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January 31, 2005

NV Jean Milan, Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs

From Oger, this non-vintage chardonnay does little to evoke the same sense of place as its aristocratic cousin the 95 Terres de Noel. Biscuity nose with tangerine and old orange pith on the palate. Softening quickly to pear, pineapple, and sweet lemon soda. Big bubbles. Oddly phenolic and unpleasantly acidic.

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January 30, 2005

02 Haut-Courneau, Graves

The power of cab and the fineness of great merlot with something even greater underneath -- how can this possibly be only two years old? Deep herbal and earthy aromas with savory dark fruit and more soil and mushroom stew on the palate. Wonderful balance.

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January 28, 2005

98 J. Vidal-Fleury, Gigondas

Milky currants, chocolate sauce, and rinsed Kalamata olives behind a wafting funky stewed plum nose. Full, round, supple texture, melting tannins, and lingering acidity that turns this wine plesantly briney in the finish. I guess. For the first several minutes in the glass the flavors are so distinct they're almost distracting, but after some time this wine comes together like coal miners locking arms through a cave –- classically dry, grapey grenache blending and ultimately empathizing with the increasingly earthy and fleshy syrah.

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January 26, 2005

02 Brooks, Janus Pinot Noir

Unusual, to say the least, with the tarry earthiness and spicy heat of Thackery's Pleiades XII -- its racy, blacktop finish -- without the complementary fruit. Bright floral nose. Briary cherries and mineral-laden cranberries yield to toasty mushrooms and fatty meat. Unfortunately, this otherwise complex wine is marred by a crackling campfire heat and strange tannins in the back of the throat.

2 Comments:

Blogger caveman said...

excellent site my friend. Concise, well written reviews, very nice. I have always liked the Janus but have found that they gain with age. Let the tanin mellow and all will be good.
Caveman

8:08 AM  
Blogger 750 mL said...

Thank you much, William, for visiting 750ml.blogspot.com. I really appreciate the feedback.

I'm not surprised that the Janus ages well -- those tannins (which are certainly manageable) do seem like they'd calm down and the alcohol would probably integrate better, too. I expect it to get pretty meaty. I would've never guessed that Jimi would make a wine like this.

We lost him far too soon. Best wishes to his son Pascal.

9:08 AM  

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January 24, 2005

02 Pavilion, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Full, creamy currants on the nose; soft and plush on the palate -- dense without ever being cloying or too oaky. The spicy, medium tannins are never too aggressive. Lightly minted finish. Satisfying, pure, and balanced.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, not meaning to post anonymously, just don't want to set up an account... my email is Meichx@yahoo.com... Anyway, I like the reviews. But do you think you could publish the prices (and, if possible) the number of cases so I can figure out if they're worth hunting down?

Anyway, like I said, enjoying the reviews.

4:24 PM  
Blogger 750 mL said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

5:38 PM  
Blogger 750 mL said...

Thanks so much for visiting the site and for your kind words! For the time being, 750ml.blogspot.com will not be publishing prices.

It is not my intention to find great values -- though if I do find one I will try to mention it -- because the price of wine depends on so many uncontrollable things (from the failing US dollar to the whim of distributors) seperate from the art of making wine.

This site honors the variety of wine on the market today and is my daily journey through some miniscule portion of it. Many online resources, however, including winesearcher.com or even Google can direct you to the best prices on any of the wines I have reviewed.

1:17 PM  

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January 19, 2005

02 Coche-Bizouard, Meursault

Precisely Meursault. Immediately acidic and lightly smoky, blossoming quickly into an enveloping richness of fresh sweet cream butter, vanilla bean, and a touch of golden apples. The finish is a hedonistic exhibition of more pure vanilla and long toasted walnuts and pecans, always backed by good acid. After a few seconds, the wine comes full circle with caramelized apples and a zip of nutmeg.

3 Comments:

Blogger Carly said...

this sounds good... what is the approximate price of this wine?

9:41 PM  
Blogger Carly said...

Oh, now, I've just come across your other reply to someone else asking a similar question. I understand your reasons. I'll look it up and possibly try it. Regards,

~C

9:51 PM  
Blogger 750 mL said...

Hey Carly,

You should be able to find it for 30 - 40 bucks, which I think is a real steal. You should be able to find it at http://www.thecorkscrew.com. I think it's worth exactly what it costs; in fact, I blind tasted it once and managed to guess the price right down to the penny.

10:05 PM  

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January 17, 2005

01 Gautheron, Chablis 1er Cru Les Fourneaux Vielles Vignes

Nervy with the jagged edges of a high carbon French knife used to hack through chicken bones. Austere. Jarring saltiness, lightly smoky, with some true, though reserved, fruit -- apples hit with a spritz of butter and honey. Textured. Still pretty closed, but developing an alluring roundness in the finish.

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95 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann Pinot Gris

Boisterously spicy, decadent nose of gerkhins and herbs de provence. Intense minerality governs the full, fuzzy peach skins and apricots on the palate. Bold acidity and structure, yet still silky and almost glycerine going down. A glorious proclamation of Alsatian terroir and the masterful hands of Olivier Humbrecht. Though a bit cloying at times, this wine is powerful, expressive, and enlightening with many, many more years ahead.

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January 13, 2005

01 Clos Petite Bellane, Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas Les Echalas

The youthful stoniness and minerality of this 100% roussane wine is like that of a tight white Burgundy and a clean Savinierres. Closed and nearly papery aromas open to pure fruit expressed within a weighty, waxy package of tangerines and spritzy acid on the tongue.

1 Comments:

Blogger Animesh said...

Whoa! You are one drunk blogger :)

11:44 PM  

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January 10, 2005

99 Romeo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

A wine of exacting greatness, the 99 Romeo Vino Nobile is a ballet of full and accessible flavors that come with the intensity of great brunello and the texture of aged Barolo. Ripe, earthy cherry fruit and spicy berries are in complete harmony with burgeoning meat and iron notes. Balanced and pure, this wine sings all the riches of Tuscany at its very best.

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96 Gloria Ferrer, Royal Cuvee Brut

Predominant green apple with an overripe citrus presence and fading hints of lightly toasted walnuts. Antipoetic, with a flattened feel and diminishing bubbles. Obviously unstructured, like wallpaper next to stucco.

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January 08, 2005

02 Concannon, Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc

White flowers with zip and a whisp of smoke on the nose. Oranges and orange pith on the palate backed by impressive, yet somehow out of place acidity. Swelling salinity yields to a flabby finish of overripe citrus, powdered sugar, white pepper, and pleasantly toasty oak.

3 Comments:

Blogger Piltdown Man said...

What's the deal with Concannon bottles? Is there some reason they decided to make them as heavy as they are? Did they get a deal froma Champagne maker?

Pilt

11:33 AM  
Blogger 750 mL said...

No kidding. Considering how absolutely normal the wine is, I can't imagine why the bottles are so massive. They must've gotten them free or something; I'd think all that glass would be far too expensive for a winery that makes so many medium- to low-end bottlings.

12:59 PM  
Blogger 750 mL said...

The 2003 is nearly identical with even more strange residual sugars. These wines taste incomplete.

10:21 AM  

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January 05, 2005

03 Andrea Oberto, Dolcetto d'Alba

Unevolved nose of alcohol, stewed grapes, and floral fennel seed. Chewy tannins, woody acid, and noticeable alcohol. Rustic. Grapes and raspberries tightly carpet the tongue. Savory meatiness begins to emerge in the finish, quickly silenced by the hand of Herr BubbleYum.

2 Comments:

Blogger 750 mL said...

As I suspected from the rough tannins, weird acid, and big fruit, this is an ideal food wine that goes extremely well with light tomato sauces. While an actual marinara over pasta brought out a strange distillate quality from this wine, a thin homemade pizza with a few spots of sauce, diced romas, minced garlic, torn basil, and just a couple tablespoons of mozzarella and locatelli was the perfect fit.

8:53 AM  
Blogger caveman said...

for an exceptional Dolcetto, try the 2003 from Sandrone.
Caveman

11:17 AM  

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00 Massolino, Barolo

A rich and luxurious barolo, the 00 Massolino drinks with the feel of a mature Bordeaux. Soft and plush with balanced acid, velvety tannins, and no detectable alcohol. Fruit-forward to say the least, this wine bursts with ripe berries, rose petals, and delicate oak.

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