and still a bit tight. Has grip. Muted nose with some herbaceousness. Tannins and acids are there balancing the wine. Tastes of leather, minerals, earth. The fruit is muted, but the wine is tasty. I think this wine still has room for improvement.
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8/11/2011 - MC wrote:
With air this fills out, and is quite good. Key is air, as it shows lean out of the bottle. A-
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7/10/2011 - mstar wrote: 86 Points
Going downhill fast (this bottle at least
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6/23/2011 - majamke wrote: 92 Points
Before going into the decanter: Sweet Grenache nose. Subdued and aged. On the palate, not a hint of fruit. It’s quite hollow, like it’s missing an essential component almost. Consists of white pepper and hints of garrigue. It all pulls together nicely for the finish. Still subdued, but showing more complexity with hints of black tea, blackcurrant, roasted herbs. After 2 hours this has more complexity. Tannins softened, blonde tobacco with some blackberry lurking in the background. Delicate, beautiful.
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5/6/2011 - asgerG wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured: Garnet red, yellowish rim, 5½. Archetypical intense old school C9P nose, garrigue, red fruits, game. Harmonious taste, fine juicyness, some tannins. Very well balanced. Drink now - 2016
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4/16/2011 - Happybob wrote: 91 Points
Well balanced, fairly big, not the last word in complexity though...
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4/15/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
This was not quite as pristine as a terrific bottle last summer, seeming to have a touch of brett that cut off the finish. Medium weight, and still a lovely mix of fruit, herbs and acidity, though.
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3/28/2011 - Pknut wrote:
Big and brawny at first, with underbrush, pepper and alcohol sticking out; needs to smooth out. With a couple of hours of air, raspberry fruit, red and black fruit, lots of acidity and lots of pepper. On the second night, really impressive, no degradation overnight, with a core of solid raspberry fruit, very woodsy and spicy, with terrific underlying structure that is just starting to soften. Long on the palate, juicy acidity on the sides, good grip. Long finish of minerals and spices. Plenty of depth, class and fortitude. I’m very impressed with how good this is showing right now, but it still has plenty of time to go longer in the cellar. This is rocking.
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2/27/2011 - MicklethePickle wrote: 92 Points
Luscious garnet color with good legs. Has the gorgeous olive, garrigue and animal smells I so love in the wines from this region. Nose is at perfect pitch right now. And it all carries right over onto the palate, with rich, voluptuous, mouthfilling red fruit flavors all in fine balance with wood and acid. Nice long finish. Not a blockbuster but it doesn't have to be when it is this wonderful. Drinking beautifully at it's peak but should remain here for years. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
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2/18/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker, whose wines are notorious for being cellared in pristine fashion. The color is medium-to-deep garnet and the nose shows moderately intense aromas of raspberries, lavender, underbrush and dust. Medium-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium dusty tannins and flavors mirroring the nose. The middle is solid and the smooth finish is medium-to-long. This particular bottle was a bit more advanced than the bottle which Marshall served up 10/15/10. Drink now-12/14.
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1/27/2011 - pjaines wrote:
This is really starting to hit its stride - a touch of maturity on the nose and the palate with lots of crushed black olives, aniseed and spices - the fruit and structure are blending really well right now, leaving a wine that is still substantial and warming but without any visible heat or weight. Excellent balance. No rush to drink either - still has years left.
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1/23/2011 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about an hour before dinner. Surprisingly young and primary with red and black berries predominant. The fruit is sweet and slightly jammy, but not too much for my palate. Upon opening there were savory notes of green olive and bacon, but these took more of a background role with air. Drinking nicely now, but I won't open another bottle for a few years.
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1/11/2011 - don_quichotte wrote: 88 Points
About as exhuberant a 10 years old wine as I can think of. Not my style (too sweet) but I can see why others would like this.
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1/10/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
From left over bottle, overnight. The nose is kinda fading, but the palate is getting better as the underlying sweet dark fruits, in fact, stew cherry fruits started to come out from the shell and merged together with the oak and tannin, but it was still powdery and dusty, with rustic, slight rough edge profile that added with some juicy tones, better but not necessary much better than yesterday. I have this weird feeling that the condition of this bottle is not perfect. Buy - No.
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1/9/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
This has opened for at least 4hours and still very tight, especially on the palate. The nose has this stew cherry tones that I often found in 2000, with touch of rustic core surrounded by roasted herb, blood, game. The palate is absolutely unyielding, dominating by oak and powdery tannin that mask the underlying fruits, formed a dusty mouth feel, rustic old school CDP profile with meatiness, earthiness flow on to the medium length finished. Buy - No.
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1/7/2011 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
BW/WE Annual Riesling Dinner (Golden Beach Seafood Restaurant, Changi Golf Club): Third time with this wine, and it was probably the best showing. Dumped into the decanter for barely an hour, it was still amazingly young and tight, but boy, it was gorgeous old school stuff. Lovely nose showed floral notes of violets, lavender and garrigue layered over dark fruited black cherry and blueberry scents. The palate matched the nose stride by stride. Still so tight, clearly with lots of inner workings still coiled tightly around the mid-palate, but even then, there were lovely flavours of sappy dark cherries and black berries, spice and earth, some meaty notes, all clean, pure and juicy and wrapped around the most velvety of tannins. Classy stuff. After all the big, modern Grenache-fueled CdPs we have had recently, this was such a wonderful relief. Nice concentration, good fruit sweetness, yet not a touch confected or alcoholic. It went beautifully with our pork chop dish too. I enjoyed it very much on the day. However, unlike many of the 2000s, which have started opening up very nicely, this wine has some way to go yet. I would probably pin 2015 as a good time to start popping bottles.
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12/15/2010 - sehill wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine showed well but seemed more advanced than previous bottles tasted in the past two years. The aromatics shows a combination of of raspberry, thyme, leather, rocks and spice notes. The color is a medium brick to dark ruby. the medium/full bodied palate shows good balance with a medium lengthy finish. The both the palate and bouquet show a maturing quality. Tannins remain present on the finish. This is at or around its peak and is not likely to benefit from additional bottle age.
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12/13/2010 - rmgroves wrote: 92 Points
50th bday decanted 4-5 hours. Fabulous
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12/7/2010 - Rick-again wrote: 90 Points
pleasant nose , medium bodied clean taste .....spice , some sweetness cranberries and a hint of strawberries, chewy
day 2 nice herbs and floral scents on the palate
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11/21/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, floral, red currants
Taste: Some sweetness with spice and raspberries present
Finish: Floral, pepper, intense spices and a touch of sweetness
Evaluation: Solid wine with no flaws 90 points
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10/15/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker. It was decanted and serially tasted over 2-3 hours. Medium garnet in color, the wine showed a fairly intense nose of raspberries, garrigue and dry earth and clove. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium (slightly astringent) tannins and red fruit and mineral-driven flavors. The middle palate is solid and the finish, while a bit dry, is quite long. Drink now-12/15.
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10/11/2010 - markjanes wrote: 87 Points
Moderate depth of color, moderate amount of extraction at the rim that has tints of bricking. Aromatically the wine is quite closed showing a little bit of fruit, little bit of dried herb, some funk, no obvious new oak use... on the palate the wine has moderate + acidity, a firmish midpalate that transitions into a moderately tannic finish, moderate ETOH. Wine is on the firm side balance wise with the hard elements of the wine (acids and tannins) exceeding soft elements (ripeness of fruit, ETOH), good length and intensity, there is complexity in there but all the elements of this wine are quite muted. Wine has finesse, is texturally appropriate, flowing but firm, good expression of place. Time in the decanter helped this a bit, the fruit became more defined, a little more funk... but the wine remained shut down all night. Tonight drinking "very good" with potential to be "outstanding," try again in 2-4 years.
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9/13/2010 - davergny wrote: 93 Points
Deep burgundy color. Strong nose of garrigue, licorice, earth with some heat. Full & rich on the palate, nice depth, tons of garrigue, black cherry, herbs & spices. Lovely complexity, long mouthwatering, spicy finish showing a little heat. Lots of character, robust and rustic. Definitely much more open than a bottle from one year ago, but needs some time to soften up a little, unless you like a big, robust wine to drink now. This was fun to drink.
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9/7/2010 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Brown/orange red. Plenty of red fruit, funk and spice on the nose. Palate has medium intensity fruit that starts strong, but thins out a bit in the midpalate. Structure is present in spades, giving this an almost rustic texture, so the acidity and especially the tannins may be overshadowing the fruit at the moment. Really good penetration and length. Sense of complexity is there, but not in harmony at this stage. Bolder than many '00s. Will wait a couple years to try again.
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9/5/2010 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
Cellar Raid (ExtraSpace @ Boon Keng): Elegant but rich and juicy with plush currants, velvety black plums and slight hint of spices. The classiest in the lot.
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9/4/2010 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Cellar Raid: Grenache and Sangiovese (Extra Space, Singapore): One of the stars of the show on the day, and certainly the classiest wine. This very much made up for the corked bottle the last time round. Nose was still tight and unyielding. Lots of almost chalky mineral in true VT style, along with peppery spice and a nice dose of garrigue. Lovely classic lines on the palate. All still tight and subtle, but lots of quality, with dark cherry flavours, savoury meat and a super-long finish full of that lovely minerality, more meaty notes and a whiff of cigar smoke. Good concentration throughout, elegant balance, a really nice wine. Unlike many of the 2000 CdPs which are just so appealing now, this seemed to be just beginning to open up, and I would really give it another 4-5 years to hit peak.
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9/3/2010 - esb wrote: flawed
I know it’s corked as the cork is pulled but no sign of tca contamination in the wine after an hour. First sip shows no maturation, almost like a barrel sample with lots of earthy soil, a minor roasted quality and a disjointed tannic feel. Undrinkable. After two days in the fridge, subtle whiff of tca before warming and it just gets worse from there.
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8/29/2010 - theRealPepe Likes this wine:
Decanted. Bricking reddish brown color. Garrigue, earth, red fruits and seaweed on the nose. On the palate, almost restrained dark fruits, earth and mineral. Less exhuberant red fruits on the palate then previous bottles, but the trade-off is a much more balanced wine. Excellent.
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8/16/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Darker than the last bottle. Gorgeous mixture of both red and black fruits with complicating herbal tones. Poised middle weight, sappy darker finish, excellent length. Over the past year or so, this has just continued to move from strength to strength. I'm glad I still have the better part of a case left.
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7/29/2010 - Tartiflette wrote: 91 Points
Lots of pepper, liquirice, chocolate, marzipan, leather and spices. Very good balance all together.
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7/17/2010 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
I was hoping for a bit more excitement out of this bottle based on some recent notes. A little bit roasted on first open, this gains freshness with air. Nice notes of white pepper and garrigue lead to a pure, clean, straightforward Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Very pretty and proper, classy for sure, but lacking some excitement.
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7/12/2010 - doctoroflaws wrote: flawed
might have been slightly cooked.
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6/27/2010 - TannicBeast wrote: 94 Points
What a wine! Dark, brooding, spicy, incredibly long finish. Should continue to improve for many more years. WS gave it only an 85, eight years ago, which just goes to show that you have to trust your palate because the pros can be way off the mark .
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6/26/2010 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initially the nose was big, sweet and rich that reminded me of a strawberry fruit roll but as it sat in the glass the flamboyancy stepped back and what emerged were black currants, clove and spice. Lush and velvety on the palate with dark fruit, honey, cedar and more spice. The finish is medium long with peppery red fruits.
This was a totally different experience from my last bottle but it was drank from a magnum and in an outdoor setting, which could have accounted for differences.
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6/17/2010 - portobellovines wrote: 85 Points
Delicious if a bit unremarkable
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6/9/2010 - kingb22 wrote: 92 Points
Drank well from half bottle. Good rich fruit balancecd by earth. Tannins mostly resolved but not going downhill anytime soon.
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6/7/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 90 Points
Drank along side another CdP that tasted more like an old Cotes du Rhone compared to this. This had wonderful structure and could easily last another 10-15 years with good storage. Wish I had better notes for this as it was really a special wine.
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6/5/2010 - millwhat wrote:
Disappointing - alcohol dominated. May not have decanted for long enough?
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5/31/2010 - ghood wrote: 94 Points
Drank alongside a 2000 Usseglio Mon Aieul and this one showed better. Gorgeous nose of red and black fruits and garrigue, medium to full-bodied palate that fleshed out with time. Still had some grippy tannins, so I think this has a chance to get even better with a few more years.... now I just have to keep my hands off of my last bottle!
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4/19/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium red with lighter rim. Beautiful aroma of raspberry and a whiff of funk. Not at all '00 in character-elegant feel, pure fruit, fresh acidity, low tannin, and not too sweet or alcoholic. I get less of the herbal background than I have in the past. A winner and the best showing yet for this wine, which has kept on improving as I've tasted through bottles over the past 3 years or so.
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4/10/2010 - ccn wrote: 91 Points
Superb on the nose -- really filled out and funky. Somewhat less complexity in the mouth; decent length, not terribly big; slightly noticeable alcohol, but not overwhelming. Flavours disappointing relative to a striking nose, but a solid wine.
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3/27/2010 - DesMarteau wrote: 94 Points
Wow...Great. Light, young fruit, especially for a ten year old wine. No air, just popped and poured. Vibriant young subtle fruits...kiwi, stawberry, blueberries, spice, nice light acidity and tannins....great balance and very light mouthfeel. Nice stuff...would buy more on auction.
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3/23/2010 - theRealPepe wrote:
Open for 20 minutes before drinking over the next hour from the bottle. Aromas of earth, minerals, garrigue and nori. On the palate earth, red fruits and black fruits abound. Touch of barnyard, provencal herbs and minerals. Still has a strong acid component (as compared to my last tasting of it in 2007), but the different components are harmonizing now. This could have stood decanting because it definitely improved as dinner progressed. Excellent.
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2/28/2010 - vintage61 wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Susans with Tina Burrows. Hitting its stride at the 10 year point. Very smooth. Mid to dark translucent purple color. Spicy CDP aromas and flavors that held constant over the hour or so the bottle lasted. At or very close to peak and should hold another 5 to 10 years. Good stuff!
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2/10/2010 - slanum wrote: flawed
Corked.
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2/9/2010 - Pknut wrote:
Good showing. Needs a few more years. While the fruit is no longer primary, the palate is not that giving, and the wine is not yet at the point of softness and fuzzy texture that I like in CdP. Long, spicy-sweet finish hints to its future potential. Lots of red fruit and spice, tannins still there, vibrant acidity. In other words, the complete package of ingredients, but it needs to simmer a bit longer and become a bit more cohesive. Great potential. Try again in two or three years.
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2/7/2010 - MrPosh wrote: 90 Points
Decantered for 1 hr but just kept getting better . No fruit , very bordeaux.
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2/3/2010 - Dr_Bob wrote: 96 Points
lord, what a fabulous bottle !
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1/1/2010 - sehill wrote: 91 Points
Similar to a bottle tasted 4/09. This wine requires about an hour in the decanter to show its best at this stage.
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12/15/2009 - MC wrote:
Needs 2 hours to open. Give this some time. B+/A-
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11/19/2009 - Pknut wrote:
I opened this after having had a weak bottle of the '00 VT two months ago, and I wanted to check if that had been a fluke. Yes, it was. The '00 VT is excellent and in a great place today. A nose of dried flowers carries over to a palate showing plenty of red fruit and spice, garrigue, and a bit of sweet tobacco, coming together nicely into a cohesive, well proportioned and very balanced palate. Less of the iodine/seaweed that VT often shows, more juicy, vibrant red fruit and spice. Lots of juicy acidity here, and still-strong tannin surrounded by fruit; this wine has ages to go. Like a stallion just getting started.
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11/7/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Kicking back on the rooftop (Shane's, chicago IL): nose: great nose with lots of garrigue, black cherries, black fruits, roast beef, saddle leather and cracked pepper tones. Great depth and extremely well balanced with a real classic nose right now
taste: Excellent medium feel with good tannins and well balanced tones of garrigue, black cherries, roast beef, along with a whole lot of incense and perfume tones that seem to explode on the mid palate. Real good depth along with the feeling being fairly suave makes this fairly drinkable right now
overall: still a young CdP, this was very drinkable with a good decant. This comes off as entering what should be a long window and it should offer even more in another 5 years
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10/31/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Six Vintages of Vieux Telegraphe (Vin Vino, Palo Alto): Healthy color, not much lighter than the youngest trio of wines. Immediately some secondary fragrance accompanying ripe whole red berries. Garrigue comes later. Middle weight, savory and not overly sweet, elegant feel for a wine from this vintage. Showing beautifully now, and in fact, my favorite wine of the flight, edging out the '07 (although it is likely that wine will overtake it with time). I've tried one of these a year, and it is still on an upward trajectory.
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10/25/2009 - MC wrote:
Needs an hour to open, but then is very good. A-
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10/16/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 88 Points
Tasting of Rhône and some blinds by the DRC-club (Brugweg - Velp): When just poored, this wine gave a little shock. Is this good? But this was mainly because it was the first wine in the flight of reds, right after the white Hermitage (Chave, 2002). What power in the nose! But to be honest: not my type of wine. A little too much. I guess they tried to please Parker a little too much...
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10/14/2009 - JFish wrote:
It seems that this wine is starting to round into form. Althought not giving much on the nose at first, this bottle did start to show a bit of mouvedre funk, only a bit, and seemed dominated by grenache. A middle weight wine with good balance. It should be interesting as this develops.
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10/12/2009 - MC wrote:
Served at cellar temperature with no decant. Dark color, seems closed - but with the stuffing for something pretty good. Hard to tell if this just needs time or is not all there. Next time give it some air. B+/A-
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9/24/2009 - Pknut wrote:
A disappointing bottle. One-dimensional plum fruit, and nowhere is the trademark Vieux Telegraphe iodine, seaweed/nori, pepper and spice flavors that were so prevalent in recent bottles of the '95 and '99 VT. This bottle lacked dimension, nuance and energy. Aeration didn't do much to make this wine come alive. I'm hoping that this was a bad bottle only, as 2000 VT should be screaming good right now.
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8/20/2009 - soyhead wrote: 92 Points
Winner of the CdP evening. Nose - blackberry and oak. Mouth - fruit, well balanced, and delicious.
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7/25/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez complexe. De la lavande et de la menthe fraiche qui complètent les classiques aromes de fraises et de garrigue.
La bouche est d'un très bel équilibre. Un cnp au style traditionnel, plein, belle richesse, savoureux, rien en trop et aucun alcool perceptible. La finale est sur les cerises à noyaux et la garrigue, d'une bonne longueur. Rien de spectaculaire, un beau vin authentique et typé. Un régal pour l'amateur. Le soleil de Provence pour réchauffer cet été maussade. 92 pts
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4/30/2009 - Paul S wrote: flawed
2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape tasting (Extra Space, Singapore): TCA. Not a huge amount, but a real pity. Under the wet cardboard and fish guts, I got a shy, woody nose with little remnants of perfume, savoury meat, plums and a touch of licorice. Palate, as one would expect, was flat and rather lifeless, just acid, along with touches of funk, licorice, quince and a metallic tinge all along the spine of the wine. Truncated finish linger with a touch of bittersweetness.
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4/11/2009 - sehill wrote: 91 Points
This wine was decanted and poured about a half hour later. The bouquet shows concentrated raspberry, blackberry, smoke, granite and spice notes. The color is dark ruby. It is correct for the wines age. The medium/full bodied palate shows receding primary characteristics and the evolution to a more mature stage for this wine. Tannins remain present on the finish giving this structure. This wine is currently showing well with decanting. This is at or near its peak and should continue to drink well over the next 5 to 10 years.
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4/1/2009 - Eric Guido wrote: 93 Points
A deep, dark red color. Not a wine for the timid as aromas of Spice cookies, toast, bacon fat and black pepper burst from the glass. The fruit on the nose is almost an afterthought and shows as a mix of currant and dried plum. Medium bodied on the palate with raspberry fruit, cedar and spicy clove. The finish is long and lingering with a bit of rough tannin. This is drinking great now but could probably stand another year or two before it hits its plateau. It took about an hour to show it's true colors but it was worth the wait.
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3/21/2009 - Tree512 wrote: 89 Points
Closed out of magnum. Pure red fruits, not particularly concentrated, fresh but not particularly long. I think will turn into something nice, but no reason to open for a number of years.
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3/9/2009 - Ibetian wrote: 90 Points
Nice, complex nose of raspberries, blackberries, meat, smoke and tobacco. Medium bodied. A bit too sweet for my taste. A nice, though not especially long finish. A very good wine with some positive evolution ahead, but I'll start to work through my stash with some gusto.
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1/11/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Wine Salon - Rhone (Chez Brian): This was more like it. Lovely nose of herbs and smoked meats, blackberry fruit, and a nice frame that should support many more years of graceful ageing.
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12/26/2008 - grafstrb wrote: 92 Points
Post-Xmas CdP Tasting at Edina Country Club in Edina, MN: Double-decanted before the event: Decanted for 2.5 hours
Tasted blind: Served 2nd out of 12
NOSE: rich dark red fruits provide the framework for ample spice and pepper notes; a secondary hint of Italian herbs brought-up the finish of this still-tight bouqet.
BODY: garnet color of medium depth; medium-full bodied; superfine particulate matter was suspended in the wine.
TASTE: more acidic than the '98 Clos des Papes; serious tobacco and dark raspberry flavors, as well as a complex earthy element; medium-long finish; well-balanced. A beautiful wine that still hasn't hit its peak yet. I would hold for a few more years, or give a long decant if drinking now. This easily beat-out its '01 and '05 brethren which were also served blind at this tasting. Tied for my #3 WOTN.
B: 50, 5, 12, 17, 8 = 92
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12/26/2008 - Mattshank wrote: 89 Points
Blind CDP Tasting at Edina Country Club: Nose: Spicy with some red fruit and a little perfumy quality. Nose was somewhat closed. Palate: Bright red fruit and soft. Finishes rather quickly.
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12/25/2008 - DTWOB wrote: 89 Points
Brickish color - A little thin on the nose and flavor - nice tannins to give it some structure, long finish.
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11/21/2008 - WST wrote: 93 Points
Just love the VT. Didn't expect this to show so well in its youth. Drank from a .375. Silky sweet mouthfeel; dark fruit, cassis and perhap a little peat.
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11/8/2008 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Fête GV. Réglissé, un VT typé, d’un très bel équilibre, savoureux, excellent et peu de choses à envier au fameux 1998. 91 pts
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10/11/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
Expressive aromatic nose, classic CdP. Bright pure fruit with some dirt. Slight sour note of the midpalate. Palate adds some earth and cedar notes, with some gritty tannins. Finish is medium length medium complexity mostly fruit and mineral slate notes. Overall a nicely drinking CdP, still with some perceptible tannins, and some bothersome heat. Drinking nicely now, might improve, unsure as I haven't had older wines from this producer.
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9/27/2008 - Double D wrote: 88 Points
A little too funky on the palate to suit me, even after an hour it did not blow off....maybe just an off bottle.
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9/18/2008 - David J Cooper wrote:
Medium red. Lots of cassis and raspberries, a hint of anise. Very bordeaux like? Very clean and a long dry finish. Like an over proof claret. Very good wine.
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9/13/2008 - duchamp wrote: 91 Points
(from memory) Dark purple/red, some oxidation on the nose but mixed with raspberry, spice, black plum and soda, palate is remarkably tight and dominated by saline fruit, plenty of tannins still in place, rolling finish with tons of character
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8/22/2008 - aficioneophyte wrote: 89 Points
Plummy.
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8/12/2008 - ski695 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Entering a good time to drink. Not a blockbuster but solid.
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7/24/2008 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
Very dark red. Nose of dark fruit, leather, and peppercorns. Good complexity. Nice monthfeel, clean, balanced, elegant. Tastes of black plums. Not a long finish, but a highly pleasing one. A beautiful bottle of this wine, the first of 18. Drinking very well now to my tastes, though no hurry to drink up.
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6/15/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Oh my, this half bottle was so much better than one a year and a half ago. Maturing color. Nose of lavender, rosemary, and menthol. Smooth feel with ripe (but not overripe) dark fruit, licorice, and crisp acidity. Out of this format, a very enjoyable drink now. Excellent Chateauneuf which is better suited to the table than to a comparative tasting where it would not necessarily stand out from the crowd.
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6/6/2008 - SimonG wrote: flawed
2 half bottles, prior to opening both believed/known to be heat damaged.
Half A: Decent nose, sweet vanilla and red fruit. Slightly rustic. Acidic, lacks fruit, tastes heat damaged. Not as bad as half B though.
Half B: Pruney fruit nose, smells heat damaged. Tastes rank.
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4/23/2008 - Niagara wrote: 91 Points
Give it some time to open up. Excellent match for duck with raisin sauce.
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4/21/2008 - ncmussell wrote: flawed
From 375. This bottle was clearly off. Didn't really show any typical CdP qualities. Nose was really funky with really plummy musty fruit. Palate was similar and just didnt give much pleasure. I let it open for a few hours but all of the characteristics remained the same.
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4/16/2008 - jasonh wrote: 89 Points
On the nose I notice ripe salted plums. I just noticed another taster had noted that. This is drinking well although slightly clunky. The ripeness level is a little high for me but there is still plenty of tannin going right across the palate. I hope the fruit does not go pruney.
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3/29/2008 - ScottG wrote: 90 Points
Reasonably open. Grenache fruit driven, fairly ripe. Fairly light tannin presence. Good CdP typicity, but doesn't scream VT at this point. Should improve more- still mostly primary flavors- don't think it ever shut down completely. Hope it build more complexity.
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2/27/2008 - MoTheMan wrote: 94 Points
Had the botle last night with a good friend and some of my favortie Italian (Tutto Fresco, RSM, CA).
Opened the bottle a good hour before I left the house to let it breathe some.
Lots of terroir on the nose showing truffle, mushroom, moist wood chips, and a hint of peet.
Nice rich garnet/purple color w/ good viscosity & legs.
An hour & a half after opening the bottle, I finally got to taste the wine. Initial taste showed no fruit at all but a lot of the terroir flavors mentioned above along with wet stone.
Nice balance between flavor, body, and acidity. Tannins were a tad strong (young) but overall well balanced & having a nice long finish. Med+-Full bodied.
In the second hour after opening, a lot of dark & red fruits began to emerge. Black & sour cherries, strawberry, blackberry & mulberry; all present and showing a nice balance and complexity.
Overall a very pleasing wine with still a lot of ptoential for cellaring.
I think I'm going to get another bottle! :-)
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2/3/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Wine and the Superbowl (Mike's house, Chicago IL): nose: really nice and developed CDP nose of peppercorns, white truffles, leather, and some hints of blueberry and tart cherry
taste: real nice feel and density on the palate. Peppercorn strikes you with some truffle, wood smoke, leather, and earth tones to give some back up
overall: a very beautiful and sumptuous wine. This is what I love about Vieux Telegraphe and the depth it brings. It's so much fun to drink and this one provides a wonderful finish and is really just an excellent wine
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1/12/2008 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 89 Points
Nose shows spice, cherry, rasberry and floral notes. The palate has some fruit combined with earth character and offers a medium finish. Not a life long fan of the Vieux Telegraphe wines compared to other Rhone producers but not bad. 89 points
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1/12/2008 - jaymeplace wrote: 91 Points
Very nice subtle mix of garrigue, fruit and underlying minerals. Blossomed over 2 hours.
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11/25/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 90 Points
Garnet. Mellow nose of a hint of raspberries, garrigue. Mouth was a milder mix of the same. Nice, but I got the impression that this was a tweener-between youth and adulthood. Hold a few years.
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10/6/2007 - BeavisCC wrote: 94 Points
A lovely showing for this wine. Really clean, yet spicy, with pure forward fruit, lush midpalate and a smooth finish. Not as musky as the Pegau had alongside and given a slight preference, but a pretty special bottle of wine, especially for the money.
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8/19/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Dinner at Siggy's House: Notes from memory. Double decanted about two hours before serving. The color was a deeper and darker red than the other two CdPs served. I found the nose decent but a little wild -- a lot going on with no smells distinct enough to lock in on. Let's just say dark fruit, garrigue, and mineral. The taste had good fruit concentration but still came across as a very structured wine. The finish was decent. I have trouble seeing the resemblance to the 85, 88, and 94 tasted recently. An upper 80s effort on this night, but should develop into a low 90s wine (or even higher) with additional bottle age.
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8/19/2007 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
Dinner With Friends (Our House): Sappy, peppery black fruit, garrigue, kirsch, and a whiff of oak. Structured and quite tannic; somewhat "old school" in character. Long finish.
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6/23/2007 - the godfather wrote: 94 Points
Awesome, so complex, really interesting dark garnet color, complex porty nose, lots of kirsch, This for me is how grenache should drink
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5/8/2007 - bberg wrote: 86 Points
A little disappointing versus other vintages of CNdP from Viexu Telegraphe. Lacks the complexity and depth found in 1998 or 1999. Not a bad bottle of wine, a little tanic on the finish and decent fruit- just not up to the normal standard.
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3/11/2007 - gschneider wrote: 89 Points
Everything was there..Dark Berry, Chocolate, tar, and nice oak. The wine however was just a bit restrained and somewhat closed. Seems like it could wait a few years. Oh well, its nice to enjoy now as well.
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2/2/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
Not a lot going on from a half bottle tonight. Slightly muted nose, then simple core of medicinal black cherry fruit and olive with some secondary, pine aromatics over time. Good fruit but similarly one dimensional palate impression with raspy tannins not giving a great mouth feel. Unimpressive-funny stage, subtly flawed, or is that all there is?
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12/16/2006 - kevin h wrote: 90 Points
Rather spirity nose, one dimensional aromas of kirsch that did not change much over 3 hours in the decanter - a little deeper at the end perhaps? Similar kirsch dominated flavours. Youthful, lean for a Chateauneuf and none of the sweetness that comes with the best of these wines. Give me Vieux Donjon or Pegau any day over this. This can be drunk now with some enjoyment but it has years ahead of it. If I had any more I'd leave it for another 5 years.
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2/3/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 91 Points
TCF February 2006 Off-Line (Napa - Powell's): Bottle decanted 2 ½ hrs before my first sip. Slight burgundian funk on the nose and also brown tinted hue. Red fruits and smoke with a caramelized banana flavor turning to brown sugar note increasing the longer in the glass. Finished very light.
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9/15/2005 - Jeff W wrote:
It's the finish that dominates at present - tannic, chewy, full, long, and slightly warm. The fruit, both on the nose and the palate, is muted. Overall you get the sense of a meaty and powerful wine that is surely closed. vg+
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7/19/2005 - KellyW wrote: 87 Points
This is a simple wine without a lot of depth of fruit. After about 2 hours the wine displayed a bit more complexity but I do not see this wine getting much better if only a bit more nuanced with time.
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5/14/2005 - Madams wrote: 85 Points
This was eaten with lamb marinated in soy/sesame seeds and grilled with rosemary - complimented by braised fennel. It had a lovely rounded taste that did not over power the food nor fade with the meal. Delicate yet moderately strong flavor.
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4/11/2005 - timhg wrote:
Calcot Manor Good legs up front peppermint, followed by blackberries with a leathery tannic finish, just as I remember
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10/29/2004 - RAD wrote: 91 Points
Birthday dinner for Mike at Chops in ATL. Going from memory, so not as detailed as other notes. Nice CdP. Deep garnet color. Strawberry and tar on the nose, continuing on the palate, with nice, structured tannins on the finish. A pleasant, not-too-powerful CdP. $100 at the restaurant.
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10/23/2004 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:
Very very young looking. Smells like a grenachey young Cotes du Rhone plonk. Soft, still quite grenachey, fruit on the attack, but for the rest it is totally dominated by tannins. Complete infanticide, and as a result not rated.
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6/12/2004 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at Château des Alpilles. This opened up very tight with a prominent note of tar or creosote on the nose. With time (and a grilled rack of lamb) this really spread out beautifully with garrigue and pine taking over. This shows lovely balance and restraint. Relative to a lot of other Châteauneuf-du-Pape this is much lighter and more feminine in character. After three hours this started to shut down.
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3/1/2004 - JeffO wrote: 92 Points
Half bottle at El Gaucho on L's 11th birthday. This was a spontaneous birthday dinner (we thought she would pick MacDonalds), just the 3 of us and me the only wine drinker. But wow, what a treat this CdP was! Big fat jammy fruit and great structured tannins in the finish. Nose was a bit closed, giving up some fruit and pepper, but not a big bouquet. Thoroughly enjoyable though. I was at Freddy's in Totem Lake tonight (3/2) and bought their last two bottles. Yummy.
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11/7/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 91 Points
Light ruby in color and a lightly muted nose with sweet cherries and green apple. The palate displays thick red fruits, pepper and asian spices followed by an immediate rush of tannin. Time is best served.
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1/27/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
I had the 2000 Vieux Telegraphe at a blind tasting on Saturday and thought the flavors were muted with bitter tannins and a short finish. When the wine was disclosed as the 2000 VT, it was immediately apparent that the wine was closed down. It was not showing very well and needs time. 88+ points.
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8/23/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 79 Points
Bright disc. Medium ruby with red rim. Somewhat subdued nose showing black fruit, cherry and dust/earth. Medium-bodied and with somewhat coarse tannins on the palate, with a decent attack but lack of follow-through to the mid-palate. The finish is medium and astringent. I am underwhelmed, but the wine may simply be in an awkward phase at this point. I wouldn't risk laying out the money to see if it comes around with cellaring.
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