2/1/2024 - Porphyr Does not like this wine:

This starts out charming on the nose with a beautiful bouquet of berries and subtle leather notes. However, this quickly turns out to be most overwhelmingly oaked. Not sure this will get any better with time.

1/14/2024 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is getting into a really nice place now.
Of course at 17% alc, this is fairly massive and won't be everyone's pick but, if you are into Amarone, this one is good. The herbaceous notes (almost like Eucalyptus?) carry this wine and overlay the bold presence of red berries and the general sweet character of the wine. Had this with cheeses at the end of the meal and it worked like a charm.

11/11/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Oh the balance in this wine! Do not look for some exuberant display of power here, the near perfection of this wine lies within all the subtleties and layers it has to show. It is a blend, that has spent 25 years ageing on lees. It is perfectly well rounded, silky with touches of herbs, fruits, acidity and a very nice length in the mouth. The density of each sip, in an astonishingly simple to perceive manner is really astonishing. This is a very unique and nearly perfect wine. I will have to try their other "Rarities" in particular if they are more affordable than this 1991 !

11/5/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Tropical fruits, sweetness and acidity, all you need for a good Auslese!

10/12/2023 - Porphyr wrote:

Solid, does the Job.

9/26/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Raspberries, pepper, lots of leather. Nose just as delicate as the palate even if slightly overwhelming after a while. A remarkably pleasant drink. Wouldn't wait much longer to drink this though.

9/23/2023 - Porphyr wrote:

This is scrumptious right now, probably peaking. Great nose, Herbs, ripe plums, saline notes, nice length. Enjoy.

9/3/2023 - Porphyr wrote:

Nicely passed its drinking window now. Still some hints of elegance remain. I am obviously positively biased towards it though :)

8/24/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

The aromatics so typical of s.b are no more to be found here so, purists can move on. However this remains a very nice evolved wine with plenty of freshness and crisp acidity. Well made, enjoyable .

6/26/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Still very Flinty and mineral. Time to drink up though.

4/1/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Brought to blind tasting.Upon opening this was off, acidic and without depth, I was worried and was bracing myself for a replacement bottle. However, 8 hours later and after a bit of Carafe this was the star of our blind tasting. Even surpassed Gaja Sperss 2011, after removed the sleeves I was shocked. Fairly perfect, but at this stage consider the long set-up !

3/28/2023 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is still fresh with plenty of citrusy zests and exotic fruits on the palate, a nice sweet-acid balance, some salinity, good length. A high pleasure drinking!

2/3/2023 - Porphyr wrote:

Corked :(

11/24/2022 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Very crisp, Citrusy, and floral nose but also has apples that remind a bit of Chenin, a bit of minerals and toast as well, with good tension. Starting to show tertiary aromas, this is extremely easy to drink.

11/13/2022 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Dark, mature, complex with considerable deposit now. Cherries, plums Garrigue but, also still surprisingly strong notes of vanilla (oak).
Very pleasant wine, for me. Should be at level for a few more years.

6/23/2022 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is very young and primary - still quite a bit of fizz upon unscrewing! After a bit of aeration: layers of exotic fruits, bitter herbaceous greens, and a slight touch of salinity. Quite the enjoyable wine.

6/18/2022 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Silky and smooth drinking, "gouleyant" is the word! This is a bomb of a vintage that is great now but also still has several more years ahead. Well done !

6/18/2022 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Incredibly nice, but almost still holding back? Although there is not much restraint here, slight blackcurrant flower on the nose but mostly just wildly exotic fruits, this is one powerhouse of a wine. The acidity and particularly saline notes are spot on.

5/26/2022 - Porphyr wrote:

Not as fresh as previous bottles, lacking the crisp energy, perhaps a bit off?

12/25/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Nom parfait pour un breuvage soyeux, velouré et néanmoins texturé. Assemblage flateur de Pinot Noir - Gamay - Gamaret.

12/13/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is a cracker. Deep golden in colour, scents of mandarine, grapefruit and herbs. In the mouth, there is nougat, Lapsang Souchong an more of those lovely citrus notes. Despite its only 6.5 alc level, this is perfectly well balanced between fruit, sugar and plenty of acidity. Although is it really a wine? I think this is something else, more like a philosophical nectar to contemplate. Very good, be not mistaken, but if I were picky I could want it to have a bit more depth and length.

11/27/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is liquid candied Sugar with volatile saffron, a bit of evolved nuts, some bitter citrus fruits. It is sooo long, just delicious!
What a treat, second perfect bottle I enjoyed of this vintage within a short while, apparently not everyone here got so lucky.

11/27/2021 - Porphyr wrote:

Encore trop jeune, avec un boisé bien présent, je m'en doutais avant te l'ouvrir mais là c'est confirmé! Néanmoins prometteur pour la suite.

11/29/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Verticale de Cayas, a ce stade le 2007 était notre préferé! Belle réussite, sans doute à son apogée.

11/29/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Belle Syrah issue d'une année fraîche, évolution perceptible avec la minéralité et les arômes tertiaires (tabac, chocolat) bien en place. En a encore dans le ventre, peut être gardé plus longtemps.

11/27/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Gorgeous drink. Delicate bubbles, some bitterness through the lees, then fruit and acidity make for a very lively and yet evolved Sekt. Will definitely need to buy more! I think this bottle was way better than the previous one which I drank which was more muted. (Disgorged Sep. 2020)

11/27/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Gorgeous Syrah, silky, fruity and powerful. Drinks well now but I will cellar next ones a bit longer.

10/16/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This has evolved nicely and will remain pleasant for a few more years. Full mouthed, apricots, herbs, and nice acidity. Was a perfect match for a tasty slow cooked pork belly.

10/2/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Ce temps supplémentaire a fait du bien - à mon goût. Dommage que c’était ma dernière.

9/18/2021 - Porphyr wrote:

Robe sombre aux reflets bordeaux. Nez discret, attaque souple, légères notes de fruits rouges, de graphite ainsi que de fût assez présent, bonne longueur.
Bien fait mais, sans complexité ou caractère particulier. À boire maintenant, ou à garder.

6/10/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is tasting quite well now but has years left to go. There are still last glimpses of primary fruits but also showing more evolved exotics notes. Bright acidity, slight fizz, and long deep mineral notes, deep golden colour. So refreshing and crisp.

5/15/2021 - Porphyr Does not like this wine:

Tastes like water with high acidity....

5/21/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Didn’t know Zweigelt before this bottle, this one was very nice! Served blind at tasting and widely appreciated, well done! No formal notes to speak of, sorry...

5/20/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Elegant wine, with red berries, some oak barrel traces and slowly getting into some tertiary. A bit short on the palate and lacking the complexity I would have wished for at this price tag but, nevertheless pleasant.

5/7/2021 - Porphyr wrote:

Incredibly opulent notes of exotic fruit. But unfortunately corked.

1/1/2021 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Lots of sun on these grapes, the bottle screams new world wine. Ample notes of cocoa, ripe fruits without too much sweetness as could be feared. Not that distinctively Syrah in fact.
Overall well made, slightly heavy but remains pleasant.

12/24/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Scrumptious dark cherries, chocolate, a touch of spices, ample and smooth. Could well last a few more years but is perfectly fine to drink now.

12/12/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

What an atomic bomb, woohoo !
Ok, so the cork crumbled apart despite our best possible tools, but we saved the content! Then, Immediately the nose started to shine through the open bottle - a bouquet to humble any other red wine - strong, sweet and subtle fruit notes with only a hint of dust to give it some layering and complexity, wow!
The rest was on par, and may I just say perfectly balanced. Not sure how much longer this will last? 10 years might stretch this too far but 5 more could probably still be in it. Although, why wait any more?

12/2/2020 - Porphyr wrote:

I kind of enjoyed this but my wife hated this, and
she certainly has a point when she says the wine has 0 fruit in it. There is plenty of beeswax, green wood, phenolics and all the rest which I suppose comes from the oak barrels but could also be variety driven as I am not familiar with the grape.
I found this kind of racy but I do see her point...

11/28/2020 - Porphyr wrote:

Not particularly complex but nevertheless nicely layered and benefiting from beautiful evolution. Drink up however.

11/14/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

At first, the cork crumbled to dust and there was no way pulling it out without making a mess. And then, the anxiety of whether the wine had been spoiled.... ah, no! This has now reached near perfection but it is a rose that will wither within a heartbeat. I guess it is that feeling of urgency that perhaps contributed to making this that precious?
There is still some acidity at the edges , some ripe fruits, pleasant and round bitterness, as well as growing tertiary aromas but that have not yet taken over the wine’s opulence. Wish I had more....

10/15/2020 - Porphyr Does not like this wine:

Bit of an awkward stage for this wine. not showing much at all here.

9/12/2020 - Porphyr wrote:

Not quite my everyday type of wine but I must recognize that in it’s category this is well made. Broad, intense, dark scent of cherries, cocoa, a lot of sun, a bit of salinity and of course some oak. It kind of grows on you throughout the tasting. Perhaps hold a bit longer?

7/22/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is amazing. Evolved, yet vibrantly young, it's that Chenin acidity that "can" work magic on matured wines. Flower honey, ripe quince, a bit of dark orange in nose and in zest. In this position, this could last another 5 years.

7/11/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Very pleasant young CnDP! Drank this really chilled to enjoy the lighter side of the wine and I must say it came though nicely.
Spices, red berries for fruit, à touch of acidity and some tannins for depth. Good effort on this entry level CnDP of the domaine.

5/8/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Petite fruits rouges bien présents et acidité structurante. Vin plaisant mais encore un peu d’arômes de fûts: je re-gouterais dans deux ans!

4/13/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

This is ticking so many boxes right now. Golden straw colour, slight amber reflections. A nose of apricot, pear, pineapple and honey. The mouth is less exotic and you also get some of those off-dry notes and some welcome bitterness in the form of grapefruit. This wine fills the mouth and lasts and lasts for so long, a beauty that provoked many emotions.
For me 1-2 glasses are enough in one session but my wife claims she could go on all night with this!

3/28/2020 - Porphyr wrote:

Nice golden colour, some petrol hints and a hint of fruit.
Age compensating a bit for a lack in complexity. Nevertheless okay.

2/16/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Cork crumbled at first contact. Thankfully the wine was unaffected. Drank this a bit too quickly with food to really savor or analyse it. Overall positive impression but nothing transcending.

2/5/2020 - Porphyr Likes this wine:

Classic Chablis. Has settled down compared to prior bottles, just the right moment to enjoy this!