5/18/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Shiny, pale yellow-gold with green tint. Lemon, medium-high toasted barrel, almond, salinity, lemon meringue pie, zest, white flowers, garden herbs, smoke and minerality. Medium-full bodied, high acidity, medium-high structure, medium alcohol and long mineral finish. Fresh, complex and elegant. A lot of tension and energy on the palate that felt like wine were about to explode.

I had tasted a large range of Chardonnay from this winery. Freedom Hill vineyard was definitely my favorite at time of writing. Lucille Freedom Hill vineyard wine seemed to have a marginal edge (perhaps mostly mental) over the regular Freedom Hill vineyard wine, but I questioned whether it was worth the 25-30% price premium. Fantastic Roulot-style Chardonnay.

5/18/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Pale white gold with green tint. Citrus, green apple, white flowers, mild oak, roasted almond, oyster shell, sea salt, orange peel, steel, cumin and minerality. Medium-full bodied, high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and medium mineral finish. Complex, feminine, and well-balanced. An introverted Chassagne where energy was found in the second half of the palate.

Wine was muted on the nose. I wonder if it was going through a dormant phase.

5/15/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium pale yellow gold with green tint. Fresh citrus, mild butter, white flowers, hazelnut and minerality. Medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long finish. Complex, precise and elegant. Well-balanced.

We paired it with a 2019 Domaine d'Eugenie Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Obviously, the Grand Cru had won the battle easily, but the Roulot Bourgogne was still very good.

This was made exclusively for French billionaire Pinault's Restaurant La Halle aux Grains in Paris.

5/18/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium pale yellow gold with green tint. Citrus, lemon oil, white flowers, hazelnut, mild butter, and minerality. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high structure, medium alcohol and long finish. Complex, powerful and well-balanced.

Drank at a restaurant and had to decant in order to allow maximum opening. We could tell it was a grand cru quality but better to wait for 2 more years before opening.

5/17/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted on Air France business class Paris to Vancouver. Amber gold. Red apple, raisin, flowers, caramel, cinnamon and spicy. Rich and bold. Smooth and well-balanced.

5/17/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted on Air France business class Paris to Vancouver. Pale yellow gold with green tint. Citrus, white peach, vanilla, honey suckle, mild oak. Fresh, elegant and well-balanced. Very enjoyable.

5/17/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted on Air France business class Paris to Vancouver. Pale mahogany. Honey, flowers, caramel, vanilla, citrus. Light to medium-light bodied, smooth and well balanced. Reminded me of Japanese whisky. Very good finesse and enjoyable. Air France offered this as aperitif which was a good choice, given it was refreshing and wouldn't saturate the palate.

5/12/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted on Air France business class from Vancouver to Paris. Bright red fruits, redcurrant, smoke, leather and spices. Medium to medium full bodied, medium acidity, velvety tannins, medium structure, medium alcohol and medium peppery finish. Very enjoyable wine from Languedoc.

5/17/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at Air France Salon, CDG Airport. Shiny pale yellow gold with green tint. Gooseberry, citrus, white flowers, smoke and limestone. Medium-light bodied, high acidity, medium-light structure,medium alcohol and medium finish. Fresh, bright and well balanced.

5/12/2024 - GuanYu wrote:

Tasted on Air France to Paris. Ruby red with pink rim. Blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, spices, cedar and tobacco. Fresh, juicy and broad-shoulder. Well balanced.

5/12/2024 - GuanYu wrote:

Tasted on Air France business class from Vancouver to Paris. Medium pale yellow gold with green tint. Citrus, hazelnut and white flowers. Round and mouth filling. Not much mid palate.

5/12/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted on Air France business class from Vancouver to Paris. Pale mahogany. Dried prune, walnut and honey. On the lighter palate side, but easy to drink. Well-balanced.

5/11/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium rose gold. Bright red fruits, vanilla cake, candied cherry. Quite pleasant rose wine from Okanagan.

5/11/2024 - GuanYu wrote:

Ruby red with purple rim. Bright red fruits, and spices. Medium light to medium bodied, medium acidity, medium tannin, light structure, medium alcohol and short finish. Fresh and straight forward. Drink it chilled. Reminded me of Beaujolais nouveau.

5/11/2024 - GuanYu Does not like this wine:

Pale yellow gold with green tint. Citrus, melon, mild butter, herbs, metallic and white pepper. Medium-light to medium bodied, medium acidity, light structure, medium alcohol and short finish. Tasted cheap, and bland. Best for cocktail mixing or cooking.

In my humble opinion, this bottle had tarnished Little Engine's reputation.

5/10/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium-pale ruby red with light purple rim. Fresh red fruits, raspberry, blueberry, candied cherry, chrysanthemum, honeycomb, spices, mild tobacco, incense, wood and potting soil. Medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium tannin, medium structure, medium alcohol and medium nectar finish. Fresh, bright and well-balanced.

I would enjoy them while fresh and young. I don't think they would keep well for long term cellaring due to the vintage.

5/10/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Pale platinum blonde with green tint. Citrus, gooseberry, whiff of methane, lemongrass, white flowers, zest, candied orange and minerality. Medium-light to medium body, high acidity, medium-light structure and medium finish. Fresh, light and crisp. Acidity was searing high at the moment where it was etching my palate. Best to wait for a few months before drinking this.

I paired it with 2022 vintage. 2022 was more developed and slightly rounder. Very consistent Okanagan sauvignon blanc. I would not cellar them, and just enjoy them within 2-3 years.

Winery started using screw cap in lieu of cork in 2023. I think it was a wise decision, and I personally preferred screw caps for early drinking bottles. Why use corks when the wines were not meant for cellaring.

5/10/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

13 months since my last bottle.

Pale platinum blonde with green tint. Gooseberry, lemongrass, citrus, lemon peel, honeysuckle, white flowers and wet rocks. Medium light to medium bodied, high acidity, medium-light structure and medium minerality finish. Fresh and refreshing. A little rounder than a year ago.

I paired it with 2023 vintage together. 2023 was much more acidic and lean at the moment. Also, 2022 used cork and 2023 came with a screw cap, which I much preferred.

5/9/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium-pale ruby red with pink rim. Fresh red fruits, raspberry, dark cherry, rhubarb, cotton candy, wood, white pepper and minerality. Medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium tannin, medium structure, medium alcohol and medium finish. Fresh, bright and summerly. A delicious drink with or without food. I would not bother cellaring them. Drink them while fresh and youthful.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Ruby, brick red with orange-pink rim. Redcurrant, raisin, cognac, farmyard, anise, Coca-Cola. Medium-high tannin, medium acidity, medium fruit, long finish.

Winery said it was the maiden vintage of the last winemaker. It was the Royal Bottle style.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Ruby red with pink-orangey rim. Flagrant red fruits nose. Stewed red fruits, parfume, cucumber, spices and leather.

Winery said this was a "Bad Boy" vintage because it didn't taste anything like pinot noir.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Medium-pale ruby red with pink rim. Fresh redcurrant, candied salmon, spices, cotton candy, liquorice and long finish. Still youthful.

Winery said tertiary aromas just started to break in.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Medium ruby red with pink-orangey rim. Redcurrant, candy, walnut, spices. Harmonious, silky tannin.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Pinkish-ruby red with pink rim. Fragrant red fruits, hawthorn, leather, smoke, high tannin, long spicy, smoky finish. More energy than other wines tasted in the flight.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Ruby red with orange tint, pink rim. Redcurrant, orange peel, garlic clove, candied salmon. Mint finish and texture like Brunello.

Winery said this 75 Rangs is very unique and different due to the soil in vineyard: it was a river bed 1,000 years ago (now gone).

It was my favorite among a tasting flight of 7 wines.

6/20/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Medium-pale ruby red with pink rim, starting to turn orange. Dried red fruits, animal fat, spices, tobacco, high tannin. Long finish. Fresh and complex.

5/6/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Dark ruby red with purple rim. Unripe redcurrant, blueberry, blackberry, rhubarb, maltese chocolate, plethora of flowers like a summer garden, pu'er tea, graphite and cedar. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high silky tannin, medium to medium-high structure and very long, rounded finish. Complex, concentrated and bold. Fragrant nose and velvety palate that was almost soapy. Not a typical Chambolle-Musigny due to high extraction. A fabulous village bottle that would outperform most premier cru bottles.

Enjoyable now for the fresh style and would develop well over the next 10 years.

5/5/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Opaque ruby red with bluish-purple rim. Blackcurrant, plum, cassis, dark cherry, fennel, paint thinner, anise, graphite, baby corn, and black pepper. Full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high fine-grained tannin, medium-high structure, high alcohol (15.3%) and long finish. Bold, powerful and well-balanced. Usually, a youthful dense cabernet sauvignon would taste bitter due to the tannins. This wine did not have any of the bitterness, but instead, it was fluffy and flamboyant in the palate. Clearly an artisan cab.

5/5/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium dark ruby red with pink rim. Fresh red fruits, stewed strawberry, mild tobacco, mild cedar and spices. Feminine and well-balanced. Velvet palate. Restaurant sommelier offered us a taste of this bottle which was opened night before. A pleasurable wine.

5/5/2024 - GuanYu wrote:

Medium-pale yellow gold, vigorous bubbles. Lemon, citrus peel, hazelnuts, mushroom and caramel. The caramelized mushroom usually associated with mature champagne was quite overwhelming for a relatively youthful Blanc de Blancs. I was questioning about its provenance.

5/4/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium pale greenish gold. Medium toasted barrel, lemon, green apple, white peach, white flowers, hazelnut, English peas, honeycomb and minerality. Medium-full bodied, high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long astringent finish. Fresh, precise and elegant. Edgy palate with some tensions. Delicious.

Perfect to enjoy now, and plenty of potential to grow in the next few years. I would recommend to let it breathe for 2 hours prior to drinking.

5/3/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Shiny dark ruby red with purple rim. Bright black fruits, raspberry, plum, mangosteen, pink grapefruit, heavy toasted barrel, nuts, cedar, violet, spices, oiled leather, wet rocks and white pepper. Medium to medium-full bodied, medium acidity, medium-high tannin, medium structure, medium alcohol and medium finish. Bright, complex and well-balanced. Very easy to drink and exceptional value.

I paired this with 2020 Inopia. 2020 was generally a much better vintage than 2021 in Southern Rhone. I felt 2020 Inopia had higher acidity, more subtle and mellow than 2021. IMHO, 2020 would perform better with more aging, and 2021 would be better to drink while fresh and youthful. They were both very good.

5/3/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Dark ruby red with pinkish-purple rim. Redcurrant, unripe black fruits, mild toasted barrel, cedar, ink, rose garden, mint, nutmeg, cinnamon, spices, mild leather and white pepper. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high tannin, medium to medium-high structure, medium alcohol and medium finish. Complex, subtle and invigorating. Well-balanced and fantastic value.

I paired this with 2021 Inopia. 2020 was generally a much better vintage than 2021 in Southern Rhone. I felt 2020 Inopia had higher acidity, more subtle and mellow than 2021. IMHO, 2020 would perform better with more aging, and 2021 would be better to drink while fresh and youthful. They were both very good.

5/1/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Similar notes as my last bottle drank on March 11, 2024. Confirmed that wine was progressively better leaving 2 nights in the fridge. Wine was more open, precise and integrated. Tannin was tamed and silkier. Sadly, it was my last bottle.

ADDENDUM: The wine had finally gone sour by Day 3. So optimal time to drink is after long decant on Day 1 or drink it Day 2.

5/2/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Shiny, medium pale greenish gold. Faint gooseberry, lemon, pear, citrus peel, white peach, white flowers, crème brûlée, butterscotch, glue, ginseng and minerality. Medium-full bodied, high acidity, medium-high structure, medium alcohol and very long mineral finish with residual sugar. Complex, structured and layered. A fantastic effort, and resembled a dry Sauternes.

I drank the 2015 Les Monts Damnés and 2020 Les Culs de Beaujeu a few days apart. Both 2015 and 2020 were fresh, off-dry and minerally. When I tasted this 2010, I realized that my earlier 2015 and 2020 were too youthful and had not developed into the profiles of this 2010. Further more, 2015 and 2020 were on the sweeter side due to the residual sugar. On the other hand, this 2010 had developed into almost a different wine, one that tasted much more integrated and drier on the palate (thanks to the acidity), even though the residual sugar was still there.

From now on, I would keep my remaining Cotat for at least 12-15 years before I would open them for pleasure.

Also, I recommend to breathe the wine for 3 hours before drinking.

ADDENDUM: I saved a small amount in the fridge for tasting 36 hours later. Wine was still fresh and balanced. It was leaner and drier with residual sugar almost completely vanished.

5/1/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Pale yellow with green tint, strong fine bubbles. Lemon, lime, green apple, nuts and minerality. Medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol, and medium dry finish. Fresh, precise and energetic. Good food champagne. It might develop into more complexity but now relatively straight forward due to youthfulness.

4/28/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Dark garnet red with 80% orange/20% pink rim, lots of sediment. Blackcurrant, stewed strawberry, prune, candied cherry, dried fig, tobacco, saddle, cedar, spices, honeycomb, tea leaves and earth. Full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high tannin, medium structure, medium-high alcohol and medium spicy finish. Bold, complex and explosive. Plenty of tertiary notes and tannins. Good bite on the palate.

Wine at prime or slightly past prime. It still had at least 10 years of life ahead of it if cellared properly. I would starting drinking them up before the fruits completely dried out.

ADDENDUM:

- 24 hours later in the fridge, tannins had mellowed out a lot. Nose resembled that of a mature vintage port wine. Palate was also more mellow with predominantly tertiary flavors.

- 48 hours later in the fridge, tannins had all been resolved. Nose had a strong Coca-Cola note. Palate started to lose balance due to loss of fruits and other volatile elements. It was like eating a peach or mango where we got to the big seed in the center, a little dense and woody, while the periphery was soft and light.

In hindsight, I would decant it for a few hours, and then drink it all the same evening.

4/28/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Shiny medium-pale yellow gold with green tint. Citrus, pear, apricot, honeysuckle, mild ghee, minerality, basil and white pepper. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long finish. Fresh, complex, harmonious with a rounded palate. Very easy to drink. Excellent winemaking.

Enjoyable now for the freshness style. It should improve and develop more character in the years to come. I recommend to breathe for at least 2 hours prior to drinking.

4/27/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium-pale greenish gold. Lemon, citrus, hazelnut, cream, honeysuckle, garden herbs and minerality. Medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long finish. Feminine, complex and refined. Smooth and velvet palate. It was still youth but enjoyable now.

We ordered this at the restaurant. It was decanted but still needed more time to open, which we didn't have the luxury of time.

4/25/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Shiny, medium-pale greenish-gold. Citrus, green apple, yellow apple, pear, white flowers, glue, honey and oyster shell. Medium bodied, medium acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long mineral finish. Fragrant, sophisticated and feminine. Sweet floral nose upon opening. Slightly viscous, off-dry palate.

The nose of this bottle resembled a mature dry white Bordeaux, mixed with honey.

4/24/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Medium-pale yellow gold with green tint. Lemon, citrus peel, white flowers, sage, hazelnut, mild butter, honeycomb and minerality. Medium-full to fill bodied, high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long mineral finish. Complex, elegant and well balanced. Smooth yet edgy on the palate. Medium tension in the finish (any tension is good).

Perfect to enjoy now and this bottle would cellar well for another 10 years due to excellent acidity and abandance of fruits.

4/23/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Dark garnet red with pink-orangey rim. Blackcurrant, cassis, stewed strawberry, incense, game, leather, cedar, fresh herbs and spices. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high tannin, medium-high structure, medium-high alcohol and long finish. Complex, fresh and layered. Plenty of tertiary notes.

Acidity was on the high side and fruits and tannin were fading. Wine was at the tail end of prime or perhaps just past the prime. Nonetheless great value for what it was worth.

ADDENDUM: After 24 hours in the fridge, fruits had faded even more and residual sugar became more pronounced. Some Coca-Cola notes emerged, and almost tasted like flat Coca-Cola.

4/22/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Shiny, pale greenish-gold. Pear, citrus, yellow apple, loquat (biwa or pipa), pineapple, white flowers, almond, honey and minerality. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long finish with residual sugar. Complex, fresh and elegant. Semi-dry, viscous palate. Even though it was slightly sweet on the palate, there was sufficient acidity to bring the wine into balance.

This wine reminded me of Château de Fosse-Seche Saumur Arcane. Chenin Blanc, similar style. Both fantastic. Even though off-dry, it went very well with certain dishes due to their freshness and acidity.

4/21/2024 - GuanYu wrote:

Dark ruby red with purplish-pink rim. Blackcurrant, cassis, raspberry, strawberry, dark plum, capsicum, Imperial Leather, vanilla, spices, tobacco and wood. Full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high tannin, medium-high structure, medium-high alcohol and long finish. Bold, concentrated, multi-dimensional, and well-balanced. Wine was still youthful to show its true potential. Abundance of dark fruits that covered up the subtleties of the wine like a layer of mist, waiting to be lifted.

I would recommend decant for hours before consumption. Better yet, let the bottles sit in the cellar for a few more years before drinking them.

4/21/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Pale yellow-gold with green tint. Lemon, mandarin peel, hazelnut, white flowers, cedar, honeycomb, yellow peach, apricot, oyster shell. Medium-full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high structure, medium alcohol and long citrusy finish. Complex, elegant, layered and well-balanced. Slightly viscous on the palate. Good weight with lift. A fantastic effort from Rully.

4/20/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Pale yellow-gold with green tint. Citrus, zest, white flowers, honey, and minerality. Medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long astringent finish. Fresh, sharp, edgy and elegant.

Paired with 2021 1er Cru Beauroy. Seemed like Beauroy is more open and rounder than this 2021 1er Cru Côte de Léchet from same winery, which was tight and needed more time.

ADDENDUM: After opening 6 hours, wine opened up and softened a little. As such, I would recommend decanting this bottle or letting it breath for hours before consumption.

4/20/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Pale greenish-gold. Citrus, white flowers, jasmine, nuts, honeycomb and limestone. Medium-full bodied, high acidity, medium structure, medium alcohol and long finish. Fresh, complex and elegant. Soft and slightly oily on the palate. Well-balanced.

Paired with 2021 1er Cru Côte de Léchet. Seemed like Beauroy is more open and rounder than this 2021 1er Cru Côte de Léchet from same winery, which was tight and needed more time.

4/19/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Dark garnet red with orangey rim. Blackcurrant, dark cherry, raspberry, stewed strawberry, dark plum, menthol, dried herbs, spices, cedar, incense, sweaty saddle, crispy bacon, and honey. Full-bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high silky tannin, medium structure, medium-high alcohol and long nectar finish. Bold, complex, edgy and well-balanced. Residual sugar on the finishing palate.

In prime drinking window at time of writing. Probably only a few more years to go before downhill.

ADDENDUM: After 24 hours in fridge, wine still strong and opened. Dark fruits started to fade and seemed a little alcoholic.

4/18/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Similar notes as last time. It was tight and minerally driven the night I opened it. After 24 hours in the fridge, the wine softened and much more pleasant and enjoyable.

4/17/2024 - GuanYu Likes this wine:

Opaque garnet red with pink rim, lots of sediment. Accidentally pushed the cork inside with Ah-So cork opener. Cassis, blackcurrant, dark plum, dried prune, nectar, fig, mushroom, white truffle, tobacco, spices, menthol, cedar, mild game, and potting soil. Full bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high silky tannin, medium structure, medium-high alcohol and long nectar finish. Still youthful and energetic. Tertiary notes had only begun to emerge.

Bold, complex, lush and well-balanced. Thick velvet palate with layers. Almost like drinking a mature Port with a reduced alcohol. In prime drinking window now, and should be able to last for another 10-20 years in cellar.

ADDENDUM: Like all Qupe that I bought recently, I left half a bottle in the fridge to see how it performed next day (18-24 hours). Unlike other bottles, this wine had faded and went slightly off balanced. So I would recommend to drink this bottle all within same evening.