Tasted Wednesday, June 25, 2014 by CamWheeler with 643 views
Mealy with pear and straw plus smoky and toasty oak. I like the body of the wine, the oak is still a feature but the richness of the fruit plays along nicely. Doesn't have a heap of depth but I did like it a little more than the last time I tasted it so maybe it is settling down and finding its feet.
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Fantastic colour, served blind I certainly wouldn't pick it for an '86. The nose is appealing, though I wouldn't describe it as complex - there is slate, peach and very light nuttiness. The palate also shows more of that slate character and to me feels very youthful aside from a light bitterness to finish that I think is the result of the fruit starting to fade. Medium length, I really enjoyed this and thought it showed as well as could be hoped.
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7.2% alcohol. There is a light note of kerosene to start things off, along with some pungent floral notes, orange peel and peach. It is perhaps slightly more sweet than I expected but it isn't at all a problem as the balance is excellent. Fantastic carry and it leaves a sensation of both finesse and outright pure fruited deliciousness. Showing really well now but will continue to change and should be a fascinating wine over the next 10 years I think.
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Served blind. Very high toned floral nose, there is graphite, raspberry, rhubarb and some oak showing as well. The palate is a little bit more held back than the sweet profile on the nose, but it feels quite astringent, which seems to mask the fruit. One dimensional at the moment, to be honest it didn't win me over and this is one of my most favourite producers and wines.
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Served blind. Stalky, briar, white pepper, cranberry and a light touch of barnyard. The palate has vibrancy and good grip that work well together, though the tart acidity does intrude towards the mid-palate. I appreciate the rarity and chance to taste, but it was a struggle to find much pleasure in this tonight for me and I wasn't as keen on it as the same wine from 2009.
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Superb complexity on the nose - spice, bacon, cherries, earth and violets with some background mint. The palate is all about elegance, the fantastically integrated acidity drives and stretches the gentle fruit out. Awesome wine, this was very much one of the high points of the evening for me. 12.5% alcohol.
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Spent a couple of hours in the decanter prior to serving and it possibly could have done with a couple more. A very distinct mossy and autumn leaf character is the upfront aroma, it also shows old cedar, smoky meats and some licorice. The palate really showed the class of this wine, it is full and deep with great flow and silky tannins providing needed grip - the sweet and sour cherry fruit is compelling and there is great length. Considering the improvement that it showed from when the bottle was opened, this still has plenty of life left in it.
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Tobacco, florals, spice and cedar aromas - this took a lot of coaxing from the glass, but it continued to reveal more as time went on. The palate shows off the immense power behind this wine, the way it balances between purity and density is amazing really. It isn't exactly open now but nor is it totally ungiving. Not as good a showing as 3 years ago where it was my wine of the year, but still very classy and assuredly promising.
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Whereas the 2002 Monfortino felt like 75% potential and 25% appeal for now, this may have well been the opposite. Lots of roses, cherry, inky blackberry fruit and some iron - there is a lot of aromatic interest! The palate gives off a similar vibe, it's super easy to drink but when you look at it more closely there is a great deal of structure and I think given 10 years this will be really hitting its highest notes.
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Capsicum, pepper, tomato leaf and tobacco on the nose. The palate is more along the lines of what I like - there is real freshness to the fruit and the tannins are still framing things really well. Finishes quite lithe and refined. Not sure if this was a top condition bottle.
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Tobacco, blueberry, kirsch and blackcurrant aromas form the nose. Based on the aromas I thought this would be all about richness on the palate, but it has a great sense of compact density rather than mouth coating fruit. There is a great spark of minerality that gives it drive and brightness. Great now but I think it will improve further over the medium term.
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Spice, red cherry, tobacco, plum and graphite on the nose. There is a good reason that I love these wines and a big part of that is the palate, it has superb balance with vervacious energy from bright red fruits and spice to give it another dimension. Still has great structure and the persistence is also very good. Love it.
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Expressive nose - redcurrant, roses, cherry, vanilla oak and chocolate aromas, this is extremely youthful and is not showing all that much development at the moment. The palate is lovely, it has good fruit power but it's tempered by the impressive oak driven structure. This is a great wine in waiting, but it's not ready yet!
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Garrigue, candied orange peel, strawberry and licorice - it actually makes me think of Rayas in its aromatic profile. Excellent grip and backbone with just slightly plush fruit overlaid. Wines like this make me wonder why I don't drink more Grenache. First time I've tried a Cuvée Centenaire and I'm definitely keen for more.
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Chocolate, kirsch, blueberry, a little bit of raisin and licorice - it is hard to believe this is over 20 years old at this point! Great viscosity and drive - the power and richness seems to come from the fruit rather than alcohol. Will probably live another 15-20 years from here. This is a high intensity wine and while I liked it, my one glass on the night was enough before I was ready to try something else.
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Graphite, cranberry, raspberry and spice. Shows serious structure, as I expect from these 1996 Wendouree wines but there is an undercurrent of very high quality red fruits that gives it a sense of balance. This wine keeps getting better each time I've tried it (on three occasions now) which is a good sign for the future but it feels like it still needs 5+ years.
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A burst of florals plus vanilla and chocolate right away on pouring, further inspection reveals white pepper, charcoal and licorice. We see the power and intensity of the fruit show through on the palate, but there is precision through great acidity. Has barely budged from this time last year, it's still a great experience to drink and still has life ahead of it.
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Brown sugar heading toward caramel, some super ripe orange and musk. Delivers really fresh acidity still, and a lovely clean finish. It isn't overly sweet or deep, but it's quite refreshing to drink really. This was exactly what we needed at this stage of the evening after so many intense red wines.
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1998 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 94 Points
France, Champagne
Very floral right from the start on the nose, there is musk, sea spray, lemon and earthy notes - it seems rich but there is plenty underneath that initial impression. The power shows through on the palate as well, but there is also finesse thanks to focussed acidity. This is a wine of serious substance and provides great enjoyment but I'm not sure how long term it is, perhaps a more medium term proposition based on this bottle.
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