The 1st sip upon opening showed a beautiful bouquet of dark fruits, then double decanted to removed the sediment and the wine developed secondary tones of chocolate, black pepper, garrigue, earthy spices, but alcohol is overpowering, hence not 90 because of the disbalance.
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After a brief decant, this medium bodied wine accompanied dinner very well. Fruitiness has long been left behind, but mellow earthy flavors persist. Finish is short but pleasant. It is drinking nicely now, but the brownish hue makes me wonder how much more time it has left before going downhill. It seems to me that drinking this wine soon is the best course of action.
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Garnet colour with an expressive nose of ripe strawberries and fresh plums with sweet spice on the background. No evident oak. Full throttle on palate with intense extract and high alcohol that is well balanced however. Still tight with thick tannins that need more time to integrate. Finishes with lively peppery aromas.
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Aromas of dried red berries, stoney minerality, and a little espresso bean. Medium body with minerality and dark herb at the front. The dried berries are now in the background. Old world style, food wine all the way. Acidity kicks in on the dry finish.
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Nose: sweet and fruity, aromas of strawberry and almond + smoke. Taste: bitter-sweet, mineral, blackcurant and almonds, fatty. Above average strong tanins, texture a bit rough. 100% Grenache. Not quite following the 90 and 90+ ratings by Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson and the Wine Spectator. Expected something more subtle and impressive.
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CULINA "Our Wines, Our Style" (Grand Ballroom, Marriott, Singapore): Very predominantly Grenache with sprinklings of Syrah and Mouvedre Nose: Fresh sweet red berries and cherries but also a hint of green notes at the tail end of the nose Taste: Sweet fruit, more fruit forward but a certain tartness made the mid-palate a little austere. Nice drinker but didn't have the power and finesse of the Barbe-Rac, naturally.
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Horizontale 2006 au Yuukai, Montréal Très beau nez aérien sur les petits fruits. Corps moins intéressant, avec une acidité mal appuyée pas un fruit en retrait. Un peu mince et court.
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We let this breathe for a few hours (maybe 3). Even so, the first glass was still a bit harsh, although it opened up fairly nicely, and we put the rest into a decanter. Nevertheless, I was simply not as impressed by this bottle as I thought I would be. From what I can gather, the '06 vintage in CDP is meant to be pretty good, and Chapoutier certainly enjoys a good reputation. Nonetheless, this bottle did not have anything close to what I have come to recognize as a CDP blend of flavors and so forth. It was a decent wine to be sure, but not really distinctive as a CDP. I have had much better from poorer vintages and less renowned domains. Perhaps it was "shut down" or something like that. Who knows? I don't.
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COLOR - standard; young, so still vibrant red. NOSE - minerally, not outstanding, thin on fruit. TASTE - a bit thin, with the minerals standing out; as expected, not enough fruit to justify cellaring this vintage. RATING - 86.
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It's early days for this wine, but it is already drinking well. The nose is fairly restrained, with subtle hints of berry and cooked fruits and herbs. The alcohol hits you immediately - typical Grenache in that respect (La Bernardine is not a blend, it's 100% Grenache), and the advertised 14.5% is very apparent. Having said that, the tannins are beautifully smooth and there's a wonderful herbaceous undercurrent to the palate. Length is good, so the only cause for concern is whether there's enough acidity and primary fruit to sustain this wine for another 5-10 years. If there is, and if the alcohol integrates a little better over time, it should be really fine in a few years.
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6/21/2019 - Winnje Likes this wine: 89 Points
The 1st sip upon opening showed a beautiful bouquet of dark fruits, then double decanted to removed the sediment and the wine developed secondary tones of chocolate, black pepper, garrigue, earthy spices, but alcohol is overpowering, hence not 90 because of the disbalance.
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11/10/2018 - rwpalmer wrote: 87 Points
Fully resolved palate though all a bit workman-like. Now quite soft and sweet with a little olive character.
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7/1/2014 - Marcyrillo wrote:
not special
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12/27/2013 - sbern wrote: 87 Points
After a brief decant, this medium bodied wine accompanied dinner very well. Fruitiness has long been left behind, but mellow earthy flavors persist. Finish is short but pleasant. It is drinking nicely now, but the brownish hue makes me wonder how much more time it has left before going downhill. It seems to me that drinking this wine soon is the best course of action.
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6/16/2013 - hpgrette Likes this wine: 89 Points
Light, easy to dring - not the strong, complex and heavy typically CndP style. Perfect to drink now!
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8/24/2012 - Dokken wrote: 90 Points
Garnet colour with an expressive nose of ripe strawberries and fresh plums with sweet spice on the background. No evident oak. Full throttle on palate with intense extract and high alcohol that is well balanced however. Still tight with thick tannins that need more time to integrate. Finishes with lively peppery aromas.
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7/14/2012 - rwpalmer wrote: 86 Points
Some pretty cherry fruit and something more like mocha or chocolate on the nose. Some browning. Rather light palate. Ready.
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3/18/2012 - Ecky22000 wrote: 92 Points
Beautifully strawberry, earth and some nice soft tannins. Decanted for an hour and drank with beef and Parmesan risotto.
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1/7/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromas of dried red berries, stoney minerality, and a little espresso bean. Medium body with minerality and dark herb at the front. The dried berries are now in the background. Old world style, food wine all the way. Acidity kicks in on the dry finish.
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10/11/2011 - Kriz wrote: 89 Points
Hints of garrigue and laurel-licorice. Mediocre Chateuneuf wiht typical grenache elements.
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1/23/2011 - JohnFalstaff wrote: 88 Points
Nose: sweet and fruity, aromas of strawberry and almond + smoke. Taste: bitter-sweet, mineral, blackcurant and almonds, fatty. Above average strong tanins, texture a bit rough. 100% Grenache. Not quite following the 90 and 90+ ratings by Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson and the Wine Spectator. Expected something more subtle and impressive.
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9/4/2010 - ikileo wrote:
CULINA "Our Wines, Our Style" (Grand Ballroom, Marriott, Singapore): Very predominantly Grenache with sprinklings of Syrah and Mouvedre
Nose: Fresh sweet red berries and cherries but also a hint of green notes at the tail end of the nose
Taste: Sweet fruit, more fruit forward but a certain tartness made the mid-palate a little austere. Nice drinker but didn't have the power and finesse of the Barbe-Rac, naturally.
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5/21/2010 - ed-d wrote: 86 Points
Older nose of prune & stone. Light entry that is all gripping tannins infused with plum & spice.
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8/6/2009 - ludwigbpm wrote: 89 Points
Horizontale 2006 au Yuukai, Montréal
Très beau nez aérien sur les petits fruits. Corps moins intéressant, avec une acidité mal appuyée pas un fruit en retrait. Un peu mince et court.
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7/10/2009 - John Nezlek wrote: 86 Points
We let this breathe for a few hours (maybe 3). Even so, the first glass was still a bit harsh, although it opened up fairly nicely, and we put the rest into a decanter. Nevertheless, I was simply not as impressed by this bottle as I thought I would be. From what I can gather, the '06 vintage in CDP is meant to be pretty good, and Chapoutier certainly enjoys a good reputation. Nonetheless, this bottle did not have anything close to what I have come to recognize as a CDP blend of flavors and so forth. It was a decent wine to be sure, but not really distinctive as a CDP. I have had much better from poorer vintages and less renowned domains. Perhaps it was "shut down" or something like that. Who knows? I don't.
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5/16/2009 - danstrings wrote: 88 Points
Northern Rhone Visit, May 2009; 5/14/2009-5/17/2009 (Condrieu, Ampuis, Cornas, Tain -- France): Tasted at the Domaine -- Good smooth and peppery, nice tannins, balanced but not a mind boggler.
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5/5/2009 - aveeck wrote: 86 Points
COLOR - standard; young, so still vibrant red. NOSE - minerally, not outstanding, thin on fruit. TASTE - a bit thin, with the minerals standing out; as expected, not enough fruit to justify cellaring this vintage. RATING - 86.
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5/5/2009 - simonjwoolf wrote: 89 Points
It's early days for this wine, but it is already drinking well. The nose is fairly restrained, with subtle hints of berry and cooked fruits and herbs.
The alcohol hits you immediately - typical Grenache in that respect (La Bernardine is not a blend, it's 100% Grenache), and the advertised 14.5% is very apparent. Having said that, the tannins are beautifully smooth and there's a wonderful herbaceous undercurrent to the palate. Length is good, so the only cause for concern is whether there's enough acidity and primary fruit to sustain this wine for another 5-10 years. If there is, and if the alcohol integrates a little better over time, it should be really fine in a few years.
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