Last five bottles were horrifying. Way past their dates of consumption. It happens. My cellar has been good for keeping bottles in suspended animation but my last notes from 2015 now ring as a warning I should have heeded. Each bottle I opened carried with it my hopes they would have survived to provide a thrilling experience. It was an experience, to be sure. Color had faded, three of the corks were crumbling, and the bitterness still lingers on the back of my tongue as I write this. Just awful.
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I thought this would have gone over but to my delight it was drinking beautifully. Notes of truffle and forest floor on the nose. A certain sweetness on the palate with very soft tannins. We had it with venison and it was excellent.
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Still going strong but fully mature with pronounced notes of garrigue and mature, dark fruit. Airy with good acidity. Fresh. Old-school neuf, time to drink up.
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Lovely, Grenache driven wine. Lighter in color compared to the 1999 Montirius. Beautiful cherry/raspberry fruit, cooler vintages shows through. The fruit is complemented by sous bois notes. Moves with elegance and lightness. Great wine.
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An excellent bottle. Maybe a couple of years beyond peak. Tannins velvety soft and smooth. A light garnet edge. Notes of baked red fruit, strawberries and hints of black raisins. Drank over two nights and it was better the first. On the second, the fruit had receded a bit and the raisins were a bit more prominent with possible notes of sherry. Overall an excellent experience, showing what is possible with great Châteauneuf.
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Opens up with barnyard and funky nose. Mature Chateauneuf, spcicy and earthy, plenty of sweet, red fruit left. Light and elegant in style, distinct. Drinking really well now. Wonderful.
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Black Lion Wine Club - New World/Old World Comparisons (Jon Penny's House): Appearance: The wine is medium garnet Nose: The wine has pronounced, complex aromas of sweet ripe dried fruit (figs), herbs (dill), spice (liquorice), tertiary (savoury and farmyard). It is fully developed. Palate: The wine is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) alcohol, med (+) body, medium tannins that are smooth and silky, and pronounced flavours of dried fig, dill, earth, savoury. It has a medium (+) finish. The wine is very good. It has complex pronounced aromas/flavours from its tertiary developed. The acidity and alcohol and tannins are all well integrated and balanced by the flavours. The finish is a little short and the fruit has definitely faded. It should be drunk now and is not suitable for further ageing.
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The wine was cloudy and a bit flat, but I'm not sure that it wasn't a mistake with handling on my part or a defective bottle. The other five are clear with a solid area of sediment, but they might be a little cold and jostling the bottle caused dissolved solids to precipitate out. The wine doesn't taste bad, and it still has a pretty clean nose, so it's not bacteria or additional yeast. It's just not quite right.
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Good, not great. Nice earthy mature notes, some brett orientation, sweetish fruit, then starting to oxidize after a couple hours. Not really noteworthy other than its maturity and the accompanying complexity. This threw a TON of sediment, so needs to be decanted for sure.
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This has developed into a really wonderfully mature Chateauneuf in the tradiotional, lighter-bodied style. Well structured, reasonably fresh and still showing red fruited tones, this is one to drink now and 3-5 years out. I remember this went through a dumb stage but now in the past couple of years, this has truly blossomed.
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A great example of a Chateauneuf without pretensions. It is a medium-bodied Grenache with very typical dark cherry and meat aromas and excellent acidity. It seems fully mature, though no doubt it'll last for another 5-10 years easily. Great with broiled lamb tonight.
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This is back on form after a few bottles of subpar performance a few years ago. This is full of wonderfully ripe, but not over ripe, cherry fruit, lavender, thyme and forest floor flavors. Traditional in style, this is in a great drinking spot right now probably with a few more years at this plateau. I liked this a lot pre 2009, then had a couple of so-so bottles, and I like it now. Was probably closed down in between.
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Bright ruby color with a striking clarity. Bright fruit on the nose with tart cherry and wet stone, showing a little heat. Dusty red cherries and Stoney minerality. A moderate anise tone, with vibrant acidity and subtle earthy components on the finish.
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Peppery, spicy, stony fruit on nose - hints of plum, cherry; terroir-driven. Beautiful taste - perfect acidity with dark cherries featuring strongly, nicely integrated oak. Lingering flavours.
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Really strong backbone and powerful tannins made me realize this wine still had many years of softening left before it would be ready. The syrah comes through loud and clear, and I'm going to need to change my drinking window on this one as it's still very young. Still, a really strong example of Chateauneuf du pape, and I'm guessing it will be worth the wait.
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Quite enjoyed this - nice nose of mushrooms, cherry and tobacco. Is it the best - no. but is it good - yes. very enjoyable on its own and with food - very aromatic nose. (drank with peter)
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A: Very brown, foggy and a bit musty. N: Lavender, heather something rather acidic but not unpleasant to say the least. A soft milk chocolate and earthy mushroom. T: Tart cherry, leather and bacon. Blueberries and some soft perfectly ripe fruits. Pencil lead. F: Coco to a sweet chocolate to a strong leather. Overall: This is really hitting the spot tonight. Firm while maintaining a delicate structure. Nicely integrated structured tannins. Consumed the 2003 earlier this year and it did not compare to this wine. Wondering how much is bottle and and how much is just the vintage. Great value. V: 4/5
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Another disappointing showing for this wine. A rather unpleasant smell and taste of sweet, canned tomatoes and a metallic aftertaste. Even if there is still plenty of sweet Grenache lurking underneath it comes across in a vegetal way which is just no good. The wine does firm up after 3 hours of aeration, but even then it remains mediocre. I have no clue what's going on here. I went through a case of this wine over the last 5 years and every bottle was solid. Wait a year or two I guess. UPDATE: There is hope. Much, much better on day 3 with plenty of sweet kirschy, Grenache coming through. It may be that this is just going through an awkward phase. We'll see. Wait 2-3 years.
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The first bottle of my second case of this wine. I think I screwed up the decanting because the wine was very cloudy from excessive sediment. At first I thought this was an off bottle because of the bitter, sour and metallic taste. As it turned out, a few additional hours of aeration improved matters. Black cherry fruit and lavender flavors emerging. Sweet, kirschy. Ultimately I decided to save 2/3 of the bottle for the next day. So far I have only had good experiences with this wine, but this particular bottle was somewhat off.
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The wine was just not ready--tight, unforgiving and really closed--and needs more time in my cellar. With constant swirling and aeration, the wine started to open up, but I'm going to wait on the remainder of my bottles before tasting. This kind of confirmed my previous note about this wine being in it's dumb phase in 2007, and needing more time. I, personally, am not going to rush this wine.
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Unfortunately, the lever pull pushed the cork into the bottle. Poured into a decanter but that brought with it a good deal of sediment to get past the suspended cork. Initially I thought this was over the hill but it seemed to gain strength and get better as the night went on. Nice cherry and currant flavors. Paired well with marinated rack of lamb. I probably wouldn't hold this a lot longer but with a bit of air time this turned out to be quite nice.
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Nice with a pan seared tenderloin and wine reduction. But this is showing a ton of chocolate cherry and is looking mature. nice wine for the price, drink in the next year or two.
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I think we're getting closer to the end of this vintage's life, though it's always possible this is just bottle variation. The color is drifting toward brick, and the taste is a little sharp, but it did mellow with a bit of decanting. Then again, that should be a clue that this vintage is just going through it's "dumb" period since it was pretty tasty with about a half hour of decanting. The food was a porterhouse steak with plenty of spices, and it paired pretty well. I won't pass a final judgement on this wine until I have a few more from the 99, but it bears watching.
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Murky ruby red color. I am not sure what to make of this wine. Its definitely big and acoholic and then there is a good wack of acid, maybe from acidification. Its got some nice fruit but it seems disjointed.
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Okay, much simpler than I expected. None of the usual CdP flavors, herb de Provence, etc. Have two more bottles and will hold for a while, because I don't think it will get worse, but I'm not really impressed.
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Red color, tending a bit towards brick. Nice perfumy nose. Medium- bodied. Mostly currant with a bit of cherry and red berry fruit. Good structure with a nice balance of tannin and acidity. I think this could go awhile longer but it's drinking great now. Paired very nicely with grilled lamb kabobs.
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This wine was just wonderful. There was black fruit on the nose which consisted of a mix of cherries, plums and prunes. The taste was like an old burgundy full of prunes and ripe plums with some black cherry.
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Fairly dense cherry fruit, some structure, the flaw being a lot of heat on the mid palate and on the finish, which is fairly lingering. Solid southern Rhone flavors, nice with grilled lamb chops. The question is whether to get a few more bottles of this, which I think I could -- right now I'm on the fence.
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Tasting at Taverna: Blind Red 3 - Dark colored. Cherry nose with a nuance of olive. Sweet Northern Rhone tapenade. Sweet red berry fruit. Pretty good. The olive quality and color density of this wine had me thinking more Northern Rhone.
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Medium ruby colour, pale at the rim. Fruity aromas. Blackberry and chocolate on the palate. Prolonged length. Noticeable tannins. Lots of sediment. Good.
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9/12/2020 - NJSpinDoctor wrote: flawed
Last five bottles were horrifying. Way past their dates of consumption. It happens. My cellar has been good for keeping bottles in suspended animation but my last notes from 2015 now ring as a warning I should have heeded. Each bottle I opened carried with it my hopes they would have survived to provide a thrilling experience. It was an experience, to be sure. Color had faded, three of the corks were crumbling, and the bitterness still lingers on the back of my tongue as I write this. Just awful.
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6/20/2020 - hornyphil Likes this wine: 92 Points
I thought this would have gone over but to my delight it was drinking beautifully. Notes of truffle and forest floor on the nose. A certain sweetness on the palate with very soft tannins. We had it with venison and it was excellent.
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4/17/2020 - pbaek wrote:
Still going strong but fully mature with pronounced notes of garrigue and mature, dark fruit. Airy with good acidity. Fresh. Old-school neuf, time to drink up.
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12/24/2017 - pbaek wrote:
Great, mature, old-school neuf. Gentle and soft ref fruit, elegant and light, notes of garrigue. Excellent.
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1/28/2017 - pbaek wrote:
Lovely, Grenache driven wine. Lighter in color compared to the 1999 Montirius. Beautiful cherry/raspberry fruit, cooler vintages shows through. The fruit is complemented by sous bois notes. Moves with elegance and lightness. Great wine.
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12/13/2016 - lockandkey2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
An excellent bottle. Maybe a couple of years beyond peak. Tannins velvety soft and smooth. A light garnet edge. Notes of baked red fruit, strawberries and hints of black raisins. Drank over two nights and it was better the first. On the second, the fruit had receded a bit and the raisins were a bit more prominent with possible notes of sherry. Overall an excellent experience, showing what is possible with great Châteauneuf.
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5/29/2015 - pbaek wrote:
Opens up with barnyard and funky nose. Mature Chateauneuf, spcicy and earthy, plenty of sweet, red fruit left. Light and elegant in style, distinct. Drinking really well now. Wonderful.
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5/22/2015 - Andrewbdc wrote: 91 Points
Black Lion Wine Club - New World/Old World Comparisons (Jon Penny's House): Appearance: The wine is medium garnet
Nose: The wine has pronounced, complex aromas of sweet ripe dried fruit (figs), herbs (dill), spice (liquorice), tertiary (savoury and farmyard). It is fully developed.
Palate: The wine is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) alcohol, med (+) body, medium tannins that are smooth and silky, and pronounced flavours of dried fig, dill, earth, savoury. It has a medium (+) finish.
The wine is very good. It has complex pronounced aromas/flavours from its tertiary developed. The acidity and alcohol and tannins are all well integrated and balanced by the flavours. The finish is a little short and the fruit has definitely faded. It should be drunk now and is not suitable for further ageing.
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2/22/2015 - NJSpinDoctor wrote: flawed
The wine was cloudy and a bit flat, but I'm not sure that it wasn't a mistake with handling on my part or a defective bottle. The other five are clear with a solid area of sediment, but they might be a little cold and jostling the bottle caused dissolved solids to precipitate out. The wine doesn't taste bad, and it still has a pretty clean nose, so it's not bacteria or additional yeast. It's just not quite right.
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1/4/2014 - sawira wrote: 84 Points
Good, not great. Nice earthy mature notes, some brett orientation, sweetish fruit, then starting to oxidize after a couple hours. Not really noteworthy other than its maturity and the accompanying complexity. This threw a TON of sediment, so needs to be decanted for sure.
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11/22/2013 - pbaek wrote:
This has developed into a really wonderfully mature Chateauneuf in the tradiotional, lighter-bodied style. Well structured, reasonably fresh and still showing red fruited tones, this is one to drink now and 3-5 years out. I remember this went through a dumb stage but now in the past couple of years, this has truly blossomed.
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7/19/2012 - beachbum wrote: 87 Points
technically sound, just not my style
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7/19/2012 - MLipton wrote:
A great example of a Chateauneuf without pretensions. It is a medium-bodied Grenache with very typical dark cherry and meat aromas and excellent acidity. It seems fully mature, though no doubt it'll last for another 5-10 years easily. Great with broiled lamb tonight.
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4/3/2012 - pbaek wrote:
This is back on form after a few bottles of subpar performance a few years ago. This is full of wonderfully ripe, but not over ripe, cherry fruit, lavender, thyme and forest floor flavors. Traditional in style, this is in a great drinking spot right now probably with a few more years at this plateau. I liked this a lot pre 2009, then had a couple of so-so bottles, and I like it now. Was probably closed down in between.
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5/13/2011 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 89 Points
Bright ruby color with a striking clarity. Bright fruit on the nose with tart cherry and wet stone, showing a little heat. Dusty red cherries and Stoney minerality. A moderate anise tone, with vibrant acidity and subtle earthy components on the finish.
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5/1/2011 - beachbum wrote: 88 Points
solid wine, good concentration, just do not care for the dark tar notes.
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1/15/2011 - thehaughleydrinker wrote: 88 Points
Peppery, spicy, stony fruit on nose - hints of plum, cherry; terroir-driven. Beautiful taste - perfect acidity with dark cherries featuring strongly, nicely integrated oak. Lingering flavours.
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1/2/2011 - beachbum wrote: 87 Points
decent example but I am not caring for the road tar flavors
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12/25/2010 - NJSpinDoctor wrote: 89 Points
Really strong backbone and powerful tannins made me realize this wine still had many years of softening left before it would be ready. The syrah comes through loud and clear, and I'm going to need to change my drinking window on this one as it's still very young. Still, a really strong example of Chateauneuf du pape, and I'm guessing it will be worth the wait.
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4/30/2010 - JasonNYC1 wrote:
Quite enjoyed this - nice nose of mushrooms, cherry and tobacco. Is it the best - no. but is it good - yes. very enjoyable on its own and with food - very aromatic nose. (drank with peter)
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3/31/2010 - acop wrote: 70 Points
yucky
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1/12/2010 - btennan1 wrote: 91 Points
A: Very brown, foggy and a bit musty.
N: Lavender, heather something rather acidic but not unpleasant to say the least. A soft milk chocolate and earthy mushroom.
T: Tart cherry, leather and bacon. Blueberries and some soft perfectly ripe fruits. Pencil lead.
F: Coco to a sweet chocolate to a strong leather.
Overall: This is really hitting the spot tonight. Firm while maintaining a delicate structure. Nicely integrated structured tannins. Consumed the 2003 earlier this year and it did not compare to this wine. Wondering how much is bottle and and how much is just the vintage. Great value.
V: 4/5
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10/2/2009 - pbaek wrote:
Another disappointing showing for this wine. A rather unpleasant smell and taste of sweet, canned tomatoes and a metallic aftertaste. Even if there is still plenty of sweet Grenache lurking underneath it comes across in a vegetal way which is just no good. The wine does firm up after 3 hours of aeration, but even then it remains mediocre. I have no clue what's going on here. I went through a case of this wine over the last 5 years and every bottle was solid. Wait a year or two I guess. UPDATE: There is hope. Much, much better on day 3 with plenty of sweet kirschy, Grenache coming through. It may be that this is just going through an awkward phase. We'll see. Wait 2-3 years.
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5/15/2009 - pbaek wrote:
The first bottle of my second case of this wine. I think I screwed up the decanting because the wine was very cloudy from excessive sediment. At first I thought this was an off bottle because of the bitter, sour and metallic taste. As it turned out, a few additional hours of aeration improved matters. Black cherry fruit and lavender flavors emerging. Sweet, kirschy. Ultimately I decided to save 2/3 of the bottle for the next day. So far I have only had good experiences with this wine, but this particular bottle was somewhat off.
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4/30/2009 - NJSpinDoctor wrote:
The wine was just not ready--tight, unforgiving and really closed--and needs more time in my cellar. With constant swirling and aeration, the wine started to open up, but I'm going to wait on the remainder of my bottles before tasting. This kind of confirmed my previous note about this wine being in it's dumb phase in 2007, and needing more time. I, personally, am not going to rush this wine.
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3/15/2009 - kmack wrote:
Unfortunately, the lever pull pushed the cork into the bottle. Poured into a decanter but that brought with it a good deal of sediment to get past the suspended cork. Initially I thought this was over the hill but it seemed to gain strength and get better as the night went on. Nice cherry and currant flavors. Paired well with marinated rack of lamb. I probably wouldn't hold this a lot longer but with a bit of air time this turned out to be quite nice.
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6/8/2008 - beachbum wrote: 89 Points
very viney cherry cough syrup
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4/12/2008 - beachbum wrote:
Nice with a pan seared tenderloin and wine reduction. But this is showing a ton of chocolate cherry and is looking mature. nice wine for the price, drink in the next year or two.
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10/27/2007 - NJSpinDoctor wrote: 88 Points
I think we're getting closer to the end of this vintage's life, though it's always possible this is just bottle variation. The color is drifting toward brick, and the taste is a little sharp, but it did mellow with a bit of decanting. Then again, that should be a clue that this vintage is just going through it's "dumb" period since it was pretty tasty with about a half hour of decanting. The food was a porterhouse steak with plenty of spices, and it paired pretty well. I won't pass a final judgement on this wine until I have a few more from the 99, but it bears watching.
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7/29/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 89 Points
Murky ruby red color. I am not sure what to make of this wine. Its definitely big and acoholic and then there is a good wack of acid, maybe from acidification. Its got some nice fruit but it seems disjointed.
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7/27/2006 - ml wrote:
Okay, much simpler than I expected. None of the usual CdP flavors, herb de Provence, etc. Have two more bottles and will hold for a while, because I don't think it will get worse, but I'm not really impressed.
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2/4/2006 - kmack wrote:
Red color, tending a bit towards brick. Nice perfumy nose. Medium- bodied. Mostly currant with a bit of cherry and red berry fruit. Good structure with a nice balance of tannin and acidity. I think this could go awhile longer but it's drinking great now. Paired very nicely with grilled lamb kabobs.
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8/7/2005 - johnwine wrote: 93 Points
This wine was just wonderful. There was black fruit on the nose which consisted of a mix of cherries, plums and prunes. The taste was like an old burgundy full of prunes and ripe plums with some black cherry.
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4/30/2005 - cab wrote:
Fairly dense cherry fruit, some structure, the flaw being a lot of heat on the mid palate and on the finish, which is fairly lingering. Solid southern Rhone flavors, nice with grilled lamb chops. The question is whether to get a few more bottles of this, which I think I could -- right now I'm on the fence.
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4/5/2005 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Tasting at Taverna: Blind Red 3 - Dark colored. Cherry nose with a nuance of olive. Sweet Northern Rhone tapenade. Sweet red berry fruit. Pretty good. The olive quality and color density of this wine had me thinking more Northern Rhone.
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8/20/2004 - AdamJP wrote:
Medium ruby colour, pale at the rim. Fruity aromas. Blackberry and chocolate on the palate. Prolonged length. Noticeable tannins. Lots of sediment. Good.
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