(WT012721-02) 12 BERNKASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING KABINETT, DR. H. THANISCH MULLER-BURGGRAFF $34.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (GERMANY) 8%; by our old friend Barbara Muller and family. Stalwart nature of Doctor and 2012. Firm figured, upright, and of noble bearing./ Delicious sweetness level. Succulent. Oh so youthful. Good underlying acidity and minerality. No terpene yet; still carrying baby fat. One for the cellar. 17.5+.
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(WT012721-05) 16 CHATEAU LA ROCHE BEAULIEU ASTER DE BEAULIEU, CASTILLON COTES DE BORDEAUX $22.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 14%; the prestige cuvee; 80% merlot, 20% cab franc. Serious dose of new oak to this tip of the pyramid cuvee. Fruit depth and concentration to take it all up. An upscale Castillon./ Still pretty heavy in the oak flavors and tannins. They won't outlive the fruit; that's intense and compact and all present. Ambitious. Requires cellaring. 17.0+.
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(WT012721-06) 16 CHATEAU COTE DE BALEAU, GRAND CRU CLASSE, SAINT EMILION $39.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 14.5%; owned by the Cuveliers of Clos Fourtet and Ch Poujeaux; 70% merlot, 20% cab franc, 10% cab sauv, vines averaging 40 years; aged up to 18 months in barrels, 50% new. Whoa! Here's another full dose of oak augmentation. Better absorbed at this stage. Overall, a more sophisticated wine. That's what Grand Cru Classe terroir is about. This really is a splendid Saint Emilion GCC value./ Yes, GCC complex and noble. Intricate flavor profile. Tannins finer and more laid back. For use or cellaring. 17.7+.
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(WT012721-07) 15 CHATEAU LAGRAVE, GRAND CRU, SAINT EMILION $23.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 13%; 80% merlot 15% cab franc, 5% cab sauv; barrel aged 12 months; Gold Medal - Concours de Bordeaux. A year older, and from a more forward vintage, but seemingly fresher smelling. Less oak, and less fruit concentration. Suffers from the order (I wanted to go younger to older)./ Yes, more fluid. Less to give in all respects. Nice Saint Emilion in its own right. I can see the ranking and rating. Has tannin for cellaring. 16.5+.
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(WT012721-08) 15 HAUT DE CHATEAU POUJEAUX, HAUT MEDOC $23.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 14%; 55% merlot, 45% cab sauv; the estate's third wine, from vineyards outside the Moulis AOC. Pretty damn sophisticated for a third wine. Vineyards likely inland from Moulis and on more clay than gravel. Thus the merlot predominance. This plays out well. It's Poujeaux stalwart and upscale./ Yes, merlot fruit richness, cabernet form and tannin. Clearly some barrel upbringing too. Yet another fine claret value. 16.8+.
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(WT012721-09) 15 CHATEAU LE THIL COMTE CLARY, PESSAC LEOGNAN $34.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 14%; owned by the Cathiards of Smith Haut Lafitte; 70% merlot, 30% cab franc; aged 18 months in barrels, 50% new. Oh, boy. Yet another great splash of oak sophistication coupled with the terroir character of a different AOC and Chateau approach. All the silky refinement of Florence Cathiard's SHL thanks to equal handling of this wine./ Yes, fine textured, full but fine fruit and oak tannins. Top nobility. Great cellar candidate. Are we having fun yet? 17.5+.
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(WT012721-10) 14 MARANGES VIEILLES VIGNES, DOMAINE MATROT $31.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) 13%; Daniel Haas selection; 30 year old vines; aged 15 months in barrels, 10% new. Racy, dashing pinot for Maranges and Matrot and 2014. Bouquet yet to form; initial fruit fading some, so in a bit of a trough./ 2014 solidity, extract, tannin. Unlike last week's Gras Saint Romain 14, we're gonna have to wait this one out. Maybe a couple hours' breathing will help. 16.4++.
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(WT012721-11) 10 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA, CASALOSTE $27.99 01/27/21 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes - (ITALY) 14%; at Panzano in the heart of Classico; 95% sangiovese; aged 18 months in Alliers oak barrels. A balmier region and vintage heard from. And more maturity. Still, this is 2010 fully packed, and still packed in./ Yes, loaded, and it's not a surprise it's this backward still. The barrel contribution is clear, and positive. Big 2010 extract and still fine tannin to melt. 17.2+.