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1998 Château Cheval Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (10/31/2017)
the '98 CB has been a favorite of mine since release. I remember trying to drink all they had at the Wine Spectator event in New York upon release. Out of magnum, this was decanted for almost 4 hours before being poured. As it sat in the glass over dinner, it just kept getting better and better. Beautiful fragrant nose, silky tannins that seem perfectly integrated, and finish that lasts and lasts. I think it will improve, but it is darn fun to drink now. (99 pts.)
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2000 Château Pavie - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (10/31/2017)
This suffered from not being decanted, and following the '98 Cheval Blanc and '00 L’Evangile. It was hard not to compare and find the Pavie outclassed, which wasn’t fair. The wine is well made, and very interesting to drink. I am looking forward to seeing it perform under better conditions. I only drank about half a glass before going back to the other two. Seemed like a lot going on, but mostly lurking beneath the surface. (94 pts.)
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2009 Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge - USA, California, Napa Valley (10/31/2017)
Good, not great. I can’t put my finger on it, just that it was missing that extra gear. Very well made and complete, with a beautiful golden color. Seemed more elegant than I remember other bottles being. Had two bottles pre-dinner and both were spitting images of each other. No sign of fading. (94 pts.)
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2008 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (10/30/2017)
Now we are talking. I saw another note that described this as a white silk robe, and that is spot on. This is such a complete wine, with beautiful viscosity and mouthfeel. Drinking perfectly, but seems to have a very long life ahead of it. Paired with Lobster salad, which was an ideal combination. (100 pts.)
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2000 Château L’Evangile - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (10/30/2017)
Really fun wine to drink. Seems to be just entering into a good window for drinking. The nose really stands out, with my first thought being Lafite. Cigar box and tobacco and tar on the nose. Long finish, with a lot going on but plenty of balance. Looking forward to watching how this develops over the year. Decanted for 4 hours before consuming with dinner. (97 pts.)
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