grapenomad

Tasting Notes

• 2020 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain

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  5/5/2024 - grapenomad wrote: 84 Points

  As you may know, the 2020 vintage in Alsace was not spectacular. Good yes, but the drought was a real bitch. This is quite evident in this wine and I really wonder what were these people at Wine Advocate smoking when they gave it 100 points. Moderate lemon in the glass. Nose is open and approachable right now - notes of lemon, cantaloupe, lime zest, iris, some apple chutney. Medium-bodied with a moderate acidity and disappointingly short finish. No depth at all. I can tell you that this wasn't because of bottle condition, because I opened 12 bottles in one night and tasted every single one of them. What I am thinking though is that this could be a "dumb" stage, which I've encountered in Alsatian wines before, i.e. the wine goes silent for a few years and then explodes. Hopefully this is the case and not just another overhyped Rizza.

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• 2021 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs

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  5/4/2024 - grapenomad wrote: 98 Points

  Pale lemon in the glass. When I saw this brought to the table, my first thought was “this is going to be way too young”. Boy was I wrong. It’s young, yes, but ready to be chugged straight from the bottle if you can’t wait a decade. Beautiful nose of all sorts of citrus fruit, nectarine, peach, crushed rocks, jasmine. Palate is electric, with some nice fruit concentration to contribute to the structure. Not hefty in any way, but has enough power to carry it into years and years of aging. Balance on point, varietal expression on point. Just an all around incredible wine. Thank god the majority of Rieslings are not in the Burg price range, this would be in the thousands I’m sure.

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• 2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

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  5/4/2024 - grapenomad wrote: 95 Points

  Moderate golden in the glass. Nose is closed at first, but with a bit of air and warmth, it just explodes across the board. Notes of baked pineapple, baked nectarine, green apple, brioche, marzipan, molasses. Dessert-like. The palate delivers a very elegant and precise drink, with everything in perfect check. Somewhat young, but very approachable. Decades of life ahead, this will go to the stratosphere.

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