Wow!!!!! 🤯 🤩 — a month ago
Decanted for 3 hours before returning to the bottle prior to dinner. The 2008 pours a deep garnet color a with near opaque; medium+ with moderate staining and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of dark plums, purple flowers, some green bell pepper, tobacco, graphite, leather, mint, and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins that are mostly integrated and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A classy, perfectly matured Pomerol that was a lovely pairing with a Tomahawk ribeye. Drink now through 2033. Thanks Andy! — 2 months ago
This is the Gewurz. Classic Gewurz: Spicy, acidic and so good with smoked turkey. — 6 months ago
Deep Ruby in colour. Strong earthy stony aromas with deep ripe plum plus red and black fruits. An example of a Hunter Valley wine trying to be like a South Australian Shiraz - too ripe and full bodied. “Clumsy” HH said when it was first released. Thankfully wine makers lately in the Hunter have returned to the old medium weight, savoury, “sweaty saddle “ style. Returning to this 2005, this is more full bodied and rich but the quality of the very old vines planted by Maurice O’Shea pulls it over the line as a high quality wine. The more recent vintages of Maurice O’Shea are of extreme quality (2014 - 99 points), back to what the Hunter does best, and will live for decades. — 2 months ago
Balanced, no trace of evolution, elegant but shy, with plums, blackcurrant anf a hint of minerality — 2 months ago
Maurice Vesselle is a récoltant whose small estate of maybe 15 acres, is in Bouzy and Tours sur Marnes. Most of their vineyards, all Grand Cru, are dedicated to Pinot Noir with the balance, Chardonnay. They are a strict no-malo, all INOX producer. One other note, the corks on these bottles are so stubborn. I had one hell of a time getting it extracted in an elegant fashion. We had people over and I was multitasking, making the risotto which, of course, needed my undivided attention. Ultimately, I ended up grabbing the Wüsthof and sabering that mf’er.
So, sabered and poured. The wine is a straw color with medium- viscosity and a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of strawberry, light brioche, lemons, marzipan and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, mineral driven and zippy! This needs a ton of air at this stage but if you allow it, what a treat! Better after 2025 through 2043. The Millésimé is typically 80/20, Pinot Noir/Chardonnay. Dosage 4g/l (and seems it). Disgorged June 2023. — 6 months ago
Brada
Very smooth. Delightful. — a month ago