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 John N. 's Wine Reviews
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| 2000 - St Andre Corbin St George |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Time. time, time. Opened this bottle a year or two after trying the
others. Much better. It is not a classified growth, but it is a very
pleasant bottle. It seems that the flavors have knit (or are knitting)
together. A real testimony to the strength of the vintage. I have 2
more -- one in a year from now, and the other in two years.
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| 2001 - Hospitalet de Gazin, L' |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A classic Bordeaux, albeit a second wine. Took a little while to open
up (at least an hour). Tannins and fruit well-integrated, nose not
particularly pronounced, but not absent either. Finish reasonable,
although not overly long. This bottle really shined with roast beef or
lamb (happened to have some of each on hand). I am not certain how much
this bottle will change or develop over time. I have 5 left, and I will
try one in 6 months or so. I suspect the tannins will soften a bit over
a few years. After all, it is only 6 years old, which is not all that
much for a decent claret.
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| 2003 - Greysac |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A very interesting wine. At first, the nose had a strong vanilla flavor
(and I don't think I have a particularly sensitive nose), and the
fruits and tannins were well balanced. Through the bottle the tannins
emerged more strongly, although at the end they had subsided a bit. My
sense is that the bottle could rest for another year or two or three.
Regardless, I liked this bottle very much.
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| 1993 - Janasse, Domaine de la Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes |
| May 12, 2008 |
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This bottle was a little disappointing. I did not expect it to be
perfect -- it's a little too old for that -- but the tannins were a bit
strong, particularly at first. They softened through the bottle,
suggesting that decanting might help. Interestingly, the nose was very
nice, making me somewhat optimistic about the other bottles I have.
Nevertheless, I suspect this bottle was past its prime.
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| 1996 - Lanessan |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Clearly a left bank wine. Needs to breathe for at least 1 hour,
possibly more. I might decant the next wine. Tannins present, but in
check. Good balance, fruit not that pronounced. Better with food. The tannins seemed to become more
pronounced over time instead of subsiding.
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| 1995 - Armailhac, D |
| May 12, 2008 |
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This bottle was a bit of a disappointment. Reasonable Bordeaux tastes
and a good nose; however the tannins dominated too much. In their
review, the Wine Spectator mentioned "loads of fruit". There was very
little fruit evident in this bottle. Perhaps another year or two may
help; otherwise, it is a fairly uni-dimensional wine. Not bad, but not
outstanding.
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| 2004 - Clos du Bois Chardonnay |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Thanksgiving at my brother's. Reasonable Cal. chardonnay. A little
buttery -- as I like it. Good balance -- not a major, big bottle, but
quite pleasant.
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| 1995 - Dauzac |
| May 12, 2008 |
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As suggested by "the Bob", this is a decent claret. By this time (Dec
07) the tannins seem to be resolved. The fruit is not all that
apparent, but that is not a problem, at least for me. Very nicely
balanced. Although I like this wine very much (and have 3 more bottles
that I am looking forward to drinking), the nose is not that strong,
nor is the finish. So what, you drink the wine :-). All in all, quite
respectable. You can, and eventually will, do a lot worse. I will set 2
of the remaining 3 aside to see what they are like 2010 plus. My guess
is a tad softer. I may very well buy more so that I can drink a few
while waiting for others. By the way, as you might imagine, you have to
give this wine at least 60 min to breathe. I have no idea why people
"pop and pour" Bordeauxs. Seriously.
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| 2000 - Martinens |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A reasonable claret. Nose was just fine. Tannins in check. Finish
short. The wine impressed me as being a bit thin -- not very rich.
Can't imagine that it will improve markedly with more time.
Nevertheless, it is a 2000, so I will let a few bottles sit.
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| 2003 - Parker, Fess Syrah |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Another perfectly enjoyable bottle. Rich, full, with a nice balance of
spice and vanilla and a host of other flavors. My rating would be
higher if the wine did not seem to fade a bit toward the end of the
bottle. Regardless, I have 5 more, and I will probably add to those.
Simply enjoyable. If you like Syrah, you will love this wine.
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| 2005 - Ambullneo Vineyards Chardonnay Big Paw |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A perfectly decent Calif chard -- no more, no less. The bottle was a
bit grandiose -- thick and cumbersome. They should have spent less
money on the bottle and more on making the wine. Parker described it as
"vastly superior" -- not for me.
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| 2004 - Latour, Domaine Louis Chassagne Montrachet |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A little disappointing considering the vintage and the wine. Crisp,
perhaps a little too crisp for me. Bright, perhaps too bright for me. I
prefer a bit more body, and dare I say, buttery flavor.
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| 1997 - Lagrange St Julien |
| May 12, 2008 |
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From what I can gather, the '97 vintage of Bordeaux fell short of
expectations. En primeur prices were high, and then fell. The vintage
(apparently) did meet expectations (or live up to the hype -- you
choose). Nevertheless, this '97 was just fine, really fine actually.
Fruit present, tannins in check, all in all, very well balanced. It's
primary shortcoming (which might be characteristic of the vintage) is
that the wine was not that deep or rich. Very tasty, but it did not
linger or coat the palate. I have another and I am very much looking
forward to drinking it. I suspect that it will not improve meaningfully
in the future, although another year or so will probably not hurt it
either.
Day 2: The wine was clearly no better, and maybe a bit worse, suggesting, at least to me, that it is ready to go.
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| 1997 - Smith-Haut-Lafitte |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Simply a damned good Bordeaux. If you like Bordeaux, you will like this
wine. Give it some time to open up. Nicely balanced. I wish that this
was the standard.
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| 2005 - Concha y Toro Chardonnay Marques de Casa Concha |
| May 12, 2008 |
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This is my type of chardonnay -- a bit more on the buttery
rather than the lean side. It is not simply buttery however. There is
good balance between acid and sweet. Very enjoyable.
An
interesting side note, I did not finish the bottle on day 1, and found
that on day 2, the buttery taste had gone almost completely. Still
enjoyable, but not as much for me.
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| 1997 - Cos d'Estournel |
| May 12, 2008 |
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I realize that there are a of doubts about '97 Bordeaux. So far, I have
had no problems (this is second or third wine of the vintage I have
had). The bottle is a classic Cos in many ways. The tannins are
present, but very well-balanced and in check. The wine has taste and
some depth, but it is not fruity by any stretch of the imagination. We
let this sit for about 90 minutes before we drank it over the course of
a prime rib dinner. It opened up (or evolved because it was fine at
first) over the course of the meal. I will let the next one sit for 3
hours or so just to see the difference. Very pleasant.
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| 2005 - Crema, La Pinot Noir Sonoma |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Simply underwhelming. The fruit was simply grapey, and the wine was not
rich nor flavorful. I make no claims about my palate particularly
regarding California wines, but I have had much, much better wines that
cost about the same as this did. I always have this nagging
sense/fear that there is a lot of hype about California wines and not
enough quality to match the hype, and this wine seems to realize those
fears. I have seen other tasting notes describing this wine as "not interesting" and I agree. Boy,
what a slam.
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| 1995 - Chateau Simard |
| May 12, 2008 |
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This is a decent Bordeaux that seems to be pretty much ready to go. I
am not certain that a few more years will change the taste
meaningfully, although I guess it could. Regardless, the wine needs to
breathe for at least 1 hour to open up, perhaps even more. As a St.
Emilion, it is more Merlot dominated than a left bank wine would be,
and to me it is interesting to compare the two. The tannins in this
wine are meaningfully less strong than they have been for some
comparable (i.e., '95) left bank wines. This is not to say that they
are absent or unpleasant. Quite the opposite -- the wine is nicely
balanced, although I suspect it was not very that rich or full at any
time. All in all, a decent bottle.
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| 2005 - Errazuriz Chardonnay Wild Ferment |
| May 12, 2008 |
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One of the best chardonnays I have had in some time. Big and buttery (the way I like 'em), but with a nice balance of acid
(and I guess minerality). I have a few others, and I will definitely
let one stay around to see what happens. I may get some more so I can
drink and experiment. Very nice.
Also, still quite good on Day 2
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| 2004 - Andezon, Domaine d' Cotes du Rhone |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Very enjoyable CDR. Peppery and spicy. Does not need too much time to
breathe, and was not noticeably better on Day 2. No big deal, but a
decent wine.
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| 1996 - Soudars |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Perfectly decent. Opened up
considerably after 60-90 minutes. I left some for tomorrow to see what
that will be like. There is some fruit in there (kind of sour cherry,
and I am not a big "taste likes such and such person"), and I am
curious as to whether it is coming out or disappearing in terms of the
life cycle of this wine. I have 2 left, and I am certainly going to let
one, if not both of them rest for a while.
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| 1993 - Janasse, Domaine de la Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupin |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Still a decent bottle. The flavors are not that pronounced, but are still there and enjoyable. Pretty straightforward CDP. If you have any left, drink them soon. Not much time left for this one.
Stop the presses.
When you have this wine with food (even
something as simple as a pot roast), it changes dramatically. I know
that many wines are meant to be consumed with food. Well this wine is
certainly one of them. 88 changed easily to 90. I will not open another
bottle of this without some meat present -- for some reason, I don't
think a salad would cut it.
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| 2004 - Altesino Rosso di Altesino |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Not all that impressive. I am not certain where some of the high scores from professional reviewers 90 points came
from. A decent wine, good balance, although the overall impression was
a little dry and dusty for me. There is some fruit in there, but it is not at all prominent.
Perhaps it's a matter of taste/preference, and this wine does not match
mine.
Regardless, it certainly benefited from some "air time".
I would let it breathe for at least 1 hour, maybe more. Might be worth
decanting.
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| 2006 - Foxglove Foxglove |
| May 12, 2008 |
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I like this wine. If you have a bottle in the frig, you really need to
let it warm up. There are a lot of pleasant tastes in this wine that
will be masked (or buried) if it is served too cold. Spice, a little
acid. Excellent balance.
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| 2002 - Prats & Symington Chryseia |
| May 12, 2008 |
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At first, this wine was a bit harsh, but after breathing for a few
hours it opened up reasonably well. The next day, the flavors showed
through even more, in fact, I raised the rating a bit. There is some
fruit in there and the tannins are not overdone. Reasonable bottle. I
have another, and I am not certain how long to leave it.
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| 2005 - Concha y Toro Carmenere Casillero del Diablo Reserve |
| May 12, 2008 |
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I like this wine. Wonderful tastes -- smokey, chocolate, not
spicey like a cdr. Reading tastng notes here and there, I suspect people
had some bad bottles, possibly not that uncommon for an inexpensive
wine. So far, each bottle I have had has been very enjoyable.
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| 2004 - Cartlidge and Browne Cabernet Sauvignon |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Perfectly reasonable entry level cab. A little too fruity for my taste,
although the bottle came together a bit toward the end. Might try some
of the '05s and let them stay down a while.
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| 2001 - Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Perfectly pleasant Bord Sup. Seemed to be as good as it will get. I
don't think a few more years will help or hurt. Tannins well in check,
fruit there, but not fruity.
Certainly
not a big wine, but perfect to open for a small dinner party with
people with varying palates. I will probably buy a few more.
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| 1995 - Chateau Gloria St. Julien |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Just another really good bottle. Classic Bordeaux mix of flavors,
Decanted for about an hour, drank very well through the better part of
the bottle. Seemed to fade a bit toward the end. Love this wine. I have
9 more, and I look forward to each. My guess is that they should be
consumed sooner rather than later.
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| 1997 - Clerc Milon |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A perfect claret. Admittedly, the flavors are not robust as they would
(might) be from a stronger vintage, but I would be happy to drink this
day and night.
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| 2001 - Cambon la Pelouse |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Very nice Bordeaux. Excellent nose. Wine opened up a little after an
hour or so. Classic Bordeaux palate. Might improve a bit with some more
age, but perfectly pleasant now.
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| 1995 - Bourgneuf-Vayron |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Decanted this bottle and that seemed to help. Full bodied, although the
tannins were not that strong. Pretty traditional set of Bordeaux
tastes, although I did not catch much fruit. I am curious to see what a
few more years will do.
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| 2005 - Finca Luzon Luzon |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Found a bottle of this in my cellar, and I was pleasantly surprised. I
thought I had sold or traded my remaining stock. Was much less fruity
that I recall, in fact it was a bit more "dusty". Perfectly pleasant.
If I find some others, I will keep them.
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| 2001 - Dei Vallarino, Tenuta Barbera d'Asti Bricco Asinari |
| May 12, 2008 |
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An excellent wine -- smooth, rich, very nice. One critic mentioned
chocolate, and it was certainly there. Seemed to be pretty good to go,
although I have a few more and I will see what another year or so does.
Day
2. The wine lost something meaningful overnight. I do not do anything
fancy with partial bottles (I put the cork back in), but often, red
wines are better the next day, suggesting they ned to age a bit more
(at least to me). This wine did not suggest that
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| 1998 - Vieux-Chateau-Gachet |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Two reviews
Drank one of these in 2005, seemed smooth and pleasant. I had
two this fall (2006), same story. Not a lot of depth, but pleasant
drinking. My sense is that LaLande de Pomerols tend to be a bit lighter
than Pomerols, although this may be generalizing too much from a single
case.
The last of an old friend.
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| 2000 - Marjosse |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Excellent entry level Bordeaux. All in balance and in check. Might get
better (but I doubt it) with a another year or so in the bottle. I have
one more and I will let it lie for a while just to see. I would/will
buy more if a reasonable offer appears.
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| 2004 - Yalumba Shiraz Viognier Y Series |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Two separate notes:
Tasting notes not too detailed on this one -- part of a larger
dinner. Nevertheless, this wine was rich and very smooth. I suspect the
Viognier mellowed out the Shiraz a bit. Spicy, but mild at the same
time. I have two more bottles, and I am very much looking forward to
drinking them.
For whatever reasons, not as pleasing as the previous bottle. Still
decent. Reasonable spice and so forth, but the body was not quite
there. Seemed to open through the bottle. I have one more that I will
let breathe for at least an hour. Nevertheless, a
decent (if not excellent) QPR
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| 1999 - Tour Figeac, La |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Now, we are talking. Excellent nose (pop it and smell it -- luscious),
very, very, well balanced. As you go through the bottle it becomes
sweeter and sweeter. This is an excellent mid-range Bordeaux. No, it is
not a first growth, but it is very enjoyable. If you do not like this
bottle, you do not like Bordeaux.
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| 1996 - Beau-Soleil |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Day 1, a bit of a disappointment, even after letting it breathe for a
while. Nose not very strong, fruit pretty much absent. Dry and too
dusty for me. I will see what it is like day 2.
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| 1998 - Grand-Corbin-Despagne |
| May 12, 2008 |
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A solid wine, nothing spectacular. Nose reasonable, not particularly
pronounced. Tannins present, but not too strong. Some fruit there. The
question is: Will it improve after a few years or so? I am not certain.
Regardless, not a bad wine.
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| 1998 - Tour Martillac, La |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Very nice bottle. Nose not that pronounced, but tannins in check. After
a bit of air time, the fruit came out nice and sweetly. Don't know if
more time will change anything. Even if it doesn't, it's still worth it.
Day
2 -- fruit pretty much gone. Still a decent bottle, but I will drink
the next one completely -- oh well, the responsibilities one must
endure.
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| 2006 - Argiolas Costamolino |
| May 12, 2008 |
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This is lighter wine with a very interesting (almost unique in my
experience) palate of tastes. Not sweet by any means, but also not that
sharp. Rich and smooth. I am not certain that it is as good as the '05
(which I thought was truly excellent), but it is a very good bottle,
and at around $10, an excellent QPR. I have one left and may look for
more. Went very well with scalllops.
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| 1972 - Barton & Guestier Sauternes |
| May 12, 2008 |
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I know that this is not an estate-bottled, fancy, cru. Nevertheless,
after 35 years or so, it was delicious. There was enough sugar so that
the wine still had a hint of sweetness, and as one might imagine, all
the other flavors were resolved. Perfect balance. I am partial to
Sauternes, but this was a beauty that I bought on a lark last fall.
Amazing.
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| 1998 - Larose-Trintaudon |
| May 12, 2008 |
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I think I have taken this wine for granted. The '98s are drinking very well. I have '00s that I am interested in trying. Next bottle: The last of these. Perfectly pleasant entry level Bdx. I did regret drinking it, but a man has to do what a man
has to do. Moreover, it was my sense that the bottle was not going to
get better. Tannins fully resolved. Some fruit. Nicely balanced.
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| 2002 - Clos de l'Oratoire |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Apparently, '02 was not a banner year for Bordeaux (if you follow the
critics), but this wine may be one of the exceptions that prove the
rule. Good nose, reasonable fruit without being too much. Tannins in
pretty good check. I have a few more of these, and I will be curious to
see how they evolve. It might get a little smoother over time. Second
day, not as pleasant -- still good.
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| 2002 - Chateau Valrose Cuvee Alienor |
| May 12, 2008 |
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For me, this wine was a bit young. I know that '02 is an "earlier"
vintage for Bordeaux, and I have had some '02s that were just fine. For
this wine, I felt that the tannins were not yet resolved -- just a bit
too "bitey". There was some fruit there, but I felt that it was
overwhelmed by other factors. I am optimistic about the future for this
wine (I have 3 more), but I will wait at least 2 years before I try the
next one.
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| 2001 - Monbousquet |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Had this out at a dinner in Richmond, Va. Opened for probably an hour
before we starting drinking. Excellent nose, very nice at first and in
the mid palate. Finish not real long (for me), but this is clearly a
class act. Classic Bordeaux.
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| 2005 - Eskadale Vineyards The Winner's Tank |
| May 12, 2008 |
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Very, very much a California-Aussie style Syrah/Shiraz. Black fruits, a little spice, and to me, very
meaty, sort of heavy. Seems a bit unidimensional, although that
dimension is not all that unpleasant to me. I would not rush to buy
more, although I am curious to see what the other bottle I have will
taste like down the road.
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| 2000 - Petit Bocq |
| May 12, 2008 |
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90 easily. Simply delicious. Classic left-bank tastes. Fruit present,
tannins in check. Many of the other TNs were from some time ago, so I
guess I can understand the shortcomings they perceived. I am not
certain that this wine is absolutely 100% ready to go, but I have 3,
and I was curious what it would be like now. It was just fine. Order it
in a restaurant, give it a little air time (at least 30 min, and you
will be a happy camper. The attention to '05 (perhaps well-deserved)
has sort of overshadowed '00. I have a whole bunch, and I am eager to
sample them.
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