South Africa in Hampshire (Winchester): Big well put together wine, somehow didn't knock my socks off in the way the 08 did a few months earlier. Reading the notes others have posted, wonder if we just weren't in the mood, or even if there was some low level fault in this bottle.
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Rett fra flaske spratt vinen ut av glasset - og holdt seg på topp ila tre åpne timer. En fascinerende vin som slanget seg fra det syrlige, til det bredere og kraftigere og tilbake igjen - hele tiden med spice, syre og energi i bånn.
Frukten vekslet mellom kirsebær og solbær, ispedd Rhone-aktige hint av svarte oliven (druemiks 80 % syrah og 20 % mourvedre). Fyldig, nesten oljete munnfølelse, heftig syre, markant spice-toner. En blanding av Pommard og Cote Rotie - med en naturvins utemmede syre og råskap? Noe sånt.
Artig og veldig digg flaske.
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Amazing eyperience. !!! Patience has been rewarded. Once again. I ve drunk all my Columellas too early in the past ! wait !!! Soo fresh, cherries, a bit of herbal touch, loong finish. All in balance. Wonderful !
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Columella complete Vertical Tasting (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): First of all it was an amazing tasting. No bottle was corked or defective. We double decanted all bottles. We drank one bottle after one. No flights. We started with the bold years but they were so good that I changed the order after 6 vintages and I mixed the elegant years in between. All old bottles delivered phantastically.
The order
2005
Still primary fruit, very balanced, starting to reach his peak, silky tannins, alcohol well integrated. 93+
2003 DMG
From this size really fresh, black berries, a bit plums, soft tannins, you feel the hot vintage but not marmelade style, easy to drink and not over the top. 92-93
2007 MG
Still some oaky notes, much fruit, somehow one dimensional and missing a bit the refreshing acidity. I would prefer 03 as a warm vintage. 90
2002
Very reluctant, it reminds me to a classic Bordeaux vintage, even the nose shows black currant and cedar wood. Delicate and elegant. Even it was one of your first vintages it is a masterpiece, really not bold and broad. At least 10 more years. Great. 95-96
2001
Great structure and ultra fresh, firm tannins. It needs decantation. Lovely fruitieness and some herbal notes. A decade ahead. 94+
2004
I had this wine a few times before. Always delivering as today again. Fresh, elegant, decanted for 2 hours, reminds me to a very good Northern Rhone wine. Great acidity structure. White pepper, dark berries, saline and firm and ripe tannins. No hurry to finish it. For many in the group WOTN. 94-95
2011
Maybe this bottle was not perfect, a bit clumsy and some acetone
2016
3 hours decantation, ultra fresh and young. Very accessible and a pure fruit. Reminds many friends to a great Burgundy, I would go for a great CF from the Loire as Clos Rougeard. Graceful 95++
2014
2 hours of decanation. Fresh, accessible, evrybody's darling from the beginning. Tannins soft, great refreshing acidity, very balanced. 94
2000
Lovely, lean, still primary fruit, spicy, pepper, dark cherries, precise finish. Starting to reach his peak. At least 5-7 more yeras ahead. 94+
2006
A bit broad and wild. A lot of fruit but missing structure and substance for a further aging. 90
2008
Balanced, in a really nice drinking window, reluctant fruit but cracking acidity. 93
2009
A bit broad, a lot fruit, alcohol perceptible, somehow one dimensional. 91
2013
Fine, elegant, great structure, a lot of acidity, reduced fruit, spicy, a monster, precise finish. A lot to come in next 2 decades. 3 hours decantation. 95+
2012
Powerful and fruit dominated, less concentrated than 2013. Balanced, niice drinking window. 92
2015
Compared to 2013 a bit more "alcoholic" and not the finesse but still powerful and spicy Northern Rhone wine. Only 1 hour of decantion. Maybe this was the "problem".94+
2010
Still young, Many in the group are flashed from this wine, for me a bit short in the finish. Not completely balanced at this stage. I guess maybe in a closed window. Great structure. 92
2017
3 hours of decantation. Fresh, alcohol percetible, maybe it was a lot of alcohol at the end of the tasting, nicely balanced in fruit and acidity, great length, precise. 93+
My Top 5
2002, 2016, 2001, 2013, 2000
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3/5/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
South Africa in Hampshire (Winchester): Big well put together wine, somehow didn't knock my socks off in the way the 08 did a few months earlier. Reading the notes others have posted, wonder if we just weren't in the mood, or even if there was some low level fault in this bottle.
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7/17/2021 - Krokfjord Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rett fra flaske spratt vinen ut av glasset - og holdt seg på topp ila tre åpne timer. En fascinerende vin som slanget seg fra det syrlige, til det bredere og kraftigere og tilbake igjen - hele tiden med spice, syre og energi i bånn.
Frukten vekslet mellom kirsebær og solbær, ispedd Rhone-aktige hint av svarte oliven (druemiks 80 % syrah og 20 % mourvedre). Fyldig, nesten oljete munnfølelse, heftig syre, markant spice-toner. En blanding av Pommard og Cote Rotie - med en naturvins utemmede syre og råskap? Noe sånt.
Artig og veldig digg flaske.
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4/3/2021 - Frank Schneider wrote: 95 Points
Amazing eyperience. !!! Patience has been rewarded. Once again.
I ve drunk all my Columellas too early in the past ! wait !!! Soo fresh, cherries, a bit of herbal touch, loong finish. All in balance. Wonderful !
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3/8/2021 - sharonandroland wrote: 93 Points
In excellent condition and evolution. Very polished and beautiful.
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1/19/2020 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Columella complete Vertical Tasting (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): First of all it was an amazing tasting. No bottle was corked or defective. We double decanted all bottles. We drank one bottle after one. No flights. We started with the bold years but they were so good that I changed the order after 6 vintages and I mixed the elegant years in between. All old bottles delivered phantastically.
The order
2005
Still primary fruit, very balanced, starting to reach his peak, silky tannins, alcohol well integrated. 93+
2003 DMG
From this size really fresh, black berries, a bit plums, soft tannins, you feel the hot vintage but not marmelade style, easy to drink and not over the top. 92-93
2007 MG
Still some oaky notes, much fruit, somehow one dimensional and missing a bit the refreshing acidity. I would prefer 03 as a warm vintage. 90
2002
Very reluctant, it reminds me to a classic Bordeaux vintage, even the nose shows black currant and cedar wood. Delicate and elegant. Even it was one of your first vintages it is a masterpiece, really not bold and broad. At least 10 more years. Great. 95-96
2001
Great structure and ultra fresh, firm tannins. It needs decantation. Lovely fruitieness and some herbal notes. A decade ahead. 94+
2004
I had this wine a few times before. Always delivering as today again. Fresh, elegant, decanted for 2 hours, reminds me to a very good Northern Rhone wine. Great acidity structure. White pepper, dark berries, saline and firm and ripe tannins. No hurry to finish it. For many in the group WOTN. 94-95
2011
Maybe this bottle was not perfect, a bit clumsy and some acetone
2016
3 hours decantation, ultra fresh and young. Very accessible and a pure fruit. Reminds many friends to a great Burgundy, I would go for a great CF from the Loire as Clos Rougeard. Graceful 95++
2014
2 hours of decanation. Fresh, accessible, evrybody's darling from the beginning. Tannins soft, great refreshing acidity, very balanced. 94
2000
Lovely, lean, still primary fruit, spicy, pepper, dark cherries, precise finish. Starting to reach his peak. At least 5-7 more yeras ahead. 94+
2006
A bit broad and wild. A lot of fruit but missing structure and substance for a further aging. 90
2008
Balanced, in a really nice drinking window, reluctant fruit but cracking acidity. 93
2009
A bit broad, a lot fruit, alcohol perceptible, somehow one dimensional. 91
2013
Fine, elegant, great structure, a lot of acidity, reduced fruit, spicy, a monster, precise finish. A lot to come in next 2 decades. 3 hours decantation. 95+
2012
Powerful and fruit dominated, less concentrated than 2013. Balanced, niice drinking window. 92
2015
Compared to 2013 a bit more "alcoholic" and not the finesse but still powerful and spicy Northern Rhone wine. Only 1 hour of decantion. Maybe this was the "problem".94+
2010
Still young, Many in the group are flashed from this wine, for me a bit short in the finish. Not completely balanced at this stage. I guess maybe in a closed window. Great structure. 92
2017
3 hours of decantation. Fresh, alcohol percetible, maybe it was a lot of alcohol at the end of the tasting, nicely balanced in fruit and acidity, great length, precise. 93+
My Top 5
2002, 2016, 2001, 2013, 2000
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