Jay Kline

9.9

A couple years ago, I encountered my first bottle of Gentaz (1990) and I expected, quite justly, that it could very well be my only opportunity. I savored every moment of that bottle along with my brothers in wine. And now, here I am today, with most of the same homies, staring into the glass of the ‘85 and from the first smell, I was entranced. My eyes rolled back into my skull and I nearly fell back from the table. I dare say, this might be even more magical.

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1985 “Côte Brune” pours a deep, slightly dull garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with powerful notes of desiccated blackberries, prune, dried purple flowers, roasted meat, black olive brine, cumin, mushroom, ground coffee, Herbs de Provence, wet stones and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and sanguine. Out of this world. The kind of soul that James Brown would sing about having. Drink now, with some of your favorite people on earth, through 2045. — 21 hours ago

Shengli Hu

9.6

Deep garnet. Hawthorn, tart cherry, rose and tar, asphalt, forest floor, dried herbs, sanguine, oregano, thyme, fennel, rosemary. Well integrated acidity and tannins. Full body (14.5%). Great value 😍 called it Barolo La Morra (ignoring the dark color) #facepalm — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Since my buddy brought over the 2015 Pipparello, I thought I would reciprocate by opening a Bea from the cellar and figured the 2009 Pagliaro would be fun. Turns out, I was not misguided. Bottle #3729/9570. The wine pours a deep garnet with a nearly opaque core. Moderate staining of the tears; medium+ viscosity. Quite a bit of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is high intensity, extremely expressive, bursting with dark sweet and tart fruits, blackberry pie, exotic spices, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+, bordering on high, acid. The 2009 Pagliaro dances on the palate, redolent with dark fruits and a meaty, ferrous, sanguine character that’s utterly beguiling. The finish is long and lovely. This is a drop dead gorgeous wine that’s absolutely hitting its stride and still has a very long and exciting life ahead of it. — 5 years ago

Dan R

9.2

From magnum. Wild. Savage, sanguine notes of juicy wild berry, rose, mushroom, and barrel funk on the nose. This tugs the palate in many directions at once, at times dark fruited, others herb-tinged, others earthy, smoky as well. This needs time. It's a big boy, too, with big boy tannins and real presence in the mouth. Wine of character. Good stuff. — 5 years ago

Dan R

9.1

Lovely expression of Syrah, excellent concentration and gives a real sense of place. Violets and earth on the nose, sanguine dark fruit, pepper and tobacco on the palate. Nicely savory. Mineral finish. A wine with a story to tell. — 6 years ago

Hum

9.2

So woodsy sanguine yet smooth on initial taste .... dang... Italian essence with a. Burgundy finish. Great vintage to boot; get in this now ! — 6 years ago

Canon Thomas

8.9

Bright garnet, orange rim variation. Dark cherries, prunes, baking spices, vanilla, leather. Nice soft acidity, red cherries, dried herbs, a little sanguine at first. Mellowed out in the glass. — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Welp…I didn’t expect to run into the 1999 “La Romanée” again so soon, but the generosity of my brothers in wine is extraordinary so, here we are. For the most part, my previous notes still apply and given that this bottle was part of a special lineup, I find them all the more valid.

This bottle was opened about an hour prior to service. The 1999 “La Romanée” pours a slightly deep ruby with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing and sanguine with black cherry, bruised strawberry, some roasted meat, mushrooms, sous bois and fine spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. Still phenomenal old school GC Burgundy though, not quite as rustic as the 2001 Louis Remy, Latricières-Chambertain from earlier in the day…but certainly more old school than the 2005 DRC Romanée St. Vivant. Can’t believe I got to experience this again. The old drinking window holds true. Drink now with patience and through 2049+. — 2 days ago

Vanessa

9.3

It’s always a resounding ‘YES’ for JL Chave!!

That includes this luscious and concentrated Syrah from Saint-Joseph AOC in the Northern Rhône of France.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a benchmark and icon of the Rhône Valley – a family-run operation since 1481 – with an entire range of deliciousness through the Domaine Jean-Louis Chave and JL Chave Selection portfolios.

This wine is deep ruby, trending on purple. It has pronounced aromas and flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, black cherry, cassis, pomegranate, also violet, bacon, sanguine, saddle leather, pipe tobacco, clove, cigar, damp earth, and black peppercorn. Alcohol is high (14.5% ABV) with medium (+) fine-grained and well-integrated tannins, medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and a long, elegant finish.

It has a rustic and savory character with robust dark fruit notes; it’s layered, complex, structured, and age-worthy, benefitting from decanting. Still, it’s tasting wonderfully now.

Cheers to JL Chave and treasures of the Rhône!! — 2 years ago

with Deked1

Fredybeans

9.6

Couleur commençant à évoluer
Nez assez réservé puis fraise écrasée épicé j’en ai pas eu l’orange sanguine ou de la rose comme certains grand pinot noir mais superbe nez
Bouche ample mais fraîche et précise, manquant peut être d un peu de longueur pour m emporter complètement mais très beaux tanins — 5 years ago

with Pico

J Mc

9.2

So very good. — 5 years ago

Andrew Lohse

9.3

Wow—extraordinary vintage, and peaking or just past peak here. Earthy, almost gamey white truffle / sanguine meat note cut by vibrant, sweet cassis and blackberry. Tannins and acidity dialed way back, with all savory, secondary notes on palate: underbrush, tobacco, leather, spice — 6 years ago

Brendan Murphy

9.1

Great Cali pinot! Orange Zest and Brass set this one apart. Brass/sanguine minerality. Solid, wish it was stored better. — 6 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.3

Clove, VA, mint, sandalwood, tart cranberry, raspberry, tomato leaves, sanguine, high acid, med+ tannins. — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Opened about 30 minutes prior to service and enjoyed over the course of two hours. The 2023 pours a deep garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe, mostly black fruit: mulberries, blackberries, plums, purple flowers, exotic spices, mocha, some wood varnish and organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and sanguine with a velvety texture. Modern and insane value. Drink now through 2038. — 2 months ago

Shengli Hu

8.9

VA. Red currant, blood, sanguine, ash, minerality. Medium integrated tannins and high acidity. — 3 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.3

Second tasting 10 months apart and always a favourite for me. CNDP with a northern character, red fruits, livelyness marked with notes of red fruit, cranberry, herbs, peppery, blood orange. Superb vivid material in the mouth, intertwining with intensity tannins and acidity. Even after 9 years it still seems very young and lively. Wine that may confuse some consumers in search of classicism.

Deuxième dégustation à 10 mois d’intervalle et toujours coup de cœur pour moi. CNDP au caractère septentrional, fruits rouges, vivacité marquée aux notes de fruits rouge, canneberge, végétal et poivré, orange sanguine. Superbe matière vive en bouche, entrelaçant avec intensité tanins et acidité. Même au bout de 9 ans ça paraît encore très jeune et vif. Vin qui pourra dérouter certains consommateurs en recherche de classicisme. — 3 years ago

Jae Cho

9.2

Syrah typical. Haunting sanguine/iron wild blueberry pie. Dry rub rib match for the ages. — 5 years ago

AJ Trommello

9.3

Vintage drinking fantastically right now. Nose is dried cherries, blood orange/citrus, heavily mineral - almost sanguine, dried herbs underneath. Palate is similar, with the fruit dominating the front and a slightly savory finish. Great wine. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.3

My bottle of choice for a northern Rhône themed tasting with the WNH.

Knowing this is young for La Chapelle, I double decanted this for a little over two hours before my first sip. Talk about a brick wall. Both aromatically and on the palate, this was not giving at all. At the three hour mark, clove, licorice and all spice showed up on the nose alongside tart rhubarb and a sanguine character on the palate. Both sadly (and thankfully), at hour five in the decanter, this was like a boxer who had been lulling me to sleep with body shots and then suddenly started taking hook shots to the face. Hello! This really flexed its muscles when paired with bolognese. The wine gained a floral/violet/potpourri nose with a touch of black pepper and herbs de Provence. The weight and density bulked up and it channeled a touch of meat and pepper, tar, black cherries and underripe blackberries. Acidity was energetic throughout the evening and the tannins increased by the last glass.

If opening now, I’d decant at least 4+hrs, or hold off another 5-7yrs. — 6 years ago