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Displaying [101-122] of 122
1983 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
COMMENTS: One of the bottle was definately over the hill. This one surprisingly still a bit tight, the tannins seemed to be dominating the overall impression. About 1 hour later, the wine has slowly opened up and revealed some very nice mature bottle bouquet. The wine was getting better and better but it was also finished by then.
SCORE: 88
BY: rchan
1995 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Rich Body. Heavy Moderate Tannin. Medium Finish.
SCORE: 92
BY: rchan
DRINK: In 5-10 years
1990 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Viscous Mouthfeel. Rich Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: It reminded my of the glorious 1978. I am curious how the 1978 compare to the 1990 when they are at about the same age.
Definitley the 1990 is a great wine with pretty much everything you look for, complexity, balance and charm. It is still a bit young to assess the wine and I am not very good at it. I would love to be able to taste it again when it gains more mature complexity.
SCORE: 96 +
BY: rchan
DRINK: In 5-10 years
1987 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
COMMENTS: Quite simple but charming. Paid $30 drinking it at a restaurant in Paris. No complaint.
SCORE: 87
BY: rchan
PRICE: $30
1980 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
COMMENTS: Kind of over the hill, but still very drinkable.
SCORE: 86
BY: rchan
1988 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
COMMENTS: Didn't drink it in a proper setting. Only had a glass.
SCORE: 88
BY: rchan
1998 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2004
COMMENTS: Showing great potential, very well extracted and a little overwhelming for me.
SCORE: 93
BY: rchan
1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild
(France / Bordeaux / Pauillac)
RATED: 10/02/2004
COMMENTS: First tasting 1994
Last tasting 2004

This wine has never failed to impress. So profound, so sophisticated, it has a classical Bordeaux ideal structure wrapped around with many layers of anticipated flavors. While it might not be exotic or flamboyant, it is a benchmark of what a great Pauillac would be.
SCORE: 96
BY: rchan
1996 Alvaro Palacios - Finca Dofi
(Spain / Catalunya / Priorat)
RATED: 09/13/2004
AROMA: Savory. Sweet. Vegetal. Nutty. Woody. Dark Fruits.
FLAVOR: Nutty. Woody. Dark Fruits.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Smooth Mouthfeel. Rich Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: Beautiful ruby Color. The nose composes of very well define tropical fruits, minty, fried banana, plummy, blackberry and vanilla. Very focus attack on the palate and then the flavor fans out nicely. Deep structure with a firm grip. Super long, complex, lingering finish as the flavors keeps fanning out reinforcing you what you smell in the beginning and put a velvet coat on your tongue. Very well balance and a lot of charm.
SCORE: 92
BY: rchan
PRICE: $45
DRINK: In 3-5 years
1985 Philipponnat - Clos Des Goisses
(France / Champagne)
RATED: 09/13/2004
COLOR: Straw Yellow.
AROMA: Floral. Melon. Cream. Yeast. Lemon. Toast. Citrus. Apple. Mineral. Light Fruits.
FLAVOR: Floral. Melon. Cream. Yeast. Lemon. Toast. Citrus. Apple. Mineral. Light Fruits.
PROFILE: Crisp Acidity. Complex. Balanced. Smooth Mouthfeel. Medium Body. Light Tannin. Medium Finish.
COMMENTS: Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this south facing Clos is one of the 3 Clos in champagne. This champagne tasted like a Chassagne Montrachet with very fine bubbles. Unlike other champagne, the Clos des Goisses has more weight and higher viscousity, yet it still maintain the elegance and subtlety of a great champagne. It was a great match with the salmon tartare we had.
SCORE: 96
BY: rchan
DRINK: Now
NV Krug - Grand Cuvee
(France / Champagne)
ALCOHOL: 12.0%
RATED: 08/26/2004
COMMENTS: The standard of what a great champagne should be. Very consistent year in and year out.

1990 Krug Launch Party
SCORE: 93
BY: rchan
PRICE: $80
1996 Denis Mortet - Chambertin
(France / Burgundy / Cote de Nuits / Gevrey-Chambertin)
RATED: 08/16/2004
COLOR: Tile Red.
AROMA: Rose Petals. Truffles. Violets. Game. Plum. Raspberry. Red Fruits.
FLAVOR: Truffles. Coffee. Fig. Raisin. Raspberry. Red Fruits. Mineral.
PROFILE: Crisp Acidity. Complex. Balanced. Astringent Smooth Mouthfeel. Rich Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: Such purity of fruit! Dense but not a bit heavy with a great structure that showed potential for improvement. Acidity was quite high which is typical of this vintage giving it the ingredient for aging. It started to develop the typical well aged burgundy nose but it should continue to develop more complexity. It might start to go into that awkward stage of development and closed down for some time. I anticipate it to be fully developed by 2006 and on.
SCORE: 97 +
BY: rchan
PRICE: $180
DRINK: In 3-5 years
1997 Alvaro Palacios - L'Ermita
(Spain / Catalunya / Priorat)
RATED: 08/13/2004
COLOR: Red Purple.
AROMA: Licorice. Bacon. Leather. Black Currant. Plum. Smoky. Oak. Vanilla.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Viscous Smooth Mouthfeel. Voluminous Rich Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: Highly anticipated. Critics had voted it to be the best wine in Spain of 1997. Well, it surely didn't disappoint. Deep dark inky color, a sign of super concentration. The nose exploded with multi-dimensional character and the outburst of flavors is surreal. It is so seductive with plum, smoky oak, pain grille, blackcurrant, bacon, leather, raspberry, blackberry, tropical fruit, vanilla, licorice... this list goes on forever. How can a wine possess such complexity? Are you sure it is only grapes and oak? To my surprise, this wine is not at all heavy. It is as smooth as silk with flavors dancing on the palate elegantly that seems to last forever. Every sip is a whole new world. One can feel the warmth of the sun, the soil and the vineyard where the grapes ripens. It is a wine that goes deep down to one's soul. It is a piece of art that reminded us why we love wine in the first place. It is the kind of wine that every wine lover yearns for.
SCORE: 99
BY: rchan
PRICE: $225
DRINK: In 5-10 years
1998 d'Arenberg Shiraz - The Dead Arm
(Australia / South Australia / McLaren Vale)
RATED: 06/13/2004
AROMA: Black Currant. Chocolate. Blackberry. Toast. Oak.
FLAVOR: Spice. Black Currant. Chocolate. Blackberry. Toast. Oak.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Viscous Mouthfeel. Extracted Voluminous Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: Super intense, spicy, explosive with layers and layers of flavors. Very masculine. Excellent mouth feel of mocha, bitter sweet chocolate, blackberry, blackcurrant, and toasted oak. A very forward wine. Ka-baam! Like it wants to knock you out in one shot. Nice attack. Then, the magic happens. The wine becomes more and more elegant with every sip. The textures changes from chewy to creamy. The acidity slowly peep out and cuts through the well endow flavors and define its structure. The finish gains in complexity as the wine slowly opens up. Each flavor becomes more harmonious with each other rather than fighting for dominance. Still a bit coarse at this young age. Great potential we see here. Tasted more than a dozen times since release and never failed to impress. It is a steal compare to the Grange.
SCORE: 98 +
BY: rchan
DRINK: In 3-5 years
1994 Harlan - Estate
(USA / California / Napa)
RATED: 10/13/2003
AROMA: Coffee. Smoky. Tobacco. Toast. Hazelnut. Oak. Vanilla. Red Fruits. Dark Fruits.
FLAVOR: Coffee. Smoky. Tobacco. Toast. Hazelnut. Oak. Vanilla. Red Fruits. Dark Fruits.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Viscous Smooth Mouthfeel. Rich Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: Tasted in a magnum with Bill Harlan at a restaurant in Napa. Rarely do I find california wine that can rival a great bordeaux in terms of complexity, elegance and length. The wine seems to bring together the best of both world. Unfortunately, it is still too young to determine what it can be when it is fully matured. I wished I can afford one.
SCORE: 98 +
BY: rchan
DRINK: In 5-10 years
1979 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2003
AROMA: Truffles. Earthy. Jam. Coffee. Fig. Raisin. Black Currant. Raspberry. Vanilla. Nutty. Dark Fruits.
FLAVOR: Pepper. Truffles. Jam. Coffee. Prune. Caramel. Toffee. Black Currant. Chocolate. Raspberry. Tobacco. Oak. Nutty. Dark Fruits.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Medium Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: I drank it at its prime last year. Had it with laughing stock pork at Chez Panisse. Both the food and the wine complement each other very well. The wine could only warrant a lesser score should it be drunk alone. Well, but that is the only bottle I had.
SCORE: 96
BY: rchan
DRINK: Now
1989 Henri Jayer - Cros Parantoux
(France / Burgundy / Cote de Nuits / Vosne-Romanee)
RATED: 06/07/2002
COLOR: Tile Red.
AROMA: Truffles. Herbal. Raspberry. Strawberry. Toast. Cherry. Vanilla. Red Fruits.
FLAVOR: Barnyard. Truffles. Game. Herbal. Raspberry. Strawberry. Cherry. Vanilla. Red Fruits. Mineral.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Smooth Mouthfeel. Medium Body. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: The utmost pure expression of the pinot noir grape. Not a single trace of heaviness. Elegant, finess, and pure. Great complexity but in a very subtle sense. Still very youthful and very well balanced with the acidity as the lead to explore this delicate and intricate burgundy. One of my best wine experience.
SCORE: 100
BY: rchan
DRINK: Now
1987 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti - La Tache
(France / Burgundy / Cote de Nuits / Vosne-Romanee)
RATED: 06/07/2001
AROMA: Rose Petals. Truffles. Game. Floral. Leather. Blackberry. Strawberry. Red Fruits. Dark Fruits.
FLAVOR: Barnyard. Truffles. Game. Bacon. Toffee. Blackberry. Tobacco. Strawberry. Toast. Hazelnut. Oak. Almonds. Vanilla. Red Fruits. Mineral. Dark Fruits.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Smooth Mouthfeel. Medium Body. Light Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: I have had different vintages of La Tache including some great vintages but none hit me like the 1987. Perhaps I was drinking it at its prime or there are other external factors that influences my appreication. That's why I never like rating wine under a fixed scoring system because there are just way too many factors that may influence people's judgement. But at that time, environment and condition, this is a perfect wine. Simply speaking, it is a benchmark of burgundy. Words won't do it justice so I have to quote from Clive Coates "...sing like a nightingale, shine forth like a sapphire, intrigue like the most complex of chess problems, and seduce like the first kiss of someone you are just about to fall in love with...it can inspire like a great orator, satisfy like a most subtle of three-star meals, and leave you at peace at the end like the slow movement of a Mozart piano concerto...the wine is complex but not puzzling, profound but not didactic, perfect but not intimidating, and magnificent but never toher than friendly"
SCORE: 100
BY: rchan
1993 Chateau Latour
(France / Bordeaux / Pauillac)
RATED: 10/27/2000
COMMENTS: Sweet and rich, this big Latour exhibit a bit of harshing that is typical of the vintage. Mid palate is quite dense and smooth. A bit young and grapy but the grip is nice and firm.
SCORE: 91
BY: rchan
1994 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 10/02/2000
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Medium Body. Moderate Tannin. Medium Finish.
COMMENTS: It was very charming and drinkable last tasted in 2000. Wonder how it has evolved.
SCORE: 93
BY: rchan
DRINK: In 3-5 years
1968 Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) Cabernet Sauvignon - Georges de Latour
(USA / California / Napa)
RATED: 07/13/2000
AROMA: Savory. Nutty. Woody. Dark Fruits.
FLAVOR: Savory. Nutty. Woody. Dark Fruits.
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Smooth Mouthfeel. Medium Body. Light Tannin. Medium Finish.
COMMENTS: Surprisingly youthful. While the color shows its age, the nose still burst with lots of fruity flavors given its age. Rich and complex taking on full tertiary aroma developed over the years. At one point, this wine tasted like a great Latour or Pichon Lalande. Just like any other older wine, this wine is quite fragile and the window of tasting lasted only an hour after it opened. After that, the wine starts to break down and the fruit gone. It has definately seen better days and I wished I had the opportunity to taste this wine when it was at its prime.
SCORE: 93
BY: rchan
DRINK: Now
1978 Jaboulet - La Chapelle
(France / Rhone / Northern Rhone / Hermitage)
RATED: 08/02/1999
PROFILE: Complex. Balanced. Medium Body. Moderate Tannin. Long Finish.
COMMENTS: I have a particular sentimental connection to La Chappelle as it is my epiphany to the world of fine wine. This wine is the reason why I fell in love with La Chappelle. The complex finish seems to last forever that keeps changing and bringing back hints of different flavors earlier on and that cycle just keep building on every sip. It is so profound. One of those very few wines that touches your soul.

Had 2 bottles in two different setting. The other bottle while was very good but was no where comparable to this one. I guess bottle variation/storage in older wine is almost as important as a good vintage.
SCORE: 99
BY: rchan
DRINK: Now
 
Displaying [101-122] of 122

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