France

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Pop and pour, this would have benefitted from decanting. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose is tight and never seemed to full open.  Lots of spice, some cedar, cherries and black cherries.  On the palate, this has firm tannins.  Black cherry fruit with underlying spice.  Long finish.  This seems in need of more time (or air) and should improve.  It would also benefit from food.  A nice steak or roasted chicken would go well.  

One of the cool things about Vouvray is that it is made from Chenin Blanc grapes which more often than not can age well.  When I walked into a local  wine store and saw this for $20, it was well worth the flier.  The only real problem is that there are no more.  Made by American Peter Hahn and imported with Rosenthal, this is a lovely wine.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has nice minerality with hints of orange peel and a bit of apricot.  Medium bodied and slightly viscous.  At age 12, there is just a bit of sweetness here (some has probably faded since bottling).  A n

Charvin always makes a more elegant styled Chateauneuf with a larger amount of Grenache.  At age 15, this is drinking quite well.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, spices, slight dried floral notes and a bit of clean earthiness.  Medium bodied.  Bright acidity.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries with underlying spice, slight char and minerality.  Depth and layers of complexity.  Delicious.  Great on its own, this will excel with the right food such as beef or bean stew.  Fully mature, drink over the next ten years.  

It is always a treat to drink a mature First Growth.  This is fully mature and drinking beautifully.  12.5% abv according to the importer sticker on the bottle.  Purple/ruby in color with some browning at the rim, mostly clear and a bit flat.  The nose is dusty with cassis and tobacco.  With air some dried fruits come out.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has a vibrant acidity.  Nice cherry and black cherry fruit with some cassis.  Layers of complexity.  Fruit over spice and dried forest floor.  Nice finish.  This begs for food and went well with a roasted Brie but would work well with

Though 1999 is a good if not great vintage, Palmer is certainly one of the top wines of the vintage.  This is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot.  It is at peak.  This bottle was opened at 2:00 and allowed to breathe until 5:00 when it was double decanted back to its original bottle and sealed before serving at around 8:00.  That seemed to be about right.  Garnet in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, spice, cedar and floral notes.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered.  Cassis

This is the second wine of Chateau Palmer and from the great 2000 vintage.  It is drinking very well now and likely at peak (not something I say often about 2000 Bordeaux wines).  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, some cassis, a bit of baking spices, and leather.  Full bodied.  Just a wisp of tannins.  Enticing texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis and some black cherry fruit with a bit of spice and tobacco.  Nice finish.  This drinks great on its own, but will be better with food.  Lamb would be a classic pairing.  Drink over the next five to eig

This was pop and pour and it really needs a long decant but even so, it showed very well.  From the heralded 2000 vintage, it seems to me that the better left bank wines are still in need of more cellaring.  A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 6% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color with ruby swirls but slight browning at the edge.  The nose is great with cassis, slight cigar box, cedar, some dark chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Lovely texture.  This is a big wine on the palate.  Juicy cassis, black cherries with chocolate and cedar.  Medium tannins.  Long f

Great showing for this wine.  The vintage was good if not great, but at age 20, this is vibrant and youthful.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The first sniff has that classic soy sauce note often found in Cos.  Also black cherries, cigar box, and slight roasted meats.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a great lush texture.  Medium tannins.  Lots of cassis with some smoke and a bit of earthiness.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This was pop and pour and really could have used an hour or so in a decanter.  It needs a few more years until maturity but no harm in

This kept improving after the cork was pulled but it took at least an hour to blow off its bottle stink.  At the two hour mark it finally hit its apogee.  If opening soon, give it some air.  From a vintage that does have its issues, this showed very well.  Ruby in color with some browning, clear.  The nose initially had some wet cardboard, but thankfully that blew off, so doubtful it was an off bottle.  In fact, at the two hour mark it showed cherries, dust, cedar and slight dry forest floor.  Medium bodied.  At the two hour mark, the palate had nice cherries, some slight macerated cherries

First time trying  the producer.  A very nice reasonably priced Champagne.  It is a blend of 50% Pinot Meunier, 25% Pinot Noir, and 25% Chardonnay.  Apparently the last few generations of the family were all Hot Air Balloon enthusiasts so the label features a hot air balloon.  Light golden in color, clear and bright with a fair amount of smallish bubbles.  The nose is nice; toasty with some green apples and a bit of ginger.  On the palate, the toastiness comes thru along a nice minerality and some lemons.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This makes for a very pleasant start to an evening.  It