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1994 Warre Porto Vintage, Portugal, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1994
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

From a 375ml.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is dusty with black raspberries.  On the palate, this has sweet black raspberry fruit.  Still drinking young.  Layers of fruit along with char.  Long finish.  Not overtly sweet but a bit sweet.  Plenty of time based on this bottle.  

1998 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1998
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

What a treat to drink a wine at age 20 that is still young but yet gorgeous.  Ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries, a bit of fireworks, and a nice tarragon note.  complex on the nose and palate.  On the palate, black raspberries layered with rocks and minerals.  Opens beautifully in the glass.  Long finish.  This has a couple of decades of life left and indeed is still at least 5 years from peak based on this bottle.  Bought on release and cellared in my cellar.  Gorgeous wine.  

2013 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

This is still young and a but tight.  It is a gorgeous wine but give it some air if you are going to drink soon.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is clean with slight earthiness, a bit of bacon fat and boysenberry fruit.  Seems like a bit brighter acidity than these wines usually have which is nice.  Perhaps just a function of the rest of the wine being tight.  On the palate, black cherries, boysenberries, and a  mineral streak that is very nice.  Deep.  Long finish.  I would hold for at least 5 years but it should last for decades.  At least a couple or more points of upside.  

2011 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+

Always a privilege to be able to taste one of the worlds great wines and also one of my personal favorites.  This is drinking very well at only 7 years from vintage and was quite open and much more accessible than a taste a few years ago.  Ruby in color, slight purple at the core.  The nose has some barnyard going along with black raspberries and white pepper.  The barnyard is well under control though I would still look for well stored bottles if buying now.  Complex and layered on the palate with boysenberry fruit and earth and minerals.  Slightly drying but in a good way that is quite in

2013 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is classic and quite nice.  Black olives jump from the glass.  Also black raspberries, slight black pepper.  On the palate, tart black raspberries with nice minerals.  Light tannins.  Decent acidity.  Long finish.  Still young and with some upside potential as these gain in complexity.  

2014 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

Light copper.gold in color.  The nose is gorgeous with almonds, candle wax and minerals.  With air, slight tangerine notes begin to emerge.  This is showing quite open right now.  Will it shut down for a bit?  Experience says yes, but who knows?  This is a bit riper or more open anyway than the 2012 consumed along with it.  More minerality with an interesting menthol/Eucalyptus note on the finish.  Oily texture.  Long finish.  This is young and tightly packed but has a nice complexity.  

2012 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

Where to start?  This is one of the great white wines of the world.  Such a fascinating and contemplative wine.  Made from a field blend of 80/20 Marsanne and Roussane.  i was a bit aprhensive about this as Hermitage Blanc at age 6 can often be shut down.  Light/medium gold.  This showed quite well though.  The nose is waxy with some honey and slight white floral notes.  With air, almonds and slight tangerine notes.  Fascinating.  Slightly oily texture.  Full bodied.  Great minerality.  Earthy with almonds and slight citrus.  Long finish.  Warming, not hot on the finish.  Certainly some ups

2012 Les Chais du Vieux Bourg Côtes du Jura BB1, France, Jura, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Always an interesting experience venturing into the Jura.  Made by Ludwig "Lulu" Bindernagel.  75% Chardonnay, 25% Savagnin.  Light medium gold in color.  The nose is interesting.  Almost like a dry sherry that's not oxidized.  Almonds, slightly "fleshy" with a dried orange peel note.  On the palate, there is a nice slightly oily texture.  Some vanilla, minerals, almonds and bits of lemon.  Nice enough acidity.  Long finish.  Very different and hard to put into context.  I liked it and even more so as it warmed.  

2012 Wild Hog Vineyard Zinfandel Estate, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Sometimes when in a restaurant in can be challenging to find a wine that is priced fairly and good.  Often, I just turn to beer.  Last night, this one was on the menu for $45 at a nice restaurant.  This retails for about $26 in a limited release, so the price is a bit high, but not bad for a downtown restaurant.  sadly, it was served quite warm.  We asked for an ice bucket and got a marble cooler that had limited effect.  Nevertheless, the wine was good.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, slight bramble, cherries, slight anise and alcohol.  On the palate, lush black cherries an

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