Conrad Green

9.7

Really great clarity and color. Do beautiful and complex. Plum and anise and roses and an absolutely gorgeous detailed long finish. Stunning — 5 days ago

with Peter and Gregg

KCG

9.6

Gorgeous aromatics. So good.

AZ and MZ — 7 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2016 vintage. Excellent fill and cork. Decanted with zero sed. Light/light-medium body. Tasted 45 minutes and 1.5 hours post-decant. All about the back-end white pepper/white sage/subtle clove spice rack finish. Excellent, lingering finish tickling different parts of the palate. More of a delicate Musigny. 08.01.25. — a month ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Soft plum and violets. Quite resolved and pretty. Plush. Yummy. — 15 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.6

The Legendary 1990 and 2005 Vintages, and the 'Rouge' Aroma They Revealed!

I was meeting friends for a tasting, and I said I would bring a wine with a "rouge aroma" (*Yānzhī xiāng*). My friend also promised to open one with the same scent. If it's a cool vintage, a DRC might not reveal that distinctive rouge scent, but it's more common in warmer vintages, especially older ones from hot years. Of course, 2005 is a legendary vintage—it was warm but with significant diurnal temperature variation, resulting in balanced acidity and concentration, which also creates a very strong structure.

Thankfully, the 1990 Clos de Tart, despite having a very low fill level, wasn't spoiled. Its condition wasn't as potent as a previous bottle I had opened. This one took about 1.5 hours to fully open up in the glass. When it did, it revealed that signature Jiangnan "rouge" scent—very soft, enchanting, and feminine—along with some notes of dried longan. The fruit was balanced, though the acidity was relatively weak.

Today, I'll mainly write about this DRC. Its structure is incredibly powerful. For the first two hours, it was very closed. I believe this wine needed at least four hours of decanting, primarily because the 2005s, despite being a warm year, aren't that easy to open up. The aromas only started to slowly emerge around the third hour, and we were using large decanters and glasses, waiting for a long time. Initially, for the first half-hour after opening, there was a reductive note that was a bit funky. Later, after it opened up, the nose was primarily an interplay of cypress pine, violets, and that rouge scent intertwined. Honestly, this wine felt androgynous to me—it evokes an image of a knight and a princess playing in a forest. It wasn't overly soft, and its layers were incredibly complex.

On the palate, it was abundant: primarily black fruit, sour plum, sandalwood, coffee beans, a hint of dark chocolate, and a touch of earthy notes. The tannins weren't very soft—but then again, I'm so accustomed to drinking old wines. I feel this wine will need another 10 years to truly reach its peak. Its structure is exceptionally strong, unfolding layer by layer, with beautifully balanced acidity.

Comparing these two wines, their styles are completely different. One could say it's a contrast between an iconic Eastern beauty and a Western princess. I personally adore the soft and elegant style, but the 2005 is a wine with immense structure—it possesses a feminine power that is very potent, almost like the vision of a woman holding authority in a man's world.

Drinking such magnificent wines brings me great joy! — a day ago

James Burge

9.0

village level with great tension, a bit high acid — 10 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Billy naughton — 24 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

Domaine Armand Rousseau Père & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2012

For my first time tasting Domaine Armand Rousseau Père & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, the sommelier said that if Chambertin is the King, then this wine, Clos de Bèze, is the Queen. The 2012 vintage is relatively easy to approach and didn't require a very long decanting time—two hours was sufficient.

The 2012 growing season was quite challenging, with a severe cold spring, but the summer was warm and hot. As a result, the fruit profile of this wine is quite expressive.

For the first hour, the reduction notes were very strong. It only started to open up in the second hour. The aroma is quite elegant. Since we were dining at a restaurant, the sommelier was very meticulous in controlling the temperature of the glassware, adjusting the wine's condition to a optimal state.

I didn't get very exuberant fruit notes. The overall state of the wine was restrained and elegant—like a lady around 30 years old. Not only is her beauty present, but there's also a feeling of poise and steadiness. Everything was in balance: the aromas, flavours, and acidity.

Notes of cherry, blackberry, liquorice sweetness, a hint of mint, and some dried flowers. There was a slightly creamy texture on the palate. The body was rounded but not quite what I would call voluptuous.

I didn't find any particularly stunning or breathtaking flavours or aromas. I can only say that this wine's performance was... correct. I had originally hoped for more complex layers, but unfortunately, I felt its expression was relatively simple, not very complex. It was just quite elegant and graceful.

This wine is exceedingly expensive. For a similar quality presentation, I believe there are other options at perhaps half the price that could deliver a comparable experience. — a day ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2012 vintage. Nearly perfect fill and cork. Decanted with infinitesimal sed. Aggro rhubarb and cranberry nose. Tasted 30 mins, 1 hour and 3 hours post-decant. Medium body. Excellent focus/concentration. The rhubarb and cranberry still chilling along with a modicum of lemongrass (?!?!) and dark cherry. Lengthy finish redolent of artificial strawberry/strawberry Jolly Rancher candy. Bit of a bucking bronco versus finesse and souplesse. 08.01.25. — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

Lots of dark cherry, spice, mineral, earth & violet — 20 days ago