Paired with a Tig of the same vintage, and the darkest and most aromatic of the two. Nose of mesmerizing black and blue fruits with tree bark, cocoa and mint. Finish went on forever. Simply outstanding, and my WOTN.
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Tasted blind. I thought it was Bordeaux, was quite kicking and I was surprised when the vintage was revealed. Nowhere near the end of its maturity curve. Some herbs, black fruit, bacon.
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In excellent condition after 28 years. Deep color with some brownish notes, complex nose. Dark fruits, chocolate, mocca plus vanilla notes. Wonderful harmony and elegance. Deep. Oily texture. Long finish with silky tannins. A fun to drink.
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Black-red fruits, light smokiness, spices, good spine, excellent structure, resolving tannins, a bit more elegant, med. bodied and great balance. Tuscan blind Dirty Dozen at La Paella. ranked: 1st out of 10 wines. My #2.
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opened it up at a party last night for 2 hours. after decanting and giving oxygen to the old boy, it showed it strength and smoothness. ripe fruits, currant, vanilla and plumb was offered and the round and smooth finish was great. still 4 more bottles left for other occasions and I think this wine will keep strong and smooth for at least 10 years. it was one of the best italian wines I have tasted so far.
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This is an amazing wine 27 years into its life and drinking perfectly right now. Classic garnet color with no browning or bricking. Incredibly alluring nose that sings of classic fruit, layers of depth and balance. In the mouth fruit is still in tact, soft tannins, earth and acid all complementary. What a treat Standout over 2012 Solaia and 2010 Merryvale.
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Velvety textire tanins are smooth. Flower notes with lots of spice - corriandor, sage, dried berries. Amazing. Let it open for at least an hour to two.
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Goodbye to 2020 @ JiaHe!: Red fruits, plums, dried herbs, figs, sweet spices. Initial library book funk and some alcohol heat but blew off after some time. This is close to the end of its drinking window IMO so open up soon.
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Medium reddish garnet in color with bricking & clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature ripe fruit aromas of cherries, plums & strawberries with overtones of floral notes of roses & earthy/dusty notes, cocoa/coffee notes, spices, leather, tar, herbs, minerals & hints of cedar in the background. Medium bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, berries & plums with mushrooms, chocolate, coffee, spices, herbs & minerals. Smooth lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 25 years of age, I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging, so drink up! Fill was at mid-point of neck; cork was saturated at mid-point but intact.
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Reports that this is right at the end of its peak, but this was an excellent bottle. The fruit is to the fore, but tastes slightly bruised. deep melted chocolate and leather underneath. big finish that went on and on.
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Pre-Christmas Sunday Lunch Gathering of Friends (Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): From a 6l format decanted for 2 hours. Semi-transparent dusky red velvet curtains colour. Nose is lovely dry autumnal woodland floor, some briarberry and drying blackberries. Palate is drying autumnal leaves and freeze-dried cranberries with their classic cutting acidity. Warm and rounded soft-tannined finish. Drinking at the end of its peak, even in this large format, but really enjoyable. Super over a long Sunday lunchtime gathering.
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Brick red core to the tawny rim. Leaves, some leather, soil and cassis notes for the first glass. Medium-bodied, mature, with very fine tannins and avg+ length. Good acids that suggest they may outlive the fruit. Becomes slightly more full by the second/third glass, and adds a touch of savory and dried herbs as it does so. Certainly into the backside of its curve, this should drink well for the next few years before its inevitable decline. Cork and fill in vg condition, held since release. A pleasure to drink as I tend to prefer mature wines, but not something I'd seek out again at current prices. Drink now.
Served non-blind.
https://italianwine.blog/
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The ‘95 Ornellaia is perfectly matured and giving at this stage of it’s life. Here I found notes of savory roasted meats, undergrowth, dried cherry and flowers, fall leaves and hints of spice. It caressed the palate with notes of dried red fruits, minerals and inner floral tones, as hints of tannin and acidity mingled. The finish was refined and long, showing dusty spice, dried strawberry and earthy florals. This was a beautifully elegant and mature showing, and it was enjoyable in every way.
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Sharp dark red fruit nose, still very young and primary. Good palate and structure with very good stuffings and acidity. Surprised its a 95, bottle condition like this will age very well.
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WOTN. Nose had red fruit, flower, and cedar wood. Palate had a very nice balance. Wine was very silky and smoothe. Its a lovely super tuscan that is drinking well.
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Just delicious Bordeaux style wine, still youthful. I'm cracking up because I drank this alongside a 1995 Cos d'Estournel. The Cos, which had a like-new cork, was tired and lacked fruit while the 1995 Ornellaia with a disintegrating cork was fresh and delicious. Both wines were bought at Costco in the late 90's and stored in the same conditions. Reading through the notes on CT I would think the opposite was true.
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Drinking beautifully, fully mature. Lovely nose of red fruits, coffee and licorice. Medium weight and terrific balance. Lavers of subtle flavor with a strong finish.
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Deep garnet in colour. Soft and subtle aged Super Tuscan. Fruit is fading but still a very classy, balanced wine. Drunk over 4 hours, the wine showed savoury flavours of cassis, earth, tea and leather. Definitely peaked, this won't get any better. Although a treat, for the price a bit simple and lacking complexity. A drink now proposition.
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From a 6-liter, so still alive, but very simple at this stage. Sweet tobacco and muted fruit, no notable tannins, comforting rather than lush. Medium finish, very pleasant.
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90 min decanting crucial. Bouquet of truffles, leather and tar intertwined with red fruits, leading to an intense, harmonious finish. Lovely acidity and tannin presence ensures decent longevity. Lovely stuff here :)
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The wine was drunk over three days. First day rather tired and thin,decided to give it time, on the third day definite improvement, very elegant, but past ist zenith
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Opened at about 5 PM. Tasted a bit, and found it tight and hollow. Left the open bottle for 90 minutes, and it experienced a total transformation. The wine opened up and completely filled in. There was still plenty of deep, mellow fruit, and just enough tannin and acid to provide a framework. Long finish. Delicious wine, and just perfect with 90 minutes of air.
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Delicate, some forest floor and herbaceous notes. Tasting a bit watered down but still enjoyable. Balance is impeccable but drink up, not going to get any better.
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nice wine , very nice cab tasting vino...not a ton of nose but some......lacking what i was expecting.....none the less will drink the others i have :)
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Pretty disappointg showing for the bottle purchased at the High Wine Auction. Although pleasant, pretty simple palate of red fruit and tobacco. Not much in the way of complexity. Nice texture, but nothing extraordinary.
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Opened and had this after a glass of a $150 a bottle of 09 Napa cab (that will go unnamed) the Ornellaia completely blew it away. Still big rich silky Italian cabernet, sadly my last bottle but it will leave a lasting impression.
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LIght medium red. Elegant nose with notes of cherry, cassis, black pepper, earth and a bit of thyme. Nice earthy cherry flavours and an elegant resolved finish. An elegant Bordeaux style aged bolgheri.
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Just about in the perfect spot right now I reckon. There’s some tobacco leaf on the nose along with sweet cedar, coal smoke and a little cassis. It is taking on some undergrowth and meaty development. In the mouth it is sweet and generous with lovely balance and a little graphite underpinning all of the sweet vinous things. The length of flavour is good, leaving a pleasant savoury footprint with just a ripple of something saline running over the palate.
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well-balanced, supple mouth feel, balanced light fruit with smoke/leather/brambles but not as powerful as I would have expected, much like this 2010 group of notes suggested; still, drinking well after only 30 min of decanting...excellent pairing with Porterhouse. Perhaps this bottle was better 1-3 yrs ago because the notes from 2007-9 appear to indicate as much.
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Opened and decanted 2.5 hours. Out of the bottle the wine was thin, slightly tannin and acidic with little nose of which to speak. 2.5 hours later with dinner, there was a world of difference. The wine gained weight, the fruit emerged, the nose was beautiful and the palate all that you would expect of such a wine.
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Wine dinner at Zucca Trattoria - all wines supplied by me.
My ratings:
WHITE 2005 Henri Boillot Meursault Les Charmes -- 95 -- Delicious, drinking now, with good fruit, balanced acidity and nice minerality
REDS 1997 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares -- 93 -- Needs time - will be sublime in another 5 years 1995 Ornellaia (from Magnum) -- 95 -- Brilliant! Drinking now. Beautifully balanced; a rich mouthful 1996 Henri Perrot-Minot Charmes-Chambertin -- 95 -- Beautifully generous, although could do with more time in the bottle 1997 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild -- 96 -- Drinking beautifully. No one guessed this might be a 1997. 1989 Chateau Haut-Brion -- 99 -- First equal for WOTN. Unbelievable. 1997 Guigal Cote-Rotie “La Mouline” -- 96 -- Mature nose, lots of smoke, bacon and black fruits. 1991 Guigal Cote-Rotie “La Landonne” -- 99 -- First equal for WOTN. Unbelievable.
DESSERT 1937 Maury Domaines et Terroirs du Sud -- 94 -- Caramel, apricots; a delicious mouthful of dessert wine!
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(Very old note for personal reference) Still young and a bit ungainly nose. Dark fruit, blueberry, gently oaky. A bit closed but good quality underneath. Young, still austere but also succulent taste. BDX-vibes. Cedary oak and tannic. Ink, dark fruit and blueberry. Some chocolate and vanilla. Very good quality but lacking a bit of personality at the time.
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Opened 5 hrs. in advance, then in the decanter for the last 1 - 2 hrs. Very dark color, slightest hint of rim. Comes busting out of the glass at you with alcohol (13.5% isn't so much these days (!), but we had it after the 75 Mouton), black fruits, cherry, cigar box. Very full on the palate, with great concentration and good grip. Seems to be at a good place - don't know how much better it would get.
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Dark red on the rim. Nose of dark cherry and plum, but not overripe. Full body wine, still tannic with good backbone. Very very good but will get better. Try in 3 to 5 years.
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Cork cracked but removed intact. Deep dark in color with a wonderful nose of tobacco, mocha and cassis. Silky smooth on the palate, with black currants, licorice, leather, tobacco, tea leaves and some earth. Great mouthfeel, lots of layers of flavors and complexity. An excellent wine.
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Exceptional nose - superb concentration despite age. Garnet core with a brick rim. Very slight sediment when decanted. Silky smooth on palate though with real complexity and power still. Cherries, tobacco, spice. Good acidity still. Excellent.
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Slight bricking along the edges, this medium bodied wine was showing some age and a graceful decline. Their was enough fruit to make it a terrific wine to go with appy's of spot prawns, tenderloin soup and octopus salad. It was a little soft for my main course of lamb; I would be drinking up.
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On the nose there are aromas of raspberry, earth, tobacco and dark chocolate. Shows a very classy palate, it is long and has detailed texture. Still feels as though some promise is being held back, I think the next 10 years will prove very interesting for this wine.
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Dark ruby colour with very nice super smell of fruits, very impressive nose. In the mouth it kinda disappointed me a little. The fruit wasn't as much as the nose's shown. Medium body with long finish.
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The nose strikes as deep and clean if a bit odd with hints of melting crayon and wet canvas. The alcohol is a touch obvious but the aromatics are intriguing with subtle notes of green herb, green pepper, green cardamom framing the cool red fruits. There is a touch of charcoal and wood spice but it is well integrated. Focused and crisp in the mouth with a lean, sinewy feel to the black curranty fruit which really shows through on the finish, which true to style remains austere. This is on its plateau and is probably as good as it's gonna get.
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An excuse to drink my only bottle of VVF (Sydney, Australia): Dark ruby coloured. The nose shows aromas of dark chocolate, olive, tobacco, violets and spice. The flavour is concentrated and intense on the front palate but is brought back under control by the tannins and acid across the mid palate and the medium length finish. Lots of points of interest to this wine.
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Dark purple with a ruby rim. Nose is mature with aroms of cassis, herbs, brioche, sweaty leather. A bit dry; underlying fruit has faded a bit. Drink up. [Fans of this style of wine would certainly rate it higher than me, but at best this bottle merits perhaps 89; my rating reflects my preference for a sweeter, less tannic palate impression]
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A bit of a disappointment after reading the other revidws of this wine. It had a nice nose of cassis and pepper, but not much on the palate. Despite the other reviews, I don't think that this wine will improve with further age if this bottle is any indication. Hopefully this was simply a sub-par bottle.
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Dinner at La Zie with the NYC crew (New York, NY): Earthy and tobacco on the nose, nice notes of dusty earth. Mmm, this is delicious Cabernet at a simply wonderful point of ripeness. Drink 'em if you have 'em, as this is singing right now. My wine of the night!
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White Burgundy and Tuscan Reds (Grant's, West Hartford, CT): [Served with beef duo - short rib and sliced tenderloin.] First time with this wine, it lead off with an impressive dark ruby color with no signs of brick. Bright aromas of black cherry, cassis, and rose petals. A bit thinner on the palate than I expected, but nonetheless a distinctive flavor profile of licorice and black fruits...assertive tannins need some time to calm down.
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Last of a 5-bottle stash. Dark magenta-purple with healthy glint. Fulsome nose laden with spice, cassis, graphite, and white chocolcate; this spilled out of the glass from the get-go and did not let up. Medium- to full-bodied palate expressing relatively thick red and black fruits with a hint of cedar. More minerally than California, less lead pencil than Bordeaux. Not sure I picked up any herbal notes. Lovely smoothness and still opulent fruit. Tannins present but superbly integrated. This bottle could have easily aged 3 to 5 more years. Terrific effort!
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Disappointing. The nose remains clumsy for a long time and briefly changes to filigree with a lot of pepper and clearly weaker further spices. Then relapse again. The taste also lacks the souplesse that would be expected. At best round and pleasing with terroir tones, blackcurrants and toast. The finish does not revive the impression, it is much too short.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Tuscan reds (Seattle, WA, USA): My bottle. This was my favorite wine of the night! The nose was reticent and brooding with a smoky note. A bit underwhelming. However, the palate features an astoundingly sweet entry with some nice herbal notes. The finish is powerful, almost searing. This wine has some serious stuffing! This is a real head shaker. Two hours later as I type this I am finishing the last glass from the bottle and am still shaking my head. Gorgeous wine!
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Dark purple with red rim. Intense nose of cassis, chocolate and cherry. Full-boldied palate with plenty of supple tannins, vanilla, raisins and black cherry. Long, relatively smooth finish for such a young wine. Very nice but needs time.
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TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE BOUQUET TURNED INTO CHOCOLATE, BLACK CHERRIES AND LICORICE. FLAVOR OF LICORICE, CHOCOLATE, BLACKBERRY, CURRENTS, & BLACK CHERRIES. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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3/22/2024 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Paired with a Tig of the same vintage, and the darkest and most aromatic of the two. Nose of mesmerizing black and blue fruits with tree bark, cocoa and mint. Finish went on forever. Simply outstanding, and my WOTN.
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3/18/2024 - Rani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted blind. I thought it was Bordeaux, was quite kicking and I was surprised when the vintage was revealed. Nowhere near the end of its maturity curve. Some herbs, black fruit, bacon.
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2/3/2024 - SergZr wrote: 93 Points
great wine, but it's running out
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12/26/2023 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 94 Points
In excellent condition after 28 years. Deep color with some brownish notes, complex nose. Dark fruits, chocolate, mocca plus vanilla notes. Wonderful harmony and elegance. Deep. Oily texture. Long finish with silky tannins. A fun to drink.
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10/12/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black-red fruits, light smokiness, spices, good spine, excellent structure, resolving tannins, a bit more elegant, med. bodied and great balance. Tuscan blind Dirty Dozen at La Paella. ranked: 1st out of 10 wines. My #2.
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12/23/2022 - mankam wrote: 88 Points
Lovely. Takes a bit of decanting. Best at the 3 hour mark.
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7/10/2022 - michigan66 Likes this wine: 97 Points
opened it up at a party last night for 2 hours.
after decanting and giving oxygen to the old boy, it showed it strength and smoothness.
ripe fruits, currant, vanilla and plumb was offered and the round and smooth finish was great.
still 4 more bottles left for other occasions and I think this wine will keep strong and smooth for at least 10 years.
it was one of the best italian wines I have tasted so far.
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6/14/2022 - GianluGG wrote: 88 Points
Still good but clearly passed its prime. No length, no fruits.
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5/4/2022 - AB16 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is an amazing wine 27 years into its life and drinking perfectly right now. Classic garnet color with no browning or bricking. Incredibly alluring nose that sings of classic fruit, layers of depth and balance. In the mouth fruit is still in tact, soft tannins, earth and acid all complementary. What a treat Standout over 2012 Solaia and 2010 Merryvale.
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10/17/2021 - jjagtap wrote: 94 Points
Velvety textire tanins are smooth. Flower notes with lots of spice - corriandor, sage, dried berries. Amazing. Let it open for at least an hour to two.
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5/5/2021 - rnellans wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful aromas of leather, dark fruit. Good structure and fruit remaining on the palate. Enjoy now.
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3/13/2021 - Chrfos Likes this wine:
Over the top
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12/30/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Goodbye to 2020 @ JiaHe!: Red fruits, plums, dried herbs, figs, sweet spices. Initial library book funk and some alcohol heat but blew off after some time. This is close to the end of its drinking window IMO so open up soon.
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11/29/2020 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium reddish garnet in color with bricking & clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature ripe fruit aromas of cherries, plums & strawberries with overtones of floral notes of roses & earthy/dusty notes, cocoa/coffee notes, spices, leather, tar, herbs, minerals & hints of cedar in the background. Medium bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, berries & plums with mushrooms, chocolate, coffee, spices, herbs & minerals. Smooth lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 25 years of age, I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging, so drink up! Fill was at mid-point of neck; cork was saturated at mid-point but intact.
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10/14/2020 - Glaser Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose with leather and palate still with acidity but less prominent fruit. Beautiful incorporated tannins - drink now
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7/21/2019 - JS79 wrote: 96 Points
Reports that this is right at the end of its peak, but this was an excellent bottle. The fruit is to the fore, but tastes slightly bruised. deep melted chocolate and leather underneath. big finish that went on and on.
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12/31/2018 - aquacongas wrote: 91 Points
A bit tired, starting lovage notes, with more time and air vanishing but for me over his top. Still good acidity. 90-91
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12/25/2017 - jsebiri wrote:
Tannins unresolved, but otherwise a fine aged Super T.
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12/17/2017 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pre-Christmas Sunday Lunch Gathering of Friends (Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): From a 6l format decanted for 2 hours. Semi-transparent dusky red velvet curtains colour. Nose is lovely dry autumnal woodland floor, some briarberry and drying blackberries. Palate is drying autumnal leaves and freeze-dried cranberries with their classic cutting acidity. Warm and rounded soft-tannined finish. Drinking at the end of its peak, even in this large format, but really enjoyable. Super over a long Sunday lunchtime gathering.
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12/17/2017 - Mascarello59 wrote: flawed
This was corked but drinkable. Not at all representative compared to previous vintages (younger ones) tried before.
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11/8/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Brick red core to the tawny rim. Leaves, some leather, soil and cassis notes for the first glass. Medium-bodied, mature, with very fine tannins and avg+ length. Good acids that suggest they may outlive the fruit. Becomes slightly more full by the second/third glass, and adds a touch of savory and dried herbs as it does so. Certainly into the backside of its curve, this should drink well for the next few years before its inevitable decline. Cork and fill in vg condition, held since release. A pleasure to drink as I tend to prefer mature wines, but not something I'd seek out again at current prices. Drink now.
Served non-blind.
https://italianwine.blog/
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5/1/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
The ‘95 Ornellaia is perfectly matured and giving at this stage of it’s life. Here I found notes of savory roasted meats, undergrowth, dried cherry and flowers, fall leaves and hints of spice. It caressed the palate with notes of dried red fruits, minerals and inner floral tones, as hints of tannin and acidity mingled. The finish was refined and long, showing dusty spice, dried strawberry and earthy florals. This was a beautifully elegant and mature showing, and it was enjoyable in every way.
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4/22/2016 - DrZett wrote: 92 Points
Nice and smooth, aged very well. Soft, integrated tannins and lots of red fruits. Drink up within the next 2 years, it won't get better from now on.
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3/9/2016 - Pacalet Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sharp dark red fruit nose, still very young and primary. Good palate and structure with very good stuffings and acidity. Surprised its a 95, bottle condition like this will age very well.
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3/6/2016 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
WOTN. Nose had red fruit, flower, and cedar wood. Palate had a very nice balance. Wine was very silky and smoothe. Its a lovely super tuscan that is drinking well.
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9/9/2015 - Pointless Likes this wine:
Just delicious Bordeaux style wine, still youthful. I'm cracking up because I drank this alongside a 1995 Cos d'Estournel. The Cos, which had a like-new cork, was tired and lacked fruit while the 1995 Ornellaia with a disintegrating cork was fresh and delicious. Both wines were bought at Costco in the late 90's and stored in the same conditions. Reading through the notes on CT I would think the opposite was true.
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9/7/2015 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully, fully mature. Lovely nose of red fruits, coffee and licorice. Medium weight and terrific balance. Lavers of subtle flavor with a strong finish.
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8/24/2015 - jsebiri wrote:
Fine tasting wine , certainly not spectacular , but very nice across the board , dark Italian nose .
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2/21/2015 - Plabella Likes this wine: 96 Points
beautifully crafted wine with balance and good fruit.
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1/1/2015 - sthugo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet in colour. Soft and subtle aged Super Tuscan. Fruit is fading but still a very classy, balanced wine. Drunk over 4 hours, the wine showed savoury flavours of cassis, earth, tea and leather. Definitely peaked, this won't get any better. Although a treat, for the price a bit simple and lacking complexity. A drink now proposition.
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12/26/2014 - scmoore99 Likes this wine:
Drink now and you will taste its past greatness
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12/8/2014 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a 6-liter, so still alive, but very simple at this stage. Sweet tobacco and muted fruit, no notable tannins, comforting rather than lush. Medium finish, very pleasant.
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11/23/2014 - Bjha wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color.
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10/27/2014 - Ralph_ wrote: 92 Points
From a imperial (6l) at a Ornellaia tasting. 1985-2011 all from Magnum
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10/27/2014 - Ralph_ wrote: 87 Points
From a magnum at a Ornellaia tasting. 1985-2011 all from Magnum
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4/29/2014 - Nitwits Likes this wine: 93 Points
90 min decanting crucial. Bouquet of truffles, leather and tar intertwined with red fruits, leading to an intense, harmonious finish. Lovely acidity and tannin presence ensures decent longevity. Lovely stuff here :)
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3/7/2014 - M DU VIN wrote: 90 Points
Not a great deal of fruit remaining. Time to drink up.
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9/5/2013 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still going strong, with nice fruit and soft tannins.
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6/17/2013 - rnellans wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/13/2013 - assaggi Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine was drunk over three days. First day rather tired and thin,decided to give it time, on the third day definite improvement, very elegant, but past ist zenith
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4/20/2013 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine:
Opened at about 5 PM. Tasted a bit, and found it tight and hollow. Left the open bottle for 90 minutes, and it experienced a total transformation. The wine opened up and completely filled in. There was still plenty of deep, mellow fruit, and just enough tannin and acid to provide a framework. Long finish. Delicious wine, and just perfect with 90 minutes of air.
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4/17/2013 - NNV Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicate, some forest floor and herbaceous notes. Tasting a bit watered down but still enjoyable. Balance is impeccable but drink up, not going to get any better.
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12/25/2012 - jsebiri wrote:
nice wine , very nice cab tasting vino...not a ton of nose but some......lacking what i was expecting.....none the less will drink the others i have :)
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10/28/2012 - Braddr wrote: 94 Points
Still in great shape
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9/30/2012 - mariolanza wrote: 91 Points
Great wine
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9/22/2012 - Armando B wrote: 86 Points
Pretty disappointg showing for the bottle purchased at the High Wine Auction. Although pleasant, pretty simple palate of red fruit and tobacco. Not much in the way of complexity. Nice texture, but nothing extraordinary.
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7/1/2012 - RickyB wrote: 96 Points
Opened and had this after a glass of a $150 a bottle of 09 Napa cab (that will go unnamed) the Ornellaia completely blew it away. Still big rich silky Italian cabernet, sadly my last bottle but it will leave a lasting impression.
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6/19/2012 - snbernst wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyable but a bit passed its prime
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5/5/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
LIght medium red. Elegant nose with notes of cherry, cassis, black pepper, earth and a bit of thyme. Nice earthy cherry flavours and an elegant resolved finish. An elegant Bordeaux style aged bolgheri.
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3/4/2012 - Willsy wrote: 95 Points
Glorious bottle of wine. Drink it, it is so good now. Validation of the vineyard and makers approach. This is very good cabernet based wine.
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11/22/2011 - rahimi wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. Needs 2 hours decanting to open up.
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6/4/2011 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Super Tuscan Wine Dinner: 1997s and more (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California): Bricking dark red violet color; mature, cedar, tart currant nose; mature, tart currant, cedar, mushroom palate; medium-plus finish
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3/19/2011 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Just about in the perfect spot right now I reckon. There’s some tobacco leaf on the nose along with sweet cedar, coal smoke and a little cassis. It is taking on some undergrowth and meaty development. In the mouth it is sweet and generous with lovely balance and a little graphite underpinning all of the sweet vinous things. The length of flavour is good, leaving a pleasant savoury footprint with just a ripple of something saline running over the palate.
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1/19/2011 - samer wrote: 91 Points
well-balanced, supple mouth feel, balanced light fruit with smoke/leather/brambles but not as powerful as I would have expected, much like this 2010 group of notes suggested; still, drinking well after only 30 min of decanting...excellent pairing with Porterhouse. Perhaps this bottle was better 1-3 yrs ago because the notes from 2007-9 appear to indicate as much.
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12/25/2010 - jazzstocktonmalone wrote: 86 Points
Good. Not as fruity or as robust as other bottles of Ornellaia. Somewaht of a disappointment. A little thin.
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12/25/2010 - jazzstocktonmalone wrote: 88 Points
Decent, but not as great as at Grotto.
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11/19/2010 - G_H wrote: 92 Points
Ottis' 50th Birthday: Thanks a lot Otti for sharing so many great wines with us!
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9/25/2010 - cseanb1 wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted 2.5 hours. Out of the bottle the wine was thin, slightly tannin and acidic with little nose of which to speak. 2.5 hours later with dinner, there was a world of difference. The wine gained weight, the fruit emerged, the nose was beautiful and the palate all that you would expect of such a wine.
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7/19/2010 - skorstad@mac.com wrote: 90 Points
A bit flatter than anticipated, althoug quite long. Lacked some power. Like a mid-80s Bordeaux with less complexity.
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6/15/2010 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
Wine dinner at Zucca Trattoria - all wines supplied by me.
My ratings:
WHITE
2005 Henri Boillot Meursault Les Charmes -- 95 -- Delicious, drinking now, with good fruit, balanced acidity and nice minerality
REDS
1997 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares -- 93 -- Needs time - will be sublime in another 5 years
1995 Ornellaia (from Magnum) -- 95 -- Brilliant! Drinking now. Beautifully balanced; a rich mouthful
1996 Henri Perrot-Minot Charmes-Chambertin -- 95 -- Beautifully generous, although could do with more time in the bottle
1997 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild -- 96 -- Drinking beautifully. No one guessed this might be a 1997.
1989 Chateau Haut-Brion -- 99 -- First equal for WOTN. Unbelievable.
1997 Guigal Cote-Rotie “La Mouline” -- 96 -- Mature nose, lots of smoke, bacon and black fruits.
1991 Guigal Cote-Rotie “La Landonne” -- 99 -- First equal for WOTN. Unbelievable.
DESSERT
1937 Maury Domaines et Terroirs du Sud -- 94 -- Caramel, apricots; a delicious mouthful of dessert wine!
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6/14/2010 - meinweinkeller wrote: 92 Points
Leather, blach berris, pine wood with harz, fire, long
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4/16/2010 - rahimi wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic!!!!
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3/20/2010 - psmith wrote:
Dark fruits - plum and smoke. Medium bodied. Fine tannins in the background. Mature, but will last. Classy. Very nice.
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10/30/2009 - Argrath wrote: 94 Points
(Very old note for personal reference)
Still young and a bit ungainly nose. Dark fruit, blueberry, gently oaky. A bit closed but good quality underneath.
Young, still austere but also succulent taste. BDX-vibes. Cedary oak and tannic. Ink, dark fruit and blueberry. Some chocolate and vanilla.
Very good quality but lacking a bit of personality at the time.
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9/27/2009 - Raph1234 wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, but perhaps on its decline? Very concentrated, heavy.
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8/26/2009 - kiichli wrote:
Opened 5 hrs. in advance, then in the decanter for the last 1 - 2 hrs. Very dark color, slightest hint of rim. Comes busting out of the glass at you with alcohol (13.5% isn't so much these days (!), but we had it after the 75 Mouton), black fruits, cherry, cigar box. Very full on the palate, with great concentration and good grip. Seems to be at a good place - don't know how much better it would get.
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3/22/2009 - Milos wrote: 93 Points
Dark red on the rim. Nose of dark cherry and plum, but not overripe. Full body wine, still tannic with good backbone. Very very good but will get better. Try in 3 to 5 years.
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10/13/2008 - shapida wrote:
Cork cracked but removed intact. Deep dark in color with a wonderful nose of tobacco, mocha and cassis. Silky smooth on the palate, with black currants, licorice, leather, tobacco, tea leaves and some earth. Great mouthfeel, lots of layers of flavors and complexity. An excellent wine.
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5/15/2008 - vespasian wrote: 95 Points
Exceptional nose - superb concentration despite age. Garnet core with a brick rim. Very slight sediment when decanted. Silky smooth on palate though with real complexity and power still. Cherries, tobacco, spice. Good acidity still. Excellent.
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4/9/2008 - M DU VIN wrote: 88 Points
While this wine is perfectly correct, it was a bit dissapointing tonght. Rather monolithic and seemed to have started to fade.
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2/16/2008 - BradA wrote: 90 Points
Our starter last night at Cafe Juanita:
Slight bricking along the edges, this medium bodied wine was showing some age and a graceful decline. Their was enough fruit to make it a terrific wine to go with appy's of spot prawns, tenderloin soup and octopus salad. It was a little soft for my main course of lamb; I would be drinking up.
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1/7/2008 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
On the nose there are aromas of raspberry, earth, tobacco and dark chocolate. Shows a very classy palate, it is long and has detailed texture. Still feels as though some promise is being held back, I think the next 10 years will prove very interesting for this wine.
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12/22/2007 - loverboy wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby colour with very nice super smell of fruits, very impressive nose. In the mouth it kinda disappointed me a little. The fruit wasn't as much as the nose's shown. Medium body with long finish.
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11/18/2007 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 91 Points
The nose strikes as deep and clean if a bit odd with hints of melting crayon and wet canvas. The alcohol is a touch obvious but the aromatics are intriguing with subtle notes of green herb, green pepper, green cardamom framing the cool red fruits. There is a touch of charcoal and wood spice but it is well integrated. Focused and crisp in the mouth with a lean, sinewy feel to the black curranty fruit which really shows through on the finish, which true to style remains austere. This is on its plateau and is probably as good as it's gonna get.
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10/25/2007 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
WS NYWE Grand Tastings; 10/25/2007-10/26/2007 (Marriott Marquis): From mag. Lovely nose with a great subtle green note. Wonderful black fruit and spicy with perfect balance. Young, but drinking. One of the clear highlights of the tasting.
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9/18/2007 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
An excuse to drink my only bottle of VVF (Sydney, Australia): Dark ruby coloured. The nose shows aromas of dark chocolate, olive, tobacco, violets and spice. The flavour is concentrated and intense on the front palate but is brought back under control by the tannins and acid across the mid palate and the medium length finish. Lots of points of interest to this wine.
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7/28/2007 - KPB wrote: 86 Points
Dark purple with a ruby rim. Nose is mature with aroms of cassis, herbs, brioche, sweaty leather. A bit dry; underlying fruit has faded a bit. Drink up. [Fans of this style of wine would certainly rate it higher than me, but at best this bottle merits perhaps 89; my rating reflects my preference for a sweeter, less tannic palate impression]
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5/13/2007 - M DU VIN wrote: 90 Points
A bit of a disappointment after reading the other revidws of this wine. It had a nice nose of cassis and pepper, but not much on the palate. Despite the other reviews, I don't think that this wine will improve with further age if this bottle is any indication. Hopefully this was simply a sub-par bottle.
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8/9/2005 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at La Zie with the NYC crew (New York, NY): Earthy and tobacco on the nose, nice notes of dusty earth. Mmm, this is delicious Cabernet at a simply wonderful point of ripeness. Drink 'em if you have 'em, as this is singing right now. My wine of the night!
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6/4/2005 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Occasional tasting group: Super Tuscans. (@ WB): Juicy, wood, sour candy, raspberries, complex. Terroir. More than excellent wine. With a future of some years.
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3/17/2005 - ERoss wrote: 91 Points
White Burgundy and Tuscan Reds (Grant's, West Hartford, CT): [Served with beef duo - short rib and sliced tenderloin.] First time with this wine, it lead off with an impressive dark ruby color with no signs of brick. Bright aromas of black cherry, cassis, and rose petals. A bit thinner on the palate than I expected, but nonetheless a distinctive flavor profile of licorice and black fruits...assertive tannins need some time to calm down.
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10/10/2004 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Last of a 5-bottle stash. Dark magenta-purple with healthy glint. Fulsome nose laden with spice, cassis, graphite, and white chocolcate; this spilled out of the glass from the get-go and did not let up. Medium- to full-bodied palate expressing relatively thick red and black fruits with a hint of cedar. More minerally than California, less lead pencil than Bordeaux. Not sure I picked up any herbal notes. Lovely smoothness and still opulent fruit. Tannins present but superbly integrated. This bottle could have easily aged 3 to 5 more years. Terrific effort!
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1/9/2004 - jusuf Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Disappointing. The nose remains clumsy for a long time and briefly changes to filigree with a lot of pepper and clearly weaker further spices. Then relapse again. The taste also lacks the souplesse that would be expected. At best round and pleasing with terroir tones, blackcurrants and toast. The finish does not revive the impression, it is much too short.
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6/20/2003 - chbeaumont wrote:
Intrenational style cabernet. Poised. concentrated . Opened out with time. may improve. 16
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3/30/2003 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Tuscan reds (Seattle, WA, USA): My bottle. This was my favorite wine of the night! The nose was reticent and brooding with a smoky note. A bit underwhelming. However, the palate features an astoundingly sweet entry with some nice herbal notes. The finish is powerful, almost searing. This wine has some serious stuffing! This is a real head shaker. Two hours later as I type this I am finishing the last glass from the bottle and am still shaking my head. Gorgeous wine!
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11/5/1999 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple with red rim. Intense nose of cassis, chocolate and cherry. Full-boldied palate with plenty of supple tannins, vanilla, raisins and black cherry. Long, relatively smooth finish for such a young wine. Very nice but needs time.
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10/31/1999 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE BOUQUET TURNED INTO CHOCOLATE, BLACK CHERRIES AND LICORICE. FLAVOR OF LICORICE, CHOCOLATE, BLACKBERRY, CURRENTS, & BLACK CHERRIES. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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5/21/1999 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
RICH DEEP FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACKBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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