Hi All,
Gonna pop one tomorrow, just checking decant/air times. I saw jeff suggest overnight for most of his wines, but I’ve had horrible experiences with overnight decants (maybe my decanters is too wide?). Anyone try one of these recently and can tell me how their experiences were?
Thanks!
Charlie,
We opened one of these this past Saturday. Popped and poured, and while it was tight upon opening, it started to really shine within about 30 minutes and kept improving until it was gone. It was great.
If I were to open another bottle, I would decant for about 2 hours, and then slug it.
Enjoy…it is a really great bottle of wine.
Charlie,
Wish I had more detailed notes for you, but opened this and drank side by side with the 2007 Forman last Saturday. IMO the Forman edged out the Rudius at this stage with its expressive mocha chocolate nose, but the Rudius had a reserved pepper (maybe even green pepper) nose that kept drawing me back as the night went on. Tannins gripped more as it was open and showed its structure.
I decanted for 2 hours and followed a glass for a couple hours which evolved some. Complex would definitely not be a descriptor at this stage, but the components were there to evolve. As with all cases, it may have been because of drinking next to a wine that was more open and expressive, thus leaving this one in the background. I have read prof reviews that warn opening is a complete sin at this point, but I am like you it sounds like and want to check in on what to expect. The setting was also with a large group so I didn’t have much of my focus that evening either. To score it, you’re probably going to get a 91-92 point wine, and know this has much more to offer. So enjoy it for what it is now, but hold on to those others to see what happens down the road.
On your comment about Jeff’s recent tastings, he said he had one with dinner and popped and poured. I understood it as, either pop and pour at this point, or decant overnight or all day like you pointed out. In the end, I think he’s saying, don’t be stupid and open this yet. 
Please post your notes as well.
JS
Thanks all. I was thinking of pouring a little off and letting it sit in the bottle for 3-4 hours before dinner.
We shall see!
Let us know what you think. My experience is that you can’t coax Jeff’s Rudius wines open. Every once in a while, I come across wines like these. Shut down, good, but uninspiring as a three year old, then wham, at four, they are sensational. I know you dig the Tor wines (as do I), but they are much easier to drink young. While the Tors are fabulous young, I think his Rudius wines surpass them at four years.
Hope everyone likes it. I have basically stopped drinking the '07 since I think it is showing ok now but I don’t want to kill the bottles too young. This will be one to lay down for a bit in my opinion.
Glad that the folks who have opened it have enjoyed it though.
Jeff Ames