5/1/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Extremely complex aroma of citrus zest, herbs and some candied lemon. Lemon, apricot and honeysuckle flavors with a long stone fruit finish. Light and elegant in style but also powerful with tons of flavor. Intense mineral backbone. Fresh and well balanced. This is exceptionally tasty and unique.

“Exp. is a pretty unique wine that Pascal Agrapart only makes when he has two back to back vintages that allow for the use of the unfermented wine from the younger vintage (in this case 2017) to create the secondary fermentation in a base of the second wine (in this case 2016).” -Antonio Galloni

5/3/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

In a great spot right now but there is some upside available if you are patient. Crowd pleaser.

4/26/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Intense tropical aroma with notes of vanilla, herbs and oak. Thick, viscous texture with a rich and dense flavor. Mostly tropical fruit flavors - papaya, pineapple, mango, apple, plantain? Citrusy, oaky finish. Complex, well integrated and well balanced - this is drinking great right now.

4/18/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Complex bouquet with loads of red fruit and slightly more earth / barnyard / leather than usual. Rich, dense and concentrated flavor with sweet black and blue fruit and some interesting plum notes on the finish. Deep and dark in style but with a decent acidic backbone.

A little disjointed at the moment but the harmony improved with air. Hold.

4/19/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

On the darker, more brooding end of the Pinot spectrum (as many WS wines are). Lots of earth and loam as others have mentioned, also vanilla and spice. Smooth and complex with good depth of flavor and a nice acidic backbone that really propels the finish. Goes great with food or by itself. Would buy again. High quality.

4/6/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Creamy floral aroma. Meyer lemon flavor with lots of tropical fruits, pineapple, melon, and apple on the finish. Lovely depth of flavor and complexity. Acidic backbone provides structure. Fine, delicate bubbles.

This is fantastic, particularly for the price. Drinking great now but will cruise in the cellar.

3/30/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Lovely red fruit with complex Pinot Noir essence throughout. Slightly spicy and slightly sweet. Smooth. Perfect level of acidity and fine tannins provide structure. Went great with dinner and by itself. This wine has character and everyone loved it. A perennial crowd pleaser and a staple in my cellar.

3/30/2024 - Wine_Poobah wrote:

Oaky character with some complex fruit too, but the fruit seems to be fading a little bit. Starting to show secondary oxidative notes. Probably time to drink up. My guests loved this, just not really my style.

3/29/2024 - Wine_Poobah wrote:

All varieties of apple (fresh, baked, stewed, etc.) with a lemon finish. Strong mineral backbone. Smooth and well balanced, but the flavor is linear, one dimensional, and lacking something special. Goes down easy but just not very interesting. Too expensive. I’m chalking this up to the vintage.

3/24/2024 - Wine_Poobah wrote:

Apple and citrus aroma. Steely mineral core with a wide peachy finish. Zippy. Pretty good, but lacking finesse. Held up well with food.

3/16/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Very few bubbles, just a hint of effervescence. Complex aroma - fresh cherries, cherry ice cream, cherry coke, strawberries, red apple, vanilla and flowers. Flavor mirrors the aroma with vibrant red fruit. Slightly toastier after some air. Really, really good - it’s a shame this is so hard to find. 98 rating stands.

2018 Base, Disgorged Feb 2022.

3/15/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Buttery, oaky nose with notes of citrus, flowers, herbs, vanilla, and banana. Rich, opulent flavor with notes of orange marmalade and citrus. Long peachy finish. Crisp and well blended with a deep flavor. Really opened up after 2 hours of air, was slightly tight / closed and bitter at first. Drinking well now but clearly has a long life ahead.

3/9/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Sweet, fruity, vanilla aroma with notes of orange, apple, and peach. Similar flavor, with wave after wave of flavor. Many unique notes like almond / amaretto, rose petal, lemon zest, orange zest, and herbs. Palette starts wide and then narrows on the finish - quite interesting. A little tart and sour but not objectionable. Never experienced this flavor profile in a sparkler before.

Very good, but I’ve had better for this price. Cool to try though given the uniqueness of the site: “The vineyard is planted to an array of varieties including Negrette, Mondeuse, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Malvasia Bianca and more.”

3/8/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Deep aroma with loads of dark fruit, spice and vanilla - the oak influence is apparent. Thick, dense and concentrated flavor with mostly stewed black and blue fruit (plums, prunes and blueberries). Licorice, baking spice and dark chocolate on the finish. Good presence and texture - loads of acid, tannins and alcohol. Almost sweet and chewy? Very complex.

This wine is clearly built for the long haul and it barely showing any age. Reminds me of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape in a way. I wish I had another bottle to revisit in 10+ years, I’m sure this wine is going places, it’s just not there yet.

3/2/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Totally different than my last bottle - this one was way more oxidized and buttery and ripe.

Incredibly complex aroma of rich banana, vanilla and butter - smells just like bananas foster. Secondary notes of papaya, plantain, stone fruit and pineapple. Rich, dense, sweet tropical flavor with an herbal finish. Super concentrated with a long finish. Good structure.

This is a knockout wine but I’m backing this down to a 96 from my prior 98.

3/1/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Drank the 2022 and 2023 disgorgements sequentially.

Disgorged March 2022. Lots of red cherry, strawberry and toast. Well balanced. Deep flavor, but light in style. Very yummy.

Disgorged February 2023. Similar notes with more lemon and toast, but still loads of red fruit. Rounder and more candied. I preferred this one.

Both great, slightly different. Both delicious. Wouldn’t have noticed a difference if we didn’t drink them back-to-back. Great QPR.

2/24/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

1 hour decant and consumed over 3 hours. Mature nose - notes of red cherry, sous boi and spice. Lovely red cherry flavor with notes of plums, raisins and earth. Long evolving finish. Well balanced, deep, and complex with wide palette filling flavor.

Definitely showing signs of maturity at this point. Still has a long life ahead but squarely in the drinking window. Drink up!

2/23/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Orange / tangerine nose initially, then ripe apple and orchard flowers. Some hints of walnut and yeast too. Fairly complex aroma.

Creamy apple flavor with notes of lemon, apricot and peach gummy candy. Not as toasty as it smells. Light and precise with a piercing core of acidity.

Drinkable, but required a lot of time and air to open up. Too expensive. Disgorged Feb-23.

2/18/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Intense aroma with notes of red cherry, apple, and earth. Some “Pinot Meunier funk” too. The flavor is where this wine excels - ripe red apple, red cherry, and strawberry give way to a long rhubarb and vanilla finish. Reminds me of a rhubarb jam or candied rhubarb. Very fruity - a fruit bomb.

In a great spot now with tons of fruit. I don’t see this improving much from here. Better chilled.

2/17/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Beautiful aroma wafting from the glass - red and black cherries, cranberry, strawberry, dried flowers, cedar shavings - incredibly complex. Rich, dense flavor mirrors the aroma with a honey, caramel, black tea finish. Some earth and spice too. Rich, but not too concentrated or overbearing. Lovely balance with lovely acidity and fine tannins.

Really quite exceptional. Drinking well now but no rush.

2/16/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

The aroma has some intersting florals and stone fruit notes, but mostly brioche and toast. Strawberry and red fruit flavors with a candied fruit profile. The toast continues. Decent depth of flavor and the roaring acidity provides a nice backbone.

Good but kind of underwhelming. A little linear and one dimensional. Disgorged July 2021 - not my favorite batch.

2/10/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Extremely complex aroma with notes of stone fruit, brown sugar and orchard flowers. Crisp, electric flavor with amazing depth - sweet peach, stone fruit, citrus, brioche. Powerful, flavorful and interesting with excellent balance and poise. Leans candied and baked on the long, evolving finish. Insane mineral and chalk backbone.

Opened up beautifully with some air. This is clearly in the drinking window but no rush. All recent 2012s are drinking well now.

Top wine of 2024 so far. What else do you want? A+

2/9/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Rich banana and tropical fruit aromas with a caramel undertone - reminds me of bananas foster. Electric lemon, lime, pineapple, and vanilla flavors. Wave after wave of flavor. Dense and concentrated with a mineral backbone. Creamy and velvety smooth.

Not your average Chardonnay!

2/3/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

It requires seven vines to make one bottle of this.

Complex aroma with notes of red and black fruit, mint, herbs, leather and barnyard. Dense, rich and concentrated flavor that mirrors the aroma. Big and powerful, but well balanced with a silky smooth texture. Iron fist in a velvet glove.

I’m afraid I opened this too soon, it’s just entering drinking window and has a long life ahead!

2/2/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Excellent balance and poise with crisp red fruit, strawberry, lemon, and apricot. Some brioche but not a ton. Rich flavor, with good balance and depth. Truly exceptional and in a great spot right now.

Disgorged Sep-20. 44% 2016, 9% 2015, 15% 2014, 21% 2013, 11% Older Vintages. 44% Pinot Noir Saignee, 28% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay.

1/27/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Spicy black fruit aroma with notes of cedar shavings and some barnyard / leather (but no overbearing brett). Crisp red and black fruit flavors with notes of graphite and spice. Silky smooth with well balanced acid, alcohol, and tannins. Layers of flavor on the finish

On the simpler and lighter side which makes it quite drinkable on its own. Does not require food like many CDPs. In the drinking window now - this is a drinker not a keeper.

1/26/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Complex Pinot Noir aroma - apple, cherry, citrus, yeast, florals, vanilla. Fresh and fruity flavor with a creamy finish. Very flavorful. Good balance and weight. Excellent QPR.

1/14/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Reminds me of a mix of Riesling and Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Very fruity, with notes of tropical fruit, pineapple, banana, grapefruit and peach skins. Secondary herbal and vanilla notes too. Fresh, crisp and tasty. Very good now and I don’t see how this will improve.

1/13/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Creamy, fruity, yeasty aroma. Sweet ripe fruit flavor with notes of apple, lemon, strawberry and brioche. Very effervescent. Reasonably well balanced. Goes down easy, but not super complex.

This has definitely entered the drinking window.

1/12/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Sweet red fruit aroma, notes of cherry, strawberry, rhubarb?, dried flowers and sweet herbs. Very complex aroma. Nice “Pinot funk” too.

Sweet, dense, ripe, concentrated flavor with notes of baking spices and vanilla. Smooth and well balanced with lively acidity. Flavor expands on the palette over time. Long and complex finish.

Very, very good and in a better spot than the 2020 Sonoma Coast today. Drink or hold. Benefited from a 2-3 hour decant.

1/6/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Deep, complex, spicy, sweet Châteauneuf-du-Pape aroma. Dark fruits, graphite, chocolate, licorice. just the faintest hint of barnyard/leather. The fruit is mostly stewed with an herbal aftertaste (mint?). Intense dark fruit flavors. Velvety smooth but a little hot on the finish.

Showing signs of maturity now but no rush. Delicious. Requires a 1-2 hour decant.

1/5/2024 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Three years later, a wide spectrum of fruit - fresh, crisp, ripe and stewed. Yeast, floral and whipped cream notes too. Long finish. Complex and complete. Well balanced with a strong backbone of minerality and acidity. Showing signs of maturity.

Drink or hold, but drink soon if you prefer a fresher fruit profile. However, I got this bottle from WineBid so who knows how it was stored before me.

12/31/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Ripe apple aroma - creamy and complex. Sweet ripe red apple and pear flavors with a long, sweet citrusy finish. Reminds me of an apple and pear sorbet. Tons of flavor and power, but also light in style. Well balanced. After some air, the wine becomes more toasty with more red fruit character.

Absolutely delicious. Drink or hold. Might reward further cellaring, but the fruit is vibrant and energetic today.

12/29/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

There’s a lot going on here. The aroma is deep, complex and intriguing with generous apple, tangerine and yeast.

At first, there was just a quick flash of flavor, but after 30min the wine really opened up with candied citrus and vanilla. Reminded me of an orange creamsicle, but with some aromatic floral notes too. Strong mineral backbone with well balanced acidity. Long, evolving finish.

This wine has character - and it’s lovely. Much better after 1 hour of air, it really starts to fill the palette and becomes a lot more engaging. Strong buy.

12/30/2023 - Wine_Poobah wrote:

Dusty Pinot Noir aroma. Red fruit, dried flowers, earth / underbrush. Rich red fruit flavor with a green tea finish. Syrupy fruit profile. Notes of cashews? Goes down easy but not that complex.

I don’t see this improving much more as the fruit is fading. Drink soon.

12/25/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Ripe apple, fresh citrus, and a hint of toast / brioche. Good balance, weight and texture with lots of bubbles. Great now, but I have no doubt this will continue to improve. A crowd pleaser. Magnum; Disgorged Feb 2022.

12/24/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Spicy black fruit aroma with notes of leather. No brett. Juicy blackberry and black currant flavors with a long finish. Powerful and dense with lots of depth. Evolves a lot with air - recommend at least an hour decant. Very good now but still going places.

12/23/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Lovely Meunier character. Massively fruity - notes of red apple, red cherry, strawberry, citrus, brioche, rose petals. On the sweeter side. Everyone enjoyed this. Disgorged 6/6/23.

12/23/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Rich aroma that reminds me of Riesling. Dense and flavorful, with notes of lemon, orange zest, peach skins/pits and vanilla. Stewed fruit profile. Well balanced and interesting.

12/16/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Sweet and ripe with a hint of spice. Deep and complex flavor with lots of black and red fruit. Rich. Velvety smooth texture. Drinking well now, but no rush.

12/15/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Bready applesauce and red fruit aromas with secondary notes of cream. Flavor is mostly stewed apples, yeast and vanilla with some citrus and orange peel on the finish. Pinot Noir essence throughout. Nicely balanced with a chalky mineral backbone. Very good.

Disgorged Oct 2020. Hold for further development.

12/8/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Fresh and vibrant, but also rich and creamy. Notes of apple, raspberry, lemon and brioche with a long vanilla finish. Hints of sweetness. Full bodied. Drinking very well right now. This has improved over the last year.

12/7/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Rich, complex aroma with notes of black berries, cedar and spice. Dense and concentrated flavor with wave after wave of red cherry, black fruits, oak and citrus peel. Impossibly long finish. Well balanced with lively acidity and ripe sweetness. Velvety smooth.

Barely showing its age, this will cruise in the cellar for many more years. Surprised this isn’t scoring higher.

12/2/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Consistent with prior notes, but the aroma is more floral and vegetal and the flavor is more sweet and ripe. Reminds me lemon custard, lots of vanilla. Long stone fruit finish. Good balance and weight. Wide, palette filling flavor.

This has improved since my last bottle and is well integrated today. Hold for further development.

12/1/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Upon opening, this was extremely acidic with linear green apple and lemon flavors - and not much else. Laser beam acidity.

After 2 hours, this opened up nicely and became much more approachable. The palate became creamy and toast with lovely green apple, stone fruit and vanilla notes. Long, lingering lemon peel finish. Crisp and ripe character. A lovely expression of Chardonnay.

Give this 1-2 hours of air to show best

11/30/2023 - Wine_Poobah wrote:

Consistent with prior notes, but more deep, dark and brooding black fruit this time. Also some kind of earthy, smoky, leathery, funky thing going on too. Well balanced with good acidity. Dense, concentrated and extracted. As others have mentioned, needs a lot of air to open up.

That funky leathery note is weird. Maybe an off bottle?

11/25/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Exquisite red fruit character - lots of cranberry and red cherry. Intense but elegant. Well balanced with lively acidity. Constantly evolving, this wine showed well at all stages but was best after 2 hours of air.

This is really fantastic now but I have no doubt this will cruise in the cellar for many years.

11/23/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Disgorged July 2021. 50% 2016, 30% 2015, 20% 2014. This particular disgorgement will continue to improve - hold for now.

Toasty, creamy, floral red cherry aroma. Red cherry and red apple flavors with a lemon finish. Very fine mousse, almost no bubbles at first but forms a lovely cream in the mouth. Electric acidity provides structure. Very complex overall but needs air to show best.

Very good, but this is probably overpriced at current levels.

11/22/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Intense red cherry, currant, cranberry, vanilla and “pinot funk” aroma. Thick, dense, concentrated flavor, but well balanced by an electric core of acidity that provides backbone and structure. Lots of minerality too. The finish is dusty and stemmy with notes of black tea. Impressive and interesting.

Benefitted greatly from a 2-3 hour decant. The last glass was the best. Drink or hold.

11/17/2023 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine:

Tropical fruit nose with a vegetal edge. Apple, lemon and vanilla flavors with a peach pit finish. Very complex. Viscous oily texture. Well balanced flavor, texture and tannins, but a little bitter? Hold, will improve.