France

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Ruby in color, some browning at the edges.  The nose has cherries, spice, dried flowers, and slight liqueur notes.  Medium bodied with a lovely, smooth texture.  On the palate, there is some fresh cherries but this is teetering at the edge.  Dried, macerated cherries with spice and a bit of earthy funk.  Slightly drying at the finish.  This is complex and contemplative but still would be better with food.  Maybe some crusty beread and Epoisses cheese?  Drink up.  

This is quite good if still young.  A more feminine side of Chablis.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, slight anise and gun powder (reduction?).  Medium bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this drinks very smooth.  Lemon cream notes.  Quite refreshing.  Deep, it does open up in the glass but could really benefit from more cellar time.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but with some oysters or other sea food, it would be even better.  Cellar for another few years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.  

These wines can be hard to judge as to when they are open for business.  This bottle was drinking beautifully.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with peach, wax, buttered popcorn and lemon.  Also a nice touch of minerality.  Full bodied.  Oily texture.  Good balance.  On the palate, dried peach, apples with underlying minerals and slight char.  Long finish.  This is complex and deep.  Probably not at peak but showing a nice maturity.  Drink over the next twenty years.  This would work well with Veal Chops.  

Wowza.  What a great bottle.  Golden in color with lots of tiny bubbles.  Persistent.  The  nose is great with Meyer lemon, smoke, spice, slight dried peach and a bit of a floral quality.  Deep and complex.  Full bodied.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is very structured but all the stuffing you could ask for.  A bit of lemon peel, toast, and spice.  Mature but years left.  This is great on its own but will work well with just about any food.  Delicious. Drink over the next ten to twenty years.  This would be great with Chinese food.

This is one of our favorite value plays in Bordeaux.  It is 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose features cherries, slight black cherries, spice, slight graphite and cedar.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Cherries, black cherries, slight chocolate and slight char.  Good  balance.  Nice finish.  At almost nine years old, this seems to be mature but with plenty of life left.  A nice level of complexity.  This is nice on its own but even better with food.  A great choice for a mid day m

In the world of Chablis, there are some exceptional producers but only a couple of those are "affordable".  Sebastian Dampt is one of them and that is especially true of the 1er Crus.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight grapefruits, slight gunpowder and spice.  Full bodied.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is still a bit tight but opens quickly in the glass.  Green apples, grapefruits and slight char.  Long finish.  Delicious on its own, this is even better with food.  Of course, oysters would work very well, but so does a fruit salad.  Drink

The best wines from Guigal are generally considered his Cote Rotie's but the Hermitage doesn't lag far behind.  On the other hand, their Hermitage is much more affordable and is certainly worth looking at.  Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose has black raspberries, clay, spice, some oak, violets and smoke.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Well balanced.  On the palate, there is plenty of black raspberry fruit but overall this wine needs time.  Plenty of impenetrable depth.  Great texture.  Long finish.  Ideally hold this for another seven to ten years and drink over the ne

It was nice to revisit this wine (See https://www.intowine.com/reviews/2014-jl-chave-s%C3%A9lection-hermitage-...) as it gets closer to full maturity.  This wine has really exceeded all of my expectations.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, slight dried floral note and a fresh earthiness.  Full bodied.  great texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries with some underlying funk and hints of va

This was the first vintage of this wine as it replaced the La Petit Chapelle bottling.  It seems to be a bottling made for more immediate drinking than the La Chapelle bottling.  It is a very classic Hermitage nevertheless and at age 8, this seems to be just settling in.  Purple in color with ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, and smoked herbs.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries with a slight floral (violet?) note and smoke.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This is drinking well and should easily go another ten years.  Ni

Inky purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, clay, black pepper and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is deep and youthful.  Delicious.  Black raspberries, roasted herbs and black pepper  Long finish.  This is a big wine that will benefit from another five to ten years in the cellar.  It will drink well for twenty years, but if drinking soon, then give it a few hours in a decanter.  It will work with bigger foods.  Roasted duck should work nicely.