5/10/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

I hold the opinion that oftentimes a setting can elevate a bottle of wine. In the case of Krug's 2002 vintage, it was the inverse. Sat at Fasano New York's jazz bar - Baretto - this bottle made what was already a brilliant night of live music and imbibing that much better. An excellent vintage in Champagne, this was worth the 22 year wait for the wine to get into its zone. The nose had some pronounced aromas of yeast and brioche, undercut by scents of stone fruit and green apple. But the palate was the star of the show. With a pronounced almond note medleying lime zest in the upfront, you're immediately drawn into the complexity of this wine from the get-go. The mid-palate displays the strength and house style of Krug as notes of brioche, caramel and white pepper come together with a light grapefruit note that re-incorporates the citrus component of the upfront. The finish brought in some lovely nuttiness as a distinct hazelnut note worked with hints of toast and minerality, pushing the savouriness of this Champagne. Truly one of the best bottles I've had this year that is ready to go from the moment it is opened.

5/5/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

We absolutely caught this wine right in the heart of its prime drinking window. A good, not great vintage for Champagne in my eyes (and experience), I was still excited to dive into Dom Pérignon's offering that I suspected would be as stellar of an example as you can get from the year. I was not wrong as it was drinking at its peak on the day - exactly what you want out from the maison. The nose boasted incredible florality, aided by maturer scents of hazelnut and almond before being balanced out by hints of flint and peach, coming off quite pronounced. The palate still had some racy acidity, boasting great complexity. An upfront of stone fruits and green apple led into a mid-palate packed with notes of yeast, brioche and lemon peel before the finish felt well-rounded through a cream note. This is a full-bodied beast tamed by maturity and is absolutely in its zone right now.

5/2/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Waiting for dinner to finish cooking, we let this bottle slow oxidise for about half an hour while we finished our 2008 Pol Roger Brut. Pouring into Gabriel-Glas Universals before plating dinner, my first reaction was that this is a wine that would only be elevated with a meal. Paired with short rib pappardelle, that initial reaction would prove true as the meatiness of the sauce elevated the tertiary components of this Grand Cru offering from Domaine des Lambrays.

My immediate reaction to the bottle, after pouring it into the glass, was the strength of the nose as scents of leather, tobacco and dark chocolate overpowered the hint of blackcurrant I was getting. The palate came off a tad bit thinner than the nose, though, as an upfront of red cherries and leather led into an interesting mid-palate of cinnamon, sous bois and a hint of smoke. The finish was quite lean, boasting a cedar wood note. As a whole, I wouldn't call this wine dormant - it was absolutely enjoyable on the evening - but it is in the process of waking up and will be even better in 2-3 years' time.

5/2/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Beginning our evening with this bottle, I had previously only gotten to taste examples of Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill selections when it came to the maison's vintage offerings. Suffice to say, I was eager to check in on this bottle with some palpable excitement around the 2008 vintage. Immediately, the nose offered superb balance as peach, baking spices and brioche all came together, forming a lovely bouquet. The palate had some zippy acidity, boasting an upfront consisting of ripe melon and green apple notes before the mid-palate was dominated by a brioche note accompanied by some light flintiness. Signs of maturity emerged in the back end as a lemon rind note quickly transitioned into prominent nuttiness on the finish. As a whole, this was a treat and at the price, it's hard to find a bottle from 2008 you could want more from at this stage of its maturation.

5/1/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Having enjoyed many of the Cuvée Nicolas Francois and Louis Salmon bottles from Billecart-Salmon, I was excited to dive into this rendition from the producer. Originally thinking this would still be quite early in its drinking window as far as vintage champagne goes, this proved to be an extremely approachable bottle after giving it some air time. Drinking it out of a Gabriel-Glas Universal glass, the nose was extremely expressive, boasting scents green apple, brioche, hazelnut and even a powerful white chocolate scent (possibly coming out of the majority of the blend being Pinot Noir?). The palate was packed with energy as orchard fruits - red apple - medlied with peach and grapefruit in the upfront before a lovely mid-palate packed in strength through brioche, smoke and flint notes. The finish had a distinct white pepper note that arose, which played well with the bottle's youthful acidity. Approachable now, but primed for shorter-term aging as well.

5/1/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Having tried the 1986 vintage of Château Beychevelle this past summer and thinking it was one of the few wines from the vintage in a really good spot, my first reaction to drinking the 1989 vintage was that we caught it right in its prime. This is everything you want in mature Bordeaux (and some!), boasting a nose with quintessential leather and tobacco scents, accompanied by light blackberries and baking spices before being rounded out with a great cocoa note that evolved over the course of the two hours we enjoyed the bottle. The palate itself showed maturity, but still boasted great balance as an upfront of red cherries and blackcurrant led into a mid-palate dominated by tobacco, leather and a lighter cedar note. The finish medlied dark chocolate with pepper, creating excellent balance. Yet another great bottle from Château Beychevelle that pushes the '86 and '82 vintages.

4/29/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Having read about some of Jean-Claude Ramonet's holdings that were passed down to his daughter, which she then merged with her husbands' to expand Bachelet-Ramonet, I was eager to open this bottle up. In particular, I wanted to explore Grandes Ruchottes with the vineyard boasting ~60 year old vines at the time. Immediately boasting a deep gold colour when poured, my excitement was palpable. Letting the bottle slow oxidise for the length of time it takes to have a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, the nose was extremely expressive, boasting topicality - namely pineapple - as well as cedar wood, hazelnut and a hint of olive oil. The palate was fleshy, as peach and orchard fruits medlied to dominate a fresh upfront before the mid-palate incorporated minerality, flintiness and stone fruits. The finish was chewy, showing off the power of the wine as notes of pepper, light oak and smoke emerged to round the bottle out. What a wine.

4/26/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Really interesting experience opening up the 1989 Château Magdelaine at Farra in New York City on Friday night. Having been wanting to try something from this château - especially from a more prolific period like the 1980s - this bottle was a fun proposition. The nose itself didn't give away a lot as light hints of blackcurrant were overpowered by scents of leather and cigar box. The palate, though, evolved extremely interestingly over the two hours the bottle was open. Not entirely sure if this bottle would need a decant beforehand, we opted to pop and pour the bottle only to find we would need to decant it. After letting it sit over a glass of Bourgogne Blanc, the wine itself was still drinking young once we revisited it. The upfront had a light - but delicate - blackcurrant note, but the mid-palate boasted an extraordinary amount of power through notes of baking spices, pepper and leather. The finish brought in a great dark chocolate note (one we joked almost tasted like 90% dark chocolate!), lingering long with lots of acidity still in play. The wine itself felt clean and if I had tasted it blind, would have probably attributed it to the early 2000s. The delicate nature of the fruit threw me off a bit, but this wine seems to have a lot of life left.

4/24/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Perhaps an imbibed decision to open this after a bottle of Morey-Saint-Denis at dinner, but after reading about the vinification changes Château Branaire-Ducru have undergone since the 1990s, I was eager to try a bottle from that period. Enjoying many of the bottles I've tried from the 1995 vintage, it was a no-brainer when I saw this bottle for sale and that confidence was rewarded after a 30 minute decant last night. The 1995 Château Branaire-Ducru opened up wonderfully, drinking younger than anticipated and boasting a lot of power over the course of two hours. The nose medlied lots of classic Bordeaux qualities as blackcurrants, cigar box, pencil shavings and a hint of smoke all came together. The fruit was singing as the upfront was packed with blackberries and even a hint of rhubarb before the mid-palate moved into a backbone of cedar wood, licorice and a hint of earthiness. The power of this bottle was well represented in the finish as notes of crème de cassis and meatiness came across an elongated finish that boasted racy acidity.

4/24/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

This was a wine I thoroughly enjoyed tracking over the course of the night. My first experience with Gérard Raphet as a producer, I was eager to try this the day I got it, but waited a month until I opened this bottle up. The wine immediately came off a little thin, but I persevered and allowed it to slow oxidise for about two hours before dinner.

What a difference two hours makes.

The power of the wine began to emerge the moment we poured it into our glasses, boasting a nose consisting of blackberries, leather and tobacco. The palate opened up with an upfront that pushed a balance of raspberries and a funky sous bois note. The mid-palate continued on with that funk as a hint of blackcurrant medlied with a mossy / vegetal note that eventually became subdued. The finish was really powerful as notes of iron, leather and spices all medlied together across some well integrated acidity. This was a wine worth letting open up.

4/15/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Wow. One of the best examples of wine from Nuits-Saint-Georges I've had the pleasure to try. Domaine Jean Tardy works across five hectares of land for all their offerings and you can tell the refinement of their wines off of the first sip of one of their bottles. This 1er Cru from 'Les Boudots' was in such a magnificent place on the night - the type of bottle you never want to see the bottom of. The nose gave off hints of advancement as aromas of leather, herbs, tobacco and a light vegetal quality all came together. In contrast, though, the palate boasted so much life as the upfront had a sexy morello cherry note balanced out perfectly by sous bois. The mid-palate showed off Les Boudots' proximity to Vosne-Romanée as those lovely Vosne spices came into the mix, aided by the power of a meaty note as well. The tannins felt perfectly integrated across some good acidity, amplified by a lovely, silky herbaceous finish. I'm writing this three days after drinking the bottle, still thinking about the wine.

4/13/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Wanting to let this wine fully express itself, we allowed it to slow oxidise for three and a half hours during a dinner at Fulgurances in New York before we gave it a go. Following a 2002 Clos Vougeot from Domaine Michel Gros, we couldn't stop raving about how clean this wine was once it had hit its stride. The nose had a captivating florality note that was balanced out with tobacco and baking spices. The palate was extremely expressive as the upfront of lavender and blackberries created a leanness before the mid-palate introduced some signature Gevrey cedar wood and spices. The finish was long, clean and silky as tobacco and pepper came into the mix. This wine has so much life ahead of it, but is already drinking well now.

4/13/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

I'm absolutely loving the reds coming out of the 2002 Burgundy vintage right now. Slow oxidised for an hour and a half prior to dinner at Fulgurances in New York, this is one of the better examples of Clos Vougeot I've had the chance to open up. The nose was highly aromatic, boasting great aromatic balance between scents of raspberries, smoke, leather, cinnamon, florality and light cedar wood. The palate, though, felt like it was dealing a tit for tat, continuing on with that theme of balance as red cherries created vibrancy on an upfront before a tertiary mid-palate of sous bois and licorice emerged. That tit for tat returned with a menthol-driven, short finish that re-introduced freshness to the backend. This beat out a 2017 Domaine Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Aux Combottes' on the night.

3/29/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

I'm a big admirer of Jean Grivot's wines and having never tried Vosne-Romanée from Les Rouges, I thought I'd give this bottle a go at 67 Pall Mall in London despite the poor reviews below. A pristine bottle, this was a superstar on the night, just entering its peak. The nose felt mature, boasting leather and chocolate with a lovely raspberry undercut. But the palate shone bright as cranberries and redcurrants added life to the upfront before tobacco and lavender created a good sense of power in the mid-palate. The finish boasted silky tannins, complimented by a licorice note. This wine was a joy to discover.

3/28/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Opened at Noble Rot in Mayfair, this bottle presented itself as tremendous value on the wine list. This wine was all about the nose; something I've found myself saying more and more often as of late (and I think there's a note that usually gives it away for me!). Boasting qualities of smoke, cranberries, light cedar wood, licorice, menthol, herbs and a tremendous dark chocolate scent, I found myself reaching to smell the wine and putting the glass down, garnering satisfaction simply from its complex aromatic structure. The palate was clearly advanced as hints of fruit emerged through redcurrants in the upfront, but that quickly transitioned to iron and tobacco in the mid-palate before notes of oak, bell pepper and spices dominated a short finish.

3/28/2024 - ankitmehra wrote:

The négoce label of Domaine de Montille, we had a one off bottle of this lying in the cooler and I thought it'd be fun to open up and try before dinner on Thursday night. The nose was quite reductive, balancing out some herbal smokiness with a light peach note. The palate lacked acidity, but was extremely clean, boasting an upfront of lime zest and lemon rind before the mid-palate brought in apricot and flintiness. The finish was perhaps the most alluring part of the bottle as iron and light honeysuckle came together to create some strength on the backend.

3/24/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Having had a good amount of Bordeaux this past week, I wanted to open something where I wouldn't know what I was expecting. Having been sitting on this 2006 Mocali Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (I have never tried one of Mocali's riservas for context), I was intrigued to open this up. A ex-domaine bottle, you could tell the freshness of this bottle just based off the aromatic nose that was well balanced with notes of blackberries, chocolate, ink and coffee. Slow oxidising the bottle for a further hour revealed a youthful palate as an upfront of ripe blackcurrants and oak truly created power before baking spices and sous bois added character in the mid-palate. The finish was packed with acidity and bold tannins as licorice, leather and gameyness all medlied to create a lingering effect. A nice change from the usual Bordeaux and Burgundy on the night.

3/22/2024 - ankitmehra wrote:

1988 Bordeaux Horizontal (Hawksmoor NYC): Oxidised from the second it was poured in a glass.

3/22/2024 - ankitmehra wrote:

1988 Bordeaux Horizontal (Hawksmoor NYC): Having recently enjoyed the 1986 Château Lynch-Bages in a four decades of Bordeaux vertical, I was excited to dive into another example from the 1980s with the 1988 Château Lynch-Bages. This was absolutely drinking younger than I was anticipating, but lacked a 'wow' factor. The nose had a mossy quality to it, made better by hints of blackberries and light baking spices. The palate, though, showed off the youthfulness of this bottle as redcurrants and blackcurrants were omnipresent in the upfront prior to notes of leather, oak and white pepper providing a backbone in the mid-palate. The finish was dominated by sous bois, licorice and herbs, boasting tannins that had yet to settle down. I have one bottle left of 1988 Château Lynch-Bages and I think I'd give it 2-3 years before I revisit it.

3/22/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

1988 Bordeaux Horizontal (Hawksmoor NYC): In our 1988 Bordeaux horizontal, the 1988 Château Pichon Baron truly gave its best effort to beat out what I picked as the WOTN: the 1988 Château Mouton Rothschild. Perhaps even boasting a more alluring nose - one which was packed with meatiness, smoke, cedar wood, licorice and blackcurrant - the bottle felt a tad more advanced on the palate. A tertiary upfront, I was immediately struck by the balance of sous bois and blackberries before the palate transitioned in its entirety during the mid-palate as notes of licorice and smoke came through. The finish was a tad astringent but a bark note emerged that balanced it out. A great bottle, but one I would drink up on now.

3/22/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

1988 Bordeaux Horizontal (Hawksmoor NYC): I was not expecting this to be the wine of the night in a 1988 Bordeaux horizontal, but the 1988 Château Mouton Rothschild was in a perfect place when we PnP'd it on the night. Despite not being an overly aromatic wine, there were still aromas of red fruit and light tobacco coming together. But the palate truly stole the show. With tart raspberries and red cherries creating life (and complimenting acidity) in the upfront, the mid-palate was absolutely tantalising, boasting spices, iron and sanguine qualities before a well integrated tannic structure in the finish boasted light cassis and chewiness from a game note. This truly delivered - a bottle to open and enjoy now.

3/22/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

1988 Bordeaux Horizontal (Hawksmoor NYC): The first bottle of our 1988 Bordeaux horizontal and this was perhaps the bottle I was most excited about on the night. After letting this slow oxidise for an hour or so, I could tell that this wine was in pristine condition upon seeing its medium ruby colour when being poured. The nose was captivating, boasting a lot of the traits I love and associate with Pessac-Léognan: smoke, cedar wood, tobacco, vanilla and a hint of blackberries. The palate was beginning to enter its tertiary phase, but was still packed with youth as leather and blackcurrant medlied in the upfront prior to red cherries, some meatiness and vanilla dominating the mid-palate. Licorice arose as a prominent note across a long, powerful finish. As a whole, this wine is just entering the prime of its life and can age for much longer. No rush.

3/20/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

This is a wine that is definitely getting towards the end of its life - as expected with the vintage - but also a great representation of the plentitude of complexity mature Bordeaux has to offer. Having really enjoyed the 1975 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou in January, I decided to open up the 1976 vintage at The Noortwyck in New York City. The nose exuded a lot of tertiary aromas as cedar wood and tobacco were dominant, accompanied by a lovely scent of maraschino cherries and cassis. The palate still offered a good amount of fruit for the first hour, boasting red cherries and licorice in the upfront before a distinct black pepper note medlied with earthiness in the mid-palate. There was an air of energetic tension to the finish as tobacco exuded strength while a light mint note added freshness to a wine you wouldn't expect that from. The tannins were resolved and this wine probably needs to be drunk soon, but nevertheless it's still an extremely great experience nearly half a century down the line.

3/15/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Having had the 1999 vintage of this same wine a couple of months ago and being pleasantly surprised, I decided to bring the 2002 vintage out for dinner with friends at J.G. Melon in New York City. As is the case with many of the great early 2000s Burgundian vintages, they need proper air time. This bottle was slow oxidised for over two hours before dinner and it needed every minute of it. The nose opened up with an upfront dominated by a vegetal / moss scent before hints of red cherries, tobacco and menthol balanced it out. The palate boasted a lot of fruit as tart raspberries and bright red cherries emerged in the upfront, balanced out by oak, light iron and a pronounced pepper note in the mid-palate. The finish proved to bring out the tertiary components expected with the bottle's age as cedar wood and light earthiness accompanied a long finish on a wine that was drinking younger than its age would suggest. A fuller style of Volnay, but one that Bouchard does a good job with once the bottle is given time.

3/15/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

As one of the southernmost points on the slope of Meursault, almost touching Puligny-Montrachet, I was expecting this Blagny 1er Cru from Antoine Jobard to be quite different from the other Meursaults I've tried from his lineup. And, early on, the palate proved that point. The nose was reductive, boasting a flinty note, opening up over time to include hints of citrus, but the palate was an entirely different beast. Initially higher in acidity than I'm accustomed to in Meursault, the wine took some time to really get going, initially overpowered by citric qualities, balancing out after about an hour and a half. An upfront that had dominant lime zest and lemon rind notes felt well integrated with a mid-palate that brought in cream, vanilla and a brilliant marzipan note. The finish was interesting, incorporating light pear as the acidity mellowed out over the course of the bottle. This is a wine that needs time, but truly shines if you give it to it.

3/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

This bottle really took its time to get going (let's call it the length of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix), probably showing the difficulties of 2011 in the process. But once it got going, it wound up in quite a good place, though not one I typically associate with Morey-Saint-Denis? The nose was funky to say the least, compounding earthy, mushroom scents with a vegetal, herbaceous quality. The nose eventually opened up with scents of tobacco and licorice, but the funk remained. The palate itself possessed the power of Chambolle-Musigny with the rusticity of Gevrey-Chambertin as an upfront of ripe raspberries, dark cherries and tobacco quickly transitioned to a mid-palate dominated by forest floor. The finish brought in a light menthol note alongside dill, perhaps showing signs of greenness, but as a whole, this was a very interesting (albeit eventually good) example of Roumier-style winemaking. I was hoping for a tad more finesse / elegance out of this bottle, but I tempered my expectations off the back of the vintage.

3/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Wow - single vineyard, village Comtes Lafon. This wine is in the prime of its life and that is evident from the first glass to the last. Not needing much air time to really hit its stride, I found the contrast of its rich nose and zippy palate to be terrific. Immediately boasting a butter popcorn scent, the nose was balanced out with a good amount of florality alongside scents of oak and light coconut. The upfront of the palate seemed to counter the nose, though (in a good way) as notes of lime zest and lemon rind rang through before the mid-palate had an interesting, counter-intuitive balance of graphite and cream notes. The strength of this wine was on display on the finish as oak and smoke came into the mix on the backend, showing off the opulence many reviewers below me have mentioned. This is a bottle worth popping open as soon as you get the chance.

3/8/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

After trying the 2005 Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée a few months ago and thinking it was restrained - like I have for many 2005s - I was excited to dive into an example from a vintage I've found to be more open in 2009. My excitement was rewarded immediately as, with about half an hour of air time, I was presented with a nose that had an absolutely sublime coffee scent, accompanied by tart blackberries, tobacco, cedar wood alongside a light mintiness. The palate showed the richness of the vintage, boasting raspberries and graphite on the upfront before the mid-palate brought in quintessential Vosne spice alongside a distinctive cigar box note. The finish was lucious and velvety, introducing a hint of cedar onto the palate. For a village-level wine, this is a rockstar.

3/3/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Having only ever had Château de Beaucastel young, I was excited to corkage this bottle at Balthazar in New York on Sunday evening. Drunk over two and a half hours, the wine evolved extremely well in the glass, proving to be an excellent example of mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The nose had a lot of the great qualities that I've come to enjoy from the Rhône valley, boasting scents of blackberries, tobacco, cedar and a light note of olive tapenade I usually associate with the Northern part of the region. The palate had a lot of fruit intact as the upfront possessed a medley of tart redcurrants, plum and dark cherries before the wine began to show its maturity in the mid-palate through notes of spices, chocolate and light licorice. The tannins were still very much present, creating a silkiness that was aided by the arrival of an herbaceous note on the finish. This wine felt like it was in a really good spot, balancing out the rusticity that comes out of maturity with the finesse of much of the fruit still being intact. Thoroughly enjoyable.

3/2/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the examples of 1998 right bank Bordeaux I’ve been lucky enough to try over the last year or so, but whenever I think of 1996, I immediately think of the left bank, which is what made trying this bottle from Château L’Evangile such an interesting proposition. After decanting the bottle for an hour or so, the nose opened up to be a great representation of mature right bank Bordeaux, with scents of blackberry, smoke and pepper complimenting a lot of distinct earthiness and cedar wood. The palate progressively became more tertiary, but the upfront had a powerful tobacco note that complimented the notes of blackberry and redcurrant I picked up. The mid-palate combined forest floor with a brilliant dark chocolate note that really came to life in hour two, all before a long, gamey finish. This is in a really good spot right now and I’m happy I opened it when I did - lots of fruit intact and just a great sense of balance in the bottle.

2/28/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

The 2013 vintage out of the Côte de Beaune continues to impress me. After all the worries of low yields and high acidity in the region, the wines are firing and this bottle from PYCM is yet another example of stellar white Burgundy out of the vintage. Boasting a characteristically PYCM reductive nose that had flint dominated aromatics alongside an enthralling tomato / olive oil characteristic, this wine opened up marvelously over two hours. The palate was true to a lot of the wines Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey produces, boasting a lot of minerality in the upfront, accompanied by a great citrus (largely grapefruit) note. The mid-palate brought that reductive flinty note from the nose into the palate, balanced out by a hint of peach and cream before an oak-led finish. Zippy and drier than I was expecting, this is clearly representative of PYCM's house-style of Chassagne-Montrachet and one that I can't wait to revisit again soon.

2/26/2024 - ankitmehra wrote:

David Duband - whether it be through his work with Francois Feuillet (notably in Aux Thorey) or on his namesake domaine - is one of the producers in Burgundy I’ve come to enjoy village-level options from based on how lean and clean the wines tend to be. In typical David Duband fashion, the nose on this wine was immediately expressive, giving off florality through a notable rose scent alongside ripe strawberries and hints of light spices. The palate, though, could do with a bit more time (1-2 years) to integrate and create more balance. The upfront boasts lots of great ripe red berries and a robust black cherry note before the mid-palate feels a bit jumbled (hence the thought on integration) with contrasting notes of chocolate, jam and licorice creating tension. The finish was powerful, yet silky, introducing a dominating oak note as well as hints of graphite and herbaceousness across some grippy tannins and a smidge of astringency (that began to settle as the bottle opened up). Giving this a 90 right now, but definitely see upside once everything comes together.

2/22/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

I tasted the 2021 vintage of this wine blind after a night of sampling 2021 Burgundies at Somm Cellars and was completely and utterly blown away by the nose.

I had to get a bottle of it.

Fast forward two weeks and I was sat at Hyun in New York City with a friend, a bottle of Domaine Takahiko's 2015 vintage in-hand - the first vintage that was made sulphur free - and let me tell you: this wine is a rockstar.

The nose is ethereal, medleying eucalyptus, mint, forest floor, moss, cardamom and light oak for a bouquet you just cannot get enough of. I likened the palate to Morey-Saint-Denis if I had give it a Burgundian comparison, but this wine has a personality of its own and truly shone on the night. With an upfront boasting notes of bright raspberries, cedar and light oak, the mid-palate was spectacular as a gamey-ness was brought upon through a distinct umami note, supported by light menthol and baking spices. The finish was shorter than anticipated, but introduced a note of white pepper that rounded out this wine incredibly well. Coming in at an ABV of 12% with great acidity, this wine was incredibly well integrated at such a young age. Being a low-yield domaine in Hokkaido, it was a pleasure to taste this example of cold climate Pinot Noir.

2/22/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

This wine was clearly the result of a bout of botrytis, which, funnily enough, feels representative of the tough growing conditions of the 2008 vintage in the Côte de Beaune. Enthralled by the golden hue when this wine was poured into our glasses, the nose wasn't overly aromatic (like many of the great examples of Grand Cru Montrachet I've had), but scents of wet stone, butter, apricot, light oak and pepper were all in play. The palate is what gave away the botrytis, with remarks about this being a "lighter Sauternes" coming up over the course of the drinking experience. The upfront was packed with honey suckle and butterscotch before a zippy mid-palate of lemon zest, lime and iron. The finish brought in more strength through oak and vanilla, but without the grippy mouthfeel Montrachet typically possess.

2/20/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Maybe it’s Burgundy pricing right now but the QPR on this Vosne-Romanée made me appreciate it that much more. The nose wasn’t overly aromatic, but there was a subtle vibrancy to the medley of mint, earthiness, red berries and hints of cedar I was getting scents of. The palate had a good amount of elegance to it, boasting an upfront dominated by redcurrant, cranberries, licorice and jam before a mid-palate that had a vegetal / moss quality to it. The finish brought in iron and smoke across a short finish. As a whole, I was looking for more spice to come across in the palate - a note that always screams Vosne-Romanée to me - but the wine was thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless, packaging great acidity and good complexity in its youth across a medium body.

2/19/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

If I had tasted this blind I would have guessed this was a Bâtard-Montrachet. There is an unbelievable amount of precision and power coming out of this offering from Yves Boyer-Martenot - a producer I was yet to try in Meursault, but will be running back to try another bottle from very quickly. The nose was scintillating, reminiscent of a 1996 Bâtard-Montrachet I had tried from Louis Jadot a couple of weeks prior, boasting scents of butter popcorn, light spice, nuttiness and honeysuckle. The palate starred, showing off lots of power in the upfront through notes of ripe red apples, cream and lemon peel. The mid-palate possessed great weight, balancing notes of toasted oak and light honey before the finish brought in hints of tropical fruits and oiliness that I'm typically accustomed to tasting in Montrachet more than Meursault. Drunk over two hours, this is a superstar a decade into its life.

2/18/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

I've been a long time admirer of Hubert Lamy's wines from Saint-Aubin so the opportunity to dive into their Chassagne-Montrachets was exciting, not least when it's from one of my favourite climats - Les Chaumées. The nose boasted exuberant energy, balancing out sharp scents of lemon zest and peach with a strong oak backbone and minerality. The palate continued to impress as citrus notes shifted into ripe peach on the upfront as the bottle evolved. The mid-palate was tantalising as flint, butter and florality created tension with one another. The finish was short, incorporating oak and chalky qualities. As a whole the wine had good acidity, with the upfront of the palate starring far more than the finish. Nevertheless this is a good example of the prowess many of Lamy's wines possess, making for a great accompaniment to the evening.

2/14/2024 - ankitmehra wrote:

Having yet to try any wines from Pierre Boisson, I was excited to dive into this bottle of Monthélie. The result was an occurrence I don't often endure when I drink wine, but was interesting nonetheless: I found myself gravitating to the nose more than I enjoyed the actual wine itself. Opening up relatively quickly in the bottle, the nose was incredibly boastful and luscious, pushing quintessential Monthélie aromas of violet and cherry, mixed in with a strong mint scent as well as milder scents of spices, graphite and earthiness. Just an absolute joy. The palate, though, felt a tad bit unbalanced - almost as if it needs more time to integrate. The upfront packed in the fruit as strawberries and red cherries medlied with forest floor before vanilla was introduced in the mid-palate. The finish was lengthy and characteristically velvety as licorice and cedar wood came into play. Overall, an enjoyable wine, but I'm skeptical about how much better it will get.

2/11/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Lean, clean, old-school Burgundy. Opened during the Super Bowl. Lots of red cherries, florality and game. Emerging rusticity that compliments a spice-driven finish well. Thoroughly enjoyable to share with friends over the course of the game.

2/10/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Henri Gouges' wines are seemingly hit or miss for me in my past experiences with the producer, but this bottle was definitely a good representation of 1er Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges. Slow oxidising the bottle for an hour before giving it a go at dinner, the nose opened up to boast tart red cherries, smoke, cedar and hint of florality in what became an increasingly aromatic nose. The palate was bursting with energy as bright red cherries, oak and vanilla imposed themselves on the upfront before an earthy funk and hints of cola and cinnamon created complexity across the mid-palate. The finish was spice driven, with the wine boasting great acidity. This is probably just entering its window and will continue to improve from hereon.

2/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Four Decades of Left Bank Bordeaux with Friends (New York): After tasting a 1968 Château Latour, 1970 Château Palmer, 1986 Château Lynch-Bages and 1995 Château Haut-Brion on the night, it was an unbelievable feeling when our WOTN was the last bottle we opened: a demi of 1997 Château d'Yquem. There's never an occasion where mature d'Yquem doesn't steal the limelight, but that first whiff of tropical fruits (pineapple and mango) off the nose, coupled with oak and honeysuckle just lure you into such an elegant example of Sauternes. The palate had an upfront that had a very pronounced mango note that was balanced out with quince before the mid-palate introduced a light pineapple note that was elevated with baking spices. The finish added some weight and (relative) youthfulness with notes of herbs, licorice and vanilla, rounding out the wine extremely well. Late 1990s Château d'Yquem is in a great spot right now.

2/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Four Decades of Left Bank Bordeaux with Friends (New York): This bottle was slow oxidised for three hours prior to tasting it and it needed every minute of it (as the review below me confirms). Restrained upon first tasting it, this bottle was singing after it got some air time, showing off a lot of the characteristics I've come to love from the 1995 vintage. There was an exuberance to the nose that was brought out through scents of mountain pine and menthol, balanced out by typical smokiness from Pessac-Léognan and a hint of bell pepper. The palate was oozing power as an inkiness medlied with blackberries on the upfront before the mid-palate was dominated by notes of dark chocolate, licorice and earthiness. The finish was lively and long as cocoa and pepper gave us the indication that this wine has decades left in its life. A great experience to enjoy this right at the beginning of its drinking window.

2/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Four Decades of Left Bank Bordeaux with Friends (New York): I've been a skeptic when it comes to Château Lynch-Bages just purely out of the fact that the three modern vintages I've tried have never done it for me (2002, 2005, 2010). But, I wanted to dive into something older to really give it a fair shot. This bottle turned up on the night, holding its own against a 1968 Château Latour, 1970 Château Palmer and 1995 Château Haut-Brion. The nose was so unique as scents of brine, oak, a vegetal quality, light pepper and hints of dark cherries medlied together. The palate had an incredible upfront, boasting notes of blackcurrant and a rose petal-esque florality before the mid-palate brought in some weight and balance with tertiary qualities of forest floor and cedar wood. The finish gave this wine a youthful feel as cassis and pepper took the wine through an elongated finish. The best example of Château Lynch-Bages I've had to date.

2/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Four Decades of Left Bank Bordeaux with Friends (New York): Crisis averted as, despite using a Durand, the cork was doing us no favours on this bottle, forcing our hand to strain the wine into a decanter. To our surprise, the wine actually benefited from the decant, opening up to be a gem over the duration we enjoyed it. The nose had a brilliant balance of tertiary components as forest floor and tobacco were counteracted by mint and red cherries. The palate, though, evolved to represent the elegance we so often associate with wine from Margaux. An upfront that lures you in with notes of chocolate, plum and dark cherries shifted into a tertiary mid-palate of cedar wood, earthy funk and licorice before a gamey finish came in that elongated the wine's silkiness. Château Palmer regularly impresses me, and with this being the oldest example I've had to date, it really showed the prowess of the château.

2/9/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Four Decades of Left Bank Bordeaux with Friends (New York): It's hard not to be romantic about wine when you find a label-less Châtour Latour, are worried for about two months regarding whether it'll drink well or not, and then you wind up with a 96 point wine on the night when you do eventually open it. The first bottle of five on the night in a tasting that saw us cover four decades of Bordeaux wine (60s-90s) and this stole the show. The nose was an aromatic treat, packed with scents of spice, cedar, toasted coconut, grapefruit, tobacco and oregano. The tannins from the hot 1968 summer mellowed down to produce a palate that had incredible for its age as notes of redcurrants and crème de cassis were balanced out with peppercorn, meat and a tinge of leather across some reasonably good acidity. Just an absolute joy on the night and shows you the beauty of mature Bordeaux.

1/31/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

First things first, the QPR on this wine is unbelievable. I purchased it at $41 and you're getting a lot of the wine (all things considered - region, producer, etc) at the price. But diving into the wine itself, this is one of the best examples of Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage on the market. The vintage itself is lauded, but this stands out particularly well within the vintage. Having tried Alain Graillot's Crozes-Hermitage from 2015 recently, this felt like it had far more life left in it. The nose itself was captivating, creating a great contrast between scents of pepper and graphite alongside créme de cassis and black cherries. Alongside those were hints of menthol and coffee too. The palate itself opened up to be dominated by tertiary qualities on the upfront, boasting tobacco and cedar wood with hints of licorice before the mid-palate brought in the signature cola note I love in Crozes-Hermitage alongside blackberries and raspberries. The finish itself added some weight to the wine with notes of meat and spices lingering across good acidity and grippy tannins. This is at the start of its peak drinking window. 91++

1/28/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

The Côte de Beaune produced some brilliant examples of Chardonnay in 2013 and this monopole example from Albert Grivault is a testament to the winemaking from the year. Intrigued at the idea that the one hectare plot of Clos des Perrières is situated a stone's throw away from Charmes and is surrounded by Perrières parcels, I couldn't wait to dive into tasting this bottle. Immediately, the nose drew me in with bright florality that was undercut by light stone fruit and lemons, all wrapped up with cream on the backend. The palate was extremely well rounded, feeling more approachable than a lot of the Meursault I've encountered (prior to decanting we thought it actually possessed a lot of qualities similar to wines from Puligny-Montrachet). The upfront was dominated by green apple and honey before the mid-palate introduced nuttiness, light pineapple and a hint of minerality. The finish possessed some zippy acidity that was cut with a note of oak that drove a lingering finish. Truly a great first experience trying a wine from this monopole / this producer from a vintage I think is showing unbelievably well right now.

1/25/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

Opening this bottle to celebrate Burn's Night, the 1986 Château Margaux personified a lot of what I love about Margaux, especially through a lot of the youthful exuberance the wine possesses. Almost immediately, the cigar box dominated nose hits you, accompanied by youthful notes of blackberry, peppercorn, herbs and mild crème de cassis. The palate opens up to display the subtle power that I often associate with Margaux, boasting an upfront dominated by strawberries and iron before the mid-palate brought in pepper, cassis and a hint of truffle. Tertiary notes began to emerge in the finish as cedar wood came in across a grippy finish that showed that the tannins were very much intact on a wine that's going to live a long life.

1/21/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

What better way to combat the cold in New York than to open a Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet at the Mark Hotel. Etienne Sauzet is one of my favourite producers in the Côte de Beaune and this bottle was a shining example of the sheer elegance his wines possess. The bouquet on the nose did a stunning job of medleying florality with a host of citrus notes and melon. The palate, though, opened up incredibly. Getting better by the glass over two hours, candied lemon, apricot and peach dominated the upfront before light notes of hazelnut and butter created balance. The backend brought in some salinity that further rounded out the wine, incorporating stone fruit and iron into a signature oily Bâtard-Montrachet finish. This was a classic Bâtard-Montrachet profile that was incredibly well integrated, boasting just the right amount of acidity to ensure the wine wasn't overpowering. A gem from a producer that rarely misses the mark.

1/19/2024 - ankitmehra Likes this wine:

A low yield vintage in Brunello di Montalcino, I was cautiously optimistic to try this bottle after previously encountering a mildly oxidised bottle of 1999 Il Poggione Riserva back in November. Giving it half an hour to open in the bottle while finished our first wine of the night, this was a rockstar. The nose was exuberant, boasting everything there is to love at Brunello di Montalcino: truffle, tobacco, silky blackcurrant and hints of oak and cedar wood. The palate was robust and big, displaying the elegance of the vintage as the upfront was dominated by earthiness, forest floor and lavender before the mid-palate saw the wine evolve with dark cherries and a touch of oak. A stunner of a finish, licorice medlied with smoke and mint, rounding out the wine quite well.