This is delicious and moreish, but I agree that it isn't in a profound space at the moment. Cooked dark red fruits with lots of spice, there is a real leathery and cep driven undercurrent that is definitely bretty. For my palate, I really enjoy the balanced complexity this brings, but it's not a finely layered wine and the sum isn't greater than its very enjoyable parts. That being said, stunning value and will be around for a while yet. Definitely a go to with cheese.
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Last bottle of case bought when first released and cellared. Fresh red and black cherry, a touch of spice and some garrigue and dry brush herbs. Not particularly intense, or well defined, but a great value, easy drinking Rhone style wine. It may have lost some of the energy of its youth, but it was well balanced and actually improved over several hours.
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High opacity, dark ruby with violet highlights. The nose was a lot of tar and smoke. On the palate it was silky tannins and a dark, smokey profile that was rich and well textured.
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Reserved fruit - difficult to separate from the dark, dense structure/body. Tannins still present and correct. This is a wine all about texture. Not entirely my bag but drank with roasted wild duck - a good partner. Feels like it's at the end of its window. Drink up!
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(Bila-Haut (Chapoutier) Occultum Lapidem) Phenol55 REMINDER: Full Pull has partnered with Phenol55 for *optional* storage services for our list members. P55 is a full-service wine cellar less than ten minutes from our warehouse, in the subterranean basement of the Malt House in the heart of Georgetown. See here for more details, and then contact Phenol55 if you’re interested in signing up. ----- Hello friends. Time for what has become an early-in-the-year tradition: an offer of Chapoutier’s exquisite entry-level red from Bila-Haut, in the southwest France value garden of Roussillon.Originally offered in January 2015 at 31.99/27.99 TPU, we reloaded last year at closeout pricing; hence the reduced TPU. We’re down to just a handful of cases, so it’s last-call time for this lovely bottle. Occultum Lapidem is essentially a reserve wine, coming from Chapoutier’s best Roussillon vineyards, on gneiss and schist and Kimmeridgian limestone. The blend is about 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Carignan. Wine Advocate: Copyrighted material withheld.
(Bila-Haut (Chapoutier) Occultum Lapidem) Hello friends. One of the best values we offered in 2015 (and a frequent reorder target throughout that year) was recently offered to us on closeout. The deal was: we purchase the remaining parcel available in western Washington, and in exchange, we get to offer a price even better than our original 31.99/27.99 TPU:Originally offered in January 2015 at 31.99/27.99 TPU, we reloaded last year at closeout pricing; hence the reduced TPU. We’re down to just a handful of cases, so it’s last-call time for this lovely bottle. Occultum Lapidem is essentially a reserve wine, coming from Chapoutier’s best Roussillon vineyards, on gneiss and schist and Kimmeridgian limestone. The blend is about 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Carignan. Wine Advocate: Copyrighted material withheld.
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3/31/2024 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is delicious and moreish, but I agree that it isn't in a profound space at the moment. Cooked dark red fruits with lots of spice, there is a real leathery and cep driven undercurrent that is definitely bretty. For my palate, I really enjoy the balanced complexity this brings, but it's not a finely layered wine and the sum isn't greater than its very enjoyable parts. That being said, stunning value and will be around for a while yet. Definitely a go to with cheese.
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3/13/2024 - apbru wrote: 88 Points
Slightly disappointing after all the hype. Fresh and precise but a bit dilute and lacking minerality.
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1/7/2024 - WhoNose Likes this wine: 88 Points
Last bottle of case bought when first released and cellared. Fresh red and black cherry, a touch of spice and some garrigue and dry brush herbs. Not particularly intense, or well defined, but a great value, easy drinking Rhone style wine. It may have lost some of the energy of its youth, but it was well balanced and actually improved over several hours.
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1/4/2024 - Tudz Drkl wrote:
High opacity, dark ruby with violet highlights. The nose was a lot of tar and smoke. On the palate it was silky tannins and a dark, smokey profile that was rich and well textured.
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12/10/2023 - Smifffy wrote: 88 Points
Reserved fruit - difficult to separate from the dark, dense structure/body. Tannins still present and correct. This is a wine all about texture. Not entirely my bag but drank with roasted wild duck - a good partner. Feels like it's at the end of its window. Drink up!
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