Dug this out of the cellar. Very pale dark straw color. On the nose wet paint, nail polish remover, sweet oak, crumble. Palate shows some harsh notes. Bees wax, lanolin and with hints of burnt oak, honey. Once again conplex and intriguing. Would only go by the glass here with a pate, gras, or creme brûlée
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WSET reunion tasting group+ (Home, Utrecht): Opened 5 hours in advance, no decanting. Deep golden. Kept developing over the night and even the following days. Started of with an oxidative apple juice, bruised yellow apple, linoleum, sherry, nutty, marmelade bitter, elderflower, honey. Very long finish. On day 2 even more integrated. Spectacular and my WOTN, as it was for most people
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gezien de wisselvalligheid van Joly's wijnen niet langer gewacht en mijn enige '05 fles na 14 jaar uit de kelder gehaald en over meerdere dagen zoals aanbevolen gedronken.
Dag 1 na 4u 1glaasje na openen, keldertemperatuur 14°. Licht gouden kleur, lichte neus van sinaasappelschil, abrikoos, champignons, deeg, botrytis. Nog gesloten voor wat hij in petto heeft. Enorm volle smaak en beendroog, perfect afgewerkt zonder storende restsuikers. Massief, vorige week Batard Montrachet van domaine Leflaive geproefd (mijn lievelinshuis in B) en deze gaat er gewoon over. Wat is hier aan het gebeuren? Dag 2: meer open. Dag 3, keldertemperatuur 14°. De wijn is volledig open, aroma's veel sterker met bijkomend wat curry en witte bloemen, festival van aroma's. De wijn is monumentaal, massief, helemaal geen oxidatie of storende elementen waar ik aanvankelijk voor vreesde en waarvan ik helemaal niet houd (zie mijn posts over mijn kist CdP Pegau 2009 hier). Zo massief vol en in mooie balans met de zuurtjes, zelden geproefd en dat na 32 jaar proeven en meer dan 10.000 wijnen. Minutenlange afdronk. Doet me aan mijn mooiste wijnmomenten denken. Anders dan Jolys andere cuvees (Roche aux Moines en Savenieres). Dag 4-5-6, keldertemperatuur 14°. Valt niet weg maar ontwikkelt zich steeds verder , een explosie van aroma en fijne nuances, waarlijk groots en voor de ervaren liefhebber. Geen wijn om op 1 avond te degusteren want dan kan die enkel tegen vallen. Geduld!
Wijn die ik niet kan matchen bij een gerecht, op zichzelf drinken dus. Terecht een van werelds allerbeste wijnen als hij gelukt is en betaalbaarder dan de vergelijkbare allerbeste Montrachet. Al enkele keren Montrachet gedronken en deze gaat er boven bij deze die ik kan vergelijken, ik prefereer Domaine Leflaive in Montrachet, Batard- en Bienvenues - Montrachet btw
"Brunch is the gamay of meals" (Chicago, IL): This might be among the best bottles of Joly I've ever tasted. I guess sometimes nature conspires against his attempts to ruin the great terroir he owns. Nonetheless a very weird wine with a nose that can't be pinned down. Sometimes there are some really off-putting doughy aromas, then some times there are some yellow fruits. The palate is still very broad and alcoholic. Not my style of wine at all -- barely any acidity (and at times fruit), and just a lot of weird animally notes.
From memory, as others have noted a beguiling and super-complex wine, changed with temperature, air, several days of tasting, best not too cold. Almost too intense for most food, offset with huge freshening acidity. Totally dry overripe and slightly-botrytised chenin blanc, genuinely unique.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted and recorked. Palate was fresh, golden raisin, honey. Best of night. went well with non-beef dishes. This bottle aged better than my 5 other Serrant bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nicolas Joly wines are always unique and interesting to try. Volatile fragrant. Botrytis fruits of pineapple, tinned peach and toffee. Light and airy minerals on the palate. Lengthy saline and taut finish. Drinking fine now but will probably get funkier with more cellaring if that is what you are looking for. (87/100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mixed Wines at Martina (Martina, Mpls): Medium gold color. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. This changed quite a bit over the 90 minutes I had it in glass. This isn't something that everyone is going to gravitate to, but it is a complex and intriguing wine. There's some typicity here for sure in the wooly, beeswax character, peach, candied orange peel, dried apricot, oxidative, honeyed goat cheese, and spice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intruguing, complex, highly interesting wine. Medium yellow color. On the nose apricots, almonds, fennel, salty. On the palate quite chewy, spicy, stingy and intensive acidity but more salty/hot than fruit, stellar length.
Quite unique and in no way winding down at this stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No formal notes. A fun wine indeed, especially when served blind. Nose with wet wool, honey, touch of dry sherry & dry grass, nutty, sweeter tropical and white fruits too. Palate with wet wool, pears, honey, again some grass, lemons, sweeter peaches, beeswax, some nice spices and oxidation. Great stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took to a friends house. Really enjoyed the wine, but it probably didn't have the proper amount of time to open up completely. Still the great apple cider honey salt mineral mix showing, always a pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 30 minutes, served cool. Minimal nose. Palate started out dry and hollow fruit, as it breathed it developed some mid palate of pear, honey, dry finish. Saved some for 2nd night experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Astonishingly good! Light gold in colour. The nose a beautiful and ever-changing mix of honey, herbs, lanolin, beeswax and much more. On the palate, rich but dry, full-bodied but graceful. Great texture, great length. I've had this vintage a couple of times before and enjoyed it, but this bottle, at this stage of maturity, was in a different league. After half a glass I realised it was probably the greatest white wine I'd ever had. An hour later I decided I should drop the word 'probably.' 15%, cork.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golden yellow in the glass, rich notes of poached pears, baked apples, vanilla, and mushroom come across on the nose. The palate is medium body, with high acidity and creamy notes of apple, pear, quince, and kiwi persist on a long and complex finish. There is a hint of oxidation here, but it's so subtle that it almost seems to add to the complexity. Outstanding!!! A wine of distinction that deserves your attention and though. I wish I had more...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hosting GC from WB: Honey, melon, mint and herbs. Gets more expressive with air, there is really good texture and length. Some tang from the acidity that cuts through nicely. In a good place but will improve as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted twice and drank over 5 hours. Boy this is an oddball. Lanolin, honey, brine, walnuts, petrol, lemon peel. Loooong finish, thick mouthfeel. Agree with a lot of the reviews - it is objectively "good" but not especially tasty. Maybe thought-provoking is a better word. I assume it will continue to evolve over time, but to what.... No idea! I did not enjoy this very much alone, but it really sang with a cumin roast chicken.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely a unique wine. As suggeested on Joly's website, we opened the wine 5 days before we drank it. Oxidized on the nose, but very fresh on the palate. Lots of Botrytis but also no hint of sugar. Very alcoholic, but strangely it doesn't bother me. A wine for contemplation, not for the hedonistic wine society. Impossible for me to rate the wine, it is all about the experience. - no score
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Je sais pas comment côté ce vin alors je ne mettrai aucune note. Est-ce que j'ai aimé ?? ouin...mais pas certain d'en prendre un autre verre. 15%=pas pire d'alcool quand même. Des noisettes,léger vernis,amertume débile , j'ai un goût de saké en bouche. Gingemenbre, goût de petit chinois.Sec , amer et jus de citron. On peut dire que le vin est expressif les amigos ! Heureux d'y avoir goûté mais je ne payerais pas 100$ pour ce vin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose full of lemon rind and petrol. Nutty and oily on the palate, powerful in nature with hard rubber, orange pith and strong moldy rind flavor. Juxtapositions abound with this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Glass thru Coravin. Dark wheat color. On the nose a hint of patrol, rubber, runs and some white flower. On the palate a wide array of flavors and weights - Quince, raw honey, candied ginger, white oak and a cider finish. Very powerful and excellent viscosity. A bit of heat which will probably mellow with some more age. Looking forward to more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
served with Seared tuna steak. Decanted for 30 minutes. Dark yellow, almost orange. Quince, nutty, medium level of oxidation, dry, dry lemon, medium-high acidity, waxy. Lots going on. Would do better with the right food. Half bottle left in wine fridge, looking forward to 2nd or 3rd night.
Terrifyingly dramatic aromas. Well done at the cork pull. Apricot and tangerine aromas. Has an aromatic green oil aroma. Dense and sneaky mint. Palate gets into potpourri, hazelnut and maple. Wild potpourri. Damn ripe sweet up front profile. Dry nougat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light gold - looks more like sauternes than savennieres. The nose is vaguely familiar, but then the wine gets over-ripe and sweet and the finish is alcoholic (15%). again I think the winemaking is all over the place. what a waste... unbalanced, touch oxidised, tastes like a heavy wine from the south, not a top terroir from the Loire. No freshness, and very clumsy. tried it the next day (Joly says you should decant his wines) and any hint of freshness was gone. 2nd bottle I've had, similar.
cannot understand how people rave about these wines. The odd vintage from the 80's, 90's was indeed special, but these are, frankly, a disgrace, bad winemaking gone wrong...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coulee de Serrant 1980-2006: Almost orange. An evident change in style here, lots of VA, pronounced apple juice, apple puree, acacia. Very high accidity, almost pungent, orange wine style, also high alcohol. This would benefit from a decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golden colour. Some nice oxidised noyes on the nose alongside ripe pears and mandarin. Lovely complex flavours of ripe citrus fruits. Perhaps lacking the acidity of other vintages. Palate feels a little hot (15% alc) at first but seemed to die down later in the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pale lemon with gold around the rim. Medium+ intensity on the nose, showing some apple and quince, and lots of nutty notes, with noticeable alcohol. Almost sherry-like. On the palate, there is a very oily texture, medium+ body and a heat from the alcohol. Very dry and nutty, with some peach and honey flavours. Medium+ finish. Clearly a very good, complex wine but not really for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yellow / Greenish colour fresh aromas with apple / green apple, mineral and delicious floral, lime, nuts. High acidity, medium body, silk, lime, citrus like on the palate. Amazingly fresh and mineral.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep gold yellow, with an intense bouquet floral, resin, white fruits, mango, rich oxidative style with honey wax and nuts. Rich & fresh palate, high acidity, full waxed bodied with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Three Boston Dinners; 8/17/2014-8/19/2014 (The Hub): Medium yellow. Beeswax, honey, and pineapple notes-marvelous aromatics. Lush and full in the mouth. The rare Savennières with such ripe fruit that it almost called Vouvray to mind, but the more typical earthiness was there at the end with adequate acidity. Terrific bottle, very forthcoming with zero funk or oxidation. I'd definitely count this as a hit from this hit or miss domain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Colour: Clear, watery lemon colour. Nose:A strong smell after wallpaper adhesive, which disappears after some time in the glass. Then notes of backed apple, lemon zest, hay, sherry aromas, orange liquor and a nutty component waft out of the glass. Palate: Feels slightly oxidized, medium+ acidity, oily texture with a lot of sea salt, crashed stones and a lot of spice aromas on the mid-palate. Good finish with a light bitter touch on the back-end.
Only had a glass of this after our GV tasting to test my friends Coravin-system. Think its an very interesting wine which could show a lot different facets. I would highly recommend to open this a day or two before drinking and decant it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very different wine. High alcohol sticks out, but lovely aromatics and flavours of baked apples and pears. Has stuffing to age forever, could be wonderful in 20 years but a little OTT for me at the moment
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Whiskey notes on the nose. Oily and viscous in texture. Honeyed weirdness on the palate. Truly unusual stuff- great with a cheese and charcuterie plate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dizzy, freakish, but worth the experience. Decanted 36 hours in advance and that brought out this one in full force. Multidimensional and another wine every day. Drank a glass a day over a week and the wine was still holding up. I think it could last at least 14 days opened. With time there could even more to come. This is a Pina Bausch performance in wine, endlessly surprising. Don't drink this with food, it would be a waste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smells like honey, very ripe apples, pears, and a bit boozy. Tastes very opulent. This is teetering on the edge of overripe, but it manages to stay put together with appropriate acidity. Still, there is definitely a raisiny component to this wine. I don't think this is going to be a crowd pleaser, especially for those looking for delicate or subdued Chenin. I like it though. Reminds me of 'Ol Dirty Bastard.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From memory, and this is going back a bit now. Opened two bottles and noticed huge variation. One was clearly showing better with florals and pear notes and the other was dominated by oxidative nutty notes, though still harbouring some brighter quince/pear qualities. On the palate, one was more in balance, showing some bright citrus and beeswax, with an oily mouth feel but also a little nutty oxidation. The second bottle was a real let-down, sure a little oxidation, but the acidity stood out in such contrast to the much fainter fruits and florals. Truth be told neither of these bottles was up to previous experiences, but the one wasn't even close, without noticeable flaw. 91 for the first and 86 for the second.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Appearance: Bright and clear, medium lemon in color, with watery rims and legs. Nose: Clean, medium (+) intensity and having developing aromas of cereal, lime, baked apple, straw, hay, honey, and some sherry aromas. Palate: Dry with medium (+) and lively acidity, the wine is of medium (+) alcohol and medium (+) body, showing medium intensity flavors of apple, lime, honey, hay, rubber and cereal, with medium (+) length. Conclusion: Very good quality premium Loire Chenin Blanc showing good intensity on the nose. Complex, with a good balance of fruit and mineral characters, plus interesting sherry notes. Good acidity balancing well with the warming alcohol, a well-structured wine with reasonably intense palate of good complexity, finishing with a fairly long length. Ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 4-6 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was really in a different place from the other bottles I've had. While still an interesting wine, this wine seemed to be a bit dull and almost pedestrian. About 4 hoursof air helped to increase the complexity of the nose...but the palate still seemed dull. There was still great acidity, and this was still good with food. However, I think I need to leave my two remaining bottles alone until 2015+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Island Creek Oyster Bay for $68. Golden color. First sip is spritzy and awkward but settles down after decanting and some time. Baked apple and honey, rich and luscious on the palate. Almost viscous in the mouth, I feel like it could use some more acid to balance out the richness. I admit to being underwhelmed given the reputation of this wine, but an interesting drink and pretty tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened the day before anticipating a scott walker win. Medium gold color. Straw and cider nose. Slightly volitile note on the palate upon opening that i have not noted in earlier bottles. As always, improved significantly on day 2. Very powerful and complex flavors. A touch of botrytis although dry to taste. Really love this wine, but can see why some people would hate the style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine lunch at my house before going back to work. Delicious and only going to get better. Great nose, even better finish. Complex but in a good way. Drank with some salmon rolls before lunch of tuna, wasabi mashed and 'shrooms. Drank great CDP with main course but this would have paired well even with the meatiness of seared tuna.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drunk at Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston ($68). Intensely aromatic, slightly oxidative nose bristling with spice and nutty liqueur, the alcohol tingling in the forefront but somehow balanced against the ferocious intensity of this wine. On the palate, rich, spiced, baked apple and honeycomb are followed by a savory, ciderish brininess and a nice big whallop of washed-rind cheese pungency. These latter, deep, umani-like notes provide a great counterpoint to the sweeter sensation that hits the tip of your tongue. The mouthfeel is thick, waxy, long and crazy with a notable alcohol element that was even more apparent than the 14/14.5% ABV might suggest, but which somehow seemed just exactly right.
Food pairing might be difficult, but this wine went beautifully with a rich, shnitzel-like preparation of monkfish in a light mustard sauce, as well as that amazing, honeyed biscuit at ICOB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golden color of medium-plus intensity, high viscosity. Distracting nose; faint tropical and orchard fruit, wax, sugar. Heavy mouthfeel, medium-plus to high acidity, medium alcohol, off-dry. Flavors attack with a dessert wine style, but not cloying or overwhelming.
Left small glass on counter for further development.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Here's the thought. Open this today, Friday, for a dinner this coming Thursday. Drink off a half glass and then let it ride out til then. I hope I can stay away from this all week. At the cork pull, intense out the gate. Peach and nectarine. Cinnamon and honey. A really ripe, dessert-y feel to the aromas. Coconut. Medium to medium- gold color. Palate gives way first to a more saline quality, a citrus zest. Really firm weight and acid. A little hazelnut on the finish, but the mid-palate is packed with richness and fruit, no heat, not even every textured right now. Real big and soft mouthfeel. Oddly...no 'legs' on this wine, instead it's like a 360degree curtain falling slowly inside my glass. Slowly, like the tide at le mont st. michele. Slowly, creeps down the glass. By day three any sweet fruit elements give way for a more wool-y Chenin aspect. The 'iceberg' of Bucci.
DAY6. About 4oz from full, in the fridge the last 6 days. Aromas of honey and grape-type fruit. A ripeness showing, intense aromas. Wow the palate has really caught back on again. Nectarine and peach encore performance, back to the day 1 impression, but with a red apple skin note, and some cotton candy, that really gets the palate going again. Almond sugar cookie. Damn. DAY7, lots of red apple skins and sugar cookie, making me think of full bore champagne. DAY10 and the aromas are just outstanding. still firm on the red apple skin and sugar cookie. thoughts back on to the botrytis, apricot and nectarine aromas. palate is really holding its own. such a confident mouth-feel with a slight aspect of tannin. the almond note really rides here, but in that texture, this wine is just a great indication on day 10 of what this wine will do in my cellar. try and stay away from these as long as possible. XO.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had a while ago. Retained impression was that it was a wacky wine-- lots going on here. Has both the typical chenin characteristics plus a little extra, which is nice. Everything was pretty nice, except for the noticeable heat on the finish. Hopefully that will go away with time, but didn't really with air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Não foi decantado. Cor amarelo ouro, límpido, brilhante. Nariz complexo de peras, mel, resina. Após algum tempo mostra petróleo discreto. Na boca é untuoso mas com fruta cheia de vida, delineada por acidez. Boa mineralidade, bastante profundo e persistente. Ainda bem jovem, evoluiu o tempo inteiro em taça e com certeza se beneficiaria com maior decantação ou guarda.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Did not decant and drank over 2 hours. Ethereal and complex, fresh, full without being heavy, lacy texture, honey, pear, linden flowers, minerals, nice long dry finish. Very nice and classy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Damn. Yellow-brown in the decanter. Sherry in the nose, sherry in the mouth. Acid and fruit is gone. Makes me nervous for the remaining 5 btls, but hopefully this was an anomaly.
Color: light golden yellow Smell: Shell fish, frsh baguette, wash-rind cheese, yellow flowers, grham cracker, mineral, chalk, Taste: pear, yellow apple, green banana, star fruit, Overall: Just a wonderful and complex wine that I cn't get enough of.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
deep golden yellow. Showing some nice petrol aromas along with some rich fruit flavors. Great complexity and weight underscored by tangy minerality. Showing some aged character already, but if it's anything like other Coulee de Serrant, I imagine that it will only get better. It didn't seem to have the length that I've tasted in other vintages, but still a very good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 4 hours....next time, I'll decanted it for 8 hours. Tasting this wine really is an experience.....but also an infanticide at this moment. It has a wonderful yellow-golden colour with really complex nose....I've got ripe bananas, screaming almonds (marzipan perhaps), honey and sweet pears. On the palate, this has phenomenal acidity, long aftertaste packed in a viscous and chewy texture. The "nuts meet Drambuie" flavours really caught my attention as well as the balance between hints of residual sugar with minerality. I'm not giving it a higher score simply because it's too young now and because 4 hours in the decanter were not enough. Superb!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright nose with dried nuts and a little dry sherry type of rubber smell, mouthfeel is full, fresh, long and silky. Overall a very good wine, but not obvious and for some more of a curiosity than anything else.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop & Pour: I will check back with aditional tasting notes to talk about the bottle after it has been decanted for 2 hours.
Color: Light Golden Yellow
Smell: Floral tones, mineral notes, pear, faint banana, apricot, ocean air, and just the faintest hint of alcohol (14.5%) that is harldy noticable when served strait from the fridge.
Taste: Baked yellow and macintosh apples, red delicious, apricot, green banana, lemon zest, kumkuat, and the fruits unfold and transition on the palate faster than my memory or fingers can keep up.
Overall: A really deep and thought-provoking wine. Quite possibly the most complex Chenin I've ever come across. The body and flavors seem to pick up weight and speed in the mouth. While not a large scaled wine it does have a bit of grip to it with more going on than I could hope to understand at this point. With my noticing the alcohol on both the nose and the palate I have to admit that I'm a little worried what this wine might be like at room temp. However, at it's present temperature...one would be hard pressed to pass up a glass of this wonderful expression of the land.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of apple juice, pear, honey, slightly floral but a but more muted than I last remember. Very viscous in texture, similar to the Grillet I had at the same time, but a bit more balance.
Blind OLD WORLD GRAB BAG - Dino Restaurant (Washington, DC): Medium apple juice in color. Nose of diesel, oxidative, red apple, lacquer, smoke. Palate of older red apple, oxidative, honey, smoke, white pepper/minerality. Viscous and a nice mouth feel, was much better the first time around as when this warmed up to room temp the alcohol showed up. Loved the complexity.
Old World Grab Bag (Dino Restaurant, Washington, DC): Big, gorgeous, apple blossom and butter nose, cider and pear pulp on the midpalate, honeyed and smooth finish but leaves a bit of residual sugar without enough acidity to balance it for me.
Old World Grab Bag (Dino Restaurant - Washington, DC): Oily nose. Petroleum based product - lacquer, house paint? Very sherry-like. Also honeysuckle, anise and florals. Viscous, honey, aggressive acid. Finishes kinda funky. Guessed correctly to be Loire Chenin Blanc.
Very champagne-like nose, aged yeasty notes. Concentrated and vibrant, sings like a virbrating wire, minerals, yet lots of weight, even chocolate. Incredible length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wild nose. I smell cigarettes and biscuits. Crazy minerals. Smells like some oxidation, but I guess that’s what goes along with this one. Minerally and sharp on the palate. Great acidity. A waxiness to the minimal fruit. Mostly minerals on this one. A fascinating and interesting wine. Not sure if I “like” it per se, but it was really cool to taste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Arthritis Foundation Connoiseurs' Room (Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee): at pop and pour showing a really intense note that makes me think of thee chlorinous air of a YMCA swimming pool. baking apple all over the nose and a subdued suggestion of botrytis. lightly honied in the nose, but really showing that swimming pool note. one chap noted that this wine 'tastes like bones.' that sounds utterly delicious. such a textural endeavor with almond lasting on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. Let's see where this goes. Intense aromatics. Even now a complex richness. Cinnamon apple sauce. Honey. I'm missing the asian fruit here?? There is something of an oxidative nature, but its more of a yellowing (lees) than a browning (of aromas), galliano!! The color of a flat miller high life. Golden. A plethora of orange pith liquors. Honeydew melon is what I've been trying to get to. Wild nose. Not for everyone. Tangerine! And then on the palate finish is quite almondine, but light and bright and kind of ghostly. A dry richness. Texturally not quite as crazy as I expected, but finishes with an appley spice and did I mention almond? I take that back, it would be nice to see this shed some of that tannin texture. DAY 2 dry botrytis is noted by ben off the nose. Dry sauternes. Wild palate. Grassy floral. Orange vitamin and that almond.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I didn't decant, and in retrospect I really should have. I opened and left it sit for a while. The first glass was probably in 15 minutes or so (forgive me, I was excited...my first Joly wine). It was weird and funky, as expected, but that was just it. Merely as expected. HOWEVER, after roughly an hour it developed into something amazing. It turned into something like drinking a creamy fruit bread. So much so, that I thought my palate was just getting fooled by the bread & cheese I was eating at the time. But nope, the next day, (24+ hours later), I finished the bottle and enjoyed another glass of fruit bread, this time sans cheese & actual-bread. Would drink again in a millisecond.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a matter of taste. Very saline and quite oxidized (despite a special note from Joly in the case I bought explaining that it is NOT oxidized - methink thou dost protest too much, Nicolas). But to my palate, delicious - the salinity, combined with a nice acidity, gives it great lift and interest, and the oxidized note does not bother me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st time to try a dry white wine to be decanted for over 30 hrs. 1st sip was still quite alcoholic and only a little oily , port-like texture were showing. Nose was slowly evolving in 4 hrs of drinking, from creamy, mineral, walnuts, vegetables honey, and lastly turn into whiskey like malty nose! Soft with upfront fruit in the mid-palate and layers of subtle mineral was wrapped by fine acidity behind. Minerals finish was coming on and on and keep going along with very fine and round acidity. A wonderful wine without any heaviness and burns despite its high alcoholic content (15%), and all the materials inside came along very smooth to the body when compared with other wines I tried that night! Decant is a must for serving, not recommended for urgent consumption.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/26/2024 - glou.sf Likes this wine:
No formal notes. This was drinking beautifully! Lovely aged Chenin, probably at peak now. 93-94ish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2023 - T.E.D. wrote: 91 Points
Dug this out of the cellar. Very pale dark straw color. On the nose wet paint, nail polish remover, sweet oak, crumble. Palate shows some harsh notes. Bees wax, lanolin and with hints of burnt oak, honey. Once again conplex and intriguing. Would only go by the glass here with a pate, gras, or creme brûlée
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2022 - bjbu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Intensity medium (+), Mango, ripe (yellow) apple, apple cider, roasted almond, linoleum. Acidity medium, finish medium (+).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2022 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 94 Points
WSET reunion tasting group+ (Home, Utrecht): Opened 5 hours in advance, no decanting. Deep golden. Kept developing over the night and even the following days. Started of with an oxidative apple juice, bruised yellow apple, linoleum, sherry, nutty, marmelade bitter, elderflower, honey. Very long finish. On day 2 even more integrated. Spectacular and my WOTN, as it was for most people
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2022 - Sven D wrote: 96 Points
Gezien de wisselvalligheid van Joly's wijnen niet langer gewacht en mijn enige '05 fles na 14 jaar uit de kelder gehaald en over meerdere dagen zoals aanbevolen gedronken.
Dag 1 na 4u 1glaasje na openen, keldertemperatuur 14°. Licht gouden kleur, lichte neus van sinaasappelschil, abrikoos, champignons, deeg, botrytis. Nog gesloten voor wat hij in petto heeft. Enorm volle smaak en beendroog, perfect afgewerkt zonder storende restsuikers. Massief, vorige week Batard Montrachet van domaine Leflaive geproefd (mijn lievelinshuis in B) en deze gaat er gewoon over. Wat is hier aan het gebeuren?
Dag 2: meer open.
Dag 3, keldertemperatuur 14°. De wijn is volledig open, aroma's veel sterker met bijkomend wat curry en witte bloemen, festival van aroma's. De wijn is monumentaal, massief, helemaal geen oxidatie of storende elementen waar ik aanvankelijk voor vreesde en waarvan ik helemaal niet houd (zie mijn posts over mijn kist CdP Pegau 2009 hier). Zo massief vol en in mooie balans met de zuurtjes, zelden geproefd en dat na 32 jaar proeven en meer dan 10.000 wijnen. Minutenlange afdronk. Doet me aan mijn mooiste wijnmomenten denken.
Anders dan Jolys andere cuvees (Roche aux Moines en Savenieres).
Dag 4-5-6, keldertemperatuur 14°. Valt niet weg maar ontwikkelt zich steeds verder , een explosie van aroma en fijne nuances, waarlijk groots en voor de ervaren liefhebber. Geen wijn om op 1 avond te degusteren want dan kan die enkel tegen vallen. Geduld!
Wijn die ik niet kan matchen bij een gerecht, op zichzelf drinken dus. Terecht een van werelds allerbeste wijnen als hij gelukt is en betaalbaarder dan de vergelijkbare allerbeste Montrachet.
Al enkele keren Montrachet gedronken en deze gaat er boven bij deze die ik kan vergelijken, ik prefereer Domaine Leflaive in Montrachet, Batard- en Bienvenues - Montrachet btw
Uniek groots
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
6/6/2021 - acyso wrote: 83 Points
"Brunch is the gamay of meals" (Chicago, IL): This might be among the best bottles of Joly I've ever tasted. I guess sometimes nature conspires against his attempts to ruin the great terroir he owns. Nonetheless a very weird wine with a nose that can't be pinned down. Sometimes there are some really off-putting doughy aromas, then some times there are some yellow fruits. The palate is still very broad and alcoholic. Not my style of wine at all -- barely any acidity (and at times fruit), and just a lot of weird animally notes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/25/2021 - CharlatanDario wrote: 92 Points
upon opening: hesitant. Not very expressive. Cake, earl grey, ripe peach, calvados.
After 2h: excellent punch, acidity awakened
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2020 - SteveG wrote: 93 Points
From memory, as others have noted a beguiling and super-complex wine, changed with temperature, air, several days of tasting, best not too cold. Almost too intense for most food, offset with huge freshening acidity. Totally dry overripe and slightly-botrytised chenin blanc, genuinely unique.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2019 - gwkozar wrote: 92 Points
decanted and recorked. Palate was fresh, golden raisin, honey. Best of night. went well with non-beef dishes. This bottle aged better than my 5 other Serrant bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2019 - Jammy Wine wrote: 87 Points
Nicolas Joly wines are always unique and interesting to try. Volatile fragrant. Botrytis fruits of pineapple, tinned peach and toffee. Light and airy minerals on the palate. Lengthy saline and taut finish. Drinking fine now but will probably get funkier with more cellaring if that is what you are looking for. (87/100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Mixed Wines at Martina (Martina, Mpls): Medium gold color. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. This changed quite a bit over the 90 minutes I had it in glass. This isn't something that everyone is going to gravitate to, but it is a complex and intriguing wine. There's some typicity here for sure in the wooly, beeswax character, peach, candied orange peel, dried apricot, oxidative, honeyed goat cheese, and spice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2019 - liteagilis Does not like this wine:
Hauntingly similar to my thoughts on the 00. Like the wines were the same. But they weren’t.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2018 - Krassens Likes this wine: 92 Points
Intruguing, complex, highly interesting wine. Medium yellow color. On the nose apricots, almonds, fennel, salty. On the palate quite chewy, spicy, stingy and intensive acidity but more salty/hot than fruit, stellar length.
Quite unique and in no way winding down at this stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2018 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Matt's Big 5-0 Birthday Bash (Heirloom, St.Paul, MN): Oxidized, Sherry-like.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2017 - T.E.D. wrote: 92 Points
A thinking mans wine and not one for novices. Robust notes of rubber band, nutty oil, funky goat cheese perhaps. Very rustic and nuanced.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/15/2017 - Ramberg wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes.
A fun wine indeed, especially when served blind.
Nose with wet wool, honey, touch of dry sherry & dry grass, nutty, sweeter tropical and white fruits too.
Palate with wet wool, pears, honey, again some grass, lemons, sweeter peaches, beeswax, some nice spices and oxidation.
Great stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2017 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
So good! Light orange color. Smells seriously like olive oil, honey, almond, candle wax, spiced marmalade, saline. Tangy buy plump with glorious texture but bright acidity. Honey, meringue, seawater, herbal, spicy tones. Complex and intriguing but also straight-up delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2017 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Took to a friends house.
Really enjoyed the wine, but it probably didn't have the proper amount of time to open up completely.
Still the great apple cider honey salt mineral mix showing, always a pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2017 - gwkozar wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 30 minutes, served cool. Minimal nose. Palate started out dry and hollow fruit, as it breathed it developed some mid palate of pear, honey, dry finish. Saved some for 2nd night experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2016 - Duncan Likes this wine: 98 Points
Astonishingly good! Light gold in colour. The nose a beautiful and ever-changing mix of honey, herbs, lanolin, beeswax and much more. On the palate, rich but dry, full-bodied but graceful. Great texture, great length. I've had this vintage a couple of times before and enjoyed it, but this bottle, at this stage of maturity, was in a different league. After half a glass I realised it was probably the greatest white wine I'd ever had. An hour later I decided I should drop the word 'probably.' 15%, cork.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2016 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Golden yellow in the glass, rich notes of poached pears, baked apples, vanilla, and mushroom come across on the nose. The palate is medium body, with high acidity and creamy notes of apple, pear, quince, and kiwi persist on a long and complex finish. There is a hint of oxidation here, but it's so subtle that it almost seems to add to the complexity. Outstanding!!! A wine of distinction that deserves your attention and though. I wish I had more...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Hosting GC from WB: Honey, melon, mint and herbs. Gets more expressive with air, there is really good texture and length. Some tang from the acidity that cuts through nicely. In a good place but will improve as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2016 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
G5 (Dale): Oxidized
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2015 - pryby Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted twice and drank over 5 hours.
Boy this is an oddball. Lanolin, honey, brine, walnuts, petrol, lemon peel. Loooong finish, thick mouthfeel.
Agree with a lot of the reviews - it is objectively "good" but not especially tasty. Maybe thought-provoking is a better word.
I assume it will continue to evolve over time, but to what.... No idea!
I did not enjoy this very much alone, but it really sang with a cumin roast chicken.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2015 - isbjoern wrote:
Definitely a unique wine. As suggeested on Joly's website, we opened the wine 5 days before we drank it. Oxidized on the nose, but very fresh on the palate. Lots of Botrytis but also no hint of sugar. Very alcoholic, but strangely it doesn't bother me. A wine for contemplation, not for the hedonistic wine society. Impossible for me to rate the wine, it is all about the experience. - no score
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2015 - phil the agony wrote:
Je sais pas comment côté ce vin alors je ne mettrai aucune note.
Est-ce que j'ai aimé ?? ouin...mais pas certain d'en prendre un autre verre.
15%=pas pire d'alcool quand même.
Des noisettes,léger vernis,amertume débile , j'ai un goût de saké en bouche.
Gingemenbre, goût de petit chinois.Sec , amer et jus de citron.
On peut dire que le vin est expressif les amigos !
Heureux d'y avoir goûté mais je ne payerais pas 100$ pour ce vin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2015 - SteadyEddy wrote: flawed
Oxidized - and not in a good way.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2015 - T.E.D. wrote: 91 Points
Nose full of lemon rind and petrol. Nutty and oily on the palate, powerful in nature with hard rubber, orange pith and strong moldy rind flavor. Juxtapositions abound with this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2015 - T.E.D. wrote: 92 Points
Glass thru Coravin. Dark wheat color. On the nose a hint of patrol, rubber, runs and some white flower. On the palate a wide array of flavors and weights - Quince, raw honey, candied ginger, white oak and a cider finish. Very powerful and excellent viscosity. A bit of heat which will probably mellow with some more age. Looking forward to more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2015 - gwkozar Likes this wine: 89 Points
served with Seared tuna steak. Decanted for 30 minutes. Dark yellow, almost orange. Quince, nutty, medium level of oxidation, dry, dry lemon, medium-high acidity, waxy. Lots going on. Would do better with the right food. Half bottle left in wine fridge, looking forward to 2nd or 3rd night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/2/2015 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Terrifyingly dramatic aromas. Well done at the cork pull. Apricot and tangerine aromas. Has an aromatic green oil aroma. Dense and sneaky mint. Palate gets into potpourri, hazelnut and maple. Wild potpourri. Damn ripe sweet up front profile. Dry nougat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2015 - latimer Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Light gold - looks more like sauternes than savennieres. The nose is vaguely familiar, but then the wine gets over-ripe and sweet and the finish is alcoholic (15%). again I think the winemaking is all over the place. what a waste... unbalanced, touch oxidised, tastes like a heavy wine from the south, not a top terroir from the Loire. No freshness, and very clumsy. tried it the next day (Joly says you should decant his wines) and any hint of freshness was gone. 2nd bottle I've had, similar.
cannot understand how people rave about these wines. The odd vintage from the 80's, 90's was indeed special, but these are, frankly, a disgrace, bad winemaking gone wrong...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2015 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Oxidized
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2015 - AV2012 wrote: 87 Points
Coulee de Serrant 1980-2006: Almost orange. An evident change in style here, lots of VA, pronounced apple juice, apple puree, acacia. Very high accidity, almost pungent, orange wine style, also high alcohol. This would benefit from a decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2014 - Santiago Likes this wine: 91 Points
Golden colour. Some nice oxidised noyes on the nose alongside ripe pears and mandarin. Lovely complex flavours of ripe citrus fruits. Perhaps lacking the acidity of other vintages. Palate feels a little hot (15% alc) at first but seemed to die down later in the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2014 - NoTrollingerPlease Does not like this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine, but I don't like the style. It really strains me to drink this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2014 - RaggaMat wrote: 90 Points
Tried at a group tasting:
Pale lemon with gold around the rim. Medium+ intensity on the nose, showing some apple and quince, and lots of nutty notes, with noticeable alcohol. Almost sherry-like. On the palate, there is a very oily texture, medium+ body and a heat from the alcohol. Very dry and nutty, with some peach and honey flavours. Medium+ finish. Clearly a very good, complex wine but not really for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2014 - RaphaelMalago wrote: 90 Points
Yellow / Greenish colour fresh aromas with apple / green apple, mineral and delicious floral, lime, nuts. High acidity, medium body, silk, lime, citrus like on the palate. Amazingly fresh and mineral.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2014 - RaphaelMalago Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep gold yellow, with an intense bouquet floral, resin, white fruits, mango, rich oxidative style with honey wax and nuts. Rich & fresh palate, high acidity, full waxed bodied with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Three Boston Dinners; 8/17/2014-8/19/2014 (The Hub): Medium yellow. Beeswax, honey, and pineapple notes-marvelous aromatics. Lush and full in the mouth. The rare Savennières with such ripe fruit that it almost called Vouvray to mind, but the more typical earthiness was there at the end with adequate acidity. Terrific bottle, very forthcoming with zero funk or oxidation. I'd definitely count this as a hit from this hit or miss domain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2014 - m_arcon wrote: 91 Points
Colour: Clear, watery lemon colour.
Nose:A strong smell after wallpaper adhesive, which disappears after some time in the glass. Then notes of backed apple, lemon zest, hay, sherry aromas, orange liquor and a nutty component waft out of the glass.
Palate: Feels slightly oxidized, medium+ acidity, oily texture with a lot of sea salt, crashed stones and a lot of spice aromas on the mid-palate. Good finish with a light bitter touch on the back-end.
Only had a glass of this after our GV tasting to test my friends Coravin-system. Think its an very interesting wine which could show a lot different facets. I would highly recommend to open this a day or two before drinking and decant it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2014 - WillersC wrote: 89 Points
Very different wine. High alcohol sticks out, but lovely aromatics and flavours of baked apples and pears. Has stuffing to age forever, could be wonderful in 20 years but a little OTT for me at the moment
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2013 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 24 hrs in advance. Ripe apples and pears on the nose. Elegant style, anyway. Very concentrated. The pronounced alcohol is a minus, though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Simply amazing. Day one and day two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2013 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Whiskey notes on the nose. Oily and viscous in texture. Honeyed weirdness on the palate. Truly unusual stuff- great with a cheese and charcuterie plate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2013 - Eubulos Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dizzy, freakish, but worth the experience. Decanted 36 hours in advance and that brought out this one in full force. Multidimensional and another wine every day. Drank a glass a day over a week and the wine was still holding up. I think it could last at least 14 days opened. With time there could even more to come. This is a Pina Bausch performance in wine, endlessly surprising. Don't drink this with food, it would be a waste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2013 - ElGreco Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smells like honey, very ripe apples, pears, and a bit boozy.
Tastes very opulent. This is teetering on the edge of overripe, but it manages to stay put together with appropriate acidity. Still, there is definitely a raisiny component to this wine. I don't think this is going to be a crowd pleaser, especially for those looking for delicate or subdued Chenin. I like it though. Reminds me of 'Ol Dirty Bastard.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2012 - Winekrupt wrote: 89 Points
From memory, and this is going back a bit now. Opened two bottles and noticed huge variation. One was clearly showing better with florals and pear notes and the other was dominated by oxidative nutty notes, though still harbouring some brighter quince/pear qualities. On the palate, one was more in balance, showing some bright citrus and beeswax, with an oily mouth feel but also a little nutty oxidation. The second bottle was a real let-down, sure a little oxidation, but the acidity stood out in such contrast to the much fainter fruits and florals. Truth be told neither of these bottles was up to previous experiences, but the one wasn't even close, without noticeable flaw. 91 for the first and 86 for the second.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2012 - gwkozar Likes this wine: 90 Points
POP. Palate: Dry, with medium acidity, honey, minor oxidation quality, lemon citrus. Long finish.
Needs more time to open.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2012 - peterchoy wrote: 92 Points
Appearance: Bright and clear, medium lemon in color, with watery rims and legs.
Nose: Clean, medium (+) intensity and having developing aromas of cereal, lime, baked apple, straw, hay, honey, and some sherry aromas.
Palate: Dry with medium (+) and lively acidity, the wine is of medium (+) alcohol and medium (+) body, showing medium intensity flavors of apple, lime, honey, hay, rubber and cereal, with medium (+) length.
Conclusion: Very good quality premium Loire Chenin Blanc showing good intensity on the nose. Complex, with a good balance of fruit and mineral characters, plus interesting sherry notes. Good acidity balancing well with the warming alcohol, a well-structured wine with reasonably intense palate of good complexity, finishing with a fairly long length. Ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 4-6 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2012 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This was really in a different place from the other bottles I've had. While still an interesting wine, this wine seemed to be a bit dull and almost pedestrian. About 4 hoursof air helped to increase the complexity of the nose...but the palate still seemed dull. There was still great acidity, and this was still good with food. However, I think I need to leave my two remaining bottles alone until 2015+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2012 - kleng wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Island Creek Oyster Bay for $68. Golden color. First sip is spritzy and awkward but settles down after decanting and some time. Baked apple and honey, rich and luscious on the palate. Almost viscous in the mouth, I feel like it could use some more acid to balance out the richness. I admit to being underwhelmed given the reputation of this wine, but an interesting drink and pretty tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2012 - nwa2280 wrote: 93 Points
Opened the day before anticipating a scott walker win. Medium gold color. Straw and cider nose. Slightly volitile note on the palate upon opening that i have not noted in earlier bottles. As always, improved significantly on day 2. Very powerful and complex flavors. A touch of botrytis although dry to taste. Really love this wine, but can see why some people would hate the style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2012 - pnwskibum wrote: 94 Points
An interesting bottle. You really cant dispute this wines depth and complexity. Decant at least 2 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Nutty and great. Amazing. Structure, yet dense. Ahhh... hell, its crazy good. But with an emphasis on the crazy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2012 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Waterford Staff Party 2.0 (Waterford Wine Co., Milwaukee): Orange liquor nose. Apricot and nectarine palate. ...really too much going on in this wine for the field today.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Damn, this wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2012 - cwiega wrote: 93 Points
Wine lunch at my house before going back to work. Delicious and only going to get better. Great nose, even better finish. Complex but in a good way. Drank with some salmon rolls before lunch of tuna, wasabi mashed and 'shrooms. Drank great CDP with main course but this would have paired well even with the meatiness of seared tuna.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2011 - Riccardo Malocchio wrote: 92 Points
Drunk at Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston ($68). Intensely aromatic, slightly oxidative nose bristling with spice and nutty liqueur, the alcohol tingling in the forefront but somehow balanced against the ferocious intensity of this wine. On the palate, rich, spiced, baked apple and honeycomb are followed by a savory, ciderish brininess and a nice big whallop of washed-rind cheese pungency. These latter, deep, umani-like notes provide a great counterpoint to the sweeter sensation that hits the tip of your tongue. The mouthfeel is thick, waxy, long and crazy with a notable alcohol element that was even more apparent than the 14/14.5% ABV might suggest, but which somehow seemed just exactly right.
Food pairing might be difficult, but this wine went beautifully with a rich, shnitzel-like preparation of monkfish in a light mustard sauce, as well as that amazing, honeyed biscuit at ICOB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2011 - Cellarhead wrote:
Tasted blind from Dallon's. What an odd wine...
Golden color of medium-plus intensity, high viscosity. Distracting nose; faint tropical and orchard fruit, wax, sugar. Heavy mouthfeel, medium-plus to high acidity, medium alcohol, off-dry. Flavors attack with a dessert wine style, but not cloying or overwhelming.
Left small glass on counter for further development.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2011 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Here's the thought. Open this today, Friday, for a dinner this coming Thursday. Drink off a half glass and then let it ride out til then. I hope I can stay away from this all week. At the cork pull, intense out the gate. Peach and nectarine. Cinnamon and honey. A really ripe, dessert-y feel to the aromas. Coconut. Medium to medium- gold color. Palate gives way first to a more saline quality, a citrus zest. Really firm weight and acid. A little hazelnut on the finish, but the mid-palate is packed with richness and fruit, no heat, not even every textured right now. Real big and soft mouthfeel. Oddly...no 'legs' on this wine, instead it's like a 360degree curtain falling slowly inside my glass. Slowly, like the tide at le mont st. michele. Slowly, creeps down the glass.
By day three any sweet fruit elements give way for a more wool-y Chenin aspect. The 'iceberg' of Bucci.
DAY6. About 4oz from full, in the fridge the last 6 days. Aromas of honey and grape-type fruit. A ripeness showing, intense aromas. Wow the palate has really caught back on again. Nectarine and peach encore performance, back to the day 1 impression, but with a red apple skin note, and some cotton candy, that really gets the palate going again. Almond sugar cookie. Damn.
DAY7, lots of red apple skins and sugar cookie, making me think of full bore champagne.
DAY10 and the aromas are just outstanding. still firm on the red apple skin and sugar cookie. thoughts back on to the botrytis, apricot and nectarine aromas. palate is really holding its own. such a confident mouth-feel with a slight aspect of tannin. the almond note really rides here, but in that texture, this wine is just a great indication on day 10 of what this wine will do in my cellar. try and stay away from these as long as possible. XO.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2011 - flentvall wrote: 90 Points
Had a while ago. Retained impression was that it was a wacky wine-- lots going on here. Has both the typical chenin characteristics plus a little extra, which is nice. Everything was pretty nice, except for the noticeable heat on the finish. Hopefully that will go away with time, but didn't really with air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2011 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
Briny, aggressively ripe. Can't quite figure out why I love this. Just hits the spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2011 - Magno wrote: 92 Points
Não foi decantado. Cor amarelo ouro, límpido, brilhante. Nariz complexo de peras, mel, resina. Após algum tempo mostra petróleo discreto. Na boca é untuoso mas com fruta cheia de vida, delineada por acidez. Boa mineralidade, bastante profundo e persistente. Ainda bem jovem, evoluiu o tempo inteiro em taça e com certeza se beneficiaria com maior decantação ou guarda.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2011 - Kirk Grant wrote: 91 Points
Another wonderful bottle...it didn't shine quite as bright as the last bottle, but it was no slouch!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2011 - al-Zabba wrote:
Consumed during an epic night of wine at WWC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2011 - beekeeper wrote: 93 Points
Did not decant and drank over 2 hours. Ethereal and complex, fresh, full without being heavy, lacy texture, honey, pear, linden flowers, minerals, nice long dry finish. Very nice and classy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2011 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
Really always love this. Sweet, but such mineral, such saline.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2011 - Neurowine1 wrote: flawed
Damn. Yellow-brown in the decanter. Sherry in the nose, sherry in the mouth. Acid and fruit is gone. Makes me nervous for the remaining 5 btls, but hopefully this was an anomaly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/27/2011 - Kirk Grant wrote: 93 Points
Color: light golden yellow
Smell: Shell fish, frsh baguette, wash-rind cheese, yellow flowers, grham cracker, mineral, chalk,
Taste: pear, yellow apple, green banana, star fruit,
Overall: Just a wonderful and complex wine that I cn't get enough of.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2011 - katiecook01 wrote: 90 Points
deep golden yellow. Showing some nice petrol aromas along with some rich fruit flavors. Great complexity and weight underscored by tangy minerality. Showing some aged character already, but if it's anything like other Coulee de Serrant, I imagine that it will only get better. It didn't seem to have the length that I've tasted in other vintages, but still a very good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2011 - vsbastosx wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours....next time, I'll decanted it for 8 hours.
Tasting this wine really is an experience.....but also an infanticide at this moment. It has a wonderful yellow-golden colour with really complex nose....I've got ripe bananas, screaming almonds (marzipan perhaps), honey and sweet pears. On the palate, this has phenomenal acidity, long aftertaste packed in a viscous and chewy texture. The "nuts meet Drambuie" flavours really caught my attention as well as the balance between hints of residual sugar with minerality. I'm not giving it a higher score simply because it's too young now and because 4 hours in the decanter were not enough. Superb!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2010 - Impulse wrote: 90 Points
Bright nose with dried nuts and a little dry sherry type of rubber smell, mouthfeel is full, fresh, long and silky. Overall a very good wine, but not obvious and for some more of a curiosity than anything else.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2010 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
Ripe, briney sweet sour. Distinctive but I like it every time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
Tasted twice with consistant notes...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2010 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
Love this, every time. Sweet and salty, like pig candy. Ripe but holding its ripeness well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2010 - D@vidsWine wrote:
Apple, pears and honey on the nose. Moderate acidity but very long finish. I just don't care too much for this oxidative style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2010 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
Yeah, I love this. Ripe but wild and salty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2010 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
I guess there is no accounting for taste, but I love this wine. At once ripe and saline, and great thickness without weight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
Pop & Pour: I will check back with aditional tasting notes to talk about the bottle after it has been decanted for 2 hours.
Color: Light Golden Yellow
Smell: Floral tones, mineral notes, pear, faint banana, apricot, ocean air, and just the faintest hint of alcohol (14.5%) that is harldy noticable when served strait from the fridge.
Taste: Baked yellow and macintosh apples, red delicious, apricot, green banana, lemon zest, kumkuat, and the fruits unfold and transition on the palate faster than my memory or fingers can keep up.
Overall: A really deep and thought-provoking wine. Quite possibly the most complex Chenin I've ever come across. The body and flavors seem to pick up weight and speed in the mouth. While not a large scaled wine it does have a bit of grip to it with more going on than I could hope to understand at this point. With my noticing the alcohol on both the nose and the palate I have to admit that I'm a little worried what this wine might be like at room temp. However, at it's present temperature...one would be hard pressed to pass up a glass of this wonderful expression of the land.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2010 - TheEngineer wrote: 88 Points
Nose of apple juice, pear, honey, slightly floral but a but more muted than I last remember. Very viscous in texture, similar to the Grillet I had at the same time, but a bit more balance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/24/2010 - manonthemoon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blind OLD WORLD GRAB BAG - Dino Restaurant (Washington, DC): Medium apple juice in color. Nose of diesel, oxidative, red apple, lacquer, smoke. Palate of older red apple, oxidative, honey, smoke, white pepper/minerality. Viscous and a nice mouth feel, was much better the first time around as when this warmed up to room temp the alcohol showed up. Loved the complexity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
3/24/2010 - ianinvirginia wrote: 90 Points
Old World Grab Bag (Dino Restaurant, Washington, DC): Big, gorgeous, apple blossom and butter nose, cider and pear pulp on the midpalate, honeyed and smooth finish but leaves a bit of residual sugar without enough acidity to balance it for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/24/2010 - jahlove wrote: 92 Points
Old World Grab Bag (Dino Restaurant - Washington, DC): Oily nose. Petroleum based product - lacquer, house paint? Very sherry-like. Also honeysuckle, anise and florals. Viscous, honey, aggressive acid. Finishes kinda funky. Guessed correctly to be Loire Chenin Blanc.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
3/9/2010 - kenito799 wrote: 91 Points
Very champagne-like nose, aged yeasty notes. Concentrated and vibrant, sings like a virbrating wire, minerals, yet lots of weight, even chocolate. Incredible length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2010 - amateurwino wrote:
Lillian/Antica Terra Lunch with Maggie Harrison and Nate Ready (NYC (Eleven Madison Park)): Was concentrating on conversation rather than this wine, but generally, this was very good, in an oxidative style that made me feel like this was much older than it is. Would love to try again someday.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2010 - Beavis77 wrote:
A wild nose. I smell cigarettes and biscuits. Crazy minerals. Smells like some oxidation, but I guess that’s what goes along with this one.
Minerally and sharp on the palate. Great acidity. A waxiness to the minimal fruit. Mostly minerals on this one.
A fascinating and interesting wine. Not sure if I “like” it per se, but it was really cool to taste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Arthritis Foundation Connoiseurs' Room (Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee): at pop and pour showing a really intense note that makes me think of thee chlorinous air of a YMCA swimming pool. baking apple all over the nose and a subdued suggestion of botrytis. lightly honied in the nose, but really showing that swimming pool note. one chap noted that this wine 'tastes like bones.' that sounds utterly delicious. such a textural endeavor with almond lasting on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
It may be corked. It may not be. It is a swirling ball of complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2010 - herberto wrote: 90 Points
Joly puts a little seahorse on the bottle, which is appropriate given how salty this thing is. Could be offputting to some. But I like it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Pop and pour. Let's see where this goes. Intense aromatics. Even now a complex richness. Cinnamon apple sauce. Honey. I'm missing the asian fruit here?? There is something of an oxidative nature, but its more of a yellowing (lees) than a browning (of aromas), galliano!! The color of a flat miller high life. Golden. A plethora of orange pith liquors. Honeydew melon is what I've been trying to get to. Wild nose. Not for everyone. Tangerine!
And then on the palate finish is quite almondine, but light and bright and kind of ghostly. A dry richness. Texturally not quite as crazy as I expected, but finishes with an appley spice and did I mention almond? I take that back, it would be nice to see this shed some of that tannin texture.
DAY 2 dry botrytis is noted by ben off the nose. Dry sauternes. Wild palate. Grassy floral. Orange vitamin and that almond.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2010 - pj4533 wrote:
I didn't decant, and in retrospect I really should have. I opened and left it sit for a while. The first glass was probably in 15 minutes or so (forgive me, I was excited...my first Joly wine). It was weird and funky, as expected, but that was just it. Merely as expected. HOWEVER, after roughly an hour it developed into something amazing. It turned into something like drinking a creamy fruit bread. So much so, that I thought my palate was just getting fooled by the bread & cheese I was eating at the time. But nope, the next day, (24+ hours later), I finished the bottle and enjoyed another glass of fruit bread, this time sans cheese & actual-bread. Would drink again in a millisecond.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2009 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
This is a matter of taste. Very saline and quite oxidized (despite a special note from Joly in the case I bought explaining that it is NOT oxidized - methink thou dost protest too much, Nicolas). But to my palate, delicious - the salinity, combined with a nice acidity, gives it great lift and interest, and the oxidized note does not bother me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2009 - KCC320 wrote: 92 Points
1st time to try a dry white wine to be decanted for over 30 hrs. 1st sip was still quite alcoholic and only a little oily , port-like texture were showing. Nose was slowly evolving in 4 hrs of drinking, from creamy, mineral, walnuts, vegetables honey, and lastly turn into whiskey like malty nose! Soft with upfront fruit in the mid-palate and layers of subtle mineral was wrapped by fine acidity behind. Minerals finish was coming on and on and keep going along with very fine and round acidity. A wonderful wine without any heaviness and burns despite its high alcoholic content (15%), and all the materials inside came along very smooth to the body when compared with other wines I tried that night! Decant is a must for serving, not recommended for urgent consumption.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2009 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 85 Points
Wine Bottega Loire Tasting: I guess it's just me but I've never had a Savennieres that I really enjoyed. Just seems odd and too saline for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Wow. This is crazy good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2007 - arijus wrote:
Return to terroir - Biodynamic tasting event (Oslo): Very deep golden color. Heavy nose of honey and lime. Great mouthfeel with a long finish. Very elegant, even though it's way way too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment