At first this comes across a bit austere and tart, with green apple and pear fruit tinged with biscuit and yeasty notes, but as this warms up and breathes it starts to show more depth and presence on the palate. Lovely way to start the evening.
This is stellar. Lemon curd, fresh citrus fruits and vivid stony and chalky notes conveyed with remarkable lightness and purity. There's barely any sensation of weight on the palate, yet such intensity of flavour and persistence on the finish. With more air it turns more creamy, but remains quite compelling over a few hours. Another winner from Raveneau.
Lots of sulfur and flint on the nose at first, but with some air and aggressive swirling, the sulfur clears to show incredibly fresh citrus and pear fruit framed by more savoury smoky and mineral elements. There's the power and intensity I usually expect from Coche, balanced by bright acids that keep it very fresh and light on its feet.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
A wow from the aromatics alone. This is an incredible wine to just sit and smell, with a vivid scent of rose petals, fresh strawberries and more savoury earthy and sous bois notes in the background. The palate presence is remarkable; it's very light on its feet with a gentle, polished texture, tannins fully resolved and bright acids keeping it very fresh and lively still. A real treat.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Quite a contrast to the '83 Corton-Bressandes, this is rather dark fruited in comparison with more low toned, earthy and leathery flavours augmenting the fruit. There's a faint high toned spicy element that emerges with air, and a graceful, silken palate presence with fine grained tannins and bright acids making it very easy to drink.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
There's some tightly wound red fruit here and somewhat sharp acidity, but it comes across a touch disjointed and shrill. Consensus at the table was that this was heat damaged. A shame.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis
Very nice, fresh red fruits and earth with a slightly stemmy herbal aspect to the nose that becomes less pronounced with air. It's not particularly complex, but I really like the sense of freshness and purity here, and look forward to seeing how this develops with some time in the cellar.
Consistent with my last bottle. Pure, fresh red fruited flavours accented by higher toned floral and herbal elements, all conveyed with a textural polish and lightness of touch that makes this very easy to drink.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
A lovely floral scent and a palate full of very pure, fresh red fruited flavours. Not showing a great deal of complexity right now, but there's a sense of purity and freshness to the fruit flavours that makes this very easy to drink, with fine grained tannins and bright acids giving it a very polished, silken mouthfeel.
A wonderful showing; fresh grapefruit, pear and some tropical fruit accented with mineral, floral and developing smoky notes. The fruit still comes across incredibly fresh and youthful, and there's great purity and vibrancy to the flavours with a powerful acid spine and great persistence. Those '01 Catoirs always deliver.
Another outstanding bottle of this. This is up there among my favorite Spätlese of the vintage. It's drinking so well right now, the fruit's still very fresh, youthful and vibrant, and tinged with the start of developing smoky and creamy elements. Beneath the fruit is a base of pure stone with a remarkably vivid mineral presence on the back end, and amazing cut and focus to the flavours.
NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
At first this comes across a bit austere and tart, with green apple and pear fruit tinged with biscuit and yeasty notes, but as this warms up and breathes it starts to show more depth and presence on the palate. Lovely way to start the evening.
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2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
This is stellar. Lemon curd, fresh citrus fruits and vivid stony and chalky notes conveyed with remarkable lightness and purity. There's barely any sensation of weight on the palate, yet such intensity of flavour and persistence on the finish. With more air it turns more creamy, but remains quite compelling over a few hours. Another winner from Raveneau.
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2008 Coche-Dury Chardonnay Bourgogne 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Lots of sulfur and flint on the nose at first, but with some air and aggressive swirling, the sulfur clears to show incredibly fresh citrus and pear fruit framed by more savoury smoky and mineral elements. There's the power and intensity I usually expect from Coche, balanced by bright acids that keep it very fresh and light on its feet.
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1983 Prince Florent de Merode Corton-Bressandes 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
A wow from the aromatics alone. This is an incredible wine to just sit and smell, with a vivid scent of rose petals, fresh strawberries and more savoury earthy and sous bois notes in the background. The palate presence is remarkable; it's very light on its feet with a gentle, polished texture, tannins fully resolved and bright acids keeping it very fresh and lively still. A real treat.
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1983 Joseph Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Quite a contrast to the '83 Corton-Bressandes, this is rather dark fruited in comparison with more low toned, earthy and leathery flavours augmenting the fruit. There's a faint high toned spicy element that emerges with air, and a graceful, silken palate presence with fine grained tannins and bright acids making it very easy to drink.
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1978 Charles Vienot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru
A shame, this comes across rather flawed with a lot of VA dominating everything else.
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1996 Domaine Truchot-Martin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
There's some tightly wound red fruit here and somewhat sharp acidity, but it comes across a touch disjointed and shrill. Consensus at the table was that this was heat damaged. A shame.
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2011 Henri Jouan Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis
Very nice, fresh red fruits and earth with a slightly stemmy herbal aspect to the nose that becomes less pronounced with air. It's not particularly complex, but I really like the sense of freshness and purity here, and look forward to seeing how this develops with some time in the cellar.
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2010 Ballot-Millot & Fils Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
Consistent with my last bottle. Pure, fresh red fruited flavours accented by higher toned floral and herbal elements, all conveyed with a textural polish and lightness of touch that makes this very easy to drink.
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2010 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
A lovely floral scent and a palate full of very pure, fresh red fruited flavours. Not showing a great deal of complexity right now, but there's a sense of purity and freshness to the fruit flavours that makes this very easy to drink, with fine grained tannins and bright acids giving it a very polished, silken mouthfeel.
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2001 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Spätlese #2133 93 Points
Germany, Pfalz
A wonderful showing; fresh grapefruit, pear and some tropical fruit accented with mineral, floral and developing smoky notes. The fruit still comes across incredibly fresh and youthful, and there's great purity and vibrancy to the flavours with a powerful acid spine and great persistence. Those '01 Catoirs always deliver.
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2001 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese 94 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Another outstanding bottle of this. This is up there among my favorite Spätlese of the vintage. It's drinking so well right now, the fruit's still very fresh, youthful and vibrant, and tinged with the start of developing smoky and creamy elements. Beneath the fruit is a base of pure stone with a remarkably vivid mineral presence on the back end, and amazing cut and focus to the flavours.
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