I love the old label. It has so much more character than the new one.
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Any notes on the Magnien Cazetiers?
I have a few vintages but none of the â22.
It tasted like 2022.
It did not taste like Cazetiers.
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Had these with my son and his family for his birthday last week. We opened the champagne with colossal snow crab claws, and had the zinfandels with Cajun chicken pasta. Everything was delicious. The Once & Future zin was particularly good and the champagne was surprisingly delicious given its friendly price.
5 Likes
Yeah thats not the first time I have heard that. Probably one to avoid.
I had it recently in 2017 vintage, it was nowhere near ready.
1996 ChĂąteau Calon-SĂ©gur Jeroboam
Powerful on the nose; it was like walking into a cigar and pipe tobacco humidor. Smoky dark red fruit and licorice on the nose and palate. The palate opens gently now, then builds steadily into a long finish. The once-dense tannins have mellowed considerably, making the wine far more approachable while retaining its structure. I double-decanted it at home before bringing it to friendsâ 30th anniversary celebration, where it showed beautifully. A superb expression of St. EstĂšphe in the outstanding 1996 vintage.
18 Likes
I donât have any big bottles but had a six pack untouched since release. I gave two bottles among others to a friend who helped us remodel our bathrooms. She and her husband were married in 1996. Hopefully sheâll serve it back to us so I can taste it 
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We werenât photobombed, we were Moe-to bombed. Heâs our good friendsâ son Moe. Great kid, weâve known him since he was little.
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Needed a wine to accompany a spicy pork sausage, chicken thigh and zucchini cesserece pasta dish based on Marcella Hazanâs awesome recipes. It was a Tuesday night mystery box challenge that worked out well.
Found this one while stocktaking. I hid it away for a few years as I found the non-riserva to be a bit clunky in its youth. This was not at all and I find aged Chianti to be some of the most complete food wines. Just so much dimension, leather and truffle goodness and herby dark cherries, fine gosamer tannins and leaves a delicious savoury calling card. Perfect with the pasta on a wet and chilly night.
9 Likes
Found out it was national oyster day, so it was an easy excuse to get shucking⊠oysters were delicious, the 2023 Luis Michel Chablis on the other hand was honestly pretty round, flabby, and lacking the tension I expect from Chablis. It did not improve when it warmed or with air.
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Thanks for the note. A bit of a bummer on the Chablis.
Surprised national Oyster Day is in early August.
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Industry needs the boost this time of year!
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Cayuse Syrah Walla Walla Valley En Chamberlin Vineyard 2023
TN: huckleberry, lavender, campfire ash
one of the stronger expressions of En Chamberlin that I can recall
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Just bought a few of this to try.
2012 Occidental Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Elizabeth Cuvée
I had been wanting to try an older Occidental for a long time as I have been buying from the mailing list and wanted to see how it would age.
Very red fruit, very crisp, very good. Drinking great and probably will for some time longer.
Interesting because I recently had a 2009 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvee Catherine Occidental Station and it was a totally different experience. Blue fruit. Hadnât aged that well.
That difference is pretty consistent with the site locations, at least per the RP Occidental retrospective:
"Bodega Headlands cuvée also offers a clear sense of place. It has the same dark red fruit as the neighboring ranch, plus the seaweed and conifer nuances that speak to the forested, coastal plateau. Across the flight, it boasts consistently vibrant acidity and refined, lacy tannins
The Kistlers also work with the Occidental Station Vineyard; although they donât own this site, it was originally planted by Steve in 1999. Located further inland, east of the town of Occidental, vines are planted in well-drained, iron-rich sandstone soils. Although clusters here are larger than those on the coast, this site offers dependable fruit set and more consistent yields, and it is always the first vineyard of the season to be harvested. Within the retrospective, it stands slightly apart from the other cuvĂ©es with a more powerful, generous expression. Fruit can be a bit darker and more intenseâthink plum, cherry and blackberry rather than the pomegranate and cranberry of the coastal sitesâand it features a particular spiciness evocative of amaro and bitters. Its tannins are more generous and powdery and its acidity consistently vibrant"
2 Likes
How was it?
Ready or even better in a few years?