March 7, 2021 - It's been a long while since I had this great wine, and you know? It's still great. With age, this has shed much of its body, laying bare the ripping electric mainline of acidity in all its glory. The nose passes for aged Chenin quince, but there's Romorantin's herbal and rainwatery edge and impossibly wicked wincing lemon acidity dancing around with its pants off. There's still some sweetness (thank god) but this is essentially unbridled and coming for you to rip off your face. ("I want to take his face... off.") This is certainly in drink-up mode, but you can always save some in case your neighbor needs to jumpstart her car.
March 7, 2021 - Double blind from a small bottle from Zak. Started off with a weird medicinal note and horseradish (Z and I were just discussing a MC BA I poured). This has age - some old sugar, super high acid fruit like passion fruit, almonds and marzipan. Apple eau-de-vie? A little caramel. Palate enters with lots of acid and then the acid kicks in - passion fruit and whatever has tons of acid, green and red apple, some minerals but it’s hard to tell with all the acid. The finish is when the acid really shows up. Tiger tiger burning bright. Nearly scars the tongue on the finish - passion fruit and stupid citrus and a bit of caramel. Not for everyone but I jam on this. How to rate it? Maybe by PH. Less than 5? LOL.
November 24, 2018 - This is truly spectacular. For starters, it is incredibly fresh and tastes like it was just put in the bottle. Huge nose of green apple Jolly Rancher leaps from the glass. In the mouth, apple, citrus, and gobs of minerals and then the sweetness (about a spatlese level) comes in, all perfectly hemmed in by acidity. Not at all cloying. The finish lasts 30+ seconds. This is super unique and a lovely drink with layers and layers of character. This needs no food and is a vin de meditation. I would say it tastes to me like a high altitude late-harvest Chablis-Mosel chimera. Great stuff that I wish I had more of. I have some of this in updated vintages I will break into, but there is certainly no rush with this.
May 8, 2016 - Great showing, as usual
February 20, 2016 - Two wines with half of the Wine Advocate crew. (Racines, NYC): I brought this along as it's always fun to bring oddball wines to critics and it never fails to impress. Still a vivid ageless wonder bursting with quince, mineral, citrus and hints of red fruit with a bit of sweetness and snappy acidity. Expansive across the palate and growing in depth and intensity with air, it's as spine tingling and thrilling as it always is and I was happy to see the Parker peeps were also digging it. I wish I had hijacked the truck back in the day as I really do need an endless supply. A.
October 25, 2015 - Great showing. No much going on aromatically at first, but opened up with time open. Decanting might not be a bad idea. It showed very young.
September 5, 2014 - Can't really top Seth's comment below ("Like Riesling and Chenin had sex in an acid bath. Stupid good."). This was indeed stupid good. Much paler color than one would expect in an 18 year old white, this looked more like the '08 and '10 Chablis I've been drinking. On my first sip, the first word that came to mind was "electric". This was young and fresh and positively vibrant. The hit of honey on the palate perhaps evidenced its age, but otherwise nothing here was aged apart from a wonderful integration on the palate (agree again with Seth that the acidity "is more integrated than crisp") and a smooth, supple texture. Plenty of white fruit. Every sip was delicious. At Rose Water in Park Slope.
February 14, 2014 - Delicious, complex, satisfying.
September 10, 2013 - Floral nose with sugar, honey, green apple - very perfumed. Near perfect palate of honey, green apple, grapes, flowers with great balance and acid and a sweet, lively and burning finish. It's hard to put into words the quality of the palate, the acid is more integrated than 'crisp' - there is some alloy of the flowers, honey and acid that is unlike anything I have had before. Like Riesling and Chenin had sex in an acid bath. Stupid good. Probably my WOTN. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5-6/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5-18.5/20.
August 25, 2013 - Much fleshier than the last few bottles, with beautiful integration, this was spectacular and still young. I'm not sure if it was just this bottle, or if they have turned a corner. Time for some research.