Old Guy's Potluck Lunch at Lonny's. I'm with MN Wine Junkie (also in attendance) on this blt. My red of the lunch for it's "in the pocket' resolve, balance & depth. The most pleasurable red today & drinking exactly as you'd hope with nearly 30yrs under its belt. Thanks Steve, for both your wine & the excellent sliced tenderloin pairing! Bravo!
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Old guys luncheon (Lonny's Manor): I guess I was more smitten by this wine than other CTers! This was a great bottle and an excellent wine! It paired quite nicely with the tenderloin and horseradish cream sauce!
Everything you expect in a nice Syrah! This is in the zone for my palate, i.e., that perfect place where the fruit and tertiary flavors are in balance and singing in harmony! The wine shows a nice mixture of sweet and tart cherry, and some dark plum notes which are all offset with forest floor, leather and earth with hints of tar and anise. My co-WOTN (along with a 2009 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia). What a great way to celebrate the holiday season! 94+ for me!
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Still absurdly young. Cherry and ruby. Woodsmoke, moist tobacco, gorgeously velvety and enveloping. Long and sensual. Wet earth, rain on ancient forests. Very slight bitterness on the finish. Moving and emotional.
Slow oxed for four hours. Should have decanted as last glass lost to the mud. It had good colour at the core with bricking at the edge. This smelt exactly as you’d wish from the off. Rich dark fruit and some black olive brine. Perfumed lift and no mustiness. In the mouth red fruit, quite fresh and lifted, spice and a metallic tang. Powerful. Fruit was very present and quite ripe still. Flavours rolling along and finished with a meaty, plummy edge and touch of perfume. Is it floral? Not sure. This was super, everything I’d want from a Christmas bottle. Seemed young compared to the vgi ‘89 we had earlier in the year (which was overall a better bottle).
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Hawksmoor Monday (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Oh yes. On pouring - lovely nose, forest floor and maybe a hint of spice (cardamom, cinnamon?). On the palate - lovely zip, still taut and a little bit thrilling. Perhaps after a little time in the glass it started to fall apart a bit? Not sure if this was the reality or just autosuggestion - either way my red of the night, a really gorgeous wine.
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WIMPS #153 Northern Rhône 27th May 2022 (La Trompette, Chiswick): This is showing as well as one could hope for a wine of this age from the vintage. Lovely subtly spiced red fruits, on pouring there is even a lick of freshness that reminded me of a freshly sliced Jonagold. Palate has fleshy red fruits and fruit compote and a charming tertiary forest floor quality. Fully resolved tannins. Yum.
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This 94 is holding up really well and was a nice balance of aged red and black fruits with a little nitrogenous and tobacco character starting to break through on the finish. This wine has a nose that would indicate it is darker and more raucous as there is a lot of tobacco leaf, tart black cherry and iodine on the nose. The wine has a good medium density mouthfeel and body, the front of the palate is where the aged fruit notes are more present with black and red fruits showing up with some mushroom au jus, black licorice tart and forest floor. Goes darker to the finish with figs and herbs and smoked tobacco. Has just about everything for the distinguished drinker, and I think this is a beautiful wine at 28 years young! I don't think there is really much more upside potential to this, but who knows how long it will stay like this.... Maybe another 5 to 10 years with proper cellaring? A definite standout on the table.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Nose with tea, smoky, herb and some red fruit. The palate is rich and intense with some fruit but overall a bit thin. It improved after 1 hour in the glass, with more strength and density. Not complex and it needs enough time to decant.
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Rhone / Barossa Comparisons (London): Black red colour, aroma of blackberry jam. Initially austere, but opens in the glass with glorious blackberry fruit, spicy and rich with complex layers of oak and cherry liqueur. Not decanted, but bottle opened for two hours in advance. Delicious.
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Double blind. Full nose of smoky, meaty black cherry with some minty herb. Round, rich and dense fruit that seems lower acid and from a warmer vintage. Clean, mature but not particularly complex. Was guessing warm vintage Gevrey -- oops.
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Double Blind Virtual tasting (Chicagoland IL): Opened and divided three hours before tasting. Lots of black cherry with meaty character and very savory spice. Wonderfully fresh both for its age and the poor vintage, this is drinking very well now, and showing no signs of decline.
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Five Vintages of Jaboulet La Chapelle (Sonoita, AZ): Alcohol was the most prominent characteristic on the nose. The nose was weaker and less complex. More fruit-forward than the others, with some black pepper on the palate at the finish. Much less balance and finesse. with medium tannin and medium acidity. This vintage was definitely not of the same caliber as the 80’s vintage wines previously tasted.
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Opened one hour before. Belle robe rubis. Nice sign of aging. Changed throughout tasting. First glass was an explosion o fruit, raspberry, cassis and plum. Second glass was more leather , tea and licorice. Leather and cigar in the month. Medium finish. Tout en finesse. Une belle bouteille.
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Yet Another Wine Group Hermitage Tasting: Slightly musty, muted nose. Balanced mouthfeel, nice spine of acidity, a little tired, but nice bright notes of dried dark cherry, plum, fragrance of pepper. Dusty.
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Cellaraid - Chardonnay Corfefe Luncheon and red wine based Dinner (Tonny's Restaurant): this was my wine of the night! in fact, while I was initially hesitant by many reviews of this wine getting past its peak, its performance during the dinner surprised me! very well balanced in cherries, blackberries, plums, herbs, and cedar both on the nose and palate; felt really like a great fine wine at its very best; definitely won't recommend to age further, do drink up all of this nectar in your cellars within the next year - it'll be a pity to see it slide
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Still young enough to have bloody meaty notes and pure blackberry fruit underneath the mature, earthy and leafy notes. Lavender and spice on the nose, especially. Still bright and juicy enough. Tannins fully integrated. Don't wait on these. Drink 'em.
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Maturing, garnet color. Warm, earthy fruit nose is classic La Chapelle - captivating. Takes a while to open but this leathered fruit and earth dominated wine is extremely masculine. Wouldn't save any longer - missing some velvet. Good not great. Opens nicely. (90)
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8th of 12. A more mature bottle, classic with rounded earthy fruit, spice and leather. Complex. Nicely balanced and good length. Drunk with baked pork with pesto, which was okay but would have been better with a younger fruitier wine. A better match would be something like a slow cooked lamb shank. 4+/5
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Decanted for ~45 minutes while finishing up dinner prep. First taste was silky smooth with an underlying red cherry to it, sublime. Enjoyed with a fine meal at home over an 90 minutes or so and each sip provided something a bit different. A very enjoyable bottle and this one was holding up quite well with plenty of verve.
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MAWYBE (reluctantly): So, this is now quite old beyond the recommended drinking time, which is yesterday (2015); so, I thought I had better crack it. On first opening seemed ok...as in "just ok". Not a lot of 2nd-ary stuff; an obvious N. Rhone, bit little saddle sweat etc... Colour is a fine garnet with some brown at the edges; but otherwise well looking. Decanted 30 mins before dinner. Seemed a bit flat, fruit leaching out of it. Did not get any better with time. Drink up, now.
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This is lovely bottle of Hermitage, perhaps less virile than some La Chapelle but none the worse for that. The aromas on the nose and flavours on the palate were quite similar to those of a Crozes Guiraude 01 from Graillot of a few days ago which I described as cherry, meat and pepper tinged on a velvety texture but this wine was fuller bodied showing more depth, complexity and length together with extraordinary charm. In the 90s, quality control of Jaboulet's bottlings was somewhat wayward but I have hit the jackpot with this bottle from an under-hyped vintage. Really excellent and a candidate for my best bottle of the year.
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Tasted along side the the 1990,1989,1996 and it held it own and at times my favorite of the evening. Still youthful and more restrained, perhaps more in balance than the far more extracted older siblings.
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Wahrscheinlich aus einer perfekten Flasche, großes Rhône Kino. Für einen Hermitage eher feminin und leicht, großartige Balance. Reife, ganz feine rote Beeren, Oliventapenade, stellenweise floral, rauchiger Bacon, Waldboden, Gewürze, Tee, Tabak. Enormer Trinkfluß, gute Säure, feine Extraktsüße mit fruchtigem Kern, fast ganz abgeschmolzenes Tannin, salzig, würzig. Jetzt und noch ein paar Jahre auf diesem hohen Niveau trinken.
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Mature Colares and La Chapelle: Perfect bottle, that left the Jaboulet cellar in Feb 2014, the cork was in perfect condition, like you get when opening a 2-3 y.o wine, quite likely it was recorked in the cellars prior to selling. Lots of things going on in this bottle. Sweet red berries, very ripe, spices and even a floral element, with time it developped a pleasant note of smoked sausage, fat sausage meet, also some olive. Opulent palate and rather sweet finish. Overall even though approaching maturity I would hold the bottles from good cellars for some more years, I believe it will get better when gaining some more tertiary elements. Excellent.
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Nose - interesting but still young (on openning) Palate - Also quite young. But there is a fine wine underneath the tannin. Needs atleast another 5 years.
Parting note - the palate mellowed in glass towards the end of the evening (as did I), increasing my rating of this wine to a 93 at that point.
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Very fine development and balance with red berries dominating, including dried berries. Some animal notes and smoke, but surprisingly little for a Syrah at 20 years. Still quite fresh. 91 p.
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Ruby in color, slightly browning. Not sure how this bottle was treated during life. The nose has raspberries, cranberries, some burnt sugar notes too. On the palate, this is fine and certainly doesn't seem over the hill, but where is the complexity in a 20 year old wine? It drinks fine, but that's it.
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Good deep colour. Full nose tinned tomatoes and spice. Classic la chapelle. Rich and full mature and delicious.Plump in the mid palate with savoury finish. Excellent
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Popped and poured. Translucent garnet in colour. On the nose, dark fruits, briney olive, spice, earth, garbage juice, smoked meat and decaying leaves. On the palate, much leaner than a better vintage of this wine, but showing a nice depth of flavour and a great freshness due to the acid profile. Finishes moderate.
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Sweat, sweet spice, kirsch, wet leaf, tobacco and earth Palate has sweet spice, cherry, earth, blue fruit, brine, and sea weed Finish is long with sweat, cherry, earth, brine and funky sea cucumber excrement.
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I really like this vintage of La Chapelle. Classic nose that is not quite as ripe as other La Chapelle's (a good thing). Notes of pickle brine, green olive, red and black currants, bacon, and smoke lift from the glass. Palate is nicely mature and integrated.
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Évolution perceptible, mais la couleur est tout de même d’un grenat moyen. Au nez, un peu de fruit, de thé, d’épices et avec le temps, une bonne dose d’olives. En bouche, le vin montre une certaines finesse et classe et malgré les arômes de thé et de terre mouillée, il reste du fruit, de viande fumée, de lavande et de poivre. Le vin se tient encore. Première expérience avec ce vin et j’ai bien aimé. Excellent.
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Dark crimson core with lots of bricking; ash, alcohol soaked berries, aged, probably past peak, lean slightly vegetal; palate is resolved, leaner, plum, blackberry, some interesting flavors, alcohol kind of stands out at this stage; better if you are consuming rather than contemplating.
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Popped and poured. Black fruit, cured meat, very savory herbs, blood, mint and iron on the nose. Up front pretty and feminine almost delicate for a La Chapelle. Gained traction (did not decant) after an hour, darker and more brooding. Olive brine, smoked meat, bay leaf, worcestershire, rocky minerality. Delicious from beginning to end. Extremely cerebral. In a great place, plenty of life left. Can't wait to drink the magnum I have. Tyler's first La Chapelle...an honor to drink it with him...what a way to start. TS/KS
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great lively tertiary aroma of leather, ripe fruits and spices. full bodied, powerful, rich, savoury flavours of ripe fruits, spices and wet-earth, well balanced, excellent & enjoyable. very long aftertaste. Awesome experience.
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Smoky black cherry aromas with a very barnyard, woodsy character, along with leather and tobacco hints. Moderate black fruit flavors with the equivalent amount of mature, earthy elements. Moderate length and finesse.
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Medium deep. Still quite youthful. Smoky black cherry fruit and on the nose more spicy on palate. Excellent balance, long finish with soft tannins. Wonderful. 4+/5 (94-97)
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Wow. Much better than last bottle and dang it, it is my last one. Rare meat on the nose and a hint of citrus. Not like white wine citrus, but thinking blood oranges. Interesting taste - starts with soft red fruit but swiftly, like in seconds, moves to a tart cherry and then finishes with dust, mushroom, forest. Long finish. Really good wine. Shared with Bridgett who is visiting for the weekend. Said I would open my oldest Rhone, so she could try the region.
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Syrah / Shiraz night: Showing some age. Complex bouquet full of vegetables and fruit. Develops in glass. A bit dusty. Smoke, meat, mushrooms, blackberries, oak, cabbages. Interesting. Palate good. Harmonious and balanced. Some power, but it's a generally elegant style. The best of the three bottles of this I have tried over the last decade.
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Dark red colour, hint of ruby on the rim. Spices on the nose, pepper, game and wet forest. Some hints of red berries on the palate, elegant at the moment, nice spices. I think the oak is a bit too present. The acidity is great, tannins well integrated and the finish is long. A great wine, well built, but I think it misses the wow-factor. No rush drinking these, but it is around peaking time at the moment.
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An elegant wine that never felt forced. It's has a lovely lengthy subtle finish with a light chocolatey, earthy twinge to it. Thoroughly pleasant but not a complete belter. It is peaking now.
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Initially dominated by strong meat aromas, moved into a cassis period, then a cool blue fruit phase. Amazing finish, great middle, all around incredible bottle of wine. Drank alongside a 93 guigal la mouline, this held it's own. Neither amazing vintages, but both great fully mature wines.
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Another very nice bottle and consistent with the last. A bit more grilled meat than the last one, but still plenty of dark fruit and spice. In a good drinking window.
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Very pretty wine. Not a big blockbuster; clear ruby red, medium bodied with cherry, spice, and meaty notes. Very burgundian in style. Drinking well now, but still young with lots of life ahead
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Okay wine although I was expecting a bit more complexity here - fairly muted nose at first - needs a pretty decent decant to get things going. Eventually earthy cherries, mushroom - in the mouth good tannins but the fruit does not have the depth I was expecting. Good follow through but generally not worth the money we paid for it.
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Argh - broke the cork on opening. Second half came out intact and showed inky sediment. Screen poured into Riedel Syrah stems - flash of rich dark fruit that quickly became a rich tapenade. Let sit an hour in the glass. Cherries at the front followed by briar and white pepper. Long finish with bitter chocolate and dust. Very nice. Tannins on the mid pallet balance the cherry and clear the stage for the chocolate and earth on the finish. Cocoa more pronounced in the second half of the bottle. Very nice - I have two left and will probably drink them annually.
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Part of La Chapelle vertical at Chris'. Initially closed more fruit driven than the others, young, tannic, fresh, balanced, lacked a little on the mid-palate but really tasty right now. Was like a cross between the 88/89 but less good.
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Würzige und kräuterige Nase (Lavendel, Rosmarin?), Pflaume, später auch etwas metallisch. Im Mund gut mittleres Volumen, gut integrierte Säure, wieder würzige Noten, auch etwas Süsse, feine aber präsente Tannine, leichter Holz-/Vanilleton im langen Abgang. Wird nach längerer Belüftung nicht mehr besser. Ex-Icono, offen. (90-91/100)
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A lovely experience. We hand-carried this back from the domaine, so that may have colored the results. The color is still deep and shows little change. On opening, it reminded me of a classical claret: slim but dense, with black fruits, leather, and graphite notes. But as it aired, the profile came back true to type, and it started to show more in the way of plum and olive, with smokey overtones. This is still pretty young. A great example of an off-vintage from a great site. It didn't have the concentration or depth of more famous vintages. It demanded more attention, but rewarded it in the end.
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Deeper in the glass than the 1992, this also shows a more vibrant bouquet with red plum and earthy spice. Medium to full-bodied with quiet intense fruit, a dense structure, good acidity and fine tannins. Drink now or over the next 5 to 8 years.
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More expressive than the 92, I got some nice crushed berries, dried fruit and a welcome woodsy note. Solid body weight and a nice freshness on the palate. Not a ton of complexity here, but drinking well now.
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The nose was nicely developed with some fruit,barnyard and loamy aromas.On the palate sweet marmaladelike fruitiness and good balanced acidity.Very charming.Seemed to have lots of aging potential left.
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A gorgeous and slightly unexpected pleasure. Still a youthful wine, with a good deep plum-red colour - revealing only the barest hint of oranging at the rim - and sweet jammy fruit to begin with on the nose. But the aromas develop gloriously with a bit of air, with successive waves of complex, nuanced flavours. Vanilla straight from the pod, wood smoke, blood, liver, tar, violets, plums, blueberry, pear drops, some beautifully pure liqourice... A real kaleidoscope. On the palate, one might perhaps want for a bit more grip, a slightly rounder finish, but there's plenty of flavour and a long, lingering Jagermeister-ish finish. Some slightly muddy tannins and well-integrated, enlivening acidity complete the picture. Better than both the 88 and 89 I had recently, from the same storage. A treat.
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Seattle Round 2: Rhone vs. Rhone Ranger (Seattle, WA): The nose shows lots of complexity with plum, blackberry, and other dark fruits. Also some dates, and olives. The nose is great. Rich and full bodied with some smoky bacon notes on the finish.
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Garnet colored and threw a bit of sediment in the last glass.Opened about 30 mintues before serving. A muted nose with flavors of smoked meat, tobacco, some pepper and a bit of chocolate. Very smooth, probably near its peak. Paired wonderfully with the mustard coated pork tenderloin!
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Brief note 1 week after consumption: After two very tired bottles in the last six months this one brought more life to the table. Fairly classic N. Rhone nose, fresh,mild smoked meat notes. Medium bodied, ripe tannins with a modicum of acidity that holds the wine together nicely. Not remotely profound but nicely drinking mature wine.
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Nice color with light brownish rim. The nose is somewhat muted (decanted while drinking). Earthy and black fruits. Very elegant, medium body, complex as a lot of flavors come and go. Great acidity...Tremendous length. Not as powerful as many Hermtiage but still very young and plenty of years of life ahead.
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diep rood, neus is droppig, donker rood fruit, kruidig, smaak is ook wat zwoel en zacht , dropje en wat salminak, zachte rijpe tannines, redelijke balans
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Not decanted. Nose of cherries and some earth, medium garnet color, some spice and fruit on palate, but thin finish. Compared to a bottle opened last year, this is fading fast, so I'll be drinking these up soon.
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Decanted 1 hour. Muted nose, medium garnet color, soft muted flavors, more like a Rioja. No finish to speak of. Hopefully just an "off" bottle...oh well, it happens!
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nose starts with muted fig behind cinnamon and sage, palate displays the same fruit but bright and velvety in texture, could not get the over-ripe prunes out of my head, the soft tannins still left gushing finish - flavors include noted above and a singing sweet nectar for 45+~~this was delish~~wine is finally hitting stride - if you have some i would p00p1 in the near future. drink now - 2010 - b00b ~ 94
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Decanted in the glass for an hour. Scent of blackberry and some smoke with a little pepper. Very round with just a tiny hint of chewiness, tannins must have mellowed compared to other's notes. Medium to long finish. Good wine.
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Usual Suspects: Ruby red. What's this? Berries, berries. Some horse smell, very fruit driven. More four square, still lively. Chunkier tannins but very enveloped by fruit. Medium long finish. Nice wine but where's the Hermitage?
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Drank @plch. Showing as I expected, i.e. pretty good but rather disappoiting for this label. Air helped a lot, though, so I should probably have decanted it a bit longer. However it still doesn't seem like there's much upside in this wine.
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Beautiful clean garnet color. Smoke and perfume on nose, medium bodied, taste of typical "iodine" and pepper, smooth texture and soft mouthfeel, excellent lingering aftertaste. You just wanted to keep sipping; can't imagine this will improve.
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Tasted at Rhone wine dinner. My humble La Chapelle was up against an 82 and 89 La Chapelle and an 88 Chave Hermitage. Some of the tasters felt it was too young. I actually enjoyed its "youth" and vibrancy. Although the 89 was most enjoyable for me, I ranked this one second. Peppery!
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San Francisco offline at Bizou (San Francisco, CA): This is a promising, young La Chapelle. The nose shows smoky charcoal with black pepper and some matchstick scents. This is big, black and loaded with primary fruit. So young and delicious.
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First Tuesday Wine Group Annual Dinner. I was anxious to try this because I have a bottle, and have heard some negative things about it. It was a full garnet color. Great mouthfeel with tons of spicy coffee and pepper flavors along with some blackberry and smoky oak. Long finish. Complex, and enjoyable, I'm glad I have a bottle of this. I'd drink up though, because it faded quite quickly in the bottle.
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The nose is very intense and powerful - almost pure black currant. Reminded me of the black currant liqueur (a specialty from Burgundy) used to make Kir. When served, the nose was even more exuberant - although at the same time very basic, again mainly on black currant with little secondary aromas. The palate was very fruity, as expected, with some earthy notes and rather rough tannins, which made it kind of hard to drink. The finish was ok but not particularly impressive. Not much to say regarding structure. Rather monolithic and straightforward wine, but well done and enjoyable. All in all this is an average Hermitage, which means it is disappointing for a La Chapelle. It nonetheless gives a lot of pleasure, and is probably at its peak.
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Consumed at Tapenade with pancetta penne pasta. Bottle taken from my personal cellar (recently purchased at Jonathan's). Bright disc. Deep garnet robe with brick rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense black plum, floral, prune and dust aromas. After approximately 60 minutes in the glass, the nose adds notes of tar and cayenne. Full-bodied on the palate, with slightly tart acidity and medium, slightly dry tannins. The flavors mirror the nose. Long finish with a somewhat dry finale. This wine will likely improve with some additional time in the bottle.
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12/29/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Old Guy's Potluck Lunch at Lonny's. I'm with MN Wine Junkie (also in attendance) on this blt. My red of the lunch for it's "in the pocket' resolve, balance & depth. The most pleasurable red today & drinking exactly as you'd hope with nearly 30yrs under its belt. Thanks Steve, for both your wine & the excellent sliced tenderloin pairing! Bravo!
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12/29/2023 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Old guys luncheon (Lonny's Manor): I guess I was more smitten by this wine than other CTers! This was a great bottle and an excellent wine! It paired quite nicely with the tenderloin and horseradish cream sauce!
Everything you expect in a nice Syrah! This is in the zone for my palate, i.e., that perfect place where the fruit and tertiary flavors are in balance and singing in harmony! The wine shows a nice mixture of sweet and tart cherry, and some dark plum notes which are all offset with forest floor, leather and earth with hints of tar and anise. My co-WOTN (along with a 2009 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia). What a great way to celebrate the holiday season! 94+ for me!
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12/29/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
OG Lunch - Holiday Party (Lonny's Place, Mpls): Cherry, tobacco, tar and leather, Full bodied and sleek, black currant, soft, round tannins, layered, not big, nicely nuanced.
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7/10/2023 - ricard Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still absurdly young. Cherry and ruby. Woodsmoke, moist tobacco, gorgeously velvety and enveloping. Long and sensual. Wet earth, rain on ancient forests. Very slight bitterness on the finish. Moving and emotional.
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12/27/2022 - nsellen Likes this wine:
Slow oxed for four hours. Should have decanted as last glass lost to the mud. It had good colour at the core with bricking at the edge. This smelt exactly as you’d wish from the off. Rich dark fruit and some black olive brine. Perfumed lift and no mustiness. In the mouth red fruit, quite fresh and lifted, spice and a metallic tang. Powerful. Fruit was very present and quite ripe still. Flavours rolling along and finished with a meaty, plummy edge and touch of perfume. Is it floral? Not sure. This was super, everything I’d want from a Christmas bottle. Seemed young compared to the vgi ‘89 we had earlier in the year (which was overall a better bottle).
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11/25/2022 - mowtod Likes this wine: 81 Points
Great with a good stew
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11/15/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Hawksmoor Monday (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Oh yes. On pouring - lovely nose, forest floor and maybe a hint of spice (cardamom, cinnamon?). On the palate - lovely zip, still taut and a little bit thrilling. Perhaps after a little time in the glass it started to fall apart a bit? Not sure if this was the reality or just autosuggestion - either way my red of the night, a really gorgeous wine.
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5/27/2022 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 93 Points
WIMPS #153 Northern Rhône 27th May 2022 (La Trompette, Chiswick): This is showing as well as one could hope for a wine of this age from the vintage. Lovely subtly spiced red fruits, on pouring there is even a lick of freshness that reminded me of a freshly sliced Jonagold. Palate has fleshy red fruits and fruit compote and a charming tertiary forest floor quality. Fully resolved tannins. Yum.
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5/8/2022 - mflesh wrote:
This 94 is holding up really well and was a nice balance of aged red and black fruits with a little nitrogenous and tobacco character starting to break through on the finish. This wine has a nose that would indicate it is darker and more raucous as there is a lot of tobacco leaf, tart black cherry and iodine on the nose. The wine has a good medium density mouthfeel and body, the front of the palate is where the aged fruit notes are more present with black and red fruits showing up with some mushroom au jus, black licorice tart and forest floor. Goes darker to the finish with figs and herbs and smoked tobacco. Has just about everything for the distinguished drinker, and I think this is a beautiful wine at 28 years young! I don't think there is really much more upside potential to this, but who knows how long it will stay like this.... Maybe another 5 to 10 years with proper cellaring? A definite standout on the table.
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11/28/2021 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black red. Austere oak and dark fruit aroma. Spicy, blackberry fruit. Touch of eucalyptus. Very complex and fine. Beautiful.
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6/25/2021 - schan109 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Nose with tea, smoky, herb and some red fruit. The palate is rich and intense with some fruit but overall a bit thin. It improved after 1 hour in the glass, with more strength and density. Not complex and it needs enough time to decant.
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6/19/2021 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rhone / Barossa Comparisons (London): Black red colour, aroma of blackberry jam. Initially austere, but opens in the glass with glorious blackberry fruit, spicy and rich with complex layers of oak and cherry liqueur. Not decanted, but bottle opened for two hours in advance. Delicious.
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3/18/2021 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Double blind. Full nose of smoky, meaty black cherry with some minty herb. Round, rich and dense fruit that seems lower acid and from a warmer vintage. Clean, mature but not particularly complex. Was guessing warm vintage Gevrey -- oops.
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3/18/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Double Blind Virtual tasting (Chicagoland IL): Opened and divided three hours before tasting. Lots of black cherry with meaty character and very savory spice. Wonderfully fresh both for its age and the poor vintage, this is drinking very well now, and showing no signs of decline.
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2/24/2021 - TheSauerKraut Likes this wine:
Classic (if not the strongest) La Chapelle. Pepper, iron, and gravel laced through a core of secondary fruit.
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1/1/2021 - engelwein Likes this wine: 89 Points
Feine dezente Nase (etwas Kork?) , im Mund verhalten mit frischer Säure
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9/16/2019 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
A bit weak. But still drinkable.
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4/8/2019 - KenPlace wrote: 93 Points
Very good bottle. Served along side 1997 (magnum) and 1999 and it was my favorite of the three.
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2/6/2019 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Nose: A-/A Palate: B++
My #4, Group's #5 (52 pts). Tasted blind.
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6/10/2018 - djlevin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Five Vintages of Jaboulet La Chapelle (Sonoita, AZ): Alcohol was the most prominent characteristic on the nose. The nose was weaker and less complex. More fruit-forward than the others, with some black pepper on the palate at the finish. Much less balance and finesse. with medium tannin and medium acidity. This vintage was definitely not of the same caliber as the 80’s vintage wines previously tasted.
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6/2/2018 - LoireFan wrote: 94 Points
Great fill and condition. Rocked.
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12/3/2017 - robertek wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as the previous bottle I had at Jaboulet this spring.
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11/12/2017 - Jaber wrote: 92 Points
Opened one hour before. Belle robe rubis. Nice sign of aging. Changed throughout tasting. First glass was an explosion o fruit, raspberry, cassis and plum. Second glass was more leather , tea and licorice. Leather and cigar in the month. Medium finish. Tout en finesse. Une belle bouteille.
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10/14/2017 - nstow Likes this wine: 93 Points
10th of 12. Mature, smooth, balanced with earthy/garden flavours. Drunk with bbq'd Toulouse sausage and was a good match for the strong flavours. 4+/5
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8/30/2017 - MRichman wrote:
Fully mature and ready to drink. Wouldn't hold too long.
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7/29/2017 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 89 Points
Yet Another Wine Group Hermitage Tasting: Slightly musty, muted nose. Balanced mouthfeel, nice spine of acidity, a little tired, but nice bright notes of dried dark cherry, plum, fragrance of pepper. Dusty.
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7/22/2017 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 98 Points
Cellaraid - Chardonnay Corfefe Luncheon and red wine based Dinner (Tonny's Restaurant): this was my wine of the night! in fact, while I was initially hesitant by many reviews of this wine getting past its peak, its performance during the dinner surprised me! very well balanced in cherries, blackberries, plums, herbs, and cedar both on the nose and palate; felt really like a great fine wine at its very best; definitely won't recommend to age further, do drink up all of this nectar in your cellars within the next year - it'll be a pity to see it slide
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5/29/2017 - Ricky99 wrote: 92 Points
at its time
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4/9/2017 - pgm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young enough to have bloody meaty notes and pure blackberry fruit underneath the mature, earthy and leafy notes. Lavender and spice on the nose, especially. Still bright and juicy enough. Tannins fully integrated. Don't wait on these. Drink 'em.
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3/10/2017 - robertek wrote: 95 Points
Brilliant wine with a wonderful nose full of volets.
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12/15/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Maturing, garnet color. Warm, earthy fruit nose is classic La Chapelle - captivating. Takes a while to open but this leathered fruit and earth dominated wine is extremely masculine. Wouldn't save any longer - missing some velvet. Good not great. Opens nicely. (90)
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8/29/2016 - nstow wrote: 93 Points
8th of 12. A more mature bottle, classic with rounded earthy fruit, spice and leather. Complex. Nicely balanced and good length. Drunk with baked pork with pesto, which was okay but would have been better with a younger fruitier wine. A better match would be something like a slow cooked lamb shank. 4+/5
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4/2/2016 - Raizes Likes this wine: 90 Points
状态非常好(酒庄换塞,还加了保护膜和保护盖),开瓶很快适饮,而且两小时内都是很好的状态,沉淀也不算很多。黑莓、桑葚、黑李子,胡椒和香料,还有少许矿物咸感。香气干净,拥有不错的复杂度,但持续力一般。口感偏轻盈,单宁和酸度都不出挑,有冷凉年份的特性。
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1/23/2016 - snipes Likes this wine:
Decanted for ~45 minutes while finishing up dinner prep. First taste was silky smooth with an underlying red cherry to it, sublime. Enjoyed with a fine meal at home over an 90 minutes or so and each sip provided something a bit different. A very enjoyable bottle and this one was holding up quite well with plenty of verve.
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1/4/2016 - mukden wrote: 89 Points
MAWYBE (reluctantly): So, this is now quite old beyond the recommended drinking time, which is yesterday (2015); so, I thought I had better crack it. On first opening seemed ok...as in "just ok". Not a lot of 2nd-ary stuff; an obvious N. Rhone, bit little saddle sweat etc... Colour is a fine garnet with some brown at the edges; but otherwise well looking. Decanted 30 mins before dinner. Seemed a bit flat, fruit leaching out of it. Did not get any better with time. Drink up, now.
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12/31/2015 - Charles c Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted in a mini vertical of 94, 91, 84, 83. Two were great to outstanding the others were very good. All bought from same source on release.
The 94 was a fine glass of Rhone the weight of fruit and remaining length was good but time is not going to add much more to the wine.
45 minutes of decanting brought out the nose on opening as with all of them it was very closed and vegetal.
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12/20/2015 - eboracum Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is lovely bottle of Hermitage, perhaps less virile than some La Chapelle but none the worse for that. The aromas on the nose and flavours on the palate were quite similar to those of a Crozes Guiraude 01 from Graillot of a few days ago which I described as cherry, meat and pepper tinged on a velvety texture but this wine was fuller bodied showing more depth, complexity and length together with extraordinary charm. In the 90s, quality control of Jaboulet's bottlings was somewhat wayward but I have hit the jackpot with this bottle from an under-hyped vintage. Really excellent and a candidate for my best bottle of the year.
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11/4/2015 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 90 Points
Très plaisant mais trop sage sans être particulièrement "classe" . 90 points mérités mais pas plus. Mauvais RQP (ne vaut pas son prix)
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10/17/2015 - Pknut wrote:
Great. Meaty, dark fruit, velour mouthfeel. Dark palate. Still fresh. Nice high notes. Loved this. Acker auction, Marea.
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9/6/2015 - dlduchon wrote: 80 Points
Tasted along side the the 1990,1989,1996 and it held it own and at times my favorite of the evening. Still youthful and more restrained, perhaps more in balance than the far more extracted older siblings.
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7/27/2015 - GeorgeSW wrote: 92 Points
Very good, still like a young wine. Ripe berries, undergrowth, floral. Opened up over 2 hours .
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4/26/2015 - pinotwok Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wahrscheinlich aus einer perfekten Flasche, großes Rhône Kino. Für einen Hermitage eher feminin und leicht, großartige Balance. Reife, ganz feine rote Beeren, Oliventapenade, stellenweise floral, rauchiger Bacon, Waldboden, Gewürze, Tee, Tabak. Enormer Trinkfluß, gute Säure, feine Extraktsüße mit fruchtigem Kern, fast ganz abgeschmolzenes Tannin, salzig, würzig. Jetzt und noch ein paar Jahre auf diesem hohen Niveau trinken.
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12/23/2014 - AV2012 wrote: 91 Points
Mature Colares and La Chapelle: Perfect bottle, that left the Jaboulet cellar in Feb 2014, the cork was in perfect condition, like you get when opening a 2-3 y.o wine, quite likely it was recorked in the cellars prior to selling.
Lots of things going on in this bottle. Sweet red berries, very ripe, spices and even a floral element, with time it developped a pleasant note of smoked sausage, fat sausage meet, also some olive. Opulent palate and rather sweet finish. Overall even though approaching maturity I would hold the bottles from good cellars for some more years, I believe it will get better when gaining some more tertiary elements. Excellent.
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8/17/2014 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose - interesting but still young (on openning)
Palate - Also quite young.
But there is a fine wine underneath the tannin.
Needs atleast another 5 years.
Parting note - the palate mellowed in glass towards the end of the evening (as did I), increasing my rating of this wine to a 93 at that point.
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6/22/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very perfumed, earthy, touch of spice, berries, some leather. Silky tannin, medium acid, delicious.
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5/2/2014 - Vintomas wrote: 91 Points
Very fine development and balance with red berries dominating, including dried berries. Some animal notes and smoke, but surprisingly little for a Syrah at 20 years. Still quite fresh. 91 p.
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3/15/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 88 Points
Ruby in color, slightly browning. Not sure how this bottle was treated during life. The nose has raspberries, cranberries, some burnt sugar notes too. On the palate, this is fine and certainly doesn't seem over the hill, but where is the complexity in a 20 year old wine? It drinks fine, but that's it.
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3/1/2014 - Dave Canada wrote: 92 Points
Consistent note with last tasting...
Maybe a bit more sea cucumber excrement.
great nose...finish is a bit thin
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1/28/2014 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with prior bottles. Needed a bit of time to open up. Elegant, lighter bodied, mature, and ready to go.
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12/11/2013 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good deep colour. Full nose tinned tomatoes and spice. Classic la chapelle. Rich and full mature and delicious.Plump in the mid palate with savoury finish. Excellent
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11/1/2013 - alittle wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Translucent garnet in colour. On the nose, dark fruits, briney olive, spice, earth, garbage juice, smoked meat and decaying leaves. On the palate, much leaner than a better vintage of this wine, but showing a nice depth of flavour and a great freshness due to the acid profile. Finishes moderate.
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11/1/2013 - Dave Canada wrote: 93 Points
Sweat, sweet spice, kirsch, wet leaf, tobacco and earth
Palate has sweet spice, cherry, earth, blue fruit, brine, and sea weed
Finish is long with sweat, cherry, earth, brine and funky sea cucumber excrement.
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11/1/2013 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
I really like this vintage of La Chapelle. Classic nose that is not quite as ripe as other La Chapelle's (a good thing). Notes of pickle brine, green olive, red and black currants, bacon, and smoke lift from the glass. Palate is nicely mature and integrated.
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8/2/2013 - dzitt wrote: 90 Points
Évolution perceptible, mais la couleur est tout de même d’un grenat moyen. Au nez, un peu de fruit, de thé, d’épices et avec le temps, une bonne dose d’olives. En bouche, le vin montre une certaines finesse et classe et malgré les arômes de thé et de terre mouillée, il reste du fruit, de viande fumée, de lavande et de poivre. Le vin se tient encore. Première expérience avec ce vin et j’ai bien aimé. Excellent.
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6/14/2013 - Rezy13 wrote:
Dark crimson core with lots of bricking; ash, alcohol soaked berries, aged, probably past peak, lean slightly vegetal; palate is resolved, leaner, plum, blackberry, some interesting flavors, alcohol kind of stands out at this stage; better if you are consuming rather than contemplating.
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4/17/2013 - TexasBob wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple. Spicy red fruits on the nose. Notes of strawberries, muted barnyard funk, muted spices. Drunk with Yann at his place in NYC.
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3/26/2013 - derek.hara@sbcglobal.net Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Black fruit, cured meat, very savory herbs, blood, mint and iron on the nose. Up front pretty and feminine almost delicate for a La Chapelle.
Gained traction (did not decant) after an hour, darker and more brooding. Olive brine, smoked meat, bay leaf, worcestershire, rocky minerality. Delicious from beginning to end. Extremely cerebral. In a great place, plenty of life left. Can't wait to drink the magnum I have.
Tyler's first La Chapelle...an honor to drink it with him...what a way to start.
TS/KS
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2/24/2013 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
great lively tertiary aroma of leather, ripe fruits and spices.
full bodied, powerful, rich, savoury flavours of ripe fruits, spices and wet-earth, well balanced, excellent & enjoyable. very long aftertaste. Awesome experience.
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11/9/2012 - rSyver wrote: flawed
No, just too late or a bad bottle. Previous bottle was OK.
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8/11/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Smoky black cherry aromas with a very barnyard, woodsy character, along with leather and tobacco hints. Moderate black fruit flavors with the equivalent amount of mature, earthy elements. Moderate length and finesse.
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8/10/2012 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Agree with "nstow" below, smoky black cherry and spice, with just a hint of game and forest. Medium bodied, well balanced. Soft, long finish.
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1/1/2012 - nstow Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium deep. Still quite youthful. Smoky black cherry fruit and on the nose more spicy on palate. Excellent balance, long finish with soft tannins. Wonderful. 4+/5 (94-97)
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12/26/2011 - smiss wrote: 92 Points
Gedronken in 2011. Geweldige wijn. Gedronken met kaas. Heel vol, super lange afdrank. Perfecte Rhone wijn
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10/12/2011 - brainsurgeon wrote: 92 Points
good tannins, tobacco, smoke, yeast currant
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7/2/2011 - Zingrrl wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Much better than last bottle and dang it, it is my last one. Rare meat on the nose and a hint of citrus. Not like white wine citrus, but thinking blood oranges. Interesting taste - starts with soft red fruit but swiftly, like in seconds, moves to a tart cherry and then finishes with dust, mushroom, forest. Long finish. Really good wine. Shared with Bridgett who is visiting for the weekend. Said I would open my oldest Rhone, so she could try the region.
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2/12/2011 - Rob-Rah wrote: 91 Points
Syrah / Shiraz night: Showing some age. Complex bouquet full of vegetables and fruit. Develops in glass. A bit dusty. Smoke, meat, mushrooms, blackberries, oak, cabbages. Interesting. Palate good. Harmonious and balanced. Some power, but it's a generally elegant style. The best of the three bottles of this I have tried over the last decade.
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2/11/2011 - rSyver wrote: 88 Points
Dark red colour, hint of ruby on the rim. Spices on the nose, pepper, game and wet forest. Some hints of red berries on the palate, elegant at the moment, nice spices. I think the oak is a bit too present. The acidity is great, tannins well integrated and the finish is long. A great wine, well built, but I think it misses the wow-factor. No rush drinking these, but it is around peaking time at the moment.
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10/16/2010 - Zingrrl wrote: 90 Points
Peaked. Smooth, Smoke and cherries with a little tar at the top. Medium finish.
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7/17/2010 - jerhardt wrote: 93 Points
A more elegant La Chapelle; ready to go now.
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5/11/2010 - Rupert wrote: 86 Points
Hermitage La Chapelle - complete vertical 1961-2005 (Institute of Directors, London): Some smoky syrah character, but you have to hunt it, dusty and elusive
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4/11/2010 - fred112 wrote: 92 Points
Fruit, leather, apricots. Mmmm.
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3/1/2010 - Kerino wrote: 91 Points
An elegant wine that never felt forced. It's has a lovely lengthy subtle finish with a light chocolatey, earthy twinge to it. Thoroughly pleasant but not a complete belter. It is peaking now.
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1/15/2010 - sergio65 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Mature. White truffles and black fruit on the nose. Smooth, silky and fresh. Elegant wine, very good for the vintage.
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11/24/2009 - Traxx wrote: 94 Points
Initially dominated by strong meat aromas, moved into a cassis period, then a cool blue fruit phase. Amazing finish, great middle, all around incredible bottle of wine. Drank alongside a 93 guigal la mouline, this held it's own. Neither amazing vintages, but both great fully mature wines.
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9/29/2009 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Another very nice bottle and consistent with the last. A bit more grilled meat than the last one, but still plenty of dark fruit and spice. In a good drinking window.
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9/19/2009 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Very pretty wine. Not a big blockbuster; clear ruby red, medium bodied with cherry, spice, and meaty notes. Very burgundian in style. Drinking well now, but still young with lots of life ahead
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7/31/2009 - pjaines wrote:
Okay wine although I was expecting a bit more complexity here - fairly muted nose at first - needs a pretty decent decant to get things going. Eventually earthy cherries, mushroom - in the mouth good tannins but the fruit does not have the depth I was expecting. Good follow through but generally not worth the money we paid for it.
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6/20/2009 - Zingrrl wrote: 90 Points
Argh - broke the cork on opening. Second half came out intact and showed inky sediment. Screen poured into Riedel Syrah stems - flash of rich dark fruit that quickly became a rich tapenade. Let sit an hour in the glass. Cherries at the front followed by briar and white pepper. Long finish with bitter chocolate and dust. Very nice. Tannins on the mid pallet balance the cherry and clear the stage for the chocolate and earth on the finish. Cocoa more pronounced in the second half of the bottle. Very nice - I have two left and will probably drink them annually.
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4/24/2009 - Machiavelli wrote:
Part of La Chapelle vertical at Chris'. Initially closed more fruit driven than the others, young, tannic, fresh, balanced, lacked a little on the mid-palate but really tasty right now. Was like a cross between the 88/89 but less good.
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2/9/2009 - Gerhard3 wrote: 91 Points
Würzige und kräuterige Nase (Lavendel, Rosmarin?), Pflaume, später auch etwas metallisch. Im Mund gut mittleres Volumen, gut integrierte Säure, wieder würzige Noten, auch etwas Süsse, feine aber präsente Tannine, leichter Holz-/Vanilleton im langen Abgang. Wird nach längerer Belüftung nicht mehr besser. Ex-Icono, offen. (90-91/100)
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12/1/2008 - 14frimaire wrote:
A lovely experience. We hand-carried this back from the domaine, so that may have colored the results. The color is still deep and shows little change. On opening, it reminded me of a classical claret: slim but dense, with black fruits, leather, and graphite notes. But as it aired, the profile came back true to type, and it started to show more in the way of plum and olive, with smokey overtones. This is still pretty young. A great example of an off-vintage from a great site. It didn't have the concentration or depth of more famous vintages. It demanded more attention, but rewarded it in the end.
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11/30/2008 - Art_Vandelay wrote: 90 Points
Deeper in the glass than the 1992, this also shows a more vibrant bouquet with red plum and earthy spice. Medium to full-bodied with quiet intense fruit, a dense structure, good acidity and fine tannins. Drink now or over the next 5 to 8 years.
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11/29/2008 - keelegl wrote: 89 Points
More expressive than the 92, I got some nice crushed berries, dried fruit and a welcome woodsy note. Solid body weight and a nice freshness on the palate. Not a ton of complexity here, but drinking well now.
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11/29/2008 - SimonG wrote:
Hermitage La Chapelle Wine-Pages Offline (Vinoteca, Smithfield, London): Drier, tighter, slightly dusty, less open nose. Equities on the attack than 92. Red fruit, some spice. Reasonable balance. Nice dry savoury quality. This is surprisingly nice. ***1/2
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9/11/2008 - Ricky99 wrote: 93 Points
at Flemings.... closer to peak than expected but still room to go
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4/19/2008 - Dusty Bear wrote: 93 Points
Smoked meat, sage on the palate, with blueberry and blackcurrants emerging with some time. Very earthy.
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4/3/2008 - austincarty wrote:
This was disappointingly rough. Probably too young. Not much better the next day. No score given
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3/20/2008 - psmith wrote:
Spicy cinnamon and nutmeg type notes with heady red fruits. Mature, but clearly capable of lasting. Very nice.
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3/6/2008 - Henman wrote: 91 Points
The nose was nicely developed with some fruit,barnyard and loamy aromas.On the palate sweet marmaladelike fruitiness and good balanced acidity.Very charming.Seemed to have lots of aging potential left.
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2/27/2008 - wineamateur wrote: 92 Points
A gorgeous and slightly unexpected pleasure. Still a youthful wine, with a good deep plum-red colour - revealing only the barest hint of oranging at the rim - and sweet jammy fruit to begin with on the nose. But the aromas develop gloriously with a bit of air, with successive waves of complex, nuanced flavours. Vanilla straight from the pod, wood smoke, blood, liver, tar, violets, plums, blueberry, pear drops, some beautifully pure liqourice... A real kaleidoscope. On the palate, one might perhaps want for a bit more grip, a slightly rounder finish, but there's plenty of flavour and a long, lingering Jagermeister-ish finish. Some slightly muddy tannins and well-integrated, enlivening acidity complete the picture. Better than both the 88 and 89 I had recently, from the same storage. A treat.
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1/22/2008 - kris.h wrote: 94 Points
Seattle Round 2: Rhone vs. Rhone Ranger (Seattle, WA): The nose shows lots of complexity with plum, blackberry, and other dark fruits. Also some dates, and olives. The nose is great. Rich and full bodied with some smoky bacon notes on the finish.
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12/22/2007 - vinolovers wrote: 92 Points
Garnet colored and threw a bit of sediment in the last glass.Opened about 30 mintues before serving. A muted nose with flavors of smoked meat, tobacco, some pepper and a bit of chocolate. Very smooth, probably near its peak. Paired wonderfully with the mustard coated pork tenderloin!
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12/22/2007 - antiwood wrote:
Brief note 1 week after consumption: After two very tired bottles in the last six months this one brought more life to the table. Fairly classic N. Rhone nose, fresh,mild smoked meat notes. Medium bodied, ripe tannins with a modicum of acidity that holds the wine together nicely. Not remotely profound but nicely drinking mature wine.
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10/15/2007 - french16 wrote: 91 Points
Nice color with light brownish rim. The nose is somewhat muted (decanted while drinking). Earthy and black fruits.
Very elegant, medium body, complex as a lot of flavors come and go. Great acidity...Tremendous length.
Not as powerful as many Hermtiage but still very young and plenty of years of life ahead.
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8/20/2007 - Biglama wrote: 89 Points
diep rood, neus is droppig, donker rood fruit, kruidig, smaak is ook wat zwoel en zacht , dropje en wat salminak, zachte rijpe tannines, redelijke balans
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4/30/2007 - Cilantro wrote: 88 Points
Not decanted. Nose of cherries and some earth, medium garnet color, some spice and fruit on palate, but thin finish. Compared to a bottle opened last year, this is fading fast, so I'll be drinking these up soon.
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4/29/2007 - Cilantro wrote: flawed
Decanted 1 hour. Muted nose, medium garnet color, soft muted flavors, more like a Rioja. No finish to speak of. Hopefully just an "off" bottle...oh well, it happens!
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4/21/2007 - board00brah wrote: 94 Points
--decanted 1/2 hr and drank over the next 2
nose starts with muted fig behind cinnamon and sage, palate displays the same fruit but bright and velvety in texture, could not get the over-ripe prunes out of my head, the soft tannins still left gushing finish - flavors include noted above and a singing sweet nectar for 45+~~this was delish~~wine is finally hitting stride - if you have some i would p00p1 in the near future. drink now - 2010 - b00b ~ 94
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12/28/2006 - Zingrrl wrote: 88 Points
Decanted in the glass for an hour. Scent of blackberry and some smoke with a little pepper. Very round with just a tiny hint of chewiness, tannins must have mellowed compared to other's notes. Medium to long finish. Good wine.
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11/4/2006 - antiwood wrote:
Usual Suspects: Ruby red. What's this? Berries, berries. Some horse smell, very fruit driven. More four square, still lively. Chunkier tannins but very enveloped by fruit. Medium long finish. Nice wine but where's the Hermitage?
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9/17/2006 - Spencer wrote: 87 Points
This tasted tired to me. Not bad, but not as good as I expected, even for a '94.
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8/16/2006 - Will wrote:
Drank @plch. Showing as I expected, i.e. pretty good but rather disappoiting for this label. Air helped a lot, though, so I should probably have decanted it a bit longer. However it still doesn't seem like there's much upside in this wine.
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2/4/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful clean garnet color. Smoke and perfume on nose, medium bodied, taste of typical "iodine" and pepper, smooth texture and soft mouthfeel, excellent lingering aftertaste. You just wanted to keep sipping; can't imagine this will improve.
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5/2/2005 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Smoky nose, thick blackcurranty palate, nicely balanced - good wine without being exciting
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3/15/2005 - PhDP wrote: 80 Points
Hermitage La Chapelle (INAO Vin-Passion, Bruxelles, Belgium): Nez plus léger, "guilleret", fruits rouges,
Bouche acide, diluée, un peu verte, légère, étroit, "too late"
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2/1/2005 - Brunella wrote:
Tasted at Rhone wine dinner. My humble La Chapelle was up against an 82 and 89 La Chapelle and an 88 Chave Hermitage. Some of the tasters felt it was too young. I actually enjoyed its "youth" and vibrancy. Although the 89 was most enjoyable for me, I ranked this one second. Peppery!
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2/1/2005 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
San Francisco offline at Bizou (San Francisco, CA): This is a promising, young La Chapelle. The nose shows smoky charcoal with black pepper and some matchstick scents. This is big, black and loaded with primary fruit. So young and delicious.
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5/7/2004 - Spencer wrote: 92 Points
First Tuesday Wine Group Annual Dinner. I was anxious to try this because I have a bottle, and have heard some negative things about it. It was a full garnet color. Great mouthfeel with tons of spicy coffee and pepper flavors along with some blackberry and smoky oak. Long finish. Complex, and enjoyable, I'm glad I have a bottle of this. I'd drink up though, because it faded quite quickly in the bottle.
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5/1/2004 - Will wrote: 86 Points
The nose is very intense and powerful - almost pure black currant. Reminded me of the black currant liqueur (a specialty from Burgundy) used to make Kir. When served, the nose was even more exuberant - although at the same time very basic, again mainly on black currant with little secondary aromas. The palate was very fruity, as expected, with some earthy notes and rather rough tannins, which made it kind of hard to drink. The finish was ok but not particularly impressive. Not much to say regarding structure. Rather monolithic and straightforward wine, but well done and enjoyable. All in all this is an average Hermitage, which means it is disappointing for a La Chapelle. It nonetheless gives a lot of pleasure, and is probably at its peak.
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11/26/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Consumed at Tapenade with pancetta penne pasta. Bottle taken from my personal cellar (recently purchased at Jonathan's). Bright disc. Deep garnet robe with brick rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense black plum, floral, prune and dust aromas. After approximately 60 minutes in the glass, the nose adds notes of tar and cayenne. Full-bodied on the palate, with slightly tart acidity and medium, slightly dry tannins. The flavors mirror the nose. Long finish with a somewhat dry finale. This wine will likely improve with some additional time in the bottle.
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4/12/2003 - chbeaumont wrote:
deep, pronounced legs; coffee, rhubarb, piquant twist; thick, chunky, lacking class. <13
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7/21/1998 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasting 11 wines-La Turque and La Mouline (BevMo, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nice, rich, bitter/sweet nose of fruit, nice, lovely, medium body, of fruit, medium finish.
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