5/13/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Never a bad wine from Thivin. The Sept Vignes is made (hence the name) from seven different plots and maybe this makes it more flexible in managing vintage variation. That being said, you can still feel the warmth of the vintage with the fruit certainly more in the darker spectrum. Still very juicy and not cloying at all. Tannic structure and acidity may keep this evolving for a couple of additional years but I'd rather drink them sooner than later.

5/13/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Hard to believe this contains only 10% Gamay. As others have noted, it stands out much more prominently and blind I would have been very tempted to call Beaujolais. The definition of glou-glou: Crunchy red fruit, beautiful acidity, just extremely fun to drink and a clear recommendation. Love it.

5/13/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Very good German Pinot in a beautiful spot. Elegant and carefully extracted, ripe red fruit, sligthly sweet touch from the oak (in a very pleasant way), good structure, great freshness. Overall balance was superb. Very likeable albeit not terribly complex.

5/13/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff wrote:

Still youthful and with noticable, slightly chalky tannins. Beautiful, ripe fruit, floral notes, expresso beans and spices. Great structure and very certainly with upside potential. No crime to drink now but optimally wait another 3-5 years.

5/3/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Playful, aromatic, light-footed. A wonderful expression of Scheurebe.

4/23/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Although this has seen quite some oak it’s fun to drink already. Ripe apple, pineapple, banana, some lime. Finish is a bit too phenolic and ripe but not too distracting. Can’t agree with statements that this drinks like classic Chablis. For me, this has absolutely nothing in common with traditional Chablis except it’s the same varietal.

4/19/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

At first a little funky but blew off quickly. Elegant, red-fruited, floral, herbal. Beautiful structure, good acidity, still some tannic bite. Feels like a Pinot Noir with Sicilian roots. Liked it a lot.

4/15/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

As others have said, this is bordering on Auslese but of course that's nothing bad per se. Enormous depth, some spicy notes, wonderful sweetness and great acidity. Still felt very primary and will (almost) last forever. Beautiful in every way.

4/15/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Very nice Sylvaner. Charming fruit, elegant and well-dosed oak, good freshness. Should have bought more.

4/12/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

So charming, so good. Red fruits, a little bit of spice, some faint traces of oak, great acidity. Amazing wine, especially considering the price tag. Will buy more.

4/11/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Wow, this was great for a generic white Burgundy. Floral and delicate while close to fridge temperature this really gained substantial weight warming up. Great structure and depth and if the label had said "Chassagne village" I would have believed it without a doubt.

4/11/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Nice, Merlot-based blend from the Conca d'Ora. Fruit is on the darker side of the spectrum but it's just flirting with too much ripeness. Good structure overall and pretty much on point now.

4/6/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff wrote:

Fruity, playful, slightly off-dry. Great quaffer with quality and still some potential. Nice!

4/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Beautiful Chardonnay-based wine with a lot of character thanks to Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer being part of the blend. Rather than being a burgundy copycat, this clearly has its own identity. Elegant, floral but with wonderfully nuanced tropical notes. Great acidity despite the relatively high ABV. The slight heat on the finish prevents even higher merits but this is a standout wine and worth seeking out.

4/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Pretty nose with more emphasis on red than black fruit. More harmonious than last time but still not completely in balance. Oak still shows, acidity seems a bit too harsh. Good but not great.

3/11/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff wrote:

Still not convinced by this rendition of the Terra Montosa. Again, this felt too ripe and flabby and without enough tension. Could be intersting for people otherwise afraid of Riesling's prononced acidity.

3/11/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Great CC Riserva. Crunchy red fruit, great structure, oak has integrated nicely. Beautiful, long finish. Highly recommended, especially considering the relatively modest price tag.

2/18/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Boy, that bottle was on fire. Rich, deep, layered. Just flirting with too much ripeness, this could have easily been mistaken for a village Meursault. Yes, the intensity of 2018 can’t be denied but overall this was a wonderful bottle of white Burgundy.

2/18/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

KPK has really developed into some of the best Kabinett producers in Germany. The limestone cuts like a knife, is a prime example in precise winemaking and just pure bliss. Beautiful fruit, nothing too broad or exotic, and this electric minerality. Wonderful stuff and needless to say with years and years of potential.

2/18/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

More like a Spätlese but oh-so yummy. Yellow fruits, some more exotic hints (think pineapple and mango). You feel the hot year but the Apotheke is still a fine and balanced wine. Not sure it’ll be a super long-distance runner but this will easily last another 10 years while gaining extra complexity.

2/18/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Charming but maybe a little too bland and nondescript. Good fruit, not jammy at all but a little more structure would have upped the score by a point or two. If you have any, start drinking up. Not sure this has enormous ageing potential.

2/5/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

What a surprise. Gorgeous deep-rose color. Extremely floral, very intense nose. Also very intense at the palate but despite the alcohol (15% abv) this feels balanced at all times. Quite a steal at not even 15€ per bottle. Will buy again.

1/18/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Keeps on impressing (and improving). Even more harmonious than the last bottle, this was a beautifully balanced and developed Margaux. Elegant, floral but with enough fruit stuffing to keep this rocking for many years. Just the slightly abrupt finish prevents even higher merits.

1/14/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable Pomerol. Elegant and predominantly red-fruited, the La Pointe is rich but never fat. Good length and still with upside. Recommended and (given Pomerol standards) with good QPR.

1/14/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Does not like this wine:

A bit cooked, and not particularly great tonight. Stewed fruit, raisins, no freshness. Still structured but no fun.

1/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

A bit thin, lacking depth for a Gevrey from a warm vintage. Improved with air but never really impressed. Fruit is there but everything felt rather subdued. I doubt this will improve significantly given the lack of substance. Bordering on "neutral" relative to my expectations.

1/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Beautiful Napa chardonnay. Excellent use of oak and seemingly perfect timing for harvest. Ripe (but not overripe) fruit, great acidity, structure, length. Harmonious and elegant.

1/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Needed quite some time to open up and remained somewhat shy the entire first day. After 24h in the fridge it opened up substantially. Give this time to slow-ox otherwise a healthy decant might do the trick.

1/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Yes, this is very likely past its prime but still is very enjoyable. Fruit has faded a little but there is still enough structure to keep the wine coherent. Beautiful acidity, even some tannic grip. I'll open my second (and last) bottle soon. Quite impressive for a 30+ year-old Brunello annata.

1/2/2024 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Beautiful, almost red wine-like color. Bright red fruit, some tannic grip, elegant (but not overpowering) yeasty/brioche notes. Very nice and went really well with (large) parts of the christmas dinner.

12/20/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

I was afraid this might be way too young but boy was it beautiful. Super elegant, light-footed, red-fruited Pinot goodness. Some faint notes of caramel (from the oak) and spices. Just right up my alley how Pinot should be (could have mistaken this for a Volnay or Chambolle as well). Great stuff, will buy more.

12/20/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff wrote:

A bit meh. Still dark and brooding and with noticable alcohol during the finish. Acidity also felt a bit disjointed. After a day open in the fridge the Kirschgarten felt a bit more harmonious but still not sure whether this is GG material. Have a second bottle, which I will keep for another 2-3 years. Maybe that'll help.

12/20/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

A tad heavy for me but certainly very well made. Loads of (ripe) apples, a bit spice (think nutmeg...) and some citrusy elements. Rich on the palate but with more freshness than the 2018 version of it. Good QPR (if you get it for the ex-domaine price).

12/20/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Does not like this wine:

A textbook example of how challenging 2016 was in some cases for (white) Burgundy. Nose was really promising but on the palate the wine felt completely disjointed. Both (over)ripe and green and sour at the same time. Could be an issue of harvesting two different generations of grapes after the devastating frost early in the year but of course not sure.

12/20/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Surprisingly advanced already with noticable petrol. Fruit is (still) very much on the yellow side. I don't think this will last another 10 years but it really drinks very well today.

11/16/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Amazing Riesling GG. Honeyed, almost opulent nose with tropical fruit and lime. On the palate, however, so refined and balanced. Super harmonious and powerful. Just a beautiful wine and still with upside.

11/16/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Good BB, on the bit riper side of things (even in 2017). Drink now and soon.

11/16/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Still feels very young. Dark, brooding, almost unrelenting. Enormous potential but patience is needed. Evolves more like a Brunello than your typical Chianti Classico. Which is not a surprise for Fontodi and this wine in particular. At this point in time: More potential than delight.

11/16/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Excellent, and really on point. Beautiful, rather darkish fruit. Still loads of acidity, and some tannic backbone. A delight to drink now but with potential for years to come.

10/4/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Not your average Rosé: Intense colour, almost leaning into (light) red wine. A bit of funk initially, which blew off after some time but then red fruit galore, some grapefruit and spices. Really structured with delightful tannic grip and quite a finish. Impressive.

10/4/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Really on point and developed beautifully. Still with bright fruit, wonderful acidity and overall just very elegant structure. Not fat, not chubby, just delightful. That's how I like my Pouilly-Fuisse!

10/4/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Beautiful, layered nose with deep blue fruit, some spice and first signs of maturity. On the palate, however, a bit rough around the edges. Acidity, fruit and oak still feel a bit disjointed and not completely integrated. If everything comes together, this will certainly go up a point or two. 90 for now.

9/26/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Still so young, almost embryonic. Lime, chalk, some iodine notes. Tightly knit with acidity that cuts like a knife. Great structure and potential. Great QPR (this puts quite a few GG to shame).

9/26/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Very good Chassagne village. As with all other 2018s I have had from JM Pillot, the heat of the vintage shows only very little and overall this is very elegant and fresh. Maybe a point upside with another 2-3 years in the cellar.

9/26/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Quite elegant, more Kabinett than Spätlese in richness and overall feel. Obviously still very young and with loads of potential to unfold.

9/6/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Very nice Chassagne - it cannot hide the warm vintage but there is nothing overripe or bitter. Quite elegant, floral and charming overall. Needs an hour in the decanter to properly unfold.

8/17/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Gorgeous nose with all the good stuff, Sauvignon blanc can deliver without overt pyrazine notes. Elegant and rich but with finishing a tad too hot, thus preventing an even higher score.

8/17/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Wonderful. Stony, mineral, salty. Fruit is not the main player here but very very good over all. Will buy more.

8/17/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Elegant, fruity, not too much oak. Quite delicious and on point imho.

6/27/2023 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Beautifully matured Pomerol from a winery that was new to me. Already in tertiary mode with fully resolved tannin but still a pure pleasure to drink. Silky, smooth, delicious. Will buy more.