France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. The bouquet screamed beautifully aged Burgundy and I was a bit surprised that this merely 10 years old. This was superb, missing just a bit of depth to get to an even higher score. 94/95pts.
TN: Expressive nose, full of ripe dark red berries, herbs and stems. On the palate superb, very well defined layers of red berries, strawberries, dried and fresh cherries, herbs, earthy notes, stems. Well-defined and pure but with a certain ripeness to it. Fine structure and texture. Fresh and round, harmonious.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. This wine is not yet open for business, still a bit tight, simple and with slightly grippy tannins. Today it showed ok but my guess is that this will be clearly better in a few years. 91/92pts
TN: Medium expressive nose, darker fruit, not super well defined. On the palate more expressive, quite ripe dark fruit at the core, a bit of minerality but overall a bit tight and locked. A bit simple. Slightly grippy tannins which will have to soften further. Good freshness and overall good balance.
Decanting: Not decanted. I guess this could have used 2 hours in a decanter.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. A luxurious wine. Superb, highly complex, round and satin-like. For an even higher score the precision and purity would haave needed to be on a higher level. Clearly at its peak today as with more time in the glass some unwanted ageing notes came forward.
TN: Very layered nose, toasty, dark red berries, smoke and herbs. Every sniff with a new aroma. On the palate this is fresh and light but with the typical mid palate weight and satin-like texture. Layered with red and blue fruit, herbs, smoke, toast, cola, minerality. New nuances popping up everywhere from the attack to the long finish. Quite complete.
Tasted side by side with the Donatsch Privee 2013. After a few dormant years, the regular Unique 2013 (94pts) is again open for business. It’s layered, precise, elegant but still a bit young. The Privee (96pts) showed fantastic with more of everything, so much aromatic density, superb precision and a perfect balance. In the context of this larger tasting, one couldn’t spend enough time with it to experience it in its totality and in ever detail. I suppose that once mature this could become a perfect wine.
TN: The nose shows beautifully mature and layered with soil, herbs, dark red berries, some red berries, toasty notes and stems. On the palate very layered and clearly younger. Superb, round, satin-like tannins. Very light and airy but with good aromatic density. A wonderfully harmonious wine. The same aromas as on the nose with again this luxurious slightly burnt sugar notes as the highlight.
Decanting: A few hours of slow-ox, not decanted. No decanting necessary.
Tasted side by side with the Donatsch Unique 2013. After a few dormant years, the regular Unique 2013 (94pts) is again open for business. It’s layered, precise, elegant but still a bit young. The Privee (96pts) showed fantastic with more of everything, so much aromatic density, superb precision and a perfect balance. In the context of this larger tasting, one couldn’t spend enough time with it to experience it in its totality and in every detail. I suppose that once mature this could become a perfect wine.
TN: Expressive nose with pure red berries and a core of darker red fruit, toasty and coffee notes, herbs, stems. Very inviting and the best nose of the day. Even better on the palate, wonderful satin-like tannins. Round and fresh, light and airy but with superb mid palate weight. So complex and round. Lots of wonderful aromas. A rainbow of fruit from red to dark, with time more and more herbs, a bit of spices, minerality, stems and on a finish full of coffee and red fruit, minerality. Ever so slightly changing and with an impeccable balance. Wow.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 30 minutes, then back in the bottle and consumed 2, 3hours later. Worked fine.
Tasted double blind twice with consistent results. I don’t like Fröhlich’s Pinot Noirs. The fruit is weirdly ripe and just doesn’t taste good. In addition, there is not much substance, the wine is watery. 85/86pts is generous.
Tasted double blind. Again a fantastic Pinot Noir from this winery and the crowd favorite tonight. Layered, highly precise, quite perfectly structured and with an impeccable balance. One of the best Swiss Pinot Noirs in this form.
TN: Dark fruit and smokey nose. Classic Pinot beauty. On the palate with dark fruit, some coffee notes, minerality, stems. Beautiful mid palate weight and sweetness, good, long and expansive finish. Fine and airy, perfectly round and harmonious. Superb.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. One of the best wines of the tasting if not the best wines. This combines complexity, precision; seductiveness and elegance, airiness and aromatic density. One of the 2005s that sings today.
TN: Expressive nose with dark fruit, dark red fruit, smoke, some bretty notes, some other tertiary notes. On the palate superb red berries, sweet strawberries, ripe but very pure, additional notes of minerality, soil, some vegetal/stemmy aromas. This is round and harmonious, wonderful, airy texture, fine tannins. So sweet and seductive, so elegant and airy. Wow.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting needed.
Tasted double blind. This was not the most complex wine in the lineup, but it had the purest, sweetest, most Rayas-esque fruit expression which is to die for. Felton can easily compee with fine Burgundy. In terms of QPR it‘s miles ahead.
TN: Super expressive, super pure ripe red berries. On the palate the same thing, super ripe red strawberries, some spices, some herbs, some minerality. Wonderful. Expressive. Precise. Superb. Medium- complexity. Very fine, light and airy, satin-like texture. Good length but not the most impressive finish.
Decanting: Double decanted a few hours pior to consumption which seems fine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. At first a bit muted but with time more and more open. This is a bit on the ripe side of things and misses a bit of that ethereal Pinot elegance. Time should help to bring this to the next level.
TN: On the nose rather muted. On the palate there is this intense sweetness, satin-like texture, dark fruit, minerality, herbs and soil. A tad simpler than some other wines tonight, but the structural frame and texture are very good, but it has not the airiness of the best Burgundies - but it’s a Corton after all. With time more and more pure strawberries come out. Gets better and better by the minute. Overall very solid.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. I’m a bit puzzled by the wine, on one hand, it definitely seemed too early as it showed muted. On the other hand I guessed it too be much older with some tertiary notes already there. Will it age probebrly? 92/93pts.
TN: The nose is muted with some dark berry notes and some tertiary notes shining through. On the palate this is dense, dark and muscular. Quite intese but mostly just ripe dark fruit and some minerality. With time better, more open with some toasty notes adding to the complexity but overall it remained a bit muted and with still quite a muscular structure.
Decanting: My guess is that this needs at least 2-3 hours in the decanter.
Tasted double blind. Added to a Pinot lineup. The minefield that is aged Barolo… this was another example of a prematurely aged specimen. While it showed quite complex on the palate, it’s still had the 2010 sturdiness and structure and would need more time to soften. But with soy sauce notes already there today, the wine probably won’t have enough time to get there. I don’t like those soy sauce/oxidation notes and hence, the 90pts are probably a bit generous.
TN: A bit acidic on the nose, dark fruits and minerality. On the palate dark fruit, a beautiful minerality, some smokey notes. But unfortunately, soy sauce notes. Medium complex and quite well defined. The wine is quite structured and even a bit rustic with some hard tannins, the freshness is very good and a highlight is the satin-like texture.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Unfortunately, this big name didn’t perform today. I wouldn’t write it off completely yet and maybe it just needs more time or the bottle wasn’t completely correct. 90/91pts.
TN: Medium expressive, slightly lactic nose. On the palate dark red berries, some spices, a bit harsh and disjointed for a Pinot. On the palate it gets better and better with more air and with wonderful, sweet strawberries and rhubarb notes showing that there is more to the wine than it shows today. Loads of high quality, fine tannins, high freshness and airy texture. Balance is a bit off on the palate too.
Tasted double blind. This had an exciting complexity and wonderful fruit expression but it lacked the mid palate weight and especially the elegance and finesse of most other Pinots in the lineup. Still, a success.
TN: Medium expressive nose, some smoke, herbs, some dark fruit. On the palate there is ripe red fruit, quite pure, some smoke, herbs, some stems. Complex and very well delineated. A bit muscular and missing a bit of finesse and tannin quality as well as the satin-like texture of the best Pinots but overall quite good and well balanced.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
My wine of the tasting, beating all Pinots in the lineup. Telltale Burgundy freshness, very high complexity, Coche like matchstick notes, some first tertiary notes and an impeccable balance. A great wine from A to Z.
TN: Medium expressive nose with matchstick, butter, some hints of caramel. Wow. On the palate, this is superb, very layered, matchstick, butter, caramel, minerality, citrus fruit, some orchard fruit. So layered and highly precise. Superb aciditiy backbone, quite long and expanding finish. Superb balance.
The first time I’ve had this and it showed well. The full Comtes signature caramel, brioche, toasty notes are on full display and the highlight. Still quite fresh and vivid, the wine probably doesn’t deserve the 95pts as it misses a bit of elegance.
TN: Very expressive nose and palate with lots of autolysis notes: caramel, toffee, brioche, some nutty notes, beautifully complemented by a fresh citrus fruit core. Super fresh, full of tension and vibrancy despite the 25 years of age. Not as elegant and luxurious as the 2002, this has still some edges, not the most perfect balance and not the finest mousse but it’s just so damn good to drink.
2013 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chambertin 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. The bouquet screamed beautifully aged Burgundy and I was a bit surprised that this merely 10 years old. This was superb, missing just a bit of depth to get to an even higher score. 94/95pts.
TN: Expressive nose, full of ripe dark red berries, herbs and stems. On the palate superb, very well defined layers of red berries, strawberries, dried and fresh cherries, herbs, earthy notes, stems. Well-defined and pure but with a certain ripeness to it. Fine structure and texture. Fresh and round, harmonious.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary.
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2016 Domaine Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Tasted double blind. This wine is not yet open for business, still a bit tight, simple and with slightly grippy tannins. Today it showed ok but my guess is that this will be clearly better in a few years. 91/92pts
TN: Medium expressive nose, darker fruit, not super well defined. On the palate more expressive, quite ripe dark fruit at the core, a bit of minerality but overall a bit tight and locked. A bit simple. Slightly grippy tannins which will have to soften further. Good freshness and overall good balance.
Decanting: Not decanted. I guess this could have used 2 hours in a decanter.
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1996 Gérard Raphet Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. A luxurious wine. Superb, highly complex, round and satin-like. For an even higher score the precision and purity would haave needed to be on a higher level. Clearly at its peak today as with more time in the glass some unwanted ageing notes came forward.
TN: Very layered nose, toasty, dark red berries, smoke and herbs. Every sniff with a new aroma. On the palate this is fresh and light but with the typical mid palate weight and satin-like texture. Layered with red and blue fruit, herbs, smoke, toast, cola, minerality. New nuances popping up everywhere from the attack to the long finish. Quite complete.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting necessary.
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2013 Donatsch Pinot Noir Unique 94 Points
Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Graubünden, Malans
Tasted side by side with the Donatsch Privee 2013. After a few dormant years, the regular Unique 2013 (94pts) is again open for business. It’s layered, precise, elegant but still a bit young. The Privee (96pts) showed fantastic with more of everything, so much aromatic density, superb precision and a perfect balance. In the context of this larger tasting, one couldn’t spend enough time with it to experience it in its totality and in ever detail. I suppose that once mature this could become a perfect wine.
TN: The nose shows beautifully mature and layered with soil, herbs, dark red berries, some red berries, toasty notes and stems. On the palate very layered and clearly younger. Superb, round, satin-like tannins. Very light and airy but with good aromatic density. A wonderfully harmonious wine. The same aromas as on the nose with again this luxurious slightly burnt sugar notes as the highlight.
Decanting: A few hours of slow-ox, not decanted. No decanting necessary.
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2013 Donatsch Pinot Noir Réserve Privée 96 Points
Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Graubünden, Malans
Tasted side by side with the Donatsch Unique 2013. After a few dormant years, the regular Unique 2013 (94pts) is again open for business. It’s layered, precise, elegant but still a bit young. The Privee (96pts) showed fantastic with more of everything, so much aromatic density, superb precision and a perfect balance. In the context of this larger tasting, one couldn’t spend enough time with it to experience it in its totality and in every detail. I suppose that once mature this could become a perfect wine.
TN: Expressive nose with pure red berries and a core of darker red fruit, toasty and coffee notes, herbs, stems. Very inviting and the best nose of the day. Even better on the palate, wonderful satin-like tannins. Round and fresh, light and airy but with superb mid palate weight. So complex and round. Lots of wonderful aromas. A rainbow of fruit from red to dark, with time more and more herbs, a bit of spices, minerality, stems and on a finish full of coffee and red fruit, minerality. Ever so slightly changing and with an impeccable balance. Wow.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 30 minutes, then back in the bottle and consumed 2, 3hours later. Worked fine.
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2019 Fröhlich Weine Pinot Noir 86 Points
Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Graubünden, Jenins
Tasted double blind twice with consistent results. I don’t like Fröhlich’s Pinot Noirs. The fruit is weirdly ripe and just doesn’t taste good. In addition, there is not much substance, the wine is watery. 85/86pts is generous.
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2016 J.C. Kuntzer et Fils Pinot Noir Clos de la Perrière Domaine Saint-Sébaste 95 Points
Switzerland, Three Lakes, Neuchâtel
Tasted double blind. Again a fantastic Pinot Noir from this winery and the crowd favorite tonight. Layered, highly precise, quite perfectly structured and with an impeccable balance. One of the best Swiss Pinot Noirs in this form.
TN: Dark fruit and smokey nose. Classic Pinot beauty. On the palate with dark fruit, some coffee notes, minerality, stems. Beautiful mid palate weight and sweetness, good, long and expansive finish. Fine and airy, perfectly round and harmonious. Superb.
Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
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2005 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Mazoyères-Chambertin 96 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. One of the best wines of the tasting if not the best wines. This combines complexity, precision; seductiveness and elegance, airiness and aromatic density. One of the 2005s that sings today.
TN: Expressive nose with dark fruit, dark red fruit, smoke, some bretty notes, some other tertiary notes. On the palate superb red berries, sweet strawberries, ripe but very pure, additional notes of minerality, soil, some vegetal/stemmy aromas. This is round and harmonious, wonderful, airy texture, fine tannins. So sweet and seductive, so elegant and airy. Wow.
Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting needed.
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2016 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 95 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Tasted double blind. This was not the most complex wine in the lineup, but it had the purest, sweetest, most Rayas-esque fruit expression which is to die for. Felton can easily compee with fine Burgundy. In terms of QPR it‘s miles ahead.
TN: Super expressive, super pure ripe red berries. On the palate the same thing, super ripe red strawberries, some spices, some herbs, some minerality. Wonderful. Expressive. Precise. Superb. Medium- complexity. Very fine, light and airy, satin-like texture. Good length but not the most impressive finish.
Decanting: Double decanted a few hours pior to consumption which seems fine.
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2010 Domaine Cornu Corton 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. At first a bit muted but with time more and more open. This is a bit on the ripe side of things and misses a bit of that ethereal Pinot elegance. Time should help to bring this to the next level.
TN: On the nose rather muted. On the palate there is this intense sweetness, satin-like texture, dark fruit, minerality, herbs and soil. A tad simpler than some other wines tonight, but the structural frame and texture are very good, but it has not the airiness of the best Burgundies - but it’s a Corton after all. With time more and more pure strawberries come out. Gets better and better by the minute. Overall very solid.
Decanting: A solid 1-2 hours should help.
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2016 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Clos Vougeot 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. I’m a bit puzzled by the wine, on one hand, it definitely seemed too early as it showed muted. On the other hand I guessed it too be much older with some tertiary notes already there. Will it age probebrly? 92/93pts.
TN: The nose is muted with some dark berry notes and some tertiary notes shining through. On the palate this is dense, dark and muscular. Quite intese but mostly just ripe dark fruit and some minerality. With time better, more open with some toasty notes adding to the complexity but overall it remained a bit muted and with still quite a muscular structure.
Decanting: My guess is that this needs at least 2-3 hours in the decanter.
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2010 Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasted double blind. Added to a Pinot lineup. The minefield that is aged Barolo… this was another example of a prematurely aged specimen. While it showed quite complex on the palate, it’s still had the 2010 sturdiness and structure and would need more time to soften. But with soy sauce notes already there today, the wine probably won’t have enough time to get there. I don’t like those soy sauce/oxidation notes and hence, the 90pts are probably a bit generous.
TN: A bit acidic on the nose, dark fruits and minerality. On the palate dark fruit, a beautiful minerality, some smokey notes. But unfortunately, soy sauce notes. Medium complex and quite well defined. The wine is quite structured and even a bit rustic with some hard tannins, the freshness is very good and a highlight is the satin-like texture.
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2013 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Unfortunately, this big name didn’t perform today. I wouldn’t write it off completely yet and maybe it just needs more time or the bottle wasn’t completely correct. 90/91pts.
TN: Medium expressive, slightly lactic nose. On the palate dark red berries, some spices, a bit harsh and disjointed for a Pinot. On the palate it gets better and better with more air and with wonderful, sweet strawberries and rhubarb notes showing that there is more to the wine than it shows today. Loads of high quality, fine tannins, high freshness and airy texture. Balance is a bit off on the palate too.
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2019 Deutzerhof Neuenahrer Kirchtürmchen Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 94 Points
Germany, Ahr
Tasted double blind. This had an exciting complexity and wonderful fruit expression but it lacked the mid palate weight and especially the elegance and finesse of most other Pinots in the lineup. Still, a success.
TN: Medium expressive nose, some smoke, herbs, some dark fruit. On the palate there is ripe red fruit, quite pure, some smoke, herbs, some stems. Complex and very well delineated. A bit muscular and missing a bit of finesse and tannin quality as well as the satin-like texture of the best Pinots but overall quite good and well balanced.
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2012 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 97 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
My wine of the tasting, beating all Pinots in the lineup. Telltale Burgundy freshness, very high complexity, Coche like matchstick notes, some first tertiary notes and an impeccable balance. A great wine from A to Z.
TN: Medium expressive nose with matchstick, butter, some hints of caramel. Wow. On the palate, this is superb, very layered, matchstick, butter, caramel, minerality, citrus fruit, some orchard fruit. So layered and highly precise. Superb aciditiy backbone, quite long and expanding finish. Superb balance.
Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
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1998 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points
France, Champagne
The first time I’ve had this and it showed well. The full Comtes signature caramel, brioche, toasty notes are on full display and the highlight. Still quite fresh and vivid, the wine probably doesn’t deserve the 95pts as it misses a bit of elegance.
TN: Very expressive nose and palate with lots of autolysis notes: caramel, toffee, brioche, some nutty notes, beautifully complemented by a fresh citrus fruit core. Super fresh, full of tension and vibrancy despite the 25 years of age. Not as elegant and luxurious as the 2002, this has still some edges, not the most perfect balance and not the finest mousse but it’s just so damn good to drink.
Decanting: No decanting necessary.
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