I am so happy the timing worked for you to try and share these, @Brian_Tuite - thank you & great to see you!
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2021 Barbie
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The debauchery in that household is beyond comprehension, please donât post pictures!
So much pleasure. Youâd hate it.
It actually is quite well-mannered.
Lithe, red fruit, mouthwatering, integrated tannins. This 15 year old Pinot is drinking beautifully. A cool vintage and it shows.
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At my request, the theme for todayâs tasting was Bordeaux and it was outstanding. The Cordier wines were standouts but the 2000 Clerc Milon was punching above its weight, my guess was 2000 Pichon Baron. The 2005 Clerc was more approachable than I would have expected. The 2003 Montrose again showed itself to be one of the wines of the vintage. The 2009 Leoville Barton is youthful but drinking very well now. The Brane Cantenac seemed slightly damaged but could still be enjoyed. Finally, I knew nothing about Anseillan, which I later learned is a Lafite property, but it is showing well young.
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Just a whole level or two above the regular bottling! My first time with this one. So much going on, peaches, citrus, waxy great depth and structured with a whole lot of years ahead. Will buy more of this.
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Well shoot, thatâs doesnât fit my narrative!
That 2000 Clerc Milon has been in awesome drinking zone in the last 5 years or so.
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2017 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon & 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. 1st time having wines from this producer, both great, was surprised that the Sauvignon blanc had a higher ABV than the Cab Sauv, but would get both again.
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Sounds like it does what it should: pair with proper regional fare. You can do a lot worse than basque cheeses and wine that pairs with them!
How was it? I just pulled my bottle from storage.
Domaine Baud Génération 9 Crémant du Jura Brut
Big meh. This is rather flavorless and generic. Nothing to report, nothing to remember. Could be used as an inoffensive mixer. Not for me.
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No disagreement there. I went specifically to get some Ossau-Iraty but couldnât resist also taking Mimolette and GruyĂšre Alpage. The wine didnât suck with any of them, local or not 
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One of my youngestâs boy favorite cheese while in France was old Mimolette. When we came back to Canada, i asked him to pick the cheeses at the supermarket and he grabbed a huge slab of orange cheese, all excited about his find.
He got this,:
I thought: thatâll teach him not to read the label! I was expecting him to be appaled at the lack of flavor of this Mimolette colored cheese. I cut him a big piece and asked if he liked it. He went: âBof, tastes like plastic, not badâŠâ. Heâll eat anything.
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Awesome story 
Actually it was my 5-year old son who had asked for âthat orange-colored very salty cheeseâ and I reckoned it could be Mimolette (it was). The cheese monger only had a pristine whole ball of it and the lady was really struggling to cut it in half, even dropping the Finnish version of f*ck while doing it.
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Easygoing, just as you termed it, and my own take as accessible with medium-light-bodied feel, also characterized the 2021 Daniel Dupuy Agerria Irouleguy I had when I was in St. Jean Pied de Port in late 2023. It was similar to another young Irouleguy that I had in another restaurant. They were structurally different from the tannic and hard young Tannat-based wines I had when I was last in these parts 10 years before . Makes me think that the winemaking trend have been detoured to go the softer route.
I agree, though, that the wines were great with the local French Basque dishes and cheeses (esp. ossau iraty) that I went for.
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Couldnât agree more, Scott. The Cepas Vellas is a big step up. That said, the âextraâ from the wood can sometimes be extra I donât want, depending on what kind of body I want for pairing purposes. So I buy both. 
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Enjoyed catching up over drinks and French bistro foods @saganabgc with 3 fun wine enthusiasts from here and about that Iâve not seen in 10+ years. The 2002 Bouchard Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvee Carnot lived up to solid expectations and well-represented one of my loved Burgundy vintages.
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