April 28, 2024 - Mature cerise.
Smoke, heady florals, roses, a trace of violets, savoury, charcuterie-type elements, but predominantly a smoky, BBQ meats type proposition on the nose, with some intriguing herbaceous notes like tarragon and wormwood.
Weightless but very Barolo-like on the palate, bold, masculine, roses, intensely saline, and really sliding into secondary with inky, dark soy elements and intensely savoury, with bright, freshening acidity. Very fine background tannin.
Quite a contrast to the style I purchase nowadays, a bottle I picked up 10 years ago when first exploring Burgundy, but very enjoyable and appears to be getting close to a perfect place.
January 1, 2024 - Thick in the glass and brick colored, a plum and roses earthy nose and very impressive fresh acidity and fruit on the palate. Fine and well integrated tannins. Finish tasted short on first day but on subsequent days it really opened up to a long and vegetal slightly bitter finish — if this is still in your cellar in 2024 I would recommend drinking it as the fruit is starting to fade.
April 23, 2023 - Outstanding burgund6 that is in its in its drinking window. Great value.
January 20, 2023 - Nice nose. Easy drinking, gained weight with time. Not bad. Drink up earlier rather than later.
July 21, 2019 - First time I am having this wine with the feeling it is approaching the drinking window. Closed at first but after 1h of d canting opening up. Complex nose of red and blue fruit as well, with a touch of barnyard funk, nice. The palate is light on its feet as suggested by the light garnet color, with ripe but grippy tannins at the finish, not unlike the elegant Barolos from Giacomo Conterno. Early drinking window, decant for 1h. 94-95
December 3, 2016 - Color: Clear, pale to medium cherry red;
Nose: Clear, medium (+) intensity, fruity, spicy, earthy aromas, oak notes, high complexity;
Taste: Dry, high acidity, medium tannin level, fruity, spicy, earthy aromas, oak notes, high complexity, very very long (!)
Amazing harmony, but it feels wrong to open it now, this wine is not ready yet, but this will be a truly great Rugiens! Clearly and amazing Pommard, "textbook" style, which is the only very little critisism for it, so it "just" reaches 93 points for me
April 18, 2015 - Courcel/ Chanson Tasting with Gilles de Courcel (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Red and black cherry, very lush and ripe with great spice throughout. Very fun and accessible, but with serious structure just slightly in the background. Great now, better in 10 years, probably even better in 20. I brought a bottle of the 1990 to this tasting, and think this 2009 will end up as a similar wine.
March 11, 2015 - Complex aromatics of blood plum, smoke, rose petals, sweet cedar and meat. It has flesh and muscle and is a largely endowed wine but well proportioned. It is creamy and rich with a finish that tastes of tar and graphite. It is actually quite pleasant now but absolutely bullet proof and cork withstanding is a 50+ year wine.
October 5, 2014 - Medium-light garnet. Expressive nose of earth, forest, spices and pepper, again very Pommard and not much oft the typical red fruit spectrum you get in places like NSG or VSR, rather Chambertin like. On the palate light and still quite spicy and tannic but extremely aromatic and complex. This needs time - also improved in the glass after 1h significantly. Very elegant and aromatic wine.
November 10, 2012 - K&L Hollywood Burgundy Tasting (K&L Wines, Hollywood): Medium intensity aroma: Pomegranite, a bit of cherry candy, chocolate. Quite dense for Burg. Low acidity. Smooth Medium body. Extremely complex. Will improve with age, though low acidity might restrict its age limit.