Yeah, not a great start. This had a spicy nose with ginger, lemon peel - grainy. Odd on palate: sweet, very lemony - like lemony wine with lots of oak. Spicy. Has some shrill-ish acid. Bitter lemon finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 3/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 11/20.
Some controversy over this. I smelled it first at our table and said 'stinky' - by that I meant that I thought it smelled like stinky old Graves - some funk and barnyard along with some old fruit and leather and herbs. But Paul immediately said that he thought it was corked, and won the table over. Clearly Matt (at another table) didn't come to the same conclusion. I gave up on it early and moved on - but for a while i just thought it was more uninspiring BDX, as most is to me. Not rated.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Matt bought this off the list at Tru. Nice to try it again since I'm almost out of my stash. This bottle showed quite differently than mine, just as good but different. Nose shows some mature fruit - peach? (wtf?) then some cool mint-herbal-menthol kicks in nicely, some minerality - on the restrained side. Also some butterscotch and white flowers. Maybe a touch of heat. Gentle but cool and pretty. Enters lean - lemon, sweet oak, flinty, flowers and lemon drops. Finish enters tart lemon and grainy wood, but it spreads with a bit of time and fans out with sweetness. Nose - 4.5+/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
This is good. The nose is big with a nice spearmint note, some herbal aspects, curry leaf, chicken broth - definitely curry. Exotic. Quite broad and sharp. The palate has got the goods: big and expansive - lemon, spice, mint, bit of curry again. Finish is sweet and long with oak and lemon, with some curry-herb as well. Delicious and large. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
John ordered this of the list at Tru. This hits you like a freight train when you stick your nose in - massive, golden brown, toast and spice, and chalk and minerals. Like a mile-high monolith (made of chalk, Adrian said). Broad and energetic. Brutally powerful and focused on the palate - chalky but also deep toned. Chalk minerals, toast - malt. Long and laser-like. This has a vibrancy and vigor that 99% of wines can't even begin to approach. I really have no idea how to rate this, but it was awesome, so I'll try. 18+/20, probably will be closer to 19/20 when it matures. God knows when that will be.
Adrian's bottle. Medium gold-orange. Gentle nose of creamy peach, honey, soft red-brown baking spices, some apricot, citrus, peach pie. Off dry on the palate - nice and plush with peach and spice. Gentle and elegant but the acid is still there, holding things together. The finish drops off a bit. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5-5.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-16.5/20.
My bottle, and from a stash of 3 that are the only Selosse I own, so I really hoped it would show well ... and it did! Assertive nose of ginger, spices, lemon, chalk and flint. Huge on the palate with that mouthfeel that only Selosse can bring - huge power and acidity but with a chalky creaminess. Spicy, lemon, nice leanness and focus. Explosive ginger, lemon citrus peel. White floral notes. Massive finish of ginger and lemon. Great showing. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
I was psyched for this, but it wasn't a great showing this time. You win some, you lose some. The nose seems a bit tired: sherried, red berries, spice. Never came around - some red fruit and minerals on the palate - but this felt like a shell of what it should have been. The outline was there, but the colors didn't get filled in. If it had been most other wines, it would have been a fine showing, but not with La Cote Faron. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
Adrian's bottle. Selosse? Extra dosage? YES PLEASE! Like a light egg custard - finally someone said meringue and that nailed it. Sweet, creamy, minerals, bronze-wood, spicy, some vanilla and light citrus notes outlining the nose. Palate is stupid: opens with sweet creamy custard - light delicious and airy, and the middle to end of the palate, this aspect combines with some acid structure/citrus notes and chalky minerality to create a transcendent alloy. Really toe curling - that's how good it was. This combination continues into the finish: custard, chalk, lemon, meringue - delicious. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5-2/2 = 18-18.5/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Just a quick taste of this. I can't say much about it but with the company it was in, it was very unimpressive. It struck me as heavy without any acid or lift. Some sweet floral and fruit notes, definite oak. This is really ripe and not in balance. Not recommended. Man, I do not like the 2009 White Burgs at all.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Didn't spend much time on this: the glass I had was quite cold and I didn't have time to warm it up - lemon, taut, oak and butterscotch. Monolithic. Lemon and minerals on the palate, but it struck me as kind of flat. 15.5/20.
Damn, this is old school - really stemmy, green and herbal - very raw and meaty with blood, saline and tartness. Palate shows tart cherry and stems. Really really stony as well. Not a wine to simply enjoy without thinking.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Didn't spend much time with this either. I can say I liked the nose a lot. Adrian remarked that it was very Coche-like, and I agreed. Big nose with lemon, salty popcorn and spices - cayenne and other red-brown. powerful. The palate was leaner and less Coche-like but also excellent. Lemon, lime, some cool herbs. Very flinty and minerally.
OK ... OK. Some leather, herbs. This was pretty dark with cassis and maybe blackberry but not that sweet - blueberry? a bit? can see a bit of vanilla - oak. This is fairly taut with decent acid.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. Beautiful nose with secondary and tertiary aromas and sweet strawberry, spice - light and crisp. Burgundian profile. Light on the palate with spices, but a little hollow, more spices, strawberry. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Tasted this double blind. I said it was red burgundy. Seemed older, and lean, but elegant with some classic perfume, spice and floral notes. Also some crisp red fruit and stems. The palate was quite austere - very acidic and bony. I took this to be the vintage, and so I went with 1988, but it turned out to be much younger. I have to say, this wasn't my favorite Red Burgundy, but it had none of the green meanies that I expect with an 04 - a pretty decent showing and I would put this 15-15.5/20.
Hell yes. Nose of apricots and tangerines - mouthwatering. Spices, orange peel - really juicy and acidic and sweet. Tangerine and mandarin on the palate, again, very acidic to keep the sweetness in check. Baking spices, apricot. Great finish shows tangerine, spice, minerals. This is classic Eiswein, from a master - big, flavorful, but racy and electric from massive acid. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
I didn't get much time with this, but look, I'm not a huge fan of the 88's. The nose on this is killer: classic mature top-end Red Burgundy: stewy, meaty, tomato and strawberry, This has the most amazing spices - really multi-dimensional and perfumed, with great secondary aromas. The palate, on the other hand, doesn't live up to the nose: bitter cherry, tart, with some fruit and spice. It's taut and lean, very classic in profile and if the volume just filled out a bit, it would be great. Not easy for me to rate. Nose - 5.5-6/6, Palate - 4.5-5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17.5/20.
Adrian's bottle. Nose of salty nuts, orange peel, coffee. Powerful, classic, and brown - caramel. Incredible power. Just as good on the palate - dried, sun, citrus, nuts, huge and delicious. Finish is sweet with nuts and citrus peel. Wicked. 17/20.
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Sous Bois 82 Points
France, Champagne
Yeah, not a great start. This had a spicy nose with ginger, lemon peel - grainy. Odd on palate: sweet, very lemony - like lemony wine with lots of oak. Spicy. Has some shrill-ish acid. Bitter lemon finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 3/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 11/20.
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1986 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Some controversy over this. I smelled it first at our table and said 'stinky' - by that I meant that I thought it smelled like stinky old Graves - some funk and barnyard along with some old fruit and leather and herbs. But Paul immediately said that he thought it was corked, and won the table over. Clearly Matt (at another table) didn't come to the same conclusion. I gave up on it early and moved on - but for a while i just thought it was more uninspiring BDX, as most is to me. Not rated.
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2001 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Matt bought this off the list at Tru. Nice to try it again since I'm almost out of my stash. This bottle showed quite differently than mine, just as good but different. Nose shows some mature fruit - peach? (wtf?) then some cool mint-herbal-menthol kicks in nicely, some minerality - on the restrained side. Also some butterscotch and white flowers. Maybe a touch of heat. Gentle but cool and pretty. Enters lean - lemon, sweet oak, flinty, flowers and lemon drops. Finish enters tart lemon and grainy wood, but it spreads with a bit of time and fans out with sweetness. Nose - 4.5+/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16/20.
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2012 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet Domaine 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
This is good. The nose is big with a nice spearmint note, some herbal aspects, curry leaf, chicken broth - definitely curry. Exotic. Quite broad and sharp. The palate has got the goods: big and expansive - lemon, spice, mint, bit of curry again. Finish is sweet and long with oak and lemon, with some curry-herb as well. Delicious and large. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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2002 Jacques Selosse Millésimé 96 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
John ordered this of the list at Tru. This hits you like a freight train when you stick your nose in - massive, golden brown, toast and spice, and chalk and minerals. Like a mile-high monolith (made of chalk, Adrian said). Broad and energetic. Brutally powerful and focused on the palate - chalky but also deep toned. Chalk minerals, toast - malt. Long and laser-like. This has a vibrancy and vigor that 99% of wines can't even begin to approach. I really have no idea how to rate this, but it was awesome, so I'll try. 18+/20, probably will be closer to 19/20 when it matures. God knows when that will be.
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1964 Bischofliches Konvikt Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling feine Auslese 92 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Adrian's bottle. Medium gold-orange. Gentle nose of creamy peach, honey, soft red-brown baking spices, some apricot, citrus, peach pie. Off dry on the palate - nice and plush with peach and spice. Gentle and elegant but the acid is still there, holding things together. The finish drops off a bit. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5-5.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-16.5/20.
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NV Jacques Selosse Initial 95 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
My bottle, and from a stash of 3 that are the only Selosse I own, so I really hoped it would show well ... and it did! Assertive nose of ginger, spices, lemon, chalk and flint. Huge on the palate with that mouthfeel that only Selosse can bring - huge power and acidity but with a chalky creaminess. Spicy, lemon, nice leanness and focus. Explosive ginger, lemon citrus peel. White floral notes. Massive finish of ginger and lemon. Great showing. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Lieux-dits Extra Brut Ay La Côte Faron 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
I was psyched for this, but it wasn't a great showing this time. You win some, you lose some. The nose seems a bit tired: sherried, red berries, spice. Never came around - some red fruit and minerals on the palate - but this felt like a shell of what it should have been. The outline was there, but the colors didn't get filled in. If it had been most other wines, it would have been a fine showing, but not with La Cote Faron. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Exquise Sec 96 Points
France, Champagne
Adrian's bottle. Selosse? Extra dosage? YES PLEASE! Like a light egg custard - finally someone said meringue and that nailed it. Sweet, creamy, minerals, bronze-wood, spicy, some vanilla and light citrus notes outlining the nose. Palate is stupid: opens with sweet creamy custard - light delicious and airy, and the middle to end of the palate, this aspect combines with some acid structure/citrus notes and chalky minerality to create a transcendent alloy. Really toe curling - that's how good it was. This combination continues into the finish: custard, chalk, lemon, meringue - delicious. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5-2/2 = 18-18.5/20.
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2009 Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Charmes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Just a quick taste of this. I can't say much about it but with the company it was in, it was very unimpressive. It struck me as heavy without any acid or lift. Some sweet floral and fruit notes, definite oak. This is really ripe and not in balance. Not recommended. Man, I do not like the 2009 White Burgs at all.
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2002 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Didn't spend much time on this: the glass I had was quite cold and I didn't have time to warm it up - lemon, taut, oak and butterscotch. Monolithic. Lemon and minerals on the palate, but it struck me as kind of flat. 15.5/20.
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1989 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph Les Oliviers
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Damn, this is old school - really stemmy, green and herbal - very raw and meaty with blood, saline and tartness. Palate shows tart cherry and stems. Really really stony as well. Not a wine to simply enjoy without thinking.
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2005 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Didn't spend much time with this either. I can say I liked the nose a lot. Adrian remarked that it was very Coche-like, and I agreed. Big nose with lemon, salty popcorn and spices - cayenne and other red-brown. powerful. The palate was leaner and less Coche-like but also excellent. Lemon, lime, some cool herbs. Very flinty and minerally.
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1996 Château Lafleur
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Whatever. Tastes like BDX. Moving on ...
OK ... OK. Some leather, herbs. This was pretty dark with cassis and maybe blackberry but not that sweet - blueberry? a bit? can see a bit of vanilla - oak. This is fairly taut with decent acid.
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1994 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. Beautiful nose with secondary and tertiary aromas and sweet strawberry, spice - light and crisp. Burgundian profile. Light on the palate with spices, but a little hollow, more spices, strawberry. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.
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2004 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Tasted this double blind. I said it was red burgundy. Seemed older, and lean, but elegant with some classic perfume, spice and floral notes. Also some crisp red fruit and stems. The palate was quite austere - very acidic and bony. I took this to be the vintage, and so I went with 1988, but it turned out to be much younger. I have to say, this wasn't my favorite Red Burgundy, but it had none of the green meanies that I expect with an 04 - a pretty decent showing and I would put this 15-15.5/20.
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1998 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Eiswein 95 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Hell yes. Nose of apricots and tangerines - mouthwatering. Spices, orange peel - really juicy and acidic and sweet. Tangerine and mandarin on the palate, again, very acidic to keep the sweetness in check. Baking spices, apricot. Great finish shows tangerine, spice, minerals. This is classic Eiswein, from a master - big, flavorful, but racy and electric from massive acid. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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1988 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
I didn't get much time with this, but look, I'm not a huge fan of the 88's. The nose on this is killer: classic mature top-end Red Burgundy: stewy, meaty, tomato and strawberry, This has the most amazing spices - really multi-dimensional and perfumed, with great secondary aromas. The palate, on the other hand, doesn't live up to the nose: bitter cherry, tart, with some fruit and spice. It's taut and lean, very classic in profile and if the volume just filled out a bit, it would be great. Not easy for me to rate. Nose - 5.5-6/6, Palate - 4.5-5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17.5/20.
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1977 H.M. Borges Madeira Boal 94 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Adrian's bottle. Nose of salty nuts, orange peel, coffee. Powerful, classic, and brown - caramel. Incredible power. Just as good on the palate - dried, sun, citrus, nuts, huge and delicious. Finish is sweet with nuts and citrus peel. Wicked. 17/20.
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