Not a great vintage in Burgundy, but who cares. Arnaud Ente is a true master of Chardonnay. This wine was so young, it blew me away. The colour had no sign of aging at all, a bright medium yellow with a slight golden reflection. I think the provenance was impeccable. The nose screamed Ente, with a reductive/toasted popcorn note, fresh and ripe yellow fruit, a creamy/lactic quality, yoghurt like, and a light toastiness, sous bois character. Incredible aromatics, they kept changing and evolving with time in the glass. The palate was super linear, rich mouthfeel, depth of flavours and crazy long finish, mirroring perfectly the nose. I would say the palate was even fresher, with lots of citrus fruits and saltiness closing out. Very rare bottle, I wish I could find more, even though prices have gone nuts on his wines too.
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White Burgundy Flight (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Medium yellow. Smoky nose. Middle weight, round, smoky palate with some citrus and a kernel of bitterness. Average acidity. The flavors are neutral without real authority, and the lasting impression of one of heaviness despite having some attractive elements.
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Dinner At Cyrus March 2010 (Healdsburg, CA): Rich and ripe, some cinders on the palate when drunk on it's own, but with a rich and earthy dish of morels, young garlic and poached egg this really hit the spot
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Suffers a bit from the curse of 06 for whites, showing a bit fat and ripe, with a fair amount of oak as well. Overall good balance and enjoyable, but I probably would have guessed this as a California Chardonnay if I hadn't brought the bottle. Nice but not memorable, and definitely not up to my expectations for this producer.
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Wonderful wine, with great minerality and very expressive fruit. The only thing that kept me from going to 92 points is a touch too much oak. But that may also be a personal issue of mine, since I am very sensitive to oak. Others who had this wine with me loved it and would have supported a 92 score. Either way, this is a very good wine.
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4/17/2023 - EDO89 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not a great vintage in Burgundy, but who cares. Arnaud Ente is a true master of Chardonnay. This wine was so young, it blew me away. The colour had no sign of aging at all, a bright medium yellow with a slight golden reflection. I think the provenance was impeccable. The nose screamed Ente, with a reductive/toasted popcorn note, fresh and ripe yellow fruit, a creamy/lactic quality, yoghurt like, and a light toastiness, sous bois character.
Incredible aromatics, they kept changing and evolving with time in the glass. The palate was super linear, rich mouthfeel, depth of flavours and crazy long finish, mirroring perfectly the nose. I would say the palate was even fresher, with lots of citrus fruits and saltiness closing out.
Very rare bottle, I wish I could find more, even though prices have gone nuts on his wines too.
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11/28/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Golden color. Lovely aged Chardonnay fruit with a medium long and balanced finish. Delicious. (90)
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8/7/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Soft with maple french toast; citrus; harmony; acidity present; crispy with nice finish.
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2/9/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
White Burgundy Flight (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Medium yellow. Smoky nose. Middle weight, round, smoky palate with some citrus and a kernel of bitterness. Average acidity. The flavors are neutral without real authority, and the lasting impression of one of heaviness despite having some attractive elements.
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9/5/2010 - paulst wrote: 95 Points
Round buttery soft velvety; maple syrup; some banana; light and well balanced.
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5/8/2010 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Mellow oaky earthy smooth delicate creamy lemon tangerine vanilla caramel; minerally with long balanced and rich finish.
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3/22/2010 - kingkanu wrote: 87 Points
Dinner At Cyrus March 2010 (Healdsburg, CA): Rich and ripe, some cinders on the palate when drunk on it's own, but with a rich and earthy dish of morels, young garlic and poached egg this really hit the spot
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3/19/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Suffers a bit from the curse of 06 for whites, showing a bit fat and ripe, with a fair amount of oak as well. Overall good balance and enjoyable, but I probably would have guessed this as a California Chardonnay if I hadn't brought the bottle. Nice but not memorable, and definitely not up to my expectations for this producer.
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10/20/2009 - cns wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful wine, with great minerality and very expressive fruit. The only thing that kept me from going to 92 points is a touch too much oak. But that may also be a personal issue of mine, since I am very sensitive to oak. Others who had this wine with me loved it and would have supported a 92 score. Either way, this is a very good wine.
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