Took this to a Bacchus blind tasting and was very disappointed. Well past its best. Brown, tawny colour with a tarry nose and dried fruit and some peppery notes. I expected a wine of this standing to still be drinking well. The Domaine de la Jannasse 1998 tasted alongside it was still drinking well.
I’ve been rather unkind about the bottles I’ve had previously. Over the course of this six pack they’ve ranged from dense rich fruited and tannic alcoholic monsters, through shrill acidic fruitless alcoholic harpies and tarry, pruney, baked alcoholic etc. so bottle six was approached with low expectations.
The wine decanted and clear, plenty of ruby with bare tinge of orange at rim. Nose leapt out of the glass, medicinal, tar, eucalyptus or camphor, herb, iron and a bitterish tang. Meat or blood maybe. All very Musar. It’s the best comparator I have to help me land this wine. I loved it. There’s sweetness on the palate a thick almost creamy mouth feel. Prickle of pepper from the alcohol or maybe the Syrah. Rich, rolling herballeatherytarry and something exotic behind it all. Resin? rosemary? Whatevs. I’ll stop now. This wine lasted three nights with no sign of decay. It’s in a great place but clearly only just become drinkable to my palate. Criticism? Only that the alcohol is still making its presence felt but at least it’s not dominating as it has in the past.
I’m glad to be proven wrong and glad to have the 2009s in reserve.
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Still fairly fresh and hanging on to a slice of slightly muted acidity. Dark fruits, maybe hints of ripe plums or old cherries. Leathery, herby notes. Good tannic finish.
I like these CNDPs with plenty of years on them. This is good but I think I'll like it even more in 5 years. I've had a few cracking bottles of the 2003 in the last 18 months and it has been incredible.
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From magnum. Medium Garnet with orange cloudiness under the lights. Milk chocolate, red berries, orange zest, and spice box on the nose. Red berries, cream, and a touch of menthol late into the finish. There is also a potpourri of other dried flower and fruit notes. Very tasty.
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Earthy, herbal bouquet displays peppery aromas of black raspberries, chocolate, and menthol. Mid-to-full bodied, not tremendously deep or flashy, but there's lots of intriguing complexity, fine structure, and excellent length. Notes of sandalwood and Sichuan peppers, a little brett, and ends with a kiss of licorice on the nice finish.
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Unfortunately, we drank all of our bottles years ago. This bottle was from a friend and it is drinking great. No sense of sweetness. This is elegant with spice, smoke, tobacco accents. I wish I went deeper on the 2008 vintage with VT, Pegau, Beaucastel, and Vieux Donjon. Love the lighter style and elegance.
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Happy to put this vintage to bed. Looking back at my prior notes, it never really got off the ground, and now is past prime. Pruney notes on the nose; fruit is still there but flabby, and sharp acidity cuts through the finish. Out of balance. Drink up.
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Tasted from a magnum and aging beautifully. Tannins are integrated framing still vibrant plum notes, cherry, and olives. Medium/medium- acidity...subdued in spice but bountiful in red fruits. Pomegranate, wild rasberry, oak is not in the way. A pleasure to drink and based on this bottling, I think the wine is peaking but will drink well for the next 4-5 years.
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Tasted over 3 hrs, from 375 mL -dark violet ruby core minimal bricking -kirsch-y grenache some minerality -med acidity, med/med+ weight dense remnants of dark fruits licorice tar, finishes with some sweetness and heat from the EtOH and mostly resolved tannins -on its mature plateau though not full-on tertiary probably won't improve as the moderate heat may become more prominent as the rest of the fruit fades
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Fairly on the herbal, garrigue, and peppery side of the style range with a core of crisp, leafy red berries on the palate and in the olive, tinted finish. Drink from 2022-2028.
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vieuxt elegraphe was still fresh with lots of gamey & secondary characteristics coming out as the wine opened up. This is at its peak but will hold for a while.
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This has aged in a way that I hadn't expected, but maybe that only reflects that I need to sample more from Vieux Telegraphe. Right now it shows age with much reduced tannins and a nearly empty acidic sense. A very pleasant and long-lasting taste. But, not an over the top sensory explosion at the start. The fruit sense, and the smell are quite weak. I wouldn't expect this to evolve much more from this stage, but may not be sensing where else it can go. I was expecting the nicely blended sensations, but not quite so much of a reduction on the tannic/acidic/fruit realm. So, a nice one to have opened for our anniversary, but not quite where I'd expected to see this after eleven years in our cellar (yes, kept in wine fridge and via Kermit Lynch importer). So, most likely similar in state to others (some 1900 are in cellar via the menu on the right at this time) have kept.
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Boxing day at NY Verden: Didn't show like a CDP - nobody placed this correctly actually. Very restrained sweet cherries, but no raisin or pruney notes at all. Tannins have softened. Great wine from a cooler vintage.
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Dry, raisin and chocolate fruit, restrained and mellowed by age. Bit of a kick from the alcohol. Light in colour and seems to be at the top (or downward slope) of the maturity curve.
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Still a bit tannic, and I don’t know that the wine will outlive those tannins, but this is drinking well now. Rustic, a bit volatile, lots of personality. No, this isn’t an exercise in subtlety, but that’s not why you buy this wine.
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Medium red, clear. Candied cherries that evolved to ripe cherry with air. Some forest floor - dried oak leaf and soil. Tannins integrated. Alcohol prominent on open, but receded with air. Didn’t decant but suggest either decanting for an hour+ or giving ample air beforehand.
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Don’t listen to the curmudgeons! My bottle, lovingly cellared since I brought it home from Kermit Lynch, still has a lovely bouquet of wild berries, ripe blueberries, and garrigue; dark ruby color; a juicy mouthfeel with plenty of fruit and spice. Cloves, even. Long, warm finish. Will I hold onto the rest of my case? No. Will I tear my pleasures with rough strife through the iron gate? Bring it on!
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Fading nose reminiscent of better past time for this bottle. On the palate, blueberries, garrigue and earthy tones. Light tannin remaining and finish medium short. Still enjoyable but I wish I drank it couple years before.
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Dead, not even any raisin flavor which is typical of old CNP. If you have any drink with food on a weekday. Bottle was stored at cellar temperatures for the entire time since the purchase many years ago.
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Lighter than I expected. Checked my notes from 2012 and see it was the same then. Tart with a tannic backbone. Floral and perfumed for a CdP. Not my favorite vintage of this cuvée.
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Very CDP to me. perfume is stewed sweet plum, some hot stones. in the mouthful - Sweet plum, black pepper, asian spices. tannins fairly soft. 14.5% alcohol - so just a bit more oomph to this but its not out of balance. I had this with a crispy pan seared duck breast and roasted cauliflower - which were a great counterpoint to this.
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We went to visit one of my wife's sisters who live upstate NY 125 miles away. Even though I supplied the dinner wines I did not partake as driving home at night on dark country roads after a few glasses of wine is just not my thing. So when we got home I opened a 375 and decanted it and let it sit while I had a glass of Sancerre. Found some chicken in the fridge and had my midnight snack. The nose on the wine was cherry and red plum. The palate was dark cherry, red plum, cigar and hints of spice. The finish was moderate to long. I would really like to be able to try this wine in a larger format with a longer decant as I believe it would develop further. Overall very enjoyable.
Raspberry and ether on the nose. On the palate, cherry, blackberry, and notes of prune, iodine, clove, and something earthy, with light tannins and good acidity, and slight alcoholic heat. This is excellent, and it's well into its drinking window. It should have three to five good years left. It was a good value at under $60.
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Tasted over 2 hrs -med dark red -expressive kirsch fruit cake iodine black pepper vinyl -med acidity, med weight pine-y perfumed grenache red fruit, just a little bit of heat, med/med- tannins -less depth than usual this vintage but also allows the complex aromatics to shine, quite nice and in a decent zone now with perhaps a bit more upside, best of 3 bottles tasted over the past 3 years
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Light, ruby red in color. Becoming more pale around the edges of the glass. Decanted expecting sediment but, surprisingly, very little. Some of that typical barnyard scent, but a delicious wine to drink. Enjoyed with filets off the grill. Over the course of the evening (~6 hours), later glasses started becoming a bit flabby.
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Medium ruby with browning evident. Mute nose of, at best blackberry jam and tar. Medium bodied, fruit present in echoes only, alcohol sticks out making this 14.5%er seem overly spriritous. This does have some savoury development but overall, disappointingly thin, unbalanced and most damagingly, uninteresting. I’d say this was past it. Or shall I put it down to having been scalped by TCA? There’s certainly no trace on the nose but other reviews suggest far better experiences than this.
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Tasted over 1 hr and day 2 -med dark red mild clearing -red cherry kirsch iodine pine -med acidity, med weight very medicinal at first but on day 2 mellowed with a soft somewhat diffuse pine earthy kirsch, med- tannins -straight out of the gate this was pure cough syrup but luckily by day 2 it blossomed into a pleasant lighter-weight but not light on character CdP firmly on its mature plateau
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In a very good place right now with a feral edge. Every time I drink this wine it makes me wonder why I don't buy more...it has such a good balance between fruit and rusticity.
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Past its prime - already gaining a bit of brown color around the edges, nose is slightly raisiny. Not as complex as other CduP vintages around this time (2005, 2007). Paled in comparison to a 2012 Clos Des Papes CduP at a Rhone tasting night. Not bad by any means, but disappointing for a VT CduP.
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Entering a good place. Still a bit tight, but good dark fruit, savory notes. Good balance. Not a great vintage, but very representative for this producer who is one of my long time favorites, and should hold or improve for several years.
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Shockingly fresh, still fruit driven, has lost the tannic, tight structure that the vintage showed early in its life. Still has serious time ahead, at least for my palate.
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Five years since my first posted tasting note on this wine. The additional time in the cellar has made a difference. And I am raising my score. The characteristics that I previously noted remain correct, except the minerality has mellowed and the fruit flavors have become richer. An excellent full flavored full bodied cdp that has more years left in it.
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had at the end of a long night of wine tasting. medium to light in color, but a very pretty wine - plum, some asian spices, some mineral/hot rocks in this - a very enjoyable wine!
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A medium to dark red showing just a hint of age but crystal clear. Definitely needs time as was very tight and slightly tart straight from the bottle with lots of heat and noticeable alcohol, but much nicer after 1-2 hours.
Tannins are still fairly abundant but beginning to integrate and the wine has a warm, soft and velvety feel.
Truth be told, I am preferring 2008 to the more famous 2007 as I find the alcohol levels much more manageable and less overpowering.
Drink now to 2025+
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Two half bottles consumed from a local corner store. First bottle a bit ripe, cooked and porty- storage the likely culprit. Second bottle much more impressive. The nose opens with fresh raspberry, giving way to an earthy, barnyard character. With more air, it opens up, offering flashes of tar and dark fruit, before giving way to a hint of varnish, and becoming flabby quickly. Although in better condition than the first bottle, it remains a ripe, rich wine, at the end of its drinking range. I won't score or give a drinking range for other bottles, based on provenance and storage history.
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This is drinking very well now but tasted even better on the second day after a slow-ox in the bottle. Feral fruit, good acidity, mostly resolved tannin, and just showing the signs of tertiary flavors. Drink now if you like fruit, wait if you want funk.
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Wonderful balance and acidity, this mix of blackberry, plum and red currant is laced with spice, dark chocolate, licorice, earth, and fig- all blending lovely. A real surprise how smooth and pleasurable this wine is drinking now.
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Rose and Such (Robert and Cheryl's house): Decanted 2 hours. This appeared to be an old school CDP. There was still a little too much anise there for me, but overall, good quality and complexity.
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An Evening on the Patio (Robert & Cheryl's): Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. This had a lot of garrigue and black licorice, sappy fruits, black cherry, kirsch, pepper driven finish. Would have appreciated a bit more finesse - maybe with some more age.
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PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs -med dark red, minimal clearing at edge -low key kirsch with some minerality and trace black pepper -med acidity, med weight/depth linear red fruit stoniness, finishes clean with med/med- tannins and no excess heat -lighter weight leaner CdP that has mellowed over the past few years, in a good drinking window now and probably nearing its sweet spot, no hurry but this won't be a 20 year wine
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This took 3 days before it really started to open and come around. The first two days it was closed but on day 3 the nose opened with red fruit, plums, pepper, and herbs. The acid was good and made it great with food. I felt these could hold for awhile longer to develop.
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On opening, very muddy looking. And tasting. Decanted for an hour and, wow, what a difference. Wine cleared up, color sharpened and everything in balance. All manner of earthy, fuit and herb flavors to savor. Just fantastic with grilled pork loin and roasted Brussel sprouts.
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Decanted for one hour prior to serving, this ended up being one of the best French Syrah bottles i've had for awhile. Especially given the price, this was an excellent wine.
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Paired well with beef Bourgogne at Parc in Philly. Nicely restrained, good acid, accents of white pepper and a hint of mint. No need to rush with these. I've enjoyed the lighter 08 vintage.
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Weak vintage my foot. Elegant, dialed back, medium-bodied. Perfumed nose. Bright red fruit, tea. Not at all jammy or overripe -- quite the opposite. Not a multi-decade wine, but entering its drinking window beautifully.
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Lovely wine - elegant, full of flavor, light in color, good acidity, and with a touch of tannin still left, it was delightful with our dinner of wok cooked beef, broccoli, and asparagus. No hurry to drink this, but very good now with 20 minutes of air.
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This has come a long way since the last bottle I opened two years ago. Decanted for about 2 hrs. Paired with smoked brisket. The wine was deeply colored with brambly, stoney aromas. Full mouth coating body with nice fruit and mineral tones on the palate. It seemed to keep getting better right through the last sip. Very nice!
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Lots of cedar on the nose and on the palate, with some cherry fruit. A bit of spice. Rather sharp, modest tannins, medium finish. Went well with Vegetable Tikka Masala (modest spiciness).
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Very pretty; a touch austere and unyielding at first, but it opens up with air to show bright red berried fruit flavours tinged with earth, dried herbs, and other savoury earthy notes. Not especially complex right now, but lovely to drink with some air.
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Ironically, I had this right after a 2013 Breton Franc de Pied which was too thin/dilute; this was also less concentrated than one would expect in most vintages, for a CDP, there is plenty of room to dial back. Medium-bodied, with a bit of green character on the palate along with the brambly, dark berries. Some savory notes; tea and cocoa. Some medium grippy bitter tannin and acids that sneak up on you. Short finish with some bitterness from the tannins. Should wait, hoping the bitter tannins fade.
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91+ paired with grilled chicken. Needed 30 minutes to an hour in a decanter to come around. Raspberry, cherry, glycerin, all-spice on nose. On palate, medium body, medium acidity with red-fruit (drier than 2 years ago) flavor profile. Great with chicken. Will drink remaining bottle in next 2-3 years.
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Decanted 1hr, big tart fruit, Cherrry, plum, currants, Huge ,to the extent of being over the top of bloody meat, sweet soft tannins. Paired with prime grilled 4th of July porterhouse, drink over the next 5 years.
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Wine Education Service - Châteauneuf du Pape and Satellites (LSE): Translucent, a hint of age. A hint of age on the nose, baked fruit. This wine tastes old, there's some treacly fruit, there's tannin but little acidity, will still work with food, slightly disappointing.
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purple core some fading at rim leather and roasted nuts lots of acidity, sharp and refreshing some tannin and a little heat chewy finish, peppery Needs food but then will be quite drinkable
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This 2008 was one of the weakest tasting versions of VT that I've yet come across. It was prematurely old with very minimal tannins or acid. The fruit came off kind of stewed and very much into secondary flavors of leather, tobacco, vanilla, caramel, and dark smooth red fruits. Decent length to the finish, but this is wine that is peaking.
$89.99 Ohio Retail www.austinbeeman.com
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New years eve at home: same verdict. I have come to greatly appreciate these cool expressions of grenache dominated wines (Grenache noir 65%, Mourvèdre 15%, Syrah 15%, Cinsault, Clairette et divers 5%.) It does not showcase complexity or bold fruit or anything else in a very manifest manner, but the freshness, the clean fruit, the elegance and the perfect balance makes me happy. Great food wine. In the upper echelons.
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Decanted 1 1/2 hours and enjoyed with friends on Boxing Day with Christmas left overs. Drinking really well. Balanced, no tannin to fight. Delicious. 92+
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Pop and pour. Left in the glass only 30 minutes. Dark ruby colour. Not showing much age. Slow running tears on the glass. Nose is earthy and dark fruit. A hint of smoked meat. Medium to full bodied. More dark fruit on the palate. Some white pepper. Aftertaste has a bit of orange peel. Tannins are not particularly pronounced and quite soft. Well integrated and nice. Not particularly long. Drinks well now. May integrate a bit over the next couple of years. Will follow. 2 = Good
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decanted 7.14.14 for my birthday. Medium clear, bright. Incredibly aromatic, floral, bright jasmine, rose pedal, roasted red berries baking spices, raspberry cobbler, slight licorice. Palate has yet to open up. Still red fruit driven, slight apple skin, and orange rind. Super excited to let the develop over the evening. Cheers!!
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Drank in London All the classic nose and palate of wonderful CNDP. Lot's of raspberry, earth and wood. Still young but the tannins are integrating well.
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classic/restrained but ready-to-drink-nose; there is fruit (kirsch?, currants?), but also (predominantly) meat, licorice, mint, earth, leather. Pure, fresh, linear feel with very good balance. this can be drunk now or held for a long time, I would suggest.
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Dark but clear color. The nose very nice with quite some depth. On the palate dark berries, some kirsch, a lot of white pepper (too much for me, personally), cedar, and tobacco. Well balanced, integrated tannins and quite ready to drink, even though it is not that old. Opened up nicely and quite quickly too. Accompanied a roast duck with roast potatoes (roasted in duck fat) and a glace-like sauce very well.
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Blueberry, violet, pepper and spices. Very smooth, need some air to bring out the floral nose. A good CNDP from a relatively lame vintage, ready to drink.
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Full bodied deep red. Needed about an hour after opening and decanting to develop, become aromatic and give spicy dark fruit flavors balanced with acidity. There was a distinct minerality when first opened that mellowed out and became less prominent and well integrated in the flavors. This is an excellent complex wine that will benefit from more years in the cellar. I expect in a couple of years I will rate it several points higher.
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This has a powerful bouquet, with dark fruits and leather. Very smooth body, with tannins still mildly harsh. This is very good now, but will evolve for a few years.
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WES - Châteauneuf du Pape (LSE Holborn): Medium intense, garnet. Perfume and black fruits on the nose. Warm cinnamon spice, bold intense, soft silky tannins. Still on the rise.
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Did not take notes - enjoyed with grilled NY Strips. Pretty complex nose & evolved over meal - was not decanted unfortunately. 92-93 range. Paired suprisingly well with the steaks.
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This one was really filled out since my first try about 20 months earlier. Opened with a big nose of lavender, garrigue, cherry lozenges and plums that carried through to the palate. Spiced and stewed plums were dominant on day 2. The acidity was very present throughout. Seemed to be in a good place with a lot of life left; hope to keep my hands off my last bottle until 2018+.
From Magnum. 65%Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% assorted. '08 had lots of rain. South of Beaucastel. Aromas of black pepper, leather, earth and a flatter red fruit. Nose is already rather mature aromas. Easy drinking with a simple approach to complexity on the palate. Red berry and spice. The nose comes off as more evolved than the palate suggests.
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This CdP tasted just a tad off to me compared to others I have had. There seemed to be a lack of fruit on the finish with maybe a hint of green beans on the palate for lack of a better word. The nose was seemed slightly muted also, decent wine but not a great wine.
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Medium ruby. Much cooler and greener than the '98. Less weight but no evidence of dilution either. Earthy, middle weight, even a bit of chocolate and quite supple and savory. Good length, little tannin to speak of. This surprised me given the reputation of the vintage and my one prior experience with it. For short to intermediate term drinking (i.e., now to 5 years).
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Very Well struktured Wine. Strong but Nature tannis's. Though it's Young is absoluly ready to drink! A very fine balance between mineral and fruit notes brings this wine to a high standard amongst CDP's. Long and suptle finish keeps you wanting more.
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Cedar and cigar box. Herbal finish - wild hint of San Marzano tomatoes. Cocoa. Nutmeg, vanilla and spice. More grip than most CDPs. Great wine that will be off the chain with time. Come at me bro!!!
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From a double magnum served at the Pacific Union club in SF, this wine had a red/purple center and red rims. The medium+ intensity nose displayed black cherries, clove, and a hint of Provencal herb.
In the mouth, this wine was medium bodied with light rounded tannin and good scidity. While the wine had a bit of an unresolved edge to it, it was surprisingly drinkable for such a young wine. It got better and better as it aired. Thus, you will not be surprised if I suggest decanting for several hours before serving.
My guess is that this wine will age quite well and should pick up a point or two with 10 years+ of cellar age.
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Good CDP. Seem notes of Forrest floor around the round, ripe fruit on the nose. The palate is dark and rustic. Lots of brighter red tones. Nice baking spices. Young, tight finish.
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Medium light red; somewhat muted nose, pepper, spices; elegant sweet attack with rigour and nerve, pronounced spice box, present in-balance tannins, fruity and open for business
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We had this after dinner at a friends New Year’s Eve celebration. It had a focused, classic, but tight bouquet of cherry, blackberry, raspberry, mocha, cocoa, charcoal, licorice, herb and spice aromas. The palate was tight, sour and dry with flavors of cherry, blackberry, mocha, cocoa, charcoal, herb, spice and minerals.
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Rich and young still, with black fruit, caramel, licorice, pepper. Lush palate. Lovely spicy, expressive nose. Needs more time, but how do you keep this cellared?
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Gorgeous. Nothing to add from a flavor profile, however would suggest popping and pouring and following its transformation over the course of a long meal. Half the bottle was fantastic the next day.
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Still young. Nuanced nose of red fruit, berry, licorice. Garnet purple, light body. Palate of red fruit/cherry, licorice, flowers, plenty of pepper. Over the course of 4 hours open, the licorice and cherry gave way to black pepper and berry flavors. Flowers in the nose really came out.
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Obviously very young but already starting to show a touch of development. Herbs, dry earth, red fruit - very much at the more classical end of the spectrum for Châteauneuf. A touch of raspberry and liquorice and then more red fruits with a blast of tannins and leather. It wont make old bones, but I think this would benefit from a few more years to gain more complexity. Good stuff.
I think the tasting note from alanr below nailed it.
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med to full red color with nose of spices, sandalwood and menthol, entry is balanced with acidity and round tannins, light to supple body with more methol and a comfotable dry spicy light to med finish
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A testament to off vintages, this is a beautiful rendition, with reserved but flavorful rustic black cherry, fine black tea tannins, excellent structure and balance. Not sure if it will go for 20 years, but should evolve nicely and drink well for at least a decade. So much more interesting and refined than the acclaimed 2007 and 2009 vintages, which are overripe, sweet and syrupy.
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Still very young and not a great vintage but I was supprised how good it was. Nose of strawberries, plumbs and earth. Smooth rich mouth.
We decided to play around with the wine with different taste sensations. Strawberries with Pepper and Strawberries with chocolate. The later was definitely the winner and completely changed the taste from the wine.
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well below the quality of my previous taste, which makes me question provenance from costco. not a strong vintage/wine by any imagination, but i dumped about half of this. disappointing.
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Tasted w DB, himself, the surprise charmer of the tasting. Fresh, bright, true to its place. Although not as fun as the 96 or the equal of '00 it far overshadowed the 'great vintage' 1998. Excellent for a challenging vintage.
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For my palate, this is not in a particularly great place right now. It comes off a bit too brambly and grapey/foxy. I will leave this alone for a few years.
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(from memory) Bright ruby, luscious nose of black fig, black licorice and mineral driven mixed berry fruits, suave and expansive on the palate with spicy cherry, red currants and garrigue notes, finish is long and young showing heat and firm and juicy tannins
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Portland Wine Storage: pulling a few corks! (Portland Wine Storage): Drinking this infant VT was a total 'baby killer', we really should have waited at least another 5-8 years-IMHO. It was ripe with bright bing cherry, yet closed down to the point of being unrecognizable on the nose as VT-CdP. It was tannic, tight, mouth puckering, with prominent brier and held firmly on the somewhat abrupt finish. The fruit was bright, but lacked the same structure as the 2001 tasted earlier, due to the infancy of this wine. Potentially a very good to great wine, given some time to settle and even out. 88pts with potential for 91+
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Color: Deep garnet, clear at the rim. Nose: dark, brooding, moody, bacon, black licorice, dark berry and cherry. Palate: Juicy, bright cherry, meaty, green tobacco, brambly, earthy, green bell pepper. Well-balanced, good acidity. Satisfying. Somewhat green tannins that will integrate with age, although enjoyable now with decanting and the right food. Medium plus finish. Delicious with bacon-wrapped shrimp.
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Very light color. Also quite light and thin on the palate. There are some spices sweetness and soft tannin, but overall I am not impressed. Would like to try this again around 2015 to see if it improved.
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A beautiful wine still in its infancy. With dried meats and Herbs du Provence dominating the nose, giving way to an array of red fruits. On the palate it had exceptional balance, well integrated tannins and excellent length . Absolutely enjoyed this wine from start to finish.
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Popped and poured. This wine was dominated by roasted red plum and garrigue notes, with the garrigue particularly present on the nose. The palate left something to be desired as there seemed to be a hollowness. While this one was definitely a lighter, more restrained style, I held this over 3 days, and the wine still drank well on day 3.
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Nice CDP but you can really tell the difference between a 06 07 09 and this 08. Seems rather light bodied and short on the finish for me. Faint Grenache nose but its still really tight. The 08 Beaucastel kills it.
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Deep red. Concentrated red fruit nose. Very elegant and pure with a bit of licorice. Very nice red fruit flavours. An elegant wine that shows very nice but doesn't have a great future.
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Tight and not giving off much on the nose at this point in time. What was showing through was some bright red cherries, plum, anise, and some floral notes to round it out. Closed up tight on the palate, but what was peeking through showed red cherry, black currants, and a hit of spice/black pepper. Lots of acidity, with a medium finish ending with notes of red cherries and black pepper. I was expecting more, but this was really hard to assess right now as this appears to be completely shut down.
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Decanted roughly 1 hour. Bright, cherry red color. Light, fresh nose of crushed cherries, tar, dried herbs and anise. Beautifully balanced and savory on the palate with loads of fruit and a long finish. Despite it's young age, this wine was just singing tonight. Drank at Restaurant August, New Orleans.
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Montréal Passion Vin Un nez sur la réglisse noire. La bouche est fraiche et jolie, un peu carrée au milieu, avec une finale tannique. Il lui manque la gourmandise habituelle que le domaine affiche dans les plus petits millésimes. Comme beaucoup de 2008, il a une certaine structure mais manque de chair autour de l’os. Bien, mais il est sans doute préférable de l’attendre. 88 pts
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My first of a case that I bought last year and put away. Still young. Solid structure with good fruit. Tannins should continue to soften. Not as extracted as the 2007, but very solid and can be had for less money than the '07.
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Light nose of cherries, green peperonis... very light in the mouth, low level of alcohol... short aftertaste... good on it's own, but weak compared to other vintages
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Very much a well made CndP. Will improve for several years. I'm looking very much forward to the remaining bottles - already feeling pity for the evening when the last drop of the last bottle has been enjoyed. But what a joyride to get there :-)
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Sl muted nose with sl. anise. Medium bodied, overwhelming sense is of nicely peppered, well balanced, slightly tight, good acidity, cherry. Finish a little hot. Will benefit from some bottle age
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Beautiful complex black and blue fruits; nice silky spice fruit and minerals mixed with herbal undercurrent; structured for long life, this is the epitome of a great Chateauneuf.
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Medium red color. The nose has some spice and herbal qualities to it with cherry/strawberry aromas. The palate is medium weight with firm tannins and lively acidity. Interesting finish with good persistence and complexity. This is a nice wine that paired well with rib-eye steak and potatoes. However, it is lacking some depth and power. This will age gracefully for 5 to 7 years but I don't think it will ever be much more than it is today.
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This was a great wine that was (obviously) drank too soon. I wanted to try it to see if I wanted to buy more to lay down. The answer was a resounding yes.
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Raspberry/blackberry notes on the nose and palate. Soft tannins and a medium long finish, drinking well now but I question its ageability. I had this side by side with the 08 Telegramme and I felt that was significantly better for half the price.
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decanted. i didn't really expect much from this because we all have a nice relationship with this domaine thanks to kevin, and the scuttlebutt is they consider it one of their weakest vintages in some time. but i found the wine to be quite pleasing. yes, it lacks weight and some charm, and because of this, it's not a great QPR ($65 at our costco). nevertheless, i still enjoyed drinking it.
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4BOW (Jeff's House): My first time tasting this wine. Ruby color. Perfumed red fruit nose. Tastes of raspberry, earth, mint, and spice. Medium bodied. Lighter with less structure than past vintages. Well balanced. Spicy finish with some interesting depth. A near term drinker. 14.5% alcohol.
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Young and not giving up much aromatically. Pretty much the same deal on the palate with some very nice red fruit and largely buried herb and spice notes. However, Greenblanket very much enjoyed the texture, structure and smooth length of this wine.
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Corks: Rhone (Rossford, OH): Slightly simple candied nose, Kool Aid. Same on palate. Ripe, medium+ body, medium tannin and acid. Peppery, slightly bitter. A little olive. Disappointing.
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Second favorite of the night in a Solano Cellars line-up of 2008s (first place for me was the Monpertuis). Medium weight, it's on the elegant/smooth/feminine side of C-d-P -- none of the animality and/or garriguiness of some of the southern Rhone's wilder incarnations.
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Decanted two hours, drunk over the next four. Drinking extremely well for a young wine, dark fruits and earthiness, tannins are present but do not detract, medium and clean finish. Great palate. I think this will continue to drink well young while waiting for the 07s to come around.
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Kermit The Importer (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): There is great richness but also great complexity to this wine which shows a delicate presence to the aromas of kirsch, herbs, licorice, and sweet flowers. The texture in the mouth is just gorgeous with good balance between the fruit, tannins, and acidity. The flavors tend towards rich red fruits with hints of herbs and pepper. This wine is restrained in style but does show a touch of heat and while structured it is still approachable. Lovely. 92+
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Boys nite II, fall 2010 (Reno, NV): This wine was singing tonight after being in the decanter for a couple of hours... very aromatic, floral, fruity, primary with lovely depth and texture. Balanced wine with great length and intensity... good complexity at this young age... very good finesse, a very fine texture, great expression of place. Clearly an 'outstanding' wine that has a long life ahead of it.
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– tasted non-blind over 10 minutes – – 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, Clairette, and others – – bottle opened yesterday –
NOSE: not much going on; kirsch; no depth; closed? TASTE: hard to get many specific flavors here; non-descript red fruits; fine drying tannins; elegant; loose structure; not huge; disappointing for what I was expecting; may simply need tons of time to open up? Perhaps opening this yesterday hurt it? Confusing.
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3/8/2024 - bacchus of knockholt wrote: 82 Points
Took this to a Bacchus blind tasting and was very disappointed. Well past its best. Brown, tawny colour with a tarry nose and dried fruit and some peppery notes. I expected a wine of this standing to still be drinking well. The Domaine de la Jannasse 1998 tasted alongside it was still drinking well.
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10/2/2023 - thh18731 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is pouring quite nice. Beautiful fruit, nice tannic structure, and a long finish with a hint of leather.
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9/20/2023 - nsellen Likes this wine: 91 Points
I’ve been rather unkind about the bottles I’ve had previously. Over the course of this six pack they’ve ranged from dense rich fruited and tannic alcoholic monsters, through shrill acidic fruitless alcoholic harpies and tarry, pruney, baked alcoholic etc. so bottle six was approached with low expectations.
The wine decanted and clear, plenty of ruby with bare tinge of orange at rim. Nose leapt out of the glass, medicinal, tar, eucalyptus or camphor, herb, iron and a bitterish tang. Meat or blood maybe. All very Musar. It’s the best comparator I have to help me land this wine. I loved it. There’s sweetness on the palate a thick almost creamy mouth feel. Prickle of pepper from the alcohol or maybe the Syrah. Rich, rolling herballeatherytarry and something exotic behind it all. Resin? rosemary? Whatevs. I’ll stop now. This wine lasted three nights with no sign of decay. It’s in a great place but clearly only just become drinkable to my palate. Criticism? Only that the alcohol is still making its presence felt but at least it’s not dominating as it has in the past.
I’m glad to be proven wrong and glad to have the 2009s in reserve.
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9/16/2023 - cugel_saga Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still fairly fresh and hanging on to a slice of slightly muted acidity.
Dark fruits, maybe hints of ripe plums or old cherries.
Leathery, herby notes.
Good tannic finish.
I like these CNDPs with plenty of years on them. This is good but I think I'll like it even more in 5 years. I've had a few cracking bottles of the 2003 in the last 18 months and it has been incredible.
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8/18/2023 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum. Medium Garnet with orange cloudiness under the lights. Milk chocolate, red berries, orange zest, and spice box on the nose. Red berries, cream, and a touch of menthol late into the finish. There is also a potpourri of other dried flower and fruit notes. Very tasty.
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5/22/2023 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
Earthy, herbal bouquet displays peppery aromas of black raspberries, chocolate, and menthol. Mid-to-full bodied, not tremendously deep or flashy, but there's lots of intriguing complexity, fine structure, and excellent length. Notes of sandalwood and Sichuan peppers, a little brett, and ends with a kiss of licorice on the nice finish.
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5/7/2023 - Raage wrote: flawed
Soit trop vieux, soit mal entreposée…
Métallique, fané, pointe oxydative : sans charme.
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4/26/2023 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
Unfortunately, we drank all of our bottles years ago. This bottle was from a friend and it is drinking great. No sense of sweetness. This is elegant with spice, smoke, tobacco accents. I wish I went deeper on the 2008 vintage with VT, Pegau, Beaucastel, and Vieux Donjon. Love the lighter style and elegance.
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2/12/2023 - JonBarnes1 wrote:
Happy to put this vintage to bed. Looking back at my prior notes, it never really got off the ground, and now is past prime. Pruney notes on the nose; fruit is still there but flabby, and sharp acidity cuts through the finish. Out of balance. Drink up.
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2/5/2023 - WineStats Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted from a magnum and aging beautifully. Tannins are integrated framing still vibrant plum notes, cherry, and olives. Medium/medium- acidity...subdued in spice but bountiful in red fruits. Pomegranate, wild rasberry, oak is not in the way. A pleasure to drink and based on this bottling, I think the wine is peaking but will drink well for the next 4-5 years.
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1/20/2023 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 3 hrs, from 375 mL
-dark violet ruby core minimal bricking
-kirsch-y grenache some minerality
-med acidity, med/med+ weight dense remnants of dark fruits licorice tar, finishes with some sweetness and heat from the EtOH and mostly resolved tannins
-on its mature plateau though not full-on tertiary probably won't improve as the moderate heat may become more prominent as the rest of the fruit fades
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10/4/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Fairly on the herbal, garrigue, and peppery side of the style range with a core of crisp, leafy red berries on the palate and in the olive, tinted finish. Drink from 2022-2028.
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8/24/2022 - Michael Hung wrote: flawed
[Tasted double blind at Kevin's]
Fruit was not really showing. Kevin proceeded to open a 2007 to make up for this bottle.
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8/24/2022 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
TCA
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8/6/2022 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earthy and fruit forward with slight limestone and clay mineral notes. Lots of blue fruit.
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7/4/2022 - Gas Station Wine Guy Likes this wine: 92 Points
vieuxt elegraphe was still fresh with lots of gamey & secondary characteristics coming out as the wine opened up. This is at its peak but will hold for a while.
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6/23/2022 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well with some grilled meats at this juncture. Complex, structured and quite broad shouldered but with balance and freshness.
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6/22/2022 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has aged in a way that I hadn't expected, but maybe that only reflects that I need to sample more from Vieux Telegraphe. Right now it shows age with much reduced tannins and a nearly empty acidic sense. A very pleasant and long-lasting taste. But, not an over the top sensory explosion at the start. The fruit sense, and the smell are quite weak. I wouldn't expect this to evolve much more from this stage, but may not be sensing where else it can go. I was expecting the nicely blended sensations, but not quite so much of a reduction on the tannic/acidic/fruit realm. So, a nice one to have opened for our anniversary, but not quite where I'd expected to see this after eleven years in our cellar (yes, kept in wine fridge and via Kermit Lynch importer). So, most likely similar in state to others (some 1900 are in cellar via the menu on the right at this time) have kept.
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5/9/2022 - King Julien wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured into decanter and served. Nice fruit at first but it faded after an hour.
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12/26/2021 - melvinyeowq Likes this wine:
Boxing day at NY Verden: Didn't show like a CDP - nobody placed this correctly actually. Very restrained sweet cherries, but no raisin or pruney notes at all. Tannins have softened. Great wine from a cooler vintage.
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11/27/2021 - Dj6544 wrote: 91 Points
Dry, raisin and chocolate fruit, restrained and mellowed by age. Bit of a kick from the alcohol. Light in colour and seems to be at the top (or downward slope) of the maturity curve.
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11/26/2021 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Still a bit tannic, and I don’t know that the wine will outlive those tannins, but this is drinking well now. Rustic, a bit volatile, lots of personality. No, this isn’t an exercise in subtlety, but that’s not why you buy this wine.
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10/2/2021 - Andrew H wrote: 91 Points
Medium red, clear. Candied cherries that evolved to ripe cherry with air. Some forest floor - dried oak leaf and soil. Tannins integrated. Alcohol prominent on open, but receded with air. Didn’t decant but suggest either decanting for an hour+ or giving ample air beforehand.
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8/30/2021 - nsellen Does not like this wine:
Fading. The bitter note is dominating the finish. Still spiritous. I just can’t get on with this wine.
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8/7/2021 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
crunchy, bright, red fruit. good mouthfeel. as i get older, i find that i enjoy the less heralded/solar vintages more and more...
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5/23/2021 - itsnotbob Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully now. All new oak notes fully integrated. Not a lot of cellar life left, so enjoy it while you can.
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5/10/2021 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Don’t listen to the curmudgeons! My bottle, lovingly cellared since I brought it home from Kermit Lynch, still has a lovely bouquet of wild berries, ripe blueberries, and garrigue; dark ruby color; a juicy mouthfeel with plenty of fruit and spice. Cloves, even. Long, warm finish. Will I hold onto the rest of my case? No. Will I tear my pleasures with rough strife through the iron gate? Bring it on!
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4/5/2021 - wineguy1 wrote:
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Grenache
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4/3/2021 - Zeitoun Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fading nose reminiscent of better past time for this bottle. On the palate, blueberries, garrigue and earthy tones. Light tannin remaining and finish medium short. Still enjoyable but I wish I drank it couple years before.
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2/9/2021 - sdahar wrote: 87 Points
Dead, not even any raisin flavor which is typical of old CNP. If you have any drink with food on a weekday. Bottle was stored at cellar temperatures for the entire time since the purchase many years ago.
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2/6/2021 - mdahar wrote: 88 Points
This is over the hill and did not give much. Very similar to the other notes
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12/26/2020 - JonBarnes1 wrote:
Lighter than I expected. Checked my notes from 2012 and see it was the same then. Tart with a tannic backbone. Floral and perfumed for a CdP. Not my favorite vintage of this cuvée.
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11/6/2020 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very CDP to me. perfume is stewed sweet plum, some hot stones. in the mouthful - Sweet plum, black pepper, asian spices. tannins fairly soft. 14.5% alcohol - so just a bit more oomph to this but its not out of balance. I had this with a crispy pan seared duck breast and roasted cauliflower - which were a great counterpoint to this.
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11/1/2020 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 92 Points
yummy wine. perfume is bright red fruit/plums and hot stones/minerality. Mouthful is the same - light bodied+. nice smooth tannins. a nicely aged CdP!
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10/10/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
We went to visit one of my wife's sisters who live upstate NY 125 miles away. Even though I supplied the dinner wines I did not partake as driving home at night on dark country roads after a few glasses of wine is just not my thing. So when we got home I opened a 375 and decanted it and let it sit while I had a glass of Sancerre. Found some chicken in the fridge and had my midnight snack. The nose on the wine was cherry and red plum. The palate was dark cherry, red plum, cigar and hints of spice. The finish was moderate to long. I would really like to be able to try this wine in a larger format with a longer decant as I believe it would develop further. Overall very enjoyable.
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7/29/2020 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Raspberry and ether on the nose. On the palate, cherry, blackberry, and notes of prune, iodine, clove, and something earthy, with light tannins and good acidity, and slight alcoholic heat. This is excellent, and it's well into its drinking window. It should have three to five good years left. It was a good value at under $60.
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7/23/2020 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-med dark red
-expressive kirsch fruit cake iodine black pepper vinyl
-med acidity, med weight pine-y perfumed grenache red fruit, just a little bit of heat, med/med- tannins
-less depth than usual this vintage but also allows the complex aromatics to shine, quite nice and in a decent zone now with perhaps a bit more upside, best of 3 bottles tasted over the past 3 years
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7/4/2020 - denniswdern@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light, ruby red in color. Becoming more pale around the edges of the glass. Decanted expecting sediment but, surprisingly, very little. Some of that typical barnyard scent, but a delicious wine to drink. Enjoyed with filets off the grill. Over the course of the evening (~6 hours), later glasses started becoming a bit flabby.
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6/1/2020 - Gas Station Wine Guy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fresh red & black fruits with herbs, softer tannins, medium acid & a little heat. Put on weight & tannins as it got air. Drink up!
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1/20/2020 - nsellen Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Medium ruby with browning evident. Mute nose of, at best blackberry jam and tar. Medium bodied, fruit present in echoes only, alcohol sticks out making this 14.5%er seem overly spriritous. This does have some savoury development but overall, disappointingly thin, unbalanced and most damagingly, uninteresting. I’d say this was past it. Or shall I put it down to having been scalped by TCA? There’s certainly no trace on the nose but other reviews suggest far better experiences than this.
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11/28/2019 - jrg01 wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful. Rich fruit, complex structure, herbal earthy fantastic.
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11/12/2019 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 1 hr and day 2
-med dark red mild clearing
-red cherry kirsch iodine pine
-med acidity, med weight very medicinal at first but on day 2 mellowed with a soft somewhat diffuse pine earthy kirsch, med- tannins
-straight out of the gate this was pure cough syrup but luckily by day 2 it blossomed into a pleasant lighter-weight but not light on character CdP firmly on its mature plateau
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5/29/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
In a very good place right now with a feral edge. Every time I drink this wine it makes me wonder why I don't buy more...it has such a good balance between fruit and rusticity.
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4/27/2019 - Alexroy wrote: 90 Points
Spicy, dark fruit, wood, good length, light but powerful.
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3/23/2019 - Stufts wrote: 89 Points
Past its prime - already gaining a bit of brown color around the edges, nose is slightly raisiny. Not as complex as other CduP vintages around this time (2005, 2007). Paled in comparison to a 2012 Clos Des Papes CduP at a Rhone tasting night. Not bad by any means, but disappointing for a VT CduP.
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12/16/2018 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Entering a good place. Still a bit tight, but good dark fruit, savory notes. Good balance. Not a great vintage, but very representative for this producer who is one of my long time favorites, and should hold or improve for several years.
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11/21/2018 - lake.vino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Shockingly fresh, still fruit driven, has lost the tannic, tight structure that the vintage showed early in its life. Still has serious time ahead, at least for my palate.
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6/22/2018 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Five years since my first posted tasting note on this wine. The additional time in the cellar has made a difference. And I am raising my score. The characteristics that I previously noted remain correct, except the minerality has mellowed and the fruit flavors have become richer. An excellent full flavored full bodied cdp that has more years left in it.
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2/25/2018 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Didn't take any formal notes in a night of 20 bottles, dark, spicy and the usual well made cdp VT trademark
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2/11/2018 - winelover1808 wrote: 92 Points
had at the end of a long night of wine tasting. medium to light in color, but a very pretty wine - plum, some asian spices, some mineral/hot rocks in this - a very enjoyable wine!
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1/28/2018 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
A medium to dark red showing just a hint of age but crystal clear. Definitely needs time as was very tight and slightly tart straight from the bottle with lots of heat and noticeable alcohol, but much nicer after 1-2 hours.
Tannins are still fairly abundant but beginning to integrate and the wine has a warm, soft and velvety feel.
Truth be told, I am preferring 2008 to the more famous 2007 as I find the alcohol levels much more manageable and less overpowering.
Drink now to 2025+
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12/16/2017 - Alexroy wrote: 91 Points
Dark, spicy fruit, powerful, but lovely still. Plenty of time left. long.
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12/13/2017 - sjw_11 wrote:
Two half bottles consumed from a local corner store. First bottle a bit ripe, cooked and porty- storage the likely culprit. Second bottle much more impressive. The nose opens with fresh raspberry, giving way to an earthy, barnyard character. With more air, it opens up, offering flashes of tar and dark fruit, before giving way to a hint of varnish, and becoming flabby quickly. Although in better condition than the first bottle, it remains a ripe, rich wine, at the end of its drinking range. I won't score or give a drinking range for other bottles, based on provenance and storage history.
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10/31/2017 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
This is drinking very well now but tasted even better on the second day after a slow-ox in the bottle. Feral fruit, good acidity, mostly resolved tannin, and just showing the signs of tertiary flavors. Drink now if you like fruit, wait if you want funk.
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10/28/2017 - Alexroy wrote: 93 Points
Bright colour, some age showing. Smooth, thick, powerful red fruit, deep, very long.
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8/26/2017 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful balance and acidity, this mix of blackberry, plum and red currant is laced with spice, dark chocolate, licorice, earth, and fig- all blending lovely. A real surprise how smooth and pleasurable this wine is drinking now.
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7/11/2017 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
Rose and Such (Robert and Cheryl's house): Decanted 2 hours. This appeared to be an old school CDP. There was still a little too much anise there for me, but overall, good quality and complexity.
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7/8/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
An Evening on the Patio (Robert & Cheryl's): Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. This had a lot of garrigue and black licorice, sappy fruits, black cherry, kirsch, pepper driven finish. Would have appreciated a bit more finesse - maybe with some more age.
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2/22/2017 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-med dark red, minimal clearing at edge
-low key kirsch with some minerality and trace black pepper
-med acidity, med weight/depth linear red fruit stoniness, finishes clean with med/med- tannins and no excess heat
-lighter weight leaner CdP that has mellowed over the past few years, in a good drinking window now and probably nearing its sweet spot, no hurry but this won't be a 20 year wine
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1/29/2017 - scott w wrote: 93 Points
Maybe a bit meatier and more smooth than the last bottle, just delicious last night with Korean bbq.
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12/26/2016 - Mark Reinhold Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Vieux Télégraphe. Ordered in a restaurant, did not decant; airing in large classes was sufficient. Would not hold for very much longer.
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12/15/2016 - mulder Likes this wine: 91 Points
This took 3 days before it really started to open and come around. The first two days it was closed but on day 3 the nose opened with red fruit, plums, pepper, and herbs. The acid was good and made it great with food. I felt these could hold for awhile longer to develop.
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12/13/2016 - tbyrne49 Likes this wine: 92 Points
On opening, very muddy looking. And tasting. Decanted for an hour and, wow, what a difference. Wine cleared up, color sharpened and everything in balance. All manner of earthy, fuit and herb flavors to savor. Just fantastic with grilled pork loin and roasted Brussel sprouts.
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11/25/2016 - tgolden1983 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour prior to serving, this ended up being one of the best French Syrah bottles i've had for awhile. Especially given the price, this was an excellent wine.
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10/29/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Brisket Bash Deux: 10 Vintage Vertical of Clos de Papes and more (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Small taste, no notes, very good, could use a little more time, but for a wine I like old, it showed well after a hoard of Clos des Papes.
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9/25/2016 - scott w wrote: 91 Points
Red fruited nose, medium body with mostly red fruit hints of blackberry and some cellar dust and pepper. Acidity is spot on, nice bottle.
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9/4/2016 - Outplaying wrote:
Paired well with beef Bourgogne at Parc in Philly. Nicely restrained, good acid, accents of white pepper and a hint of mint. No need to rush with these. I've enjoyed the lighter 08 vintage.
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8/26/2016 - wythes wrote: 89 Points
Meh. Expected more from this producer. Not bad but not great either.
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7/12/2016 - CWilliam wrote:
90+/-
Didn't take notes - mature with nice balance.
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6/3/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Weak vintage my foot. Elegant, dialed back, medium-bodied. Perfumed nose. Bright red fruit, tea. Not at all jammy or overripe -- quite the opposite. Not a multi-decade wine, but entering its drinking window beautifully.
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5/29/2016 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Terrific red fruit, herbs and garrigue. Medium-bodied. Red fruit, garrigue, lavender and spice. Finsihes well.
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5/23/2016 - JimVan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely wine - elegant, full of flavor, light in color, good acidity, and with a touch of tannin still left, it was delightful with our dinner of wok cooked beef, broccoli, and asparagus. No hurry to drink this, but very good now with 20 minutes of air.
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5/20/2016 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fine CdP. Very burgundian in style. Very fine for a 08.
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4/3/2016 - nittanyjack Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has come a long way since the last bottle I opened two years ago. Decanted for about 2 hrs. Paired with smoked brisket. The wine was deeply colored with brambly, stoney aromas. Full mouth coating body with nice fruit and mineral tones on the palate. It seemed to keep getting better right through the last sip. Very nice!
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3/10/2016 - brihprivat wrote: 91 Points
VT Vertical 1983-2012.
Tasted alongside the 2009. This was almost as good. A very pleasant suprice.
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2/21/2016 - racerchris Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lots of cedar on the nose and on the palate, with some cherry fruit. A bit of spice. Rather sharp, modest tannins, medium finish.
Went well with Vegetable Tikka Masala (modest spiciness).
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11/5/2015 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Very pretty; a touch austere and unyielding at first, but it opens up with air to show bright red berried fruit flavours tinged with earth, dried herbs, and other savoury earthy notes. Not especially complex right now, but lovely to drink with some air.
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11/5/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 89 Points
Ironically, I had this right after a 2013 Breton Franc de Pied which was too thin/dilute; this was also less concentrated than one would expect in most vintages, for a CDP, there is plenty of room to dial back. Medium-bodied, with a bit of green character on the palate along with the brambly, dark berries. Some savory notes; tea and cocoa. Some medium grippy bitter tannin and acids that sneak up on you. Short finish with some bitterness from the tannins. Should wait, hoping the bitter tannins fade.
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11/3/2015 - Schwanekamp Likes this wine: 85 Points
A little past its prime. Not nearly as good as the 2009
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9/3/2015 - Ricardob wrote: 91 Points
- A Short finish.
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8/29/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent Chateauneuf which seems mature at this point. Lovely red fruit and nice earth.
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8/1/2015 - CWilliam wrote:
91+ paired with grilled chicken. Needed 30 minutes to an hour in a decanter to come around. Raspberry, cherry, glycerin, all-spice on nose. On palate, medium body, medium acidity with red-fruit (drier than 2 years ago) flavor profile. Great with chicken. Will drink remaining bottle in next 2-3 years.
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7/4/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 1hr, big tart fruit, Cherrry, plum, currants, Huge ,to the extent of being over the top of bloody meat, sweet soft tannins. Paired with prime grilled 4th of July porterhouse, drink over the next 5 years.
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3/5/2015 - tendring wrote: 86 Points
Wine Education Service - Châteauneuf du Pape and Satellites (LSE): Translucent, a hint of age.
A hint of age on the nose, baked fruit.
This wine tastes old, there's some treacly fruit, there's tannin but little acidity, will still work with food, slightly disappointing.
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1/10/2015 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
purple core some fading at rim
leather and roasted nuts
lots of acidity, sharp and refreshing
some tannin and a little heat
chewy finish, peppery
Needs food but then will be quite drinkable
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1/7/2015 - austinbeeman- austinbeeman.com Likes this wine: 88 Points
Three bottles were tasted with identical notes.
This 2008 was one of the weakest tasting versions of VT that I've yet come across. It was prematurely old with very minimal tannins or acid. The fruit came off kind of stewed and very much into secondary flavors of leather, tobacco, vanilla, caramel, and dark smooth red fruits. Decent length to the finish, but this is wine that is peaking.
$89.99 Ohio Retail
www.austinbeeman.com
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1/1/2015 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 93 Points
New years eve at home: same verdict. I have come to greatly appreciate these cool expressions of grenache dominated wines (Grenache noir 65%, Mourvèdre 15%, Syrah 15%, Cinsault, Clairette et divers 5%.) It does not showcase complexity or bold fruit or anything else in a very manifest manner, but the freshness, the clean fruit, the elegance and the perfect balance makes me happy. Great food wine. In the upper echelons.
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12/27/2014 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Some pepper and spices but much less than other 08 CdPs; elegant, light red berries, (almost) Burgundy style
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12/26/2014 - Empirate wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 1/2 hours and enjoyed with friends on Boxing Day with Christmas left overs. Drinking really well. Balanced, no tannin to fight. Delicious. 92+
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11/29/2014 - Andrew H Likes this wine: 92 Points
immediate cherry notes on nose, gives way to smoky body with hints of hickory-fired barbecue and deep red fruits, modest tAnnins on finish.
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11/16/2014 - winelover1808 wrote: 91 Points
great layers of fruit and minerality/hot stones in the finish. grippy tannins - young and beautiful.
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9/24/2014 - Sjontoft Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pop and pour. Left in the glass only 30 minutes. Dark ruby colour. Not showing much age. Slow running tears on the glass.
Nose is earthy and dark fruit. A hint of smoked meat.
Medium to full bodied. More dark fruit on the palate. Some white pepper. Aftertaste has a bit of orange peel.
Tannins are not particularly pronounced and quite soft.
Well integrated and nice. Not particularly long. Drinks well now. May integrate a bit over the next couple of years. Will follow.
2 = Good
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8/24/2014 - theguy wrote: 90 Points
A bit rough. Fruits are almost gone. Tannins are out of balance.
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7/14/2014 - A_Fiori87 Likes this wine: 92 Points
decanted 7.14.14 for my birthday. Medium clear, bright. Incredibly aromatic, floral, bright jasmine, rose pedal, roasted red berries baking spices, raspberry cobbler, slight licorice. Palate has yet to open up. Still red fruit driven, slight apple skin, and orange rind. Super excited to let the develop over the evening. Cheers!!
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5/11/2014 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit, new leather, really long finish. Needs more time, I think.
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4/24/2014 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank in London
All the classic nose and palate of wonderful CNDP. Lot's of raspberry, earth and wood. Still young but the tannins are integrating well.
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4/15/2014 - fatfishzsy wrote: 88 Points
整晚香气封闭
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4/2/2014 - Outplaying wrote: 90 Points
Clean and elegant with pure red berry fruit, red cherry, dried herbs and light licorice notes. Light tannin and good acid. We both enjoyed it.
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3/1/2014 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 92 Points
classic/restrained but ready-to-drink-nose; there is fruit (kirsch?, currants?), but also (predominantly) meat, licorice, mint, earth, leather. Pure, fresh, linear feel with very good balance. this can be drunk now or held for a long time, I would suggest.
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2/10/2014 - madflyfisher Likes this wine:
Dark but clear color. The nose very nice with quite some depth. On the palate dark berries, some kirsch, a lot of white pepper (too much for me, personally), cedar, and tobacco. Well balanced, integrated tannins and quite ready to drink, even though it is not that old. Opened up nicely and quite quickly too. Accompanied a roast duck with roast potatoes (roasted in duck fat) and a glace-like sauce very well.
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12/28/2013 - mystycreek wrote: 90 Points
Blueberry, violet, pepper and spices. Very smooth, need some air to bring out the floral nose. A good CNDP from a relatively lame vintage, ready to drink.
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11/28/2013 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Full bodied deep red. Needed about an hour after opening and decanting to develop, become aromatic and give spicy dark fruit flavors balanced with acidity. There was a distinct minerality when first opened that mellowed out and became less prominent and well integrated in the flavors. This is an excellent complex wine that will benefit from more years in the cellar. I expect in a couple of years I will rate it several points higher.
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11/18/2013 - Herschel Krustofski wrote: 87 Points
[J&B Rhone tasting] Ready now. Good, nothing to write home about.
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11/7/2013 - jfpwine wrote: 92 Points
This has a powerful bouquet, with dark fruits and leather. Very smooth body, with tannins still mildly harsh. This is very good now, but will evolve for a few years.
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10/28/2013 - hadwin Likes this wine: 89 Points
WES - Châteauneuf du Pape (LSE Holborn): Medium intense, garnet. Perfume and black fruits on the nose. Warm cinnamon spice, bold intense, soft silky tannins. Still on the rise.
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10/21/2013 - CWilliam wrote:
Did not take notes - enjoyed with grilled NY Strips. Pretty complex nose & evolved over meal - was not decanted unfortunately. 92-93 range. Paired suprisingly well with the steaks.
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9/15/2013 - wineaux2 wrote: 89 Points
This one was really filled out since my first try about 20 months earlier. Opened with a big nose of lavender, garrigue, cherry lozenges and plums that carried through to the palate. Spiced and stewed plums were dominant on day 2. The acidity was very present throughout. Seemed to be in a good place with a lot of life left; hope to keep my hands off my last bottle until 2018+.
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9/14/2013 - nzinkgraf wrote:
From Magnum. 65%Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% assorted.
'08 had lots of rain. South of Beaucastel.
Aromas of black pepper, leather, earth and a flatter red fruit. Nose is already rather mature aromas. Easy drinking with a simple approach to complexity on the palate. Red berry and spice. The nose comes off as more evolved than the palate suggests.
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8/28/2013 - SkeBum Does not like this wine: 88 Points
This CdP tasted just a tad off to me compared to others I have had. There seemed to be a lack of fruit on the finish with maybe a hint of green beans on the palate for lack of a better word. The nose was seemed slightly muted also, decent wine but not a great wine.
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8/12/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium ruby. Much cooler and greener than the '98. Less weight but no evidence of dilution either. Earthy, middle weight, even a bit of chocolate and quite supple and savory. Good length, little tannin to speak of. This surprised me given the reputation of the vintage and my one prior experience with it. For short to intermediate term drinking (i.e., now to 5 years).
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8/10/2013 - Birdmountain wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very Well struktured Wine. Strong but Nature tannis's. Though it's Young is absoluly ready to drink! A very fine balance between mineral and fruit notes brings this wine to a high standard amongst CDP's. Long and suptle finish keeps you wanting more.
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8/3/2013 - mpmullic wrote:
Cedar and cigar box. Herbal finish - wild hint of San Marzano tomatoes. Cocoa. Nutmeg, vanilla and spice. More grip than most CDPs. Great wine that will be off the chain with time. Come at me bro!!!
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6/27/2013 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
From a double magnum served at the Pacific Union club in SF, this wine had a red/purple center and red rims. The medium+ intensity nose displayed black cherries, clove, and a hint of Provencal herb.
In the mouth, this wine was medium bodied with light rounded tannin and good scidity. While the wine had a bit of an unresolved edge to it, it was surprisingly drinkable for such a young wine. It got better and better as it aired. Thus, you will not be surprised if I suggest decanting for several hours before serving.
My guess is that this wine will age quite well and should pick up a point or two with 10 years+ of cellar age.
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3/10/2013 - Nuromri wrote: 90 Points
With Olea and Vital in Wien. Very nice
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2/6/2013 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Good CDP. Seem notes of Forrest floor around the round, ripe fruit on the nose. The palate is dark and rustic. Lots of brighter red tones. Nice baking spices. Young, tight finish.
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1/19/2013 - Miceri Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium light red; somewhat muted nose, pepper, spices; elegant sweet attack with rigour and nerve, pronounced spice box, present in-balance tannins, fruity and open for business
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12/31/2012 - garambler wrote: 90 Points
We had this after dinner at a friends New Year’s Eve celebration. It had a focused, classic, but tight bouquet of cherry, blackberry, raspberry, mocha, cocoa, charcoal, licorice, herb and spice aromas. The palate was tight, sour and dry with flavors of cherry, blackberry, mocha, cocoa, charcoal, herb, spice and minerals.
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12/31/2012 - Alexroy wrote: 91 Points
Pale, dark strawberry. Rounded, plummy nose. Full, silky, plums, strawberry long, complex. Very enjoyable.
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11/24/2012 - JonBarnes1 wrote:
Tried early and surprised to find it thin for a VT. Will wait.
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10/18/2012 - adean66 wrote:
Fred liked
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10/14/2012 - burr wrote: 92 Points
Rich and young still, with black fruit, caramel, licorice, pepper. Lush palate. Lovely spicy, expressive nose. Needs more time, but how do you keep this cellared?
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10/12/2012 - arthrovine wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous. Nothing to add from a flavor profile, however would suggest popping and pouring and following its transformation over the course of a long meal. Half the bottle was fantastic the next day.
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9/22/2012 - burr wrote: 91 Points
Still young. Nuanced nose of red fruit, berry, licorice. Garnet purple, light body. Palate of red fruit/cherry, licorice, flowers, plenty of pepper. Over the course of 4 hours open, the licorice and cherry gave way to black pepper and berry flavors. Flowers in the nose really came out.
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9/21/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Obviously very young but already starting to show a touch of development. Herbs, dry earth, red fruit - very much at the more classical end of the spectrum for Châteauneuf. A touch of raspberry and liquorice and then more red fruits with a blast of tannins and leather. It wont make old bones, but I think this would benefit from a few more years to gain more complexity. Good stuff.
I think the tasting note from alanr below nailed it.
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9/14/2012 - farinas wrote: 91 Points
med to full red color with nose of spices, sandalwood and menthol, entry is balanced with acidity and round tannins, light to supple body with more methol and a comfotable dry spicy light to med finish
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9/13/2012 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
A testament to off vintages, this is a beautiful rendition, with reserved but flavorful rustic black cherry, fine black tea tannins, excellent structure and balance. Not sure if it will go for 20 years, but should evolve nicely and drink well for at least a decade. So much more interesting and refined than the acclaimed 2007 and 2009 vintages, which are overripe, sweet and syrupy.
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8/29/2012 - morpheusrising wrote: 93 Points
Good, but needs a few years
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8/16/2012 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Parlour
Still very young and not a great vintage but I was supprised how good it was. Nose of strawberries, plumbs and earth. Smooth rich mouth.
We decided to play around with the wine with different taste sensations. Strawberries with Pepper and Strawberries with chocolate. The later was definitely the winner and completely changed the taste from the wine.
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8/3/2012 - Raizes Does not like this wine: 89 Points
草莓、覆盆子,果味清新显得香料味略重。只有酸度很好,显得有点单薄瘦弱。
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7/16/2012 - jeff nowak wrote:
well below the quality of my previous taste, which makes me question provenance from costco. not a strong vintage/wine by any imagination, but i dumped about half of this. disappointing.
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7/7/2012 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
Wines from Importer Kermit Lynch (Artisan Wine Depot, Mountain View, CA): Nice nose. Tannic. Still young. Needs time.
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6/12/2012 - Pierre-Yves wrote: 87 Points
Some 08 CdPs are ready to drink ( think Pegau). Definitely not this one. Rich , big, and new world like at one point. Leave that one to rest.
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6/9/2012 - the_art_of_drink_ing wrote:
Medium red color. Dried red fruits, little minerality. Definitely needs more time.
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6/8/2012 - rhanke wrote: 90 Points
takes time to open up, very good afterwards, touch of spice
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5/7/2012 - liteagilis wrote: 93 Points
Tasted w DB, himself, the surprise charmer of the tasting. Fresh, bright, true to its place. Although not as fun as the 96 or the equal of '00 it far overshadowed the 'great vintage' 1998. Excellent for a challenging vintage.
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5/4/2012 - TheSauerKraut wrote:
For my palate, this is not in a particularly great place right now. It comes off a bit too brambly and grapey/foxy. I will leave this alone for a few years.
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5/3/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep and intense dark berry flavors while keeping a medium to full body. Sweet gripping tannins.
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4/7/2012 - duchamp wrote: 92 Points
(from memory) Bright ruby, luscious nose of black fig, black licorice and mineral driven mixed berry fruits, suave and expansive on the palate with spicy cherry, red currants and garrigue notes, finish is long and young showing heat and firm and juicy tannins
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4/6/2012 - VinLancaster wrote: 88 Points
Portland Wine Storage: pulling a few corks! (Portland Wine Storage): Drinking this infant VT was a total 'baby killer', we really should have waited at least another 5-8 years-IMHO. It was ripe with bright bing cherry, yet closed down to the point of being unrecognizable on the nose as VT-CdP. It was tannic, tight, mouth puckering, with prominent brier and held firmly on the somewhat abrupt finish. The fruit was bright, but lacked the same structure as the 2001 tasted earlier, due to the infancy of this wine. Potentially a very good to great wine, given some time to settle and even out. 88pts with potential for 91+
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4/4/2012 - RRinaldi wrote:
Color: Deep garnet, clear at the rim. Nose: dark, brooding, moody, bacon, black licorice, dark berry and cherry. Palate: Juicy, bright cherry, meaty, green tobacco, brambly, earthy, green bell pepper. Well-balanced, good acidity. Satisfying. Somewhat green tannins that will integrate with age, although enjoyable now with decanting and the right food. Medium plus finish. Delicious with bacon-wrapped shrimp.
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3/16/2012 - Zweder wrote: 87 Points
Very light color. Also quite light and thin on the palate. There are some spices sweetness and soft tannin, but overall I am not impressed. Would like to try this again around 2015 to see if it improved.
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2/10/2012 - DLCampbell wrote: 92 Points
A beautiful wine still in its infancy. With dried meats and Herbs du Provence dominating the nose, giving way to an array of red fruits. On the palate it had exceptional balance, well integrated tannins and excellent length . Absolutely enjoyed this wine from start to finish.
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1/29/2012 - wineaux2 wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. This wine was dominated by roasted red plum and garrigue notes, with the garrigue particularly present on the nose. The palate left something to be desired as there seemed to be a hollowness. While this one was definitely a lighter, more restrained style, I held this over 3 days, and the wine still drank well on day 3.
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1/21/2012 - pnwskibum wrote: 88 Points
Nice CDP but you can really tell the difference between a 06 07 09 and this 08. Seems rather light bodied and short on the finish for me. Faint Grenache nose but its still really tight. The 08 Beaucastel kills it.
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1/16/2012 - Asani wrote: 90 Points
Deep red color. Fine balance. Very smooth. Hint of fruit but not fruity. Feels full but does not come on strong.
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12/5/2011 - David J Cooper wrote: 89 Points
Deep red. Concentrated red fruit nose. Very elegant and pure with a bit of licorice. Very nice red fruit flavours. An elegant wine that shows very nice but doesn't have a great future.
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12/4/2011 - MattTM wrote:
Tight and not giving off much on the nose at this point in time. What was showing through was some bright red cherries, plum, anise, and some floral notes to round it out. Closed up tight on the palate, but what was peeking through showed red cherry, black currants, and a hit of spice/black pepper. Lots of acidity, with a medium finish ending with notes of red cherries and black pepper. I was expecting more, but this was really hard to assess right now as this appears to be completely shut down.
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12/2/2011 - tomandlu wrote: 91 Points
Decanted roughly 1 hour. Bright, cherry red color. Light, fresh nose of crushed cherries, tar, dried herbs and anise. Beautifully balanced and savory on the palate with loads of fruit and a long finish. Despite it's young age, this wine was just singing tonight. Drank at Restaurant August, New Orleans.
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11/26/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 88 Points
Montréal Passion Vin
Un nez sur la réglisse noire. La bouche est fraiche et jolie, un peu carrée au milieu, avec une finale tannique. Il lui manque la gourmandise habituelle que le domaine affiche dans les plus petits millésimes. Comme beaucoup de 2008, il a une certaine structure mais manque de chair autour de l’os. Bien, mais il est sans doute préférable de l’attendre. 88 pts
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10/15/2011 - Mark from Plano wrote: 93 Points
My first of a case that I bought last year and put away. Still young. Solid structure with good fruit. Tannins should continue to soften. Not as extracted as the 2007, but very solid and can be had for less money than the '07.
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9/22/2011 - NomadicEntrepreneur wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly fruit forward for a young wine. It should be amazing with age.
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9/16/2011 - Philippe_C wrote: 88 Points
Light nose of cherries, green peperonis... very light in the mouth, low level of alcohol... short aftertaste... good on it's own, but weak compared to other vintages
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8/30/2011 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
Very much a well made CndP. Will improve for several years. I'm looking very much forward to the remaining bottles - already feeling pity for the evening when the last drop of the last bottle has been enjoyed. But what a joyride to get there :-)
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8/9/2011 - kennyg wrote:
Sl muted nose with sl. anise. Medium bodied, overwhelming sense is of nicely peppered, well balanced, slightly tight, good acidity, cherry. Finish a little hot. Will benefit from some bottle age
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4/28/2011 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful complex black and blue fruits; nice silky spice fruit and minerals mixed with herbal undercurrent; structured for long life, this is the epitome of a great Chateauneuf.
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3/28/2011 - kris.h wrote: 89 Points
Medium red color. The nose has some spice and herbal qualities to it with cherry/strawberry aromas. The palate is medium weight with firm tannins and lively acidity. Interesting finish with good persistence and complexity. This is a nice wine that paired well with rib-eye steak and potatoes. However, it is lacking some depth and power. This will age gracefully for 5 to 7 years but I don't think it will ever be much more than it is today.
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3/26/2011 - jhsammis wrote:
This was a great wine that was (obviously) drank too soon. I wanted to try it to see if I wanted to buy more to lay down. The answer was a resounding yes.
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3/24/2011 - David_T wrote: 90 Points
Raspberry/blackberry notes on the nose and palate. Soft tannins and a medium long finish, drinking well now but I question its ageability. I had this side by side with the 08 Telegramme and I felt that was significantly better for half the price.
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3/6/2011 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
raspberry with some spice. nice but nothing special
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3/6/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
decanted. i didn't really expect much from this because we all have a nice relationship with this domaine thanks to kevin, and the scuttlebutt is they consider it one of their weakest vintages in some time. but i found the wine to be quite pleasing. yes, it lacks weight and some charm, and because of this, it's not a great QPR ($65 at our costco). nevertheless, i still enjoyed drinking it.
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3/6/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 90 Points
4BOW (Jeff's House): My first time tasting this wine. Ruby color. Perfumed red fruit nose. Tastes of raspberry, earth, mint, and spice. Medium bodied. Lighter with less structure than past vintages. Well balanced. Spicy finish with some interesting depth. A near term drinker. 14.5% alcohol.
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2/24/2011 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Helga's 7th Annual CDP Tasting (2008 Vintage CDPs Semi-Blind) (Atlanta, GA): Very nice. Glycerine / raspberry / raspberry liqueur. Medium+ body / palate similar to nose + licorice / long fiinsh - big step up from 1st 4 wines. I would buy this wine.
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2/16/2011 - greenblanket wrote:
Young and not giving up much aromatically. Pretty much the same deal on the palate with some very nice red fruit and largely buried herb and spice notes. However, Greenblanket very much enjoyed the texture, structure and smooth length of this wine.
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2/3/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 90 Points
Corks: Rhone (Rossford, OH): Slightly simple candied nose, Kool Aid. Same on palate. Ripe, medium+ body, medium tannin and acid. Peppery, slightly bitter. A little olive. Disappointing.
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1/29/2011 - rentmp3 wrote: 91 Points
2008 & 2009 Rhone Valley (K&L Wine Merchants, San Francisco, CA): Black pepper, bright red raspberries, sour cherries, nice acidity, long finish, perhaps a bit closed?
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1/29/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Rhone, Including a Peek at 2009 Chateauneuf (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Light ruby. Spicy licorice nose. Neither great fruit nor adequate concentration. This takes "understated" too far. Traditional but unimpressive. One of the weakest VT vintages in recent memory.
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1/23/2011 - Mike Oxlong wrote: 89 Points
I don't have a lot of experience with Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but this is a solid, drinkable wine. Spice and pepper on the nose, smooth finish.
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1/11/2011 - wormfarmer wrote: 90 Points
Second favorite of the night in a Solano Cellars line-up of 2008s (first place for me was the Monpertuis). Medium weight, it's on the elegant/smooth/feminine side of C-d-P -- none of the animality and/or garriguiness of some of the southern Rhone's wilder incarnations.
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1/9/2011 - tall2002 wrote: 86 Points
San Francisco tasting at the ferry building. The wine was very light thin flavors, not as peppery CDP that I tasted in the past.
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12/19/2010 - Porchino wrote: 92 Points
Very pure and smooth with the power subtly coming as aftertaste
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12/13/2010 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Decanted two hours, drunk over the next four. Drinking extremely well for a young wine, dark fruits and earthiness, tannins are present but do not detract, medium and clean finish. Great palate. I think this will continue to drink well young while waiting for the 07s to come around.
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12/10/2010 - amateurwino wrote:
Very fruity, with licorice flavors but not a lot of pepper; smooth mouthfeel.
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12/9/2010 - Badfish wrote: 92 Points
Kermit The Importer (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): There is great richness but also great complexity to this wine which shows a delicate presence to the aromas of kirsch, herbs, licorice, and sweet flowers. The texture in the mouth is just gorgeous with good balance between the fruit, tannins, and acidity. The flavors tend towards rich red fruits with hints of herbs and pepper. This wine is restrained in style but does show a touch of heat and while structured it is still approachable. Lovely. 92+
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11/19/2010 - markjanes wrote:
Boys nite II, fall 2010 (Reno, NV): This wine was singing tonight after being in the decanter for a couple of hours... very aromatic, floral, fruity, primary with lovely depth and texture. Balanced wine with great length and intensity... good complexity at this young age... very good finesse, a very fine texture, great expression of place. Clearly an 'outstanding' wine that has a long life ahead of it.
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11/18/2010 - Yagil wrote: 87 Points
elegant aroma, medium-bodied, good wine for a mediocre vintage.
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11/10/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
The Ultimate Wine Experience (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Lighter spice, earth. Feminine. Finesse. Nice length and terroir.
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10/28/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
– tasted non-blind over 10 minutes –
– 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, Clairette, and others –
– bottle opened yesterday –
NOSE: not much going on; kirsch; no depth; closed?
TASTE: hard to get many specific flavors here; non-descript red fruits; fine drying tannins; elegant; loose structure; not huge; disappointing for what I was expecting; may simply need tons of time to open up? Perhaps opening this yesterday hurt it? Confusing.
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10/18/2010 - hutch wrote: 92 Points
Rich, savory, yummy stuff. I mean this is delicious. Classic CDP. Oh boy. 91-93
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9/28/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Medium red. Raspberry mineral nose with a little more earth then the Roquete. Fig and raspberry flavours and a decent amount of structure.
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