Ichiro Kawachi

9.0

@bistro du midi w/ SBS 201 team. Leather, tree bark on nose / Earl Grey tea & nutmeg — 7 years ago

Brian S

8.9

Nose: burnt tree bark, mulch/soil, black plum, cherry, cedar, mint, black pepper.
Taste: coffee, raisin, dates, prunes, black tea, bay leaf, tobacco, ripe fruit, medium plus tannins. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I've been curious about this wine for some time. The original 05 Ausone review from Parker was revised and one would think it was at the request of the Chateau. Parker's 💯 point review started something like this...if you are over the age of 55, you'll want to decide if you want to buy this this wine. Largely, due to his call on it's years of drinkability; which was from 2055-80. Parker's review was mysteriously revised within two months of it's original review. Tonight, I Coravin-ed this tasting of the Chapelle D'Ausone. The 05 Chapelle D'Ausone is still very big & tight but starting it's journey into a decent drinking phase. The tannins are still chewy and dark. The fruits are; ruby blackberries, dark cherries, a mix of blue fruits, strawberries paint the back palate, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, Christmas cake, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, spice-box, black tea, a whiff of green bell peppers, irony minerals, loamy soils, tree bark, a touch of leather, lead pencil shavings, dry stems, dry stones & dark moist soil. The acidity is perfect. The structure, length, balance and tension flirt with glory. The finish runs ripe to dry fruit and the minerals are rich with a dark elegance that lasts and lasts. As good as this wine is tonight, I'll put this bottle back; which is 1 of a 6 pack and wait another 7-10 years to reopen it. Both of Ausone's 05 wines are meant for most collectors end of life or meant to be left for their children. — 9 years ago

Jeff Verellen

9.1

More oxy. Tea tree oil. Wow — 10 years ago

Sassodoro

8.9

Vintage is 2011. 85% Montepulciano, 15% Aglianico. Dark plummy fruit, black fruit, black tea, almost tree bark. V nice! — 11 years ago

Andres Montoya

9.1

2005 vintage. Lemon rind, chamomile, tea leaf, with a very pure expression of fruit and showing great acidity. This is viscous in mouth, but not heavy, finishes with persistent lime/lemon notes, almost herbaceous, but more in the lemon leaf realm, tea tree oil or balsam, rather the Sauv. blanc descriptors. Drinks like its not older than 3 yrs. old! — 11 years ago

Laura Newsom

9.3

Blackberry, plum, honey, jam, tobacco leaves, black tea — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Second winery on day two in Sonoma was Hanzell Vineyards with Whitney. Third wine was the Hanzell Chardonnay, which is their flagship Chardonnay bottling. All the fruit comes from five of their estate vineyards with an average age of 29 years; de Brye, Zellerbach, Day, Ramos and Ambassador's 1953 vineyards. This bottling is fermented in a mix of stainless steel (62%) and new French oak barrel (38%), the later goes through lee stirring for two months. Aged for a total of twelve months in neutral French oak with all barrel fermentation going through malolactic.

Medium to medium plus lemon yellow with a slight golden hue. Lovely Chardonnay nose with layers of stone, tree and tropical fruits followed by an interesting note of herbal tea like chamomile and honeysuckle. A touch of citrus zest and brioche. Some more mouthwatering acidity on this bottling from Hanzell (7/10) with a medium plus body. Rich palate with a touch of butter, citrus, honeysuckle and some white stone fruits. A nice creamy mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish. Drink till 2032. (93+)

$$$ - Tasted at the winery. Retail price is $78.00. — 8 years ago

with India

April Wang

9.1

Medium minus lemon. Clean, elegant, soda cracker, apples, fresh tree leaves, white tea — 10 years ago

Derek Cohen

Wine sales, The Wine Shoppe at Green Hills

9.1

Tea tree oil, licorice, soy sauce, leather, craisins, and a dozen more. Tasting history here. Clearly this kinda wine needs maturity. #maturewine #mowine #norton — 10 years ago

Greg Sorensen

9.1

Rancia in a sweet spot. Lots of tea, tree bark, carob. Elegant. — 11 years ago

Chris Paul

Wine Educator Copain Wines

9.7

Great acid with dark red fruits with notes of herbal tea leaves and earthy spices. #pinotdays #pinotparadise #andersonvalley — 11 years ago

Andres Villegas

9.1

Primarily raisins at the start but came alive, drinking wonderfully now. What a treat, nutmeg, green herbs , tree bark, white tea, autumn leaves. Palate is incredible, round, bright & fresh, feels like it's going in different directions but there is a togetherness about it. Impressive but wouldn't have guessed PN. Comments such as amaro and amarone. Cool juice. — 12 years ago

with CheLo', Nicolas and 1 other

Matt

9.5

Tremendous depth, laced with golden tree fruits, intense fruit balanced by complex and heady savory notes; verbena, aloe, cool herbs and white flower petals, wax and white tea. Edgy and coiled acidity at play here, WOTN for me — 8 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.3

2010 vintage. Very fresh and youthful. Raspberry, red plum, dried cherry, dried cranberry, tea leaves, stale tobacco, autumn leaves, dried violets, tree bark, wet straw. Good complexity, still fresh, lengthy finish. — 9 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.2

2005 vintage. Still very tightly wound and lithe, and strangely in the red spectrum for its fruit quality. Red currant, pomegranate, graphite, dark cocoa powder, iron, plum skin, tree bark, over-steeped black tea, walnut skin, tarragon, anise, sage. Has been decanting for 2.5 hours and hasn't changed much in that time. — 9 years ago

Justin Anthony

9.0

dark red fruit / tea tree oil / so good — 10 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.2

This has a very cool-climate-feel to it, yet showes a clear Australian footprint. Cassis, grilled pepper, sandalwood, mint, tea tree?, ferrous minerality, resinous oak. Seems more Cab Franc than Sauv at the moment.
Really dig those classic High-End Ozzy Cabs like Penfolds' 707, Moss Wood CS and this one. Appreciate your suggestions in this direction. So, keep them coming..! — 10 years ago

Ryan Guy

9.2

Gentle, yet complex nose: overripe raspberry, tea leaf, tree sap, garden herbs, rose pedals. Cherries linger on the palate with hints of green olives into a juicy, linear finish of bright red fruit. Slight bit of heat on the backend. Drink now or over the next 3 years. — 11 years ago

Justin Anthony

9.2

2004 // leather/ violet / tea tree oil // eucalyptus // vibrant acid — 11 years ago