Domaine l'Aigueliere, Montpeyroux Cote Doree, Languedoc

A superb vibrant, complex and attractive dark-fruited nose of plum, blackberry, cigar, leather, balsamico, garrigue and some animale. How lovely savory, volatile aromatics! Makes you think of Bandol, but also Tuscany to some extent. On the palate it is mouthfilling with velvety, rich fruit and plentiful, grippy tannins. Amazing how generous the fruit is at this point while there is also plenty of tertiary notes. There is nothing tired about this cheap almost 30-year old that sports a wonderfully chewy …

Otto’s note is spot on. Not much to add 3.5 years later other than to say this is still in the zone and drinking great on PnP. Very claret-like and in no danger of going downhill any time soon. Drink or hold.

100% old vine Syrah from Montpeyroux. Aged for 10 months in new oak barriques. Bottled unfined and unfiltered - yet the wine had thrown almost no deposit at all. 12,5% alcohol. Very dark and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with an evolved maroon hue. Brooding, quite sweet-toned and remarkably rich nose with intense and somewhat funky aromas of juicy blackberries and blackcurrants, some bretty notes of horse stables, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light pruney notes, a lifted …

Drank this with grilled maminha and must say it was spectacular. Nose had love aromas of cedar, leather, dark fruits and meatyness. This made me think it might have some Cabernet in the blend but after some googling seems like it is mainly Syrah. On the palate it is where it shines. Medium plus body with complex aromas and really amazing and balanced structure. It still has some grippy tannins after all these years. I really loved it and it …

It was more evolved than my last bottle, with dark fruit, savory earth, leather and roasted meat, and a touch of bell pepper, and a hint of white pepper appeared with some air. The blind guesses were mostly Loire Cab Franc like 1990 Raffault Chinon Picasses and I can see what led them to it. The color is still pretty dark and it has enough fruit and tannin that I’m in no hurry to drink my remaining bottles.

Soirée à l'aveugle Complètement à l'ouest, j'étais sur un Bordeaux d'année fraiche, avec un vin ciselé, épicé, fumé, frais et boisé (2008). Pas du tout, il est parti sur des notes tertiaires ou le fruit s'est dissipé, je n'ai plus le soleil du languedoc, mais une trame minérale qui allège le vin.

Beautiful pure brambly fruit with a bit of earth and leather, still showing a surprising amount of youth, it is evolving slowly but well. A terrific wine.

Delicious. Dense. Spicy fruit on first opening and then long on palate and mouth-watering. Perfect with aged prime rib. Last bottle of case bought on release and wish I had more.

Bricking very dark red violet color; mature, pepper, tobacco, tar nose; tasty, tobacco, pepper, tar palate; long finish 91+ points

Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL) : Tasted double blind. Dark black fruit on both nose and power, showing lots of power in both. Fruit is just barely starting to age but I didn't really get much complementary spice or emerging complexity here.

Browning at the rim. Deep garnet color. Aromas of blackberry, raspberry, some bret, leather, a tad of bacon fat, licorice, herbs, black pepper, tar, nicely integrated oak - complex. Big, rich and velvety fruit in the mouth. A long soft and herbal finish. Have consumed this wine in the past and consistently scored it a point higher. The wine may be towards the end of its plateau.

Bastille Day at Chateauneuf-du-Joe's. (Dougherty's) : This is a 100% Syrah bottling. I've always loved this wine and you just don't find it anymore due to its cost. The quality has never been in doubt, though. Both '94 and '95 were pretty magical years at the estate and this wine really delivered. Quite a bit of brett to start, but not the baby poo type. More of a general funkiness, but not in an unpleasant way. I'm not adverse to …