Tasting, brief note. Softer styled red cherry in an elegant combination with subtle spice and meat, ending with sneaky length. Very good balance. Good now.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasting, brief note. Still on the brawny side with near rustic character, while classically and easily Gevrey black cherry and roasted meat. Good depth, just needs more time, 88-89 point potential, better 2025 forward.
Tasting, brief note. Ripe but also elegant. This starts out nearly lighter styled, but quickly picks up weight and stuffing from middle forward. Good energy on finish.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges
Tasting, brief note. All red fruit with faint spice and a dollop of earth. Lighter style for NSG, this comes across as accessible and ready with moderate depth.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Tasting, brief note. Nicely spiced nose with mostly red cherry aromas. Red and black cherry flavors follow with still firm tannins. Good+ concentration and length for its level, but slightly firm for now, ending slightly awkwardly. Given history, this will soften and harmonize. Cellar until 20025 forward.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasting, brief note. This had been opened and decanted the night before. An intense black-fruited powerhouse with anise and roasted meat, just also as much structure still asserting itself. So much concentration & exciting stuff here, slowly drifting towards its potential, but patience will be required. Cellar until 2030 forward, 94-95 point potential.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasting from magnum, brief note. This had been opened and decanted the night before. Completely engaging aromatic start with bright red cherry and berry, with spring flowers plus sweet and savory spice. Drinking so well now with complete harmony, probably with further upside.
Tasting, brief note. Rich start, leaner and brighter from middle forward. Very good length, ending with a nutty character and finessed textures. Very good already now.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Tasting, brief note. Richer than the Village wine just tasted, but substantially more texturally complex and interesting. Very good length. Better in another year or three.
Tasting, brief note. Floral aromatic start with red cherry. Has the lighter and earthy character I find common with Nerello Mascalese. Good depth to start, slightly tart finish. OK overall.
Tasting, brief note. Bright red cherry coming across as faintly spiced and floral. Good weight, good+ length with an expanding finish, but still much simpler than I expected, particularly in contrast to the brilliant 2016.
Tasting, brief note. Broad array of enticing red cherry and berry with spiced aromas. Similar flavors with very good depth and an exploding finish, albeit still firm and nearly brooding. Certainly 94-96 point potential, with so much here, 2025 forward.
Tasting, brief note. Massive black and red cherry with so much impressive concentration, but also so much firm structure, that makes me find this backward and brooding today. So much here, and certainly 93-94+ point potential, but I would not open a bottle until 2030 or later.
Tasting, brief note. So much like the Conteisa just tasted, but (a) more of everything good, (b) even better, and (c) slightly more accessible and charming right now. Still, better to cellar until 2025 or later, 94-95+ point potential.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasting, brief note. Bright red cherry throughout, coming across as charming and elegant already, but with sneaky power, expanding all the way through its long finish. Good+ density with finessed character starting to emerge, but better 2026-, 92-93 point potential.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasting, brief note. Lots here with red cherry, red berry, leather, truffle, anise, cloves, tobacco and so much more. Yet the tannins and acidity obscure some of the great stuff for now. This has so much Old School charm, even if I found little pleasure right now, but would be very excited to taste again 2026 forward.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasting, brief note. Even more firm than the 2016 regular cuvee, but also hinting more of its impending elegance and eventual charms. Very good+ potential, 2025 forward.
2018 François Labet Pinot Noir Île de Beauté 85 Points
France, Corsica, Île de Beauté
Fun and ripe red cherry starts out slightly sweet, finishes a bit more tart and rustic. Simple but pleasant, and good enough to enjoy.
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2016 Domaine Pierre Labet Beaune Clos Du Dessus Des Marconnets 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune
Tasting, brief note. Softer styled red cherry in an elegant combination with subtle spice and meat, ending with sneaky length. Very good balance. Good now.
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2015 Domaine Pierre Labet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
Tasting, brief note. Still on the brawny side with near rustic character, while classically and easily Gevrey black cherry and roasted meat. Good depth, just needs more time, 88-89 point potential, better 2025 forward.
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2018 Aurelien Verdet Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Le Prieuré 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
Tasting, brief note. Ripe but also elegant. This starts out nearly lighter styled, but quickly picks up weight and stuffing from middle forward. Good energy on finish.
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2015 Aurelien Verdet Nuits St. Georges 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges
Tasting, brief note. All red fruit with faint spice and a dollop of earth. Lighter style for NSG, this comes across as accessible and ready with moderate depth.
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2017 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Tasting, brief note. Nicely spiced nose with mostly red cherry aromas. Red and black cherry flavors follow with still firm tannins. Good+ concentration and length for its level, but slightly firm for now, ending slightly awkwardly. Given history, this will soften and harmonize. Cellar until 20025 forward.
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2015 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasting, brief note. This had been opened and decanted the night before. An intense black-fruited powerhouse with anise and roasted meat, just also as much structure still asserting itself. So much concentration & exciting stuff here, slowly drifting towards its potential, but patience will be required. Cellar until 2030 forward, 94-95 point potential.
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2017 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Hommage à Jean Morin 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasting from magnum, brief note. This had been opened and decanted the night before. Completely engaging aromatic start with bright red cherry and berry, with spring flowers plus sweet and savory spice. Drinking so well now with complete harmony, probably with further upside.
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2017 Domaine Pierre Labet Meursault Les Tillets 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Tasting, brief note. Rich start, leaner and brighter from middle forward. Very good length, ending with a nutty character and finessed textures. Very good already now.
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2018 Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Tasting, brief note. Rich orchard fruit everywhere with good depth for its level. Slightly simple, but good Village wine to enjoy on the young side.
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2018 Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Tasting, brief note. Richer than the Village wine just tasted, but substantially more texturally complex and interesting. Very good length. Better in another year or three.
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2018 Idda Etna Rosso 86 Points
Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
Tasting, brief note. Floral aromatic start with red cherry. Has the lighter and earthy character I find common with Nerello Mascalese. Good depth to start, slightly tart finish. OK overall.
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2017 Gaja Barbaresco 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Tasting, brief note. Bright red cherry coming across as faintly spiced and floral. Good weight, good+ length with an expanding finish, but still much simpler than I expected, particularly in contrast to the brilliant 2016.
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2016 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Tasting, brief note. Broad array of enticing red cherry and berry with spiced aromas. Similar flavors with very good depth and an exploding finish, albeit still firm and nearly brooding. Certainly 94-96 point potential, with so much here, 2025 forward.
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2015 Gaja Barolo Conteisa
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasting, brief note. Massive black and red cherry with so much impressive concentration, but also so much firm structure, that makes me find this backward and brooding today. So much here, and certainly 93-94+ point potential, but I would not open a bottle until 2030 or later.
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2015 Gaja Barolo Sperss 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasting, brief note. So much like the Conteisa just tasted, but (a) more of everything good, (b) even better, and (c) slightly more accessible and charming right now. Still, better to cellar until 2025 or later, 94-95+ point potential.
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2016 Pieve Santa Restituta (Gaja) Brunello di Montalcino Rennina
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasting, brief note. Bright red cherry throughout, coming across as charming and elegant already, but with sneaky power, expanding all the way through its long finish. Good+ density with finessed character starting to emerge, but better 2026-, 92-93 point potential.
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2016 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasting, brief note. Lots here with red cherry, red berry, leather, truffle, anise, cloves, tobacco and so much more. Yet the tannins and acidity obscure some of the great stuff for now. This has so much Old School charm, even if I found little pleasure right now, but would be very excited to taste again 2026 forward.
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2015 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasting, brief note. Even more firm than the 2016 regular cuvee, but also hinting more of its impending elegance and eventual charms. Very good+ potential, 2025 forward.
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