4/25/2024 - Trenties Does not like this wine:

Not expressive, not a lot of fruit, not to strong. An elegant wine. I expected more. But there is still a lot of acidity and tannins to save for at least 6 more years, so let’s try then!

4/19/2024 - Juliansi Likes this wine:

Medium tannic grip, acid M+ and a classical herbal nose with aromas of garrique and more dried herbs. I thought.. this could be a CDP, but why does it look so young, and yet is so elegant.

A very complex wine, and when unveiled by our kind host Patt0, it was clear why.. this CDP comes from the magnificent 2016 vintage, and it was not just any CDP. It is the iconic Réserve des Célestins!

This is the late Henri Bonneau's top cuvée, and displays such intensity and concentration of black fruit. I have to agree.. this must be one of the finest CdPs one could enjoy!

Whilst the 2015 Reserve Celestins was the last top cuvée that Henri made and put on barrels himself, I have to say it was a privilege to try this 2016 due to its vintage, and being able to admire how his son Marcel who had been at his father's side throughout their lives, has capably taken over.

Production numbers? 1,500 bottles each year!

2016 - An exceptional CDP vintage!
Rather mild winter and a dry and cool spring, then the vines had to resist a hot summer. It was a hot albeit not blistering hot summer.

In early August, over the Véraison ripening time, there were wide temperature variations between day and night, a positive factor that encourages polyphenol synthesis.

Whilst the summer was particularly dry; Things changed in September.
It was precisely the thin drizzle that fell continuously on 14 and 15 September that allowed the grapes to reach full maturity, without hampering the quality potential of a harvest! Perfection.

Possibly the best vintage over 2 decades, until one goes back to 1990's perfection.

The late Henri Bonneau (1938-2016) is one of the true legends of Châteauneuf du Pape. He is the 12th generation of Bonneaus to produce wine in Châteauneuf and is now aided in the cellars by his son, Marcel.

Henri has 6 hectares of vineyards, split between 5.25ha in La Crau (arguably Châteauneuf’s finest terroir) and 0.75ha on stonier soil near Couthézon in the northeast of the appellation.

Bonneau produces mainly from Grenache (80-90%) with small quantities of Mourvèdre, Counoise and Vaccarèse.

Henri harvests as late as possible, a policy that usually produces super-ripe fruit although sometimes he does get caught out by October rains. Yields are kept low and vinification and elevage are traditional with the use of wooden foudres and smaller oak barrels.

Typically the wine is aged in oak for 3-4 years before being bottled unfiltered. Whilst outstanding and super rare... I have to say, this is a wine which needs cellaring to at least 2030 before one pops the next bottle!

Wines with View annual dinner, PJ, Malaysia
19th Apr 2024

6/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Intense and steely with a firm mineral spine, complexity on the palate, ripping acidity, and a taut, but elegant structure. Everything is balanced on a wire here; incredible tension and freshness. Love this.

4/26/2024 - SimonDong wrote:

medium body, smooth, slightly saline, slightly oxidative, some orchard fruit, some plants/lees, medium acidity very melo, quite buttery with caramel at the finish. good concentration, very much in harmony, approaching end of drinking window.

4/25/2024 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:

A private lunch (Restaurant La Garaudière, Levernois, France): Pure and bright expression of variety and terroir, nicely layered aromas (roses and violets, peaches and raspberries, smoke), elegant (12.5% ABV) yet intense palate with with crunchy fruit and black pepper, wonderfully fresh and minerally, energetic but youthfully tight finish.

4/26/2024 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine:

Dsg 02/2023

It’s difficult to keep my hands away from this rosé de saignée which intrigues me! Even though probably (too?) young, I decided to open a bottle from the lot I have just to gauge the level. Probably based on 2019.

When opened, the bubble is abundant, the wine could have been decanted but it was aerated for a long time which was beneficial to it. The choice of a large pinot noir type glass was also profitable.

Once the foam of the effervescence has dissipated, the juice offers an impactful attack, all in freshness, then on an intense red fruit coulis. It is a flavorful and very pleasant champagne. Good structure even if I would have liked to have a more vinous and longer finish.

Very good champagne, still reasonably priced which is becoming rare for Rosé de Saignée.

4/25/2024 - Raage wrote:

(CDV)
Surpris par son boisé excentré, palpable.
Avait besoin d’air, petit côté confit, on sent le viognier évolué rehaussé par une belle mineralité.
En mangeant (asperges…) il prenait du sens.
On s’est demandé si la bouteille n’avait pas un problème (dissocié). Mais les notes CT relèvent souvent son côté boisé…

4/25/2024 - PSPatrick wrote:

Bottle and cork in good condition. Medium amber golden colour. Apple, apricot, wild honey, beeswax, light sous-bois, light spice, light black tea, and a mineral aspect, with good, fresh acidity, a touch of sweetness, and good length. Pleasant light bitterness on the finish. Medium-bodied, with a smooth, waxy texture. Pairs well with food; in our case it became very smooth, honeyed and harmonious in combination with white asparagus and sauce hollandaise. Drink now.

4/24/2024 - PSPatrick wrote:

Bottle in perfect condition, filled into the neck, cork intact. I poured the wine into a small decanter and followed its development for about four hours. Medium garnet colour, light orange towards the rim, some sediment. The wine was tight upon opening, but opened up with aeration and showed best after about 90 minutes in the small decanter: Red fruit, red cherry, mixed berries, blood, gamy notes, spices, tobacco, balsamic notes, light tea, and some VA, with fresh acidity, round, well-integrated tannin, and very good length. Medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, and harmonious, with good energy and good concentration. Fresher, tighter, more structured than the sweet, broad inviting 2000. After two hours, the wine started to develop a more mature, even smoother, very integrated profile. A glass I kept for day two was consistent with my last glass on day one. Drink or hold.

4/25/2024 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:

A private lunch (Restaurant La Garaudière, Levernois, France): Solid, good fruit and freshness, nice oak spice, a bit unpolished on the finish. Not very expressive, perhaps abit dull even.

4/25/2024 - Raage Likes this wine:

Goûtait différemment 2 ans plus tard.
Moins de gras, plus de tension, boisé intégré, le profil me semblait plus altier, et toujours dans l’élégance.
À l’ouverture, petite truffe blanche, cire et poire mûre, puis le sud intervient avec des notes anisées et de bonbons anglais.
Bouche droite, verticale, saline, d’une grande finesse, et longue… le beau vin méditerranéen !

4/25/2024 - GHRM002 wrote:

Very clean, citrus, petrol; seriously good, but also not inexpensive

4/26/2024 - ProfByron Likes this wine:

Silky, elegant, has turned into a charming wine.

4/6/2024 - ylkim30 wrote:

April 2024 Rhone Valley Tasting (K&L): Sleek, stone fruit, floral, lowish acid. There's minerality and a hit of herb, lending some complexity on the palate, but there just isn't enough acid here.

4/25/2024 - Raage Likes this wine:

(CDV)
Explosif au nez, flatteur, très « DJ » avec son fruité boisé qui en fait beaucoup à ce stade, exotique et citronné. Comme en bouche où la richesse et l’éclat minéral le prédestinent à la garde.
Je préfère cette cuvée sur le long terme car elle s’affine et s’harmonise. Elle semble en avoir le potentiel sur ce riche millésime
92++

4/26/2024 - ttholst wrote:

Vinen lukter og smaker av mørke bær, tobakk, mokkabønner, lyse skinnhansker og litt sedertre og vanilje. Fløyelsmyk i munnen med fin balanse mellom frukt og syre. Nesten som om vinen har litt tyggemotstand, og den har fin og fast struktur. Lang, sammensatt smak.

4/19/2024 - Aravind Asok wrote:

Pop and pour. Lovely dense nose with soft oak and florals. Rochly styled on the palate, but excellent acidity to balance. Definitely what I would consider a richer styled Condrieu.

4/26/2024 - PC73 wrote:

Another check in. Loved this wine throughout. This was tighter than last bottle.. really opened up with air and time in glass. Lovely

4/25/2024 - merryberry Likes this wine:

Cola and crushed raspberry nose. Light to medium bodied, cranberries, bing cherries, soft tannins, a bit of smoke, and a medium length finish. Good value, good fruit, but not much else.

4/25/2024 - Raage Likes this wine:

(CDV)
Si l’aromatique est un peu fatiguée, avec qq nuances oxydatives, il présente en bouche une indéniable tenue, sans l’épaisseur parfois sudiste du cru. C’est qu’en 2002 la météo pluvieuse avait prédisposé la vallée du Rhône à ne produire que de bons vins en blanc. Ce Chave s’en sort donc fort bien 22 ans plus tard, avec ses arômes d’acacia, de praliné, d’épices vanillées, de miel, de bonbons acidulés. En bouche, il file droit, très long, étiré, minéral, accompagnant à merveille des ris de veau aux morilles. Quelle persistance !

4/26/2024 - ccarlucci Likes this wine:

Opened on 4/23, finished on 4/25. After exactly 48 hours open, it was still delicious. Opened to high levels of minerality and earthiness, with a strong pungent bouquet. After 24 hours, mellowed tremendously to the point where the tannins softened considerably and the flavor was quite enjoyable. Most certainly allow this to open for at least four to 24 hours.

4/26/2024 - Raywilliams420 Likes this wine:

Tasting five days after opening. I forgot about the wine. Still holding up pretty well. Nose gives me sweet citrus . Sweetness Is what is dominate. Lil bit of acidity is there. Suppose to be dry to med dry but I prob ruined that days ago when i forgot about it. U can drink this as dessert, it taste that sweet ( to me at least ). I should’ve tried this when I first opened it. Smh. I’m still enjoying it.

11/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

November 2023 Riesling Tasting (K&L): Not the most detailed note here: "Not super ripe, but still light on its feet. Great!"

Considering this is a young Auslese, which are not my favorite, I must have liked this quite a bit despite the sweetness. I'm assuming the acidity was on point. Also, I do find Graacher Himmelreich tends to show better young than Wehlener Sonnenuhr, so this doesn't surprise me.

4/25/2024 - Raywilliams420 Likes this wine:

Nose is very toned down but that might be because i have it 4 hours of air in the bottle In get some tropical notes on the nose Mellow acidity on the palate an light fruit flavors. This wine is very mellow. Prob should’ve popped an poured first. I like it the way it is but I wish I would’ve seen what it was like before it turned into this. I’m sure this wasn’t as mellow when it first was opened. It has a nice finish It stays smooth from beginning til the end.lil bit Of minerality. In my opinion This is great showing. I would dEf buy again. Super smooth an sexy an i tend to not be a fan of most cali Chardonnays that I’ve come across.

11/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

November 2023 Riesling Tasting (K&L): This has beautiful white fruit on the palate, a delicate touch on the palate that is not too ripe, good acidity that balances the sweetness, and a real intensity of flavor. Delightful.

4/25/2024 - SurfBurg wrote:

Almost airy, amazing nose and texture but not classic GC depth or weight. I still loved it, reminded me of a bottle Arnoux-Lachaux I recently had in terms of mouthfeel. It was only medium complex, but I went back to it again and again. Definitely more expressive than the 2010 Drouhin Mouches.

11/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

November 2023 Riesling Tasting (K&L): I remember this have a touch more acid and energy than the Nikolaihof Vinothek, a slimmer profile, and less polish on the palate. I liked this quite a bit.

4/25/2024 - Raage wrote:

(CDV)
Ce vin me laisse perplexe… nez aromatique (buis, ananas, c’est exotique, épicé-vanillé et boisé), bouche riche et saline, sans lourdeur, finale longue, pas une ride, ah, y a du vin, il en met plein les yeux -et le palais!- mais, oui mais, tout ceci est tellement artificiel, travaillé, maquillé, œnologique, que j’en perds mon latin vinique. Intense et factice!
On dirait une caricature de vin étranger ou tout est permis pour aseptiser le produit, le rendre « clean » dans une ébauche de netteté.
Racoleur!

11/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

November 2023 Riesling Tasting (K&L): This was a lot lighter on its feet than the intensely large-scaled and cask-influenced '97 Fass Severin Vinothek I had a couple of months earlier. This has some petrol and floral elements on the nose with a slick, glycerin texture on the palate. I'm not getting any pronounced oxidative notes.

4/24/2024 - sommelier Likes this wine:

The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. It smells like red currant and strawberry. It tastes like plum. The body is light/medium. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium.

11/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

November 2023 Riesling Tasting (K&L): Bright and refreshing on the palate with loads of mineral and a hint of lime. The acidity is good and wine itself isn't ponderous or overly alcoholic. A balanced Austrian Riesling.

4/26/2024 - Vinogan(s) wrote:

Very nicely done. Fruit forward, but not too warm for this type of wine. No need to wait any longer to drink this

11/10/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

November 2023 Riesling Tasting (K&L): Cool, steely, and dry on the palate. A mineral-forward wine with a hint of white fruit and citrus that has a long, tangy, acid finish. A young CFE, but a really good one.

4/25/2024 - whits wrote:

Stewed strawberry and blueberry scents, layered but tight overall, smooth through the mouth, hints of raspberry, plum and bitter melon, feels spicy on the end, distinctive and wide, needs more time, the tannin holds tough

4/25/2024 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine:

Nose of great freshness, both floral and peachy.

Mouth of mirabelle plum, all elegance and structure. Still a little austere but with magnificent length. The juice is distinguished, still too young of course, but we can see all the potential it can have within 5 years. Its vigor made me think of a beautiful Chablis. Nice finish on green tea.

4/25/2024 - Raywilliams420 Likes this wine:

Lighter smells of sweet red fruits on the nose (cherry, light flavors of raspberry, strawberry ). as in use to heavier smells when smelling cali Pinot. Oak has definitely been presented to this wine but as u swirl the fruits take over the nose. Opened this wine for 3 hours in the bottle before trying it. Very soft tannins an soft mouthfeel. Red fruits don’t dominate the flavor but they do play there part Lil bit of oak kickback on the palate. I would think worm bottle age will help integrate that into being more harmonious. It’s not harsh but it’s there. Very drinkable. This actually gets a higher score than I originally planned. Not a huge finish nor a long lasting pine but good wine for the money. If I had more I would wait a while longer for the oak to merry with the wine. I will also see how this will taste tomorrow after a day of sitting in the bottle an being exposed to air.

4/25/2024 - Mandamus Likes this wine:

Quite nice and easy drinking, with typical red fruit notes. Some black fruit and notes of spice, perhaps a bit of caramel and coffee. Moderate body and a moderate finish. It's good and easy to like, but not very complex and a bit flabby. Still, it has a very good QPR.

Suspected to contain a substantive amount of histamines. (Consumed with good company, with various Indian foods.)

4/20/2024 - SnobNouveau Likes this wine:

Velvet and pepper. Mid length finish. Focused and upper mid body.

4/25/2024 - ohne_musik wrote:

A nice, very balanced and Burgundian Chardonnay that could easily be mistaken as a riper year Macon from a good producer. Mostly neutral oak, lemon-lime and green apple fruit, with a decent breadth and richness. Steely and tasty.

4/25/2024 - Collector1855 wrote:

First decent Chasselas I had in my life. Not as limpy and with RS as the off the mill ones. This Grand Cru has appropriate acidity - in the context of Chasselas of course. There is also lovely stone fruit, some green apples, herbs and minerals. Reminded me a bit of a GruVe.

4/25/2024 - akkipro Likes this wine:

Smooth, easy drinking, recommend.

4/25/2024 - UABETA Likes this wine:

4/25/2024 - akkipro Likes this wine:

Peppery to taste, full bodied.

4/25/2024 - chouch-hendo-drinkwine Likes this wine:

**** We previously tried this wine four months ago in Paris under the label of Ludovic Courbis, the son. This time the bottle we tried had a Gerard Courbis label.

We let this wine sit for about two hours in the decanter prior to drinking. At first open, the tannins were extremely chewy, but after the decanter, the tannins faded away and the mouthfeel became quite silky. The wine was also quite reduced and needed a lot of air at the start.

The nose was a typical southern-sector Saint-Joseph - blackberry and cherry accompanied by some fresh, earthy notes. This was strong at 14.5% ABV and menthol immediately came to the forefront of the wine when tasting. Notes of gooseberry and unripe blueberries also appeared. The aftertaste was a little peppery.

This, however, is a classic vin de Mauves. Like Gripa's St-Jo, it's a deep and dark wine. Way too young right now, and the fruits are concealed yet identifiable. Most definitely a little more feral and rustic than Gripa; the wine gives a feeling that transports one to the middle of a horse stable perhaps.

4/25/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

This took a full hour of near continuous decantations to come around. Finally revealing aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry, toasty, new oak, cedar, culinary herb scents and red currants. Quite rich and full-bodied, loaded with sweet red cherries and currants, toasted oak, hot gravel and some brooding black fruits and soil. This has a corpulent frame supported on a scaffold of layered tannins and brisk acidity. This will benefit from another 2-3 years in the cellar to open and shed some tannin and should reach age 15+ in fine shape. 91

4/23/2024 - ThijsV Likes this wine:

[Restaurant purchase] This is among the best white wines I’ve ever had. Absolutely stunning in its elegance and purity.

4/23/2024 - ThijsV Likes this wine:

[Restaurant purchase] No detailed notes. Interestingly, I had the same wine in January this year but today it showed much, much better. Medium yellow with a slight haze. Medium+ intensity on the nose; reductive, almond, ripe, clearly some lee aging. A slight natural feel to it. Medium+ intensity, long finish. 94-95

Brilliant wine

4/25/2024 - Papies wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes and a good addition . The arbitrage in absolute quality vs price is defined by this beautiful chateau. And we do mean absolute cause the wine is beautiful ( as is always in good years) irrespective of its prices. We joked it’s these random wine openings every now and then that remind us the beauty and greatness of classic Bordeaux. This a wine we have tried a few times in the last 15 years and much like last time in 2020 ( Papies 93) it excelled . Classic through and through from nose to tail and now is in a good secondary phase but the fruit is vibrant and very much present. A magnificent wine , easy 93 on its own merit , exceptional price to quality and this will perform easily for another 15yrs minimum. So happy we have more and easily will add if we see any flying around.

4/25/2024 - mcflytfc Likes this wine:

My previous note still stands. Natural cork. This is a pretty good Bordeaux, not amazing. Decent balance, silky tannins are nearly integrated, good fruit, long mineral and tobacco finish. I would say that this is in its drinking window.
I'm sure it could go longer, it still tastes like a young bordeaux, I'm just not sure if I'll like it more however. 1.5 years on since the last time I tried it and I wasn't wowed. It improved in the glass.

4/23/2024 - ThijsV Likes this wine:

[Restaurant purchase] No detailed notes. Unexpectedly open and enjoyable given its age. Medium intensity on the nose, hint of petrol, just ripe tropical fruit, white peach, minerality. High acidity, very long finish. 93-94+