Signatures Parcellaires
Le Vieux Donjon
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2005
11 Days of “Slow Decanting” this classically styled Chateauneuf du Pape
Le Vieux Donion is one of the more traditional estates in CdP. They make a single wine each vintage from their 14 hectares of organically farmed fruit. Grenache is the major grape with Syrah and Mourvedre in blending roles
DAY 1
Served with the Vinloq System
👃Perfumed, ripe blackberry and plums with deep earthy notes of soil mixed with dusty cellar and a potato note. Oak signatures like vanilla and cedar mesh well with this classic styled Southern Rhone. Pretty stunning right away
👅Plummy dark fruit, kirsch, licorice, and game.
Juicy. Oak influences and a touch of prune. A little warmth from the 14% alcohol lead into an extended finish. Good acidity. More refined than rustic
The remaining wine was "Slow Decanted" in my refrigerator
DAY 11
👃This is sweet with ripe, dark fruit and kirsch.
Yes, that cut potato note is there again but it does not detract. There is a bit of spice and dustiness
👅Full bodied and earthy with dark fruit. Silky texture. The tannins have mostly resolved with a little grip on the finish. Based on this bottle, this wine still has time. It is drinking very well but it shows no signs of a downturn anytime soon
I seem to generally prefer CdP wines shortly after pouring rather than letting them breathe in the glass(or decanter). That was true with this Donjon on both occasions. However, Slow Decanting the wine for 11 days did not change my enjoyment of the wine vs Day 1 🍷🍷 — 2 years ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1981
Imperial Treasure at GWC. Grassy, green nose. Orange rind. Slightly medicinal. Sweet core of fruits.
The 1981 Monte Bello is also fully mature, and it's a pretty wine, though it won't go down in the history books as one of the benchmark vintages. Offering up notes of dried currant fruit, orange rind, medicine cabinet, cedar and spice, its aromas are subtly informed by the signatures of Brettanomyces. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, bright and chalky, with tangy acids and an evolved but sweet core of fruit. While it was overshadowed by greater years at this tasting, enjoyed on its own the 1981 is a complex wine with plenty of Monte Bello character. But now is definitely the time to drink it. It's a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that attained a mere 12% alcohol. RP88, drink 2001-2020 — 3 years ago
Gosset
Celebris Brut Champagne Blend 2007
The 2012 Brut Celebris is one of the most polished Champagnes I have tasted from Gosset in some time. Plenty of energy and acidity have long been signatures of this prestige cuvée, but a bit more meat on the bones keeps the wine from veering into the realm of the excessively austere, as was sometimes the case in the past. Dried lemon confit, chamomile, white pepper and salt all race across the palate. I very much admire the energy here. This blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir spent ten years on lees and saw a dosage of 5.5 grams per liter. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2023)
— a year ago
Yalumba
The Signature Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2018
At a school reunion in Brisbane at the Regatta Hotel Boatshed last Saturday. I selected this from the menu. The group loved it and we consumed several bottles. No formal notes but this was from the excellent 2018 vintage in South Australia. Dark fruits with well judged oak. A full bodied Cabernet Shiraz blend with great intensity and length. I have a few bottles in my cellar which I won’t be touching for many years. Destined to become one of the great “Signatures”. — 2 years ago
Belle Glos
Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
The 2019 Pinot Noir Las Alturas captures all the signatures of the Belle Glos style and yet has quite a bit of freshness too. That makes for a compelling Pinot for readers who enjoy big, large-scaled wines. Sweet spice, rose petal, lavender and spice are nicely kicked up here. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Agrapart & Fils (Pascal Agrapart)
7 Crus Brut Champagne Chardonnay
The NV Brut 7 Crus is a very pretty, entry-level wine in this range. Bright, mineral and intensely vibrant, the 7 Crus is all energy. All the elements are so well proportioned. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this captures all the house signatures with tons of energy and better overall balance than in some previous editions. White flowers, chalk and citrus linger. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2023. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2023)
— a year ago
de Saulx
Les Parcellaires Bourgogne Chardonnay 2020
A very pure, clear & crystalline southern Bourgogne.
Bright yellow fruit, acacia flowers, zingy stony minerality. No hints of wood whatsoever, despite 1y in barrel.
Medium bodied with a nice creamy mouthfeel, bright juicy acidity. Purity of fruit, precision and lots of finesse.
Lip smacking delicious. — a year ago
Araujo Estate
Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is the last wine Bart and Daphne Araujo made from start to finish before selling their winery and vineyard to the Artemis Group. All the Eisele signatures are there, but the volume is just turned down. Dark berry fruit, gravel, spice, earthiness and leather lend striking aromatic nuance throughout. This mid-weight, supremely elegant Cabernet Sauvignon is sublime. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. Superb. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022)
— 3 years ago
Delectable Wine
Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.
The 2008 Vintage is an infant. Tightly wound and vibrant, the 2008 still needs time. Today, bright acids dominate. I wouldn't dream of touching this anytime soon, as the 2008 remains embryonic, although from time to time the barest hints of signature Krug notes peek out from the wine's structure. Vibrant saline notes and sculpted fruit are the signatures of a cold, late-ripening year that produced classically austere Champagnes. Disgorged: Autumn 2019. Krug ID: 419044. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024)
— 8 months ago