2002 Peter Michael Les Pavots

The 2002 Peter Michael "Les Pavots" is simply sensational right off the bat. Dark intense color, full complex nose of blackberry, plum, figs, dark cherries. The finish is long, satiny, velvety, and remarkably easy to drink with dark fruits that seem to last forever. This is one of the best wines I have tasted this year. 99 Points. Maybe 100.

2001 Domaine Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape

The 2001 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape is auburn red out of the bottle. The nose is vegetal fennel, earthy, and woody with an initially unrecognizable aromatic top note that reveals itself later as cigarette ash. The first taste is full, suprisingly richly sweet with cola and anise. The finish is long though mono-dimensionally cedar-like syrup. Seems like it works reasonably well with Thai food. 88 points.

2001 Morey-St-Denis Lambrays "Les Loups"

The 2001 Lambrays "Les Loups" excudes an aromatic floral nose right out of the bottle, with a recessive sweet cooton candy mint after note. The color is light and mature. The taste is sharp vegetal with an almost astringent bi-modal finish that lasts like gravel and fades to an egg-shell aftertaste... I would stick with the nose. 88 Point Rating

1999 Barolo Falletto Bruno Giacosa # 2369

The Falletto 99 is drinking beautifully with dark brick color, intense eucalyptus-like black cherry nose, astringent tannin (still) and long lasting spicy woody finish. We are tasting it with wild fall mushroom and swiss chard gnudi, served with extracted mushroom broth, and it shows as an earthy muscular barolo. 92 points.

2002 Dujac Clos de la Roche

The Dujac Clos de la Roche 2002 - aromatic, delicate, with a long tannic "bordeausian" finish and a lingering delicious "sweet chery" note. The wine is perfect with Branzino, grilled zuchinni, and avocado salade. The open lavender floral note and balanced flavour show very well today in 2009 - though additional cellaring will round out the wine even more. 92 points and worth it.