BrandiLove

Tasting Notes

• NV Camus Elegance XO

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  11/1/2016 - BrandiLove Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Appearance:
  
  Lighter than the Remy & Hennessy XO’s The Camus XO is a beautiful, crystal clear light amber color.
  
  Nose:
  
  A beautiful nose balanced between floral , orange , almonds and hints of vanilla. Closing my eyes it reminds me of everything I love about Christmas cookies.
  
  Flavors:
  
  At a recent party my friends & I all tasted the Camus XO Cognac … and had similar tasting notes. Without question there are flavors of orange peel , butterscotch, maple syrup & caramel there is also a spicy quality which no one could seem to pin down.. maybe cinnamon?
  
  Finish: Smooth… really smooth and nuanced. I really like how this finishes.
  
  Final Thoughts:
  
  Despite my admittedly “snooty” palate when it comes to wine, I’ll admit that I’m a relative novice as it pertains to Cognac’s. I have been fortunate however to have some of the higher end offerings such as Louis XIII and Martell Creation .. so my benchmark is pretty high.
  
  I found the Camus XO to be a pleasant surprise! I like it better that the Remy Martin XO and slightly less that the Hennessy XO. It’s incredibly smooth & completely devoid of that astringent quality that I find (and dislike) with the Remy XO. It’s not as complex or bold as the Hennessy but it is delicious and elegant.

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• 2011 Montes Malbec

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  5/7/2013 - BrandiLove Likes this wine: 90 Points

  2011 Montes Malbec
  
  I was a little apprehensive to buy this. I've become a bit gun shy of sub $10 wines after a number of disappointments. That said however I am a HUGE fan of Purple Angel by Montes so I decided to give this a shot .. and I'm glad I did!
  
  For the life of me I can't figure out what I experience on the nose but what I can tell you is that the bouquet is nearly identical to Purple Angel and I love that! If I had to try and describe the nose I would say dried red and blue fruits with hints of rose petal & something earthy like tobacco or cedar. There is something intoxicating about the nose on the Montes wines that is singularly unique to this vineyard.
  
  Although the taste is where this wine truly shines it does require a disclaimer; Zuperdaave is right .. this does not drink like a Malbec. To me this has very little in common with a traditional Malbec.
  
  Rather than a Malbec this drinks like a fantastic Carmenere .. it drinks very much like the $60 Purple Angel. Deep in color and flavors this wine is remarkably balanced. There is this terrific balance of dark & blue fruits, cigar box , chocolate and the spiciness of an old vine Zin.
  
  What I really love about this wine is the finish. It has these fine "grainy " tannins & a subtle minerality that seem to dance on your tongue leaving you wanting the next sip.
  
  For $10 this is remarkable IMHO.

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• 2009 Château de Cruzeau

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  5/5/2013 - BrandiLove Likes this wine: 91 Points

  2009 Château De Cruzeau
  
  Very interesting to read the tasting notes here! My taste buds must be on the fritz because I thought this was absolutely delicious & bought a case!
  
  I read the "Pro" reviews and honestly have no idea what linzer torte, damson plums or currant actually taste like... what I can say is this:
  
  On the nose this wine is smoky with a touch of oak, black fruit and cocoa powder.
  
  While I read a number of tasting notes that refer to this wine as "thin" or "weak" I found the flavors to be full bodied and layered with flavors of blackberry and black plum as well as subtle flavors of tobacco, oak and vanilla.
  
  What I liked most is the finish and agree with Tarrant when he says "dusty" tannins. They literally reminded me of powdered cocoa and left that lingering flavor on my lips.

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