10/10/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Still quite good. I just waited for too long. Hope to re-find this producer again.

11/2/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Violet-red colour, very young. Rather flowery-forward nose. Even a bit sweet perhaps? Medium weight. Fruity. Good balance, well-integrated ripe tannins. Not complex at this time. Perhaps lacking a bit of "bass" and depth? Still young but already drinks well. Should age well for another 5 years for sure. A clean, quality wine.

11/2/2023 - Member 592 Does not like this wine:

This already gives the impression of being old, in colour, nose and taste. Only tannic and accidic with no good attributes to counter-balance. This wine is disappointing. Also did not improve after one night in the fridge. I think it is just not good and worth the bother. I will not buy again and advise to avoid.

11/9/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Good colour, very young. Fresh and lively. Leans toward the rustic-tannic side but in a good way as it is supported by ample fruit on the nose and on the palate. Very enjoyable. I think this should still improve with some cellaring but probably not too long though as it lives off the good fruit. I can imagine this wine is excellent in summer, slightly chilled with a BBQ.

Just a heads-up: The bottles do not have a capsule but are sealed-off with a wax or wax-like cap. This is inconvenient as little pieces of the wax may drop into the wine when opening.

10/25/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Still lively thanks to the metallic screwcap. Colour hints at maturity. Very fragant. Rather full bodied for a Chasselas. Not old and very enjoyable. This is a good producer.

10/25/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

First positive impression is the cork that comes out easily and is still super elastic while soaked up only some 6mm and looks totally new.

Full, youthful colour that shows no sign of ageing. Nose is cool and a bit dense. Nice aromas of dark fruit and a bit of cedar. In the mouth extremely enjoyable to drink as all alcohol seems to have vanished and tannins very smoothly resolved. Still supple and not dried out in the least. A little bit of a dense structure and taste is not overly complex. Only here we might identify it not to be one of the great classed growths.

Still, this is a very lovely wine of outstanding quality. One would never believe this is now 22 years old and only a cru bourgeois. It also is for me another confirmation that the 2001 vintage is unrightfully underrated compared to the 2000's. And this wine in particular was a remarkable experience.

7/28/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Colour shows some development but totally in order. Lovely, typical bouquet of dry roses, very touching. Gets better and better the longer it is open. On the palate still the sensation of high acidity and unresolved tannins. Actually I don't think they ever will. Very dry. Nice deep flavours of ripe fruit. A substantial wine. Has somewhat of a "tough love" character. Definitely not an easy drink to have absent-mindedly.

I don't know a great deal about Barbaresco but this one must be a prime example. And I will accept any drinker saying that it is too acidic and tough for him to enjoy. This wine is not looking to make friends.

7/27/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

My bottles have a screw cap which is practically airtight. I am not sure if they also bottled them with corks in 2001 or what is their today's practice.

Healthy yellow colour, not old at all. Fresh and fruity on the nose. Distinct bouquet of Chasselas, not very complex. Fresh and "young" also on the palate, acidity very good still. Quite weighty for a Swiss white wine. However not very long and lingering. You can gulp this down very easily, also because it does not have a lot of alcohol. Excellent Chasselas, one of Switzerland's best. And it shows in this vintage.

One would never guess this wine is more than 20 years in bottle. I'd say you don't give it more than 5 years of age. But surely this is because of the airtight screw cap. I should look to obtain new vintages of this Dezaley. It is really fine.

7/21/2023 - Member 592 wrote:

Very evolved colour, almost rusty-brown. Also old on the nose and in the mouth. Gets a bit better when open for a long time but it is clearly past. But the wine does still have nice texture and no harsh tannins. I'm sure this is a very good Barolo when at the right age. I just waited too long to finish my bottles; 3 more left.

7/22/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

The cork was not in pristine condition which I found surprising given the wine is in bottle only a few years. One half of it was quite wet and some wine leaked through it, so there was a bit of rot under the capsule. Thankfully the bottle itself apppeared untainted.

Pale yellow-greenish colour. Interesting, fine complex nose with vegetal-herbal-grassy notes as compared to fruitiness. I find it impossible to ascribe it to any singular grape variety (which makes sense as it is a blend of many). This is continued on the palate. Dry wine. Good acidity, has freshness. Healthy concentration and length, but not a monster of either. A fine wine.

Has a unique style and taste. In my opinion definitely more suited to go with a proper meal rather than as an aperitif drink. My recommendation is to drink this wine really cold, straight from the fridge and put in an ice bucket for serving.

Edit: Some of the earlier notes mention fruitiness which I could not detect in my sample. Perhaps the cork did damage or unduly speeded up development of my bottle after all. I'll be curious what my remaining bottles will hold, hoping their corks are normal/better.

11/27/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Youthful deep, fine colour. Lovely fruit on the nose and on the palate. Uncomplicated, fresh, not alcoholic. Not complex. Enjoy the fine grenache fruit. An easy, likeable drink that cannot be disagreed with. Still young at this point, will easily keep another 5 years, I am sure.

7/20/2023 - Member 592 wrote:

Bought 6 bottles to test as I don't know the domaine but do like the southern Rhone wines very much.

Deep, youthful violet-red color. Excellent, fruity, cool nose. On the palate lovely texture, fresh, lots of fruit and the typical grenache pepper note. Nothing sweet or overcooked or too alcoholic here. Some tannins, well-integrated. Really well-made wine, very enjoyable! Now at some 5 years of age is still very young. Will easily live for another 5, will probably improve still.

11/10/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Pale, light colour. Very fine nose, fruity-grassy, not complex. On the palate very light and discreet. Dry. Still very young. I remember older vintages are usually more hefty and pungent. This one is more floral and delicate. At this point I don't know if they changed the style of the wine or if it is the sub-optimal 2021 vintage. A good wine for sure. Let's see if it develops a bit more substance over the next few years.

In good vintages this can easily age 12 years no problem. At this point I doubt whether the 2021 will age that long and well. I will let it rest until 2024.

7/19/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

I must state that I do not know this Chateau. The 2007 vintage is the only one I have ever tasted or bought.

Lovely young colour, perhaps even violet-red. Nice texture, fine tannins. However on the palate it lacks a bit in depth and dimension. But I do attribute this more to the weak 2007 vintage rather than the Chateau not working diligently. A good wine for sure. I am hopeful to taste a good vintage from them in the future.

7/18/2023 - Member 592 Does not like this wine:

No comparison to their lovely, classic and timeless Brut Premier which they unfortunately replaced with this disgrace. Generic appearance and taste, not worth the money nor words. They sacrificed their quality for quantity in order to reach new customers. In my opinion a terrible decision.

5/18/2023 - Member 592 wrote:

2003 was an unprecedented year in terms of heat and drought, fishes were dying in the rivers and so on in german-speaking Switzerland.

I started drinking this wine and vintage too late (maybe in 2018). The wine was OK at best, colour developed rather quickly. The quality of each bottle was quite uneven. Finished the last 2 (of 6) bottles this year. One was totally off and just bad. The other one was OK-ish but nothing to write home about, really.

I have some 2004 and 2005 from Hermann in the cellar for which I have more hope as these years were more normal. Generally, Pinot Noir from the Swiss Buendner Herrschaft region are rather expensive today for their quality with the rarer bottles selling at Burgundy 1er Cru levels which they do not match in craftsmanship and refinement of taste, in my opinion.

3/17/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Nice full colour, not overly dense. Typical Grenache nose. Nice texture, nothing overextracted, hard or stuffed. Very natural taste, very nice grip. Fresh. Quite long. Nothing particularly complex but a very yummy, tasty wine that is very enjoyable. Still young. Will easily keep up to an age of 10 years, probably longer. A very good value for the price it cost.

7/15/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

The normal Bouscassé is already excellent, but the Vielles Vignes is indeed a notch up.

This 1995 V.V. demonstrates it is mostly greater complexity, depth and finer texture while losing nothing of its power and size. All the while the extraction is not forced at all and the wine is fresh and cool which makes it very drinkable. The best Madiran I have drunk yet (and that includes Montus Prestige '98).

1/14/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

I had only subdued expectations considering its age, provenance (right bank) and frankly, price paid. But no! This was still really good all around! Colour still very good. Nose and taste was not weak, not feeble, not faded. The greenish note I mentioned in my note from 2008 was definitely not present anymore. Got still better the longer it was open. Very enjoyable and really surprisingly good! Still 2 bottles left.

It seems that after all Michel Roland does indeed understand something about making good wine that ages well. I must say I am impressed. How many good wines are there at the age of 25 years that you paid like 20 USD for? Of course one could have drunk it 10 years ago and all would be good as well - perhaps even better. But this was a remarkable moment I thought. I would have no hesitation to buy Fontenil again.

2/10/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Lovely, very much alive colour. Very fragant on the nose. Nicely mellowed tannins of considerable quality. Taste is not super complex but highly enjoyable. Shows no age, perfect to drink now. The bottle emptied very quickly. A very good wine indeed!

I own the 2000 as well, but I prefer the 2001 actually. I think it has more substance than the more famous brother.

Edit: I see a number of notes that are rather negative. I honestly cannot share that experience at all. I have owned many vintages of this wine over the years, starting all the way back with the 1976. The 2001 is a very good representative of this property, in my experience. I will add that I buy all my Bordeaux en primeur and have a good cellar.

10/15/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Had it at dinner with at my brother's. Really consistent with my earlier note. Such class and distinction, a wonderful wine indeed. Bordeaux will not get much better than this, only more prestigeous and expensive.

4/14/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

I got 5 bottles of this wine as a spontaneous pickup at some physical shop in the early 2000's. The shop had them on offer, being the last bottles or something. I paid very little for it, perhaps some 35 Swiss Francs p.b.

Finally had a bottle of it in 2022 and what an awesome stunner! I knew the property had a high reputation but it was a wowser nonetheless. Still wonderfully firm and youthful, complex bouquet and taste, yet light/lifted and fresh. A very classy and refined Pauillac, probably archtypical. I'd say "racy" is another attribute that applies. I cannot imagine it was any better at a younger age. An absolute delight!

7/13/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Not much different than the last bottle I had, really. Still showing very well, still firm with a tannic backbone and deep colour. However, "finesse" is never a word you would associate with Madiran. I don't see this one going soft anytime soon.

The wine definitely benefits from a lot of air. I'm finishing the bottle on the second day after a night in the fridge and it is even better than yesterday.

Also worth mentioning is the excellent quality of the cork. It is very clean, looks very fresh and apparently is super dense, yet elastic, as it soaked up the wine for only about 1 or 2 millimetres and came out extremely easily in one piece. This property does not cut corners nowhere. All bottles I have had were very uniform in quality. Considering the moderate price I find that remarkable.

2/3/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Still very good colour and nose. Tastes a bit bland now. Past its best but not old and wooden. A good wine.

1/30/2023 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Helle Farbe, nicht alt. Sehr frisches Bouquet von roten Beeren, etwas überraschend für so einen alten Wein. Im Geschmack leicht und süffig. Wiederum gar nicht alt. Feiner Wein von hoher Qualität, der Trinkspass bietet. Ich glaube, er war noch nie besser als heute!

12/26/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Zuerst recht verschlossen, später öffnet er sich und bereitet Freude. Schöne Textur, substanzvoll. Hervorragende Qualität. Einer der besten Burgunder, die ich je getrunken habe.

6/18/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Reducing my pile of this very good Bouscassé vintage. Not much to add to my last note from one month ago. It's a really fine vine. This bottle is relatively light with rather softened tannins and "open" flavours, very enjoyable indeed. Excellent to drink it very slightly cool during the current heat wave in Europe.

5/23/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Bought as a test bottle. Light colour, bright. Good, fresh nose. Has the distinct mineralic Sancerre bouquet rather than a fruity one. Rather restrained and not giving too much on the palate now. Not very persitent and long. Very young still, high accidity. I think this will surely improve for 1 or 2 years still. Probably a bit of a waste to drink it now. Not a prime Sancerre but a good sample, I like it.

5/29/2021 - Member 592 Does not like this wine:

Colour seriously developed, going towards the brawny-tawny. Not very promising nose, old. Has weight but tastes old. This is just past. I think as a matter of style it might not be made for long cellaring. But rather than blaming the wine, I have to blame myself for waiting so long. I remember I had a bottle of the 2001 many years ago and I thought it was good then. One more bottle left.

I read some of the other notes and the picture emerges that this is a "modern" wine which normally means they don't age well. I guess my note just confirms this.

5/27/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

15% alcohol, heavy for Pinot Noir! Low accidity but it still aged pretty well. Beefy and substantial, even strong. Tastes and reminds more of a Chateauneuf-du-Pape than a Eastern Switzerland Pinot Noir. But it was a special year (eternal sunshine from March to October, fish were dying in the rivers so warm did the waters get).

This producer crafts his wines very well, mainly not over-oaking them in new barrels. As a result they age rather well, something which cannot be said of many ambitious Swiss growers of Pinot Noir...

6/4/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Colour very developped, deep yellow. Yes I drank it too old BUT it was still a positive surprise. Impressive nose, very Alsace. Very full taste, loaded with aroma. Definitely Grand Cru material. Not surprisingly, now lacking accidity. This must have been a really good wine at say 5 - 8 years old. Not sure why this property is not very well regarded. I would not hesitate to buy it again.

5/29/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Colour developed with an orange rim. Still a substantial wine, weighty and full. Not old. Drinks very well still but will not improve anymore.

5/20/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

The 2000 is an excellent, most enjoyable - and affordable wine. Still good colour and nuanced taste. No signs of tiredness. Nothing forced and overfabricated here, just class and good craftsmanship. The only difference to the top Pomerols is that its tannins are not quite as smooth and refined. This wine is a total steal en primeur.

5/20/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Still good color, developped some orange on the edge. Classy cool nose, old-viney. Still firm to drink. Naturally full but nothing forced, good stuff. These Madiran never quite surrender but keep their kind of hardish, tannic edge that either one likes and appreciates or dislikes. I absolutely love it. The 1999 is good but the 1998 Bouscassé is even better. I don't think the '99 will develop further.

5/18/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Color developed some brick on the edge. Initially a bit hard and not very forthcoming. But cool and classy nose. Not a pleaser. Getting better and better in the glass and was lovely mellow the next day when we finished it. A really good Margaux. Too bad they sold the property.

5/8/2021 - Member 592 wrote:

Better than the bottle we had yesterday which was totally flawed. This one had taste, weight and developped nicely in the glass and to the next day when we finished it.

5/12/2021 - Member 592 Does not like this wine:

Thin but has some taste, albeit an artificial, fabricated one. An utter disappointment. Why they would ship such a hollow drink half-way around the World is incomprehensible (I live in Switzerland). For the price of some $20 there are many better, more interesting alternatives available. Will not buy again. If you love wine, just avoid it.

5/7/2021 - Member 592 Does not like this wine:

Bought a dozen when it was released on a positive mention by Bettane & Dessauve.

Drinking one today was a complete disappointment. It aged very badly. Color was still good but otherwise smelled and tasted completely done, of wet carpet, greenish and quite indescribeable. No positives to mention, just terribly bad.

I remember it tasted well when young but it always struck me as rather loaded and a bit forced. I think this is why it crumbled so badly. I honestly think of just discarding my remaining 8 bottles. But I will try another one soon, just to see if this one was just flawed.

5/4/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Sort of forgotten in my cellar. Cork was dry and stuck firmly to the bottle collar. Removing it was a complete mess, which is hard to understand as the wine was stored in my good cellar all his life and I never have this problem. Perhaps the cork was over-treated with some chemical, IJDK.

The wine initially tasted past its prime, still offering fair drinking but not like what it used to be. On the second day however, the 2001 vintage showed its class and quality. Great ripeness, ample and warm on the palate. A fine wine, I just drank it a bit too late. 2 more bottles left of the original 12.

5/1/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:

Still excellent color, looking young. Good nose. Very mellow. Nice dark fruit. A bit of flesh. Very pleasant drinking, not old at all. Not a miracle of complexity of course, but really surprisingly good for a wine of such humble origin and 20 years on!

I had a case of the 2000 vintage which was also very good, but the 2001 is even better.

12/19/2008 - Member 592 wrote:

Good color, still young. Good nose of wood, fruit and a bit of green-ness. Surprisingly light texture and weight. Rather elegant and fine and not the somewhat robust, chewy wine I expected. Did improve considerably in the glass as the greenish note vanished. Even better when I finished the bottle the next day. Especially the fruit developed and opened up nicely over time. A very good wine.

One user said he'd never guessed it was right bank and I would agree.

5/31/2008 - Member 592 wrote:

Very good color. Restrained nose, yielding not much. Quite hard and young on the palate and not very stylish at this point. It did go well with the meat we had and got better the longer it was open. Still would expect it to improve for a few years.
Actually reading the two notes by dave747400, I very much agree with what he writes.

12/23/2005 - Member 592 wrote:

Fine colour, still appears to be young. Lovely, cool bouquet of black fruits. Very classy. On the palate it lacks a little bit of flesh to balance the acidity and tannins. Very elegant, but does not quite fulfill the promise of the bouquet. Will keep still, but I doubt it will improve any further.

2/16/2004 - Member 592 wrote:

Color little evolved. Beautiful, refined, black-fruit nose. Tastes very elegant and graceful. Not a blockbuster at all. Tannins still present. Fresh. A bit too light, perhaps? Can still keep. I would rate it Fine.