5/10/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

BdB, 3100 bottles produced, disgorged March 2023. Immediately burst of savory nectarine with just a small hint of sourness. Light bits of brioche come along and just the right hint of citrus on the finish. Really like this.

5/10/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

Mousey

5/9/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

4 hour decant. Full of red fruit, slight oak presence. the fruit has good depth and length, if just a little tart, but that’s reaching for a critique. Good wine.

5/9/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

2020 base (50%), disgorged Autumn 2022 with 3 g/l dosage. BdB. A little richness on the first sip overtop of white fruits, some green apple, a little toffee, and good acid on the finish. The fruit gets more intense with air and adds the savory bits in some tropical fruits. Good first experience for me.

5/4/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

very pale. Crisp, refreshing, a little bit of stone fruit and melon. Really unique for California (obviously). This is delicious, can’t wait for next year’s.

5/3/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

disgorged 20Dec22 with 1.5 g/l dosage. Loads of grapefruit and floral hints on the nose. The citrus is much more restrained in the first sip though, melding wonderfully with nicely ripe apple. A really nice champagne that drinks well out the gate.

4/28/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

Strawberries and cream

4/13/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

4+ hour decant. Incredibly strong nose of purple fruits, and just a bit of wood spice. Bursting with red and purple fruit flavor. Perfect mix of structure and drinkability. The spice level in the finish works really well to bring it all together. A really nice wine with a long great life ahead.

4/6/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

BdB from all over the Côte des Blancs, spent 4 years on the lees, disgorged April 2023 with 5 g/l dosage. Round feel, lush, bit of spice and caramel notes. Green pear, green apple, big acid. It doesn’t really emerge much even with some time, definitely one to hold.

4/5/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

really austere to start on pop and pour. Nice ripe green pear underneath, but a bit overpowered. Revisited two hours later, and the air helped pull the fruit and acid forward a little, but not anywhere near expectation. Think this needs a ton of bottle time.

3/9/2024 - adnorthup Likes this wine:

decanted off sediment an hour and a half before dinner. Such a pure Musar nose, would be impossible to confuse it for anything else. There’s some spice, red berry, wood. Decent acid, it’s so fresh and alive, for those who are fans it’s a good example showing a bit more sweetness and richness than a classic, but great. Load up on late 90’s and hold them a decade more.

3/8/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

two flawed bottles in a row to start the night so had to pull something guaranteed to hit. Pop and pour, tight at first. 30 minutes or so and that Bouchard ripe green pear and red apple come rolling in, but with the early stages of some toasty notes and a little caramel. In transition into its secondary phase of life, but not awkward. Delicious

3/8/2024 - adnorthup Does not like this wine:

Holy f’in green pepper

3/8/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

Getting the vegetal/funky note I’ve seen reported in this quite a lot. Not great, and doubtful its really going to go away.

3/6/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

2 hour decant. Loads of beautiful cherry, some darker strawberry, touches of tar on the finish. Young but approachable with air.

3/1/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

just over 2 hours of a decant. Great with the burger but a bit tough without food at this point. Came back at about 5 hours, dark purple and blue fruit followed on the tongue by raspberry and sweet cherry. A touch of wood that works well with the fruit and moderate acid on the finish. Even with this much air, still constrained by its youth, but a bright future.

3/1/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

popped the cork and gave it an hour of air. Still pretty shy. A little over two hours in and that beautiful RdJ fruit starts to slowly emerge. Acid is still a bit tense up from though. More air and good but not great at this point. Wait a few more years for this to re-enter its phase.

2/29/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

A couple hours of air in the bottle. Such pure red fruit, really nice acid, high given the grape but perfectly in line with where it should be for this wine. Just really delicious

2/21/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

BdB disgorged Winter 2022 with 5 g/l dosage. Nose gives off a cran-apple like note. Loads of spice on the first sip, overlaying some grapefruit citrus and a little bit of oxidation. Some sour fruit comes through after a good bit of air and it continues to evolve over time. Seems a good candidate for some age.

2/14/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

2019 Meunier disgorged 7Jun22 without dosage. Classic Meunier fruit on the nose. Initially a little tight, with acid creating a wall on the front of the tongue, but 30 minutes and a bit of warming settles it down, and the fruit emerges, if just a bit less ripe tasting than a lot of modern Meunier. The acid is still there but working more conplimentary. High upside, needs time.

2/3/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

gave it about an hour of air after opening the bottle (not intentionally). Even with lots of times, the acid is still extreme. There are nice caramel and toast notes underneath, but at this young stage, it’s still a bit out of whack.

2/2/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

cork in great shape. Decanted off sediment, everything muted at first. Good bit of browning. An hour later and the nose is still tough but it’s starting to open in the mouth. Sweet cherry and red berry. Acid still present, finishing with mushroom, earth and decaying wood. Still unfurling and getting better when we had to leave.

2/2/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

the cork took some surgery to remove. Decanted off the sediment, the nose is immediately incredibly vibrant. Cherry, rose, old forest wood. Quick taste and decided to give it 30 minutes of air. Bit of sweet cherry still clinging on, earth and tar firmly on the finish. Incredible bottle of wine for a 70th birthday.

1/26/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

4.5 hour decant. Super classic Musar nose. Loads of vibrant red fruit, serious amount of leather, good acid on the finish, and a bit less of the Musar funk than I’ve previously gotten in this vintage. A very good Musar

1/25/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

a mostly Zin blend of 50% rose wine and 50% red wine. pop and pour. Just absolute pure strawberry juice. Smooth around the edges, savoriness and acid on the finish giving it a little lift. Drank on the couch reading a book in its honor, perfect pairing.

1/24/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

Bottle 414 of 1202. Disgorged 22Oct21 without dosage. The fruit has picked up lots of richness and sweetness since my last bottle. Loads of super ripe Anjou pear with the crispness of a bit of Granny Smith apple, with the slight sour note/acid coming into focus late. No need to wait on this, really good now.

1/17/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

was late at getting this out so just shy of a 3 hour decant at first taste. Nose is absolutely bursting with red and purple berries. Has that deep purple fruit center tongue I get from most Bedrock Mourvèdre, but at the moment that tannins are still like a wall after a few seconds. Another hour or so and it starts to open up, with some acidic red fruit entering the mix, reminiscent of a splash of carignan. This is really good, everything I hoped for, just needs loads more time to come full circle.

1/13/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

Similar to the last bottle, drinking a bit advanced.

1/10/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

3 hour decant. So aromatic I feel like I can smell it across the room. Up close it’s lovely fruit on the nose, violets, and just a little hint of mushroom. In first sip, it’s still a bit tight, but the cherry, both sweet and tart is pushing through. By 4.5 hours the roughness has backed down and it’s just beautiful fruit with a lovely finish. A monster in the making.

1/9/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

Four hour decant. Lovely good blue and purple fruit. Still a bit of oak influence in the finish but becoming nicely integrated. Structured but not tough, and not impacting the lovely fruit. Might be starting to get into a nice open spot with significant air.

1/6/2024 - adnorthup wrote:

decanted, at 2 hours still really tough. Around 5 hours revisited , tannins have receded, good sour cherry, a bit of strawberry, and some darker red fruit. Plenty of acid, little funk to it. A lot of notes saying this is ready, but seems in a weird phase to me at the moment, so I would say hold.

12/31/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

drank only slightly cool at a Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon. lovely rich pear, with a slight bit of vanilla coming through early. Air is kind as the fruit picks up and a little acid kicks up at the end, but I still think this is quite young. Best HL I’ve had was an 09 a year or two ago, that might be the starting point for age on these.

12/24/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

base 2019, Blanc de Blancs, disgorged with dosage in April 2022. Beautiful rich orchard fruits, just an abundance of flavor. A really great champagne.

12/21/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

gave it an hour of air in bottle and a little warming per mye’s recommendation. It’s a beautiful wine, oak integrated, not overly ripe, amazing tropical and orchard fruit notes. So pure and just delicious.

12/20/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

brut nature, 50/50 Pinot noir and Chardonnay, disgorged 23Jan2023, 652 bottles. Completely muted in pop and pour. 20 minutes or so and and the fruit starts to emerge, a bit of baked apple, some lime zest, a rich creaminess that provides nice texture. It keeps getting more and more vibrant as it gets more air. Another solid Gaspard Brochet.

12/15/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

single Parcelle BdB, disgorged Feb 2022. Even better than the great last bottle. A bit of the youth led acid has calmed down, providing a great support for the wonderful ripe orchard fruit. Continue to be full of excitement with what Domaine Leon is doing.

12/13/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

popped a few hours before drinking, pretty reductive nose, but just a wave of tropical fruit punch on first sip. It’s punch, but has depth of flavor, different bits rolling off your tongue as it cascades down your throat. Another joyful wine from Hardy

12/13/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

rose of Meunier, with 35% Coteaux. Single vineyard, disgorged January 2021 with 2 g/l dosage. Very dark cranberry color. Super sweet strawberry mixed but also some spice and grapefruit (weird combo). Gave it some air and a bit of the grapefruit dissipates, leaving the strawberry and spice. Its ok, not really my preference in a rose, but some may like it.

12/8/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

Disgorged April 2021. Really tense in its youth. Loads of strawberry and cranberry, pretty acidic. Baby wine and drinks like it, should be good with a significant amount of time.

12/2/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

zero dose Pinot noir from a single plot in the Côte des Bar planted in 1975. 4,290 bottles disgorged 13Jan23. Light pear and red delicious apple, a little hint of spice notes. Good acid on the finish, really in check. Not overly complex but plenty tasty.

11/29/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

Blanc de Blancs brut nature , disgorged March 2021. 1,000 bottles, 50 magnums. Very fresh, green pear, quince, some floral notes. Not a ton of acid, feels a bit delicate. It picks up a little weight as it breathes, but the pear and flowers remain in the lead.

11/23/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

Bottle 363 of 1183. Aged for a few years in a lava tube in Pico. Hour of air, slight oxidation, good fruits slight honey note on the finish. A really cooo wine experience.

11/23/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

30 minutes of air, brimming with stone fruit and white flowers both nose and on the tongue. Such a great wine

11/22/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

70% Meunier, 30% Pinot noir. 2,980 bottles, disgorged Jun 2021, no dosage. Loads of lemon and oxidative notes. The bread and toffee works great with the citrus, maintaining freshness.

11/21/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

A few hours of air and it matches my previous note closely. Just lovely

11/15/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

3 hour decant. Really nice dark berry fruits, just a little bit of baking spice on the finish. Finish is just a bit short, but for a Bourgogne this is phenomenal.

11/15/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

BdB from Avize fruit with more than 50 years of vine age. Disgorged 7Dec2018 with 3 g/l dosage. Really nice baked apple, showing just a little bit of oxidation. Lemon is very present but not as strong as I was worried it may be at this stage. It’s very fresh, easily drinkable without any real signs of the harshness of youth: glad to have popped it.

11/11/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

30 minute slow ox. Still very much alive. Loads of cherry, tobacco, mushroom, earth. There’s a sweetness to the cherry that carries through playing well with the tertiary notes. We’ll stored bottles very much still in the zone.

11/8/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

2.5 hour decant. a lovely young Barbaresco. Loads of strawberry and cherry. The tannins are strong, but the air helps. It’s integrating nicely, and honestly just delicious. These wines continue to impress beyond their price range, which unfortunately is creeping up.

11/8/2023 - adnorthup wrote:

I have enjoyed most of the bottles of Dehours and found them to be really good value in champagne. This is my first experience with the normal disgorgement Millesime having only have the Oenotheque. 2,588 bottles produced, disgorged Nov 2020 with 2.3 g/l. Immediate rush of really nicely ripe orchard fruit with a perfect amount of sour lemon candy.