Nice fruity zin, no pepper, smooth — 4 years ago
We both like!? Smooth and berries — 4 years ago
My bottle of choice for the WNH virtual tasting (@David L , @Shawn R , @Eric LaMasters , @Joe Lucca , @Mike R , @Bill Bender , @Carl Fischer ) with a theme of 10yrs or older, chosen by Eric.
A beautiful bottle of aged Shiraz from a lovely producer. Double decanted in the event there was sediment but there was hardly any (cork was pristine as well). Where some Aussie Shiraz can come across boozy and out of sync, this is a great restrained example. Followed over a few hours and the aromatics didn’t change much...mostly raspberry fig, baking spices, tobacco and smoked meats accompanied by a touch of age. The palate was a reality check...totally youthful. Vibrant and juicy. Tart strawberries, rhubarb and black cherries. Fleshy. Gained some weight as it opened showing liqueur, boysenberries, licorice and overripe mixed dark fruits. Beautiful example of aged Aussie Shiraz. Not getting any better, but not falling off a cliff any time soon. Kudos to the man, myth and legend, Bill B. — 6 years ago
Charles Noellat 1976 Richebourg
Each bottle opened is one less in existence; without it, there would be no subsequent legends of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Henri Jayer.
Aged yet remarkably robust—it’s surprising how well this bottle has been preserved.
· After opening for half an hour: notes of honey, dried rose petals, and dried preserved fruits.
· After an hour: aromas of red dates, cinnamon, and a hint of spices.
· Overall impression: The fruit profile still dominates, with no woody notes emerging. The structure of Richebourg remains present, showing a rounded, ripe fruit character.
The year 1976 was renowned for its "hot, dry summer." The growing season offered ideal conditions—plenty of sunshine, high temperatures, and almost no damage from hail or other severe weather. These conditions led to perfect grape ripening. The wine is full-bodied and lush, with mature, soft tannins and very ripe, almost jam-like red fruit flavors (such as ripe cherry and strawberry jam). It still has aging potential, and this bottle retains well-balanced acidity.
What’s more, 1976 saw the famous "Judgment of Paris"—a tasting that broke the myth of the Old World’s invincibility, reshaped the hierarchy of the wine world, and established New World regions (especially California) on the international stage. It truly shows how fascinating blind tastings can be!
Next time, I’d love to try a 1976 California wine and compare the experience. — 10 days ago
I’ve seen mixed reviews on this wine and must advise to properly aerate this bottle. Initially the nose is tight and the pallet a little too acidic. After about an hour though, the wine really opens up to scents of blackberry, raspberry, sweet tobacco and cocoa. On the pallet there is red plum, raspberry, blackberry, and vanilla with a medium plus body, medium alcohol, medium acidity. The wine is dry with a sharp dark chocolaty finish. Definitely not a pop and pour kind of wine despite its youth. If you have the time to spare the wine will pay dividends, both, in tasting experience and value.
PS This a high altitude wine; grapes grown at over a thousand meters above sea level in the Andean Slopes, and I’m tempted to correlate its initial tightness with it; however, there is no evidence to back it up my assumption. May be just a myth, but cheers to myths! — 5 years ago
Bright and tart, minerals — 2 years ago
Honestly I don’t remember the last time a wine made me shriek “F#iK YEAH” so... let’s lead with that this is sapid AF. One of those wines that is so layered but also you get them all at the same time so you are smacked down with I dunno...perfection? Really rich in ripeness that feels like a clove studded orange to me. Something that hits like lemonheads but maybe gold and mysterious incense...gold myth and frankincense? It’s hard to give precise taste metaphors when a wine is unapologetically itself. Why find tasting notes on a wine if the wine could be the taste itself? — 4 years ago
Ericsson
Myth or Truth? Curious what you all think. — 12 days ago