#07-17, 9% abv. This has got to be one of the palest wines I've ever seen in my life. No colour whatsoever. But the nose -- tropical in all the right ways -- mango, passion fruit, guava, but also a touch of green (not herbaceous; more gooseberry or kiwi). The palate is lightly sweet, with lots and lots of acidity to balance the mild sweetness. There are pretty much the same tropical elements on the palate here, and also this chalky minerality on the finish.
Next to the Montmains, I thought that this was a little riper and heftier, and didn't show as much of the minerality that I like in Chablis. It's certainly a nice wine, with plenty of white fruit on the nose, but the palate is a little fat and sweet, and overall just not as delineated.
Next to the Forets, the minerality and backbone in this wine was far more prominent. It had many of the same fruit flavours, but it wasn't as fat and sweet as the Forets. There seemed to be brighter acids here, as well as a much firmer mineral backbone that I really liked.
This has a bit of that animale funk that older chenin can pick up, but it's in the context of some pretty nice spice and golden fruit flavours, which are definitely very nice. Fairly sweet on the palate, but sufficiently balanced by the acidity. I don't think this is too complex, but there is nonetheless, as the finish seems to drop off a little, but there still is plenty to like here.
#82-15, 13.5% abv. Mildly reductive on the nose, showing a slight whiff of sulphur, and then some of the more typical riesling elements underneath it. The palate is definitely hefty and thick, with a broadness that is quite pleasant. There's the necessary fruit to round this out, and the acidity isn't screaming, but the alcohol feels a little heady.
#21-16, 12.5% abv. Overall, this doesn't have the richness and depth needed to hold the alcohol. It's a bit thin and the fruit doesn't come through enough, leaving mostly structural elements. Especially at the price point, this is an easy pass.
A heady and thick riesling, but with enough sweetness to balance out the more structural elements. Shows a fair bit of earthiness and a mild barnyard note, but they're not off-putting. To be sure, this is made in a very voluptuous style, and there isn't much overall cut here. I'd be up for a glass once in a while, but it's hardly the stuff I want to drink a bottle of.
For the appellation, this is a much heftier wine than I'd have thought. Seems to have a fair bit of extraction and perhaps sees a mild bit of oak. But the black pepper and exuberant fruit profile is here, and there's enough acidity to cut through the youthful fruit. Pretty good stuff.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
The nose shows a lot more depth than the palate -- there's something quite Roty-esque about the overall intensity of the nose here. The black fruit, the coiled power? It's certainly a real entrancing nose. The palate falls off a bit, probably owing to the youth of this wine. It's juicy and pleasant, with some sweet red (surprisingly so) fruit, and a hint of blood and iron, but it's not complex and it's too simple right now. Time should allow more complexity to develop.
This is made in that post-modern, fun, juicy syrah style. There's a slight hint of carbonic, but the syrah spice elements are there for sure, with some black pepper and some of that blue fruit. The palate is easy-going, with fresh acidity. Not complex, but quite drinkable.
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
I've generally been quite a fan of these wines; this bottle is no exception. It's got just a mild bit of reduction, with fruit that isn't too expressive. Seems to be quite structural, and the acidity is mild here, leading to something like a chardonnay seen through a peachy lens. Balanced with some minerality on the back end. For one, it's a chardonnay that's not overly reductive, so it's already got that going for it, but overall this ticks quite a few of the boxes.
This has seriously got to be one of the cleanest bottles of Breton I've had in a while. The fruit profile is about as generous as you'll see in the Loire, with some tart red fruits, and the green pepper herbaceousness seems to be dialled back here. The palate is clean, with the minerality and acidity more prominent. Ready now; there isn't too much tannin here.
Odd. At Third Coast Soif, this was my favourite of the lineup, but I think my palate was probably desensitized to the weird natural flavours at that point. In this context, the warts and all come out much more clearly. The nose is fairly clean, and this doesn't have the farty elements I remember so distinctly (though I didn't remark on that in this wine). The palate is light, with some black pepper, but then there are some weird green notes, as well as other yeasty things that come out on the back end.
Disgorged July 2018. So interesting to taste this with this wine from jeroboam still fresh in my mind. This bottle is more prickly, with some of the high-toned white florals that I don't particularly care for. There is nice minerality here, but this is definitely not as well-integrated as the glass I had from the large-format bottle.
From half-bottle. Very good acidity and lift here; this doesn't come off as a clumsy Sauternes -- in fact, this is incredibly clean cut, with precise dried fruit flavours. The botrytis doesn't seem heavy here: the colour is relatively light for a wine of this age, and the palate doesn't show as much spice and orange peel. It's a fresher, more elegant style of Sauternes, but absolutely works for my palate.
2016 Weingut Keller Scheurebe Kabinett 93 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
#07-17, 9% abv. This has got to be one of the palest wines I've ever seen in my life. No colour whatsoever. But the nose -- tropical in all the right ways -- mango, passion fruit, guava, but also a touch of green (not herbaceous; more gooseberry or kiwi). The palate is lightly sweet, with lots and lots of acidity to balance the mild sweetness. There are pretty much the same tropical elements on the palate here, and also this chalky minerality on the finish.
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2017 Domaine Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Next to the Montmains, I thought that this was a little riper and heftier, and didn't show as much of the minerality that I like in Chablis. It's certainly a nice wine, with plenty of white fruit on the nose, but the palate is a little fat and sweet, and overall just not as delineated.
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2017 Domaine Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Next to the Forets, the minerality and backbone in this wine was far more prominent. It had many of the same fruit flavours, but it wasn't as fat and sweet as the Forets. There seemed to be brighter acids here, as well as a much firmer mineral backbone that I really liked.
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1996 Domaine du Viking Vouvray Cuvée Aurélie 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
This has a bit of that animale funk that older chenin can pick up, but it's in the context of some pretty nice spice and golden fruit flavours, which are definitely very nice. Fairly sweet on the palate, but sufficiently balanced by the acidity. I don't think this is too complex, but there is nonetheless, as the finish seems to drop off a little, but there still is plenty to like here.
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2014 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points
Germany, Rheingau
#82-15, 13.5% abv. Mildly reductive on the nose, showing a slight whiff of sulphur, and then some of the more typical riesling elements underneath it. The palate is definitely hefty and thick, with a broadness that is quite pleasant. There's the necessary fruit to round this out, and the acidity isn't screaming, but the alcohol feels a little heady.
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2015 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Birkweiler Kastanienbusch Riesling Großes Gewächs 85 Points
Germany, Pfalz
#21-16, 12.5% abv. Overall, this doesn't have the richness and depth needed to hold the alcohol. It's a bit thin and the fruit doesn't come through enough, leaving mostly structural elements. Especially at the price point, this is an easy pass.
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1994 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer 90 Points
France, Alsace
A heady and thick riesling, but with enough sweetness to balance out the more structural elements. Shows a fair bit of earthiness and a mild barnyard note, but they're not off-putting. To be sure, this is made in a very voluptuous style, and there isn't much overall cut here. I'd be up for a glass once in a while, but it's hardly the stuff I want to drink a bottle of.
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2016 Jean-Luc Jamet Côtes du Rhône L'Enclave 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
For the appellation, this is a much heftier wine than I'd have thought. Seems to have a fair bit of extraction and perhaps sees a mild bit of oak. But the black pepper and exuberant fruit profile is here, and there's enough acidity to cut through the youthful fruit. Pretty good stuff.
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2015 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
The nose shows a lot more depth than the palate -- there's something quite Roty-esque about the overall intensity of the nose here. The black fruit, the coiled power? It's certainly a real entrancing nose. The palate falls off a bit, probably owing to the youth of this wine. It's juicy and pleasant, with some sweet red (surprisingly so) fruit, and a hint of blood and iron, but it's not complex and it's too simple right now. Time should allow more complexity to develop.
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2016 Jolie-Laide Syrah 88 Points
USA, California, North Coast
This is made in that post-modern, fun, juicy syrah style. There's a slight hint of carbonic, but the syrah spice elements are there for sure, with some black pepper and some of that blue fruit. The palate is easy-going, with fresh acidity. Not complex, but quite drinkable.
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2016 Vasse Felix Chardonnay Heytesbury 90 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
I've generally been quite a fan of these wines; this bottle is no exception. It's got just a mild bit of reduction, with fruit that isn't too expressive. Seems to be quite structural, and the acidity is mild here, leading to something like a chardonnay seen through a peachy lens. Balanced with some minerality on the back end. For one, it's a chardonnay that's not overly reductive, so it's already got that going for it, but overall this ticks quite a few of the boxes.
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2011 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Galichets 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
This has seriously got to be one of the cleanest bottles of Breton I've had in a while. The fruit profile is about as generous as you'll see in the Loire, with some tart red fruits, and the green pepper herbaceousness seems to be dialled back here. The palate is clean, with the minerality and acidity more prominent. Ready now; there isn't too much tannin here.
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2017 Smockshop Band Zinfandel Spring Ephemeral 83 Points
USA, Oregon, Hood River County
Odd. At Third Coast Soif, this was my favourite of the lineup, but I think my palate was probably desensitized to the weird natural flavours at that point. In this context, the warts and all come out much more clearly. The nose is fairly clean, and this doesn't have the farty elements I remember so distinctly (though I didn't remark on that in this wine). The palate is light, with some black pepper, but then there are some weird green notes, as well as other yeasty things that come out on the back end.
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NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Disgorged July 2018. So interesting to taste this with this wine from jeroboam still fresh in my mind. This bottle is more prickly, with some of the high-toned white florals that I don't particularly care for. There is nice minerality here, but this is definitely not as well-integrated as the glass I had from the large-format bottle.
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1990 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
From half-bottle. Very good acidity and lift here; this doesn't come off as a clumsy Sauternes -- in fact, this is incredibly clean cut, with precise dried fruit flavours. The botrytis doesn't seem heavy here: the colour is relatively light for a wine of this age, and the palate doesn't show as much spice and orange peel. It's a fresher, more elegant style of Sauternes, but absolutely works for my palate.
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