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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments Comment Date Community Score More...
Red

1982 Château Gruaud Larose

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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4/26/2020 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 98 points

Wonderful as always, from a perfectly stored batch with a barely decipherable damp-affected label, always a good sign. Still incredibly youthful with the usual soaring middle section of dark cherry, a little Cordier funk but not too much and above all, perfect balance. It's hard to imagine a better wine than this.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    4/29/2020 11:38:00 AM - You’re not alone - over the years I’ve had some bad ones too. I think it’s to be expected after so long, however good the provenance. I knew I was lucky with the first sip!
Red

1961 Château Moulin Saint-Georges

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/1/2021 - forceberry wrote: 94 points

Moderately dark yet quite translucent reddish-maroon color with a thin, pale rim. Evolved, savory and wonderfully complex nose with quite tertiary aromas of earth, meat consommé, a little bit of wizened cherry, light smoky tones, a hint of cigar and dusty cigar box and a touch of blood. The wine is evolved and tertiary yet not tired on the palate with a medium body and complex flavors of dried blackcurrants and wizened red plums, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of ferrous blood, light notes of tobacco, a hint of earth and a touch of sweet, raisiny fruit. The overall feel shows good sense of concentration with great balance, all thanks to the high acidity and ample, textural tannins that feel all but fully resolved. The finish is very long, complex and somewhat grippy with savory, quite tertiary flavors of sour cherries, meaty umami, some dried blackcurrants, light notes of tobacco, a little bit of oxidative beef jerky, hints of earth and sous-bois and a touch of raisiny fruit.

A hauntingly beautiful, classic and harmonious St. Émilion that is not only alive but also surprisingly vibrant and even moderately concentrated at 60 years of age. The wine might lack the remarkable depth and complexity of the best Left Bank 1961s, but a simple wine this is not - the age has granted the wine superb depth of flavor and the fruit department has evolved considerably, yet still retaining quite a bit of its power and vibrancy. Most likely the wine is at its plateau of maturity and has been there for many, many years. Fortunately the downhill is nowhere in sight yet. Drink or keep. This was a terrific experience - not that affordable at 104€, but still worth the money.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    9/7/2021 3:50:00 AM - Thanks Otto, that's very interesting. I've been a fan of Moulin St.Georges for years, which provides good value with a "classic" style (at least up to the 05 anyway). The 00 and the 01 are particularly good. I think 104€ for a 1961 is actually very good value when you compare it with others, or indeed other wines full stop. I'll look out for some - thanks for the tip!
Red

2015 Château Brane-Cantenac

 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/21/2023 - Motz wrote: 96 points

Tasted over three days...which entailed much discipline, as the wine showed brilliantly, compelling my full respect, thereby requiring a three-day evaluation.

The sophisticated, poised, and overtly sexy bouquet commanded attention from the outset. Spring and summer flowers, bush-ripened red sweet and tart berries, purple berries, knee-weakening berry liqueurs, summer potpourri, herbal teas, mint, wintergreen, and 'sweet' pipe tobacco, expressed Margaux terroir resplendently. Mostly integrated, complementary oak, and imperceptible alcohol, allowed the wine's unmistakable sense of place to dazzle.

Intense, velour-like juiciness on the attack. The powerful middle, graced every part of the palate, conveyed through loess-textured tannins. The back featured the highly agreeable rusticity and grip of exceptional quality Margaux fruit. The finish had no understanding of quit, as it changed inflection, many times over.

Riveting tension and range held form across all three days. The interplay of medium plus to high acid and powdery medium to medium plus tannins rivets my senses as I type this now. Among the purest Margaux offerings I have experienced.

I rarely recommend holding quality Left Bank Bordeaux for seven to ten years, particularly after seven to ten years in bottle. I do with this though, and not because it is unapproachable, whatever that means. Instead, all indications point to considerable improvement, which makes drinking this over the next five years something of a waste. This noted, with a four to eight hour decant, why not gain a benchmark now. Likely to hold form beyond 2045.

This might outlive the same vintage Domaine de Chevalier and Pontet-Canet, both of which, along with this, feature strikingly greater real substance than the same vintage Lafite. 96-97...98?

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    1/21/2023 2:53:00 PM - Excellent note, Motz, well done and thanks !
White

2020 Domaine Belargus Anjou Ronceray

 Chenin Blanc more
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4/2/2024 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 points

I really enjoyed the 2018 vintage of this wine and I am (at least) equally impressed by the 2020 rendition. A blend from south-facing plots totalling 4.44ha on schist and grès which the domaine owns on the "croupe" of Quarts-de-Chaume, 13.5% ABV. It is a hedonistic wine which is very different from the (more intellectual) Belargus Gordone 2020 also tasted recently, not the tight linen-and-chamomile character of that wine, but all about fresh, sweet fruit with hints of spice and honey, supported by firm acidity and balanced by gentle bitters which carry this finish, with its excellent resonance and length. The palate marries a rich and mounth-coating texture with real minerally energy and elegance in a way that is hugely attractive. Can't wait to taste the three dry single-plot wines from Quarts-de-Chaume (Veau, Quarts, Rouères). If this is the entry-level wine, how good must they be?!?

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    4/3/2024 1:38:00 PM - Great note - thanks! But it isn’t the entry level wine, which is (I believe) their Anjou Noir cuvée which is also very good, if not quite at the same level.
Red

2018 Château Moulin de Tricot

 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend more
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6/25/2022 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 96 points

Wow, I figured this would be good but I wasn't prepared for such a knock-your-socks-off experience. This is playing at a whole 'nother level relative to all the prior vintages I've had (including the "year of Margaux" 2015) and I can only figure it's one of those cases of vintage style and estate style colliding to get the best out of each. That 2018 warmth is ratcheting the fruit intensity up above the norm but it is still vibrantly red-fruited with lots of snap and zing notwithstanding the saucy, glossy veneer. Somehow it also has an airy presence in the mouth with a sense of space and dimension the result of which is that it doesn't slather the palate as many wines with similarly constituted fruit might, but instead taking a sip is like poking your tongue into a whole other world where the sky is blood red and it's raining sheets of Margaux wine. Slosh it around and you'll find loads of crushed gravel under the glossy fruit veneer and a corresponding texture that's coarse-grained without being tough or abrasive.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    6/26/2022 8:28:00 AM - Sounds great, thanks for posting, Keith - another Margaux I had never heard of!
Red

1996 Château Lynch-Bages

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/2/2014 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 95 points

textbook Pauillac nose ofcassis, cedar, cigar-box and graphite, with a wave of plums at the end. Marvellously fresh and vibrant mouthful of cassis but also plum and raspberry, beautifully constructed, bright, ripe, but also elegant and distinguished. Outstanding. A word of warning – this tasted quite light on opening, it needs several hours to thicken and open up properly (or probably an hour or two in a decanter). Well, great though the Moussas is, the Bages is just that much better and was definitely our WOTN: 95 pts

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    1/2/2014 7:04:00 AM - Cheers Harley, Happy New Year to you! I wouldn't say you need to worry, it will be fine in 2021 so something to look forward to!
Red

2003 Château Pontet-Canet

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/20/2018 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 93 points

It started badly: although I opened it in the morning, I didn't decant, which was a mistake. At first, the nose was cramped, with a lot of liquorice and the fruit was not burnt, but over-concentrated and rather pinched. "Typical bloody 2003", I thought. After a few hours, however, something much better emerged. The nose opened, with the usual Pauillac notes of cigar box and blackcurrant, the fruit shed its shackles and although ripe, became a much more typical display of thick, blackcurrant jammy Pauillac. So ultimately one of the best Pontet-Canets I've had. I think it needs at least another five years, maybe more, with a long life ahead.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    9/20/2018 11:24:00 AM - Cheers Mark - it’ll always be a divisive vintage, for good reasons, but there are some excellent wines of which this is one. Still quite good value, too.
Red

1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/17/2021 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 91 points

Classic Pauillac aromas of cigar box, graphite and cassis, quite a classical mouthful too, although more blackberry than blackcurrant, with a very enjoyable red berry streak midpalate. Quite rich, but in a restrained way, light to medium bodied, elegant (verging perhaps on thin), but with one major problem - the rugged finish. There's a rather unpleasant astringent side to the finish, leaving a bitter taste, which rather spoils the rest, so for me a very good wine but not a great one.
I opened this wondering whether to buy any more - at the current price here (75/80€), I won't. There are other vintages offering the same pleasure at half the price.
If you have loads of 96 already, no worries - this will keep for many years.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    1/18/2021 6:06:00 AM - IMO 02 is better than 01, but have a look at other more recent posts to see what people think. I haven't dared open a 05 yet but I'm sure it will eventually be a real star.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    1/18/2021 1:53:00 AM - Cheers - well, I would say 01, 02 and 07, all of which are half the price of the 96. 04 is not quite at the same level and 03 is to avoid altogether. 06 and 08 could be too but I haven't tried them.
Red

2005 Domaine de Chevalier

 Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/19/2022 - Julian Marshall Does not like this wine: NR

I was inspired to open this by Jane Anson’s very interesting report on the 2005s last week, in which she chose DdeC as the wine to open now. I followed her advice and decanted it for several hours.

Decanting was absolutely necessary - on opening, the wine was a bit disjointed with the sort of rasping, tannic finish that I’ve come to expect from 05s.

On the nose, red cherry, cigar box and redcurrants, plus some sweet spices towards the end. At first, a rush of red cherry, quite high-pitched, before some silky redcurrant and an intense third wave of blackberry and blackcurrant - so far so good - then…wham…the finish hits the back of the throat: very acidic, quite hot, a lingering sensation of cough mixture and kirsch. Not as tannic as it had been on opening, but it belied the mere 13° and ruined the whole experience.

I’m not sure what to think about this - there is a silky elegance to the fruit and until the finish, it is quite impressive, but it’s one of those glossy, high-pitched wines that lack a bass line, and as for the finish…I just hope time will sort it out. The style of the wine is anything but classic, like for me so far, the vintage itself. I can imagine the Chevalier turning into something special, but I wouldn’t put any money on it. It just reminded me yet again of how much I miss the old style.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    11/9/2022 1:33:00 AM - Thanks Matt - there is no "right" answer of course, only personal preferences. Also, my cellar is probably colder than most. Domaine de Chevalier changed style in the early 00s and I'm not a fan of what Derenoncourt is doing there.
    As for 05 in general, each to their own! So far I've got more satisfaction from 06s, but there is still a long way to go before anyone really knows how the 05s will turn out. My fingers are crossed because I still have a lot, but I'm concerned the fruit will fade before the tannins do.
Red

1996 Château Léoville Barton

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/2/2018 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 94 points

A great example of Barton, this has mellowed into a really satisfying Saint Julien. The nose is complex, with nuts, forest fruit, cigar box and a large dollop of cherry. The initial taste is less full-bodied than the last bottle, with a more open blend of dark cherry, blackcurrant and forest fruits, before a middle section that lifts to the top of the palate and a long finish which focuses on blackberry flavours. It's much more charming than the 90 was at the same stage, quite similar to the 85. Perfect balance, perfect feel.
This is at peak, I can't see it improving further, but it has a good five or ten years to go.
Not quite as good as the 90, because the middle section lacks the latter's power and acceleration into the finale, but an excellent wine.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    10/14/2018 6:53:00 AM - Thanks - and when you compare their prices...!!!
Red

2008 Château Pontet-Canet

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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12/7/2022 - Julian Marshall wrote: 90 points

Nothing transcending. Classic notes of cassis and cigar box, with perhaps a little blackberry, then quite a full-bodied, thick mouthful of the same, lifted by some cooler blackcurrant midpalate, then a reasonably long finish. Certainly concentrated but for me it is lacking in grip and character. It does the job fine, but at this price level, I expected a lot more; hardcore fans of PC will probably like the jammy concentration more than I did.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    12/8/2022 1:47:00 PM - Fair point - but I did decant for six hours. That said I certainly hope you’re right about the future !
Red

2015 Château Malartic-Lagravière

 Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend more
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4/30/2022 - Motz wrote: 92 points

Tasted over two days.

Elegant and plush substance, typical of this Burgundian-like vintage. Cabernet family markers show more prominently than four years ago. Harmonious varietal interplay. Solid expression of place, somewhat masked by excessive oak treatment. Balanced extraction and alcohol. Excellent acid and tannic structure.

The highlights: blackcurrant, pepper garden, gravel, and charred black earth, in delightful balance with plush red fruits, velvety textures, and clay.

The low light: IN MY FACE OAK!!! (No) Thanks Michel Rolland...ye proponent of making New World wines out of high quality Old World fruit. #BanMichelRolland?

After recently tasting the 2014 vintage, which is strikingly less oaky, and knowing that this vintage features subtlety, I looked up the oak treatment for both. Surprise, surprise...(or not)...as everything Michel Rolland touches (corrupts) turns to...well...you know...this vintage sat in 80 percent new oak (however high quality) for 18 months, whereas the stalwart '14 vintage fruit sat in 70 percent new oak for 18 months.

Way to go Michel (or not)!!! Great idea!!! Take delicate vintage fruit and throw more new oak at it than the previous, robust vintage. Smart (or not)!!!

In sum, a high quality wine, which will always be too oaky. Aging for another five to seven years seems safe, but I would not hold bottles beyond 2030 or so.

A little wine with your oak, anyone? The JS, D, V, and WE scores are out in left field...somewhere.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    5/1/2022 2:12:00 PM - Great stuff Motz - so a little too oaky then?!! I’m sure you’re right. That Rolland.
Red

2004 Château Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre

 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/25/2020 - JHSP wrote: 89 points

Very interesting - not my cup of tea - interesting sweet burned camarel taste finish....blind would have not optet for margaux - great blind bottle

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    1/25/2020 9:51:00 AM - Sadly, that's a bad one - an occupational hazard with BAMA. I've been lucky recently but when they're bad they always taste of caramel! Hope you have more luck next time, if you have any more, because when they're good, BAMAs (not the 04 specifically) are wonderful, IMHO.
White

2022 Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos de Mosny

 Chenin Blanc more
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3/17/2024 - Julian Marshall wrote: 90 points

My first white Blot for several years. My Loire Chenin education began with these wines in the mid-90s and there's no denying the sterling pioneer work of Jacky Blot, who alongside François Chidaine, completely rehabilitated Montlouis. But since then, others have emerged and I sort of lost interest so I was curious to try a recent one.

The nose is not super expressive - a touch of oak but not too obtrusive, then lemon and white spring flowers, before a very elegant, refined mouthful of lemon and honey, the latter giving an agreeably rich middle section. There's great freshness to the wine and only 12.5% ABV in a hot vintage. It will certainly improve over time and give a good bottle in a few more years.

But there are so many producers doing at least as well, and often much better. The new breed of Anjou and Savennières producers are making wines that are more vibrant and taut than this, more chiselled, more complex - and just more interesting all round, so while I'd be happy to take a sip in the future, I won't be back for more.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    3/27/2024 2:29:00 AM - Cheers - you could try Ogereau, Plaisance, Boudignon, Pierre Ménard, Bertin-Delatte, or Belargus, for example, and there are probably others I haven't tried yet.
Red

2005 Château Branaire-Ducru

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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11/10/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 points

Hmmm… so far the 2005 vintage from Bordeaux continues to be perplexing. 2005 was supposed to be the best vintage since 2000. In my opinion, 2005 is more a cross between 2003 and 1986. Slightly stewed and extracted but tannic, rustic and austere. A bit of a misfit vintage I would say. I hope I’m wrong and this wone is stilll in its dumb phase

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    11/13/2022 1:39:00 AM - Hopefully five rather than ten years, but I agree they need time!

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    11/11/2022 2:06:00 PM - My thoughts entirely - so far at least!
Red

2006 Château Pontet-Canet

 Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend more
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11/23/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: NR

**Based on the price paid, I want to slap this wine...I thought the stinginess was from something really great, like youth! Then I let it do its thing for over 8 hours. Guess what? It was bluffing the whole time...

Before I blame this on 06, I reminded myself of some the really good wines in 06 (Smith Haut Lafitte comes to mind for sure)...and before I give this a numeric slap upside the head, I will try another soon. Just doesnt add up, but I think that PC has gone so far into the ripe side of the style that some of these vintages just don't have balance.

This wine lacked balance from the get go and never fell into place. Crunchy, tight, yet out of whack and lacking development. The best part was towards the end when the cedar started appearing and I could smell some tobacco down wind. I'll chalk this up to not being my stye and will not score...

Good luck with yours...I am no hater of 06, but this was very un-06

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    11/23/2023 1:45:00 PM - Sadly PT I agree. There are so many better 06s to be enjoyed. Hopefully a passing phase.
Red - Fortified

1997 Warre Porto Vintage

 Port Blend more
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12/5/2013 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 95 points

Very dark, primary colour. Figs, plums and black cherries on the nose, with liquorice and fruit tart. In the mouth, the immediate impression is of great silkiness and concentration: the depth of the expression of fruit is stunning. First off are the spicy plums, then fig jam, before a really impressive wave of very dark and concentrated cherry, mixed with blackberry and cassis. The finish goes on forever and the taste lingers a good two minutes after the sip.
Great stuff, the type of wine to bring a smile to anyone's face.
It'll be a lot better in ten years from now, but still one of the best ports I have tried.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    12/6/2013 12:55:00 AM - Cheers Stefan, thanks for your input! I'm not a regular Port drinker but I've been wanting to try one of these for some time. I continued the bottle last night and can confirm that you really shouldn't open your's just yet, so don't feel too tempted! I think in 11 years it'll be just about right - for now the strength and intensity is a little overpowering. I'm struck by how underrated and undervalued this is - in France it can be picked up at auction for as little as 30€.
Red

2008 Château Léoville Barton

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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10/3/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 92 points

Part of our 6 vintage, 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2007 / 2009 / 2010 Leoville Barton vertical. It was great that EC was offered this ex-chateau box-set to purchase, and 6 of us shared the experience!

This 2008 vintage exceled 1 hour after being poured into my Lucaris "tulip" glass, great power and balance at the same time.

Nose opened up to blackcurrant and chocolate notes, and whilst there was sufficient power, density and intensity on the palate, it seemed remarkably well balanced. Tannins were some of the most rounded of the 6 vintages.

Cassis and sweet plums on the finish, which seemed to go on for at least 30-40 seconds. All this from a simple 1 hour bottle-breathe, and left to evolve in my glass for another hour.

LB 2005-2010 vertical, rank (of 6): 1st.
Yes, the 2008 beat the 2010 as well as 2009 in terms of approchability and readiness to drink. Wonderful!

Interestingly, thewinecellarinside.com describes the best vintages in this vertical as 2005, 2009 and 2010. Not a single mention of 2008, but most of us in the tasting this week all picked.. this 2008 as our favourite.

Weather:
In 2008, the later-ripening Cab was at its most advantageous, and due to the high Cab Sauv percentage blends of Saint-Julien (as well as Pauillac), there were multiple bottlings from this appelation which was excellent. Described as densely ripe, powerful and fragrant, the tannins of this vintage are typically firm and strong, but not harsh.

July 2008 presented itself with dry sunny weather;
However, in August, it was first cool then came the sunshine after.
Sept and October saw warm average daytime temperatures of over 20C, and along with the warm Atlantic breeze, it accelerated ripening whilst keeping the grapes healthy.

Tang Room, Damansara, Malaysia - 3 Oct 2022

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    10/4/2022 2:10:00 PM - Thanks for the interesting note. Jeff Leve (WCI) prefers riper vintages I suspect which would explain the omission but what counts is that you enjoyed it!
White

2005 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest

 Chardonnay more
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1/2/2018 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 90 points

Much richer and more buttery than the last bottle, with hints of crème brûlée, this has lost the chiseled freshness it had before, developing Meursault-like qualities. Plenty of body and length but I miss the fresh citrus notes of its youth. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I expected to - not a criticism as much as personal preference.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    2/14/2018 11:21:00 PM - Ô Mistress, there is nothing like a dame! Yours came from the Sound of Music I believe! Well I’m glad your Forest was better than mine. I wasn’t unhappy with it but I preferred its salad days, that’s all. Cheers!
Red

2001 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Cuvée Crescendo Clos de l'Echo

 Cabernet Franc more
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1/29/2022 - forceberry wrote: 95 points

The flagship wine of Couly-Dutheil. Made from the fruit sourced from a special parcel located in the Couly-Dutheil monopole Clos de l'Echo, a 17-hectare vineyard. The vines in this parcel are pruned down to produce a yield half to that of the rest of the Clos de l'Echo, resulting in a tremendously concentrated and massive Chinon. The wine is fermented with natural yeasts and macerated with the skins over a period of 30 days, after which the wine is aged partially in stainless steel and partially in new oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Deep, quite extracted and only slightly translucent black cherry red color. Somewhat evolved, slightly smoky and enjoyably rustic nose with aromas of wizened blackcurrants, some horse's behind, a little bit of savory wood spice, light juicy notes of fresh red fruits, herbaceous hints of cooked bell pepper and mulchy grass, an oaky touch of cocoa nibs and a smoky whiff of toasted wood. The wine is dry, firm and quite dense on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of crunchy redcurrants, some sweeter notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of tobacco, light herbaceous notes of bell pepper, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of sweet oak spice. The wine shows quite a bit of ripeness, yet without any sense of weight or obvious sweetness of fruit. The overall feel is firm, structured and very balanced, thanks to the high acidity and ample yet very ripe tannins that coat your mouth, yet don't feel any bit tough or aggressive. The dry finish is very long, savory and rather grippy with intense flavors of sour cherries and ripe blackcurrants, some tart cranberry tones, light funky notes of leather and merde, a little bit of forest floor, a hint of tobacco and a subtle touch of sweet oak spice.

A superb, very structured and harmonious vintage of Crescendo that shows the hallmark ripeness and concentration of the cuvée without any of the excessive weight or high alcohol it can show in warmer vintages. I was wondering whether this was a Loire Cab Franc or Bordeaux - the rather noticeable herbaceous component made me think of Loire, but the overall sense of ripeness and faint oaky undertones reminded me a lot more of 1990's Left-Bank Bordeaux rather than Loire, so I went for Bordeaux instead. Well, when I was told that Bordeaux this ain't, my second guess of 20-yo Chinon was spot-on. All in all, this is an excellent, ripe and quite extracted yet not one bit overdone Chinon. I can imagine this might've been a bit clumsy in its youth, but now the wine is approaching a very harmonious phase of full maturity where some of the most obvious fruit notes have evolved into tertiary complexity and most of the oak has integrated with the fruit. This is really a Bordeaux-drinker's Chinon, combining effortlessly the best of the two worlds. Thanks to its intensity, ample tannins and sense of balance, I can expect this wine to continue its evolution for many more years, but it is starting to drink fantastically right now. Drink or keep.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    2/17/2022 2:09:00 PM - Fabulous note! I totally agree that this is a Chinon for Bordeaux lovers. If I could I would send you a bottle of the 97, which I think is even better. Thanks for posting - please copy it on the WB Loire red thread - I’m sure many would find it very interesting !
Red

2014 Olga Raffault Chinon La Singulière

 Cabernet Franc more
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5/13/2022 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 93 points

This is made using a selection from the oldest plots of the domaine. It spends two to three years in used oak barrels before release, which explains why the 2014 is still available and why the 2015 is the youngest available now.

The bouquet is fresh and floral, with peonies, loganberries, a hint of rosehip and violet. The first sip is immediately arresting - a deep blend of dark raspberry and redcurrant, before it moves out into a fascinating combination of dark cherry, violet, a little light Victoria plum, then some crisp blackcurrant on the long, intense finish. Still slightly tannic, there is the same peppery leanness of the Picasses, but if there is any oak, this is very much in the background. One of the best 14s I've tried, this is really delicious.

Comparing the Singulière to the Picasses is not fair on the latter. In the mouth, the difference is clear from the first sip - the Picasses 2014 is certainly very good, but the intensity of the Singulière makes it just so much better. The fruit is not at all sugary, it is very much in the current Loire style, so fresh, crisp and crunchy. The long and the short of it is that the Singulière has the fruit which the Picasses lacks.

I'm not sure this is quite at the level of the very best Chinons, but it certainly is very close and it would be fun to try one with a Croix Boissée, because there is a definite similarity. The other similarity which I do not like is the heavy bottle - I really don't see the point of this sort of "statement".

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    2/25/2023 8:36:00 AM - Glad you enjoyed my drivel! As to which is better, as you rightly say, each to their own. Les Picasses 1990 was my first great Loire red moment many years ago but I've yet to reach the same heights with one since. They certainly need a long time and it'll be fun seeing how these two shape up after another ten years in the cellar.
White

2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont

 Chenin Blanc more
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10/26/2020 - Julian Marshall wrote: 88 points

Still enjoyable but fading away now. It's interesting how Clos de Bourg still has its purity, whereas this does not. On opening, it was spicy but still quite fresh, but the citrus fruits were rapidly replaced by slightly bitter honey.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    10/26/2020 9:01:00 AM - Yes, you're probably right - hope yours turns out well!
Red

2005 Château Moulin Saint-Georges

 St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/14/2023 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 91 points

I tried this with a 2000.

Unlike the 2000, I decanted this - it was clearly in need when I opened it. I gave it five hours, which helped, but it’s not really ready yet. Blackberry and black cherries on the nose, with some earth and tobacco. In the mouth, quite different to the 2000: intense blackberry, then the dark cherries and a little plum. Very intense, but it doesn’t rise to the top of the palate like the 2000, it goes straight for the jugular, with lots of depth. More refined and elegant than the 00, more polished too, but also more tannic. The tannins are still a little fiery, hence the need to decant. The finish is wonderfully persistent but the flavours never really get out of second gear. It needs to loosen up, which I think it will in another two or three years. Still, in its own way, very enjoyable. For now, 91 points but I think it will deserve more in the future.

Trying them together, it was hard to believe they came from the same producer, such was the difference in taste profile. The 2005 is a promising wine but it never stood a chance next to the 2000. However, the 2005 is a whole lot better than any other St.Emilion 2005 I have tried, which admittedly is not difficult. Unlike the others, the Vauthier family refrained from turning everything up to eleven and the refined, restrained elegance came as a welcome relief.

  • Comment posted by Julian Marshall:

    1/25/2023 4:35:00 AM - Cheers Ms B and thanks for the kind words! Hope you enjoy the Rol V 2000. I've never tried it but I suspect it might turn out quite well, judging by the 05.

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