France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This and the 2012 Edouard were probably my least favourite of the Lamy wines today, in that they showed a slightly fleshier style, which, while in isolation, isn't a problem, but in comparison to the much leaner 2013 and 2014 vintages, gives this a bit too much blowsy heft. To be clear, that's not to say that this was a fat wine -- it just showed a little more sweetness and tropical than I'd prefer in my chardonnay.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This was certainly leaner and more acidic than the 2012 version, but at the same time, this ended up with a little too much white hot acidity, so it was a little sharper and more forceful. There's a really nice white-fruitedness here that reminds me of the white Burgundies, but I found this a little lacking in heft on the body to balance it all out.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This is the Goldilocks bottle between the 2012 and 2013 versions. Denser and full, but with just the right amount of stuffing and acidity, where everything was in balance. The palate shows a good crisp minerality, with a good mix of white and yellow fruit as well. Definitely the most complex and interesting of the three vintages of this wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
To be honest, a bit of a laggard in the whole lineup of Lamy wines today. This was a bit thicker and heavier, with some dense fruit, but also burdened by a bit too much extraction and alcohol on the back end. Not too complex, and the mineral cut isn't quite there, but there's a good touch of acidity.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This, and the 2014 of this, were my favourite wines of the Lamy lineup today. This was by far the most reductive and steely of the wines, and certainly brings to mind a bit of the Roulot style. It's crisp, white-hot, and absolutely electric. Perhaps a bit thin on the palate (especially noticeable after tasting the 2014), this is still pretty much white Burgundy in the vein of what I like.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Easily the best wine of the Lamy lineup today. This had a bit more density and stuffing than the 2013, and coupled with acidity that wasn't as sharp, this really hit the spot for solid white Burgundy. It's got a good amount of minerality here, but it's also fairly open and inviting. It seems to have the stuffing for a bit of age, but given that these wines are already so delicious young, why bother waiting?
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This is one of the class of wines where I find myself liking the idea of the wine more than the wine itself. That's not to say this is a bad wine at all -- in fact, it is excellent for the level, but it's just not something I could ever see myself putting in the cellar and pulling to drink. All that said, this is quite good, with crispy red fruit and a nice crunchy tart acidity that keeps it fresh. It's honest, inviting, and juicy. The tannic structure is a little taut right now, and some time to smooth it over will certainly improve this.
This took a bit of time to come together, but it certainly did integrate quite well. The nose on this was a little stinky, but air helped remove a few unpleasant elements of that. Alongside the little bit of animale were some classic nebbiolo notes, especially a bit of tar. The palate is sweet and ripe, with tannins that still aren't easily yielding. There's a leathery and rose element on the palate that are absolutely brilliant as well -- this was the best on the last few sips; the inevitable conclusion is that this wine still needs more time.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
This was one of my favourite wines of the afternoon (and I almost never drink Tuscan wines); this makes me wonder why I don't own a single bottle of Tuscan wine. The nose here is fragrant with earth and sweet plums, with precisely the same profile on the palate. It's well-delineated, concentrated, and amply complex. Granted, this does feel to me it's at a peak, but it's also something just spectacular now.
An absolutely brilliant showing today -- this was, I think, one of the consensus favourites. Certainly, this shows as a fairly stylized wine, with a lot of pinot character. A touch oxidative, with a lot of bruised apple flavours. Great acidity and freshness, with a brilliant chalkiness that adds so much depth. Persistent, concentrated, and complex.
This bottle didn't strike me as alcoholic and blowsy as the last time I had it. In fact, it seems as if this had come into itself quite a bit, although it did feel just a slight touch advanced. The nose had a nice mix of red and black fruit, as well as a good amount of earth (without too many funky aromas either!). The palate is a bit heavy and shows a bit of flashy fruit in front of some more interesting earthy elements.
Now this is real syrah. The nose here is earthy and shows a really briny quality -- almost like the liquor of an oyster. There's a slight touch of meat and olive as well here. The palate here is again one of classic old-school Northern Rhone brilliance. Subtle and earthy, with a bit of a bloodiness to it, as well as some nice fruit elements. Tons of acidity and well-integrated tannins. This is ready to go now and will provide tons of classical syrah enjoyment, if you're into that kind of thing.
2012 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien Blanc 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This and the 2012 Edouard were probably my least favourite of the Lamy wines today, in that they showed a slightly fleshier style, which, while in isolation, isn't a problem, but in comparison to the much leaner 2013 and 2014 vintages, gives this a bit too much blowsy heft. To be clear, that's not to say that this was a fat wine -- it just showed a little more sweetness and tropical than I'd prefer in my chardonnay.
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2013 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien Blanc 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This was certainly leaner and more acidic than the 2012 version, but at the same time, this ended up with a little too much white hot acidity, so it was a little sharper and more forceful. There's a really nice white-fruitedness here that reminds me of the white Burgundies, but I found this a little lacking in heft on the body to balance it all out.
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2014 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien Blanc 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This is the Goldilocks bottle between the 2012 and 2013 versions. Denser and full, but with just the right amount of stuffing and acidity, where everything was in balance. The palate shows a good crisp minerality, with a good mix of white and yellow fruit as well. Definitely the most complex and interesting of the three vintages of this wine.
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2012 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Derrière Chez Edouard Blanc 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
To be honest, a bit of a laggard in the whole lineup of Lamy wines today. This was a bit thicker and heavier, with some dense fruit, but also burdened by a bit too much extraction and alcohol on the back end. Not too complex, and the mineral cut isn't quite there, but there's a good touch of acidity.
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2013 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This, and the 2014 of this, were my favourite wines of the Lamy lineup today. This was by far the most reductive and steely of the wines, and certainly brings to mind a bit of the Roulot style. It's crisp, white-hot, and absolutely electric. Perhaps a bit thin on the palate (especially noticeable after tasting the 2014), this is still pretty much white Burgundy in the vein of what I like.
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2014 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Easily the best wine of the Lamy lineup today. This had a bit more density and stuffing than the 2013, and coupled with acidity that wasn't as sharp, this really hit the spot for solid white Burgundy. It's got a good amount of minerality here, but it's also fairly open and inviting. It seems to have the stuffing for a bit of age, but given that these wines are already so delicious young, why bother waiting?
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2013 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Derrière Chez Edouard Vieilles Vignes 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
This is one of the class of wines where I find myself liking the idea of the wine more than the wine itself. That's not to say this is a bad wine at all -- in fact, it is excellent for the level, but it's just not something I could ever see myself putting in the cellar and pulling to drink. All that said, this is quite good, with crispy red fruit and a nice crunchy tart acidity that keeps it fresh. It's honest, inviting, and juicy. The tannic structure is a little taut right now, and some time to smooth it over will certainly improve this.
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1989 Gaja Barbaresco 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
This took a bit of time to come together, but it certainly did integrate quite well. The nose on this was a little stinky, but air helped remove a few unpleasant elements of that. Alongside the little bit of animale were some classic nebbiolo notes, especially a bit of tar. The palate is sweet and ripe, with tannins that still aren't easily yielding. There's a leathery and rose element on the palate that are absolutely brilliant as well -- this was the best on the last few sips; the inevitable conclusion is that this wine still needs more time.
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1995 Fattoria Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 95 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
This was one of my favourite wines of the afternoon (and I almost never drink Tuscan wines); this makes me wonder why I don't own a single bottle of Tuscan wine. The nose here is fragrant with earth and sweet plums, with precisely the same profile on the palate. It's well-delineated, concentrated, and amply complex. Granted, this does feel to me it's at a peak, but it's also something just spectacular now.
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2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 95 Points
France, Champagne
An absolutely brilliant showing today -- this was, I think, one of the consensus favourites. Certainly, this shows as a fairly stylized wine, with a lot of pinot character. A touch oxidative, with a lot of bruised apple flavours. Great acidity and freshness, with a brilliant chalkiness that adds so much depth. Persistent, concentrated, and complex.
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1998 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard 88 Points
USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
This bottle didn't strike me as alcoholic and blowsy as the last time I had it. In fact, it seems as if this had come into itself quite a bit, although it did feel just a slight touch advanced. The nose had a nice mix of red and black fruit, as well as a good amount of earth (without too many funky aromas either!). The palate is a bit heavy and shows a bit of flashy fruit in front of some more interesting earthy elements.
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2000 Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Now this is real syrah. The nose here is earthy and shows a really briny quality -- almost like the liquor of an oyster. There's a slight touch of meat and olive as well here. The palate here is again one of classic old-school Northern Rhone brilliance. Subtle and earthy, with a bit of a bloodiness to it, as well as some nice fruit elements. Tons of acidity and well-integrated tannins. This is ready to go now and will provide tons of classical syrah enjoyment, if you're into that kind of thing.
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